My First Build, Is It A Good Gaming Computer?

I would upgrade the CPU to a i5 3570K if it were me. And the GPU to a GTX 670.

yeah... i would go with that suggestion... there are a few other issues i have (like the 1.5v ram, intels don't really like ram up around that voltage) with this build, but the cpu and gpu are the ones that jump out first.

if your computer building buddy suggested the above build you need a better buddy... cause he doesn't really know what he's doing.

and that build won't be recording anything while playing on ultra. Video capture while gaming needs a dedicated capture card OR an six to eight core AMD or i suppose an i7 (hyper-threading sometimes comes in handy); video capture is an insanely taxing thing for a cpu to do, so a capture card is necessary.

get a video capture card... don't complicate it. frankly i would suggest one no matter what cpu someone was rolling with.

ok

1) i5-3570k ~ a much better cpu for close to the same price then the i5-3450S (S is an "energy efficient" designation, not a high performing gamer designation, the K means you can overclock that chip, which means it's a high performing gamer chip)

2) the 660ti is overpriced for it's performance. The 670 GTX is only a few dollars more, and MUCH higher level performer. With a 670, you'll get a top of the line graphics card that should have years of life. In short, if you're gonna spend 290 on a 660ti you'd much rather spend 350 on a 670. Better dollar value.

3) the ram chosen for this build is at the edge of the voltage limits an intel cpu can function with. Generally intel suggest you shouldn't use any ram 1.5v or higher for thier cpus... they suggest ram that uses 1.35v. Since you want a gaming machine that will make eyes bleed, you're likely gonna be doing a little overclocking, which means you probably will at some point have to put a little power into your ram to stabalize that overclock. I would suggest you get ddr3 1600 ram with a lower Voltage number then 1.5... and don't let heat spreaders impress you. the only time i've ever seen the need for them was with overclocking a 140W CPU, the whole mb was magma hot, and we couldn't keep the ram cool without one. you're building a much more energy efficient and cool intel system. It's doubtful a huge heat-spreader on the ram will ever be necessary unless you live in a desert and have no AC

4) get a video capture card. They aren't that expensive (considering how much you'd have to spend on your cpu/mb/system to do it without one, trust me on this one, $100 for a HD video capture card is worth it, the 720p ones are much cheaper). They'll allow you to play your games on Ultra, capture the video in 720p or 1080p, and simultaneously web cast it, all without a noticeable FPS loss. That's why you get a video capture card. It allows you to record your gaming sessions, even broadcast them without killing your FPS (like would happen without one)

sure, that's fine. though i'm pretty sure you can find a few for a bit cheaper then that one.