First time gamer build. Need advice on a few parts, please.

[LaserShark]

Hello,

I'm new to these forums, and I'm looking for a bit of critique on a budget gaming pc I plan to build in the near future. I'd also appreciate a recommendation for a quality PSU and an affordable ATX mid tower. Style is not an issue, but I'd like to get something with a simple design and adequate airflow. Feel free to comment on or criticize any component I've chosen, because I'm trying to learn and I'd like to not get stuck with low quality just to save a few bucks.

Approximate Purchase Date: possibly next week

Budget Range: <$800 before rebates/shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming (will spend a lot of time on Skyrim), maybe Netflix

Not purchasing a monitor


OS: Planning on Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Tiger Direct, Newegg, maybe Amazon, also open to suggestions

Location: Kentucky, USA

Parts already found (could be convinced to change my mind)
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5312392&CatId=4431

GPU: MSI R6850 Cyclone PE Radeon HD 6850
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1318423&CatId=7005

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1963432&CatId=7248

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314&name=Desktop-Memory

HDD: WD Blue WD2500AAKX 250GB Hard Drive - 3.5", SATA, 6Gbp/s, 7200RPM, 16MB Cache
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=160418

SSD: Kingston SH103S3/120G HyperX 120GB Solid State Drive
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2416662&CatId=5300


Some recommendations here would be very helpful:
DVD-ROM: ?
Case: ?
PSU: ?

Overclocking: No, but maybe in the future.

SLI or Crossfire: No, but maybe in the future.

Monitor Resolution: I will be using a 1080p HDTV 32"

Additional Comments: Like I said, appearance is not key, and I'm trying to keep the price below $800, so please comment and I will be eager to read what you have to say.

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

I would get this hard drive instead.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769&name=Internal-Hard-Drives
I would get a 60gb ssd as well. Also i would look at your parts on newegg. Tiger has horrible prices ussually.
Get the 7850 instead of 6850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129230&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

 

[malbluff]

Something along these lines would be OK.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($186.97 @ CompUSA)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($56.09 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $802.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

That i5 does not allow for overclocking, but not really needed, as it is miles better than the Phenom, even with the Phenom overclocked, to the limit.
Graphics card is much better.
If you really wanted to have scope for crossfire, a more expensive mobo would be needed.
I have changed balance of SSD (and a better one), and hard drive. That could be re-adjusted to suit your actual needs.

 

[LaserShark]

Thanks for your advice. Assuming I went with the other parts on the list and the ones you suggested could you recommend a case and power supply?

 

[LaserShark]

Something along these lines would be OK.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($186.97 @ CompUSA)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($56.09 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $802.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Thanks for your suggestions, malbluff. I considered going with a 2500k sandy bridge. I've heard that Skyrim utilizes more CPU than GPU. If that's the case, perhaps I could still go with the 6850 GPU and upgrade to the 2500k to bring the price down. Would the mobo you suggested still work with that? Also, I've never heard of NCIX US, are they a good seller? Have you gotten parts there before?

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

No. I would get a better gpu. That i5 will run any game fine.

 

[LaserShark]

No. I would get a better gpu. That i5 will run any game fine.

Which one, the 2500k or the 3450 that malbluff recommended?

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

the 3450 is good. The 2500khonestly isn't that much, if any stronger without ocing.

 

[malbluff]

The most important factor is GPU. After that, two things which are "nice to have" are the ability to overclock, ans an SSD. With your budget, you can't have both. Neither is ESSENTIAL. The i5-3450 has ample performance, and a conventional hard drive is adequate on its own.
If, instead of SSD, you wanted CPU overclocking, you could, although suggest with i5-3570K, rather than 2500K. That would also need a different motherboard, and an aftermarket cooler. If you sacrificed the SSD (you could always add one later), it would go much of the way to paying the extra involved in overclocking, but it would still be slightly more expensive.

 

[LaserShark]

the 3450 is good. The 2500khonestly isn't that much, if any stronger without ocing.

Thanks, it's good to have some new info. Do you think I'll need the 7870 or could I get by with a less expensive card? I'm not trying to push the limits of current gen games, but I would like Skyrim to look good at smooth fps.

 

[malbluff]

This would be a similar, possible build, with overclocking, of processor.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.82 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($56.09 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $847.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

The price can be reduced, if buying CPU and mobo, from Microcentre, as a walk-in, as they are giving $50 of the combo. I don't know how long that's for.
Alternatively, if you don't have Microcentre nearby, Newegg are offering 8GB of RAM with that mobo, effectively saving you the $39.99 I have in, for RAM.

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

You could get a 7850. That'll play most games on high settings and is only $185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129230&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

 

[LaserShark]

The most important factor is GPU. After that, two things which are "nice to have" are the ability to overclock, ans an SSD. With your budget, you can't have both. Neither is ESSENTIAL. The i5-3450 has ample performance, and a conventional hard drive is adequate on its own.
If, instead of SSD, you wanted CPU overclocking, you could, although suggest with i5-3570K, rather than 2500K. That would also need a different motherboard, and an aftermarket cooler. If you sacrificed the SSD (you could always add one later), it would go much of the way to paying the extra involved in overclocking, but it would still be slightly more expensive.

Okay. I'm not trying to get the best of everything. I understand that CPUs and discrete graphics don't come cheap especially when it comes to intel. When I started I planned on building it all around the GPU. That's why I chose one that I had heard was capable of handling Skyrim in HD but was around $150. I'm a real noob, so I don't plan on overclocking. At least not for a couple of years. I'd rather play it safe since this is my first build. I'm giving serious consideration to the i5-3450.
I included an SSD because I read that it's good to have a separate boot drive, and that SSDs make that a lot quicker. Someone I know also recommended using one HDD for the OS, and another backup drive for game files.
Thanks for replies. Your info is helping a lot.

 

[LaserShark]

This would be a similar, possible build, with overclocking, of processor.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.82 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($56.09 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $847.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

The price can be reduced, if buying CPU and mobo, from Microcentre, as a walk-in, as they are giving $50 of the combo. I don't know how long that's for.
Alternatively, if you don't have Microcentre nearby, Newegg are offering 8GB of RAM with that mobo, effectively saving you the $39.99 I have in, for RAM.

Wow, if I can get the 3570k for roughly the same price as the other, then my rig would be future proofed, wouldn't it? I mean, if I decided to try OCing in the future? And if I'm just going to go with factory clock speed for now, do you think I could drop the CPU cooler?

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

That would cost a lot though.
edit. A 3570k would add a bit to its life. Maybe like 6 months to a year. So it wouldn't be a bad choice to get that one.

 

[LaserShark]

You could get a 7850. That'll play most games on high settings and is only $185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129230&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

Thanks, I'm starting to think maybe I was shooting too low.

 

[malbluff]

Wow, if I can get the 3570k for roughly the same price as the other, then my rig would be future proofed, wouldn't it? I mean, if I decided to try OCing in the future? And if I'm just going to go with factory clock speed for now, do you think I could drop the CPU cooler?

You don't need to put aftermarket cooler on, until you want to overclock. The stock one will do til then. In a sense, it makes sense, to keep overclocking, in reserve, for that day, which will surely come, when system starts to struggle with latest games. Then you can overclock, to give system a boost, to extend its useful life. An SSD, whilst nice, is something you can ADD. You can't do that with OC.
With regard to GPU, general rule is always get the best you can afford. GPU is about best you can get, without spending another $50.

 

[LaserShark]

Anyone see any way of whittling down the total on this? I really like this build, but I may have to go back to the AMD phenom 965 BE.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Onyx 32GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($77.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ CompUSA)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Microsoft 2VJ-00001 Wireless Standard Keyboard ($19.86 @ Amazon)
Total: $917.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[malbluff]

Anyone see any way of whittling down the total on this? I really like this build, but I may have to go back to the AMD phenom 965 BE.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Onyx 32GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($77.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ CompUSA)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Microsoft 2VJ-00001 Wireless Standard Keyboard ($19.86 @ Amazon)
Total: $917.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Don't go back to Phenom, that would be a drop.
Drop that Onyx. It isn't the best, and 32GB is pointless. Whilst an SSD is nice, it's something you can add later, and then a decent one.
If you want to use Western Digital, use the Caviar Black. The Hitachi, I suggested, is quite good. Use Seagate Barracuda, if you like, but they don't have a "top reputation" for reliability/warranty support. Good performance, cheap, though.
If you really want to save money, go back to my original processor/mobo combination. Overclocking, again is nice, but not essential.
I've no personal experience, with them, but HIS can be very good. I understand, though, that they don't always sell their top spec models, in the states, for some reason. Don't know how true that is, just be sure you are buying the exact model number, you think you are buying.
The Corsair Carbide is a good case, although, if you are trying to save money, there are good alternatives, cheaper.

 

[spookyman]

I would avoid wasting money for a 32G SSD drive. Its barely enough room for Win 7. You would be better off getting a 1 TB WD Caviar Black instead. Down the road you can invest into a SSD drive.

 

[LaserShark]

Thanks, malbluff , for being patient and giving me advice. Thanks also to spookyman, since you two are consistent with each other recommending against the 32gb SSD, I'll be dropping it. I'll get an HDD to start and maybe later, if the price comes down, I'll get a SSD boot drive. I think I'm willing to break my budget, and for this reason I'll be staying with the 300R case. My budget wasn't based on fiscal limitations, really, more like I just didn't want to splurge. I wanted to start low and work my way up from there. The following is a revised list. Do be brutally honest if necessary.

Also, the price on the HIS went up since last night, so I replaced it on the list with an XFX. Can anyone tell me if that card is good? Or recommend a card from a good brand that doesn't break the $200 mark? (I'll go there if quality can't be found otherwise) I don't want to throw money around like crazy, though.
I also nixxed the SSD and went with a 500gb WD Caviar Blue. Is this a quality drive?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($193.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($77.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ CompUSA)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Microsoft 2VJ-00001 Wireless Standard Keyboard ($19.86 @ Amazon)
Total: $901.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[malbluff]

XFX are usually pretty good, but I have no direct knowledge, of how that one performs. This MAY be better.http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr785oc2gd

If you ARE planning to get an SSD, for stuff that needs fast access, the Caviar Blue HDD is fine. If not sure about adding an SSD, in near future, it may be worth spending a little more, to get the better performing Caviar Black.

Don't forget, before overclocking, you will need to get an aftermarket cooler. Other than those "observations", good to go.

Happy building.

 

[malbluff]

Try that again. This.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($196.97 @ Newegg)
Total: $196.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[LaserShark]

XFX are usually pretty good, but I have no direct knowledge, of how that one performs. This MAY be better.http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr785oc2gd

If you ARE planning to get an SSD, for stuff that needs fast access, the Caviar Blue HDD is fine. If not sure about adding an SSD, in near future, it may be worth spending a little more, to get the better performing Caviar Black.

Don't forget, before overclocking, you will need to get an aftermarket cooler. Other than those "observations", good to go.

Happy building.

Okay, thanks for all your tips and advice. I appreciate the help, and I'll be taking many of your recommendations, probably in the final revision of my build before I purchase the parts.

 

[LaserShark]

Best answer selected by LaserShark.