First Build, Want advice

[Oranjecrush]

This is my first time attempting to build a computer and i was wondering if this computer build would make sense
Approximate Purchase Date: December - January. That is the most specific I can be sorry

Budget Range: Below 900 dollas after rebates and after shipping.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching and doing streaming, surfing the internet

Are you buying a monitor: No



new Build Completely

Do you need to buy OS: No
Yes it is an OEM, does that mean i need a new OS?

My favorite website is Newegg, but whatever is cheapest within reason is good.

Location: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania (this is central Pennsylvania

Parts Preferences: of course i want an Intel processor, i also am partial to nvidia

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe , partially because im not completely sure what that is, yet

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 I believe

Additional Comments: Quietness would be nice, I want the PC to last for a long time, and by last i mean work, not able to play games at max settings, but strong gaming capabilities is a priority. I use the computer mostly to play League of Legends, but I also want to be able to play Smite, Dota 2, and all the Asassin's Creed games

I want a more powerful computer to play games.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Outlet PC)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($217.55 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125443&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Case: Cooler Master CM 690 II (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119259&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Power Supply: Cooler Master GX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171053&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151256&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Mouse: Dell 468-7409 Mouse Wired Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Mac Mall)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826675001&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Total: $870.43

If you have any suggestions on parts I should change please let me know. I am looking to stay under 900 dollars. I already have a headset, monitor, keyboard, and OS. Thank you

 

[g-unit1111]

You might want to fix your links - that list is kind of hard to read.

It's a good start but here's what I would suggest:

1. Lose the Cooler Master PSU - they have a horrendous reputation for lying about their products and falsely advertising wattage and output.

2. No point in pairing a 2500K with a Z77 as you lose the key feature of Ivy Bridge and that's PCI Gen 3.

3. For the price of that GPU the Radeon HD 7870 is a far better performer.

4. If you're not going to overclock you could drop the CPU and motherboard and save some money there.

Try something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($251.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred ATX Full Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($83.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $883.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 19:58 EST-0500)

 

[Oranjecrush]

1. lose PSU check.

2. Could you explain PCI Gen 3 to me? (I am pretty much a noob at this)

3. Ill take your advice on the GPU.

4. I never have overclocked before, but I am interested in attempting to overclock, if you have any suggestions for that.

5. Is the increase in size of the tower really necessary? i do understand that airflow is crucial... is that due to the size of the graphics card?

6. Would you suggest I keep the same CPU Cooler I had before

Lastly, I haven't used BB codes in a long time so I forgot how to hyperlink everything.

 

[Hazle]

1. lose PSU check.

2. Could you explain PCI Gen 3 to me? (I am pretty much a noob at this)

3. Ill take your advice on the GPU.

4. I never have overclocked before, but I am interested in attempting to overclock, if you have any suggestions for that.

5. Is the increase in size of the tower really necessary? i do understand that airflow is crucial... is that due to the size of the graphics card?

6. Would you suggest I keep the same CPU Cooler I had before

Lastly, I haven't used BB codes in a long time so I forgot how to hyperlink everything.

1. good

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCIE#History_and_revisions

technically for your usage, it doesn't offer a whole lot of advantages over 2.0, for now. i do however, agree that you're better off with a 3570K.

3. -

4. for a few dollars less, there's the Asrock Z77 extreme3. whether the lack of features over the extreme4 is a problem to you is another thing.

5. depends on your needs. case choice is highly subjective. aside from outer appearance, some prefer more room to run 2-3 cards, and/or run a custom water loop, or simply have plenty of room for cable management or want a silent case. others like myself, would be happy with a compact mATX case that can fit in a 11-11.9 inch card at worst with enough room for managing the cables. for a modest single card build, the 690 II you chose is plenty. you're gonna need to plan for the future on whether you wanna run your card in crossfire, or add a water loop or if you wanna add a whole bunch of HDDs.

6. keep it if you're OCing. best value cooler there is in regards to it's performance.

 

[Oranjecrush]

Thank you so much for your help guys, also im not really interested in a silent case. I just need it to be quiet. It could hardly make a difference since ill simply be listening to music anyways. here is the build I put together as per your advice.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($251.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master CM 690 II (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($83.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Dell 468-7409 Mouse Wired Optical Mouse ($19.99 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $828.31 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 23:09 EST-0500)

I found a combo between my hard drive and my case. Do you guys know any other ways I could save money with these items / not losing out on performance?

[strike]P.S. The total cost that I see on pcpartpicker.com is 863 dollars not $828.[/strike]

Nevermind that is because the CPU has an in store pickup that is less than 2 hours away from me that saves me about $40

I've read a bit of cases about this particular mobo being DOA which makes me apprehensive.

 

[Hazle]

do note that the CPU and motherboard you chose will not allow you to overclock the CPU (not by much, anyway), if you're still interested in trying.

feel free to lose the CPU cooler or buy one for a lesser price. if you're not OCing, stock cooler or a $15-20 one will do you just fine.

if you're fully ready to invest that whole $900, i think you can pay a bit more and get a 7950 if you skip/cheap out on the cpu heatsink. though, the build is good as it is if you wanna be cautious with spending.

 

[g-unit1111]

do note that the CPU and motherboard you chose will not allow you to overclock the CPU (not by much, anyway), if you're still interested in trying.

feel free to lose the CPU cooler or buy one for a lesser price. if you're not OCing, stock cooler or a $15-20 one will do you just fine.

if you're fully ready to invest that whole $900, i think you can pay a bit more and get a 7950 if you skip/cheap out on the cpu heatsink. though, the build is good as it is if you wanna be cautious with spending.

Most of those $15 - $20 coolers don't do anything better than the stock fan will and you're just spending money needlessly there.

The 7950 is a great GPU and could easily fit into the OP's budget if a few things are moved around.

 

[Oranjecrush]

Would it be necessary to overclock to get the results I want out of the computer? also would paying that much more for the gpu actually improve my performance in a necessary way? What I mean is would I get adequate results without paying the 50$ more?

I feel like my current build would already perform quite nicely and it is not necessary to spend any more money

 

[g-unit1111]

Would it be necessary to overclock to get the results I want out of the computer? also would paying that much more for the gpu actually improve my performance in a necessary way? What I mean is would I get adequate results without paying the 50$ more?

Gaming builds are far more centered on the GPU than the CPU these days. As such you always want to get the best GPU you can get for your budget. The 7870 is an excellent GPU - I have two of them running in Crossfire. A 7950 will run at about the equivalent of a GTX 580.

 

[Oranjecrush]

i'm quite aware that a gpu is more needed, but might this one be a bit overkill? Also I was wandering how much more it may cost to buy a comparable computer?

will the 7870 fit in the CM 690 II i want?

 

[g-unit1111]

i'm quite aware that a gpu is more needed, but might this one be a bit overkill? Also I was wandering how much more it may cost to buy a comparable computer?

will the 7870 fit in the CM 690 II i want?

1. Overkill depends on what resolution your monitor is.

2. Yes the 7870 is a 10.5" card so it should fit in the case. Plus I believe the CM 690 II has a removable drive cage so if you get a bigger video card you have room.

 

[Oranjecrush]

1920x1080 is what my resolution is.

 

[g-unit1111]

1920x1080 is what my resolution is.

Yeah a 7870 should handle 1080p no problem.

 

[Oranjecrush]

with a decent frame rate? ok thanks guys you have all been a huge help, i want to give everyone a best answer

 

[g-unit1111]

with a decent frame rate? ok thanks guys you have all been a huge help, i want to give everyone a best answer

A single will get you around 50 - 60 FPS, two in Crossfire about 90 - 100 FPS.

 

[Oranjecrush]

Best answer selected by Oranjecrush.