Gaming PC. (First time build)

jaytk

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Sep 4, 2012
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Approximate purchase: 1-2 weeks

Budget: $5000 tops

Usage: Primarily gaming (Battlefield 3, Crysis 2, ETC.), but I would like it to pretty much be able to handle anything I could think to throw at it.

OS needed: Yes

Location: U.S.

Preferred Websites: Newegg, Amazon, Tigerdirect.. Not really to picky though.

Preferred parts: Intel, Nvidia, EVGA. Again not overly picky

Overclocking: Maybe at some point.

SLI or Crossfire: Sure

Well this is my first post here, but I have been looking around and everyone seems pretty knowledgeable, so I figured this is the place to ask about building a gaming PC.

I am setting the budget a little high because I am needing a monitor, I am thinking a 30" but if the budget doesn't allow me to game at that resolution, with relatively good FPS (60ish), than I am not opposed to going smaller with it.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Solution
$5K???? Seems a bit excessive. You could put $1600 into the PC itself, a nice Samsung 55" LED edge-to-edge monitor, and then come out about $1500 ahead.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series...

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
$5K???? Seems a bit excessive. You could put $1600 into the PC itself, a nice Samsung 55" LED edge-to-edge monitor, and then come out about $1500 ahead.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($179.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHES212-08 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1617.37
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-04 13:56 EDT-0400)
 
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jaytk

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Sep 4, 2012
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Yea I figured it would be a bit excessive, I just wanted to make sure to have all my bases covered, and not try to limit what I could build to much.
 

deadlockedworld

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I like this build, however operating on a 5k budget I would:
-Bump CPU up a notch or two.
-Get a 256gb SSD. 128 is to small unless you are budget constrained.

As a matter of personal preference, I'd suggest consideration of a gold or platinum PSU and possibly 16gb of more expensive memory. (yes I know these things aren't necessary - but if you have $5k to burn they will offer some marginal benefit)
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


CPU: Not needed. On a gaming rig you won't use the i7-3770K or i7-3930K to their full extent. It makes no sense to spend that kind of money when you don't have to.

256GB SSD: Also not a necessity. That's what the 2TB hard drive is for.

16GB of RAM is also not needed, and a PSU higher than 750W you won't benefit from unless you add a second or third video card. That's where I would rather see the extra money go, but you'd also need a serious cooling configuration for that.

As far as longevity goes, do you think this would be good for like at least a yr or two without any major upgrades?

More like 3 or 4. Longevity is a huge factor in the parts I pick.
 

deadlockedworld

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G-Unit: For the record, I was very clear in my statement that the addition upgrades were not required, but simply an option for a user with a higher budget threshold. Many people here choose to buy more than what is needed.

The SSD I do take issue with. From my personal experience, 128gb is sufficient for a budget user that's willing to put some programs on the secondary drive and shuffle program files. Someone that actually has the money to spend and wants to keep most of their programs on the main drive should spend more and get a larger drive.

Good thing you didn't challenge my PSU thought. That would have been war. I love my Seasonic. ;) (The one listed is a great deal for the quality though)


Jay: I'd agree with the 3-4 year assessment.

Also, if you would like additional suggestions on brands or models of case, psu, etc let us know. There are obviously lots of options in all of these areas.
 

guerrero

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Feb 23, 2012
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i wud get a 690 instead bro
 

jaytk

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Sep 4, 2012
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Well I am kind of curious on expandability of this setup. Like for example if I need a little more power or something, could I just add another 670? And if so would I need to upgrade any cooling or the psu or what? And lastly I am curious as to the advantages/disadvantages of even possibly switching the 670 with a 680.

Also sorry for the nooby questions lol.
 

bctande1

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Jun 17, 2012
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler ($69.70 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 EATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($280.01 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (3-Way SLI) ($429.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (3-Way SLI) ($429.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (3-Way SLI) ($429.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($170.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $2604.59
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-04 21:52 EDT-0400)

I got you half way.

 

deadlockedworld

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Yes exactly - you can just get another card. As long as you have a decent motherboard and power supply you can always add cards later. The two builds here both have healthy safety margins on wattage - 750w could really handle 3 cards and 1000w could honestly handle 4. The extra margin is good for efficiency, heat, etc.

I wouldn't recommend that you start with triple SLI - only get that if you find you need it.
 

jaytk

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Hmm on the cases between the two builds what is it that causes the price difference? Also between the two coolers, which would be better? Lastly the mobos, between the two which is better? I have heard pretty good things about the Z77 boards.

 

deadlockedworld

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You want a bigger case with lots of ventilation in order to hold the big video cards and dissipate heat. There are lots of good cases, it also depends on your asthetic taste. There are lots of reviews online.

Some have better ventilation, some are made out of higher quality materials than others. The two builds above used NZXT cases, but I'm personally partial to Silverstone and Corsair brand cases.

In case you are curious I have this one - its on the higher price end: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4620/silverstone-fortress-ft02-true-classics-never-go-out-of-style

I'll leave the mobo discussion for someone else that knows more about them.
 

jaytk

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Sep 4, 2012
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I really love that case, I was aiming for a black case, and I love the kind of simplistic design of it. As for the GPUs I fnd myself drooling over that 3-way SLI, but I think I will prolly just go with 2-way and kinda meet in the middle of the two options hahah.

So here are the parts I am thinking so far:


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gB0y

So how is that looking so far? It's a pretty good mix of the two builds posted so far each with the parts I would prefer between them. I am still open to suggestions on the parts of course.
 

g-unit1111

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Why when you can get dual 670s and they not only give you identical performance but you save $200? :heink:

G-Unit: For the record, I was very clear in my statement that the addition upgrades were not required, but simply an option for a user with a higher budget threshold. Many people here choose to buy more than what is needed.

Point taken. I just don't think people should spend money when they don't have to.

The SSD I do take issue with. From my personal experience, 128gb is sufficient for a budget user that's willing to put some programs on the secondary drive and shuffle program files. Someone that actually has the money to spend and wants to keep most of their programs on the main drive should spend more and get a larger drive.

Storage needs vary from user to user - I personally would store the games and everything else on the secondary. That's the way I've always done it and that's the way it works for me, so I stick with it. SSDs have dropped dramatically in price since I started posting here - I got the 128GB Samsung 830 a month ago for $99 - that's unreal. I still maintain that anything above 256GB isn't worth the cost per GB, but do what you like. It's your money, not mine. :lol:

So how is that looking so far? It's a pretty good mix of the two builds posted so far each with the parts I would prefer between them. I am still open to suggestions on the parts of course.

1050W is *WAY* overkill for any build unless you're running triple SLI but you most likely won't. Go with a 750W or 850W, but there really isn't any need to get more than that for now.
 

deadlockedworld

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I pretty much agree with the above. Newegg has the 850w version of the Seasonic Gold power supply that would be a great choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102

Also, if you do decide to go with an FT02 and SLI you might consider blower-style GPUs so that they exhaust out of the top. The 90 degree case should make that style work a little better than normal. (Do note, however, that this case is a little harder to work with than a more traditional option like the Corsair obsidian series because its unusual)

Edit: also note there are multiple FT02 models (the ones with W have a window).
 

jaytk

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Sep 4, 2012
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Hmmm. If they are a little bit difficult to work with then I might go with the Corsair obsidian cases, as they have the same general style that I am looking for, and easier would be best for my first build. Furthermore, would getting a full tower case also be a little easier to work with since it would give me more room than a mid tower case?

Again thanks for your replies.
 

guerrero

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Feb 23, 2012
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cuz he spendin $5000