1st time getting a PC, need a little help

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Hey guys, so I've always been a console gamer, always owning at least two every generation. all the way back to the original nes days. However with Microsoft this coming gen, I've decided to go PS4 and PC this time around. I've stayed away from PC's mainly because I can't do the mouse and keyboard in place if the controller, then I found out I can use my xbox controller.

I've been doing research, and most of the helpful answers came from this site. Unfortunately, I'm not a tech guy at all. so all the graphics cards and motherboards were all greek to me. But I think I finally have a decent computer nailed down. Just wanted some opinions on whether I did good or not.

BASE_PRICE: [+1310]
BLUETOOTH: None
CARE1: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
CAS: Apevia X-Cruiser 3 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window, USB 3.0, Temperature and Fan Controller [-22] (Silver Color with Blue LED [+0])
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K 3.50 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified)
CS_FAN: Default case fans
ENGRAVING: None
ENGRAVING_MSG:
FA_HDD: Vigor iSURF II Hard Disk Drive Cooling System [+21] (1 x System)
FAN: Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) [+0] (Dual Standard 120MM Fans (Push-Pull) [+9])
FLASHMEDIA: None
FREEBIE_MB: None
FREEBIE_VC: None
FREEBIE_VC2: None
GLASSES: None
HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
IEEE_CARD: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD1: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard [+5]
MB_SRT: 64GB SanDisk SATA III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 490 MB/s Read & 240 MB/s Write [+69] (Single Drive)
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (G.SKILL Ripjaws X [+14])
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE Z87-HD3 Intel Z87 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ Ultra Durable 4 Plus, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16 (1 Gen3, 1 Gen2), 2 PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Pro OC Certified)
MOUSE1: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge [+4]
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium [+0] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: Pro OC (Performance Overclock 10% or more) [+19]
POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts - Standard 80 Plus Certified Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOFT1: Free Microsoft® Office® 2010 STARTER EDITION (Reduced-Functionality versions of Word and Excel that include advertising) [+0]
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers [+15]
TABLET: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USB: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card (EVGA Superclocked ACX Cooling)
VIDEO2: None
VIDEO3: None
WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11n 150Mbps Network Interface Card [+19]
_PRICE: (+1482)

My budget is $1,600. I'm a little over as I'm getting the monitor and monitor cable through amazon. (1920x1080 adding about $130 with the cable) and that graphics card is part of a sale that won't be active when I do buy, so that's another $70ish I need to add.

I really don't want to build myself. I know it would be cheaper, but it's still a no go for me. I was hoping you guys could take a look and see if I was over doing it on anything, or even underdoing it. I'd prefer to have a good PC that will last a good few years into this coming generation of games.

Any help would be appreciated, and rewarded in the form of a virtual Scooby snack.

Immaculate · Jul 7, 2013

Okay Why don't you want to build yourself? You learn a lot about your PC in the process and it really isn't as hard as it seems.
I've always been a console gamer. I hated the fact Sony was going to charge to use the internet that you already pay for on PS4.
So I decided to build a PC. How hard could it be? Plenty of videos showing you what to do step by step. You also save a lot of money that could be put towards better parts.

For gamingI think i5 is fine, but if you got the money then go ahead get i7. GTX 770 is great choice.
Can you use ethernet?
You don't have to be a professional to know clean wiring.

All you need is a good neat clean comfortable work area to put all the parts together and you will be fine building it yourself. You will become much more knowledgeable of your components. That way if something ever happens and you don't know how to fix it or revert you won't have to call some store and pay more money for some guy to change a setting or uninstall an old driver or something.

EDIT: Also are you in America? Is there a MicroCenter nearby?

USAFRet · Jul 7, 2013

-i7 - unneeded for just gaming
-Liquid cooling. Are you sure you want to go down that road?
-SSD - 64GB is a little slim. You'll be chasing free space forever
-Paying them $20 to overclock it for you?
-PSU - What brand?
-No USB 3.0 ports on the case?

Thanatos Telos · Jul 7, 2013

No difference between i5 and i7 in 99% of all games, trust me on this.

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Like I said, building myself is a no go.
So you would go with the i5 over the i7 with price being a factor? The two things I was most afraid to compromise on were the i7 and the gtx770. but if the i5 can handle it, great.

I am 100% clueless on the motherboard though, is the gigabyte z87 hd3 good enough?

thanks man

Thanatos Telos · Jul 7, 2013

Still no difference, check benchmarks if you want. The gigabyte is good as well. Also, I'd recommend building it yourself.

Sakkura · Jul 7, 2013

yeahright2 :

Probably good enough for a modest overclock, but you might want to consider a better board like the GA-Z87X-D3H (or whatever they have available, Asrock Z87 Extreme3, Asus Z87-A etc).

And you can safely drop that hard drive cooling thing.

Immaculate · Jul 7, 2013

I know you say you wont build it yourself. Why not? Whats holding you back?

Really if you choose all the right compatible parts, its pretty much plug and play besides installing drivers and updates. The only tool you really need is a phillips screwdriver maybe a light.

Sakkura · Jul 7, 2013

And perhaps more importantly - try to find out the make and model of that power supply. 800W is way more than plenty (plenty even if you bought a second GTX 770), but it needs to be quality. It's no fun to spend a lot of money on a system only for a bad noname power supply to take a crap all over it.

Immaculate · Jul 7, 2013

Check for a Microcenter!!!! They have great deals in Haswell/Z87 combos. I got my i5-4670K $200 and MSI G45 Z87 $100

drtoast · Jul 7, 2013

Sakkura :

This is not emphasised enough

Hard drive cooling = no no

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

USAFRet :

What's wrong with liquid cooling? I heard it's best to go that route when overclocking.
the SSD was for use with the smart response technology.
Not a tech guys, at all. Wouldn't even know where to start with overclocking, plus, seeing as they offer service plans for overclocking and it voids the warranty, kinda scares me into not trying it myself.
PSU was cyberpowerpc's standard brand.
I believe it has one usb 3 port. I could put an extra $22 into it and get the "vampire" case it has 2 3.0 ports and was the case I was originally looking at anyway.

thecynicalmonk · Jul 7, 2013

Just inserting my two cents. I would ditch the Intel chip, save a little cheddar, get a better graphics card/sound card (if you wish) and a second monitor. I researched my build for a LOOONG time before finally getting it (1+ year) and I can say by not going with Intel ( >inb4 I am by no means an AMD fanboy, i recognize that Intel is truly a more powerful chip for gaming) and instead getting a cheaper AMD chip I was able to get what i really wanted in a system. Also to parrot what Immaculate was saying, I would STRONGLY recommend building your own system. It is VERY fulfilling and rewarding. It is pretty damn easy and if you have ANY questions in the process you have the wonderful Tom's Community at your disposal!

Any time i have doubts when updating my rig or modifying something in hardware or oc, i turn to Tom's and am never lead astray

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Thanatos Telos :

Cool. I'll drop that. I was just worried looking at games like witcher 3 and such and worried about 5 years from now if the i5 would be able to keep up.

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Sakkura :

With the money I'm saving by swiyyching to the i5 and nixing the hdd cooling, I can afford that.

J_E_D_70 · Jul 7, 2013

Welcome to PCs but I really recommend leaving the controller behind except for maybe flying. Mouse/keyboard is much more responsive and accurate.

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Sakkura :

Yeah, they give no info. and for some reason it won't let me choose one with a lower wattage. I could spend a little more and get this one:
850 Watts - Thermaltake Smart Series SP-850M 80 Plus Bronze Modular Power Supply [+65]

Immaculate · Jul 7, 2013

BUILD BUILD BUILD YOU WILL NOT REGRET!!
YOU NO REGRET!!

As for PSU, SeasonicUSA all the way. Wish I would have known they were the superior when I chose my Corsair TX650.

thecynicalmonk · Jul 7, 2013

yeahright2 :

■ With the liquid cooling, I would say your jumping the gun with that. if your not comfortable enough to build your own system, I would HIGHLY discourage getting a liquid cooled system. Even if its a Closed Loop prefab. Even those need maintenance and care. You have to learn how to crawl before you can walk, and this is especially true with computers

■ A 64 GB SSD will be ok as long as you use it only for OS and maybe your favorite game or Photoshop. Then install 1-2 TB HDD for Media/Games/Etc.

■ Basic overclocking is very approachable, but honestly there is little reason to OC if you absolutely don't need to. My system (hover over my pic for specs) isn't OC'd and can easily run most games on MAX settings in 1080p windowed with a second monitor up for w/e without even breaking a sweat.

■ Dont use cyberpower. Garbage parts. 'Nuff said.

■ Are you really gonna use USB 3.0? I said i was going to, bought a mobo with like 4-5 USB 3.0 ports, then never used em....

Keeping up with the Jones' in computer tech while advantageous, is VERY costly and rarely rewarding. Being one step behind cutting edge is safe, effective, and enjoyable! Source: Dropped thousands in the past for bleeding edge tech, learned the hard way.

Sakkura · Jul 7, 2013

yeahright2 :

Liquid cooling is fine, it just costs more than air cooling and often doesn't perform any better. But it's nice for prebuilt systems because shipping a build with a big, heavy air cooler hanging off the motherboard is a bit risky.

The SSD is kinda big for Intel SRT (SSD caching), but that's not a problem... except maybe for your wallet, heh.

The PSU is still a concern in my book. When they don't want to tell you what exactly they're selling, that's not a good sign.

yeahright2 :

Urgh, they offer an UPGRADE to Thermaltake? Thermaltake are kinda bad...

The really sad thing is, 800 or 850W is major overkill for your system. A nice little 550W unit from a reliable brand would be preferable to these monsters.

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

Immaculate :

Fear is the main thing holding me back. fear of the little pins on the processor, fear of touching the motherboard in the wrong spot, fear of screwing up the overclocking, etc.

I'm sure it's fun and educational, and more economic, and i'd love to, just not for me. I can probably get a buddy who knows a guy that'd do it for a few bucks and a case of beer. But I'd rather just have it built and shipped to me.

thecynicalmonk · Jul 7, 2013

yeahright2 :

Now adays, building a PC is like Legos for adults. Wear a static wrist strap, handle the CPU with care. !! Don't build on carpet!!! Everything will be just fine.

And if you ever needs answers to questions you run into, check/ask Tom's!

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

J_E_D_70 :

Tried it at a buddy's back in college, just can't do it. It's fine though, I don't play that many first person shooters or that much multiplayer anyway. A controller will suit me just fine.

J_E_D_70 · Jul 7, 2013

with a system that nice it'd be a shame to miss BF4.

yeahright2 · Jul 7, 2013

■ With the liquid cooling, I would say your jumping the gun with that. if your not comfortable enough to build your own system, I would HIGHLY discourage getting a liquid cooled system. Even if its a Closed Loop prefab. Even those need maintenance and care. You have to learn how to crawl before you can walk, and this is especially true with computers

■ A 64 GB SSD will be ok as long as you use it only for OS and maybe your favorite game or Photoshop. Then install 1-2 TB HDD for Media/Games/Etc.

■ Basic overclocking is very approachable, but honestly there is little reason to OC if you absolutely don't need to. My system (hover over my pic for specs) isn't OC'd and can easily run most games on MAX settings in 1080p windowed with a second monitor up for w/e without even breaking a sweat.

■ Dont use cyberpower. Garbage parts. 'Nuff said.

■ Are you really gonna use USB 3.0? I said i was going to, bought a mobo with like 4-5 USB 3.0 ports, then never used em....

Keeping up with the Jones' in computer tech while advantageous, is VERY costly and rarely rewarding. Being one step behind cutting edge is safe, effective, and enjoyable! Source: Dropped thousands in the past for bleeding edge tech, learned the hard way.

[/quotemsg]

That's cool. I was just getting the liquid cooling cause I saw it was recommended while overclocking.
The SSD I was getting for the smart response technology. The only options they had was the a 30gb SATAII or this one which is a SATAIII. as ignorant as I am about these things, I figured SATA III would be better, much like I thought the i5 would be better than the i7. Speaking of which, I did notice the frames per second dropped when I switched it, but I doubt enough for me to notice while actually playing a game.

The overclocking was really just to get more of a life span out of the machine. Looking for a "one and done" approach to this. I'm not really worried about running mass effect 3 on max, I'm more worried about when a game a few years from now comes out and requires specs like a crisis 4 or something. I'd hate to buy one then have to open it up 2 or 3 years from now. As far as cost, I'm staying within my means, I'm not going for a titan or anything.

Also, If I were to ditch intel, what's a comparable on the amd side?

1st time getting a PC, need a little help

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