Are these good specs for gaming/video editing?

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Radfordhound

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I have a pretty ancient laptop, and so one day after dealing with enormous amounts of lag I finally had enough. I'm saving up for a gaming computer which I'm attempting to build myself.

See, I'm a Youtube let's player, but I only game on consoles because my laptop is too old to run new games. Minecraft only gets 15 fps for me in Ubuntu 12.04 with all settings turned down to low, no other processes open, and without recording it. Obviously I need a new computer.

The thing is, I've never built a computer. I always just get pre-built ones. So, I'm wondering if these specs will be compatible, if they are the best deal, and if they are powerful enough to not just play, but RECORD gameplay of Sonic Generations, Minecraft, Terraria, and Gmod 13 at high settings, 30-60 fps, and in HD using, say, Fraps. Oh, and it also has to be able to play video in HD without lag as I'd like to use it as a media center (hence the Blu-Ray drive), and it has to be able to edit video in HD via Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 13 without slowdowns.

So, yeah. It basically needs to be a computer beast, which is why I'm going to try and build it. I couldn't possibly afford this pre-built!

Here are the specs: Pc Part Picker Link.

I already have Windows 7, a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. So, if anyone wonders why that's not on the list, that's why ;)

Thanks for the help! :)
 
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jabuscus

jabuscus

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try getting the i5 3570 (non-k) and the 760 (since that it's cheaper and has better performance than the 660 ti). and change the case because you may have problems like this (that pcpartpicker said):
"Compatibility Notes
In order to fit, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card may require removing drive bays from the NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case. The case only supports video cards up to 230mm in length without removing drive bays, while the video card is 266mm long."
 
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Radfordhound

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Thanks. I revised it according to your specifications. Here's the link. :)

I'm a bit concerned about the wattage, though. 400W doesn't seem like enough for all this. But pcpartpicker says it's enough. Is it? I'm not sure as I've never really built a PC before, but... I don't know.

Also, how cool will the new case keep everything? I just chose a case I thought was big enough and had a good balence of cost and rating instead of really taking time to see how cool it'll keep everything in general.

Anyway, thanks for your help. :)
 
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Radfordhound

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It's my first time doing this and so I'm not really sure what I'm doing. :p

I just found a cheap motherboard with good ratings, made sure it was compatible with my CPU and had the ports I needed, then I added it. What motherboard would you recommend with the same amount and kind of ports?

As for the power supply, I'll check them out and post a link to a revised version. ;)

Thanks for responding. :)

EDIT: Not sure about the double-posting rules here, so here's an edit. :p

I changed the PSU. Here's the link: PcPartPicker.com

I need to know which motherboard you'd recommend, though, so I can check it out. ;)

Thanks again everyone for your help. :)
 
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Deleted member 1300495

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get 8 gigs of ram. It will save you some money and it will still be pretty fast. But, if you need that extra speed, then get the 16 gigs; it'll last a long time. The i5 is a cpu but I would saving for i7. People say its a stupid purchase but its worth it, especially for gaming. Also think about getting a cheap cpu cooler( go water-cooling if you have the money)
 
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Radfordhound

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That's what I heard. The one I had actually was a Asus motherboard. Anyway, I changed the motherboard to a slightly cheaper one which has the same ports. It's still a Z77 though. :(

Here's the new link. Gosh, I keep posting links. :p



I've heard that. How much do you really need 16 GB? Like, will it speed up rendering or game's performance? It's not really going to save me too much if I dump it down to 8 GB, so... I think 16 GB is a better choice for me as I'm sure I'll do the impossible and find some way to eat that memory. XD

As for the i7 thing... I don't know. I've heard mixed opinions on it. Half say the i7 is faster, a quarter says it's a dump purchase and the rest are AMD fans. Ha ha. No, really. How big of a difference would it make for me? It seems like it's the way to go if you're playing a lot of games like me, but I'm not really going to be doing any insanely graphic-heavy shooters. Just Minecraft, Terraria, Sonic Generations, and Gmod. Maybe a little Scribblenauts Unlimited or Dolphin emulation. Not Crisis 2 or anything. I'm sure I'll need extra speed for something or another, but we're already talking 900 bucks here. I'm not sure I want to go much higher. Should I just get the i5 and upgrade to an i7 later? The motherboard supports it. Or is it a bad idea to upgrade CPU's? Again. sorry. I've never built a PC.

Oh, and lastly, water cooling sounds amazing, but it costs even more. Not too much extra, but I'm already at the top of my budget here, and I don't want to spend another penny if I can help it. But, on the other hand, it's better to spend some extra money on a cheap cooler then cheaping out and having the whole CPU overheat. I guess I'll find a cooler. :p

Back in a second, thanks for your help, everyone. :D

EDIT: Changed the CPU and added a cooler. Here. ;)
 
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Radfordhound

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How's this? It's getting pretty pricy, but it's also looking nicer. :)

Thanks! :D
 
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Radfordhound

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Alright, here you go. :D

Thanks for all the help once again. :) This build's really looking amazing now! :D

If there's anything else you want me to fine-tune, just let me know. ;)
 
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most games these days use only about 4 gigs but next gen games will use 8 gigs. I would advise you to get 1 gigs, it will last for probably 10 years. But if you are going to upgrade it, then get 8 gigs. It's all your decision.
 
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numanator

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Noticed you went with the 4gb gtx 760? Any reason for that? Honestly you will not be using the 4gb on the gpu unless you plan to SLI (2-cards) in the future, but that would require a larger power supply. I would recommend the 2gb gtx 760 or if you have extra money, the gtx 770. Going for the 4gb 760 is not worth the extra $$$.
 
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Radfordhound

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Wait, so does it have 4 GB of memory, but I can't utilize it? Or can I utilize it, but I simply don't need 4GB? If Windows 7 will let me use all 4 GB of memory on it, then I think it's worth it just for the extra power to help me with newer games. If I can't utilize it, then I'll defenetly get the 2 GB.

Sorry, I'm a computer building newbie here. :3

 
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numanator

numanator

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I would not recommend the 4gb on the gtx 760 video card. I think you are confusing the computer's memory with the video cards memory.

You would need 8gb of ram for the computer but games at 1080p do not use more than 2gb at this time. Also the gtx 760 does not have the bus width to fully use the 4gb even if you have a program that could use more than 2gb.

Pretty much the only reason you need more than 2gb on your video card is if you are playing on multiple monitors or playing at 1440p.
 
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Radfordhound

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Ah, okay. Thank you. :)

So, in brief, games can not fully utilize the extra memory on the GPU. That makes sense. However, I plan on using my 32 inch hdtv as my monitor while playing these games via an HDMI cord just because it'll help ease the transistion from console to PC for me as well as provide some awesome-looking mega graphics. :) It only goes up to 1920x1080, though, so no 1440p or anything. Would 4 GB help on a TV like that? Or make only minimal difference?

Sorry I keep asking questions. If I'm unable to utilize all 4 GB anyway, I'll just get the 2 GB model. Thank you. :)
 
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Deleted member 1300495

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Look, GPU ram is what allows the gpu to do its work faster, not your computer faster. Regular RAM will just make your computer fast, period.
 
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Radfordhound

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Thank you for trying to help. I understand this. I understood this since the beginning. Windows itself doesn't need a very powerful GPU to run. It simply needs more RAM. RAM and GPU memory are different. I get this.

But when I'm playing games, it uses the GPU's memory to draw things to the screen. So, my question was, would the 4 GB version of the GPU be able to draw graphics at 1920x1080 faster than the 2 GB one? Or would it make no difference/minimal difference. Thank you. :)
 
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Radfordhound

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It's alright. Thanks for your help. :)

How big of a difference would it make, exactly? Like, would there be a noticeable frame rate drop? Or would it just be minimal? Thank you. :)
 
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Deleted member 1300495

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There would be a notable difference that you would be able to see. RAM would increase speed which increases preformance.
 
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Radfordhound

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Oh, well I meant GPU memory. Would 4 GB GPU memory make a difference in speed while playing a game at 1920x1080 as compared to 2 GB?

Thanks. :)
 
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