First time build (gaming), need a lot of advice =|

[Tubbypenguin]

Additional Comments: I decided to move additional comments to the top since I feel like it's the most important for this post. This is going to be a really long section :x

At this moment, I'm not looking for anyone to make a build for me. Instead, I'm trying to figure out what kind of hardware I'll need for my needs, rather than the actual hardware itself. I've read a ton of threads on these forums about builds, but most of what I've seen are part lists, which don't help me a whole lot. Don't get me wrong, I've learned basically everything I know about pc hardware from these forums, but I'm looking for more specifics for myself.

One trend I've noticed in almost all of the build threads I've looked at is the word gaming, which annoys me a little. In my mind I'm not looking to build a "gaming pc", rather a pc with the capability to play games. Just me mindset really. I've been using computers since I was a kid (18 now), but this will be my first pc. Right now I have a laptop that's nearing 4 years old. Basics of my laptop: intel core 2 duo, 4 gb ram, nvidia g210m. So really any pc is going to be a step up from my laptop, but I don't what exactly I'll need in a pc. Edit: I don't need more than 1TB of storage, no matter how cheap it'd be to get more

I guess I'll skip my life story for now and get back to the computer talk. I'm looking for a computer that'll be able to run the game I play on high-ultra settings at max fps. This includes anything from CS:GO, WoW, D3, PoE, Black Ops 2, SWTOR, Civ 5, and many more. Secondary to this will be video editing and rendering, which I haven't seen addressed in most of the build threads I've looked at. So basically those are my needs/wants.

Last paragraph before questions, hopefully I haven't lost anyone along the way. Not sure if I'll get gripe for this or not, but I don't plan on upgrading this build. I myself would rather have a good build now that'll last for a while (~2-4 years) than make one that will need upgrading. Basically I just need advice on price ranges and their corresponding performance. And that should conclude the long paragraph section >.<

I do apologize for for this, but I haven't been able to find much information that suites my needs. Next will be a long question list, I'll try to keep it short and simple

1. What price range should I be looking at?
2. 8 vs 16 GB of ram. Worth it for video editing, or would the extra cost benefit the entire computer more if put into other parts? I know most games won't even take advantage of 8, but this is more based on editing.
3. Will I need any equipment or w/e to connect to wireless internet?

Thank you very much for any input, and again I apologize for the massive wall of text

Approximate Purchase Date: Not for a while, more of just gathering information for now
Budget Range: Depends on what I decide on, which depends on advice I get. I'm guessing anywhere from $600-$1000+
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, video editing, then general computer use. More info in additional comments
Are you buying a monitor: Yes, preferably ~22 inches or so, not any larger
Parts to Upgrade: All
Do you need to buy OS: Yes, windows 8
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, ncix, amazon
Location: Washington State, USA
Parts Preferences: Indifferent between AMD and intel, but if AMD can get it done for less I might prefer that
Overclocking: Yes
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: Don't know since I don't have a monitor

 

[willyroc]

You're looking at $1000-1200, maybe even more depending on the hardware you want. However, you shouldn't stress yourself too much. 16GB RAM is a no-brainer since it is so cheap nowadays. 1333 MHz CAS 11 works just as well as 1600 MHz CAS 9. Performance differences are minimal. Don't get anything stronger than a GTX 660 or a 7870 for gaming at 1080p. You should use a wired connection rather than wireless for gaming purposes.

 

[Tubbypenguin]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured the cost would be towards the higher end for what I'm looking for, but reassurance is nice. If i can use an ethernet cord with my modem at home without messing up the wireless I will probably buy a cord long enough. But if it messes up the wireless I'm not sure what I'll do.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for the quick response. I figured the cost would be towards the higher end for what I'm looking for, but reassurance is nice. If i can use an ethernet cord with my modem at home without messing up the wireless I will probably buy a cord long enough. But if it messes up the wireless I'm not sure what I'll do.

Most wireless routers will handle a large number of devices. Mine hooks up to four different PCs, 3 laptops, my iPad, and the DirecTV satellite boxes all with no lag or problems.

At this moment, I'm not looking for anyone to make a build for me. Instead, I'm trying to figure out what kind of hardware I'll need for my needs, rather than the actual hardware itself. I've read a ton of threads on these forums about builds, but most of what I've seen are part lists, which don't help me a whole lot. Don't get me wrong, I've learned basically everything I know about pc hardware from these forums, but I'm looking for more specifics for myself.

So the core components you'll need are case, PSU, motherboard, CPU, RAM, storage (HD, SSD, optical), GPU, and monitor. The case and power supply are two of the most important parts of the build, as is the GPU. The PSU (power supply) is one area you need to very carefully research as getting the wrong one will have drastic consequences. I leave peripherals (keyboard, monitor, mouse, etc)open ended as that's entirely up to the user. Everyone's tastes in that area are different.

You're looking at $1000-1200, maybe even more depending on the hardware you want. However, you shouldn't stress yourself too much. 16GB RAM is a no-brainer since it is so cheap nowadays. 1333 MHz CAS 11 works just as well as 1600 MHz CAS 9. Performance differences are minimal. Don't get anything stronger than a GTX 660 or a 7870 for gaming at 1080p. You should use a wired connection rather than wireless for gaming purposes.

You have a $1200 budget. Why would you not get anything stronger? I wouldn't bother with the 660TI, the Radeon 7870 is an excellent card. On a $1200 build you could easily fit a 7950 or GTX 670 in for that price.

 

[willyroc]

g-unit1111 is correct. However, this 7870 GHz edition is on par with a reference 7950 in terms of performance, and is also the cheapest GHz edition. Everything else should be fairly self-explanatory.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.24 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHAS324-98 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1071.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-10 01:33 EST-0500)

 

[g-unit1111]

g-unit1111 is correct. However, this 7870 GHz edition is on par with a reference 7950 in terms of performance, and is also the cheapest GHz edition. Everything else should be fairly self-explanatory.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.24 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHAS324-98 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1071.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-10 01:33 EST-0500)

I don't think the OP was looking for specific builds just yet, just beginner's advice. I would go for a lesser CPU and a stronger GPU and better case, but that's just the way I do things.

 

[willyroc]

I don't think the OP was looking for specific builds just yet, just beginner's advice. I would go for a lesser CPU and a stronger GPU and better case, but that's just the way I do things.

Actually, there's not much point since he's only gaming at 1080p and is doing a lot of video-editing and rendering.

 

[Tubbypenguin]

Actually, there's not much point since he's only gaming at 1080p and is doing a lot of video-editing and rendering.

I wouldn't necessarily say a lot of editing and rendering, so I don't know if I'd want or need higher grade parts just for this. I'm used to my laptops editing/rendering ability, so I'm guessing any pc I build will be doing a much better job. Just a thought I had. If any money goes towards editing/rendering (besides the extra 8gb of ram) that isn't REALLY necessary, i might opt out of that. But again I'm in no tech position to decide this by myself with my lack of knowledge

 

[willyroc]

Then you can save $105 by going with the 3570k.

 

[Tubbypenguin]

Then you can save $105 by going with the 3570k.

That'd be really nice to save that much. While I'm not on a budget, I'd like to save where I can, and something like things like this are why I'm on these forums

 

[g-unit1111]

I wouldn't necessarily say a lot of editing and rendering, so I don't know if I'd want or need higher grade parts just for this. I'm used to my laptops editing/rendering ability, so I'm guessing any pc I build will be doing a much better job. Just a thought I had. If any money goes towards editing/rendering (besides the extra 8gb of ram) that isn't REALLY necessary, i might opt out of that. But again I'm in no tech position to decide this by myself with my lack of knowledge

Laptop hardware is not the same as desktop hardware - not at all the same. Laptop graphics processors are watered down to consume less power so they don't perform the same. Same thing with the hardware that you would get from a big box manufacturer (HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc) - they use a lot of proprietary hardware that makes long term upgrading difficult and in some cases near impossible. Building your own isn't really that hard, after hooking in the case wires and screwing down the motherboard, everything else hooks into place.

 

[Tubbypenguin]

I understand that. I just feel like no matter what I put into the pc I build, it'll outperform my laptop substantially, so I don't feel like i necessarily need to spend a whole lot of extra cash to be happy with my build. Gaming > editing is my basis, so if a build will allow me to game at the quality I want and also have the ability to ability to let me edit/render (which I assume it will, correct me if I'm wrong), then that'll work for me

 

[g-unit1111]

I understand that. I just feel like no matter what I put into the pc I build, it'll outperform my laptop substantially, so I don't feel like i necessarily need to spend a whole lot of extra cash to be happy with my build. Gaming > editing is my basis, so if a build will allow me to game at the quality I want and also have the ability to ability to let me edit/render (which I assume it will, correct me if I'm wrong), then that'll work for me

Any gaming hardware can run professional applications. However professional level hardware (Intel Xeon/AMD Operton, Fire Pro / Quaddro) is not suitable for gaming, the professional GPUs can't render at the same speed their gaming counterparts can.

 

[Tubbypenguin]

Any gaming hardware can run professional applications. However professional level hardware (Intel Xeon/AMD Operton, Fire Pro / Quaddro) is not suitable for gaming, the professional GPUs can't render at the same speed their gaming counterparts can.

I haven't heard of any of those before, but are you saying that gaming hardware will work for editing (I've always assumed it would), but editing hardware won't work well for gaming?