Hello. First time building a gaming computer.

[orcbeststorm]

Hello,
So I've researched a ton of stuff about building a gaming computer. And I'm thinking about spending $1300. Can anyone rate my gaming computer and see if there are any faults and compatibility issues? Am I spending less on one part of the computer than the other? (Performance wise - I would like an even leveling ground for all parts of my gaming computer)
CPU: Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor
MOBO: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Z77 ATX Intel Motherboard
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Series 16GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL10 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit (Two 8GB Memory Modules)
GPU: ZT-50206-10M NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.0 x16 Video Card
(Shall i stick to 570? or shall I get a 670?)
PowerSupply: 750W (forgot the brand but it really doesn't matter to me)
Case: decently priced $70. (looks don't matter, already picked a very economical one.)

 

[zared619]

Hi, and thanks for coming to Tom's! Your build is decent, but I see some room for improvement. First of all, I highly recommend against the 570. It was a good card, but now the newer series is out, so I recommend getting the new series.

To be honest, the brand of the power supply does matter. A bad power supply could ruin your entire system, so it is very important.

I also don't think that you really need 16 GB for a gaming computer. 8GB is already more than enough.

Look at this build, it is very similar, but it has some tweaks.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Chronos 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($454.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($103.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHOS104-06 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Drive ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1206.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-11 09:48 EST-0500)

It has several advances. It has the best GPU consumers can buy, a very nice SSD, a blu ray drive, a power supply that can support SLI, and a CPU cooler.

If you have any questions, just ask.

 

[g-unit1111]

GPU: ZT-50206-10M NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.0 x16 Video Card
(Shall i stick to 570? or shall I get a 670?)

No reason to purchase the 570 anymore as it's a generation old now. Go with the 670.

PowerSupply: 750W (forgot the brand but it really doesn't matter to me)

Actually power supply does matter. You want to get a really strong one - I've seen what happens when you get weaker power supplies so trust me I don't want that to happen again.

Try this for $1300:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ 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)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($366.97 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1226.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-11 18:36 EST-0500)

 

[geofelt]

My thoughts:

The 3570K is as good as it gets for gaming.
For a balanced gaming pc, spend twice the cost of the cpu on the graphics card. I think a GTX670 would be better.

No game uses more than 2-3gb, a 8gb kit is all you need.

A GTX670 needs only a good 500w unit.
Brand should matter. A bad psu can damage anything it is connected to.
Pick a tier 1 or tier 2 unit from tnis list:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

With your budget, get a 120gb ssd or larger. If you have 180gb or 240gb, you may never need a separate hard drive.
I might defer on the hard drive in favor of a ssd. You could always add a hard drive later.
Samsung 830/840 or intel 330/335 would be my first choice for reliability.