New in the gaming PC world

Danny P · Nov 4, 2014

Hi, I messed around with PcPartPicker and came up with this build, there is a CPU cooler that I do not know what to do with.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LZZfD3
I want my 1st PC to be around $750 and I want to be able to upgrade it in the future. To be frank I have no idea about PC Parts, so can you guys help me check if this is a good enough build?
I would just play skyrim with some mods, or newer games like Shadow of mordor and such...
Oh, and I would just buy them all on Amazon (checked, all of them have Prime. $10~$20 more wouldn't be problem).

CraigN · Nov 4, 2014

Do you already have a copy of Windows? There's nothing wrong with your build, though i'm not a fan of EVGA's lower end PSUs personally. I'd go with a Seasonic or XFX in that price range. i.e. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9

Novuake · Nov 4, 2014

Hi there.

Made some changes with some explanations why.

1. Drop 10$ of the CPU and 200MHz, which really will not be noticeable.

2. Dropped to a cheaper chassis, there is a lot of preference here, so feel free to shop around for an aesthetically pleasing one.

3. Went for a higher quality, cheaper PSU that is currently priced amazingly well.

4. With all the above cost reduction I added a GTX970 instead, which is almost double the gaming performance to the GTX760.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($299.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($19.56 @ OutletPC)
Total: $772.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-04 09:41 EST-0500

And you do not need a CPU cooler, the Intel stock cooler is good enough and ships with every CPU.

Danny P · Nov 4, 2014

Novuake :

Hi there.

Made some changes with some explanations why.

1. Drop 10$ of the CPU and 200MHz, which really will not be noticeable.

2. Dropped to a cheaper chassis, there is a lot of preference here, so feel free to shop around for an aesthetically pleasing one.

3. Went for a higher quality, cheaper PSU that is currently priced amazingly well.

4. With all the above cost reduction I added a GTX970 instead, which is almost double the gaming performance to the GTX760.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card ($299.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($38.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($19.56 @ OutletPC)
Total: $772.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-04 09:41 EST-0500

And you do not need a CPU cooler, the Intel stock cooler is good enough and ships with every CPU.

It looks good, i think. Oh, I never bought anything from anywhere beside Amazon before, how is the shipping time for Newegg? I'm not at home most of the time so is it like a week like Ebay? Also, how is the upgradability for this particular build? Thanks in advance.

Danny P · Nov 4, 2014

Ah nuts, clicked the best answer by accident. How to remove...

TomThePotato · Nov 5, 2014

For me, I received my items from Newegg 2 days later. @Nova I was wondering how you got it that low, and I realized it was with rebates.. hehe.

Novuake · Nov 5, 2014

I can not comment on US retailers unfortunately, but I have never heard anything bad about newegg.

The upgradability is about as good as it can be, I7 support, 32GB RAM support, next generation CPU support as well.
Unfortunately no SLI or overclocking.

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

Novuake :

That's fine, but without overclocking, intensive game like Shadow of Mordor, Crysis, Skyrim (with mods), or Minecraft (I joke) should run fine on High ( Ultra even?) right?

Novuake · Nov 5, 2014

Overclocking is not a MUST, but it can help in SOME games, very few to be honest.

And yes, an I5 is perfectly possible of doing high or even ultra in those games with a GTX970.

LOL do not underestimate minecraft.

TomThePotato · Nov 5, 2014

I run skyrim fine with mods (had to tune down the AA to 8x though...) with a 280, so...... You should be quite fine with a 970.

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

Lol, last question, what is, like, one step lower in term of performance compare to the gtx970 graphic card? I just realized that is one of the high-end card out there, and it is a bit over budget (my max is $770) plus I'm not buying these right away, just something to keep in my when Christmas comes around or even later on. Basically, I want to lower the cost.

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

Novuake :

Danny P :

Just a bump, forgot to hit reply. I wrote some question before this

Novuake · Nov 5, 2014

One step down would be an AMD R9 290. It requires a bit better PSU though, check the below.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($254.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.22 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 750W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($60.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer ($19.56 @ OutletPC)
Total: $753.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-05 01:41 EST-0500

Completely overkill PSU, 600w is more than enough, but that is one of the best PSUs around and its currently on a promo.

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

Novuake :

I sorry if this is bothering you, but there are some compatability notes, about the case and motherboard, should I be worry? Sorry since this is my first time managing this big of a technology project I'm kinda overwhelmed

TomThePotato · Nov 5, 2014

No, this just means that the motherboard has Usb 3.0s in the front that's supposed to connect the the USB 3.0s in the front of the case... but the case doesn't have any, sooo it's just saying that.

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

TomThePotato :

So the case is fine or do i use a different case? Also what's up with the video card and the tower thingy?
Building a PC wasn't so confusing when I was in highschool...

TomThePotato · Nov 5, 2014

The case is fine. You'll have to remove some drive bays in order to fit the graphics card.

If you want a somewhat bigger/nicer case, here's an alternative that costs a bit more.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-200r

Danny P · Nov 5, 2014

Alright, I think i'll settle on Novuake's build, with perhaps a change in the case, and a wireless card. That should total up to around $800, still not my deisred range but, I'll ask again when the holliday rolls around. One thing that annoys me most is that I have to buy from different merchants in order to get the best possible deal to bring the cost down. Ok, thanks everyone for helping!

Novuake · Nov 5, 2014

Jip, nothing to be concerned about, and no, you are not annoying me AT ALL.

I would not be here if you did. Sorry if I seem short sometimes, sneaking these posts in at work between busy spells.

When you are on a tight budget, buying from different retailers really helps improve performance A LOT.

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