$750 First build

[Guest]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: within this month BUDGET RANGE: 600-800 before rebates
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, school work, movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, os, monitor

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, microcenter
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: i would prefer to use i5 750

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No/No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: not sure yet

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: this will be my first time building. i just randomly picked a graphics card because i plan on upgrading that later. but if there is a cheaper option for now that can play mw2, l4d2, sc2 in high settings, please let me know. other than that, i would like to make sure if everything will be compatible and can make it any cheaper. Thanks!

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Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-650HX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.392254
$220.98

GPU: XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150369
$104.99

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277
$109.99

Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0283272
$49.99

PCU: Intel Corporation Core i5 750 Processor Boxed
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317379
$179.99

HDD: Caviar SE16 500GB 7,200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0237870
$59.99

total ~$750

edit: oh and i guess i also need a cd/dvd drive. any recommendations?

 

[Proximon]

The case is the same price with free shipping thru tomorrow at newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Antec TP-550 is dirt cheap through 5/24 and enough power for your rig:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371020&Tpk=TP-550

This G.skill kit is CL7 and the same price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303&cm_re=DDR3_4GB-_-20-231-303-_-Product

Whether your GPU can play the games you want on high settings will depend on the native resolution of your monitor. If you are looking for a cheap temporary option then I would recommend the 4670, which will play most titles well at 1400x900.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102854&cm_re=4670-_-14-102-854-_-Product

Samsung F3 is the preferred HD at 500GB for gaming:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181&cm_re=Samsung_F3-_-22-152-181-_-Product

 

[gkay09]

^ Any specific reason you want to stick with the i5 750 ?? Frankly I dont see any advantage using the i5 for your kind of usage...

 

[Proximon]

Also, the Antec Illusion would be the better deal, as it ships with all the case fans you need:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&Tpk=Antec%20Illusion

DVD burner:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

 

[gkay09]

^^ EDIT: Dint refresh...
+1 for the above changes, but still my question of why you need the i5 750 stands...

 

[Guest]

thanks guys!
i dont really have any specific reasons why i want to use the i5, other than that one of my good friends recommended that i use it and ive always used intel without any problems.
but im open to other options.

@Proximon, if i get the Antec Illusion would i still need to get a cpu fan(which i also forgot to pick)? oh and ive read that the samsung spinpoint hdd is oem and comes without any cables. what cables would i need to get for that?

 

[gkay09]

^ Good that you had said...
The i5 750 is indeed a good CPU, but it is only worth if you will be going with a high powered graphics setup and are into video rendering/ encoding and stuffs...
For gaming, even a AMD Phenom II X4 or for that matter the Athlon II X3 440 would be a very good alternative...
The reason why I suggested the AMD is because, you wont notice any significant performance difference between these CPUs and the i5 is day-to-day tasks...And you do save good money going with AMD...
Just search the net for reviews of the AMD Phenom II X4 955 and the AMD Athlon II X3 440...you would come to know how they are...

 

[gkay09]

And for the HDD, you might not need anything additional as the mobo comes with 1 or 2 SATA cables...
If you want more, then
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270093&cm_re=sata-_-12-270-093-_-Product

 

[Proximon]

As Gkay says, if money is tight you can get less CPU safely.

Just keep in mind that ANY CPU you buy eventually becomes underpowered and must be replaced. An i7 750 may be more than you need today, but next year you might wish you had it.

Also, some games do benefit more from a strong quad core, but none you have mentioned.

An example I sometimes use is Empire: Total War. A large battle with 4 full armies on the field will bring my overclocked dual core processor almost to it's knees. Now, it only uses two cores at most... it's not yet a true multi-core game. However, it's a good example of WHY the gaming industry will be making more and more games that properly use 4 cores.

 

[gkay09]

^ Well that is the reason why I suggested the Tri Athlons and the Quad Phenoms...
Roughly for the same price range, you can club them with very powerful graphic cards...
So a powerful graphics + a Tri- Athlon/ X4 Phenom would be better than a weaker graphics + i5 750 in gaming...And still you would be saving money...

 

[Guest]

Best answer selected by jabo.