Opinions about my build please

[grey36]

Hey everyone, I am seriously considering building a desktop, and this is the first time that I have ever attempted to “build” a computer on my own. Therefore, I would appreciate some advice. I have some pc parts already, and I am planning on using what I have and just purchasing everything else that I need.

I plan on purchasing all the parts really soon, and I just want to get some opinions on what I plan to do before I order everything.

Parts that I already have include: Monitor (I have a 28 inch HDTV/monitor that I plan to use), keyboard, mouse, GPU (I have an 8800 GTX that is a bit dated, but I am going to use it for now and update it later), speakers, sound card (I have a creative sound blaster card), and OS.

So, to get everything else that I need, I am thinking of purchasing this:

CPU/RAM/Mobo/case/HDD: Core i3-2100/H67/4GB/1TB SuperCombo $350

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.648053&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1w7fqu7xfkewj

and

Power supply: Corsair 500W $60 $10MIR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139018&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1xuhvoy0q4qbm

total = $410 (400 after MIR).

I want to be able to run most games at high settings (medium at the lowest), but I am not trying to build an 'elite' desktop. I am very happy with only spending around $400, and I just want to get some opinions on the build before I buy. The only other thing that I think I would need is an optical drive, but I believe I have an external one that I can use at least temporarily. Any opinions/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[crewton]

Might as well get an optical drive It's not much more http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106335 got 26 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136238 for 20.

 

[grey36]

Thanks again for the reply crewton. You're probably right. I probably should just go ahead and purchase an optical drive now as well. Thanks for the links!

If anyone else wants to provide any opinions before I buy, I would appreciate it. I'm more than likely going to make the purchases within the next few hours.

 

[k1114]

I'm getting the same price without a combo.

■LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
■Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm ...
■Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
■Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
■G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
■ASRock H61M-VS LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
■Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I32100
TOTAL: $428.95 Shipping Included. Before MIR.

 

[Donald92382]

here a good barebones
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=432485&Sku=B69-0366

 

[grey36]

So, I ended up making my purchases last night from Newegg.com. I stuck to what my initial plan was, and I ended up buying this:

CPU/RAM/Mobo/case/HDD: Core i3-2100/H67/4GB/1TB SuperCombo $350

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.648053&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1w7fqu7xfkewj

and

Power supply: Corsair 500W $60 $10MIR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139018&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1xuhvoy0q4qbm

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136238&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=gesz7hzg68g8

total = $433 ($423 after MIR).

I am happy with the decisions that I made, but I was wondering how this "barebones" kit stacks up against what I just bought:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=432485&Sku=B69-0366&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=je6NUbpObpQ-pP1SUwNOrn_KSNfs2JFgBg

I saw that someone posted this link, and it is basically $100 less than what I purchased (when taking into account the power supply I purchased separately). So, I was just wondering if this is on "par" with what I bought, or is what I purchased a step above or possibly below (mainly from a quality standpoint)? Regardless, I am happy with the decisions I made, but I am just curious about any others' opinions about this.

Thanks

 

[crewton]

You got a better cpu and better power supply. I wouldn't worry about that other deal. Enjoy the new build

 

[grey36]

Thanks again for the reply crewton. I am more than content with what I purchased, and I am looking forward to everything arriving so I can go ahead and start building my pc! I have one more question though, and if anyone would like to provide some insight, please feel free. So, the case that I purchased in the combo comes with a 500W power supply by default (I believe), but it was recommended that I purchase another (I am assuming much better) 500W power supply separately. Is this primarily because the power supply that comes with the case by default is not very good (i.e., i will possibly run into problems with it, it's hazardous, etc.)? What would be the negatives associated with using the default/generic power supply that comes with the case, as opposed to the CORSAIR one that I purchased separately?

This is the first pc that I have ever attempted to build, so I apologize if some of my questions seem rather elementary. Again, thanks.

 

[k1114]

The psu that came with it is a cheap low quality psu. It is the same model that blew up in this review. http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=65

 

[grey36]

Thanks for the link. I figured it was because the psu that comes with the case is really low quality, and I don't want any explosions in my new pc. So, I am really glad I purchased another (higher quality) power supply.