Advice for first PC build

[th3_g0v]

Hi Folk's, I am somewhat of a newbie and I am looking for some advice. I am looking to build my first gaming pc but have very little knowledge.

I am looking to get good performance but not looking break the bank. I am not looking to over-clock this pc but I understand there are different types of motherboards and CPU's designed for over-clocking and ones that are not?

I genuinely have no idea where to start in regards to getting the actual parts I need. Any information and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards Ross (th3_g0v)

 

[Ningsi]

You might want to check the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming motherboard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8uRpSiLt0). Good gaming motherboard. Good price ($144.99 Newegg). MSI and other brands also have certain models that are more suited for overclocking because of various upgraded components and more phases and stuff. For instance the MSI Z87 MPOWER has undergone a 24h OC stress test. It cost $50 more, but to no use if you're not going to OC. So I'd say look around the $150-ish, maybe even $100 price range. There are different sizes: ATX, E-ATX, XL-ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini ITX, depending on your requirements (f.e. CPU, RAM memory, PCI expansion). Make sure that the socket on your motherboard matches the CPU you're installing into it. F.e. Socket 1150 for Intel Haswell CPU's.
Speaking of CPU's, Intel CPU's with a 'K' behind their name have their 'multiplier' unlocked. Which makes them very useful for OC'ing. In your case, you don't have to look into these K-cpu's, and you could go with an i5 4670 ($219.99 Newegg). In any case, this mobo and this CPU is a good base for a next-gen gaming platform.

Parts you need:
- Case
- Motherboard
- CPU + CPU cooling (Use the one in boxed version, or after market)
- PSU (Power Supply Unit, make sure it matches GPU requirements (GTX 760: 500W http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-760/specifications))
- RAM memory (1600MHz is fine be because of CPU memory speed (http://ark.intel.com/products/75047/))
- Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive (SSD for speed, but work out your memory requirements/use because it's also expensive. I'd recommend Samsung EVO 840, from personal experience. (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7173/samsung-ssd-840-evo-review-120gb-250gb-500gb-750gb-1tb-models-tested))
- CD/DVD / Blu-ray drive Don't fuss.
- Graphics Processing Unit (MSI Gaming series GPU's work nice with the MSI Gaming motherboards, and with your wallet. Both Nvidia and AMD available: AMD MSI R9 270X 4GB GDDR5 Gaming $279.99 Newegg, Nvidia MSI GTX 760 2GB GDDR5 $249,99 Newegg. http://versus.com/en/msi-geforce-gtx-760-gaming-vs-sapphire-toxic-r9-270x-oc. In choosing your graphics card I would advice you to look for videos and benchmarks of a certain GPU running the games you want to play (YouTube).
- OS - I'd say 64-bit versions of Windows 7/8.1.
- Keyboard/Mouse
? Wireless connectivity. Some motherboards have wi-fi built in. The MSI z87 G45 does not. You could use a PCI card ($40-ish), or a USB device ($25-ish) or something like that.

Wear an anti-static band during your build to ensure that your components don't run the risk of being damaged by static electricity. Screwdrivers 'n such. Watch this 30 minute YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bUghCx9iso.
Read articles, fora, and guides. Know what specifications you need, and pick you parts accordingly. Faster is always better, but sometimes also more expensive. So try and figure out what is important for each component, and which brands and models are best in your category.

Everything is ofcourse open for discussion, very much depending on your requirements & budget. F.e. which games do you want to play? At which resolutions?

 

[th3_g0v]

Thanks Ningsi this is exactly the kind of advice that I am looking for.

In regards to the price I am looking for around £500 so around $830. The games I am likely to play are Arma 2 & 3, Day Z standalone and or Battlefield and just wanting to get the best resolutions / FPS I can for my budget.

I have been doing some research with regards to the HDD/SSD and some people recommend having the OS installed onto the SSD and everything else onto a HDD? As I say I am a complete beginner to all of this so please bare with me if I getting confused.

 

[kamilstoch]

Yep, that's right. The reason being is, the SSD has much higher read/write speeds (I think) about 6gb/s, which means the whole system is much more snappy and responsive. They are quite a bit more expensive than the standard mechanical hard drive, but you can get a 120GB SSD for £50 on www.aria.co.uk
P.S- The SSD is not a necessary part/component and the only change in games will be the load times (no fps improvements)
One more question: Do you have an OS?

 

[th3_g0v]

Ok I get that, I'm guessing that the 120GB would be plenty big enough for the OS? Also no I do not have and OS, currently I don't have anything. At the moment I am just getting a list of things I need and then I will start ordering parts.

 

[kamilstoch]

You might want to check the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming motherboard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg8uRpSiLt0). Good gaming motherboard. Good price ($144.99 Newegg). MSI and other brands also have certain models that are more suited for overclocking because of various upgraded components and more phases and stuff. For instance the MSI Z87 MPOWER has undergone a 24h OC stress test. It cost $50 more, but to no use if you're not going to OC. So I'd say look around the $150-ish, maybe even $100 price range. There are different sizes: ATX, E-ATX, XL-ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini ITX, depending on your requirements (f.e. CPU, RAM memory, PCI expansion). Make sure that the socket on your motherboard matches the CPU you're installing into it. F.e. Socket 1150 for Intel Haswell CPU's.
Speaking of CPU's, Intel CPU's with a 'K' behind their name have their 'multiplier' unlocked. Which makes them very useful for OC'ing. In your case, you don't have to look into these K-cpu's, and you could go with an i5 4670 ($219.99 Newegg). In any case, this mobo and this CPU is a good base for a next-gen gaming platform.

Parts you need:
- Case
- Motherboard
- CPU + CPU cooling (Use the one in boxed version, or after market)
- PSU (Power Supply Unit, make sure it matches GPU requirements (GTX 760: 500W http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-760/specifications))
- RAM memory (1600MHz is fine be because of CPU memory speed (http://ark.intel.com/products/75047/))
- Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive (SSD for speed, but work out your memory requirements/use because it's also expensive. I'd recommend Samsung EVO 840, from personal experience. (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7173/samsung-ssd-840-evo-review-120gb-250gb-500gb-750gb-1tb-models-tested))
- CD/DVD / Blu-ray drive Don't fuss.
- Graphics Processing Unit (MSI Gaming series GPU's work nice with the MSI Gaming motherboards, and with your wallet. Both Nvidia and AMD available: AMD MSI R9 270X 4GB GDDR5 Gaming $279.99 Newegg, Nvidia MSI GTX 760 2GB GDDR5 $249,99 Newegg. http://versus.com/en/msi-geforce-gtx-760-gaming-vs-sapphire-toxic-r9-270x-oc. In choosing your graphics card I would advice you to look for videos and benchmarks of a certain GPU running the games you want to play (YouTube).
- OS - I'd say 64-bit versions of Windows 7/8.1.
- Keyboard/Mouse
? Wireless connectivity. Some motherboards have wi-fi built in. The MSI z87 G45 does not. You could use a PCI card ($40-ish), or a USB device ($25-ish) or something like that.

Wear an anti-static band during your build to ensure that your components don't run the risk of being damaged by static electricity. Screwdrivers 'n such. Watch this 30 minute YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bUghCx9iso.
Read articles, fora, and guides. Know what specifications you need, and pick you parts accordingly. Faster is always better, but sometimes also more expensive. So try and figure out what is important for each component, and which brands and models are best in your category.

Everything is ofcourse open for discussion, very much depending on your requirements & budget. F.e. which games do you want to play? At which resolutions?

Also, just want to mention about dual-channel RAM, which I've heard helps. Like you said Ningsi, 1600mhZ should be quite fast, although if you see some 1866mhz on sale, then grab it. I recommend not paying too much attention to the CPU if you're gaming, although if you're playing Minecraft, then that's a bit different (more CPU intensive). I'm not sure if you're going to overclock in the future, but if you are, go for the HYPER 212 EVO and replace the stock cooler as it will help keep things cool. For a cheap gaming case, look at the CoolerMaster K380 (cheap, decent cable management, one pre-installed red LED fan, and looks good). For the GPU, it's okay if you get the R9 270X, as it will play games at 40fps maxed out, and with MANTLE it's even better. Basic guide to CPU's:

AMD:
PROS: - CHEAP
- LOTS OF CORES
- RELATIVELY GOOD PERFORMANCE
- HIGH OVERCLOCKING ABILITIES

CONS: - WORSE PERFORMANCE THAN INTEL
- RUNS VERY HOT
- USES LOADS MORE POWER

Intel:
PROS: - BETTER PERFORMANCE
- USES SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER (I5 4670k USES 84WATTS)
- THE K VERSIONS CAN BE OVERCLOCKED HIGH

CONS: - ONLY 4 CORES (DOESN'T MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE)
- VERY EXPENSIVE IF YOU'RE ON A BUDGET

 

[kamilstoch]

Ok I get that, I'm guessing that the 120GB would be plenty big enough for the OS? Also no I do not have and OS, currently I don't have anything. At the moment I am just getting a list of things I need and then I will start ordering parts.

Do you need a monitor? ( sorry for the hassling)

 

[th3_g0v]

Yes I do however I haven't included this in my initial budget for the build as hopefully I can pick up a used one for cheapish until I can afford to replace it.

 

[kamilstoch]

Sorry, but the closest I could get was £600 (no monitor). I'm not sure how you could do one for £500, but I'm kind of a newbie myself, so maybe one of the more experienced people here could build you one.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Y0S3
You could take the cooler away if you're not overclocking.

 

[th3_g0v]

Ok thanks for that I will have a look and maybe I will have to up my budget somewhat.