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1200$-1500$ gaming computer [complete newbie]

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Approximate Purchase Date: Next couple of months

Budget Range: 1200-1500$

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the web

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com

Country: US

Parts Preferences: Intel, ATI No Nvidia for me

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Crossfire

Monitor Resolution:

Additional comments: This is actually my first time building a gaming computer, I don't know how to see which parts are better or worse for the type of computer I want. I would like to see if any of the guru's know a build under 1200-1500$ or near that price that could handle games such as GTA IV, Skyrim, ARMA 2, and such current-gen games. and please share anything that can help me, thanks!

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CPU: Intel i5 2500k $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Graphics: XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 $330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

MoBo: GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-900 $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case: Antec 900 $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3EG HD503HI 500GB $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

SSD: OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

RAM: PNY Optima 8GB memory Model MD8192KD3-1333 $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Heatsink+Fan: CM hyper 212 EVO $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

DVD-ROM: LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner $17
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

OS: Win 7 64Bit home premium $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Total: $1242

Extra (depends if you want to or not)
another:
Graphics: XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 $330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
(for CF)
Total w/ extra gfx card: $1572

Explanation: I chose the i5 2500k because it is one of the best gaming CPUs at a reasonable price. It is a great performer and should last you a few years. The 6970 is a great gfx card, and in CF it should out perform the gfx card champion, the HD Radeon 6990. The Gigabyte Motherboard supports CF and is reasonable priced. The 900W Antec power supply should be more than enough for CF and mild overclocking. The case not only looks neat but is also nice and roomy. The 500GB HDD is for normal storage while the 60GB SSD is for a boot drive and any often used applications. 8GB of PNY RAM should be more than sufficient for any build, even with 8GB, it's overkill. Games rarely use over 2GB and if they do, the rest of the programs rarely use more than 1.5GB, so you're only using around 3.5GB of RAM. The CM Hyper 212 EVO is to overclock the i5 2500k, I've heard you're able to OC the i5 2500k to around 4.5GHz with the CM. The DVD-ROM is self-explanatory, and you could change it to a blu-ray drive if you watch blu-ray videos. The OS is obviously to run the computer

Thank you!, and I'm not such a blu-ray guy myself, Though quick question, Could I get Windows XP instead of 7? I've heard XP is the best for gaming, because I've heard vista and 7 uses up alot of resources on the computer itself.

bigdogsean11 said:
Thank you!, and I'm not such a blu-ray guy myself, Though quick question, Could I get Windows XP instead of 7? I've heard XP is the best for gaming, because I've heard vista and 7 uses up alot of resources on the computer itself.

I would not go with windows XP (even though it's the best Windows out there)
because of this:
http://bf3blog.com/battlefield-3-system-requirements/

You might not play battlefield, but as you can see, minimum requires you to have Vista...so you might as well as get Windows 7. Also, don't worry about "using a lot of computer resources"...The new computer that you will build can handle it and much more.
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bigdogsean11 said:
also, For the Graphics card, would I need a full tower case? I just need to know if I could at least fit one, nevermind crossfire.

Nope! A mid sized tower desgined for gaming builds would suffice...I say for gaming builds is because they allow you to remove some unneeded components inside the case to fit the (normally 10-12") gfx card.
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