Extra Time? Help a Casual Gamer with his Build?

[Vircona]

Hey everyone,

If you've got some extra time, I could use some help with my build idea for my new computer. So far, this is what I've got:

UPDATED: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1TL59

If anyone knowledgeable on the subject has any positive ideas for it, or if it looks good and you could just let me know there aren't any problems and it checks out, your time would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
--Vircona

 

[mayurvashishth]

perfect build

 

[Anas Bashar]

are you planning on getting another graphics card in the future?

 

[Razor88]

Why the FX-8150? I would suggest the FX-8320 instead.

 

[DSzymborski]

Why the FX-8150? I would suggest the FX-8320 instead.

Agreed. The 8320 is the better option here.

 

[DSzymborski]

[dupe]

 

[Rammy]

I think you are spending too much for your motherboard and (to a lesser degree) ram.
Finding a cheaper 990FX board will give you cash to get an 8320 or 8350 processor.
I'd also probably swap the HDD for a Caviar Blue 1Tb or the 64Mb Cache version of the Barracuda. Same price or cheaper.

Otherwise it's pretty sensible for a gaming machine.

 

[Vircona]

For the graphics card: You mean upgrading it? Or putting two in? Maybe at some point I'll put another in, but not for now.

For the processor: I forgot to mention I don't know much about computers. Why is the 8320 much better than the 8150? On the basic information, it shows a few differences in the caches (not sure what those are or what that means) and a lower clock speed with the same number of cores. What advantages does it offer?

For the motherboard/RAM: The RAM I have was the cheapest I could find for what I was looking for. I wanted at least 8G of DDR3-1600, and I definitely didn't want 1X8G. What would you suggest as alternatives? And for the motherboard, I've heard too many stories of custom rigs having major issues with cheap motherboards, and a high-end motherboard is only like $40 more than a standard, decent one, so I'm not worried about the extra price compared to, say, a graphics card, where a high-end one costs far more than a decent one.

EDIT: Switched the HDD to the Caviar Blue 64MB cache -- it's cheaper and has a larger cache so I'll go with that. Thanks!

 

[Rammy]

For the processor: I forgot to mention I don't know much about computers. Why is the 8320 much better than the 8150? On the basic information, it shows a few differences in the caches (not sure what those are or what that means) and a lower clock speed with the same number of cores. What advantages does it offer?

Without boring you with too much technobabble, it's just a newer design, which means that despite a slightly slower clock speed, it will be faster overall. The 8320 and 8350 are effectively the same chip run at different speeds.

For the motherboard/RAM: The RAM I have was the cheapest I could find for what I was looking for. I wanted at least 8G of DDR3-1600, and I definitely didn't want 1X8G. What would you suggest as alternatives? And for the motherboard, I've heard too many stories of custom rigs having major issues with cheap motherboards, and a high-end motherboard is only like $40 more than a standard, decent one, so I'm not worried about the extra price compared to, say, a graphics card, where a high-end one costs far more than a decent one.

For RAM, you can save around $10, not much. At $60 you'll find a few 2*4Gb kits. At $65 there's a decent selection. I use Corsair Vengeance RAM myself, but that's just because it was the cheapest option at the time.
There's a difference between "cheap" and "cheaper". Different motherboard chipsets offer different levels of functionality. AM3+ boards can be picked up for $50 or so, but they are low end chipsets. The 990FX is pretty high end for overclocking and the like. If that is what you want, then you can easily keep that level of capability and save yourself a decent chunk of cash. The Asus Sabertooth line aren't positioned for value. 990FX motherboards start at around $105 and while the all offer different things, you'd be hard pushed to notice any real difference between that and a $180 one. Have a look at the ASRock Extreme 4 or Asus M5A99FX PRO in the $125-140 range.

 

[Vircona]

For the processor, the 8320/8350 are just better overall? I think I'll do that since the price increase is negligible.

RAM: Eh, I won't worry about the $10. Two friends of mine got the same RAM and it's worked fine, and after the last computer I got had everything f***ed up on arrival, I'll stick with what I know will work alright.

And for the motherboard: What about this one?: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-990fxextreme4 It looks alright to my untrained eye, anyway. Any issues with it as opposed to the one I have listed? I'm also looking for a board that has 3.0 ports, and both of these do, luckily. So what major differences are there between the one I have listed and this ASRock board?

 

[Anas Bashar]

if your are planning on getting a second card in the future, this PSU will not be good for you.
this PSU has two rails of +12V@24A. it is true the overall amperage on the +12V rails is 48A, but each one of your cards will draw abut 21A from the +12V rail, thus the Mobo will not have enough power left on the +12V rail to power the CPU. since these two rails are completely separate.

so, you will need a PSU with one +12V rail that have at-least 60A.

give me few minutes to recommend a PSU for you.

 

[Anas Bashar]

this will fit your needs, SeaSonic is top quality.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151107

 

[Vircona]

Alright, thanks for the help both of you! I think this will be my finished build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1TKiw

...with the only exception being maybe the power supply. I'll consider whether or not I'll be putting in another graphics card later, and will switch to the one you suggested if I ultimately decide to. Does everything look alright other than that?

 

[Anas Bashar]

now everything looks nice, since you are a gamer there is a high possibility for getting a second card down the road.
good luck.