Purchasing computer in a couple hours. Need some last minute advice/opinions! 700$ build

btrimble

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Approximate Purchase Date: tonight, next couple hours

Budget Range: 700 max

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, college homework, movies etc

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, case

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, amazon

Country: U.S.

Parts Preferences: not really

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: In the future poss.

Hey guys, Im purchasing parts for my first build in the next couple hours. I just wanted some final advice on possible changes you might recommend or if you think these parts will be sufficient for at least the next 1-2 yrs. For the cpu's I was originally thinking of intel but for my budget I think Ill get more out of AMD. This is my first build and Im a complete newb when it comes to this, so if anybody can help me out, so I feel slightly more secure in rolling with these parts Id completely appreciate it.

Lite- On optical drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Kingston Hyper X-Blu (2x4Gb)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104262

EVGA GTX 760
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130933

WD cavier black 1 Tb

Seasonic 520W Psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

AMD-Fx6300 Vishera
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286

Asus M5A97 AM3+ AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131872

 

Skeefers

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I notice you said that you want to do SLI in the future, but the motherboard you picked only supports Crossfire (the ATI/AMD equivalent). This board http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131876 supports both. I just bought it, and frankly, it's pretty awesome. They also have one in an open box here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131876R for a little less if the price is an issue.

I highly suggest you get some Arctic Silver thermal paste as well, to make your CPU cooling more efficient. Any of the products on this list http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=arctic+silver&N=-1&isNodeId=1 should suffice, so long as it's thermal paste (didn't read the whole list, something else may be hidden in there).

Along the lines of cooling, you may also want to look into an aftermarket heatsink and fan combo if you'll be doing a lot of gaming. The stock setup is usually pretty good, but it never hurts to have better cooling gear.

The only other suggestion I have is to think about getting a slightly more powerful power supply. Reason being, your video card requires a 500W PSU, and the more internal drives and USB powered devices you have, the less power you'll have left. It's always better to have a bit extra in case you add more components down the line, or upgrade the existing parts. I'd recommend at least a 700-750W PSU, and both Antec and EVGA make good gear so those are some brands to look at.

Good luck with your build!
 

btrimble

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Great suggestions, thanks man! Might as well add on some thermal paste for a couple bucks your right. I think Im going to stick with the stock heat sink for now but Ill definitely have to change that out down the line, just have a tight budget right now. And wow thanks for that info on the gpu. I've been looking for how many watts that used up but couldn't find, had no idea it took 500W! Your right Im going to have to switch that out.
 

btrimble

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SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
I think this should work better, and its still seasonic. Heard thats a solid psu brand.
 

Skeefers

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Not a problem :)

Just to clarify one point; the video card itself doesn't use 500W, that's what's required in order to operate it with a standard PC setup (CPU, MB, RAM, keyboard, mouse, HDD, optical drive, a few fans (both case and CPU), and 2-3 other devices). Bumping up to a 700W or so just makes sure you have enough juice to power a few other devices later on.
 

vertexx

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Apr 2, 2013
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All GPU manufacturers now say 500W PSU required, which means for the entire system.

This article shows the GPU maxes out at 160W: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-760-review-gk104,3542-22.html

When I run a PSU calculator for your system, I'm showing 400W needed peak for the entire system. 550W would be fine if you didn't expand. If you want to leave room for overclocking your 6300 and SLI in the future, then recommend 650-700W.

Otherwise, agree with above recommendations.
 

btrimble

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Awesome, thanks guys. Now i better understand the psu watt situation as well. For at least the first couple months Ill be fine but I do plan on probalby overclocking here and there in the future, and possibly doing crossfire so I might as well spend a couple extra bucks right now.
 

vertexx

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Also, you're probably good for the motherboard right now. It would be good to upgrade anyway at some point when AMD motherboards begin to support PCIe 3.0. Right now, all but one AM3+ board are PCIe 2.0. You won't really notice the difference with one GPU pushing one monitor, but if you expanded to SLI, there would be some performance improvement with PCIe 3.0.