Approximate Purchase Date: CPU & Motherboard by January 10th (deal expires) , the rest within 1-2 weeks
Budget Range: Around 850 - 950, after discounts/tax
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, internet, movies
Are you buying a monitor: Yes
Parts to Upgrade: Everything, PC is from scratch
Do you need to buy OS: Yes , I plan on getting Windows 7 Premium 64bit
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Microcenter (very close by), Amazon, Newegg
Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA
Parts Preferences: Intel, Nvidia
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: I would like it to be semi-quiet, i'm planning on running games on high settings with max resolution, AA not necessary. Also, I notice prices change everyday, is it better to get everything as quickly as possible or wait a few days for a good deal?
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My 2006 iMac isn't cutting it anymore, I need a good gaming PC
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant /
Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 311 (Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHAS324-98 DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer V213HLBJbd 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($126.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $930.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-06 23:09 EST-0500)
I'm buying the CPU/Mobo at microcenter so the combo should get me a further 30$ off to make it $900
That's my current build, but I'm not sure about some parts, or if there's better parts for a similar price. my budget is reaching the max already, because I can't spend any more than 950$, period.
On the pc-part-picker website it showed a compatibility issue with mobo and case: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard has an onboard USB 3.0 header, but the Cooler Master Elite 311 (Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case does not have front panel USB 3.0 ports.
Should I change the case because of this?
I'm also considering changing the motherboard to a Z77 Pro4, because it's only 15$ more and the description looks like it's for gaming, is this mobo alright?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, this is my first ever PC build and I want a good gaming PC that will have reliable parts.