Upgradable Gaming Build Under $1200

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Boomer Jetson

Boomer Jetson

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Sep 1, 2010
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Hello everyone. This will be my first build. I have wanted to assemble my own computer for years and I think now is the time to finally do it.

-BUT-

I need your help. I have looked over my build many times and I believe all the components are compatible with each other. But then again, I'm no expert. Also, I would like to know if I made some good choices and if not, let me know why. So, please evaluate my build and let me know your thoughts, feelings, suggestions, advice, etc.

-FYI-

I plan to use this computer for gaming on my 40" Panasonic Plasma TV. I would like to play Starcraft 2 and Total War: Rome 2. And I DO NOT plan on overclocking AT ALL.

Thank you in advance for all of your constructive feedback.

Here it is (click HERE for immediate access to the build):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($212.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($283.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill BlackHawk ATX Mid Tower Case ($73.50 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.48 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft 2WJ-00002 Wireless Standard Keyboard ($20.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 for Business Wireless Optical Mouse ($20.02 @ Amazon)
Total: $1159.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-06 18:02 EDT-0400)(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-05 23:16 EDT-0400)
 
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sparkz89

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Sep 2, 2011
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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1AAi0
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1AAi0/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1AAi0/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.48 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft 2WJ-00002 Wireless Standard Keyboard ($20.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 for Business Wireless Optical Mouse ($20.02 @ Amazon)
Total: $1123.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-06 09:55 EDT-0400)

swapped the CPU because it seemed to me that you were planning to OVERCLOCK. I added the Hyper evo 212 because it is a cheap and reliable air cooling heat sink and you need one regardless if you are planning to go stock or not because vishera tends to get hot when running. i swapped the ripjaws with the vengeance pro but honestly its whatever is cheaper, both are good ram sticks and both are reputable. I changed the case because you could save some money there has what was in the original case too. And i swapped out the psu because you only really need 650 W to run it. 850-900 if your planning to xfire but yeah.
 
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TheBigTroll

TheBigTroll

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Apr 15, 2012
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the 8320 and 8350 overclock to the same levels. its a waste of time and money thinking one will perform substantially better than another

heres what id get
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1ACew

-the 4670k will perform better in games period. there is no argument about this
-you will need a CPU cooler to overclock. if you arent overclocking, i can shave a 100 dollars off this build
-you still need a hard drive
-expensive SSDs have no real world benefit
-not a crappy case
-if you want expandability for 2 GPUs, get the xfx 750w gold psu. for what you are playing, you wont ever need it
-if you like windows 8, go ahead. otherwise 7 is much better
-a basic and well built keyboard and mouse combo. if you want different peripherals, the next logical step would be a mechanical keyboard and a good non-razor mouse
 
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sparkz89

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8320 and 8350 do not clock to the same level and depending on the chip it can be worse. Its easier to obtain nominal temps with the 8350 at 5.1 than it is with the 8320 as I have experienced first hand. But as noted a i5 is a good alternative
 
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Boomer Jetson

Boomer Jetson

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I forgot to note that I DO NOT plan on overclocking at all. That is why I chose not to add an aftermarket cooler for the cpu. Also, I chose not to add a HD because I don't plan on storing much on the computer but a couple of games. No photos, videos, or anything. How good is that PSU that you chose sparkz89? I think I might swap that in my build. I'm going to make a couple adjustments here and I will edit this post for reexamination. Thank you both for the feedback.
 
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Boomer Jetson

Boomer Jetson

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AMD is not just for overclocking. I chose AMD because they are cheaper, comparable in performance for the price, and upgradable longer than Intel.
 
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