First time build advice. $700-$900.

Feb 25, 2013
13
0
10,510
Completely new to this and I really don't know what i'm doing. About 6 months ago the computer I had been using for 5+ years finally stopped working and I recently decided that it's high time I built my own gaming pc. I'm wanting room to upgrade in the future and maybe do a little overclocking. I've done a bit of looking around and found a budget build that I liked. I modified it a tiny bit and got this.

Motherboard:
Asrock z77 extreme4

Cpu:
Intel I5-3570k

Gpu:
Evga Geforce GTX 660 2gb sc

Ram:
Corsair Vengence 8gb (2x4gb)

Storage:
Seagate Barracuda 500gb

Case:
Coolermaster Elite 430 Mid Tower

Psu:
Corsair Builder 600w

Optical Drive:
Cheap $20 drive

OS:
Windows 7 Home Premium


The thing I'm worried about the most is the power supply. I've heard some negative things about it. My budget is $700-$900 US. I live fairly close to a Microcenter if that helps at all. Any help at all is greatly appreciated.
 

mikerockett

Distinguished
Jan 16, 2012
1,347
1
19,465
Something like this should be good for your needs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
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: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.48 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $892.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-25 13:49 EST-0500)
 
Feb 25, 2013
13
0
10,510
Is the 7870 that much better than the GTX 660? Most of what i've read suggests they are very close performance wise and the 660 is $20 less at Microcenter. Does the 7870 have any clear advantages that make it worth it?
 
Feb 25, 2013
13
0
10,510
Completely forgot to add that I won't be buying any of this for 3-4 months. I'll be playing Skyrim with graphics enhancing mods (which i've read is more dependant on the CPU than the GPU) and perhaps Battlefield 3 and Borderlands 2 if I get tired of playing them on console.