Help me build my first custom PC.

[progamerboy]

Good day everyone! I'm new here and it's my first-time to build my own custom PC. I was just wondering if you guys could help me out on this build and what motherboard and PSU should I use. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

CPU: Intel Core I5-3570 (3.40GHZ)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77 (But what kind? -M, -M PRO, -V, -V PRO, -V LE, -V LX)
Video Card: PowerColor HD7950 3gb ddr5 hdmi
RAM: Kingston Hyper X memory 8gb (1600C10D3B1/8G) 1x8
Optical Drive: Asus 24x 24B3ST
PSU: ? (Is a 500W PSU enough to power this up?)

My budget is around $1000 or maybe I could go a little higher than that. Cheaper the better of course but with quality. I use it for gaming and basic audio/video/photo editing and I don't overclock.

 

[marshallbradley]

Hi there,

I assume your CPU is a K series (i.e. 3570k). If not you can ditch the Z77 motherboard and go with a H61 one instead, as the Z77 won't really offer thing. Alternatively use a K series as it will allow for overclocking if that's the route you want to go. If you do want to overclock, getting an aftermarket CPU cooler is necessary. Noctua have a good selection, but there's plenty to choose from.

I'd probably go with a reputable 600w power supply, or something around that mark, anything by Seasonic/Corsair/Antec will do.

The kind of motherboard denotes the form factor and the features. The M ones are micro-atx, so it just depends on the case you want to put your rig in. I'd come up with some cases you're interested in personally.

You want to get 2x4GB RAM, rather than 1x8. It might be a little more expensive, but you'll be able to run it in dual-channel mode (effectively twice as fast) which is well worth it.

Best of luck,

M

 

[progamerboy]

Wow! I learned a lot. So that means if I go for a Z77 then my CPU must be i5-3570K. And if my CPU is i5-3570 then I can go with H61.

I also didn't know about the kinds of motherboard and RAM. 2x4GB is better than 1x8GB because of the dual-channel mode.

So I'm thinking how about this one?
CPU: Intel Core I5-3570K (3.40GHZ)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77
Video Card: PowerColor HD7950 3gb ddr5 hdmi
RAM: Kingston Hyper X memory 8gb (1600C10D3B1/8G) 2x4
Optical Drive: Asus 24x 24B3ST
PSU: 600W
Additional: CPU cooler and fans

Could you please recommend me some good cases for this build? Maybe a mid-tower or something else?

 

[g-unit1111]

Wow! I learned a lot. So that means if I go for a Z77 then my CPU must be i5-3570K. And if my CPU is i5-3570 then I can go with H61.

I also didn't know about the kinds of motherboard and RAM. 2x4GB is better than 1x8GB because of the dual-channel mode.

So I'm thinking how about this one?
CPU: Intel Core I5-3570K (3.40GHZ)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77
Video Card: PowerColor HD7950 3gb ddr5 hdmi
RAM: Kingston Hyper X memory 8gb (1600C10D3B1/8G) 2x4
Optical Drive: Asus 24x 24B3ST
PSU: 600W
Additional: CPU cooler and fans

Could you please recommend me some good cases for this build? Maybe a mid-tower or something else?

That Kingston Hyper X RAM is rated at 1.65V, not 1.5V which you will need for Ivy Bridge. There's no need to pour tons of money into fans - you can only have as many fans as your case has mounts for, and the size and placement of them do matter. Plus your motherboard can only power up to four at a time plus the CPU fan.

Here's what I would suggest on a $1K budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $942.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 12:19 EST-0500)

The 7870 XT is a slight step below the 7950 but it's still a pretty excellent card.

 

[progamerboy]

That Kingston Hyper X RAM is rated at 1.65V, not 1.5V which you will need for Ivy Bridge. There's no need to pour tons of money into fans - you can only have as many fans as your case has mounts for, and the size and placement of them do matter. Plus your motherboard can only power up to four at a time plus the CPU fan.

Here's what I would suggest on a $1K budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($21.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $942.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 12:19 EST-0500)

The 7870 XT is a slight step below the 7950 but it's still a pretty excellent card.

That's a pretty neat build sir. If I go for an Asus motherboard, what would you recommend for this build? It gets confusing because there are too many kinds of motherboards so I don't really know what or which to choose from.

 

[g-unit1111]

That's a pretty neat build sir. If I go for an Asus motherboard, what would you recommend for this build? It gets confusing because there are too many kinds of motherboards so I don't really know what or which to choose from.

Asus, Asrock, and Gigabyte are the most well respected motherboard manufacturers. ECS, Intel, and Biostar I wouldn't really recommend. EVGA makes some decent motherboards but they do not have a lot of modern amenities (visual BIOS, things like that).

If you want Asus then go for the P8Z77-V LK.

 

[marshallbradley]

g-unit (lol) has a good build with a nice case there. The power supply is a very reliable choice especially. I'd by fans once you have the computer put together, and you have some idea of the sort of temperatures you are looking at. For a CPU cooler the 212 is good value for money, though if you want better cooling performance the somewhat pricier NH-D14 is a better bet (I believe it fits in that case).

As with every build I comment on, I pretty much universally recommend getting an SSD, atleast as a boot drive. It will make your you computer much more responsive. The Samsung 830 series is a good place to start for your sort of budget.

Best of luck with your build,

M

 

[g-unit1111]

g-unit (lol) has a good build with a nice case there. The power supply is a very reliable choice especially. I'd by fans once you have the computer put together, and you have some idea of the sort of temperatures you are looking at. For a CPU cooler the 212 is good value for money, though if you want better cooling performance the somewhat pricier NH-D14 is a better bet (I believe it fits in that case).

As with every build I comment on, I pretty much universally recommend getting an SSD, atleast as a boot drive. It will make your you computer much more responsive. The Samsung 830 series is a good place to start for your sort of budget.

Best of luck with your build,

M

Not on $1K or less. You can always add one in later and it will be the same. I've done that on several builds. The D14 is a good choice - I will agree there, it's the reigning king of heat sinks and probably won't be dethroned for quite some time. However you have to think again about budget. $1K or less won't get you a lot of head room for options and I always recommend pouring any remaining funds back into getting the best GPU you can get.

 

[alex2000261yeah]

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 ($32.97 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Crucial V4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.68 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($225.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($101.97 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $980.54
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 13:15 EST-0500)

cant go wrong with that, includes a 1TB hard drive and an SSD (SSD for windows install-faster loading times-and gaming, mechanical hard drive for video editing and general documents etc) and because there's a 7870 instead of a 7950 (probably wont need a 7950 for your needs) not too expensive,
BUT IMPORTANTLY, I have included a motherboard which has crossfire capabilites (for future use and also if that 7870 isn't enough power you have the choice of crossfiring rather than buying a whole new card-which wastes money-).
If i'm honest that looks like a fantastic build, and you'll be able to get a great overclock with the cooler!

SSD, 1TB HDD, CPU COOLER, I5, what more can you ask for?

and alsoi've included a 650w psu cause it's always good to be cautious, especially for the cross fire capabilites, have a nice day!

 

[g-unit1111]

cant go wrong with that, includes a 1TB hard drive and an SSD (SSD for windows install-faster loading times-and gaming, mechanical hard drive for video editing and general documents etc) and because there's a 7870 instead of a 7950 (probably wont need a 7950 for your needs) not too expensive,
BUT IMPORTANTLY, I have included a motherboard which has crossfire capabilites (for future use and also if that 7870 isn't enough power you have the choice of crossfiring rather than buying a whole new card-which wastes money-).
If i'm honest that looks like a fantastic build, and you'll be able to get a great overclock with the cooler!

SSD, 1TB HDD, CPU COOLER, I5, what more can you ask for?

and alsoi've included a 650w psu cause it's always good to be cautious, especially for the cross fire capabilites, have a nice day!

I'd rather drop the SSD in favor of a better video card (especially if it's gaming). I think of getting the SSD like getting the navigation system on a new car - it's cool, looks pretty, and adds some much needed functionality. But you can always add one in later and it would perform exactly the same functions. The V4 isn't that good either (doesn't use the same NAND that the M4 does) - the Samsung 840 Pro and the OCZ Vector are the best SSDs you can currently get on the market.

The Earthwatts Green series are OK - they're made by Delta Electronics which is a decent OEM (per the PSU manufacturers list: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-4.html ). The Neo Eco series are essentially rebranded Seasonic S12s, so that said I'd rather get the Seasonic S12 - it's the same price and one of the best PSUs on the market.

 

[progamerboy]

I read tons of reviews regarding SSDs as an OS-booting drive and for gaming. I was also thinking about it actually because of it's reliability and it loads faster than HDD. Like having it as a main drive and just buy an external HDD for other files. Maybe I'll buy when I already have the extra cash for it.

Thank you very much marshallbradley, g-unit1111 and alex2000261yeah. I learned a lot in this discussion and now have a good understanding on how to build a PC. I will consider all the parts listed in here. Really appreciate it. Have a nice day to all!

 

[marshallbradley]

The thing about buying an SSD after a mechanical hard drive is that unlike simply plugging in RAM, re-installing your OS and all your apps can be quite a pain. Not to say that it's not worth it, but it's better to avoid it and just save up a little extra to avoid installing Windows twice. Or you could buy the SSD first, and only have a couple of games installed while you wait for the mechanical.

@g-unit I agree that for a purely gaming build its better to just go all out on the GPU and ignore the fancy bells and whistles. The thing is the majority of people don't use strictly 100% of the time on their PC gaming, but typing something out, surfing the web, using PhotoShop and what not. Although they may have a computer which has less performance, they will have an overall more satisfying computer to use. All you really need to make a whole lot of difference is a cheap 64 gb boot drive, and doesn't have to be the GPU which you shift $60 or so of funds away from to make this happen. Also the difference between a 7870 and a 7950 tends to be a lot less appreciable than the difference between a mechanical and an SSD, unless you're on the borderline of playable FPS. Of course it completely depends on the person and their needs, and this is just my opinion.

You're very welcome! It's good to know that I'm doing good in the world of PC building .

M

 

[g-unit1111]

The thing about buying an SSD after a mechanical hard drive is that unlike simply plugging in RAM, re-installing your OS and all your apps can be quite a pain. Not to say that it's not worth it, but it's better to avoid it and just save up a little extra to avoid installing Windows twice. Or you could buy the SSD first, and only have a couple of games installed while you wait for the mechanical.

Installing the OS is really easy to do, I've added SSDs to multiple builds. Where it does suck is reinstalling all your games, applications, etc. That can get really time consuming.

@g-unit I agree that for a purely gaming build its better to just go all out on the GPU and ignore the fancy bells and whistles. The thing is the majority of people don't use strictly 100% of the time on their PC gaming, but typing something out, surfing the web, using PhotoShop and what not. Although they may have a computer which has less performance, they will have an overall more satisfying computer to use. All you really need to make a whole lot of difference is a cheap 64 gb boot drive, and doesn't have to be the GPU which you shift $60 or so of funds away from to make this happen. Also the difference between a 7870 and a 7950 tends to be a lot less appreciable than the difference between a mechanical and an SSD, unless you're on the borderline of playable FPS. Of course it completely depends on the person and their needs, and this is just my opinion.

Yeah that's a good point and I get that but the way I look at it is that the less expensive parts are always easier to add on than say a $400 video card is. That's why I say that you should always get the best video card you can get for your budget. However on the flip side if money were no object I'd include everything and then some - dual video cards, the OCZ Vector, you name it. :lol:

 

[marshallbradley]

Yeah I guess you're right, the actual Windows installation is not such a biggie, it's more the tweaks and stuff after: trying to remember how to set my Java Class path, putting User Files onto the slave etc. I've downloaded GTA IV from Steam I think 4 times now, and that is a bloody pain... And my saves always somehow end up resetting... Clearly I should plan ahead more for these things :L

M

 

[g-unit1111]

Yeah I guess you're right, the actual Windows installation is not such a biggie, it's more the tweaks and stuff after: trying to remember how to set my Java Class path, putting User Files onto the slave etc. I've downloaded GTA IV from Steam I think 4 times now, and that is a bloody pain... And my saves always somehow end up resetting... Clearly I should plan ahead more for these things :L

M

Yeah I've had to download several games on multiple occasions and then Time Warner starts throttling my internet access (they suck but I have no other alternatives where I live). So yeah that's a pain there, I will agree!

 

[progamerboy]

Best answer selected by progamerboy.

 

[alex2000261yeah]

I read tons of reviews regarding SSDs as an OS-booting drive and for gaming. I was also thinking about it actually because of it's reliability and it loads faster than HDD. Like having it as a main drive and just buy an external HDD for other files. Maybe I'll buy when I already have the extra cash for it.

Thank you very much marshallbradley, g-unit1111 and alex2000261yeah. I learned a lot in this discussion and now have a good understanding on how to build a PC. I will consider all the parts listed in here. Really appreciate it. Have a nice day to all!

Your certainly welcome!