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First Build - Under $1000.00

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My first build ever. Starting completely from scratch. Trying to keep it under $1000.00 -- baby is on the way. Also trying to make it somewhat easily upgradeable so I don't have to break the bank when baby's college is already going to. Thoughts? Suggestions? Would like to use it for LoL, Starcraft II, DayZ. I'm a sucker for graphics...so I hope to max out settings.

Computer Case ($49.99): Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Motherboard ($84.99): ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 ATX (Mobo is only $84.99 when bundled with CPU at Micro Center)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/387554/Z77_Extreme4_...

CPU ($189.99): Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 (Special MOBO + CPU bundle at Micro Center means CPU is only $84.99)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/388577/Core_i5_3570K...

CPU Cooler ($19.99): Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler, Compatible Intel Core i5 & Core i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Memory ($39.99): G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HDD ($69.99): Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB SATAIII 6Gb/s 64mb cache
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=65701&promoid=1210

Operating System ($79.99): Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&promoid=1368

Video Card ($229.99): SuperClocked 02-G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card (will likely SLI in future)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Power Supply ($69.99): Thermaltake W0382RU Modular Power Supply - 750 Watt, 140mm Fan, 80 Plus Bronze, Active PFC
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

Optical Drive ($19.99): ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R, 8X DVD+RW, 12 DVD+R DL, 24X DVD-R, 6X DVD-RW, 16X DVD-ROM, 48X CD-R, 32X CD-RW, 48X CD-ROM, Black, SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Monitor ($99.99): Acer S201HLBD 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.microcenter.com/product/354438/20_Widescreen...

Keyboard: Undecided

Mouse: Undecided

Total: ~$937.00

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just a thought, if you are not overclocking the CPU dont bother with the cooler. you can still add it later on if needed.

I did exactly the same thing as you last year, budget $1000, first build ever, etc. Good luck!
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haha you mean you built your first ever pc right before having a baby?

im considering overclocking because ive read reviews that the ASRock Extreme4 has some good OC profiles already preset. not going to be going all out trying to pump out 30% more performance out of the i5-3570K or at least not yet. haha.

any particular reason to go with the Corsair psu? the Thermaltake one i picked was modular at least and had good reviews.

im actually going with a 660 instead of a 660Ti. figure in the future, ill SLI the 660s for cheap. i read that unless the Ti version drops by $10-$20, the value/performance ratio isnt as good as the 7870. so i do agree with you there.

Swap the RipjawsX series for an Ares series if you're gonna use a CPU cooler. The Ripjaws would still fit, but you'll have an easier time with the Ares.

+1 to g-unit.

If you can, get this instead for a monitor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

That would give you 1080p, which will give you a better experience with anything.

Both the 660 and 660 Ti at their current prices aren't suggested since the Radeon cards on par perform better.
AMD cards dominate the low-mid range graphics cards in terms of performance, so if you want to get the best bang for your back, please reconsider if you have some personal preference to Nvidia.

Corsair PSUs are generally more reliable and efficient than Thermaltakes.

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Teejers said:
any particular reason to go with the Corsair psu? the Thermaltake one i picked was modular at least and had good reviews.

im actually going with a 660 instead of a 660Ti. figure in the future, ill SLI the 660s for cheap. i read that unless the Ti version drops by $10-$20, the value/performance ratio isnt as good as the 7870. so i do agree with you there.


Thermaltake PSUs are very unreliable and get generally unfavorable reviews. Don't take store reviews seriously - use professional sources like Jonnyguru. The CX model that I linked to is a new unit that's put out by Corsair's OEM CWT and it's one of their better ones to date from what I hear.

Quote:
Both the 660 and 660 Ti at their current prices aren't suggested since the Radeon cards on par perform better.


NVIDIA is no longer a value leader in this field - almost every unit in its' price range is outperformed by a lower-priced AMD unit. The 660 and 650 are outperformed by the 7870 GHz edition, the 660TI outperformed by the 7950, the 670 outperformed by the 7970, and the 680 is about on par with the 7970 GHz edition. While the GPU wars are never over, NVIDIA definitely lost this round to AMD.

excella1221 said:
^Amen.
Also, according to azeem40 on this thread; the 7970 GHz has taken the lead since Catalyst 12.7


Yes that's why it makes no sense to purchase a high end NVIDIA as lower cost Radeons will beat virtually any model will beat it.

Ok gang. After much of your greatly appreciated feedback, I've decided to switch my initial selections over to the following:

Power Supply ($60.75 after $20 rebate and 15% off promo): CORSAIR CX Series CX750 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Video Card ($269.99): XFX Double D FX-795A-TDJC Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Memory ($29.99): G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAB (may buy 2 sets and take advantage of the sweet $10 off promo)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Monitor: Now I'm undecided because I'm debating if I really want one with 1080p resolution.

Finally found time this weekend to complete the build. Boots up fine. Currently updating drivers and installing other software.

Pictures as promised. Sorry for the crappy cellphone quality.







Specifications:
Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer
Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212+
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4x 4GB) DDR3-1600 9-9-9-24
SSD: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 6Gb/s, 7200rpm, 64mb cache
Video Card: XFX Double D Radeon HD7870 GHz Edition 2GB, 256-bit GDDR5
Power Supply: XFX PRO 750W XXX Edition Semi-Modular
Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST DVD writer OEM
Mouse: Cooler Master Storm Xornet
Keyboard: OEM Black
Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 21.5" Full HD LED Monitor

Total (after rebates): $1,126.37
Came over budget but I opted for an SSD and HD LED monitor.

Future Additions:
Aftermarket grommets.
Fans lots of them.
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