~$1200 Gaming PC built to last? I'm scared to pick a PSU :(

[harrified]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($259.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill BlackHawk ATX Mid Tower Case ($73.50 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($114.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
Total: $1141.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-11 12:13 EDT-0400)

Approximate Purchase Date: As soon as possible

Budget Range: ~$1200 before shipping and whatnot. I don't mind going over if I think it's worth it.

System Usage: Gaming, Flight simulators

Overclocking: Eventually

SLI or Crossfire: No

Additional Comments: I suppose I'm lucky that I've managed to squeeze 5.5 years out of this Q6600 still at stock speed, owing to the long generation of console ports. Can I repeat my success? Is going with an unlocked $230 CPU only to overclock it down the road to keep up with newer games viable?

My biggest concern is the PSU, I've gotten this far doing my own research but I'd rather play it safe and ask for help.

This is the first build I've selected on my own and I have no experience with overclocking (or water-cooling if it comes to that). I assume the CPU cooler and the 5 stock fans on the Rosewill case will suffice in the meantime and for if I do a light overclock. Am I being ignorant? Should I be overclocking the GTX sooner seeing as how I'm bound to replace it anyway during the CPU's lifetime?

 

[zared619]

This is a pretty solid build. I tend to lean towards Asus and Gigabyte motherboards and GPU's. Corsair makes a good PSU, but if you jump on this deal today, you can save a good bit of cash (XFX is about the best you can buy for a PSU). I will post a build very similar to yours with just a couple minor changes.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($63.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Blackbone ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Amazon)
Total: $1066.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-11 13:34 EDT-0400)

 

[g-unit1111]

My biggest concern is the PSU, I've gotten this far doing my own research but I'd rather play it safe and ask for help.

This is the first build I've selected on my own and I have no experience with overclocking (or water-cooling if it comes to that). I assume the CPU cooler and the 5 stock fans on the Rosewill case will suffice in the meantime and for if I do a light overclock. Am I being ignorant? Should I be overclocking the GTX sooner seeing as how I'm bound to replace it anyway during the CPU's lifetime?

As far as the PSU goes, as long as you get something that's well made by a reputable OEM like Sirtec, Super Flower, or Seasonic, you will not have any problems. I would refer you to the PSU guide to show you who makes what power supply: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913.html

The PSU is extremely important as it's the lifeblood of the system and you don't want to get the wrong one.

As far as cooling your system goes I would stick with air if it's your first time, while purchasing a case that allows for a closed block liquid loop like a Corsair H110 or a Swiftech H220. But if it's your first time building and overclocking, you don't want to jump into overclocking head first. Tread lightly. But where you want to spend your money is on getting a good GPU, not the CPU - everything else comes after the GPU.

I would do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1309.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-11 14:22 EDT-0400)

I upped the wattage on the PSU to allow for an SLI of that 770 later on.

 

[AxlFone]

This is bit cheaper psu. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone750m

I like more Gigabyte mobo. X-D3H is good or UD3H they have better protection on board systems than asrock. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz87xud3h
Good price and really good mobo.

Then cooler. This is new but really good and silent.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhu14s
Good price now. Normal price is 75$

Near same price you can buy good 256GB SSD
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sandisk-internal-hard-drive-sdssdhp256gg25

Gigabyte makes better cooler for video card. Or Asus.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx770dc2oc2gd5
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn770oc2gd

So my build looks like this.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1CAyC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1CAyC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1CAyC/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($397.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 550D ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G-750 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1326.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-11 15:06 EDT-0400)

I d like more window case. Then Fractal is good choice.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefr4blw

Or maybe this. http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/ronin/
Or this. http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/shadow

 

[JayDhil30]

I like your original build and overclocking the GPU would make sense but try to squeeze a stronger CPU if possible.

I am currently playing with the i7 3770k and am confident it will not bottleneck with future GPU upgrades. Of course there is a huge price difference between the CPU I mentioned.

 

[g-unit1111]

This is bit cheaper psu. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-caps...

There's nothing wrong with the one I picked. It's a Super Flower unit.

This is bit cheaper psu. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone750m

I like more Gigabyte mobo. X-D3H is good or UD3H they have better protection on board systems than asrock. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz87xud3h
Good price and really good mobo.

I have no problems with Gigabyte motherboards, but on a budget of $1400 or less, do you really need a 256GB SSD? You don't really come out ahead in terms of cost per GB. Plus SSDs slow down after you load them above 80% capacity which is why I always recommend the second mass storage drive.

Gigabyte makes better cooler for video card. Or Asus.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx770dc2o...
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn770...

I've never been the biggest fan of Asus graphics cards and their gigantic three slot cooling design, though that seems to be the trend these days. I do like the Gigabyte Windforce but only the 3X, and the EVGA ACX cooling designs are good, it seems EVGA is listening to their customers this time around.

 

[TheBigTroll]

the rig can be better
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1CD4E

-upgraded CPU cooler
-better motherboard in terms of hardware quality
-cheaper ram kit. does the same job just as well
-no reason to get a higher end SSD when the differences are minimal (like milliseconds worth in real world usage scenarios)
-black drive has no benefit. its slower, louder, more power hungry, and in terms of a mechanical perspective, more prone to failure as it has more parts inside
-better case for cheaper. no reason to get rosewell stuff unless its cheap
-a 550w is more than enough
-the 7970 is a better value for the money compared to a 770 or a 760. nothing quite beats it
-cheaper dvd drive

more performance for 100 dollars less. cant really beat it

 

[AxlFone]

I can beat 7970 and that is easy job. Buy 760.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2oc2gd5
Price is chraper and it is as fast as the 7970 in most games 1080p resolution.

Read this. http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_760_review,1.html

Couple samle from results. It is not faster than 7970 but really close. It cheaper so it is better buy.

 

[zared619]

@ OP

You have some good build choices here. To be honest the overall BEST build was posted by g-unit, but it comes up over budget. You could trim off the SSD, or go with a cheaper XFX or Seasonic PSU. The three brands I recommend most are PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic, and XFX. You could pick anyone of those at anything 550 watts or above and be just fine.
If you don't mind going $100 over, go with g-unit's build. If you wanna stay around 1200, go with my build and add a 128GB ssd. You can normally get them around $100.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[g-unit1111]

@ OP

You have some good build choices here. To be honest the overall BEST build was posted by g-unit, but it comes up over budget. You could trim off the SSD, or go with a cheaper XFX or Seasonic PSU. The three brands I recommend most are PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic, and XFX. You could pick anyone of those at anything 550 watts or above and be just fine.
If you don't mind going $100 over, go with g-unit's build. If you wanna stay around 1200, go with my build and add a 128GB ssd. You can normally get them around $100.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

If you take out the SSD my build actually comes in under budget or if you mix up the stores, my build comes in around the ~$1250 range.

 

[harrified]

You guys gave me a lot of homework but it's greatly appreciated! I've spent all my leisure time looking at the builds here and comparing the components to my initial choices, getting an idea of what's better and why. More questions though...

But where you want to spend your money is on getting a good GPU, not the CPU - everything else comes after the GPU.

Can anybody elaborate on this GPU-first theory of part selection, please?

My goal was bang for the buck and the rule of thumb is diminishing returns past the $250 range, right? Is this "$400 card now" more cost effective in the long run instead of my usual scheme of "$250 card to start with and a $250 upgrade later on?" I'd assumed that since the GPU is easier to replace than the CPU/Motherboard, it will be replaced more often and shouldn't be anything special.

Secondly, I had chosen the Rosewill Blackhawk case with the 5 stock fans in mind, aiming for a peace of mind since I live in the relatively hot southern climate and often inadequate cooling in this room (even in winter this room is often too warm in order to keep the other rooms habitable). Is it foolish for me to cling on to that case in light of the other options here, or is this really more preference and I can blow my money on any junk I want?

 

[TheBigTroll]

more case fans do not mean cooler temps. it means more cooling potential but for example,, my rig has no case fans for the reason that they make absolutely no difference to my temps.

as for the GPU, always get a better GPU to start off. although you could just upgrade every year, it just means you wasted the original amount of money you spent and that you generate more e-waste in general