Revised Build, is it any good?

[ii AyJay o]

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: this week (the closer the better)

Budget Range: $800- $1000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming/Video Editing, surfing web

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Micro Center

Overclocking: I don't really know what this means, or if I would ever want to do it.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: I want to do quite a bit of gaming, mostly Skyrim, Magic 2013, Pokemon emulators, Minecraft, DayZ, Battlefield. But I also want to be able to edit and render videos quickly.

Currently, I have a Hauppauge HD PVR, and I record Xbox gameplay to my Macbook Pro with the program EyeTV. But when I export out of iMovie, the video becomes somewhat blurry, and I don't understand why. I'm sure it happens when I export out of iMovie, because it looks flawless before I import it, and also while I'm editing it. I thought it might be because I have a bad processor in my Macbook (2.3 Ghz Intel i5), so I want to get the i7 3770k in this new PC.

So this is what I've come up with so far, but any substitutions or advice is greatly appreciated!

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz LGA 1155 Processor $229.99 @ Micro Center

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler $29.99 @ Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=35-103-099&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=3#scrollFullInfo

Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Z77 ATX Intel Motherboard $134.99 @ Micro Center

http://www.microcenter.com/product/387554/Z77_Extreme4_LGA_1155_Z77_ATX_Intel_Motherboard

Memory: Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit (Two 4GB Memory Modules) $39.99 @ Micro Center

http://www.microcenter.com/product/382101/Ballistix_Sport_8GB_DDR3-1600_%28PC3-12800%29_CL9_Dual_Channel_Desktop_Memory_Kit_%28Two_4GB_Memory_Modules%29

Storage: Barracuda Green 1.5TB 5,900RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $79.99 @ Micro Center

http://www.microcenter.com/product/385098/Barracuda_Green_15TB_5,900RPM_SATA_60Gb-s_35_Internal_Hard_Drive_ST1500DL003_-_OEM

SSD: Intel 330 Series Solid-State Drive 120 GB SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-Inch $119.99 @ Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P71J9W/?tag=pcpapi-20

Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100355-1GOCL Radeon HD 7850 1GB $174.99 @ Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-202-004&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX Case $44.99 @ Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GXZ8MM/?tag=pcpapi-20

PSU: Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $54.99 @ Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

TOTAL: $909.91 After rebates, etc.

I'd also like to note that I haven't done much gaming on PC, mostly just minecraft on my Macbook. I've played on consoles since forever, so I don't think that I need amazing graphics that completely outshine an Xbox 360's graphics. I doubt I would be able to tell the difference. Basically, I'm saying that currently, I'm not a super hardcore PC gamer that needs to have the absolute best of the best. So if you have any modifications to this build that you think will make it more suitable to me, please keep that info in mind.

Also remember that I really want to be able to edit and render HD videos with ease. On my Mac, to import in and out of iMovie/Final Cut Pro, it takes hours. I'd like to reduce that time and have the quality be better. Please help me if you can! Thanks in advance!

 

[Outlander_04]

A 7850 will absolutely blow away a current generation XBOX graphically

Id tend to avoid the green drive . It doesnt save any noticeable power and its slower so only use it if its the best price for a 1.5 terabyte HDD

Dont forget you need a copy of Windows too
Win 8 home 64 bit would be my choice , but others still feel more comfortable using Win 7 oem 64 bit

 

[ii AyJay o]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I can get Windows really cheap from my school (for like $10). Thanks for the info about the green drive. I'll go ahead and switch it to the regular Barracuda. But otherwise, everything else looks okay, and should work the way I want it to? Sorry, I don't know a whole lot about computers.

 

[phate1337]

i would actually change the recommendation on the processor from the 3770k/xeon 1230v2 to a 3570K. you can save quite a bit there and not really compromise on performance as the vast majority of games don't use hyper threading. the reason I say this, is that you can pick one up for around the same (if not slightly less) than the 1230v2, crank it up to 4.2/4.3 ghz on stock voltages (haven't found a single 3570k I couldn't do that with) nice and easily and get a load of extra oomph for no extra cost.

i cast my vote on GPU as nvidia>ati (personal experience). you should be able to pick up a gtx 660 ti with the left over cash from saving on the processor. if you would rather go with ati, then I won't try to sway your decision, but I have had better experiences with Nvidia.

as far as storage goes, I also cast a vote for an SSD. It won't have massive effects on your FPS whilst gaming, but it sure is nice to turn your rig on and have your desktop loaded and ready to go in <5 seconds. there is always the option for a hybrid drive too, which starts to approach SSD performance, but with large storage capacities. example is the 750gb seagate momentus XT.

 

[ii AyJay o]

I was planning on getting the i5 3570k from Newegg for around $220, but then I saw that I could get the i7 3770k for only like $10 more, so I figured why not get the newest one if it's only a little more expensive.

Also, I did include an SSD. 120 Gb for $119.99.

 

[FinneousPJ]

No overclocking, no SLI, I'll revise your whole build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3P Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($63.91 @ NCIX US)
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 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $876.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-22 06:46 EST-0500)