Help on first-timer ~$1500 gaming pc

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freshfacer

Honorable
Jun 13, 2012
11
0
10,510
Hey all, I am looking for some advice on picking parts for a gaming computer in the $1500 price range. This will be my first time building a computer, so I have absolutely no expertise and my current selection comes primarily from reading other people's new builds over the past week.

Approximate Purchase Date: (e.g.: this week (the closer the better))
Budget Range: $1400-$1600* (can possibly go a bit higher if necessary)
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, surfing the internet, movies.
Parts Not Required: All parts required.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com (I would like to have it all ordered together if possible)
Country: U.S.
Parts Preferences: Prefer intel and nvidia (cpu/gpu)
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080, 1920x1200
Additional Comments: I prefer having a gaming rig that is efficient and quiet (doesn't need to be silent). I don't really care about it looking amazing as long as it works well.
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Current selection
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 $129.99
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge $234.99
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 922 $99.99
Case fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO $34.99
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) $49.99
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache $99.99
SSD: Crucial M4 64gb $76.99
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W $79.99
GPU: EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB $419.99
OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM $99.99
Monitor: LG Black 23" 5ms Widescreen LED Monitor $179.99
TOTAL: (pre-tax) ~$1500 <-- about the price I want before tax.

So as far as switching parts, either for better price or better quality at a similar price, I am totally open to suggestions. Also, will this case and fan have enough space and keep everything cool? And is the CPU I have selected good for what I need?
Thanks in advance for anyone who takes a few moments to help me out! :D :D
 
fpoon

fpoon

Honorable
Apr 23, 2012
456
0
10,810
64 GB is pretty tight for a SSD, you should get 128 GB.
Other than that, if you live in California or NJ, you should order from TigerDirect or Amazon, then you don't need to pay tax.
 
F

freshfacer

Honorable
Jun 13, 2012
11
0
10,510

Thanks for the tip! I do live in NJ so I'll see how the totals on tigerdirect and amazon compare to newegg.
 
Why_Me

Why_Me

Polypheme
Jan 17, 2008
16,378
2,353
69,840
Anything linked to Amazon on here can be found at Newegg. This case down below give you the front 3.0 USB ports, LED fans, etc... That card can be o/c to match or even beat the EVGA FTW version in all of a few minutes without upping the voltage. It's in that review linked below the card. 750w psu so you have some headroom for o/c while pushing two of those cards in SLI, larger SSD with Toggle Nand, etc...



http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1339648718&sr=1-4 $92.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-400r-mid-tower-case.html <----- another look at that case along with links to professional online reviews

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.956955 $149.98 save: $15.00 - $10.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9B

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.977991 $214.98 save: $20.00
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/asrock_z77_extreme4_review,1.html <---- review of that board w/benchmarks

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77%20Extreme4/ <----- another look at that board along with a link to the latest bios

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3570K-Processor-BX80637I53570K/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1339698033&sr=1-1 $234.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Intel Core i5 3570K Processor 3.4 4 BX80637I53570K

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $34.62 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD-RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_cp_pc_2 $16.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171567 $124.99 FREE SHIPPING
SanDisk Extreme SDSSDX-120G-G25 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130782 $399.99 FREE SHIPPING
EVGA 02G-P4-2670-KR GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_text_c $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

http://www.amazon.com/VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-HD-Monitor-Black/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339698579&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+21.5+led+monitor $129.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full-HD LED Monitor (Black) | LED Backlit with 50,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio; Full 1080P with HDMI

Total: $1,499.51 *not including shipping & rebates
 
ubercake

ubercake

Splendid
Oct 28, 2009
7,270
5
29,815
I really think you should upgrade the PSU to the HX650. Your PSU affects everything in the system. Consider this PSU (HX650):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012&Tpk=hx650

$109 after rebate with a 7-year warranty. Nothing like it for the price.

To free up money for the PSU, consider a different good quality case (HAF 912 at ~$60):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912%20case

It's a solid case with good cooling. Others to consider in the price range are the Antec Three Hundred Illusion or Three Hundred Two.

You could go with a 2500K processor instead since you won't really be doing too much requiring integrated video on this system:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

That would give you $15 back.

Everything else in your build looks good.
 
F

freshfacer

Honorable
Jun 13, 2012
11
0
10,510
Thanks for all the input!
I think if I used all the parts Why_me listed, would switching to a different Case and PSU as mentioned by ubercake be necessary (or cost-saving) and would my PC still have enough room/stay cool? Thanks!
 
ubercake

ubercake

Splendid
Oct 28, 2009
7,270
5
29,815
The cases I've mentioned have room for your cooler and video card.

I like the HAF 912 because you can remove the middle drive bay and open up the air flow even more. I have one with a i7-930/X58 and a hyper 212 plus cooler in it that I use as a DAW. I removed the middle drive bay just because it is not needed. I can fit multiple HDDs and an SSD without a problem in this without it. Great airflow with this case.

On the other hand, the Antec Three Hundreds have a little bit more of a conservative look with decent airflow.

Your system will easily stay cool in either.
 
ubercake

ubercake

Splendid
Oct 28, 2009
7,270
5
29,815

I like that one too. It's HAF-ish with a more conservative look (not so chunky). Already has the middle drive bays removed.
 
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