Prospective 1st Build, Need Opinions/Tips/Ideas

[SandMan223]

So yeah, getting ready to attempt my FIRST build, but I'm not 100% confident that I'm on the right track. Opinions and tips would be very appreciated, as would any ideas for extra components/coolers/etc. Hopefully I'm not completely wrong in my selections and what-not, but I certainly wouldn't mind any criticism or alternative approaches to what I'm attempting here.

And, as far as that goes, I'm attempting to set-up a $1,000 build here, give or take, like, $200. That is, $1,200 max, roughly. So, there it is, and thanks for any words on this in advance, Yeah?

Approximate Purchase Date: September/October

Budget Range: $1,000 - $1,200 (though somewhat flexible)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Web-Surfing

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com, but I'm definitely flexible on that note

Parts Preferences: AMD (for cost) and NVIDIA

Overclocking: Maybe (though certainly not a major priority)

SLI or Crossfire: No, for the time being

Your Monitor Resolution: Currently at 1600 X 900

Why I'm upgrading: It's time for me to finally get a PC I can be satisfied with. Something with teeth, especially compared to the less than stellar Dell, uh, thing I'm currently using at the moment, Haha!

And here's the build as it stands, currently. Again, this is my first build, so please take mercy upon me, Haha! ANY advice would be appreciated greatly, and any ideas and experienced opinion will be taken VERY seriously, trust me.

Thanks

 

[Proximon]

Unless you happen to get a good deal on a CPU, AMD is not really a good value currently.

There are a few AMD CPUs that are still adequate by modern standards, but they do not compete for price. I have seen, recently, a Phenom II x4 965 for as low as $80... that's a deal that is nice, but probably not still available and it doesn't really fit your budget, as you can afford better.

http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/amd_fx_8150fx_8120fx_6100_and_fx_4170,6.html

I prefer to use just newegg, as you can get deals there not visible by PCpartspicker and I have a script that makes it easy for me.

■ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
■Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm ...
■SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
■EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1567-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...
If you insist on a 2GB card, get the 660ti... but even this card is overkill at your current resolution.
■Newegg Free CPU Magazine Coupon
■Logitech G510 Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard
As an original G15 owner, I think I would get a mechanical keyboard instead.
■Logitech G500 10 Buttons Dual-mode Scroll Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse
The newer version of the G5... the best gaming mouse ever.
■G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXM
■ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP LGA 1155 Intel H77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
A nice, non-OC board.
■Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
■Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 ...
A strong quad core, not overclockable. You will get similar performance to a stock i5-2500K.
■Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-650 650W Continuous @ 50°C, 80 PLUS GOLD Certified, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V ...
A better PSU than the Seasonic S12II, comparable to the Seasonic X650.
TOTAL: $994.89

 

[SandMan223]

And wow, it seems that PC-Part Picker is down, or something. So here's the full list of components. Sorry for the hiccup here.

Case: Rosewill Challenger Case (Black)

CPU/Processor: AMD FX-4170 Processor (4.2 GHZ)

Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 Motherboard

Memory/RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2X4GB)

Graphics Card/GPU: MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II

Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze(620 Watt)

Storage/Hard-Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ (1TB)

Optical Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Mouse: Logitech G9x

Keyboard: Logitech G510

 

[mark4685]

If you are using your computer mainly for gaming and web browsing, I would go for an Intel i3 2120 instead. The i3 performs equal to or BETTER than AMD in games. The cost would be roughly about the same as well. Also, with an Intel LGA1155 board it will give you room to upgrade if you wanted to go to an i5/i7 sandy bridge/ivy bridge cpu. With AMD there really is no room to upgrade except to a 6 core or 8 core, but that will perform worse in games, at least until they can take advantage of it in newer games if that ever happens.

 

[SandMan223]

Quick update before I head to bed: Thanks a lot for the recommendations so far! I've decided that the i5 would probably be a better bet than the AMD stuff. Looking at some graphs and data leads me to believe that Intel is definitely the way to go. And Proximon, you were right on the 660-Ti. And though it may be extreme over-kill (Haha!) considering the resolution I'm running now, I do believe that I will be upgrading to a better monitor down the road, at some point.

Now, quick question about the i5: You pointed out the i5-3470, and it seems like a good fit. But, would I gain anything substantial by going instead with the i5-3570K? It's not a huge difference in price, but I wonder if it's worth the $20 or whatever. Also, would I need to go with a different motherboard than the ASRock with the 3570K? I wouldn't think so, but I figured I would ask and be safe, Haha!

But really, thanks both of you again for the helpful words.

 

[Proximon]

You would gain the ability to overclock mostly, and in order to do THAT you would need a Z77 board, which is not a big jump in cost.

Of course, you would also need a better cooler than the stock one.

ASRock Pro 4 Z77
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157296

CM 212 EVO cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

 

[SandMan223]

Ok, so doing a quick update for reference. I've kind-of morphed the original build, bringing in an i5 and a beefier graphics card. Plus, I've added-in a CPU cooler and a different motherboard. Hopefully, I'm doing this right, but I feel pretty confident about my plan here. Plus, I've reached the $1,200 limit that I planned in the beginning.

Well, $1,244.88, technically, if I go straight through Newegg, Haha!

Anyways, here's the build as it stands. Hopefully, I've got this thing locked-down. Any mistakes or oversights. I've made, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

[Proximon]

You are a bit over where you wanted to be, but it's a nice build.

Make sure you have all your combo deals.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1049508

This Ranger case is the same price but has a front USB 3 port, which your board choice supports.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147061

 

[Proximon]

Your mouse selection is about to go on sale. About 20 minutes:

http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-26-104-261-_-08292012_3

 

[SandMan223]

Totally grabbed it. Thanks for the head's up!

 

[SandMan223]

Okay, so this will PROBABLY be my last post on this topic. After scrounging around the Internet, researching all of the recommendations I got here, and genuinely learning a thing or too, I have now settled upon this as my 1st Build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g2ar

And so, I suppose I should at least explain my decisions here, if only to make sure I'm truly understanding what I'm doing.

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K
So, I started with AMD, and was led to Intel. All for the best, I can bet. Needless to say, I started this build initially with NO OC'ing intended, but quickly came to the conclusion that I would probably regret not having the option down the road. Though I'm very new to this business, I will never become familiar with it if I begin limiting myself right out of the gate.

CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
And since I wanted to keep the above options open, I decided to jump on Proximon's recommendation for an after-market CPU cooler. And though I did look at other options on this front, the EVO seemed to be the unanimous recommendation in almost every case.

Motherboard - ASUS P8Z77-V LK ATX
Okay, and here's our first real split. Now, Proximon recommended the ASRock Pro 4 Z77, but I clearly went a different route. And the main reasoning behind this was actually SEEING the ASUS in a rig. And as far as it goes, I liked the layout of what I saw. Plus, in the rig I viewed (which can be found HERE), the build was very similar to what I've got here, so it was a decent litmus test of sorts.

Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
And here's another split, but this one is a bit shallow, I'll admit. I was recommended the G.SKILL Ripjaws Series X 8GB set-up with the low-voltage option. Now, that still may be the way to go, but this leads to my semi-silly bout of pickiness. The color. With the case I'm going with, red RAM will match the LED's and the interior walls of the case. Harangue me if I've got the wrong mind-set, but I'm odd this way sometimes, Haha!

Video Card - MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB
And now for overkill. Now, it was mentioned that my current monitor resolution was only 1600 X 900. So a 660 Ti definitely is going a tad-bit overboard. But, after deciding that, yes, I would be upgrading to a 1080p monitor, I felt that I had a genuinely good reason to jump on a 600-Series NVIDIA card. If anything, I'm just covering as many bases whilst staying in an agreeable price-range.

Case - Rosewill RANGER ATX
Yet another great recommendation by Proximon. USB 3.0 ports on the front-end, plenty of room to work a build in, several on board fans for great air-flow, plus genuinely great looking (in my opinion, of course). Awesome find.

Power Supply - Rosewill 650W ATX12V/EPS12V
Last real split from Proximon's recommendations. Simple explanation: Semi-modular power supply that's 80-Plus Gold certified. Plus, it works pretty well paired with this case. Ought to be just right.

As for everything else, they simply fit what I needed or wanted. No need to run-down all that at this point.

So yeah, any final thoughts or opinions will be happily accepted, but I'm 100% sure that this will be what I'm building as my first rig. Hopefully I haven't completely embarrassed myself here, but I'm confident that I've made some great selections and will have tons of fun With the final result.

In any case, thanks again Proximon for the help and direction. And thanks to the community for not completely tearing me and my ideas apart, Haha! Very happy with my experience here so-far, and hopefully I haven't annoyed anyone too much.

 

[Proximon]

Bah, I might have just as easily suggested those parts. All of them are fine.

I do worry a bit about the connections on that PSU. They have to cut costs somewhere and cheap power connectors do wear out over time... I had to RMA a Corsair PSU once because of that. I say I worry about it, but for that price it's very hard to avoid. It's too good internally.

Obviously the Ranger case is not going to be as feature laden as, say, a Cooler Master Storm Enforcer:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240
It's a budget case with adequate features.

Make sure you read up on the build guide linked in the master sticky. Also look at the troubleshooting guide linked there, as it will help you avoid some common problems.

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1020980 $133.98 save: $16.00 - $30.00 Mail In Rebates
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1026118 $266.98 save: $13.00
Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53470
ASRock B75 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544 $40.99 FREE SHIPPING
Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00

http://www.amazon.com/Lite--Super-AllWrite-Layer-Drive/dp/B002YIG9AQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1346300944&sr=1-3 $17.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive - Bulk - IHAS124-04 Version C (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST3500641AS-RK-Retail/dp/B000EY5F5C/ref=sr_1_8?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1346301099&sr=1-8 $69.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 500 GB 7200RPM SATA NCQ 16 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Desktop Hard Drive ST3500641AS-RK-Retail Kit

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171646 $94.99 FREE SHIPPING
SanDisk SDSSDP-128G-G25 2.5" 128GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127697 $299.99 FREE SHIPPING
MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5 GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-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_e_text_y $90.36 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Total: $1,015.27 *not including shipping & rebates


http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/B75%20Pro3/ <----- another look at that board along with a link to the latest bios update

http://www.corsair.com/carbide-series-300r-compact-pc-gaming-case.html/ <----- another look at that case