First time building a PC

[snapzilla]

After doing a lot of research, this is the PC I'm going to build:

CPU: Intel i5-3570k
Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V
DiscDrive: Asus DRW-24B1ST
HDD: Samsung F3 1TB
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 670
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB
Power: Antec BP550
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Sound: Xonar DG
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912
Plus an HDMI cable since I don't have a regular monitor at the moment.

Question 1: Will all of these parts work together/fit in the case? All my research says yes. Note that I am not planning on overclocking right now. I understand that if I do, I might want to get a better power supply. I also plan on picking up an SSD later. Also, is this a good set up? I'm mainly going to be gaming on this thing, and also recording the games.

Question 2: After putting everything together, a lot of people are saying that you need to go into the BIOS and do this or that. What exactly am I supposed to do there?

Question 3: After messing about with the BIOS, should I then put the Windows 7 install disc in? Or should I start installing drivers first?

Question 4: Regarding drivers, a lot of people are saying that the best drivers are the most up to date ones that you get from the website, not from the disc. How do I do this? Download them onto a flash drive from another computer and then plug it in to my new build? Also, what the minimum drivers needed to get this thing running? I'd like to just get what's required since I don't have a large flash drive, then download all other drivers directly onto the computer itself.

Final Question: What will I need drivers for? Mobo, GPU, and sound card are the only ones that I'm aware of.

I'm sorry for all of the questions, but this is my first time building a PC and I'd like it to go as smoothly as possible.

 

[idroid]

After doing a lot of research, this is the PC I'm going to build:

CPU: Intel i5-3570k
Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V
DiscDrive: Asus DRW-24B1ST
HDD: Samsung F3 1TB
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 670
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB
Power: Antec BP550
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Sound: Xonar DG
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912
Plus an HDMI cable since I don't have a regular monitor at the moment.

Question 1: Will all of these parts work together/fit in the case? All my research says yes. Note that I am not planning on overclocking right now. I understand that if I do, I might want to get a better power supply. I also plan on picking up an SSD later. Also, is this a good set up? I'm mainly going to be gaming on this thing, and also recording the games.

Question 2: After putting everything together, a lot of people are saying that you need to go into the BIOS and do this or that. What exactly am I supposed to do there?

Question 3: After messing about with the BIOS, should I then put the Windows 7 install disc in? Or should I start installing drivers first?

Question 4: Regarding drivers, a lot of people are saying that the best drivers are the most up to date ones that you get from the website, not from the disc. How do I do this? Download them onto a flash drive from another computer and then plug it in to my new build? Also, what the minimum drivers needed to get this thing running? I'd like to just get what's required since I don't have a large flash drive, then download all other drivers directly onto the computer itself.

Final Question: What will I need drivers for? Mobo, GPU, and sound card are the only ones that I'm aware of.

I'm sorry for all of the questions, but this is my first time building a PC and I'd like it to go as smoothly as possible.

*Yes, everything is compatible.
*If you want to record your gameplay i suggest you to get an i7 because you will game a frame-drop with an i5
*After you put everything together you go to the BIOS and set your boot device to your CD-drive so you can install windows, after you do that you go to the BIOS again and set your HDD as boot device and you're done.
*you do not need any kind of drivers to get your PC working, you only need to put the parts together and they will work fine but really slow... you then go to the GPUs website and download the drivers.
*You need drivers for your motherboard to enable its features and for the GPU.
*DO NOT get a sound card, the onboard sound of the motherboard is more than enough for most surround sound setups.

Go here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=33928643#post33928643 pick a build that fits your budget, tell me which one it is and i will modify it for you if you want.

 

[snapzilla]

Alright, I'll cut out the sound card.

As for the builds, I think the $1370 is probably the best fit for me. Except, I'd only get 8GB of RAM, cut out the SSD (for now, anyway), and maybe get a slightly less expensive case. Also, I heard that Gigabyte mobos weren't as good as Asus or ASRock.

 

[obsama1]

You don't need an i7 to record. Yes frames will drop, but the i7 isn't worth it for recording.

In my opinion, ASUS, ASRock, and MSI are the best. I don't really prefer GB.

 

[idroid]

Alright, I'll cut out the sound card.

As for the builds, I think the $1370 is probably the best fit for me. Except, I'd only get 8GB of RAM, cut out the SSD (for now, anyway), and maybe get a slightly less expensive case. Also, I heard that Gigabyte mobos weren't as good as Asus or ASRock.

BS, Gigabyte = Quality

 

[obsama1]

GB is certainly good. But personally, I'd go with ASUS. Doesn't mean they're bad. Their mobos are pretty good.

 

[idroid]

GB is certainly good. But personally, I'd go with ASUS. Doesn't mean they're bad. Their mobos are pretty good.

Tom's hardware recomend the Biostar TZ77XE3, ASRock Z77 Extreme4, and Gigabyte Z77X-D3H for the sub 160$ price range.

 

[obsama1]

I have an ASRock Extreme 4, so for me, it's either ASRock or ASUS, but it's not like I would never buy GB or MSI.

 

[idroid]

I have an ASRock Extreme 4, so for me, it's either ASRock or ASUS, but it's not like I would never buy GB or MSI.

What asus motherboard do you recommed?? the Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 is a bit small :S

 

[snapzilla]

I'd also like to hear Asus mobo recommendations, preferably boards that will last me a while. I'm hoping this build will be good for at least a few years, if not more.

I'd heard that the i7's performance isn't worth the price. However, I despise framerate lag, and I'm going to be doing a lot of recording. Can I use the i7 and keep the Antech 550? I keep hearing that 750W is only needed for dual GPUs.

Also, any other viewpoints would be appreciated.

 

[obsama1]

The Ext. 4 is a bit small, but it's not mATX sized or anything. The P8Z77 series is good, but ASUS has so many of them it's hard to keep track. LE, LK, LX, V, etc. With ASRock, it's Ext. 4, 6, 9, etc.

 

[snapzilla]

Also, I forgot to mention this, but I'm probably going to have a dual monitor set-up. For now it'll be my HDTV and an old CRT, but I'm getting an actual monitor soon that'll take the place of the HDTV. Should I beef something up for this?