First Time Purchasing a Desktop Gaming PC ($1800 Budget)

[Archdeath36]

I was looking at purchading a custom made PC online and was wondering if this one would fit what I'm looking for.
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_Black_Pearl
I'm looking for a machine that can run, record, and stream games such as Battle Field 4, Dota 2, CS:GO, and Civ 5. I am 15 and new to the computer scene, I'm not sure what i should be looking for let alone what is worth my money. Any advice on any part of the computer (CPU, cooling, mother board, graphics, ect.) would be gratefully appreciated. As i said i am new to building and purchasing computers and would rather not waste money on a machine that doesn't suit my needs.

 

[zared619]

Something like that is completely overkill, especially on the processor. It doesn't have the best power supply either. Right now a 4790k is overkill for gaming, but if you stream as well, I recommend going with a 4790k.

As far as building your own vs. buying components and putting a PC together, I recommend buying components. There are a ton of guides out there (especially on this site) that will guide you through building a PC. It's a great experience. I'll put together a good build for you, but I'll also recommend a pre-build if you aren't comfortable putting a PC together.

Pre-built with a monitor
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_Z97_i7_Configurator

This build would come with twice as much RAM, a better GPU, a better monitor, and a power supply big enough to support two graphics cards if you wanted.

If you have any questions, just ask.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-E/USB3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($116.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($85.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390X 8GB Tri-X Video Card ($434.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 NEO ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec HCG M 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($89.91 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1665.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-15 15:41 EDT-0400

 

[v1tesse]

It depends on your definition of overkill. He said he wants to run, record and stream games. That means he also needs to edit video.

That is indeed a good build.

Having that in mind though, how about something like this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($378.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9DXi4 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99-UD3 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390X 8GB Tri-X Video Card ($434.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 NEO ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($105.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive ($13.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor ($259.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1850.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 05:22 EDT-0400

 

[Archdeath36]

It depends on your definition of overkill. He said he wants to run, record and stream games. That means he also needs to edit video.

That is indeed a good build.

Having that in mind though, how about something like this?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($378.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9DXi4 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($55.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99-UD3 ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($97.95 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390X 8GB Tri-X Video Card ($434.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 NEO ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($105.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive ($13.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer G257HU smidpx 60Hz 25.0" Monitor ($259.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1850.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-21 05:22 EDT-0400

I've decided not going with cyber power pc cause of bad reviews and instead I'm going with Ironside computers. I want the Intel Core I7 because as i said i would like to stream games and not have to upgrade in a few years. I researched and found that the radeon 390X's are a little weaker then the GTX 970 and cost more on this website. The total for this build is $1653 + shipping. You might have to do some editing on the link to make it look exactly like my build (not sure if it saves my edits). I know i should build my own but I'm not quite that comfortable doing it and no one i know is tech savvy.
Case - Nemesis Case - White(Full Tower)
Noise Reduction - No Noise Reduction
Internal Lighting - NZXT Hue Lighting - Change To Any Color
Processor - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz (Quad Core)
CPU Cooling - Asetek Liquid Cooling - Maintenance Free
Motherboard - H97 Chipset Motherboard
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz
Primary Hard Drive - 1TB 7200 RPM
Secondary Hard Drive - None
Optical Drive - DVD Writer
Graphics Card - Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 4GB
Graphics Card Cooling - Stock GPU Cooler
Power Supply - 600 Watt Power Supply
Operating System - Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Networking - Standard Onboard Ethernet (No Wi-fi)
Monitor - Acer 21.5'' 1920 x 1080 LCD

http://ironsidecomputers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28223_28241&products_id=313

 

[v1tesse]

I've decided not going with cyber power pc cause of bad reviews and instead I'm going with Ironside computers. I want the Intel Core I7 because as i said i would like to stream games and not have to upgrade in a few years. I researched and found that the radeon 390X's are a little weaker then the GTX 970 and cost more on this website. The total for this build is $1653 + shipping. You might have to do some editing on the link to make it look exactly like my build (not sure if it saves my edits). I know i should build my own but I'm not quite that comfortable doing it and no one i know is tech savvy.
Case - Nemesis Case - White(Full Tower)
Noise Reduction - No Noise Reduction
Internal Lighting - NZXT Hue Lighting - Change To Any Color
Processor - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz (Quad Core)
CPU Cooling - Asetek Liquid Cooling - Maintenance Free
Motherboard - H97 Chipset Motherboard
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz
Primary Hard Drive - 1TB 7200 RPM
Secondary Hard Drive - None
Optical Drive - DVD Writer
Graphics Card - Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 4GB
Graphics Card Cooling - Stock GPU Cooler
Power Supply - 600 Watt Power Supply
Operating System - Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Networking - Standard Onboard Ethernet (No Wi-fi)
Monitor - Acer 21.5'' 1920 x 1080 LCD

It's OK that you have decided to go for a pre built PC, especially for it being the first time.
I'm sure in the future you'll become more comfortable with building your own. Trust me, once you actually do it, it'll become much easier. The most important part, believe it or not, is picking the components. Actually building it has it's own difficulties, but there are plenty of tutorials and helpful people around to guide you.


Looking at that list, most of it is OK.

BTW, that list doesn't save, but it's not that big of a problem. What I would change is the following (everything else can stay the same):

Processor - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz (Quad Core) - not a change, but I wanted to mention something here. The motherboard (H97 chipset) is not made for overclocking, so picking the unlocked CPU is just for the extra 400mhz in stock frequency (which negates a big part of the reason people pick an unlocked - overclockable CPU). I'm not sure why they even made it an option without offering a Z97 chipset motherboard (which is the one that can overclock) as well.

Primary Hard Drive - Samsung 850 EVO 120GB SSD - an SSD is a minimum for any gaming PC, especially on a recording and/or streaming build, even though I'd go for at least 240 GB if possible - for the system and to act as a scratch disk

Secondary Hard Drive - 2TB 7200 RPM - this becomes the secondary HDD, but I'd go for a 2TB one, especially since games are becoming larger and larger. Once recorded video, movies and music get into the mix even that will become insufficient over time. You can always add another one in the future.

Monitor - Acer 23'' 1920 x 1080 LCD - the previous size (21.5") is slightly on the small side. I would go for at least 23" in size. What bothers me more, though, is how little information the site provides as to the technical characteristics of the monitor, like response time (which matters in gaming), refresh rate (although I'm pretty sure its 60Hz), if it's a TN or IPS type panel, if it's glossy or matte etc.

With these changes, the total price adds up to $1774. It's just below your max and with shipping it might go a little over, but I think in the long run it's worth it.

 

[Archdeath36]

It's OK that you have decided to go for a pre built PC, especially for it being the first time.
I'm sure in the future you'll become more comfortable with building your own. Trust me, once you actually do it, it'll become much easier. The most important part, believe it or not, is picking the components. Actually building it has it's own difficulties, but there are plenty of tutorials and helpful people around to guide you.


Looking at that list, most of it is OK.

BTW, that list doesn't save, but it's not that big of a problem. What I would change is the following (everything else can stay the same):

Processor - Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz (Quad Core) - not a change, but I wanted to mention something here. The motherboard (H97 chipset) is not made for overclocking, so picking the unlocked CPU is just for the extra 400mhz in stock frequency (which negates a big part of the reason people pick an unlocked - overclockable CPU). I'm not sure why they even made it an option without offering a Z97 chipset motherboard (which is the one that can overclock) as well.

Primary Hard Drive - Samsung 850 EVO 120GB SSD - an SSD is a minimum for any gaming PC, especially on a recording and/or streaming build, even though I'd go for at least 240 GB if possible - for the system and to act as a scratch disk

Secondary Hard Drive - 2TB 7200 RPM - this becomes the secondary HDD, but I'd go for a 2TB one, especially since games are becoming larger and larger. Once recorded video, movies and music get into the mix even that will become insufficient over time. You can always add another one in the future.

Monitor - Acer 23'' 1920 x 1080 LCD - the previous size (21.5") is slightly on the small side. I would go for at least 23" in size. What bothers me more, though, is how little information the site provides as to the technical characteristics of the monitor, like response time (which matters in gaming), refresh rate (although I'm pretty sure its 60Hz), if it's a TN or IPS type panel, if it's glossy or matte etc.

With these changes, the total price adds up to $1774. It's just below your max and with shipping it might go a little over, but I think in the long run it's worth it.

I do not plan on over clocking as i yet understand it fully and do not want to risk overheating my pc or something. Do you suggest i go for the 4790 instead or stick with the 4790k? is there anything it adds besides overclocking?

I deffinetly was looking at SSD's because of their shear speed but decided against it due to its cost. I've earned a little extra money and can now either get a SSD or a 2TB + the monitor upgrade. Which would you suggest?

 

[zared619]

The only difference between the 4790 and the 4790k is that you can overclock the latter.

As much as it pains me to say it, I would go with the 2TB and a monitor upgrade. You can easily add in an SSD down the road, and end up not wasting any money.

 

[v1tesse]

First, a little about overclocking - it's basically running your CPU above the "stock" (default) settings. The K written at the end of Intel CPUs means that the CPU is unlocked, which means you have the possibility of changing these settings if you so desire, but not that you absolutely have to do it.
I suggest reading this article, to have some more in depth info about this - Overclocking for beginners.


The simple answer, given the circumstances and available choices, is that I suggest getting the best types of components you can now and add the things you can add later.
So keep the K version CPU, go for the 2TB HDD and the upgraded monitor and add the SSD later (you can order one for ~$80, or even less if you get a good deal).


The longer version is something like this:

Actually, for those particular choices, the main benefit apart from overclocking is that the K version is clocked at 4 GHz, stock frequency (4.4 GHz boost) vs. the 3.6 GHz stock freq. (4GHz boost) of the non K version.

Some would say that an extra 400 MHz is not worth the extra $40 and that in gaming the difference is negligible, so it would only be useful for streaming/editing video etc. - a theoretical 11% at stock to 10% at turbo speed.

Still, with a future motherboard upgrade it will become a much better investment and even as is, the i7-4790k has a better resale value than the i7-4790.

So, the potential is worth paying a little extra for, because you can't just trade the non K version, add money and get the same deal for an unlocked CPU later.

The same goes for the HDD and monitor. Getting the highest capacity HDD and largest monitor you can afford now is a better choice than the alternative, which is basically selling them later and buying larger ones, or buying extra ones (another HDD and another monitor), to use alongside the initial ones.

As for the SSD, you can just add it later, when you can afford it (the Samsung 850 EVO series is still the best one for the money at the moment).