I'm asking for a good custom gaming PC build, for $1100-$1350

JustANewUser · Jan 22, 2014

Hello. I need advice for a good custom gaming PC build, for $1100-$1350... Which is like €800-€1000.

Some things which would help you out:
-Country: Spain
-Budget: $1100-$1350 (€800-€1000)
-At least I'd want 8GB.
-At least 1TB HDD. If not, 750GB.
-I'd want Windows 7 or Windows 8, but not Windows 8.1. (Needless to say I don't want XP or Vista as well)
-I wouldn't overclock anything...

I'm not a PC expert (at least about Hardware - I know what's a GPU, CPU, RAM, Case... though), so please don't kill me if I disturb you or I'm wrong at anything. Also I don't know too much about "compatibility" between the parts.

Also, I'd want to ask you if a "Dual Channel RAM" (example: 2x4GB) is better than only one, and why?

Oh well now with the recommended format in the forum:

Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully in some weeks, or days.

Budget Range: $1100-$1350 max.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the internet, watching videos, perhaps watching films... (but I don't think so)

Parts Not Required: I need them all. Yeah, even OS, keyboard, monitor, mouse...

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Huh... I'm from Spain so I don't have too many options. So I guess that in Spanish webs they're for the same price?

Country: Spain

Parts Preferences: by brand or type: Intel i7 processor, quad-core, a NVIDIA GPU or AMD.

Overclocking: No. Perhaps in the future, for now, no.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: I don't know. The best for the GPU I'd get.

Additional Comments: I'd want a good GPU and CPU. However, I don't play very heavy games. But just in case I start to do so. Also, I'd want it to be quiet. Please not much noise.

HiTechObsessed · Jan 22, 2014

By the skin of your teeth lol And it looks like only Amazon is available:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (€166.17 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€82.06 @ Amazon Espana)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€74.20 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€52.95 @ Amazon Espana)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card (€198.22 @ Amazon Espana)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.38 @ Amazon Espana)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€95.50 @ Amazon Espana)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (€20.89 @ Amazon Espana)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (€97.78 @ Amazon Espana)
Monitor: Hannspree HE225DPB 21.5" Monitor (€116.98 @ Amazon Espana)
Keyboard: Cherry G83-6104LPNEU-2 Wired Standard Keyboard (€22.36 @ Amazon Espana)
Mouse: Gigabyte GM-M6900 Wired Optical Mouse (€19.11 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €997.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-22 22:38 CET+0100)

Had to go i5, but it's still a great CPU.The benefit of dual channel RAM is more bandwidth availability, meaning quicker RAM processes. Let me know what you think.

JustANewUser · Jan 22, 2014

HiTechObsessed :

By the skin of your teeth lol And it looks like only Amazon is available:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (€166.17 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€82.06 @ Amazon Espana)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€74.20 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€52.95 @ Amazon Espana)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card (€198.22 @ Amazon Espana)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (€51.38 @ Amazon Espana)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€95.50 @ Amazon Espana)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (€20.89 @ Amazon Espana)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (€97.78 @ Amazon Espana)
Monitor: Hannspree HE225DPB 21.5" Monitor (€116.98 @ Amazon Espana)
Keyboard: Cherry G83-6104LPNEU-2 Wired Standard Keyboard (€22.36 @ Amazon Espana)
Mouse: Gigabyte GM-M6900 Wired Optical Mouse (€19.11 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €997.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-22 22:38 CET+0100)

Had to go i5, but it's still a great CPU.The benefit of dual channel RAM is more bandwidth availability, meaning quicker RAM processes. Let me know what you think.

Thank you for replying. Hey, are Amazon ES things in the same price as Amazon USA?

JustANewUser · Jan 22, 2014

Oh, a question. If it would be a NVIDIA GPU for the same price (and compatible with the PC), what would it be? What'd be better, the Nvidia one or AMD one?

HiTechObsessed · Jan 22, 2014

For nvidia, you would be going down in performance, so I don't recommend that. The 7870 GHz edition is essentially the 270x.

About your first question, it seems they are a bit higher to me, but as it's Europe I'm not sure what to expect for Spain lol there wasn't really much options for parts there, wasn't easy to build lol

JustANewUser · Jan 23, 2014

HiTechObsessed :

Heh, thanks. But if I get the AMD GPU and want to play games which need/have/support PhysX from Nvidia, what would happen? I couldn't play them or I could but with worse perfomance?

HiTechObsessed · Jan 23, 2014

No, it wouldn't effect playability or performance at all. PhysX just enhances some effects in some games which support it. It's a nice addition, but definitely not something worth paying more and getting less performance for.

JustANewUser · Jan 23, 2014

Okay, thanks for the answer! Searched about this GPU and it seems good, indeed! Do you know if it has any issue or bad side?

OH. Also, I don't need a cooler? It isn't on the list.

Sorry for my lack of knowledge about desktop computers, I've always been a laptop user, instead...

JustANewUser · Jan 23, 2014

Oh, and what's the matter of the W?

Estimated Wattage: 358W

Power Supply Wattage: 520W

What does that mean and what is it for? I guess it is it takes more electricity? xD I really don't know...

Speaking about PC parts, what if I'd want another CPU? How do I know if it has compatibility? Because I heard you can't overclock that CPU you gave above, and perhaps I'd be interested on it. Not now but perhaps in the future...

Edit: I guess the Sapphire HD 7870 GHz Edition is better than the normal AMD HD 7870, but in what? Speed?

Also, what do you recommend me for this? Lights (electricity) sometimes turn off and then I must turn them on again. I think it is because of my weather, but nevermind. What would you recommend me so if this happens when I'm using the computer, it doesn't get damaged the HDD or other parts? Thanks!

JustANewUser · Jan 23, 2014

Oh yeah, just askin' now... What changes/upgrades could you make to that if I could afford $300-$400 more?

Sorry if I'm making too many questions D:

HiTechObsessed · Jan 23, 2014

It's fine, all the questions are good, means you want to learn, not just be told something lol

The estimated power is what PCPartPicker adds up to be your estimated usage. The power supply we like to give some headroom for upgrades, PSU degradation, etc.

The 7870 GHz edition is just a faster 7870.

On this list, I upgraded the GPU A LOT, got you an overclockable i7 (which is a beast), a great, quiet CPU cooler, and an SSD for your OS and programs, to make everything else speed up a lot.

Check the build out and let me know what you think. This would max out everything at 1080p, and the CPU is amazing for stuff like editing, rendering, etc.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (€287.25 @ Amazon Espana)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (€69.90 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (€82.06 @ Amazon Espana)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€74.20 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (€81.13 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€52.95 @ Amazon Espana)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (€292.94 @ Amazon Espana)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (€57.32 @ Amazon Espana)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€104.16 @ Amazon Espana)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (€20.89 @ Amazon Espana)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (€97.78 @ Amazon Espana)
Monitor: Hannspree HE225DPB 21.5" Monitor (€116.98 @ Amazon Espana)
Keyboard: Cherry G83-6104LPNEU-2 Wired Standard Keyboard (€25.00 @ Amazon Espana)
Mouse: Gigabyte GM-M6900 Wired Optical Mouse (€19.18 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €1381.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-24 04:35 CET+0100)

JustANewUser · Jan 25, 2014

Wow, thanks! Should I get speakers as well or use the built-in?

markem · Jan 25, 2014

I would pick at least 3GB to 4GB for a GPU, especially if your paying that kind of Money.. 2GB is old school and almost every application can use more including every single new game coming out.. Allot of these people are biased in some way.. remember that .. The CPU I agree with.. Not sure about the motherboard and RAM also. For the money I would also look into an SSD for your OS to reside on (Small one maybe)

JustANewUser · Jan 25, 2014

I think 2GB is enough

for only one monitor

markem · Jan 25, 2014

Go for it then.. Its better you learn from experience lol.. The 770 is a good card for an average user.. Its just that your system build is good but the VRAM will let you down most of the time vs anything else (2GB is 2012 for above average system).

Cant really say until you are specific in what you will be doing and playing

JustANewUser · Jan 25, 2014

Why would I need 3-4GB? Even BF4, I think, needs 512 MB VRAM and 3GB VRAM Recommended. But I think 2GB is enough... I don't play BF4 lol.

Anyways, since it's a desktop, if I don't have enough I could always get a new one...

JustANewUser · Jan 25, 2014

HiTech, and wouldn't be better an i5-3570k? It is only €10-€20 more expensive I think. Or is this processor not compatible with the system?

**I mean comparing to the first rig*

Amangoel23 · Jan 25, 2014

Hello,If you buy the 2gb variant of 770 then you can't just add more *vram to it* You'll have to buy a whole new video card so it is better off buying the 4gb variant.

HiTechObsessed · Jan 25, 2014

Here's another build for you below:

Went to the i5, allows you to overclock still, and not much of performance difference in gaming. Allowed to get a more future-proof 780

2GB is more than enough for games right now. Like you said, most don't really use that much, and if it shows them using that much, it's simply as a buffer. For one screen at 1080p, 2GB will be perfect. I used a 512MB card for about 7 years, until about 2 months ago lol

Onto the build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (€187.91 @ Amazon Espana)
CPU Cooler: Be Quiet DARK ROCK ADVANCED C1 50.5 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler (€51.09 @ Amazon Espana)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (€89.09 @ Amazon Espana)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (€74.20 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (€81.95 @ Amazon Espana)
Storage: Toshiba 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (€52.95 @ Amazon Espana)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (€450.45 @ Amazon Espana)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (€57.32 @ Amazon Espana)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (€103.54 @ Amazon Espana)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (€20.89 @ Amazon Espana)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) (€97.78 @ Amazon Espana)
Monitor: Hannspree HE225DPB 21.5" Monitor (€116.98 @ Amazon Espana)
Keyboard: Cherry G83-6104LPNEU-2 Wired Standard Keyboard (€25.00 @ Amazon Espana)
Mouse: Gigabyte GM-M6900 Wired Optical Mouse (€19.51 @ Amazon Espana)
Total: €1428.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-26 04:06 CET+0100)

JustANewUser · Jan 26, 2014

Wow, thanks, that seems cool! By the way, what are the advantages of having a 750W PSU? In the PCPartPicker List it says its estimated wattage is 441W

JustANewUser · Jan 26, 2014

What does this mean?

Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard has an onboard USB 3.0 header, but the Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case does not have front panel USB 3.0 ports.

JustANewUser · Jan 26, 2014

Would I need a case fan for the build?

Edit: Also, do you think this PSU "XFX P1-850X-XXB9" would do better? It's 850W. Though some money more... However, it's only €20-€30 more.

HiTechObsessed · Jan 26, 2014

The 750w psu will give you room to add a second gpu in sli if you want later, but if not it won't hurt to have the extra power.

The notice about the case is just saying your motherboard has support for USB 3.0 in the front, but the case doesn't have any hookups for that. You'll still have them in the back though.

About the upgrade to the psu, I wouldn't spend the extra money on that unless you definitely plan on adding a second gpu in the future. If you know you will definitely not, you could even drop to a 650w and be perfectly fine, and save a few bucks.

Back to the case, feel free to get any ATX case you like, I just throw in a case for a decent amount of money lol cases are almost purely aesthetic, and I know people all like different things. Pretty much any atx size case will worm

JustANewUser · Jan 27, 2014

Hello, I'm sorry for answering too late.

So there isn't any problem with the case and mobo, is there?

And about the case, nah, I was just wondering. I really like the case you suggested, it's quite good. However, I wonder if it has enough space for all the components (I'd be pretty angry if I'm building a PC and I can't put the components in XD).

HiTechObsessed · Jan 27, 2014

Definitely no problems. And you won't have any trouble with getting it all in there, it's a Mid Tower ATX, meaning it is a full size tower. Plenty of room for you to add everything

I'm asking for a good custom gaming PC build, for $1100-$1350

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