Need help/suggestions for building my first gaming PC

[adamg1992]

I have a budget of around $900-$1200. I've done a good amount of research but there are still some questions and concerns in terms of compatability issues and performance with some core parts. Obviously there is no clear cut anwsers to what I should get but I was just hoping for suggestions. I want to be able to run the latest and favorite games (BF3, LoL, Planetside 2, Tera) on max settings with great fps. I want a mobo that will allow me to easily upgrade my pc later on down the road. I dont care about having a blu-ray drive. Windows 8 is preffered I guess. Any suggestions? Like I said, I'm not expecting a response that will anwser ALL my questions but tips, advice, suggestions as to what would be a good setup or things to look for or stay away from would greatly be appreciated. I'm still learning and researching on my own build so any response is just extra info for me to take in! Thanks

 

[djangoringo]

Here's a suggestion and tip :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1107.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[adamg1992]

Wow! thanks for the reply and suggestions django! I will definatley take a look at these parts.

 

[brogz42]

Here's a suggestion and tip :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1107.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

If you plan on overclocking or running crossfire or sli sometime in the future I would go with the ASRock Extreme4. If you are planning on that I would also beef up your PSU.
I like the Samsung 840 SSD that I have. It's here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546 I have read that the Ivy-Bridge CPUs need 1.5V memory.

 

[adamg1992]

Thanks brogz for your input as well!

 

[djangoringo]

Actually the kingston ssd is better than the samsung 840, the samsung 840 has TLC nand, the kingston has MLC nand which is better, more durable and with better performance under heavy load, Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB is a good ssd and it's at 90$, it's really recommended for the price.
The crucial ram is 1.35v, there's nothing wrong with it, only with higher voltage than 1.5v, it allows to oc further.

 

[adamg1992]

Best answer selected by adamg1992.