First time build - questions and feedback

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liam4

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Jul 28, 2013
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Below is the build I have put together, excited for the project. Any general feedback from the pros? Not planning to overclock, one monitor gaming, hoping for an easy build (and easy future upgrades) -- and lastly, aesthetic matters given wifely considerations. I can spend up to $2,000, but savings always welcome.

And a few questions:
1. I have heard the 350D case looks much better without an optical drive installed. Would I be better off getting an external drive (are externals good enough for games that require CD) or plugging in an internal only when I need one?
2. Assume I don't need liquid cooling?
3. Any view on the brand of GTX 760 -- Asus fine? Dominator Platinum RAM a good choice for the price?
4. Better off going with a 500GB SSD, losing the HDD and adding later if I need?
5. Am I an idiot to try to build this? Difficult learning curve these days? Never installed components before but am generally smart enough on computers.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VI GENE Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($203.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($179.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($214.99 @ NCIX US) [likely will substitute 840 EVO for this when available]
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($186.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($124.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1561.91

Thanks!!
 
Solution
LoneWarrior96
Buy everything off Newegg.com and you dont necessarily need 16GB of RAM. 8GB Is plenty Also you dont need a 850W PSU is say go for 650 or 700w i have a 500w and will be getting a Gigabyte GTX 760
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LoneWarrior96

LoneWarrior96

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Jul 26, 2013
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Buy everything off Newegg.com and you dont necessarily need 16GB of RAM. 8GB Is plenty Also you dont need a 850W PSU is say go for 650 or 700w i have a 500w and will be getting a Gigabyte GTX 760
 
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rojodogg

rojodogg

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Feb 22, 2013
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Your Motherboard is overkill for someone who is not OCing, same goes with your RAM, if you plan to do video editing then get the 16gb's but you dont need the most expensive RAM it is not worth the price. You will save more $$$ buy purchacing from one vender. You can use a external drive if you want most people dont even use a optical drive anymore.
 
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mc962

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Jul 18, 2013
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ive heard the msi version of the 660 had better cooling than some of the other brands..im not as familiar with the 760 but it might be something to consider

personally, if i could afford it i would do the big SSD now and get more storage later. Especially when you get more HDD, i think its around $60 for a wd blue 1 TB. And, correct me if im wrong, but the 500 GB is faster than the 256 GB? Probably not noticeable and it will cost a lot more, but its your preference

no reason i see why you would need the liquid cooling, unless you are looking for quiet or happen to enjoy gaming in a sauna. maybe spend that money on more case fans and stuff

you mentioned aesthetics are an issue, would you include noise levels in that?

as i am about to build my first desktop myself i feel in a similar position. but there are so many guides, both here and on google for everything from assembly to youtube videos that you could probably recite the steps in your sleep before touching a chip
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

Glorious
May 11, 2012
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1. Use an external drive, which has the added bonus that you can move it between machines quite easily. Games that require a disc are more for DRM purposes, they wouldn't be running off the disc (unless you installed it there).

2. OK...
If you dont intend to overclock, you can stick with the stock heatsink and be fine. If you want better cooling, getting a cheap heatsink like a 212 EVO will do fine and be a lot quieter than stock.

3. Whichever has a non-reference cooler and is cheap. Typically Gigabyte, ASUS and MSI are the ones to go for.
:lol: Dominator Platinums are a rip-off, go for Corsair Vengeance LP or G.SKill Ares/Sniper memory.

4. I would stick with the SSD+HDD solution, a 500GB SSD is expensive and you would end up wasting a lot of its potential. If you want to go that route for simplicity puposes, I suggest looking into an SSD caching solution.

5. Nope, building computers isnt that hard. There a million guides online, every part comes with instructions and everything is designed so its hard to mess up. You wont be able to plug things into the wrong place unless you physically break the connection.
 
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