Newbie building $1500+ gaming pc

[brian9001]

This is the first time I will be building a computer so I will take all of the advice I can get. I've read a few of the builds posted on this website and I saw that people don't recommend getting the i7 for gaming but rather the i5, for reasons I have no clue why. I'm thinking of using a coolermaster case haf 922 or 932.


Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month

Budget Range: 1500$ - 2000$

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ncix.com, canadacomputers.com, tigerdirect.com, directcanada.com

Country: Canada

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: I have no clue, I need your opinion on this. I do want to use two monitors though

Additional Comments: I'm looking to build a PC that's able to run diablo 3 on ultra mega super high

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[hellfire24]

Asus 24x dvd burner-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=49597&vpn=DRW%2D24B1ST%20Bulk&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1114
Arc midi-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58475&vpn=FD%2DCA%2DARC%2DBL&manufacture=Fractal%20Design
mushkin sliverline 8gb ram-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=55544&vpn=996770&manufacture=Mushkin%20Enhanced&promoid=1114
seagate st 1tb hdd-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58746&vpn=ST31000524AS&manufacture=Seagate
Asus 24" led monitor-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=56381&vpn=VE248H&manufacture=ASUS
gigabyte z68-d3h-b3-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=61065&vpn=GA%2DZ68A%2DD3H%2DB3&manufacture=Gigabyte&promoid=1360
antec hcg 520w-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=67324&vpn=HCG%2D520M&manufacture=Antec&promoid=1114
i5 2400-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57964&vpn=BX80623I52400&manufacture=Intel
crucial m4 128gb ssd-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=60445&vpn=CT128M4SSD2&manufacture=CRUCIAL%20TECHNOLOGY&promoid=1260
gigabyte gtx 670-
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=71107&vpn=GV%2DN670OC%2D2GD&manufacture=Gigabyte
total-under your budget

 

[Rockdpm]

Well your gonna need a 680 or 670 or 7970 for your video card if you play to max it out and run a second monitor. Our Architects will get together and reply with some build options for you in a minute..

 

[doct3rphil]

I would go with the brand/model with the best ratings, from the store with the best prices. These are just examples from newegg for reference

an Intel Z77 based motherboard like:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

an Intel i5-3550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116505

8GB ram (2x4GB) DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

GeForce GTX 670
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130782

At least 650W powwer supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020&cm_sp=Cat_Power_Supplies-_-Spotlight-_-17-139-020

Any hard drive will work, depending on your storage needs. I like Western Digital Black Series.
If you're up for it, do a solid state drive for Windows and Diablo, at least 120GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

 

[Why_Me]

This is the first time I will be building a computer so I will take all of the advice I can get. I've read a few of the builds posted on this website and I saw that people don't recommend getting the i7 for gaming but rather the i5, for reasons I have no clue why. I'm thinking of using a coolermaster case haf 922 or 932.


Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month

Budget Range: 1500$ - 2000$

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ncix.com, canadacomputers.com, tigerdirect.com, directcanada.com

Country: Canada

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: I have no clue, I need your opinion on this. I do want to use two monitors though

Additional Comments: I'm looking to build a PC that's able to run diablo 3 on ultra mega super high

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other than FSX (Flight Simulator) I don't know of any games that take advantage of hyper threading. Sometimes the hyper threading actually hurts in the FPS dept.

Direct Canada and Best Direct Canada are affiliated (both ship out of the same warehouse in Richmond, BC) and both offer FREE SHIPPING. Any order over $50 @ Direct Canada is FREE SHIPPING and any order over $80 @ Best Direct Canada is FREE SHIPPING.

http://www.directcanada.com/

http://www.bestdirect.ca/

Add a case to this build and your good to go.


http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/239795/HCG-620M/ANTEC/ $86.53
Antec HCG-620M 620W ATX12V Modular SINGLE-RAIL 48A 80PLUS Bronze 135mm Fan Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530BD5741&vpn=P8H77-V%20LE&manufacture=ASUS $121.77
ASUS P8H77-V LE ATX LGA1155 H77 DDR3 SLI 1PCI-E16 1PCI-E4 1PCI-E1 3PCI SATA3 HDMI USB3.0 Motherboard

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12200BD5808&vpn=BX80637I53450&manufacture=INTEL $203.39
Intel Core i5 3450 Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.1GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11130AC0554&vpn=RR-212E-20PK-R2&manufacture=COOLERMASTER $31.05
Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366/1155/1156/2011 120MM

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/235567/CML8GX3M2A1600C9/CORSAIR/ $54.42
Corsair CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance Lowprofile 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530DR5213&vpn=DRW-24B1ST%20Bulk&manufacture=ASUS $17.79
ASUS DRW-24B1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer OEM Black

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=14120DR5445&vpn=ST1000DM003&manufacture=SEAGATE $111.30
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA 6Gbps 3.5IN Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=16950DR5419&vpn=SVP200S3/120G&manufacture=Others $116.06
Kingston SVP200S3/120G 120GB SSDNow V+200 SATA 3 2.5 Solid State Drive

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12980BD1898&vpn=N670GTX-PM2D2GD5/OC&manufacture=MSI $407.73
MSI GeForce GTX 670 OC 1045MHZ 2GB 6GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12850SW2113&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=MICROSOFT $109.79
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM

Total: $1,259.83


http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530MN6442&vpn=ML228H&manufacture=ASUS $150.56 MIR $140.56
ASUS ML228H 21.5IN Widescreen LED Backlit LCD Monitor Black 1920X1080 2MS 10M:1 HDMI DVI-D VGA

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11180AC8823&vpn=CA-9011111-WW&manufacture=CORSAIR $67.87
Corsair Vengeance 1300 Gaming Headset 50MM Driver Circumaural Earcup Analog

 

[brian9001]

Other than FSX (Flight Simulator) I don't know of any games that take advantage of hyper threading. Sometimes the hyper threading actually hurts in the FPS dept.

Direct Canada and Best Direct Canada are affiliated (both ship out of the same warehouse in Richmond, BC) and both offer FREE SHIPPING. Any order over $50 @ Direct Canada is FREE SHIPPING and any order over $80 @ Best Direct Canada is FREE SHIPPING.

http://www.directcanada.com/

http://www.bestdirect.ca/

Add a case to this build and your good to go.


http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/239795/HCG-620M/ANTEC/ $86.53
Antec HCG-620M 620W ATX12V Modular SINGLE-RAIL 48A 80PLUS Bronze 135mm Fan Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530BD5741&vpn=P8H77-V%20LE&manufacture=ASUS $121.77
ASUS P8H77-V LE ATX LGA1155 H77 DDR3 SLI 1PCI-E16 1PCI-E4 1PCI-E1 3PCI SATA3 HDMI USB3.0 Motherboard

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12200BD5808&vpn=BX80637I53450&manufacture=INTEL $203.39
Intel Core i5 3450 Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.1GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11130AC0554&vpn=RR-212E-20PK-R2&manufacture=COOLERMASTER $31.05
Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366/1155/1156/2011 120MM

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/235567/CML8GX3M2A1600C9/CORSAIR/ $54.42
Corsair CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance Lowprofile 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530DR5213&vpn=DRW-24B1ST%20Bulk&manufacture=ASUS $17.79
ASUS DRW-24B1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer OEM Black

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=14120DR5445&vpn=ST1000DM003&manufacture=SEAGATE $111.30
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM 64MB SATA 6Gbps 3.5IN Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=16950DR5419&vpn=SVP200S3/120G&manufacture=Others $116.06
Kingston SVP200S3/120G 120GB SSDNow V+200 SATA 3 2.5 Solid State Drive

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12980BD1898&vpn=N670GTX-PM2D2GD5/OC&manufacture=MSI $407.73
MSI GeForce GTX 670 OC 1045MHZ 2GB 6GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12850SW2113&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=MICROSOFT $109.79
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM

Total: $1,259.83


http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530MN6442&vpn=ML228H&manufacture=ASUS $150.56 MIR $140.56
ASUS ML228H 21.5IN Widescreen LED Backlit LCD Monitor Black 1920X1080 2MS 10M:1 HDMI DVI-D VGA

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11180AC8823&vpn=CA-9011111-WW&manufacture=CORSAIR $67.87
Corsair Vengeance 1300 Gaming Headset 50MM Driver Circumaural Earcup Analog

Thanks for the reply! Quick questions

1) If i were to add more ram and an i7 processor would that make my computer useful?
2) Does it affect anything if i use the Cooler Master HAF 922 or 932?
3) Whats the difference between the graphics card in your build and this one

Gigabyte (GV-N670OC-2GD) nVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 Chipset 420$
http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_557_559&item_id=048924

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for the reply! Quick questions

1) If i were to add more ram and an i7 processor would that make my computer useful?
2) Does it affect anything if i use the Cooler Master HAF 922 or 932?
3) Whats the difference between the graphics card in your build and this one

Gigabyte (GV-N670OC-2GD) nVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 Chipset 420$
http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_557_559&item_id=048924

The only time an i7 and more RAM would help is if you were doing heavy video editing, professional CAD, Adobe photo shop...apps that take advantage of hyper threading and large files that require a lot of RAM. For gaming 4GB of RAM is fine but seeing how RAM is dirt cheap these days everyone has moved onto 2x4GB of RAM.

That gigabyte card you linked is factory over clocked and has non reference cooling (better cooling) than that MSI card I linked you to. Best Direct and Direct Canada didn't have that gigabyte card in stock atm although they did have it a few days ago.

For a case the 922 is old and dated. No front 3.0 USB ports, no dust filters, etc... and it's showing it's age. For a case with all the goodies that comes with everything you could ask for then look at the Corsair 500R and Corsair 400R. The 300R if you want to keep your budget down.

http://www.directcanada.com/category/?minorcatid=1517&vendorid=1118 <---- there

http://www.bestdirect.ca/category/?minorcatid=104&vendorid=1579 <---- and there

http://www.corsair.com/us/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case.html <----- or here

 

[brian9001]

The only time an i7 and more RAM would help is if you were doing heavy video editing, professional CAD, Adobe photo shop...apps that take advantage of hyper threading and large files that require a lot of RAM. For gaming 4GB of RAM is fine but seeing how RAM is dirt cheap these days everyone has moved onto 2x4GB of RAM.

That gigabyte card you linked is factory over clocked and has non reference cooling (better cooling) than that MSI card I linked you to. Best Direct and Direct Canada didn't have that gigabyte card in stock atm although they did have it a few days ago.

For a case the 922 is old and dated. No front 3.0 USB ports, no dust filters, etc... and it's showing it's age. For a case with all the goodies that comes with everything you could ask for then look at the Corsair 500R and Corsair 400R. The 300R if you want to keep your budget down.

http://www.directcanada.com/category/?minorcatid=1517&vendorid=1118 <---- there

http://www.bestdirect.ca/category/?minorcatid=104&vendorid=1579 <---- and there

http://www.corsair.com/us/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case.html <----- or here

Ok so say i were to use an i7 and 12gb of ram, would any of the other hardware be incompatible?

So its better to get the one I linked?

And thanks! I think I'll go with the Corsair 500r ,


1 more thing, do you recommend getting an SSD card or is it just if I have cash to spare?

 

[Why_Me]

Ok so say i were to use an i7 and 12gb of ram, would any of the other hardware be incompatible?

So its better to get the one I linked?

And thanks! I think I'll go with the Corsair 500r ,


1 more thing, do you recommend getting an SSD card or is it just if I have cash to spare?

These 1155 boards have 4 RAM slots. You can only use 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB. But again 8GB or RAM is a lot of RAM unless you plan on doing professional auto cad. With 8GB you have the option to add another 8GB for a total of 16GB if you ever decide to get into something like professional photography, engineering, graphics...something to that effect.

SSD's are nice if you play games that load up levels (maps). It's wam bam and your into the game while people are still waiting to come into the map. 120GB SSD at the least.

 

[brian9001]

Best answer selected by brian9001.

 

[brian9001]

These 1155 boards have 4 RAM slots. You can only use 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB. But again 8GB or RAM is a lot of RAM unless you plan on doing professional auto cad. With 8GB you have the option to add another 8GB for a total of 16GB if you ever decide to get into something like professional photography, engineering, graphics...something to that effect.

SSD's are nice if you play games that load up levels (maps). It's wam bam and your into the game while people are still waiting to come into the map. 120GB SSD at the least.

Ok thanks for your help!