My First Build

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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Hello, I've decided I want to build my own gaming PC but my knowledge on computers is very weak. My intention is to maximize performance for a fixed cost and be able to play games like DIABLO 3, STARCRAFT 2, THE SECRET WORLD, on high settings. I don't play demanding games like BATTLEFIELD 3, but I would like to have that option for the future. I'm more concerned on performance than graphics if anything, as well as durability.

I initially wanted to spend 800-900$ but rounding up it will most likely be at least 1K (not including peripherals). I am willing to spend at most $1300 if it's necessary, but if there is anyway to minimize the cost that'd be great. I'm also confused as to which graphic card will be good enough for me between 650 ti, 660, 660 ti, or 670. I think 670 is too costly for me and my gaming isn't intense enough for that kind of card.

If I am missing any important computer parts please let me know, along with any suggestions or changes. I apologize if my list/format is sloppy. :??:

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Peripherals

Mouse: RAZER DeathAdder 2013 RZ01-00840100-R3U1 Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 6400 dpi Essential Ergonomic Gaming Mouse

Keyboard: RAZER BlackWidow Tournament Edition RZ03-00810200-R3U1 Black USB Wired Gaming Essential Mechanical Keyboard

Monitor: SAMSUNG S22B150N Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor 200 cd/m2 600:1

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My Build


RAIDMAX Seiran ATX-902WB Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

EVGA 02G-P4-2670-KR GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR CX600M 600W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible with Intel

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10

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I wanted to compare these other components to the components I've chosen as well, and switch if necessary

MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR HX series HX650 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
 
Solution
For someone whose knowledge on computers is very weak, your parts selection is excellent.

Here's the breakdown for the build you want (using mobo, RAM and graphics card of my choice):

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($223.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM...
The Corsair HX power supply is awesome quality . If its in your budget then include it . You can also consider the TX range as an option .

The RAM you have selected is lower quality
You need a kit of 2 x4 gig , 1600 MHz and rated for 1.5 volt or less
Timing should be as low as possible . 9-9-9-24 is better than 10 - 10-10-27
 

sharkbyte5150

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Mar 22, 2012
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For someone whose knowledge on computers is very weak, your parts selection is excellent.

Here's the breakdown for the build you want (using mobo, RAM and graphics card of my choice):

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FV0C/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($223.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($305.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Raidmax Seiran (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Samsung S22B150N 21.5" Monitor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition Wired Gaming Keyboard ($75.91 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1340.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-25 13:08 EST-0500)

Any questions?
This is very similar to a list I recently put together for around $1100, but that did not include keyboard/monitor/mouse/OS so the price above is great for this system. It does have you slightly over budget though, but the peripherals you chose are on the higher end.

Just so you can see, here's the other build I did....
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FvyF

 
Solution

shADy81

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2012
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18,665
Careful on the Samsung Monitor, it only has VGA input, as I discovered when I opened the box on mine. Aside from that its fine though just needs an adapter, some people said this affects performance others say it doesn't. Doesn't bother me at all though. Just a heads up.
 

cwo021

Honorable
Feb 25, 2013
9
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10,510


Thanks! My knowledge on computers has only been from spending the last two nights doing research and yes, the peripherals I've chosen are definitely high-end but not a priority, more of a luxury depending on how much I spend on my computer parts. Thank you for providing that build, I have been looking for that kind of answer and a build to base mine from and compare parts. The links you also provided are helpful too and I will use them, especially for finding my parts at the cheapest price.
 

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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10,510


Oh I'm sorry, I should of mentioned that the RAM I selected is actually a free gift from purchasing the Motherboard on NewEgg, my friend said I could buy that same RAM again for 49.99 if I wanted more. Should I consider that option or scrap the ram altogether and invest in a better one? or does that just depend on my budget? Thank you for letting me know that it was a lower quality, it helps me to scale my product knowledge.



 

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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I think I have a VGA cable but thank you for pointing that out, I picked that monitor based on cheapest price I probably should of looked more carefully because that might be a problem.
 

sharkbyte5150

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Mar 22, 2012
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The RAM in my list just has better timings and you definitely want a dual channel kit.
Which motherboard did you intend to buy and which are you going to get?

16GB is overkill so you basically are going to use 2x amount of RAM you need just to run in dual channel if you go with that Corsair.
 

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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So far this is my build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FWVg

I added 8gb (2x4gb) CORSAIR Vengeance Memory, but I still have that free 8GB Corsair Vengeance from choosing MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt for my motherboard. (Which I don't really care much for, I obviously rather want 2x4gb than 1x8gb.)

Initially I wanted the MSI Z77A-G45 Motherboard & 2x4gb Corsair Vengeance Memory alone without the free gift.

I could easily fix the problem by changing my Motherboard to yours, the ASROCK, and Memory to G.SKILLS RIPJAWS. With that the price will be lowered as well so my question is if I did that would there be any major differences from what I initially wanted?
 

sharkbyte5150

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Mar 22, 2012
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It will be a number of years before Thunderbolt really takes off, as it's only compatible with a short list of devices right now so spending the money on a Thunderbolt mobo is a waste, in my opinion.

If you're going to overclock, you want a board with a good reputation for solid and stable OC'ing, and the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 is about the top choice for that. The ASUS P8Z77-V LK is another great board, but it also comes with that 8GB "gift".

Beyond solid OC'ing, it all comes down to how well the boards accommodate all you'll have in your system and judging from the components in your list, you do not need any more than the ASRock board.

Basically, you're spending more on the mobo so you're getting 1 stick of RAM that you need to buy a partner for to run in dual channel mode. Alternately, for the price of that mobo plus the extra stick, you can just get an 8GB dual channel kit and the ASRock.

Also, switch to the monitor below....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009316

1080p with DVI for same as the lower resolution ASUS in your revised list.
 

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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Ah okay, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for clearing that up and I will take your suggestion. I think I'm all set. I have one last question and it has to do with the calculated total.

According to pcpartpicker for my build it will be $1300ish if I buy my parts from separate websites, but that only calculates shipping tax not government tax right?

I went to the suggested websites for each parts and calculated each total after taxes, and my build was about $175-200 more. That is not a problem to me, I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything or doing anything wrong.
 

sharkbyte5150

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Mar 22, 2012
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If you go to your parts list link and click on the "price breakdown by merchant" link under the benchmarks icon, you'll see the difference between different sellers. You can get almost everything from Amazon and save $150 over NewEgg, and depending on where you are I don't think you pay sales tax at Amazon (yet).

The plain text says "Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available" but I'm not sure which taxes are included. I'd say when you look at the breakdown section, select all of the times you can from Amazon and see if they charge taxes, then buy whatever is left from NewEgg and you'll probably get the best deal possible.
 

cwo021

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Feb 25, 2013
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Yeah I ended up doing exactly that between Amazon and NewEgg. Alright that sounds good. I'm confident in my decision to build my own computer and I've learned alot already. If I need any help I'll be sure to come back to these forums. Thanks everyone for your time and replies it helped me plenty.

Much appreciated!