$1200 gaming pc first build

newnoob1 · Oct 21, 2012

Hello,

I'm planning on building a new PC. I was wondering if you guys could help me.

Location: Europe

Approximate Purchase Date: in 1-2 weeks

Budget Range: $1000-$1200

System Usage: gaming, photoshopping, general use, ...

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Parts I have selected so far:

MB: $149.99 Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128544&Tpk=GA-Z77X-UD3H

CPU: $299.99 Intel Core i7-3770 3.4Ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116502&name=Processors-Desktops

CPU Cooler: $34.99 Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099&name=CPU-Fans-Heatsinks

RAM: $39.99 Corsair Vengeance 8Gb (2x4Gb)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186&name=Desktop-Memory

SSD: $89.99 OCZ AGT3-25SAT3-120G 120GB (for OS)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227914&name=Internal-SSD

HDD: $89.99 WD Caviar Blue 1TB (for storage)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136767&name=Internal-Hard-Drives

DVD: $17.99 Samsung 22x DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244&name=CD-DVD-Burners

Case: $119.99 Cooler Master HAF Xm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119257&name=Computer-Cases

OS: €0.00 I already have this

I might also buy a GC-WB300D Wireless expansion card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813995011&name=Motherboard-Accessories

Parts I still need to select:

GPU: Nvidia GTX 650 2Gb or GTX 660? I prefer Gainward.

PSU: I was thinking of a 80+ psu

Additional Comments:
Would these parts fit together?
Would it be much better to choose the Nvidia GTX 660 instead of the 550? I don't really need to play games on highest settings, mid to high is good for me.
Also, would I need to buy extra cables like psu or sata cables?

g-unit1111 · Oct 22, 2012

1. Yes

2. Neither - get the Radeon 7870GHz edition instead - it's a far better GPU for the money.

3. No - everything is included with one part or another.

For that build if you're gaming drop the i7 to the i5-3570K and invest the difference in upgrading your GPU to the Radeon 7950 - that's what will make the difference.

Where are you buying parts from? What's available on Newegg and what's available where you live may not always be compatible. If you don't know of a store where you live check the link in my signature - there's links to stores in nearly 100 different countries.

newnoob1 · Oct 22, 2012

Thanks for the help.

I'm not really into the Radeon graphic cards. What is the difference between AMD Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition and AMD Radeon FleX HD 7870 GHZ edition?

Do you have any tips on finding a good psu?

I won't buy the parts from Newegg, as it isn't available in my country (Belgium). I used Newegg because the sites I use aren't in English.

If you want to add more computerstores in Belgium here are 2 (both sell hardware):
Alternate
Power4PC

g-unit1111 · Oct 22, 2012

newnoob1 :

Check out tones.be - they seem like they have a really good selection.

What I look for in a power supply is one thing and one thing only: build quality. Watts - that varies on what you will put into your system. But build quality is something I look for above all else. If it looks cheap it most likely is cheap and will likely short out or blow up on you, and that will end badly. But if it's a solid build quality it will last a long time. Check out Jonnyguru.com - they are the go-to source for PSUs.

Try a build like this:

Case: NZXT Phantom 410 - €109,99
PSU: Corsair TX650M - €99,99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H - €169,99
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - €214,99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - € 34,95
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 1.5V - €39,99
HD: Seagate Barracuda ST 7200RPM - €94,90
Optical: Lite On 22X DVD Burner - €29,99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition - € 339,00

Total: € 1,133.99

newnoob1 · Oct 22, 2012

I have found the Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 for only €238,04.
Is there any difference with the €339,00 Sapphire Radeon HD 7870? Because the Vendorcode for both is 11199-00-20G..

phenom90 · Oct 22, 2012

g-unit1111 · Oct 22, 2012

newnoob1 :

Nothing except the price is kind of ridiculous, for that price you're better off going with a 7950.

no sli? no overclocking? this is pretty much i will get..

The 3450 can't be overclocked but on that setup I would get an unlocked CPU no question.

phenom90 · Oct 23, 2012

op already said won't be overclocking so i5 3450 is a better & cheaper choice..

newnoob1 · Oct 23, 2012

what about the i5-3570 instead of i5-3570k?

phenom90 · Oct 23, 2012

i5-3570 has locked multiplier... but has the same clockspeed as 3570k.. but it isn't much cheaper than the latter.. so i5 3450 is a more compelling choice.. if you're paying more for 3570... you might as well pay for a 3570k...

newnoob1 · Oct 23, 2012

Wouldn't it be better to get the i5-3470 instead of the i5-3450? They're the same price.

pushanthegreat · Oct 23, 2012

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler - Thermaltake CLP0556 39.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard - Biostar H61MLC Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory
Storage - Seagate Momentus 750GB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card - GeForce GTX 560ti 1GB Video Card
Soundcard - Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card
Case - Logisys CS2008XBK (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply - StarTech 400W ATX12V Power Supply
Optical Drive - HP 447326-B21 DVD/CD Drive
Monitor - AOC 931SWL 18.5" Monitor
Keyboard - Gear Head KB1700U Wired Mini Keyboard
Mouse - Microsoft Optical Mouse 200 for Business Wired Optical Mouse

phenom90 · Oct 23, 2012

http://www.power4pc.be/webshop/cpu/intel-1155/intel_core_i5_3450_ivy_bridge_bx80637i53450.html

http://www.power4pc.be/webshop/cpu/intel-1155/intel_core_i5_3470_ivy_bridge_bx80637i53470.html

latter just a little bit expensive than the former..

newnoob1 · Oct 23, 2012

One thing that I have noticed is that there is also a GA-Z77X-D3H motherboard. Should I get that one instead of the GA-Z77X-UD3H? The only difference is that the GA-Z77X-UD3H has an extra DisplayPort supporting a maximum resolution of 2560x1600 (which I won't be using) and Voltage measurement points and a BIOS switch (which I will also not use since I'm not overclocking).

phenom90 · Oct 24, 2012

newnoob1 :

then just get the cheaper 1 since alot of features that you won't be using... and use the money saved from those parts to get a better gpu... like hd 7950... it is 1 of the best price-performance card... so you just get the i5 3450 plus a h77 mobo(like i've posted above) plus a hd 7950 will be good enough..

g-unit1111 · Oct 24, 2012

newnoob1 :

No point. On idle the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs run at 1/2 the speed. Which is why I say there's no difference between 3.1 and 3.3 GHz. You're better off spending that money on the GPU, or putting it in an SSD, that's where it counts.

One thing that I have noticed is that there is also a GA-Z77X-D3H motherboard. Should I get that one instead of the GA-Z77X-UD3H? The only difference is that the GA-Z77X-UD3H has an extra DisplayPort supporting a maximum resolution of 2560x1600 (which I won't be using) and Voltage measurement points and a BIOS switch (which I will also not use since I'm not overclocking).

The extra DP will be useless. You'll be running off the graphics card anyways, that's meant for onboard video.

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler - Thermaltake CLP0556 39.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard - Biostar H61MLC Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory
Storage - Seagate Momentus 750GB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card - GeForce GTX 560ti 1GB Video Card
Soundcard - Asus Xonar DGX 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card
Case - Logisys CS2008XBK (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply - StarTech 400W ATX12V Power Supply
Optical Drive - HP 447326-B21 DVD/CD Drive
Monitor - AOC 931SWL 18.5" Monitor
Keyboard - Gear Head KB1700U Wired Mini Keyboard
Mouse - Microsoft Optical Mouse 200 for Business Wired Optical Mouse

If you want an example of how NOT to do a build - this is it. The 3570K will be completely useless with H61 because H61 strips the multiplier from the BIOS. You also have to update the BIOS in order to use the 3570L with the H61 in the first place. Which makes that cooler useless as well. Sound cards are not needed. Logisys cases are garbage and I wouldn't touch that PSU with a 10 foot pole - it's way underpowered for that GPU and will most likely blow up on you if you overload it. The 560TI is outdated now and is not worth purchasing. That primary HD will also be a massive bottleneck. H61 also won't support RAM speeds that high (and buying RAM with speeds that high is pointless anyway).

newnoob1 · Oct 24, 2012

This will be my final build:

Case: Cooler Master HAF Xm - €107,99
PSU: Corsair TX 650M - €98,99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H - €87,90
CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 - €187,99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - € 27,99
RAM: 8GB(2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz Blue 1.5V - €38,99
SSD: OCZ Vertex 4 - €104.99
HD: Western Digital Blue 1TB WD10EALX - €79,90
Optical: Samsung DVR DL 24x - €24,95
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB - € 239,99
WLan Card: TL-WN951N - €29.29

Total: €1 028,97

I've changed the motherboard to a cheaper GA-H77-D3H and the CPU to Intel Core i5-3470 as I won't be overclocking. Is this ok?

One last question: I forgot to mention that I'll be using applications like VirtualBox to run a virtual server & client for school purposes. Will the i5-3470 be able to handle it or would it be better to go for a cpu with hyperthreading?

g-unit1111 · Oct 24, 2012

newnoob1 :

This will be my final build:

Case: Cooler Master HAF Xm - €107,99
PSU: Corsair TX 650M - €98,99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H - €87,90
CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 - €187,99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - € 27,99
RAM: 8GB(2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz Blue 1.5V - €38,99
SSD: OCZ Vertex 4 - €104.99
HD: Western Digital Blue 1TB WD10EALX - €79,90
Optical: Samsung DVR DL 24x - €24,95
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB - € 239,99
WLan Card: TL-WN951N - €29.29

Total: €1 028,97

I've changed the motherboard to a cheaper GA-H77-D3H and the CPU to Intel Core i5-3470 as I won't be overclocking. Is this ok?

One last question: I forgot to mention that I'll be using applications like VirtualBox to run a virtual server & client for school purposes. Will the i5-3470 be able to handle it or would it be better to go for a cpu with hyperthreading?

Yeah the 3470 should be able to handle VM just fine. That all looks good to me, I say go for it.

newnoob1 · Oct 24, 2012

Thanks a lot for the help, I'll be buying these parts in a few days

mox141 · Oct 24, 2012

Hi,

i would switch the HD with either of these 2, they have a bigger mem cache for the same price (personally I go with the seagate since i've have bad luck with WDs):

http://www.alternate.be/html/product/Harddisks_3,5_inch_SATA/Western_Digital/WD5003AZEX_500_GB/683488/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=Harddisks&l2=Serial-ATA&l3=3%2C5+inch

http://www.alternate.be/html/product/Harddisks_3,5_inch_SATA/Seagate/ST1000DM003_1_TB/610581/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=Harddisks&l2=Serial-ATA&l3=3%2C5+inch

I too don't plan on over-clocking now, but soon I will end up either OCing or buying a new processor/mobo to keep up with program specs. So its just a matter of spending more now or spending more later. If you get the 3570k and say like the ASRock Extreme 4 the price jumps about 80 euros. Again, personal preference.

One last thing, i would spend the extra 20 euros and by the 750 watt version of the PSU:

http://www.mycom.be/computer-1/componenten/voeding/corsair-tx-750m-1.html?___SID=U

g-unit1111 · Oct 24, 2012

mox141 :

Hi,

i would switch the HD with either of these 2, they have a bigger mem cache for the same price (personally I go with the seagate since i've have bad luck with WDs):

http://www.alternate.be/html/product/Harddisks_3,5_inch_SATA/Western_Digital/WD5003AZEX_500_GB/683488/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=Harddisks&l2=Serial-ATA&l3=3%2C5+inch

http://www.alternate.be/html/product/Harddisks_3,5_inch_SATA/Seagate/ST1000DM003_1_TB/610581/?tn=HARDWARE&l1=Harddisks&l2=Serial-ATA&l3=3%2C5+inch

I too don't plan on over-clocking now, but soon I will end up either OCing or buying a new processor/mobo to keep up with program specs. So its just a matter of spending more now or spending more later. If you get the 3570k and say like the ASRock Extreme 4 the price jumps about 80 euros. Again, personal preference.

One last thing, i would spend the extra 20 euros and by the 750 watt version of the PSU:

http://www.mycom.be/computer-1/componenten/voeding/corsair-tx-750m-1.html?___SID=U

750W isn't needed unless you're definitely planning on running a second GPU.

azeem40 · Oct 24, 2012

Neither is 650W if you plan on running one GPU. 550W is fine.

$1200 gaming pc first build

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