I'm looking to build my first gaming PC

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lotsologan

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So I'm in the process of trying to figure out what I need to build a gaming computer that can handle what I plan on throwing at it. I can budget out around $1500 give or take a little bit. I plan on hooking it up to my 42 inch tv in my room and i want to be able to play games like battlefield 4, skyrim, and fallout. This will probably be the most ill be throwing at it, of course with the exception of some less demanding games like call of duty or mine craft from time to time. My computer knowledge is really limited so i was wondering if someone could help me figure out what the best option is for me. Any help is hugely appreciated! Thanks!
 
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moozilbee

moozilbee

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Something like this should suffice for what you need, it should be more than enough to run said games at high resolution on max settings @60fps, although it's hard to say for BF4 because the optimisation is a mess.
I haven't personally used all the parts in this build however, so you may want to read some reviews and get some second opinions, this build is a lot cheaper than your budget but should still be fine, if you want to save even more money you could get a 250gb ssd instead of a 500gb, and a fx6300 instead of an fx 8350, also a cheaper case would work fine, I simply like this case and your budget allows it. This case also comes in other colours, such as black and red, black and blue, black and green, etc.
This case however isn't too good for air cooling, it will work, but it won't have that great aiflow so if you wanted you could look at getting watercooling for your system, I've never used watercooling so I can't help you there I'm afraid.
Any questions about the build just ask!


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CxNkgs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CxNkgs/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($174.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($170.27 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($218.46 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1183.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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Francisco Costa

Francisco Costa

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Nov 16, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Glacer 240L 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($158.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($106.81 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($369.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Thermaltake Core V71 ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1448.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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Alex Whitfield

Alex Whitfield

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With $1500 budget you can do better than what I have so far seen everyone suggest.

Amd FX8350 - $174.99 - https://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8350frhkbox
Cooler master hyper 212 evo - $29.98 - https://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 - $109.99 - https://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-ga990fxaud3
Kingston Hyper x blu 8gb ram - $75.99 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/kingston-memory-khx1600c9d3b1k28gx
Seagate hybrid 2tb - $114.67 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dx001
Evga 780 ti SC - $669.99 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp42883kr
Corsair 300r midtower case - $59.99 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-300r
Corsair 750 cx Power Supply - $69.99 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx750
Asus dvd drive - $16.98 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-optical-drive-drw24b1stblkbas
Windows 8.1 - $89.98 - http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-os-wn700615
Total price $1412.55 after rebates
Price before rebates $1477.55


This build can run any game you want Ultra settings for years to come and as you can see I included the operating system for you in the budget.
This price is after mail in rebates and includes shipping and taxes.
I put windows 8.1 because it is better for gaming but if you rather Windows 7 the pricing is similar and I wouldn't blame you.
I decided on the Seagate hybrid because it can do what the others suggested but cost less (so you can fit a better graphics card in budget) and has more storage to offer you to boot.
The hybrid is basically a 2 tb regular hard drive with a ssd boot drive built into it.
Result is the same as the ssd hdd combo but less cash and work needed on your part.

Hope you like this build I know I would love it myself Watch Dogs 2 and the next Crysis probally won't even make this build sweet.
Additional questions adjustments or otherwise feel free to post
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($389.00 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1131.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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Alex Whitfield

Alex Whitfield

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If he has the budget to go the distance than he should.
I will say rather to go FX 8350 or an I5 is up to him either way is solid and around the same in the end cost.
I would not recommend a ssd and a hdd combo for this budget going Hybrid is the way to go in such cases.
Essentially the same performance and same storage placement(the os being on the ssd) but less cash needed and more in the end storage.
Partly why I could suggest a higher end card to him because some of the cash was easily saved on not doing that combo.
My suggestion also included os, if he doesn't need the os than he can take it off and not be spending much more than you suggested but have more storage and higher fps and more future proofed.
Don;t get me wrong though your suggestion is solid as well just go hrbrid on the storage and push more of the budget elsewhere.
Also I like your profile pic. Sorry unrelated but had to throw it out there.
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

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Hmm well having a hybrid HDD isn't the best idea (imo) since it's really just a bit faster than an hdd but significantly slower than a SSD. SSD boot and read/write times are amazing.

The extra cash could be used towards a graphics card, but after a 290x there isn't much room for improvement.

Also Skyrim will run much better on an i5 compared to an 8350. But in other games the two do come close in performance.

If you like the profile pic, it's Simca from the anime series Air Gear. Currently working on a new profile pic...
 
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Alex Whitfield

Alex Whitfield

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Hybrid's usually get close to ssds actually.
They have a literal ssd built onto a hdd and automatically notices what should be put on the ssd for fast boot read write etc which it will put the os and then recognize what you access most and put it there as well.
Aka
Same performance all but the difference is saved cash and saved time.
It even helps the hdd portion run slightly faster than standard hdd so basically put it outperforms a ssd hdd combo while costing less time and money.
A pure ssd setup can easily outperform a hybrid but a pure ssd setup is beyond his budget.
The hybrid is the way to go it will boot the windows 8.1 and store his most accessed programs for great read/write speeds and help the hdd portion run better all automatically.
No ssd with a hdd separate gives that plus this is his first he said so not only do I suggest it for all those reasons but also because it will not have a high learning curb on his end.
Yes fx8350 and an I5 can range on who is better and who is not it is just the usual Intel does single thread better but Amd does multi thread better argument.
So that really falls down to his needs. Amd is great for software editing (again the multi threads) but Intel can kick butt in gaming scenarios.
Again though my suggestion keapt optimal gaming in mind and ease of use as well and I kept all needs in mind for the budget.
A 290x should max most games (unless someone here knows one it can't) but for higher fps and better future proofing it is hard to beat the 780 ti that thing performs better than some of the Titans but look how much cheaper it is then the Titans it is a super solid card if it can be fit in a budget and as I showed it can.
 
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moozilbee

moozilbee

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That's true, but a SSD + HDD would still be a better option since he can easily fit it in his budget, a small SSD + big HDD would be a huge improvement over a hybrid, and a 120gb ssd or 250gb isn't too expensive.
Something like what I suggested in my first response but with a cheaper motherboard and a r9 290 would be able to rund any of the games he asked for just fine @Ultra, whilst still saving money and being fine for years to come. A 780, whilst good, is still very overkill for the games he requested and he would probably be better off getting a cheaper card and then replacing it in a few years.
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($238.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Other: 290x Tri-X ($511.00)
Total: $1343.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Could go with this and still have some cash left over.Or you could switch the 290x for a 780ti and reach your $1500 budget. But for me I couldn't justify the small improvement for $150 more. The 290 as it is isn't that far behind the 290x.

Also a hybrid HDD does not the same performance as an SSD+ HDD otherwise it wouldn't be so cheap.

http://lifehacker.com/5908411/which-type-of-drive-is-best-for-my-needs-hdd-ssd-or-a-hybrid

 
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moozilbee

moozilbee

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RazerZ's last build looks like the best so far, but as I said there isn't much reason to upgrade to a 780 unless you really feel the need to spend that money, only improvements other than that I can think of would be to spend a bit more cash and get a Crucial MX100 250gb ssd, and change the case to a NZXT H440 if you prefer, but stay with the Phantom case if you like that one more.
Also if you wanted to go for a quieter pc, you could add in an extra fan to the cpu cooler (so the 2 fans can both spin slower) and maybe replace the case fans with some Noctuas.
 
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Alex Whitfield

Alex Whitfield

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Yes a hybrid has high performance.
A ssd does out perform it but only slightly and I mean slightly.
The reason it is cheap is that the built in ssd is usually small and meant for the os and a few commonly accessed programs (isn't that what most people do with it to begin with?) I suggest it for price to performance ratio it is miles ahead ssd or hdd in that department and getting large yet high performing storage is easier and cheaper.
On average a hybrid does atleast double the performance of even the best hdd but can oftenly do better.
The 1tb model has 8gb ssd built on tge 2tb has 16gb built on etc.
It isn't huge but you get near ssd performance on booting and othe Microsoft applications while the 2tb also gives ssd near performance on your web browsers and anything else that gets deemed highly used.
So maybe 1 game.
Yes the dedicated ssd you can control what is on it and put more on it.
But the main thi gs people usually place on it will fit in the hybrids case and will run smooth most of the things you would have otherwise placed on the hdd will go there in this case.
The difference is you have an extra terabyte of data to use and spent less.
If you can afford a 256gb ssd in your build or greater than do it cause it is more beneficial by then. But seeing as that has less effect on your gaming vs the way better graphics you can afford otherwise I dont see the point personally.
Yes the ssd can help but only minorly vs a better cpu or gpu.
If you got the cash for both than great by all means do.
 
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moozilbee

moozilbee

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I'm afraid that a hybrid drive is simply nowhere near as fast as an SSD overall, an SSD will outperform a hybrid a heck of a lot more than slightly, if you don't believe me, here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2013/04/21/crunching-the-numbers-should-you-buy-a-hybrid-ssd/

But you're still right about the budget, a hybrid IS an improvement over just a regular HDD, but it certainly doesn't even approach the speed of an SSD, if OP wants to, they can spend less money on a graphics card/CPU and more on a SSD which would be much more noticeable, the last PC that RazerZ suggested, and the first one I suggested, are cheaper than the budget and contain an SSD, but would still be able to destroy the games OP asked to be able to play, like I said before a 780 is pretty unnecessary unless you want to play on multiple monitors, which OP doesn't, or if he/she wanted to be able to play any game without having to upgrade for a long time, but even then it would be a better option to go with a lower powered card and just upgrade in a few years.
 
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Alex Whitfield

Alex Whitfield

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Yea it doesn't hit it.
Probably because the ssd must communicate with the hdd portion and keep track of what you use most.
Aka latency.
But ssd never felt fully worth it price to performance ratio.
A hdd is slow and dated and a hybrid is miles ahead a ssd goes even further but if you want to budget other good stuff in a hybrid drive is a nice middle ground to pull it off.
Thats why I recommended it. Also again he says it is his first build so I kept low learning curve in mind. Multiple storage devices and one being set just for certain things takes a little bit of a learning curve.
That is why I endorsed it.
But if he thinks say the 290x will meet his wants which it should than why not use the budget for the ssd.
My suggestion was a middle ground a way to get more performance than hdd but not costing to much and still maintaining high storage amount.
In the end it is on him for what he see fits I just threw a compromise in to fit a really nice graphics card in is all.
All the builds I have seen suggested definitely have good potential and will max most anything.
 
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lotsologan

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Wow this blew up since I last looked at this thread last night thank you guys! How would a 3.4 ghz intel i2600 cpu work in place of the cpu in any of these builds? The reason i ask is that i discovered that my old computer has one inside of it so i could save a couple hundred dollars if it works.
 
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lotsologan

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Hey razer can i use an intel i2600 cpu in place of the one you listed since i already have one on hand? and if that does work where should I use the money I would save or should I just save the money altogether?
 
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lotsologan

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Oh never mind i just checked and the cpu i have isn't compatible with the motherboard you listed. Could i change the motherboard or would that not be a good idea?
 
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lotsologan

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Oh never mind i just checked and the cpu i have isn't compatible with the motherboard you listed. Could i change the motherboard or would that not be a good idea?
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

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Yes you can that's a great CPU. For the motherboard you would need one that uses an LGA 1155 socket. If I were you I would just keep the saved money.
 
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lotsologan

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alrighty sounds good! should i install any case fans or is there really no danger of it overheating?
 
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RazerZ

RazerZ

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If you have a stock fan it will do, but an after market cooler will keep temps lower.
 
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