Need help or tips with new PC!

[SoberSpy]

Hey guys, im looking to build my own PC and ive pretty much made a list of the parts that im going to want. Im no PC expert and this is my first time building a new PC, so im just looking for any tips you experts out there have for me. Ill be using this setup for mostly gaming (Battlefield 3, Revelations, Team Fortress 2, just to name a few). Many thanks

Here's the list:

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500K
GPU - EVGA NVidia GeForce GTX 580
RAM - G-Skill Ripjawz 8gb (4x2) 1600Mhz
HDD - Seagate Barracuda 1tb
Motherboard - Asus P8P67 Pro *I'm not so sure about this one, since all i really looked at was the LGA 1155 slot)
Case - CoolerMaster Elite 371
Fan - Scythe S-Flex SFF21E x1
PSU - Corsair GS700
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

I'm not too worried about the sound card, wifi card and optical drive, but any advice or recommendations on those would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tlmck]

You should be good to go.

 

[AdrianPerry]

Where are you buying from? US/UK? NewEgg?

What's your budget for the system?

Is it primarily a gaming build?

------

I'd recommend a Z68 motherboard. Minor price difference, newer chip set, more features than P67 and performs exactly the same.

There are possibly better PSU options available too. 600-650w units (Corsair, Antec, XFX or SeaSonic).

-----

Not too sure on what the pricing difference is, but you might want to consider something like:

i5-2500k
Z68 Gen3 Motherboard (If you dont need SLI support then get a cheaper board)
New ATI 7970? Performs considerably better than GTX 580 - depends on budget though?

 

[guanyu210379]

I'm not too worried about the sound card, wifi card and optical drive, but any advice or recommendations on those would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, you do not really need an additional sound card.
For WLAN adapter: Linksys WMP600N (PCI) or Linksys AE1000 (USB)
Optical drive: LG BR-Writer BH-10LS30 is good and very affordable

 

[SoberSpy]

Wow! Thanks for the quick replies!

@AdrianPerry: I'm buying these parts from Newegg, and looking to keep the price under $1600. Yes, it is primarily and gaming build.

@guanyu210379: I'm going with the Linksys WMP600N (thanks for that!). The optical drive is also an excellent choice for me, since i want to save up on as much as i can.

Thanks guys!

 

[AdrianPerry]

With a $1600 budget, you might seriously want to consider throwing in one of these:

Sapphire 7970 @ $560: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961

Benching considerably higher than a GTX 580:
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-Benchmarks-Make-Appearance-Easily-Surpasses-GTX-580-4.jpg/

i5-2500k
Z68 motherboard - ASRock Extreme3/4 GEN3 maybe?
ATI 7970
600w PSU - Corsair/XFX/SeaSonic/Antec
8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz CL9 1.5v RAM

 

[SoberSpy]

With a $1600 budget, you might seriously want to consider throwing in one of these:

Sapphire 7970 @ $560: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961

Benching considerably higher than a GTX 580:
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/AMD-Radeon-HD-7970-Benchmarks-Make-Appearance-Easily-Surpasses-GTX-580-4.jpg/

i5-2500k
Z68 motherboard - ASRock Extreme3/4 GEN3 maybe?
ATI 7970
600w PSU - Corsair/XFX/SeaSonic/Antec
8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz CL9 1.5v RAM

I think i'll be satisfied with the GTX 580, but thanks for the advice! Is a 600w PSU really enough? I don't really know how to calculate these things.

 

[SoberSpy]

I also want some advice on the monitor. Right now, I'm looking at this: http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=corp&sku=320-8966 but its not available on Newegg. I'm happy with sizes of between 21"-24" screens, prefer full HD, and I don't really notice the difference between LCD and LED.

 

[AdrianPerry]

LG have always been my favourite brand for PC monitors. Anything 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 with a HDMI/DVI port should be fine. It's up to you which size you choose. Ideally look for something with a 2MS response time too rather than 5MS.

Samsung is also a very popular brand.


The price difference between the GTX 580 and the 7970 really isn't all that much and the 7970 is a far superior card. Seriously consider this, why pay the same, for something that will perform less.....

GTX 580 $509 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590
7970 $560 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961

For the sake of $50 it makes sense to get the better card with more memory. (3GB vs 1.5GB) not to mention the card actually draws LESS power than a GTX 570 http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review/8