This is my first build, based primarily off of Zared619's build from the Budget Intel Gaming PC BestConfigs competition.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.37 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($135.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1105.76
Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully this week, the sooner the better. There's also a pretty appealing deal for some free games when buying an AMD GPU right now, so it would be great if I got in on that, but I'm not sure when the deal expires.
Budget Range: My target was $1100 (after rebates), and going a few dollars over isn't the end of the world. Still, if there's a way to reduce the cost a bit without sacrificing much, I'd definitely be interested.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, web browsing, working with OpenOffice programs, using GIMP, and will probably also run Folding@home just because there's little reason not to.
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: None
Do you need to buy OS: Yes.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'd prefer to stick to newegg and amazon, but if there's a particularly good deal to be found elsewhere, I am interested.
Location: Flemington, NJ, USA
Parts Preferences: Going with an Intel CPU. Other than that, don't care.
Overclocking: Unsure
SLI or Crossfire: Possibly in the future? No real plans, though.
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Since this is my first build, I wouldn't be at all surprised if I screwed something up, even though I was mostly working from Zared619's build. If I did, please let me know.
I'm a little unsure whether to go OES or not, or whether to go with Windows 7 or Windows 8. Right now I'm inclined towards Windows 7 Professional (OEM), but I'm open to suggestions and advice. I also plan to get an SSD at some point in the future, but I've heard that you can get OEM versions of Windows onto new hard drives as long as you have the same motherboard, so I don't imagine that should be a problem. Am I right?
I'm a little confused about why there's such a significant price difference between the Asus Radeon HD 7870 GPU that I'm planning on using, and the EVGA GeForce GTX 670 GPU that locke9342 used in his build in the BestConfigs contest. Numerically, they seem pretty similar, except for the 670's significantly faster clock speed. Is the clock speed important enough to warrant such a price increase? If so, is the clock speed of the card I'm planning to get going to hold my system back?
Thanks for any answers these questions, and any other advice you may be able to provide. I'm a little lost with this stuff, so any help will be much appreciated.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.37 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($135.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1105.76
Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully this week, the sooner the better. There's also a pretty appealing deal for some free games when buying an AMD GPU right now, so it would be great if I got in on that, but I'm not sure when the deal expires.
Budget Range: My target was $1100 (after rebates), and going a few dollars over isn't the end of the world. Still, if there's a way to reduce the cost a bit without sacrificing much, I'd definitely be interested.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, web browsing, working with OpenOffice programs, using GIMP, and will probably also run Folding@home just because there's little reason not to.
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: None
Do you need to buy OS: Yes.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'd prefer to stick to newegg and amazon, but if there's a particularly good deal to be found elsewhere, I am interested.
Location: Flemington, NJ, USA
Parts Preferences: Going with an Intel CPU. Other than that, don't care.
Overclocking: Unsure
SLI or Crossfire: Possibly in the future? No real plans, though.
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Since this is my first build, I wouldn't be at all surprised if I screwed something up, even though I was mostly working from Zared619's build. If I did, please let me know.
I'm a little unsure whether to go OES or not, or whether to go with Windows 7 or Windows 8. Right now I'm inclined towards Windows 7 Professional (OEM), but I'm open to suggestions and advice. I also plan to get an SSD at some point in the future, but I've heard that you can get OEM versions of Windows onto new hard drives as long as you have the same motherboard, so I don't imagine that should be a problem. Am I right?
I'm a little confused about why there's such a significant price difference between the Asus Radeon HD 7870 GPU that I'm planning on using, and the EVGA GeForce GTX 670 GPU that locke9342 used in his build in the BestConfigs contest. Numerically, they seem pretty similar, except for the 670's significantly faster clock speed. Is the clock speed important enough to warrant such a price increase? If so, is the clock speed of the card I'm planning to get going to hold my system back?
Thanks for any answers these questions, and any other advice you may be able to provide. I'm a little lost with this stuff, so any help will be much appreciated.