New computer, need help with compatibility!!!!!

[mmho]

Hello, I am currently building a new computer for gaming, and would like this one to last for the years to come.

My budget is around $700 -$R900.

I have been researching on building a computer but I am very confused on the compatibility of my parts, and the power supply. How many watts do I need?

(P.S. The motherboard comes with one of the sticks of RAM.)

CPU - Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W

Motherboard - ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155

RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) x2

HDD - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM

Case - CFI Diablo LT CFI-B1010

Power Supply - Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-550 550W

Graphics Card - MSI R7850 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit

Optical Drive - ASUS DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS

Thanks for all the help!

 

[SHORYUKEN]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($82.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.97 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $850.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-20 21:18 EDT-0400)

Z77 isn't intended for locked CPUs (ie; i7-3770.)

 

[realchaos]

Overclocking?
If you're not, I like SHORYUKEN's build. Personally, I would take out the SSD and upgrade to a 7970 which will max out your budget. If you want fast booting times then keep it.
If you are planning to overclock:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.97 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $871.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-21 00:13 EDT-0400)
Since you get a free 8gb of ram with the motherboard, I grabbed the same model to make it a dual channel 16gb for the price of an 8gb.
You can always drop one of the sticks and just go with a single channel 8gb ram, but it won't be as good as dual channel.

 

[mmho]

Overclocking?
If you're not, I like SHORYUKEN's build. Personally, I would take out the SSD and upgrade to a 7970 which will max out your budget. If you want fast booting times then keep it.
If you are planning to overclock:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.97 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $871.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-21 00:13 EDT-0400)
Since you get a free 8gb of ram with the motherboard, I grabbed the same model to make it a dual channel 16gb for the price of an 8gb.
You can always drop one of the sticks and just go with a single channel 8gb ram, but it won't be as good as dual channel.

Thanks but I already bought the i7 CPU from a friend for $250. Does the original motherboard I picked work with it?

 

[masterman467]

Thanks but I already bought the i7 CPU from a friend for $250. Does the original motherboard I picked work with it?

Yes, it will. But you will be wasting money on a better MOBO then you need. The ASRock H77 Pro4 that shory linked will do the exact same thing for almost half the price.

 

[mmho]

Thanks but I already bought the i7 CPU from a friend for $250. Does the original motherboard I picked work with it?

Yes, it will. But you will be wasting money on a better MOBO then you need. The ASRock H77 Pro4 that shory linked will do the exact same thing for almost half the price.

Thanks a lot. I made a new list based on this thread here (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L7YF). I think this will be my final build but I am unsure of the power supply. Is my power supply right now sufficient? If not now many watts do I need. Thanks.
Btw SHORYUKEN's video card is out of stock and I have no idea how to set up oem stuff.

 

[masterman467]

Thanks a lot. I made a new list based on this thread here (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L7YF). I think this will be my final build but I am unsure of the power supply. Is my power supply right now sufficient? If not now many watts do I need. Thanks.
Btw SHORYUKEN's video card is out of stock.

The PSU is good, great brand, and enough watts.

As for the GPU, i would drop the SSD and get a http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-1003522l or http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n660tipe2gd5oc, as a better GPU will bring a much better performance increase then an SSD. Also, unless your working with large files and restarting your pc 35 times a day, you got a really expensive, low capacity hard drive with no FPS inprovements at all.

TL;DR Drop SSD, acquire better GPU.

 

[realchaos]

To save the most money, you could drop the mobo to an ASRock H77M, almost the same thing except its a mini-atx board, which will still fit in mid towers. Only difference is that it will only have 2 SATA 6gb/s instead of 4 that the Pro4 has. Also, the Pro4 has 4RAM slots while the H77M will only have 2 RAM slots. It's really up to you since it's only a ~$10-20 difference.
Getting a Caviar Blue will perform the same but cost less money. Only difference is that a Black has a longer warranty time (5 years instead of 3). Saves you $20 right there.
If you don't need a modular power supply, the XFX 550w is a good non-modular psu for only $54.99. That can potentially save you about $30-40.

If you take all my suggestions, you lose a modular psu, 2years of warranty on your HDD and future RAM upgrades but you can use the saved money to grab yourself a 7870 XT or maybe even a 7950.

 

[mmho]

Thanks a lot. I made a new list based on this thread here (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/L7YF). I think this will be my final build but I am unsure of the power supply. Is my power supply right now sufficient? If not now many watts do I need. Thanks.
Btw SHORYUKEN's video card is out of stock.

The PSU is good, great brand, and enough watts.

As for the GPU, i would drop the SSD and get a http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-1003522l or http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n660tipe2gd5oc, as a better GPU will bring a much better performance increase then an SSD. Also, unless your working with large files and restarting your pc 35 times a day, you got a really expensive, low capacity hard drive with no FPS inprovements at all.

TL;DR Drop SSD, acquire better GPU.

Well, I was going to install the windows software on the ssd in order for it to run faster. It is worth it, and if so how much would I need for that, and do you have a hdd recommendation? Thanks.

 

[mmho]

To save the most money, you could drop the mobo to an ASRock H77M, almost the same thing except its a mini-atx board, which will still fit in mid towers. Only difference is that it will only have 2 SATA 6gb/s instead of 4 that the Pro4 has. Also, the Pro4 has 4RAM slots while the H77M will only have 2 RAM slots. It's really up to you since it's only a ~$10-20 difference.
Getting a Caviar Blue will perform the same but cost less money. Only difference is that a Black has a longer warranty time (5 years instead of 3). Saves you $20 right there.
If you don't need a modular power supply, the XFX 550w is a good non-modular psu for only $54.99. That can potentially save you about $30-40.

If you take all my suggestions, you lose a modular psu, 2years of warranty on your HDD and future RAM upgrades but you can use the saved money to grab yourself a 7870 XT or maybe even a 7950.

Thanks but I prefer modulated. Makes cable management much easier. Will consider the other mobo.

 

[realchaos]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Sandisk 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($80.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1023.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-21 23:30 EDT-0400)
Got a modular psu. It's 30w smaller but it should run the system just fine. Using the h77m mobo, caviar blue 1tb, $10 cheaper ram, you can grab a 7950 for just $20 over your budget. If you don't feel comfortable going over, you could drop the case to a $50-60 one to keep it just under the budget.

 

[mmho]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Sandisk 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($80.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1023.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-21 23:30 EDT-0400)
Got a modular psu. It's 30w smaller but it should run the system just fine. Using the h77m mobo, caviar blue 1tb, $10 cheaper ram, you can grab a 7950 for just $20 over your budget. If you don't feel comfortable going over, you could drop the case to a $50-60 one to keep it just under the budget.

Thanks a lot for all the help! I am fine with 20 over the budget, but how do you use the oem driver???

 

[masterman467]

Thanks a lot for all the help! I am fine with 20 over the budget, but how do you use the oem driver???

Not sure what your talking about.

But the SSD, even with windows loaded, will only realy decrease the time it takes to start your PC. for most people thats once a day, and you cant give up 30 seconds of your day for your pc to start? RLY? its a VERY expensive part, made for VERY high end builds. A dollar a GB is not worth it. Western Digital is a good brand of HDD.

 

[mmho]

Thanks a lot for all the help! I am fine with 20 over the budget, but how do you use the oem driver???

Not sure what your talking about.

But the SSD, even with windows loaded, will only realy decrease the time it takes to start your PC. for most people thats once a day, and you cant give up 30 seconds of your day for your pc to start? RLY? its a VERY expensive part, made for VERY high end builds. A dollar a GB is not worth it. Western Digital is a good brand of HDD.

Ok, thanks for the suggestion, will remove the ssd.

 

[SHORYUKEN]

I suggest you keep the SSD. It loads up pages faster and loading up the applications you want (like Steam) faster. It's definitely a very useful thing.

 

[realchaos]

SSD is more of a preference. If people can wait like an extra ~20-30seconds for things to load then they can drop the price down a lot. If they want the feel of a high end build with super fast loading times on lots of things then a SSD is a good choice.

 

[mmho]

I will think about the ssd. But I am still confused with oem stuff. Ex: Cd burner - oem. How do you set it up.

 

[realchaos]

Like...how to install an os? When you boot for the first time, you have to go into bios. Through the bios, select optical drive as your booting device. Put your OS disc in the cd burner and then reboot your pc.

 

[mmho]

Like...how to install an os? When you boot for the first time, you have to go into bios. Through the bios, select optical drive as your booting device. Put your OS disc in the cd burner and then reboot your pc.

If I get a ssd I will probably only use it for the os. If I get one, how much memory do you think I should get.

 

[SHORYUKEN]

64 GB or 128 for OS is good. I have a 128 GB and I only use it for OS, but you can get less.

 

[realchaos]

A 120/128 SSD is the average size since it could hold the OS and a handful of programs. The smallest one people would go for it like a 60-ish gb one. On a 64gb, you could hold the os and a couple of programs.