Another Newbie Trying to Build a Gaming PC

ADD1CTED GAM3R

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Jun 24, 2013
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Hey, everyone!

As the title of this thread suggests, I'm a relatively new PC Gamer looking to build a decent Gaming PC, but the problem is that I'm getting lost in the sea of options. I'm not new to computers in general; I've been using them for years now, and I know my way around their hardware, software and applications in most general scenarios, but when it comes to these advanced levels, I get a little confused.

Before I continue on, I'll state that my intent isn't to play FPS games on the rig that I end up with; those I play on my consoles. The games that I'd like to play on the PC are more in the realm of RPG, such as Oblivion and Skyrim (especially Skyrim). I can play them on the PC that I currently have, and play them on the highest settings, but when I start applying Graphics Mods, the system just can't handle it, and the frame-rate drops to intolerable levels, causing unbelievable lag. I want a system that can allow me to run Skyrim on Ultra and add a lot of mods (graphics, gameplay, immersion, etc) without running into frame-rate issues again.

Here are the specs of my current system.

Tower: HP Pavillion A6620F
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 600W
Graphics Card: XFX Radeon HD 6750
Monitor: HP W1907 19" LCD

Other than the new power supply and graphics card, I haven't added anything else to the system. I thought about upgrading the RAM to 8GB (the max for this system), and adding a new processor, but because of the socket type (LGA 775), there aren't a lot of new processors available that would be much of an upgrade. Then I thought about completely swapping the motherboard out and adding a better graphics card, but I don't know if it's worth it. Maybe building a new machine is the better way to go?

I know the basics of building a PC:

- Case
- Motherboard
- Processor
- RAM
- Graphics Card
- Power Supply
- HDD
- Disc Drive (I already have one to use)
- Fans (if upgrading or adding more than what comes with the case)
- Operating System

The problem that I have is actually choosing the parts themselves; there are so many brands and varieties to choose from. I'm hoping that I can get some guidance. My budget isn't low, but it isn't outrageously high either; say... $1,000, maybe more?

I've been going through Newegg and picking out parts that seem to be "up to snuff."

So far, this is what I've got.

1) Rosewill Challenger ATX Mid-Tower Case
2) ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard
3) Crucial Ballistix Sport RAM (2x 4GB sticks) <<< Free w/ ASRock Motherboard
4) Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor
5) Cooler Master Hyper-212 EVO CPU Fan
6) Cooler Master 120mm Fan 4-Pack
7) NZXT Sentry-2 5-Fan Controller

For a monitor, I was thinking of using my TV; a 42" Samsung Plasma. Is that a bad idea? Do I need to compensate with higher-end parts?

I have yet to pick a Graphics Card. I've been looking at them, but there are so many brands and variations to choose from. I've read that when you want to use a lot of mods in Skyrim, you should choose a card that has more memory, preferably 3GB, or 2GB at the very least, but I don't know if that's true. I'm also unsure if it's more important to have a higher core-clock speed, or more CUDA cores... Ugh. This is confusing.

As far as an HDD is concerned, that's not too big of a deal; a reputable brand with a decent capacity will be fine. My current PC has 275GB free out of 500, and I've got a ton of music, movies and designs (I'm a Graphics Designer) on it, as well as downloaded programs and applications, so I'd be fine with another 500GB, but I might opt for a 1TB, seeing as they aren't really that expensive.

How's this looking so far? Overkill? Not powerful enough? I need help, especially choosing a Graphics Card!

If there are any questions or more information that is needed, let me know.

Thanks!

 

crewton

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Apr 3, 2011
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Your build looks good. A lot of games optimize themselves around the cpu over the gpu (console ports) so using the 3570k alone will get you where you want to be with skyrim. With your monitor being 1440x900 an uber card really isn't necessary. 1GB vram will suffice for resolutions up to 1920x1080. If you want a little more gpu muscle I'd go with a 7770 or gtx 650 which should only be around $110 (a 6750 will do fine for skyrim link -->6750). If you plan on getting a bigger monitor or using a multi monitor set up for gaming then you'd want to grab a larger card.
 

ADD1CTED GAM3R

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Jun 24, 2013
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10,510


Thanks for the reply!

I was actually planning to use my TV as my monitor. It's a 42" Samsung Plasma TV, Model #PN42B450B1D. Will that cause a problem? Will I need to modify my parts list?