first gaming rig, advice needed

[vvater]

i would like some advice on where to start and what parts to buy! i have a budget of about $1000 and want to get build the best gaming pc for my money's worth. i also would like room to upgrade.

also would you guys recommend ssd or hdd? or both?

so far i have only tentatively decided on a few parts;

CPU- AMD FX-8320 Vishera

MOBO- Asus M5A99FX

GPU- Sapphire Radeon R9

im still really new to this and am learning so any advice is much appreciated!

 

[linckmichael]

I would suggest SSD as an option, not a necessity unless you really want a super fast start up - and load times. But apart from that performance from running your games, surfing the internet, watching movies (there is no difference).

I'll play around with your budget, keeping the components that you want. If you want to spend more, the Intel i5s are a little better for gaming but more expensive keeping in mind of your budget.

1) I wasn't sure which R9 you wanted, so I chose the R9 280x for its great performance and really competitive price point. Also I chose the ASUS R9 280x because it's by far the quietest of the rest. I find Sapphire's R9s to be incredibly loud >>> http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/radeon-r9-280x-third-party-round-up,review-32817-5.html
2) 8GB RAM all you need, the case I think is top notch quality (great airflow and build quality and looks).
3) You can choose Windows 7 instead of 8 if you'd like. Also, I didn't select a Wi-Fi card, or USB for you because you may already have one - you use plug in. And the 212 Evo is great to keep temps down.

Parts List: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22Bo7

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($158.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($117.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($316.13 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N600 ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $998.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I quite like this build! Hope this helps!

 

[AK139]

There are better CPU's the the 8320. This would be my pick.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22BYC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22BYC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22BYC/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($309.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $990.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-15 03:13 EST-0500)

add an optical drive if you want.

 

[vvater]

thank you both for the recommendations! i'll update on what my list will be, im still eyeing some sales so we'll see what i end up with.

can any of you recommend good monitors under $150? i was going to use a very old dell from a friend but decided to just get a new one along with my new build.

 

[linckmichael]

Comes down to personal preference but here's a list:

1920x1080 (1080p) with DVI/Dsub
1) Acer G246HLAbd Black 24" 5ms Widescreen @$130 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009422
2) HP Smartbuy LV2311 Black 23" 5ms Widescreen @$120 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176250

1080p with HDMI
3) Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED @$160 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236117
4) SAMSUNG S22C300H Translucent Red Gradation 21.5" 5ms (GTG) HDMI @$140 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001796&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
5) Acer S236HLtmjj 23" 6ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED @$140 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009514

-----
Lower Resolutions with DVI/Dsub
6) Acer G236HLBbd Black 23" 5ms Widescreen @$110 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009421&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
7) Acer S220HQLAbd Black 21.5" 5ms LED @ $120 >>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009316&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Hope this helps!