Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

First Build - Need opinions before I order

Tags:
  • opinions
  • help
  • Gaming
  • firstbuild
  • Build
  • opinion
  • first
  • Build
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
Share
July 26, 2013 2:24:01 PM

Hello, this is my first build. This will mainly serve as a gaming computer, as well as everyday computing. I am very new to the hardware scene, so bare with me :) . After doing much research, this is the build I have put together. I would like to stay under $900, but I can go slightly higher if necessary.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj/by_merchant/ Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($113.97 @ Outlet PC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Raidmax ATX-823BR (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.94 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $891.89

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-26 16:34 EDT-0400)

I also have several questions associated with this build.

1. Will I be able to upgrade my processor as time goes on, or is it permanent (Stupid question)
2. Is my graphics card overkill? I have tried to future-proof my build as much as possible.
3. If I intend to connect to my internet wirelessly, do I need to purchase a wireless network adapter?
4. Will my build be relatively quiet? PSU?
5. Do you think this build will run smoothly, and generate proper airflow?

Thank you all so much for your help. As I said earlier, I am very new to hardware, so some of my questions might be dumb. I appreciate all help and opinions! Have a great day!

More about : build opinions order

a c 295 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:33:10 PM

Quote:

1. Will I be able to upgrade my processor as time goes on, or is it permanent (Stupid question)
2. Is my graphics card overkill? I have tried to future-proof my build as much as possible.
3. If I intend to connect to my internet wirelessly, do I need to purchase a wireless network adapter?
4. Will my build be relatively quiet? PSU?
5. Do you think this build will run smoothly, and generate proper airflow?


1. Yes but you can definitely get a better CPU for your budget initially.
2. No, it's a solid choice. Future proofing is kind of a moot point - you can't really plan for the future whether you're spending $500 or $5000, you just can't predict what's going to be out several years from now.
3. Yes.
4. Yes. Seasonic makes great PSUs, you can't go wrong.
5. Not with a Raidmax case - they're known for poor air flow. See below for a couple of recommendations:

AMD route:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($105.91 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($305.38 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $919.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-26 17:32 EDT-0400)

Intel route:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($305.38 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $863.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-26 17:33 EDT-0400)
m
0
l
a b 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:34:11 PM

Excellent build. You may want to split your RAM into two 4GB sticks to speed up the RAM at about the same cost.

The 7950 is NOT overkill, but is a great price. You may want to consider the GTX 760. Almost the same speed, but much quieter and lower power. You could buy a second one later if you want, though you may want at least a 750 W supply.

You probably want an aftermarket cooler. It will be quieter and allow more overclocking of the CPU.

Yes, the AM#+ motherboard will work for the next highly anticipated AMD CPUs.
m
0
l
Related resources
July 26, 2013 2:34:22 PM

InsanePainz said:
Hello, this is my first build. This will mainly serve as a gaming computer, as well as everyday computing. I am very new to the hardware scene, so bare with me :) . After doing much research, this is the build I have put together. I would like to stay under $900, but I can go slightly higher if necessary.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj/by_merchant/ Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1kYgj/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($113.97 @ Outlet PC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)

Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.00 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Raidmax ATX-823BR (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.94 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $891.89

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-26 16:34 EDT-0400)

I also have several questions associated with this build.

1. Will I be able to upgrade my processor as time goes on, or is it permanent (Stupid question)
2. Is my graphics card overkill? I have tried to future-proof my build as much as possible.
3. If I intend to connect to my internet wirelessly, do I need to purchase a wireless network adapter?
4. Will my build be relatively quiet? PSU?
5. Do you think this build will run smoothly, and generate proper airflow?

Thank you all so much for your help. As I said earlier, I am very new to hardware, so some of my questions might be dumb. I appreciate all help and opinions! Have a great day!


I think you would want 2x4GB sticks of ram for dual channel mode better performance. Can someone please verify this for him? The rest looks pretty good to me. Good luck with your build.
m
0
l

Best solution

a b 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:36:51 PM

Dude , if you are looking for a future proof , then you are doing a big mistake by choosing the FX-4300 .

Go for the FX-8320 8 cores processor .

it's the best value processor at the market for now . (160$ only )
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8320+Eig... ( check the second benchmark - Value CPU )

FX-4300 vs FX-8320 = Quad core vs Octa core :) 

the Rest are perfect . you just have to get the FX-8320 instead of that old FX-4300 .

and yes it's worth paying the extra 45 $ to get that Processor since you will get more future proof , 8 cores processors will be more than great for upcoming games
Share
a c 295 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:40:56 PM

KareemGT said:
Dude , if you are looking for a future proof , then you are doing a big mistake by choosing the FX-4300 .

Go for the FX-8320 8 cores processor .

it's the best value processor at the market for now . (160$ only )
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8320+Eig... ( check the second benchmark - Value CPU )

FX-4300 vs FX-8320 = Quad core vs Octa core :) 

the Rest are perfect . you just have to get the FX-8320 instead of that old FX-4300 .

and yes it's worth paying the extra 45 $ to get that Processor since you will get more future proof , 8 cores processors will be more than great for upcoming games


Future proofing is a huge moot point, no matter what motherboard and CPU you go with, it's still hard to plan for the future. I'd get the FX-6350 or the FX-8350 over the FX-4300 or 8320.
m
0
l
July 26, 2013 2:42:41 PM

g-unit1111 said:
Quote:

1. Will I be able to upgrade my processor as time goes on, or is it permanent (Stupid question)
2. Is my graphics card overkill? I have tried to future-proof my build as much as possible.
3. If I intend to connect to my internet wirelessly, do I need to purchase a wireless network adapter?
4. Will my build be relatively quiet? PSU?
5. Do you think this build will run smoothly, and generate proper airflow?


1. Yes but you can definitely get a better CPU for your budget initially.
2. No, it's a solid choice. Future proofing is kind of a moot point - you can't really plan for the future whether you're spending $500 or $5000, you just can't predict what's going to be out several years from now.
3. Yes.
4. Yes. Seasonic makes great PSUs, you can't go wrong.
5. Not with a Raidmax case - they're known for poor air flow. See below for a couple of recommendations:


Thank you for your help, I am wondering if going with an Intel i5 would not be a better choice for gaming. After looking at several benchmarks, it seems as if the i5 completely dominates the FX 4300 and the FX 6300. Can you please clarify this for me?
m
0
l
July 26, 2013 2:45:34 PM

sleepybp said:


I think you would want 2x4GB sticks of ram for dual channel mode better performance. Can someone please verify this for him? The rest looks pretty good to me. Good luck with your build.


Thank you for your help, the reason that I was originally going with the one stick of 8gb RAM was because my motherboard has a maximum of 32 gb (which I will probably never need). I still felt as if buying 2 sticks of 4 would limit me. If I ever decided to increase my RAM, I would have to buy the 8gb sticks.

m
0
l
a b 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:53:20 PM

g-unit1111 said:
KareemGT said:
Dude , if you are looking for a future proof , then you are doing a big mistake by choosing the FX-4300 .

Go for the FX-8320 8 cores processor .

it's the best value processor at the market for now . (160$ only )
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8320+Eig... ( check the second benchmark - Value CPU )

FX-4300 vs FX-8320 = Quad core vs Octa core :) 

the Rest are perfect . you just have to get the FX-8320 instead of that old FX-4300 .

and yes it's worth paying the extra 45 $ to get that Processor since you will get more future proof , 8 cores processors will be more than great for upcoming games


Future proofing is a huge moot point, no matter what motherboard and CPU you go with, it's still hard to plan for the future. I'd get the FX-6350 or the FX-8350 over the FX-4300 or 8320.


FX-6350 over the FX-8320 :/  , btw the FX-8350 is an Overclocked FX-8320 , or we can say the FX-8320 is a downclocked FX-8350 , same specs processor but the FX-8350 is faster by 0.5 as you know for sure .

it would be the FX-8350 , but if the budget is important for him , he should go for the FX-8320 since it's cheaper by 30 $
m
0
l
a b 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 2:57:03 PM

For the CPU I would go with a FX-8320 or FX-8350 it would be much better. As for the GPU the 7950 would be great.
m
0
l
July 26, 2013 3:10:18 PM

i5 3570K - $220
FX 8350 - $200
FX 8320 - $160
FX 6350 - $140
FX 4300 - $120
Summary - You get what you pay for.

My advice - Go for FX 8320.
m
0
l
a c 295 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 3:43:21 PM

InsanePainz said:

Thank you for your help, I am wondering if going with an Intel i5 would not be a better choice for gaming. After looking at several benchmarks, it seems as if the i5 completely dominates the FX 4300 and the FX 6300. Can you please clarify this for me?


I definitely agree with most of the benchmarks out there - the numbers don't lie, that in terms of performance Intel usually beats AMD every time.

m
0
l
a b 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 4:31:47 PM

g-unit1111 said:
InsanePainz said:

Thank you for your help, I am wondering if going with an Intel i5 would not be a better choice for gaming. After looking at several benchmarks, it seems as if the i5 completely dominates the FX 4300 and the FX 6300. Can you please clarify this for me?


I definitely agree with most of the benchmarks out there - the numbers don't lie, that in terms of performance Intel usually beats AMD every time.



i agree with "in terms of performance Intel usually beats AMD every time"

but in terms of prices AMD usually beats Intel every time :) 

so if you are looking for performance / price go for intel
if you are looking for price / performance go for AMD

Btw , the FX-8350 would be better choice than the i5-3570k if you are looking for better future proof since the FX-8350 8 cores processor and the upcoming games will start optimizing for 8 cores , the overall performance using all cores goes to AMD FX-8350 not to intel i5-3570 , but single core performance goes to the i5-3570 .
m
0
l
a c 295 4 Gaming
July 26, 2013 5:50:37 PM

KareemGT said:

i agree with "in terms of performance Intel usually beats AMD every time"

but in terms of prices AMD usually beats Intel every time :) 


True, you can't beat AMD's price / performance ratio.
m
0
l
!