First-Time Builder: Looking For a $2000 Gaming Build (PC + Peripherals)

[Nightspectre]

If you want, I can provide you with the settings I have to get my CPU to 4.4 GHz at a very good 65 Celsius.

That would actually be pretty nice, if it's no trouble to you. I'll still have to decide if I want to OC (that's really what my i5 vs i7 decision would rest on, as while I prefer the i7, I get the impression that an OCed i5 is more effective; any other reason to skip out on i7 that I'm unaware of?), but any more data to help my decision would be really great.

 

[SHORYUKEN]

The i7 is more for video editing than anything else.

This is the video to the OC settings. Note that everything is default except for what he changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vetYANKn_aw

 

[g-unit1111]

Off topic, do they still give you Far Cry 3 for the Vector series? Or is that done?

Last I checked they still did. I may snag a Vector for my new laptop before that promotion is over.

 

[rojodogg]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/388585-33-tomshardware

this will help you decide on 4gb vs 2gb.

Go with the i7 if you plan on doing editing, if majority of use is gaming go with the i5 3470k. Get a good aftermarket CPU cooler now so if you decide to OC later you will already have the cooling.

 

[Nightspectre]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/388585-33-tomshardware

this will help you decide on 4gb vs 2gb.

Go with the i7 if you plan on doing editing, if majority of use is gaming go with the i5 3470k. Get a good aftermarket CPU cooler now so if you decide to OC later you will already have the cooling.

Thanks. The CPU cooler you listed in your last build - I take it that's good enough for now/OCing later? Also, does it include any thermal compound that I need to apply to the CPU (if so, is it relatively easy/difficult to do?)?

EDIT: Another question: As I stated before, my university offers Windows 8 to students for $15. However, I still have reservations about using W8 for gaming. Is this a legitimate concern? Should I go ahead and jump at this, or spend a little extra to stick with a more stable (and in my case preferable) Windows 7?

 

[marshallbradley]

At $15 Windows 8 seems like a real steal. For that price I wouldn't bother with Windows 8. I haven't really heard of any issues with W8 and gaming (maybe some people have though). For me most of the people I know who have tried it have had a very positive experience. You can even set it up to looks and feel exactly like Windows 7, just with the better security features and so on. I wouldn't want to spend $50+ more on W7, when that could potentially be put into slightly better hardware, which would definitely make more of a difference that W7 vs W8.

EDIT: @Nightspectre If you're talking about the X40 Kraken, for the price you'd be much better off with a Noctua NH-D14. It's one of if not the best air coolers out there, and can allow for very good overclocks indeed. It competes with the likes of the H100 for a much lower price. Lower end pre-filled water cooling loops like the X40 are basically never worth it.

M

 

[rojodogg]

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/388585-33-tomshardware

this will help you decide on 4gb vs 2gb.

Go with the i7 if you plan on doing editing, if majority of use is gaming go with the i5 3470k. Get a good aftermarket CPU cooler now so if you decide to OC later you will already have the cooling.

Thanks. The CPU cooler you listed in your last build - I take it that's good enough for now/OCing later? Also, does it include any thermal compound that I need to apply to the CPU (if so, is it relatively easy/difficult to do?)?

EDIT: Another question: As I stated before, my university offers Windows 8 to students for $15. However, I still have reservations about using W8 for gaming. Is this a legitimate concern? Should I go ahead and jump at this, or spend a little extra to stick with a more stable (and in my case preferable) Windows 7?

Thermal paste is pre-applied to the cooler. And for $15 go with the windows 8 OS, it is a steal!!!!!! should work great unlike vista, Ha-Ha!!

And the cooler I listed is a GREAT cooler so says Tomshardware!!!!!

 

[marshallbradley]

@rojodogg It depends how much you value quietness. The X40 does achieve something like 3C better temps than the Noctua in the TH review, but at the same time it's a full 10 dB louder (which is quite a big difference given that it's a logarithmic scale).

M

 

[Nightspectre]

@rojodogg It depends how much you value quietness. The X40 does achieve something like 3C better temps than the Noctua in the TH review, but at the same time it's a full 10 dB louder (which is quite a big difference given that it's a logarithmic scale).

M

Are you referring to http://pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhd14 ?

I'll look into it, comparing with the X40; I'm a little hesitant on embarking on a liquid-based cooler (X40) for my first build, but if it's worth the investment, I may try it out.

 

[marshallbradley]

Yes that's the one. Tom's Hardware did a review pitting the NH-D14 against a bunch of water-cooling units to see how they faired (including the X40, so it's probably of interest to you): http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/h100i-elc240-seidon-240m-lq320,3380.html

Also if you're going to follow rojodogg's build, I'd recommend a K series CPU. The one he has is not overclockable so it's pointless to spend your money on stuff like expensive coolers and Z77 chipset motherboards (which allow for overclocking). If you don't want to overclock, then don't bother buying a CPU cooler. Unfortunately if you want to have the option for more than one GPU, Z77 is basically the only current chipset you can go for. If you decide you only want a single graphics card though (which is honestly all you need for 1080p) then get a H77 motherboard as well which will save you some money.

Since no one really explained the i5 vs i7 issue which you brought up, I'll mention it now: gaming performance between an i5 and an i7 is no different. The only difference between an i5 and an i7 (apart from the name) is Hyperthreading. Hyperthreading basically increases the the number of logical cores on an i7 from the 4 that there are on an i5, to 8. Since very few games use more than 2 cores and almost none use more than 4 (barring maybe Crysis 3) this really has no effect on gaming performance. Otherwise they are practically identical. The 8 logical cores (they aren't actually physically on the chip, physically the chip has 4 cores like the i5) are useful for things like video-encoding, so if you're interested in high-fidelity streaming it might be something to consider, but 95% of people on these forums will tell you for purely gaming, don't waste your money on an i7 over an i5. The i5-3570K is the one to go for if you're interested in overclocking (the i5-3470K mentioned before doesn't actually exist, and was a typo I imagine).

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is choice of power supply. If you end up going with a single card (again this would be my recommendation for 1080p) don't waste your money on an 850W power supply, when 550W is plenty. Power supplies are also one of the most important components of a PC (which a lot of new people seem to miss) as if they malfunction, they can turn your computer into (in the worst) not much more than a burnt out husk (explosions are actually frighteningly frequent when reviewers decide to test lower class units for laughs). Here is a tiered list of power supply manufacturers/models: http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx The Raidmax recommended above is a Tier 5 unit for example, so personally I wouldn't really put my faith in it (even if it is just a rebranded better unit -- which I imagine it must be for the 80+ Gold rating). Personally I tend to recommend SeaSonic and Corsair, though XFX, Antec and PC Power and Cooling are all very solid Tier 1 picks, though Tier 2 is also very high quality.

M

 

[rojodogg]

Yes that's the one. Tom's Hardware did a review pitting the NH-D14 against a bunch of water-cooling units to see how they faired (including the X40, so it's probably of interest to you): http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/h100i-elc240-seidon-240m-lq320,3380.html

Also if you're going to follow rojodogg's build, I'd recommend a K series CPU. The one he has is not overclockable so it's pointless to spend your money on stuff like expensive coolers and Z77 chipset motherboards (which allow for overclocking). If you don't want to overclock, then don't bother buying a CPU cooler. Unfortunately if you want to have the option for more than one GPU, Z77 is basically the only current chipset you can go for. If you decide you only want a single graphics card though (which is honestly all you need for 1080p) then get a H77 motherboard as well which will save you some money.

Since no one really explained the i5 vs i7 issue which you brought up, I'll mention it now: gaming performance between an i5 and an i7 is no different. The only difference between an i5 and an i7 (apart from the name) is Hyperthreading. Hyperthreading basically increases the the number of logical cores on an i7 from the 4 that there are on an i5, to 8. Since very few games use more than 2 cores and almost none use more than 4 (barring maybe Crysis 3) this really has no effect on gaming performance. Otherwise they are practically identical. The 8 logical cores (they aren't actually physically on the chip, physically the chip has 4 cores like the i5) are useful for things like video-encoding, so if you're interested in high-fidelity streaming it might be something to consider, but 95% of people on these forums will tell you for purely gaming, don't waste your money on an i7 over an i5. The i5-3570K is the one to go for if you're interested in overclocking (the i5-3470K mentioned before doesn't actually exist, and was a typo I imagine).

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is choice of power supply. If you end up going with a single card (again this would be my recommendation for 1080p) don't waste your money on an 850W power supply, when 550W is plenty. Power supplies are also one of the most important components of a PC (which a lot of new people seem to miss) as if they malfunction, they can turn your computer into (in the worst) not much more than a burnt out husk (explosions are actually frighteningly frequent when reviewers decide to test lower class units for laughs). Here is a tiered list of power supply manufacturers/models: http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx The Raidmax recommended above is a Tier 5 unit for example, so personally I wouldn't really put my faith in it (even if it is just a rebranded better unit -- which I imagine it must be for the 80+ Gold rating). Personally I tend to recommend SeaSonic and Corsair, though XFX, Antec and PC Power and Cooling are all very solid Tier 1 picks, though Tier 2 is also very high quality.

M

He has not decided if he is going to SLI now or in the future.
He has not decided if he is going to overclock now or in the future. I also lean twords the i5-3570k for a gaming PC (yes typo 🙁) He wants options and if he is never going to OC then the i7 is a great option for his other uses, it is what he wants we are just trying to help him and give him options.
Nice job on the PSU but as I said before he may go SLI now or in the future so he will need a quality PSU and 500 or 550 is perfect for 1 GPU but not sufficient for SLI. Didnt know about that PSU will adjust for a better brand. Thanks for the input.
I love the NH-D14 and I like that as a option, noise should not be a problem in a HAF X case with all of those fans. Are both around the same price. Will update for that option.

 

[rojodogg]

Updated with SLI for $1995.07 under budget.

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core $209.99

Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM $82.53

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 $134.98

Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 $139.99

Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM $124.99

Crucial V4 128GB 2.5" SSD $94.68

EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB $349.99

EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB $349.99

Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower $179.99

Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V $116.99

Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer $15.98

Asus VE248H 24.0" $159.99

Keyboard Rosewill RK-8100 $34.98

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/rOjOdogg/saved/1fbm

 

[Nightspectre]

I like particular elements from both of your suggestions (everyone's, actually; the outpouring of help on this thread is amazing). rojodogg is correct in that I'd like to leave the option to do SLI open in the future. I would also like to make sure I have the proper PSU and motherboard to do it, which is why 850 seems suitable (unless too much power will fry a system that doesn't need it).

Though gaming is the top priority, this computer will essentially be at the center of most of my electronic recreation, so I imagine the HT capability of the i7 would be a decent investment (so long as it doesn't actually hurt gaming performance vs the i5). I could spend a little more and pick out a K series CPU should I OC in the future; I just don't want to do it until I'm comfortable with using my own build for a while after it's been assembled. One step at a time.

 

[alecj]

On the software front I would go for the windows 8 deal. For 15$ you can't go wrong. People often think that Windows 8 Has a completely new UI. This is a wrong assumption as in fact the only difference is the start screen. The whole metro is only a place where you can access all your applications. What everyone overlooks is that the desktop for windows 8 is just the same as windows 7. This is where all your productivity comes from. The start menu is only there for accessesing your programmes, which you can just place on the desktop.

 

[marshallbradley]

I understand. And no, using too big of a power supply has no real effect, it will only use the amount demanded of it by the system.

Well what I'm trying to say is that the difference between a K and non K i7 is maybe $30. That's really nothing, esp. given that you're already spending quite a bit money on stuff that is purely for overclocking (like an expensive CPU cooler and to a lesser extent the Z77 motherboard). It would be foolish therefore not to have the K series CPU, but all the other hardware, and have to buy a completely new CPU should you want to overclock. What I'm trying to say that $30 is not much of a long term investment given the possibility that you would like to overclock at some point. It's maybe a 1/10th the cost of buying a new CPU. So by that reasoning if there's a greater than 1/10 chance that you'll want to overclock, buy the K series

It's not as though you are forced to overclock or anything with a K series, it runs just fine at stock settings (exactly the same as a 3770 basically).

M

 

[max_payne]

Just summarizing everything in the thread..

CPU:If doing video editing or similar work:i7
If only gaming:i5
Get a K series one for overclocking
EDIT:Get a K series one either way as you are getting a Z77 mobo

GPU:If you want to SLI 2xGTX 670
Otherwise a single 670
Asus,*XFX*,Gigabyte and MSI are good manufacturers
EDIT:XFX doesn't make nvidia cards anymore

Mobo:If overclocking Z77 mobo else *H77* one
EDIT:Seeing that you are going to SLI get a Z77 one

Sound card:Not really needed unless you have REALLY high end speakers.

RAM:8-16GB recommended.Speed doesn't make a difference.

PSU:Seasonic,Corsair,XFX,Antec,etc are the ones you should go for.750-850w is good for future-proofing.

Monitor:Single or triple-the choice is yours.5-2ms response time recommended for gaming.

DVD Drive:Any drive from a good manufacturer will do.

Storage:A 7200RPM HDD along with a SSD (Storage capacity your choice) is recommended.

Overclocking:Again,your choice.Here's a good guide for getting started:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/198882/overclocking_for_newbies.html?page=1

Case:Get one which is big enough and has decent cooling Coolermaster(HAF),Antec,Silverstone are good manufacturers

Credit for the changes goes to marshallbradley

 

[marshallbradley]

@max_payne XFX don't actually do nVidia cards any-more. Unlike their power supplies, their current series of video cards is also pretty awful as far as noise and temperature is concerned (at least anything with the Double D cooler). Check out: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5476/amd-radeon-7950-review/17

Also H77 doesn't support SLI, and even if they don't start out buying SLI 670s, OP has said they definitely want the option to do so at a later date (which brings in my point about the K series chip -- if you're already going to buy a Z77 regardless, you might as well get a K series to boot).

Otherwise a good summary! +1 (this thread is getting fairly long so it's good to sort of collect all the stuff mentioned).

M

 

[Nightspectre]

Thanks for the summary; I didn't even realize the thread had gotten this long. Thanks to everyone who chipped in!

I guess at this point I need to sit down, read some more, and weigh out my options. I'll probably come back with an initial build list in a week to see what the community thinks, and ask if there are any quirks regarding those specific parts that I should keep in mind.

 

[max_payne]

@max_payne XFX don't actually do nVidia cards any-more.

Also H77 doesn't support SLI, and even if they don't start out buying SLI 670s, OP has said they definitely want the option to do so at a later date (which brings in my point about the K series chip -- if you're already going to buy a Z77 regardless, you might as well get a K series to boot).

Otherwise a good summary! +1 (this thread is getting fairly long so it's good to sort of collect all the stuff mentioned).

M

Thanks,didn't know about the XFX cards and the H77.