Need help for a first computer rig. ($800-$1,200?)

rushrage

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Approximate Purchase Date: This Month

Budget Range: $850 - $1,200? Before Rebates; After Shipping. Hoping this can include monitor and OS, but its ok if it doesn't.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Mostly gaming, some game recordings (with Fraps), a little video editing, and a little game dev.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Do you need to buy OS: Yes (Windows 7 OEM)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Preferably newegg.com, but I'm fine with other websites.

Location: USE, Utah, Utah County

Parts Preferences: None. Whatever you guys think is the best for the price.

Overclocking: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: No clue. I have not ever dealt with monitors (I've always used a laptop), but nothing crazy high.

Additional Comments: This is going to be my first computer building product. I'm upgrading from a laptop, so I can re-use monitors and stuff.

I'm not really sure about the budget. I want something that can run games like
Borderlands 2 and things like Assassins Creed. But also something that can record game like Minecraft and other indie games (I'm not hoping to record huge triple-a games). So I'm not sure how much I need to pay to get what I want.

Also, do you guys think I can put it together by myself? Or should I find a computer friend to help me?


I know this is a lot to ask for, so thanks in advance for all your help!!!
 

rushrage

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WOW! That is a beastly rig! I guessing this could record games no problem then! So do you think I could put this together by myself (it's my first time building a computer)? Or should I find a friend?

Thanks so much for your help!
 
If you want to record/stream/edit , an HT enabled is what you should look up to. Here's a Ivy Bridge Xeon ( HT enabled ) build -
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($140.91 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1155.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-15 14:43 EDT-0400)

Like it or not , the Xeon 1230V2 + HD7970 combo will beat any i5 + 760 or 770. Also I suggest you to call someone up if your afraid , but TBH I think its way to easy to assemble a PC. Do closely study everything properly so that the next time you can assemble one yourself. Also note that the Motherboard has Free 8GB RAM with it , so I didn't add it. And if you are looking for a capture card , get a AVerMedia Live Gamer HD.

 

rushrage

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Not even for games like Minecraft or Monaco? Hmm...
 

rushrage

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I thought Capture Cards were only for consoles. How does it compare to recording with Fraps?

Would it work if I used Dxtory (recording at 720p) with a SSD, that I would only use for recording, (guessing a hdd would not work right?) with the first build? I guess what I'm asking is what is the cheapest way to do this.

Never mind, I started a new thread for this. Thanks!
 


It will be fine with the SSD , not sure of the HDD. Also capture cards exist for consoles , like the AVerMedia LiveGamer HD which is the best one IMHO , as it doesn't use the CPU for anything , it does all the work itself. Most other cards and softwares use the CPU and RAM for capturing , which takes a toll on the performance of the game. Also don't start threads firstly , search on google , and look for websites and software devs site , and if nothing satisfies you , put a thread.