Building my first gaming PC ($1300 budget) -

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

So I've finally built up the courage to spend the money and attempt to build my very first gaming PC. I have a budget of around $1300 (OS included) to spend and I want the absolute best bang for the buck. What do you think of the parts I have chosen for my build? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Template and parts list with prices are below. Thanks!

Additional Comments: I'd like this PC to be able to handle BF4 at ultra settings, or pretty much any game that is currently out. I'm sort of going for a black and blue theme with the parts but it's not that important. I already have a monitor (1080p) and peripherals and have absolutely no intention of overclocking.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9900MAX-B CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($82.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1248.08
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-18 17:46 EST-0500)

Here's the PSU I plan on going with:
Antec EarthWatts Platinum Series EA-650 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS PLATINUM Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Intel Haswell Fully Compatible
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371056

With the PSU included the final build cost will be $1308.07

Edit:
Ended up going with the Corsair 500r case, LG Blu-Ray drive, and a few Cooler Master case fans. The build cost ended up being right under $1350 with these changes, otherwise the parts stayed the same.

Memhorder · Feb 18, 2014

lookin pretty. Case Fans.

lmaonade200 · Feb 18, 2014

not much I can suggest or add really, you've tightened up the budget pretty well, a nice H87 motherboard with a good amount of features, the cheapest 7 CAS latency 1600MHz RAM, and high quality drives.

I would suggest this though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182262&clickid=UzU3MIUj1wlv32%3AxSvXZ5x%3AXUkTUqbQm0QpO2c0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

with no overclocking you'll never need more than a 550W, it's 10 bucks cheaper after rebate and still of very high quality, Rosewill Capstones are good units.

and cases are more personal taste, but I also like this unit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146081&clickid=UzU3MIUj1wlv32%3AxSvXZ5x%3AXUkTUqY1v0QpO2c0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

an NZXT tempest 410, tons of room because it's really big for an ATX case, and is really airflow friendly, and this is definitely more personal taste than anything, I'm only suggesting this because I like it, the phantoms are also really good cases as it is.

other than that, good job! If you have some extra money, stick a couple Corsair, Scythe, Bitfenix, etc case fans in there and you'll have a complete build

TheMohammadmo · Feb 18, 2014

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($228.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Mwave)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($82.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($82.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($120.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1408.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-18 18:08 EST-0500)

You can lower it by getting a hyper 212 evo and a 1tb hard drive. Otherwise this build is really worth the extra money.

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

Memhorder :

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll take a look at some case fans.

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

lmaonade200 :

not much I can suggest or add really, you've tightened up the budget pretty well, a nice H87 motherboard with a good amount of features, the cheapest 7 CAS latency 1600MHz RAM, and high quality drives.

I would suggest this though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182262&clickid=UzU3MIUj1wlv32%3AxSvXZ5x%3AXUkTUqbQm0QpO2c0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

with no overclocking you'll never need more than a 550W, it's 10 bucks cheaper after rebate and still of very high quality, Rosewill Capstones are good units.

and cases are more personal taste, but I also like this unit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146081&clickid=UzU3MIUj1wlv32%3AxSvXZ5x%3AXUkTUqY1v0QpO2c0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

an NZXT tempest 410, tons of room because it's really big for an ATX case, and is really airflow friendly, and this is definitely more personal taste than anything, I'm only suggesting this because I like it, the phantoms are also really good cases as it is.

other than that, good job! If you have some extra money, stick a couple Corsair, Scythe, Bitfenix, etc case fans in there and you'll have a complete build

Thanks a lot for the reply and the reassurance! That case looks pretty nice and extra the room is always a plus. There's just something about the phantom that caught my eye and the great sale price on it had me hooked.

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

TheMohammadmo :

That is a nice looking build indeed but it might be overkill for my use. I can't see myself ever overclocking - I'm scared to death I'll see smoke and fire if I attempt it. You did bring to my attention the 2 TB Seagate drive. I have over 1000 CD's I plan on ripping to my computer so I could use the extra space. It's worth the extra $25 I think so I'll probably get the 2 TB drive. Thanks again!

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

Any opinions on Windows 7 vs Windows 8? I'm in sort of a dilemma on which on to purchase for my new build. Any ideas?

TheMohammadmo · Feb 18, 2014

There are issues with both and I like windows 7 more thats just personal preference. Also, dont be scared to overclock it. The noctua d14 provides some of the best temps out of all cpu coolers and you possibly cant make a mistake following a youtube guide. If you want to be really safe, you can just overclock it to 4.4ghz.

lmaonade200 · Feb 18, 2014

I personally like Windows 7 more also, but I heard good things about Windows 8.1 and how it tweaks windows 8 to be more comfortable for windows 7 users!

Memhorder · Feb 18, 2014

DenonGuy :

Win 7. There's a start button. Also I read that Windows 8 tries to stuff Microsoft only products where as Win 7 is more forgiving

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

Well, that's 3 votes for Windows 7 so I guess I'll go with that. It seems like I read somewhere that Windows 8.1 was a bit more lightweight and offered like a 2 or 3 FPS increase over 7 while gaming, but that info could have been wrong. I just really don't like the interface of Windows 8. It looks too smartphone-ish and the tile layout just looks a bit messy and cluttered (in my opinion of course). Thanks again guys.

Memhorder · Feb 18, 2014

DenonGuy :

There would be no possible way your eyes would notice a difference of 3 FPS or 5 for that matter. But yeah Win 8 is for tablets and phones. It does load faster but that does merit the awkwardness. I hope Win 9 is better

TheMohammadmo · Feb 18, 2014

I remember when windows 7 came out I was like no no no no xp is better then 7, 7 is pointless and now im like 8 is complete trash and its all about 7. Well make sure to select best answer and I hope you enjoy your build

Memhorder · Feb 18, 2014

TheMohammadmo :

I read some where I think Maximum PC Magazine or PC Builder maybe a Forum anway that it Windows goes in a trend Crap Good Crap Good. Like Win 98 (good) Win Millennium (Crap) Windows XP (Good) Windows Vista (Crap) Windows 7 (Good) Windows 8 (Crap) So theoretically Win 9 should be good. Seen on Tom's there's rumor of it's release this fall.

lmaonade200 · Feb 18, 2014

TheMohammadmo :

Actually I remember different, for me it was more like thank god windows 7 came out, now I can finally get rid of this trashy windows vista

TheMohammadmo · Feb 18, 2014

Lol everybody hated vista.

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

Thanks for all of the comments and keeping this thread active guys, I appreciate it. As far as the OS is concerned, I've pretty much decided to go with Windows 7. I love the boot time of Windows 8 on an SSD but I'm more comfortable/used to the layout of Windows 7. Besides, I can always upgrade in the future if I want.

I haven't purchased anything yet because I'm still looking at case fans and possibly a blu-ray drive instead of DVD since I watch a lot of movies (I didn't realize how cheap Blu-Ray drives were - for $20 more I can have the added capability). Does a Blu-Ray drive install just like a regular DVD drive? I'm learning as I go. Thanks again for the help.

TheMohammadmo · Feb 18, 2014

Yeah they are exactly the same its just that it is a blu ray drive. For case fans, go noctua, corsair, or cougar. And if you want good quality and nice led, bitfenix is really good at that.

DenonGuy · Feb 18, 2014

I'm going to go with an LG Blu-Ray drive. Seems like a steal at $39.99

I wonder if I can squeak by with some NZXT 120mm fans and 1 140mm fan instead of spending more for nicer fans.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835146002

My budget is right at the limit, but if the NZXT fans truly aren't sufficient I will spend the extra money.

lmaonade200 · Feb 18, 2014

you could try something like this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W7P4XE/?tag=pcpapi-20

a Scythe Slipstream, it's not much more expensive atm (like a buck more) and I've heard really good things about these

TheMohammadmo · Feb 19, 2014

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4bmbs20pkr0 and if you want a blue led http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4l2r20acgp in my opinion they are better because they are cheaper and still high quality. Just go with the companies in my previous post, those are the ones that I highly recommend.

Memhorder · Feb 19, 2014

DenonGuy :

That is a steal for BR Drive. Deep cool isn't too bad. Cheap Pretty and they push good air. 15-16 dolla

DenonGuy · Feb 19, 2014

TheMohammadmo :

I'm going to go with the Cooler Master fans with the LED. They might not be the greatest, but as long as they do a decent job I'll be happy. Fan noise won't really be an issue because the PC will be in a loud environment. You and everyone else here have been a great help! I should be ordering the rest of the parts tomorrow. Thanks again!

DenonGuy · Feb 19, 2014

I wish I could give "best answer" to everyone, you've all been a great help.

Building my first gaming PC ($1300 budget) -

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