New builder. Need help

[dave_2378]

Hey, I have never built a computer before and I am wanting some advise. I want to build a $600-700 computer for gaming. I have done alot of research but need your guys help to see if it will all work together.
Also, if the system I am thinking about building needs work. please explain why and what would be better. Also I am not looking for Intel parts. I am low on money and not a serious gamer. Also, I want it to run games for awhile. I don't want to have to rebuild it in 2 years.

Parts list.

CPU- AMD FD6100WMGUSBX FX-6100 Processor - Six Core OR AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition

Mother board- MSI 970A-G46 AMD 9 Series Motherboard

GPU- XFX Radeon HD 7850 Core Edition FX785ACNL4 Video Card - 2GB

RAM- Corsair Vengeance 1600 8GB (2x 4GB)

Case- Cooler Master RC-430-KWN1 Elite 430 Mid Tower ATX Case

HDD- Toshiba HDKPC03 DT01ACA100 1TB Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200 RPM, SATA, 3.5"

PSU- XFX P1650SNLB9 Core Edition Power Supply - 650W

DVD- Asus DRW-24B1ST 24X Internal DVD Burner

CPU Cooler- Corsair Hydro H70 CORE Liquid CPU Cooler

 

[ittimjones]

well, the only reason to get an H70 would be to OC the CPU. If you have never done this, or don't plan on trying to do this, you could get a simple $20 air cooler that would work more than just fine

 

[dave_2378]

well, the only reason to get an H70 would be to OC the CPU. If you have never done this, or don't plan on trying to do this, you could get a simple $20 air cooler that would work more than just fine

Thanks for the feedback. I have a friend who said he could overclock it for me so I plan on doing that.

 

[ittimjones]

The rest of the system looks pretty good. I'm not rly much of a fan of AMD though, because Intel's architecture is just so much better. AMD CPU's need almost an additional 1Ghz clock to keep up with the newest Intel CPUs... And most games only use 2 CPU core, few use 4, and none use 8, so having that many cores won't help w/ gaming at all. All you need is 4 threads and a high clock rate really, that's why the 2500K chip is so popular among gamers, cause it's 4 cores, great architecture, so less speed goes further, and it can be OC'ed WAY high to make it just rip through any game u throw at it. More cores and threads will help with video editing and virtual machines though, if u do any of that.

 

[ittimjones]

Thanks for the feedback. I have a friend who said he could overclock it for me so I plan on doing that.

in that case, get the H70. Cause it'll allow a really high OC. I plan on getting something similar myself eventually, cause on air I can't maintain my 2600K past 4.6Ghz.

 

[dave_2378]

IS the limit to how high you can over clock a cpu trying to keep it cool. And can you recommend a solid cpu that can run games on high settings. I dont do video editing. I only chose a 6 core cause i wanted to be some what future proof. All I want to do is play games but I dont want a cpu that needs to by swapped for a new one in two years.

 

[ittimjones]

There is a lot more to OC'ing than that. You need to make sure you don't set the voltage levels too high, etc. but typically, the main issue is heat. Typically, you hit the top temp a CPU can handle under full load before reaching the voltage limits of it.

Your friend will want to do some googling to see what others are OC'ing the CPU u eventually get to, and get an estimate at what temp is the max, and try to not let the CPU get like 10 degrees Celsius of that. lol. Everyone's rig is different, and even the builder's finesse at putting the system together can change how the system OC's.

 

[Deemo13]

I would not recommend the H70 for overclocking personally.

I have a H60 (got it for free) and while it looks cool and all, it doesnt really keep my processor that cool in the case. I would recommend a good air one, like a Noctua NH-D14

 

[dave_2378]

I have decided to go with a intel 15 2500k. It is more expensive but the reviews are amazing. Now I need to know what motherboard to get. I must admit I am easily influenced by the reviews I see on new egg and tiger. I am looking for something under 100 that is somewhat future proof.

 

[Deemo13]

I would go with the 3570K. Its only a bit more, but its newer tech.

Some of the reviews on Newegg are not that reliable. But some are. Just be careful with those.

Also, motherboards around $100 for a 3570K or 2500K is a bit low.

 

[koga73]

Personally I don't like MSI motherboards.
The only motherboard manufacturers I would buy from would be Asus, Gigabyte, XFX, and Intel.

Also I've never had a Toshiba hard drive... but I would go with either a Seagate or more preferably Western Digital. I have owned many WD HDDs and have never had a single problem with any. I can't say the same about Seagate / Maxtor.

Everything else looks good though I prefer Intel over AMD... but thats just my personal preference.

 

[dave_2378]

OK so ive decided to go with the intel 3570k. But im unsure of a good motherboard. I know i want 4 ram slots at at least 1600. Also, i know i want an atx not a mini or micro. Besides that, whats the difference with a $60 mobo and a $160 mobo. All I need it for is gaming not video editing. What is a very good mobo for price for performance.

 

[koga73]

Spend the money for a good motherboard. Asus and Gigabyte are both regarded as among the best manufacturers.

Take this motherboard for example $369:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131858
Z77 Chipset
4 PCIe x16 for GPU
6 SATA 6GBs ports for HDDs
RAID support for HDDs
Thunderbolt support

vs $189:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128558
Z77 Chipset
3 PCIe x16 for GPU
2 SATA 6GBs ports for HDDs
RAID support for HDDs
Thunderbolt support

vs $139:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121623
Q77 Chipset
1 PCIe x16 for a GPU (no option for SLI in the future)
2 SATA 6GBs ports for HDDs
No RAID support
No Thunderbolt support

Go to newegg, search for motherboards that use your cpu socket. Sort by best rating or most popular. Read reviews. Depends what features you want. I would go with Z77 chipset, at least two PCIe x16 ports for SLI option in the future, Thunderbolt is faster than USB 3 if you are going to be transferring a lot of big files onto a Thunderbolt compatible flash drive.

 

[dave_2378]

Would this be a good mobo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157297

 

[Deemo13]

Its alright. Not as good as the other listings.

 

[dave_2378]

Im trying to keep it under 700.