Building my first gaming PC ($1300 budget) -
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 2:52:18 PM
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=N82E168...
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.
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=N82E168...
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.
More about : building gaming 1300 budget
Memhorder
February 18, 2014 3:06:10 PM
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=N82E168...
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=N82E168...
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
I would suggest this though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
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=N82E168...
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
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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.
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.
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 3:15:26 PM
DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 3:20:32 PM
lmaonade200 said:
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=N82E168...
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=N82E168...
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.
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 3:26:06 PM
TheMohammadmo said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / BenchmarksCPU: 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.
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!
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 3:27:48 PM
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.
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Memhorder
February 18, 2014 3:51:53 PM
DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 4:09:30 PM
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.
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Memhorder
February 18, 2014 4:19:18 PM
DenonGuy said:
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.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
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Memhorder
February 18, 2014 5:49:42 PM
TheMohammadmo said:
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 buildI 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.
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TheMohammadmo said:
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 buildActually 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
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 6:54:57 PM
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.
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.
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DenonGuy
February 18, 2014 7:13:07 PM
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=N82E168...
My budget is right at the limit, but if the NZXT fans truly aren't sufficient I will spend the extra money.
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=N82E168...
My budget is right at the limit, but if the NZXT fans truly aren't sufficient I will spend the extra money.
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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
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
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Best solution
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4b... and if you want a blue led http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4l... 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.
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Memhorder
February 19, 2014 11:14:08 AM
DenonGuy said:
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=N82E168...
My budget is right at the limit, but if the NZXT fans truly aren't sufficient I will spend the extra money.
That is a steal for BR Drive. Deep cool isn't too bad. Cheap Pretty and they push good air. 15-16 dolla
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DenonGuy
February 19, 2014 6:11:02 PM
TheMohammadmo said:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4b... and if you want a blue led http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4l... 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.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!
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DenonGuy
February 19, 2014 6:13:23 PM
DenonGuy
February 19, 2014 6:15:14 PM
Also if you want you can get the corsair 500r, its cheap right now and go really nice with the whole enitre blue color scheme. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
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DenonGuy
February 19, 2014 6:22:30 PM
TheMohammadmo said:
Also if you want you can get the corsair 500r, its cheap right now and go really nice with the whole enitre blue color scheme. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...Wow, I'm glad you brought that to my attention! I was actually looking at that case a few days ago but didn't consider it because it was too expensive. But with the 20 dollar rebate plus 10 dollars off on top of that it would be the same price as the Phantom. Awesome, well I'm definitely getting the Corsair case! Thank you!!!
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