Help me convert a console gamer to a PC gamer! Build advice

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BHMFTW

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May 10, 2013
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10,510
Ok i've got a friend who has only used consoles for gaming, I have been trying to get him to buy a gaming rig for a looooong time. Finally he has agreed if I can achieve better graphics than current console (xbox 360), and if possible the xbox 720 ( or even just match that level)

Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 weeks

Budget Range: 750-1500$ (varies as im not sure what price point you need to work with, in order to achieve the goal)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, gaming, gaming, video streaming, gaming

Are you buying a monitor: NO, has 1080p 52" with HDMI ports

Parts to Upgrade: Have a cooler master stacker case, so no need for a case

Do you need to buy OS: no

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: any that ship to Canada, preferably memoryexpress.com or tigerdirect.ca

Location: Canada, Alberta

Parts Preferences: Pref Nvidia, Pref Intel, but honestly looking for best performance for price point, so amd/ati are acceptable.

Overclocking: Not unless your willing to walk me through it or give me a walkthrough link

SLI or Crossfire: yes if budget allows

Your Monitor Resolution: at least 1920 × 1080

Additional Comments: As I stated earlier, no need for a case or OS in this build. But video card does need to have an hdmi out.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: This is for a buddy who has until now, only used consoles, im hoping at this price point I can beat current generation console graphics and hopefully more, if not let me know what price point I need to be at.
 
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bluhefner

bluhefner

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Dec 16, 2012
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get 7950 IF YOU CAN, that is like the minimum to record/stream nicely :) thats if your budget will allow you to, otherwise go for gtx 660ti but you really want to try and get 7950 as its around the same price point but offers the performance of nvidia 680 when its oc :)
 
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A

Ahlers

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Nov 25, 2012
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Get this for him
i5-3570k
GTX670 4gb or a little weaker 7950 or more powerful than both 7970 3gb
Hypo cooler 212 (w/e its called)
8GB of RAM Corsair vengeance
Any case you want, but i recommend you get a Corsair case. They are very good and look good too.
Motherboard get whatever someone else recommends same with psu

 
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D

DaPotatoes

Honorable
May 7, 2013
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dude the 3570k is a waste if you oc the 3570 its better than a stock 3570k and he has case and the ram is going to be good for a few years this build could last him 2-3 years still going strong. then its a simple gpu upgrade. i agree about mobo had it on from a i5 budget build so thats wrong.
 
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D

DaPotatoes

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May 7, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WkPD
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WkPD/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/WkPD/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V8 69.7 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate SV35.5 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.49 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($259.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($259.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 700W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($72.98 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1263.39
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-10 12:53 EDT-0400)



Look at benchmarks this build will last you min 3 years.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Jul 27, 2011
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go for bitfenix shinobi, if u want it future proof go for z68 ud3p which has fast cf slots, i53770k, 7950, cx 750m :) and get some cheap hdd and get some cheap ram (8gb minimum)
Click to expand...

There is no such thing as making a build completely future proof. And you can't recommend that motherboard with that CPU because it would need a BIOS update before becoming operational.

Personally, I think you're wasting your time. Console gamers are like itards. They're afraid of real computers. They might actually have to learn something.
Click to expand...

Not true, I know plenty of people who've made the switch and they're definitely eager to learn how to build.



3770 is a wasted purchase for a gaming rig, the fan is a wasted purchase for a locked CPU, and why get dual 7950s and not a single 7970?

Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.00 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($447.05 @ DirectCanada)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.00 @ Vuugo)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.00 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1387.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-10 14:42 EDT-0400)
 
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Au_equus

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Mar 31, 2011
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you make no sense. maybe you're confused. You are the first person to come on TH and say that a the i5-3570k is a waste on a >$1000 gaming build. It is the i5-3570 (non-k) which has a LOCKED multiplier. FYI, few games, very few games utilize hyperthreading of the i7. 1.65V ram is totally unnecessary, as it gives insignificant contribution to overall FPS, and may even do more harm than good, especially if you're not used to OCing. In addition, the money saved, from an i7-3770 to an i5-3570k and switching to 8gb of 1600MHz ram could be used to get an ssd.

The only reason I could see in getting a 7970 over CF 7950 is the current CF problems. If you prefer NVidia, 660ti's in sli perform nicely, beating the 680 by 20-50%, but costing ~20% more than a 680. If you cut out the SSD you maybe able to SLI a pair of 670s
 
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mastrom101

mastrom101

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Jun 12, 2010
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($163.20 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Corsair Neutron Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.88 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.00 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($359.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair Gaming 800W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1170.02
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-10 16:51 EDT-0400)

Or

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($163.20 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Corsair Neutron Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.88 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.00 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($366.43 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($366.43 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Corsair Gaming 800W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1542.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-10 16:53 EDT-0400)

Both builds will provide more than enough power and should be able to destroy an Xbox 720/infinity in terms of graphic quality.

The 3570K is the best choice for a mid-high end gaming rig.
I want to give you the chance to overclock down the road. It's quite easy to do, and I can help you if necessary. But there's no point in buying a high-end cooler for a modest overclock.
The motherboard is a good pick, it's a high-quality Asus model.
Cheap Hard drive
The SSD will give your friend a fast, responsive computer. No more waiting at loading screens, and no more hard drive noise.
The builds have different video solutions. Both will blow away any console. I didn't check for HDMI as everyone has a different GPU manufacturer preference. I can if you wan't me to, however.
A reliable corsair PSU.

Good luck on your build!
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Jul 27, 2011
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Um... cases for those builds? :heink:

Personally, I think you're wasting your time. Console gamers are like itards. They're afraid of real computers. They might actually have to learn something.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's like saying "oh you'll never convert drinkers of Miller Lite or Bud Light, they're afraid of real beer." While they're sipping on IPAs and stouts. :lol:
 
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B

BHMFTW

Honorable
May 10, 2013
6
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10,510
Thanks so much to everyone who posted a build or offered advice!

I hope that the beast we create is enough to once and for all, break him of console fanboi status ;) -Soon as his tax return is in, we are proceeding!

And yes, as some people pointed out, their are no cases on the build, because I've got a cooler master stacker, laying around.

Also no, it does not have to be small or quiet, just needs to shred gaming as much as possible. Just want it to beat current generation console graphics, and next gen if possible.

If anyone is till interested, I will be continuing to read additional builds, up until the time we purchase (1-2 weeks) , so if you haven't got yours in yet, no worries, post away!

Thanks again guys, this site is awesome!

 
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mastrom101

mastrom101

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Jun 12, 2010
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