$1000 Gaming PC *First time builder*

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MRC390

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Hey everyone, I'm gonna be building a PC for $1000. I can stretch my budget to a max of $1200 but no more than that. I will be purchasing it online from NCIX.ca so please do not use pcpartpicker or something like that. I really want help picking the best components I can.

This is what I have in mind.
Define R4 windowed version - $119
8GB corsair vengeance pro ram - $83
i5 4670k - $245
GPU - ? Not sure yet.
PSU - ? Depending on the GPU, please recommend a decent power supply thats modular. Keep in mind my budget.
Mobo- Asus Z87-A
Please try to keep this thread active, because i'm a first time builder and i will have many questions :)

My main question is, how well would a GTX 760 perform in 1080p gaming? I want to go for a gtx 770 but my budget is tight. Please help in anyway you can :) thank you.

P.S: The define r4 comes with 2 140mm fans. I could get more fans down the road, but is 2 enough to keep my system cool? Also I was thinking of using an H90 to cool my CPU, but its $90. Suggestions? I'm not a major overclocker, I just love the way closed loop coolers look in windowed cases :)
 
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MC_K7
Yes go with the GTX-760 if your budget allows it. Considering your budget, the 770 is probably out of the question and not as much a good bang for the bucks as the 760. Even the 760 costs 250$, so it's 25% of your budget when you think about it, you might have to make sacrifices elsewhere. But as for the card itself, the 760 can currently run any games at 1080p easily.

The Corsair HX650 is an excellent modular PSU that can power up even the most powerful single cards. So if you ever decide to replace your video card in a couple of years you won't have to replace your PSU too.

As for the case I don't really like the one you picked, especially for the price. The Antec Nine Hundred costs less and offers better airflow. The Corsair Cabide...
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MC_K7

MC_K7

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Yes go with the GTX-760 if your budget allows it. Considering your budget, the 770 is probably out of the question and not as much a good bang for the bucks as the 760. Even the 760 costs 250$, so it's 25% of your budget when you think about it, you might have to make sacrifices elsewhere. But as for the card itself, the 760 can currently run any games at 1080p easily.

The Corsair HX650 is an excellent modular PSU that can power up even the most powerful single cards. So if you ever decide to replace your video card in a couple of years you won't have to replace your PSU too.

As for the case I don't really like the one you picked, especially for the price. The Antec Nine Hundred costs less and offers better airflow. The Corsair Cabide 500R would also be a good choice in the same price range.
 
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MRC390

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The Gtx 760 sounds nice. I'm not sure about corsair cases and the antec 900 looks awful. For the GTX 760, which one is better? The EVGA ACX (non superclocked) or the Asus direct CU II ? I would prefer the EVGA ACX model because it will look better with the Asus Gold/black motherboard. Also I went with the Asus z87-A mobo because its $146 and Its got an 8 power phase design so i could easily over clock my CPU. Do you have recommendations for other motherboards? I wont be doing any crazy overclocking, but atleast 500mhz-1Ghz.
 
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Marcopolo123

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Prices all from ncix.ca

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($146.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.98 @ NCIX)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($329.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1074.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 19:14 EDT-0400)


Custome watercooling kit, would definitly look better then aio-watercooler,
Also its easy to install, high performance
there are tutorials/videos how to do it with this particular kit.
http://www.dazmode.com/store/product/raystorm-750-rs240-watercooling-kit-intel-and-amd-computers/

 
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MRC390

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i was thinking of the i5 4570 and getting a cheaper heatsink like a 212 EVO, and a lower end motherboard so i can get a better gpu. I don't think i'll be overclocking my cpu anyways. Suggestions?
 
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MRC390

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Thank you SO much :) but you didn't include a heatsink. How does the 7970 compare to a gtx 760?
 
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Marcopolo123

Marcopolo123

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All prices canada


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($146.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.98 @ NCIX)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($279.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1004.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 19:29 EDT-0400)


Custome watercooling kit, would definitly look better then aio-watercooler,
Also its easy to install, high performance
there are tutorials/videos how to do it with this particular kit.
http://www.dazmode.com/store/product/raystorm-750-rs240-watercooling-kit-intel-and-amd-computers/


Hd 7970 is a bit faster, when overclocked even faster...
But gtx 760 is all you need
 
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MC_K7

MC_K7

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Lol, it's a matter of personal taste I guess. I think the ones I suggested look much better than the R4 you picked. But it's mostly because they have better airflow that I suggested them.

EVGA ACX is an excellent cooler for a GPU, similar to the Asus DirectCU II, so they are both solid choices.
 
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MRC390

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I was thinking of going with a HAF 912 for nearly half the cost of a define r4. But i'm not sure what fans to put in it. People say most 200mm fans do not fit in the front, but a megaflow 200mm will fit in the top.
Lol, it's a matter of personal taste I guess. I think the ones I suggested look much better than the R4 you picked. But it's mostly because they have better airflow that I suggested them.
 
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MC_K7

MC_K7

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Yeah the HAF 912 doesn't look bad for the price. But don't try to fit a fan that wasn't meant to be there. For instance, many cases will have places for optional fans, but if it's meant to fit a 140mm fan, don't try to fit a 200mm there because the screw holes won't be at the right place. Of course, you could always try to secure the fan with tie-wraps, but it wouldn't be very elegant or might cause more vibrations. And good fans can be expensive sometimes, so might as well pick a case that already has all the right fans.

Anyways, the HAF 912 already has 1 x intake fan + 1 x exhaust fan, so it will already give you decent airflow. Of course not as good as the other ones I suggested, but nothing dramatic or that will cause any of your component to overheat. As long as you have minimum airflow in a case you should be good (1 x intake + 1 x exhaust is enough in most scenarios). Of course if you plan on overclocking aggressively that's a different story.
 
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MRC390

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The HAF 912 supports a 200mm in the top, and the front. However, a 200mm megaflow will only fit in the top. I've done some research and even though the HAF 912 supports a 200mm intake at the front, many 200mm fans actually do not fit. So i'm fairly confused. Also i heard the stock fans are VERY awful. Can anyone confirm this? I really wanted a case with a window so i could see my components ):
 
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MRC390

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If any overclocking, it will be very mild, maybe 500mhz. I don't really need to overclock for mmos or most games. I could also get an FX 8320 with a gtx 770 instead of a 4670k and a gtx 760. But the 8320 has poor per core performance. I'm unsure ):
 
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MRC390

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The standard haf 912 is $55 but theres no USB 3.0 support. Does that mean i can't use USB 3 ports at the back of my motherboard? The combat edition of the HAF 912 is fully black on the inside with usb 3 but its $70
 
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MC_K7

MC_K7

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It just means you won't have USB3 plugs in the front.

And sometimes fans can be expensive, so trying to save a little money on a case, but having to spend money on the side to add fans, you might as well pick a case that has all the right fans from the start. Just saying.
 
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ncasolo

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I have an HAF 912 and it works just fine for me. You said you're going to get a modular power supply (IMO necessary for this case) so you should be fine. You can put a 200mm Fan on top and some various size fans in other places if you want, but without overclocking you shouldn't need too many additional fans. If you're on a budget don't spend a lot of money on a case unless how it looks is really important to you.

As far as overclocking goes... do it or at least do it before you upgrade anything. That CPU will be very easy to overclock. Put a cooler master 212 EVO on it and you can OC it pretty comfortably. I had no idea how to overclock when I got my i5-3570K. I figured it out after crashing my PC 9 or 10 times. Now it runs amazingly stable and the temps are extremely low even with overclocking.

 
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teddymines

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How important is the case window and eye bling? If not very much, get a Corsair Carbide 200R for about $55. If you go this route, you'll want to get a couple 120mm fans to keep the case cool.

Also, cooling your CPU is unnecessary until you are ready to overclock.

Personally, I'd go this route and save some money up front, then upgrade only when you need to.
 
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MRC390

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I want a modular power supply but its extra money ):
 
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