Dumb blonde needs computer help

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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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Hey all!

So this is kind of intimidating, but I've decided to build my own computer. My ex was a huge gamer, and I kind of acquired a taste for FPSs. I've heard that you can get a lot more bang for your buck building your own system, so that's why I'm going this route (money's a little tight teaching yoga!). My cousin knows a lot about computers, and gave me a build that comes in around my $1300 budget. He told me the users on this site knew their stuff, so I'd love to hear from you guys.

This is what he emailed me:

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: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($424.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1263.86

So... will it work?
 
Solution
Novuake


Still waaaaayyyyy overkill. You could OC that card till it pops on a 550W PSU.
Too be honest you won't need to OC that card for some time to come!
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admbautista

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Oct 29, 2012
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1. I think samsung is not that known for hdd. I would prefer getting a wd or seagate. but my personal preference would be wd. since you have a sdd, a wd caviar blue /green will do, won't much need the caviar black.
2. If you are planning only having 1 video card. You can drop the power supply to roughly 600w. 750w is too much for a single video card build. Everything else, seems okay.
 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Aug 27, 2011
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OK let me start by saying that this PC is probably overkill for your porpose.

A very nice build except for the mobo, I would suggest rather getting the Asrock Extreme4 as it has much better components and reliability.

CPU cooler : Rather get the CM Hyper 212 EVO and not the Plus. The EVO is the same price but is an updated and better version.

SSD : Very unnecessary is you are purely going for gaming performance and yould like to save some money. An SSD does not provide increased performance in games except for loading times. BUT it is a nice thing to have for everyday use and startup times.

Very nice video card. The best available that I would buy in my opinion, BUT its a large and expensive card that may be too much for your needs unless you REALLY REALLY want a great card with all details turned up in any game.
This would be fine to in my opinion :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202003

PSU : Probably overkill too. You could consider getting a cheaper one with 80 Plus BRONZE instead, that would save some money. Also a bit of high voltage. 600W is more than sufficient.
This for example.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

Now for the important part, CPU.

Will you be experimenting with overclocking? If not don't stress about the CPU cooler as stock will be good enough and save more cash.

Lastly : Assembly. Ever done this before???

This is a VERY comprehensive guide but you are welcome to ask more questions.

http://techreport.com/review/23624/how-to-build-a-pc-the-tech-report-guide
 
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Novulux

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Sep 15, 2011
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First off: The Microcenter price is instore only, do you live near a location? If so, they also have CPU/mobo bundles.
Also, Case and Operating System?
750w PSU is excessive for a single card, a good 500-600w should do the job fine.
 
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cball1311

cball1311

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Dec 15, 2012
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Looks pretty nice. If you live near a Microcenter, you can't beat that price but that is for in-store pickup only. You can drop the "k" edition if you are not going to overclock and drop the aftermarket cooler. 750W is a bit of an overkill unless your planning on adding another video card later. You could go with a 550-600W PSU and be fine.

80+ GOLD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00918MEZG/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

80+ Bronze: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013

You could actually lower the motherboard (if your not overclocking) to an H77 and might save a bit more, but for that price for a Z77 is pretty good. Also, the 7970 is a great card and will future proof you for upgrades for some time but you could save some cash there as well.

Your cousin did a fine job.
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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10,510


Thanks for the input. My cousin advocated for this card because he said he could overclock it, and that would future-proof the PC. Also, I really like eye-candy (like Crysis 2 on max settings). My ex had a Falcon NW, and so I'm a little spoiled.
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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10,510


My cousin said he would overclock it a bit. He said the power supply was good because he could really overclock the video card.
 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Aug 27, 2011
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Still waaaaayyyyy overkill. You could OC that card till it pops on a 550W PSU.
Too be honest you won't need to OC that card for some time to come!
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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Anywhere else I can cut some corners without any sacrifice to performance? Could I use parts from my old laptop (studio xps 16 i5 540m, AMD video card)? How long into the future will this computer be able to handle the big games at the highest settings? This is so interesting!
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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How long into the future will this system be able to handle max settings on demanding games?
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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Thank you! I will need a monitor! I guess 1080p makes sense, considering the power of the system, right? With the OS, can I use the copy of Windows 7 from my laptop?. I lost the cd, but I have the software key. I would hate to buy it again if I don't need to. Or, isn't Windows 8 out? Is that better?
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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What else do I need to build a PC? Do you need to solder? Do you need wires? My cousin said he would walk me through the assembly, but he is stationed over in Germany. So he obviously won't be assembling it! My father's an electrician, and he has shown me a thing or two about wiring, but that is probably not so helpful here, or is it?
 
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cball1311

cball1311

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Dec 15, 2012
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Here you go. This would do great for quite some time. I took the overclocking out as you really, truly, do not need it. I lowered the GPU to a 7870 2GB which is still a beast. I added the OS as I am truly not sure about Microsoft legalities on transferring OSs from one machine to another (I always recommend new just to be free and clear of piracy issues).

As far as building it, there is no soldering. Only connecting wires, installing cards (and CPU) in sockets, and a philips head screwdriver.

Here is the build I would recommend for under $1000 including the OS and monitor unless you can get that i5-3570k from Microcenter. Your cousin also left out the case. No one caught that.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($204.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Apex PCV-588 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.95 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer G236HLBbd 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($130.63 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $998.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-07 01:24 EST-0500)
 
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[flash=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/v/d_56kyib-Ls[/flash]
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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Or should I be patient and wait till my cousin comes home to visit in July? I was going to have to wait on the overclocking anyway. My laptop is dying though--not sure it'll make it ;)
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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That's terrific! Thank you. If I happened to have a little extra money I was willing to spend :whistle: to make sure I could play games at high settings far into the future, would you recommend saving it for future upgrade, or spending it now. If now, what should I spend it on?
 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Aug 27, 2011
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Everything you need will come with the parts except maybe the power cable. Look for a kettle cord, they are dirt cheap.

No soldering or anything like that, its like lego to be honest. Plug in where things fit, following instructions.
 
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VivaciousVivian

VivaciousVivian

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Jan 7, 2013
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10,510


I can do lego! But really, that's good to hear!
 
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