First Build- $1000-$1300 Gaming Rig

[RacobJesendes]

Hey there. I'm looking to make a new desktop for mostly gaming. This will be my first time making one, and I'm not completely sure on what to go with. Sorry for being a noob. Any feedback or suggestions would be great.

Approximate Purchase Date: Next week or so.

Budget Range: Between $1000- $1300

System Usage: Mostly gaming, possibly some video processing.

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers.

Preferred Website for Parts: tigerdirect.ca

Country of Origin: Canada

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: Not sure

Additional info: I'm probably going to be playing games like Counter Strike, WoW, and hopefully Battlefield when it releases.
Total cost= approx. $1300


I have some parts thought out already, but like I said, I'm new to this and not completely sure if this would be the best bang for my buck, or even work together for that matter.


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7343083&CatId=6978
ASUS P8P67 LE B3 Intel P67 Motherboard - ATX, Socket H2 (LGA 1155), Intel P67 Express, 2200MHz DDR3 (O.C.), Gigabit LAN, 8-Channel Audio, SATA 6.0 Gb/s, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, AMD CrossFireX Support
$139.97


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7073161&CatId=6988
Intel Core i5-2500K BX80623I52500 Unlocked Processor - Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache, 3.30 GHz, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Retail
$229.97

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=322873&CatId=7005
HIS H695FN2G2M Radeon HD 6950 Video Card - 2GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.1 (x16), Dual-DVI, 2x Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, Eyefinity, CrossFireX Ready
$324.99


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6430030&CatId=1509
Cooler Master RC-430-KWN1 Elite 430 Mid Tower ATX Case - ATX/Micro-ATX, USB, Audio, 120mm Blue LED Fan, Black
$49.97


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7288041&CatId=2459
Western Digital WD5002AALX Caviar Black Hard Drive - 500GB, 3.5", SATA 6Gbps, 7200 RPM, 32MB
$63.99


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4837614&csid=_21
Corsair XMS3 TW3X4G1333C9AG 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM - - PC10666, 1333MHz, 4096MB (2x 2048MB), 240 Pin, Dual-Channel
$49.97


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4829307&CatId=89
Lite-On IHAS124-04 Internal DVD Writer - DVD+R 24X, DVD-R 24X, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6X, DVD+R DL 8X, SATA (OEM)
$19.97


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=16823&CatId=802
Cooler Master R4-BMBS-20PK-R0 Blade Master Case Fan - 120mm, PWM
(x2) $11.99 each


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4974261&CatId=6994
Ultra U12-40656 Carbon X7 Multi-Socket CPU Cooler - LGA1366, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, 939, 754, 12V, Aluminum, Black
$57.96

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3438609&CatId=2533
Corsair TX750W 750-Watt Power Supply - ATX, 140mm Fan, SLI-Ready, SATA-Ready, 80Plus
$117.99


Addition Questions:
Will I need anything else?
Is 4gigs RAM enough or should I go for a bit more?
Do I need a heatsink even if I'm not overclocking?
Is 750W enough on the power supply?
Should I add more fans on the case?
Thank you, and sorry once again for being a noob.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The Intel Core i5-2500K does come with a stock HSF that will work fine until you want to overclock. The real value behind the Intel Core i5-2500K is its ability to overclock and it is easier than ever before to overclock get good results. So if there is no chance that you are going to overclock step down to the Intel Core i5-2500.
Now as far as the power you need to run this system, take a look at this tool http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp. This tool will do a good job of showing what you need on the low end for power for your system. For the low end the lowest you are going to want to go with is around 393 watts. So a 500 watt power supply should do you fine for now but if you are planning to go to Crossfire in the future the 750 watt is a great power supply.
In most cases there isn’t a lot of value to having any more then 3 total case fans (front, rear and one side). Any more than that and you start to break up the airflow in the case.


Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team