Finalizing my first home build! up to $1500 budget.

[straldo]

Well I am building my first ever computer. I'm a total newb and i'm looking how to do things through the internet.

Approximate Purchase Date: by this wednesday may /2/2012 i plan to have most if not all.

Budget Range: $1200-$1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, internet, youtube videos.

Parts Not Required: all parts are up for suggestions and opinions.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, or micro center yonkers.

Country: US, New york.

Parts Preferences: No real preferance.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution:1600x1200
Additional Comments: quiet, good temperature pc. with red led lights.




So far these are the parts I have.

Intel core i5-2500k $180

z68 Fatal1ty gen 3 professional series motherboard $270
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3

Haf X full tower case $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

ocz fatal1ty 750 watt power supply $105
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0335913

asus 12x blue ray driver $120
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0364543

corsair 2x4gb ram sticks ddr3 1600 $53
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0347306

asus 23.6 lcd monitor $200
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0355063

I still need a keyboard, mouse, ssd, hard drive, video card, sound car, and windows disk, and still deciding on the cooling type i want. I'm leaning more towards water cooling only because it just looks cooler lol, but please tell me if i should go with anything else. Any recommendation for what i need left would be awesome. There was a bundle in micro center with the 15 2500k and the motherboard i can't seem to find it anymore.

Is this going well so far? I want to make it a gaming computer. Anything from League of legends to games like tera online or continent of the ninth and hopefully be able to play grand theft auto 5 on it.

 

[hellfire24]

please fill this for for a more detailed info-
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

 

[FinneousPJ]

Water cooling is indeed cool, but you need another $200 (at least) over buying the tower to do it properly. Also, consider buying a GPU with the water block already installed.

BTW, you don't need a sound card.

 

[straldo]

Oh no sound card? OKAY! what gpus have a water block already installed? I'm looking to get one with 3gb.

 

[P1g]

Do you plan on ocing like crazy? If so get this cuz its top of the line and also already has a water block.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130772

 

[egilbe]

You do realize that Fatal1ty branded stuff is overpriced and it isn't any better than a lower priced option.

 

[P1g]

You are right on that on egilbe. But if he is looking for water cooling and wants to spend the cash on it let him. Me id prefer telling him the 7970 over the 680. But im in process of sending mine back for a rma.

 

[straldo]

Oh, well i already bought it =/ can't do anything about it now. so 7970 over 680? or no? i hear 3gb is much faster.

 

[straldo]

Please if anyone else has any options, recommendations, suggestions please post. Thank you.

 

[hellfire24]

3gb is absolute overkill for 1080p.680 is faster then 7970.

 

[straldo]

so it's not wise to get 3gb? i'm still looking for a good gpu with a water block already installed. can someone link me some well cooled ones with good performance?

 

[hellfire24]

^hell yeah-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130772
comes with a high quality swift tech block.

 

[straldo]

Looks nice that's for sure, hmm and there's good feedback! Will be put on my list! Because i do want to have room for any upgrade later to the ivy bridge series cpu's and be able to just run most games in the next 1 year or so..I really want to build something that can run bf3 on highest possible settings.

 

[hellfire24]

2500k+680=BF3 ultra!

 

[P1g]

i have a 7970 and also does on of my buds it runs everything we throw at them. And also the 680 is better at lower res like 1080.

 

[akamrcrack]

2500k+680=BF3 ultra!

Correction

2500k + 680 + 1080p = BF3 ultra @ 60fps vsync no problem.

 

[hellfire24]

anything above 35 fps(40 fps) is smooth and silky.you can't really tell the difference.

 

[akamrcrack]

anything above 35 fps(40 fps) is smooth and silky.you can't really tell the difference.

We are talking about an ONLINE FIRST PERSON SHOOTER here bro.

60fps = smooth. 120fps = superb. 240fps = offthewallamazing

Personally I am ready to give up on 60fps gaming all together and buy me a TN panel 120mhz and two GTX 680s.

Why would I do this you say, why bother upgrading to 120fps vsync when 60fps is all your eyes can see. Because I am not thinking about my eyes anymore when you move to that level of fps gaming its about what your computer can see and respond to.

It gives you a clear advantage over 60fps gamers (not including the fact that 60fps can drop below that and cause "visual lag" where as when 120fps drops there is no more visual lag. Another factor is that having more FPS in first person shooters is better, especially if you can run vsync. Reason why people run vsync in FPS games, it gets rid of tearing but it also reduces the gpu usages which in return improves overclocking and heat headroom which in return gives better performance feedback.

I never used vsync before bf3 because it never worked properly for most games so I said "more fps better". Now I say "stable fps cap better" which can also be more fps

 

[hellfire24]

i agree on the point that stable fps>more fps.

 

[straldo]

ok So, i just need to wait and see if that 680 will become available -_-. Any suggestions on good keyboards, mouses, ssd's, and water cooling system? I will be buying windows 7 ultimate 64 bit. Just need to see some good suggestions

 

[hellfire24]

watercooling isn't a 'necessity'.good air cooler is enough.sidewinder x4 and g500 make a great couple as a gaming keyboard and mouse.crucial,mushkin,samsung,kingstones are great ssds.just stay away from OCZs.

 

[straldo]

What about patriot ssds? I saw them on a maximumpc mag. Not sure how good they are.

 

[hellfire24]

can't really say.

 

[akamrcrack]

What about patriot ssds? I saw them on a maximumpc mag. Not sure how good they are.

Patriot Wildfire and Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe are ones of the top teir SSDs on the market because of their quality/type of nand flash.

One of the most reliable SSDs out right now is the Crucial M4 and when I think of a SSD lasting 5+ years I think of reliability first and speed second which Crucial M4s meet. (I own 1 and a Crucial Adrenaline, both excellent products as well I own an Intel 320 series)

Right now one of the best deals on SSDs are the Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 120gb (not the deluxe version) for around $1/gb

 

[straldo]

Sounds good, can you link me?