Building my first Gaming Rig - Budget $1500 (maybe a bit more) First Timer

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JGARCIA14

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Sep 11, 2013
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Hello

I'm a complete noob when it comes to PC gaming since I've never really tried it out. I've played most of my games on console. But now since I'll be entering college next year I'm looking to invest in a gaming PC since I'm bored with my Xbox and won't be taking it. I was looking at getting a gaming laptop but it would make much more sense to invest in a rather cheap ($400-500) portable laptop for everyday use and then invest more money into a desktop.

I'm looking for the best possible configuration that $1500 (maybe a bit more) can buy right now. I'm looking for something that will be able to play a current game such as Skyrim on ultra settings but also an upcoming game like AC4 or BF4 with a pretty good FPS (if possible).

If you have any questions just let me know. This is my first time venturing into the PC gaming world and I'm curious to see what is possible with the money and the suggestions that will be given.

Thanks again and I appreciate your time and help.

Quick Sidenote: I live in the U.S.
 
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Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the world of gaming PCs. I got onto PC as a lifelong console gamer just before going into college as well (and, in fact, did the same thing regarding laptops that you plan to), and I couldn't be happier with the decision.

$1,500 is enough to afford an absolutely amazing gaming PC, and I (and likely many others on this site) would be happy to help you design one. However, we need a little more information:
1: What state do you live in (this effects sales tax from some vendors, as well as access to certain walk-in only deals)?
2: Do you require an operating system, peripherals, and/or monitor, or is the $1,500 for parts alone?
3: Do you wish to overclock?
4: Do you plan to do anything intensive with the system other than gaming?
5: Do you have any special requirements or requests regarding the system (LEDs, giant full tower case, small and portable, very quiet, etc)?

Once you answer those questions, we can properly get to work.
 
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1: I live in Texas.
2: Yes it would it include that which means it can go a bit over but not too much.
3: I don't plan to.
4: Besides gaming I will probably be doing editing/exporting on Sony Vegas or Photoshop.
5: I would like a great monitor (LED or LCD) and a tower that isnt too loud. Also a keyboard that is comfortable and isn't that loud as well. Looks don't really concern me as much on the tower but I would like the mouse and keyboard to be somewhat appealing. And lastly if possible I would like Windows 7.

Thanks again.
 
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How's this look?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.96 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($126.92 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($61.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($398.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse ($59.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1727.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-11 23:19 EDT-0400)

Now, you're likely looking at that and saying "But why would he give me an overclocking processor? And why is it $200 over budget?". Well, the answer is that as a Texan, you have access to a wonderful store called Microcenter, which offers combo deals on CPUs and motherboards at ludicrously low prices. Using one of those combos (http://www.microcenter.com/site/brands/intel-processor-bundles.aspx), the price of the overclocking version of the 4770 becomes equal to the non-overclocking version's price, and is $100 cheaper than what PC Part Picker thinks it is. I chose a Z87 motherboard and a large PSU to allow for an eventual SLI. If $100 over is too much over budget (which I could understand), I would recommend switching to the ever so slightly weaker Gigabyte 7970, which is $100 less (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125413&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=).
I don't specifically recommend those peripherals, by the way. They're what I use, and I love them dearly, but I recommend getting your hands physically on some peripherals and trying them out before you buy them. Keyboards and mice are very much within the realm of personal preference. I included those peripherals to give an approximate price reference.

The system as a whole should be good for max-settings gaming as well as working with Photoshop.
 
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It looks pretty good. I like how I'm able to take advantage of the bundle at Microcenter which I didn't know about before. I will definitely get my hands on some peripherals to try them out and get a feel for them. I only have few questions. Will I be good on sound? Also do I buy the parts all separate online and some in the store like for instance that processor bundle or all together?And what are some good routers/modems to look at? My Verizon modem will be downstairs while my gaming PC will be upstairs and I don't know if I'd be able to run an ethernet halfway around my house.
 
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Well, integrated sound is pretty much fine for non-audiophiles. A sound card is an option, but few people can tell the difference, with the exception of audiophiles and music professionals.
If you click the PC Part Picker link, it will show you all the stores the prices come from, as well as offering price comparisons for if you bought it all from one store. As a general rule, you should buy from a variety of stores (specifically the ones listed as having the lowest price on the item in question) to get the most bang for your buck.
It's been quite a while since I was looking into that side of things, but NetGear is pretty solid to my recollection.
 
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One last thing. What about a cooling unit?

 
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Given your lack of initial interest in overclocking, I had elected to leave the CPU with stock cooling. However, there are numerous affordable and excellent aftermarket coolers, though if you don't overclock their only function will to not make so much bloody noise as the stock cooler. Would you prefer liquid or air cooling?
 
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I'm not really sure what the difference between them are but I would like the one that would work better.
 
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Okay, basically, there are three types of CPU coolers: air coolers, closed-loop/all-in-one liquid coolers, and custom liquid loops. Air coolers are like the stock cooler, but better. Bigger heat sink, bigger, better-designed fans, etc. Liquid is different, however. It uses a radiator to cool the coolant, which in turn cools the CPU. It still uses fans to cool itself, but since they're mounted to the rad, it takes up less space in the middle area of your case, and you generally have more options in terms of placement and fan mountings. It also avoids putting so much waste heat into your case. The difference between the two types of liquid cooling is that some liquid coolers are sold as full units, with all the components put together ahead of time in a (usually) impossible to alter configuration, giving you control only over what fans you put on the radiator. A custom loop is built from the ground up from individual components, just like a PC itself.

As a general rule, the hierarchy of performance and price goes air<closed-loop liquid<custom loop. However, there are some quite good air CPU coolers, such as the Noctua NH-D14, which give nearly as much performance as the best closed-loop coolers for lower prices, so some doubt the usefulness of closed-loop liquid coolers. I personally use a high-end closed-loop system (the NZXT Kraken x60), which costs about $110. It cools quite well, but you really only need that sort of thing for heavy overclocking. A simple Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo air cooler, which usually sells for $25 or so, will cool your CPU well enough for moderate overclocking, and the aforementioned NH-D14 is usually less than $80 and gives close to the Kraken x60's level of performance.

It all comes down to what you want to do with your system, what coolers you can accommodate (having physical space for an air cooler, having properly-sized and spaced mountings for a radiator, etc.), and how much you want to spend.
 
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To be quite honest, I'm not really sure how you even overclock to begin with. I understand that it means that you go at a higher speed than a chip is designed to be, but how is that even done? That being said I will probably go with the cheap air cooler just in case but depending on what is really means, I might upgrade to a better system.
 
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You can either overclock from BIOS (which is generally the best way), or use an overclocking utility (such as ASUS' TurboV Evo). The process of overclocking involves increasing the speed of the chip (for example, my i7-3770k is running at 4.2GHz, instead of the factory standard of 3.5GHz). This increases the heat of the chip, thus necessitating a stronger cooler. Haswell chips in particular require good cooling, due to Intel really messing up overclocking for that series. I should note, this is a pretty drastic oversimplification, but overclocking has never really been my bailiwick, so you'd want to find someone more versed in it for more detailed advice.
If you're looking for a cheap, solid CPU cooler, I recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (http://www.microcenter.com/product/373900/Hyper_212_EVO_Universal_CPU_Cooler). Cheap, efficient, and pretty darn good looking.
 
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I will probably go with that cheap cooler for the time being and maybe upgrade to a good liquid cooler later. I appreciate the help you have given me. I will try to see if I can get it built within the next week or two and I will let you know.

Also I'm curious to see what kind of gaming rig you have?
 
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That's a good plan. You can't go wrong with the 212 Evo.

I have a fairly ludicrous rig which I designed a while back:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($232.97 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Chronos 480GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($319.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($360.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($360.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 820 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($219.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Kingwin 1000W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHAS324-07 DVD/CD Writer ($29.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($182.27 @ TigerDirect)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($266.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: CTL MTLP2151 22.0" Monitor ($153.99 @ Mac Mall)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($47.66 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $3635.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-14 18:09 EDT-0400)

There are a lot of mistakes which I regret in there, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the thing.

If you have any further questions, issues, or concerns, feel free to PM me.
Good luck and happy gaming!
 
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I will gladly do so! And I have two questions about your rig. Why so many hard drives? lol and What do you regret?
 
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I have a tonne of hard drives because I record and edit a lot of footage. The recording programme I use generates bloody giant .AVI files, so I needed as much space as possible to be able to maintain a decent archive of recent raw footage.
Hoo boy, I regret quite a lot. I regret getting the Sabertooth, instead of the more efficient ASRock Extreme6; I regret getting RAM clocked that high, which isn't useful; I regret getting a Mushkin SSD rather than a Samsung, and have already had a drive failure because of this; I regret getting a Kingwin PSU instead of a SeaSonic; and I regret getting an i7-3770k instead of an i7-3930k, due to having to deal with longer render times than I'd like. I was a fairly unrefined designer when I put this design together, and it shows.
 
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