New Gaming PC - $2000

[Pandemic12]

G'day, I'm in the process of building a new gaming PC with a budget of $2000, give or take.

Approximate Purchase Date: Anytime within the next two weeks or so, doesn't really bother me.

Budget Range: $2000, give or take.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming -> surfing the internet -> watching movies -> other

Are you buying a monitor: No, I've currently got this monitor. Not sure if it's any good but it's worked pretty well. I'll probably upgrade in the future, but any feedback on this monitor would be appreciated.

Parts to Upgrade: Whole new PC

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: PC Case Gear

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Parts Preferences: No preferences really, but I do prefer nVidia, but if I can get more bang for my buck off other brands then that'd be better. Also, I'm not sure if ASRock is a good MOBO brand, the previous MOBO I had in the below build was the ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE Motherboard

Overclocking: Yes, not sure how to overclock but I'm willing to learn.

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, I've currently chosen one graphics card, but I'm hoping to upgrade and purchase another in the future.

Your Monitor Resolution: Not even sure what resolution I currently play on, but anything ''good'' will do I guess, doesn't really bother me.

Additional Comments: I tried getting recommendations off different people and this is what I built thus far (changes can be made),

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My current PC has had it's run, and thought it was time to get a new PC.

Would appreciate any help, thanks.

 

[Pandemic12]

This is what I've got so far, changed a few parts,

 

[manofchalk]

Try building it yourself, you'l save $135 and probably more again in shipping costs, and youl gain a much deeper connection to the machine. It isn't just some box that whirs and plays games, its your creation and you know exactly whats in it and how it works.
Plus no doubt the thing will eventually throw up issues and I have a feeling mailing it back to PCCG isnt that viable an option. Its better you know what to do when it happens so you can fix it yourself.
You could also save a fair few dollars by buying the case locally, it will be the majority of your shipping cost.

You'v got the build fairly spot on, but definitely room for improvement. I'l go down the list commenting on the components.

- Seagate Barracuda's perform better than WD Blues and are of similar cost. Any reason why you are getting two rather than just a 2TB drive?
- Unless you are running a quite expensive and high quality sound setup, no point in a high end sound card. Most I would recommend on a gaming would be a Xonar DGX, if only for its headphone amp.
- I'l assume that you legit need that BLU-Ray drive, but if not then that's a way to cheapen the build.
- AMD is much better value Down Under, Nvidia cards are overpriced unfortunately. I recommend getting a 7970, make sure to ask PCCG about the Never Settle: Reloaded bundle, Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite come free with the card.
- Drop the water-cooler, they perform no better than much cheaper air heatsinks. By the time your where CLC water-cooling is beginning to be worthwhile, your literally $5 from a custom water kit which performs much better. I recommend getting a Hyper 212 EVO.
- See above rant :lol:
- Have a look at the Silverstone Strider Plus 750W, its of equivalent quality to that Corsair, Fully modular, 80+ Silver and much cheaper. 750W is enough for dual Crossfire/SLI.
- CPU is a good choice
- DO you really need a Wireless NIC?
- I say go for Windows 8, if the new interface and lack of start menu in Desktop mode are whats putting you off, there are ways around it now.
- Good choice on the SSD, just be aware that 128GB will cover you for an OS install, all your commonly accessed programs and one or two games.
- Only need 8GB for a gaming rig, though if you want 16GB go ahead, RAM is cheap. Good choice on the model BTW.
- Very nice case if your after a silent rig.
- I advise downgrading to the GA-Z77-D3H, has all the features you will need.

Also your running a 1680x1050 monitor, which is a sub-HD resolution. I suggest upgrading to a 1080p monitor if the budget allows. Could use the old monitor as a secondary display if you do for an extended desktop (very useful, believe me).

 

[Formata]

99.7% Agree with ManofChalk. All bar Windows 8. I can't abide that OS at the moment. So far I'm sticking with 7. Sorry Mano love your work, but for a straight gaming build you might be fine with 8... still too many teething problems in other areas for me. And I'm an old dog that doesn't learn new tricks very well.

CPU - Intel 3570K $235.00 - Your choice... It's a good one
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_346_1184&products_id=20138

CPU Cooler - CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO - $35 - Not so pretty but cools really well and is cheap. If your CPU is stable and cool at 4.5GHz what difference does it make if you've spent $30 or $150
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_23_845&products_id=18670

MOBO - Asrock z77 Extreme4 - $135 - This is the area that requires most investigation on your part. You really need to look down that list of features to see what you are needing VS what is just pushing up the price. For a gaming/surfing/streaming build, this is my choice.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_1183&products_id=19867

RAM - Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB (low profile)- $59 - 8GB is plenty for a gaming build
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=17729

SSD - Samsung 830 Series 120GB - $99 - For my money 256 GB models are still too much. Again you need to evaluate how much you need on this boot drive and how much you can keep on the HDD.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_902_1370&products_id=20429

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST1000DM003 - $75 - Cheaper and from most reports reliable.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_344&products_id=19747

GPU - Gigabyte Radeon HD7970 Overclocked 3GB - in Crossfire (2 x GPU's) $818 - Will give you so many more frames per second than the gtx 680, it isn't even fair to put the 2 setups on the same graph. Yes this is a big chunk of your budget. Yes this is where it makes a difference, now and in the future.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1309&products_id=19269

CASE - Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl - $149 - Your Choice... It's a good one. Could save some $ if you wanted with other options...
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_1055&products_id=21166

PSU - Antec High Current Gamer 750W - $135
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_226&products_id=16142

OPTICAL - Samsung SH-224BB/BEBS SATA DVDRW Drive - $22
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=658_667&products_id=21346

OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit - $99
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=375_974&products_id=17003

Total = $1860


My theory with a gaming build being... after 6 months when you've taken the side panel on and off 100 times to show your friends... and the dust settles on the top of that shiny black case... Really how blingy what sits below the hood will be sooo much less important than what is happening on your screen. As newer, more demanding games come out down the track you want a $2K build to be able to keep up with the best of them for many years, obviously without comprimising on quality and reliability of the other parts, sinking the majority of your budget in the GPU setup is where your dollars will serve you best.

Here's Build Tom's did recently with a similar GPU setup:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-computer-how-to-overclock-gaming,3363.html

Obviously some more exy parts in other areas than my list but I wager the fps in gaming would be similar those show in the article.

 

[marshallbradley]

manofchalk and Formata are correct about the 7970, it offers more bang for your buck, esp. down under. I'd start off with one though, they aren't going anywhere! You can always add a second if you feel you need to. This is particularly since you don't actually know the resolution you're gaming at. For 1080p and below (and probably a bit above too for the majority games), CrossFire 7970s are just money burned.

Best of luck,

M

 

[Pandemic12]

Try building it yourself, you'l save $135 and probably more again in shipping costs, and youl gain a much deeper connection to the machine. It isn't just some box that whirs and plays games, its your creation and you know exactly whats in it and how it works.
Plus no doubt the thing will eventually throw up issues and I have a feeling mailing it back to PCCG isnt that viable an option. Its better you know what to do when it happens so you can fix it yourself.
You could also save a fair few dollars by buying the case locally, it will be the majority of your shipping cost.

You'v got the build fairly spot on, but definitely room for improvement. I'l go down the list commenting on the components.

- Seagate Barracuda's perform better than WD Blues and are of similar cost. Any reason why you are getting two rather than just a 2TB drive?
- Unless you are running a quite expensive and high quality sound setup, no point in a high end sound card. Most I would recommend on a gaming would be a Xonar DGX, if only for its headphone amp.
- I'l assume that you legit need that BLU-Ray drive, but if not then that's a way to cheapen the build.
- AMD is much better value Down Under, Nvidia cards are overpriced unfortunately. I recommend getting a 7970, make sure to ask PCCG about the Never Settle: Reloaded bundle, Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite come free with the card.
- Drop the water-cooler, they perform no better than much cheaper air heatsinks. By the time your where CLC water-cooling is beginning to be worthwhile, your literally $5 from a custom water kit which performs much better. I recommend getting a Hyper 212 EVO.
- See above rant :lol:
- Have a look at the Silverstone Strider Plus 750W, its of equivalent quality to that Corsair, Fully modular, 80+ Silver and much cheaper. 750W is enough for dual Crossfire/SLI.
- CPU is a good choice
- DO you really need a Wireless NIC?
- I say go for Windows 8, if the new interface and lack of start menu in Desktop mode are whats putting you off, there are ways around it now.
- Good choice on the SSD, just be aware that 128GB will cover you for an OS install, all your commonly accessed programs and one or two games.
- Only need 8GB for a gaming rig, though if you want 16GB go ahead, RAM is cheap. Good choice on the model BTW.
- Very nice case if your after a silent rig.
- I advise downgrading to the GA-Z77-D3H, has all the features you will need.

Also your running a 1680x1050 monitor, which is a sub-HD resolution. I suggest upgrading to a 1080p monitor if the budget allows. Could use the old monitor as a secondary display if you do for an extended desktop (very useful, believe me).

Thanks for replying! Much appreciated.

1. I'm thinking of changing to the WD 2TB Black. I was going to get two 1TB blue since it was cheaper, and would been sufficient enough.

2. Ended up changing the sound card to what you suggested, thanks!

3. Mmm, I'm on the fence, I probably won't need a blu-ray player but I'll think about it, thanks for reminding me about that.

4. Interesting... I'm thinking of just sticking with nVidia, always been a fan of nVidia, and a mate suggested it so I thought I'd go with it. Thanks anyways.

5. Interesting.. Guess I'll change it then.

6. Alright cool, Silverstone sounds alright.

7. Thank you

8. Yeah, I actually do haha. My router is two rooms away, so i'll need the best wireless card available..

9. Interesting, I'll check a few reviews on Windows 8, thanks.

10. Oh okay, I'll just stick with the 256GB, this PC will probably end up lasting me 5-6 years, if possible haha.

11. Yeah, I'll stick with 128GB, thanks.

12. Cheers.

13. Hmmm, why is their a price difference between the two if they offer the same?

Thanks again for the response, much appreciated.

 

[marshallbradley]

The GA-Z77X-UD3H has one more PCI-E slot (2 x PCI-E 3.0 and 1 x PCI-E 2.0) vs the 1 x PCI-E 3.0 and 1 x PCI-E 2.0 of the GA-Z77-D3H.

You won't really notice any difference at all, even if you do go for a dual card setup.

M