Building my Gaming PC Soon Need Some Advice! (Newbie)

[Techguy1]

Hello everyone!

I am building my first ever gaming pc and I need to know if all the parts are good and if there is something better for the same amount of money. I would like to spend no higher than $1200 for everything. Please could some of the experienced builders help me out with my questions and such. Give me some advice on parts to pick please!
Thanks!
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Things I have already, Windows 7, Monitor, Razer Deathadder and a Corsair k60 keyboard.
(Im in Canada btw)
My Build -
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/qYdd
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/qYdd/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/qYdd/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.79 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.79 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.16 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.79 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($287.08 @ DirectCanada)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($125.87 @ DirectCanada)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $986.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-04 20:57 EST-0500)

I have a question about DVD drives, what is the best cd drive to buy for a first time builder.

 

[jtenorj]

I'd spend a couple bucks more on a hd7950 over a gtx660ti.

get a a xfx 550w psu for about 65 bucks and save 60 bucks.

will gskill's ripjaws ram fit underneath a hyper 212 cpu cooler?

Edit: any dvd burner should be fine.

 

[Techguy1]

I'd spend a couple bucks more on a hd7950 over a gtx660ti.

get a a xfx 550w psu for about 65 bucks and save 60 bucks.

will gskill's ripjaws ram fit underneath a hyper 212 cpu cooler?

Edit: any dvd burner should be fine.

Yeah I am kind of worried out if the RAM will fit under the CPU Cooler, the problem is that I ordered them on black friday when they were on sale for like $25. If they dont fit am I able to return them to newegg and get another type?
I heard the ares would be the best for fitting under the Cooler. How about the rest of the build? Is it a good build?

Why the 7950 instead of 660 ti pe oc? Is it better performance and what else?

 

[TheBigTroll]

id wait for wendsday night. ncix will have a new sale set up for ya

 

[Techguy1]

id wait for wendsday night. ncix will have a new sale set up for ya

I probably will buy my parts at Christmas
Ill check out the sale tomorrow.

 

[TheBigTroll]

oh ok then. wait for boxing day. even better deals

 

[Techguy1]

oh ok then. wait for boxing day. even better deals

What do you think of the build anything you would change? Any better parts for the same amount of money or less?

 

[Swordkd]

I'd suggest using 1866 or 2133mhz ram if the mobo will allow it. Price difference is negligible and some games/apps really take advantage of the faster ram.

 

[TheBigTroll]

-go for a seagate hard drive
-go for a better case like a fractal R4
-go for a motherboard that does not have a MIR tacked onto it. you just end up with the same price since the tax is about as much as the MIR itself
-the xfx xxx 750w power supply is just as good but cheaper
-i would get a 7970 when they are on sale. ncix sold some for 309.99 after MIR on black friday. dont see them not doing that again
-ncix always has cheaper ram.
-ncix has cheaper dvd drives


but all of these suggestions are not to be confirmed until boxing day so wait. make sure you get on early though since ncix servers arent enough to handle heavy traffic

 

[TheBigTroll]

faster ram is another way to say good by to your warranty. its basically useless. i got some 1866mhz ram because it was 5 bucks cheaper than the regular 1333mhz and 1600mhz kits.

 

[Techguy1]

-go for a seagate hard drive
-go for a better case like a fractal R4
-go for a motherboard that does not have a MIR tacked onto it. you just end up with the same price since the tax is about as much as the MIR itself
-the xfx xxx 750w power supply is just as good but cheaper
-i would get a 7970 when they are on sale. ncix sold some for 309.99 after MIR on black friday. dont see them not doing that again
-ncix always has cheaper ram.
-ncix has cheaper dvd drives


but all of these suggestions are not to be confirmed until boxing day so wait. make sure you get on early though since ncix servers arent enough to handle heavy traffic

What 7970 card would you recommend, and a motherboard?

 

[TheBigTroll]

i will recommend according the price.

 

[Swordkd]

faster ram is another way to say good by to your warranty. its basically useless. i got some 1866mhz ram because it was 5 bucks cheaper than the regular 1333mhz and 1600mhz kits.

What warranty are you referring to? The mobo he had listed supports 1866 and 2133. I will agree that it isn"t a huge upgrade, but for essentially the same price or near enough, it's worthwhile.

 

[Techguy1]

i will recommend according the price.

Motherboard price range - $120-$150
Video Card - Depends if there are sales but around 300-330

I dont really know what type of amd card is good, I have only really looked into nvidia cards, and the msi 660 ti pe oc edition caught my eye because of the price, and I have heard good things about it.

 

[Techguy1]

i will recommend according the price.

I also live near a memory express (like 10 mins away) would you recomend buying parts there? Instead of paying shipping and such.

 

[jtenorj]

I tweaked your build a bit.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.79 @ DirectCanada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.98 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.79 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS72 DVD/CD Writer ($14.89 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $982.40
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-04 23:45 EST-0500)

hyper 212 plus to save 5 bucks(1 degree cooler on evo not worth 5 bucks)
Corsair vengeance low profile is very good ram. Kept your high quality wd caviar black 1TB
This is a hd7970 with a good cooler. Should overclock very well. Then it will beat gtx680.
I like the features of haf 912. Fractal has options for sound dampening, but the front looks like it might obstruct the flow of cool air from the front.
the xfx 550w is a very good psu and more than enough to power this rig with room to spare. The haf 912 will take care of any extra cables left unused.
Cheapest dvd burner available. All together comes in under 1k, but a few shipping charges make it a bit more. well under the target of 1200 though.

 

[TheBigTroll]

I also live near a memory express (like 10 mins away) would you recomend buying parts there? Instead of paying shipping and such.

id wait for boxing day, then use memory express price beat

 

[TheBigTroll]

What warranty are you referring to? The mobo he had listed supports 1866 and 2133. I will agree that it isn"t a huge upgrade, but for essentially the same price or near enough, it's worthwhile.

its not the mobo warranty. its intel. they dont warranty any ram over 1.5v or over what ram it is set at default for ivy bridge CPUs. if your chip dies, you are screwed

 

[Techguy1]

Ok I have been looking into some better gpu's and these are some that I found.

It will be either the

Evga Geforce gtx 670 ftw, Msi 670 pe oc

Or a 7970, Cant decide on what card.

Or should I stick with the 660ti pe oc, I would like to not have to upgrade for a long time to. I would like to know what card is better, and what are the differences between the 670 and 7970?

I will be playing on a 1080p monitor and I would like it to be future proof.

 

[jtenorj]

with the latest drivers, hd7970(regular, not ghz ed.) is about as fast as gtx680. It has greater overclock potential. Also more bandwidth and available frame buffer. Basically, it is the fastest single gpu card available(once overclocked). If history has taught us anything, games will require more and more graphics ram as time goes on. 3GB will be an advantage over 2GB, just like 2GB is an advantage over 1GB in some cases now. I actually think bandwidth is less important since games are moving away from traditionally bandwidth hungry msaa and using shader based fxaa that stays on the gpu. Even if having more bandwidth isn't all that helpful now, it sure won't hurt anything in the future.

 

[TheBigTroll]

yes but nvidia's team has also been busy lately. they also have drivers that increase performance

id get a gigabyte 670. 339.99 after MIR right now. but then my recommendation would change on boxing day just saying

 

[jtenorj]

I got an email about nvidia driver updates. some of the recent ones show more minimal performance gains compared to what amd's driver team is doing for the higher end hd7000 series cards. I'll wait to see testing from some of the sites I trust before I will suggest nvidia as better price/performance wise.

 

[Techguy1]

yes but nvidia's team has also been busy lately. they also have drivers that increase performance

id get a gigabyte 670. 339.99 after MIR right now. but then my recommendation would change on boxing day just saying

What do you think the best card for the 7970 and the ghz edition is. Also is the msi 670 pe oc edition a good card for the 670.

EDIT- I am buying all my parts at christmas.

 

[Avenged7x]

Based on your choices I assume you are going to overclock. If not you can save some money on your CPU/Mobo/Cooler, but since your already under budget I think the ability to overclock is worth the extra investment. If I were you I'd also add at least a 128 gig SSD to run your OS and a few games off of since your budget allows it.

Do you plan to SLI or Crossfire? If not a 550w PSU from a reputable brand (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, XFX) is sufficient. The XFX 550w is a quality unit made by Seasonic which is often available for around $60. If you do plan or want to keep the SLI/Crossfire option open for later you can usually land a 750w model for around $80.

Both the 7970 and 670 are excellent cards and they offer very similar performance, with each card offering very minor performance gains depending on the game. I've always had good luck with Nvidia cards so I do tend to lean that way, I like the ASUS and Gigabyte offerings of the GTX670 as they run cool and quiet. Here is a great article comparing some 670s http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-test-review,3217.html

Your choices are solid, whatever boxing day sales are available will dictate what the best value parts are at that time.

 

[TheBigTroll]

if you are building by christmas, ask a week or 2 later. or ask right before boxing day