First Gaming PC build - ~$1700

[Hint_of_Lime]

Hey everyone,

I've got very little experience with the hardware side of things, and desperately need a first desktop on which to work and play. I truly appreciate any suggestions you guys would be willing to give. If I tried to do this by myself I would surely fry the rig or myself!



Approximate Purchase Date: Within the week

Budget Range: $1500 - $1900 (After rebates, before shipping)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, programming, watching/editing movies/media, Microsoft applications, web surfing

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: No existing parts

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: No preference

Location: Princeton, NJ, USA

Parts Preferences: Intel preferred, at least some SSD required

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: Looking to get 1920x1080 or above

Additional Comments: Use mainly video editors/photoshop, IDE's, Microsoft applications for work. Diablo III, steam games, other mmorpgs and some shooters. Will also need mouse + keyboard.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: The laptop doesn't serve performance needs in gaming and is uncomfortable for long periods of work. Need a solid first desktop for both work and play to last a good while.


Thanks again for your time.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I went a little over but went all out ... wasn't sure if ya needed KB/Mouse.....used a 144 Hz monitor, save 4100 of ya go 60Hz. Include dbLue Ray, save $40 if ya don't need. Everything sized to add 2nd GFX card at later date.

Case - $202 - Corsair 500R Black http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1278901
PSU - incl w/ case - Corsair HX850
MoBo - $285 - ASUS P8Z77 V-LK http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1270852
CPU - inc - Intel Core i5-3570k Included w/ above
Cooler - $80 - Phanteks PH-TC14PE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709011
TIM - $7 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $120 - (2 x 8GB)Mushkin Blackline CAS 9 DDR3-1600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226388
GFX - $390 Asus GTX 670 DCII OG http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121707
GFX - Later - Same
HD - $160 - WD Caviar Black 5 yr warranty 2 TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136792
SSD - $110 - Samsung 840 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188
DVD Writer - $58 - Asus Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247
OS - $100 - Win 7-64 Home Premium OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Keyboard - $100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100
Mouse - $60 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318
Monitor $270 ASUS VG236HE Black 23" 120 Hz Monitor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313

Cost $1,942

 

[xomm]

~1900:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($56.95 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($162.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.61 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($406.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($406.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: OCZ Z Series Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($266.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1980.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-01 00:34 EDT-0400)

Definitely places where you can cut this build down. Dropping to a standard 60Hz monitor and dropping the overclocking components will bring you down to $1700-$1800.

 

[Jack Revenant]

I, too am slightly over the $1,900 budget, but that will drop somewhat if you remove the shipping costs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($316.17 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($154.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.67 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($96.87 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($77.99 @ Adorama)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS DVD/CD Writer ($22.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($266.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser Mouse ($69.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1952.50
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-01 00:38 EDT-0400)

This build would likely be somewhat better for video editing due the use of a i7 3770k rather than a i5 3570k. That said, I had to make compromises in graphics and cooling to manage it, so if gaming matters more than editing, you may want to select xomm's build.

 

[Hint_of_Lime]

Firstly, I so much appreciate everyone's input and help. Since I don't know which components tend to taper off first in terms of providing actual performance gains, could someone briefly give an estimate as to which would be least crucial if choosing between, say,

-a faster CPU (3570 vs 3770)
-a higher-end GPU
-faster/more RAM (8 vs. 16GB, 1600 vs. 1866 MHz)
-faster read/write on hard drive
-other (better cooling, motherboard, PSU, etc.)

I know that things like hard drive speeds tend to help most with loading, booting, and switching between applications, whereas GPU/CPU can grind out better in-game performance, but otherwise, based on the slight variations in builds posted here, I'm not sure where cutting cost would sacrifice the least performance.

In the meantime, I can't express my gratitude enough.

 

[Jack Revenant]

Firstly, I so much appreciate everyone's input and help. Since I don't know which components tend to taper off first in terms of providing actual performance gains, could someone briefly give an estimate as to which would be least crucial if choosing between, say,

-a faster CPU (3570 vs 3770)
-a higher-end GPU
-faster/more RAM (8 vs. 16GB, 1600 vs. 1866 MHz)
-faster read/write on hard drive
-other (better cooling, motherboard, PSU, etc.)

I know that things like hard drive speeds tend to help most with loading, booting, and switching between applications, whereas GPU/CPU can grind out better in-game performance, but otherwise, based on the slight variations in builds posted here, I'm not sure where cutting cost would sacrifice the least performance.

In the meantime, I can't express my gratitude enough.

The 3770k is a superior CPU for video processing and a small number of other non-gaming applications. However, if you don't plan to do much with video editing or the like, the 3570k will give you equal performance in games for a lower price.
GPUs don't really taper off until you get to the REALLY high end. The difference between a 7950 and a 7850 is pretty huge, though the differences between a 7950 and a 7970 or a 670 and a 680 are much smaller. I tend to favour the 7970 Ghz. (primarily because it's significantly faster than the 7950 and you cannot get a non-Ghz. 7970 with Sapphire's Vapor-X cooler) and the 670 (due to being very good value for money relative to the only slightly better 680) from AMD and nVidia respectively, for this price range.
In gaming, there are essentially no benefits to more than 8 GB of RAM, nor to speeds over 1600. I believe that AMD APUs get a fairly significant increase from faster RAM, but no build of this caliber would ever use an APU. Outside of gaming, you'd want to consult someone else. Gaming computers are all I'm ever been involved in. That said, I'm fairly sure that going over 16 GB is almost never useful.
Faster read and write are more of a quality of life issue. Theoretically, they don't need to be high at all. In practice, it's really annoying when they aren't. As a result, what you require there, much like with peripherals, has a lot to due with you, personally, and your preferences.
Once you get a decent base mobo, say, a ASRock Extreme 4, the benefits are pretty much all downhill from there. Some mobos are better for overclocking, some have more PCIe ports, but in the end I tend to find it more of a "get over the $160 hump" type of thing than a linear increase.
More cooling is obviously nice, but you really don't need it (particularly if you have a case with decent airflow) unless you plan to overclock or use a crazy number of graphics cards.
PSUs are something that I feel you really cannot scrimp on. If they go wrong, they can fry your graphics cards, motherboard, or god knows what. I tend to advise getting a SeaSonic and buying more wattage than you expect to consume. That said, I am quite paranoid regarding PSUs.
Another thing to consider is whether you're willing to deal with the hassle of an SLI/CrossFire. They can be extremely money efficient, but they often have bugs, glitches, and unforseen problems.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

-a faster CPU (3570 vs 3770)
-a higher-end GPU
-faster/more RAM (8 vs. 16GB, 1600 vs. 1866 MHz)
-faster read/write on hard drive
-other (better cooling, motherboard, PSU, etc.)

3570k vs 3770k - the 1st one doesn't have hyperthreading, 2nd one does. They tweak the vase speed by 0.1 Ghz to make ya feel justified in spending the extra $100..... however, 3570k will OC just as high as the 3770k and run cooler doing so. In short, for gaming, the 3570k will give you everything the 3770k does. If ya need HT for CAD, video editing whatever, it's worth the extra money.

GPU - Investing more money brings diminishing returns. For example, two 650 Tis for like $268 will toast a gtx 680 or 7970 Ghz edition for $450 plus. The GTX 670 gives ya over 90% of the performance for 75% of the price.

RAM - Doubling RAM will show a small increase in performance (2-8%), certainly nothing equal to the 65% increase in RAM cost .... key point being "today". 2 years ago, everyone was saying anything over 4 GB is a wastee and look where we are now..... well those with 4 and now upgrading to 8. However, if ya double the RAM for $50 extra in a $1900 system, that's only a 2-3% in system cost so the return on investment can be justified.

Storage Speed - Like most enthusiasts over the last few years, I have been doing 1st tier SSD / 1st Tier HD builds. It certainly is PITA tho managing what's on where. I now have 2 laptops in the office:

1st has 128 GB Intel 520 + 7200 rpm 750 GB HD
2nd has 7200 rpm Hybrid SSD / HD (Seagate Momentus)

All I can tell you from the experience is, I will never put a SSD in a lappie again. Without a benchmark, I can't tell what system is which. As for desktops, Son No.2 has a dual boot system upstairs, you can boot of the SSD or HD by choice in BIOS.

Boot to Windows SSD - 15.6 seconds
Boot to Windows HD - 21.2 seconds
Starting MMO SSD - 45.6 seconds
Starting MMO HD - 45.6 seconds

Using the SSD saves him a whopping 34 minutes a year booting once a day.....1.7 hours over 3 years. That SSD is costing me $150 an hour

If you don't need a lot of storage, the 750 GB Momentus is a great option to consider to save some money.

On a $1750 - $2000 system, I always put in a $75-80 cooler.....Son's No 2's box has a 40+% OC on the CPU (2600k) and a 25% OC on the GFX (twin Asus 560 Ti TOP's) cards.

 

[nmakes]

I know I am pretty late by now. But since no solution has been picked up yet, here's my contribution.

See this website that I made, (http://bitmachine.weebly.com/bit-x.html). This build is called the Bit-X. It is meant for premium performance at low cost. Note that this build consumes ~447W (acc. to pcpartpicker). So a 550W PSU is sufficient. Mild overclocking is alright. But for more rigorous overclocking (like 20% OC) a higher PSU is adviced. Also, for SLI, you will need to upgrade your PSU to 800W at least for optimal performance.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($132.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Mac Mall)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1678.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-24 07:16 EST-0500)