Gaming/minor modeling PC New build Help budget max 1200USD

[otucker08]

I've been a lurker here for so many years, i decided to just ask for help on this new computer i
First time poster here, longtime lurker. Thought i'd give it a whirl asking for help here before building my second rig. Thanks in advance , love the community here.

I will be using it for gaming and some minor modeling using programs like unity 3d, maya, blender , to render models and animations for mobile game apps. I also would like to max my game settings and somewhat future proof myself. games i play : total war: rome II , dota 2, bf4, WoW, batman origins, and whenever the elder scrolls online comes out, that one.

I had built my first computer back in 2012, with this motherboard : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121506

and this gpu : GeForce GTX 550 Ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130652

The cpu i went with was an i3 2100-sandybridge.

The build all together was 738 subtotal from newegg.com

the computer works fine as i'm typing using it, but i am having trouble playing some of my games smoothly. (specifically total war: rome II). Also i don't know if i can stick a 770 series gpu on it and a new i5 or something in it due to socket type.

What i am debating in my shopping cart right now :
GPU Choices
gtx 770 4gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130948
gtx 770 2gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130921
gtx 780 3gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130917

CPU : i5 haswell
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116899

MOBO: ASUS Hero
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131989

ram: G skill trident 16gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231589

ssd: samsung 128 (os and few applications)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147247

storage : 1tb hdd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W00ZD1577

That's how far i am right now. I would like 1080p gaming, on my monitor, and i also have it setup to my tv to watch movies on in a dual display kinda setup. I would greatly appreciate advice as to this is all compatible setup, and also advice on power supply and a case that can hold it all, look snazzy , and is noob builder friendly.
I'm a little overbudget as well. Thanks for your help and i tried to follow the template for question like this. Sorry if i didn't do a good job.

ps: I have never overclocked but i hear it's as easy as pressing mouse clicks now, so i am leaning towards doing it this time around. Would i need an aftermarket cpu fan? and the brands i won't budge on would be an nvidia gpu, and intel cpu. mobo i just hear good things about ASUS, but tom's hardware approval leans toward asrock recently looks like. So i dunno.

 

[stevydinho]

This build will be able to max all games out in 1080p settings and handle the modelling side of things. It totaled to $1100 without an OS, so there may be room to upgrade to a 780 GPU. The i5 processor is the best processor for gaming without spending unnecessary money on it, the Z87 motherboard allows for overclocking, the third party air cooler will keep temps low. I put an SSD in there, but you may not want/need it. There's 16GB of RAM and another 1TB of disk space. The 600W PSU is enough to cater for the build, which has a TDP of 428W, and the Fractal Design R4 is a very well built and professional looking case that's big enough to cater for your rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($348.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.70 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1101.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-22 10:58 EST-0500)

Regarding your current build, you could 'stick' a 770 in there, but the sandybridge i3 will bottleneck your gaming performance. A motherboard upgrade would be needed for a new i5 too. Also, the 770 has enough display ports to cater for your monitor and TV, and could display on both at the same time if needed. And yes, it's recommended to have an aftermarket fan for overclocking, the CoolerMaster 212 EVO I included should be fine (another thread showed that an i5 at 4.5GHz with said cooler is 29 degrees celsius idle, and 61 degrees under load).

Hope this helps

 

[otucker08]

is the upgrade on the gpu worth it in your opinion? And yes that's a nice case indeed. is 2gb vram going to still be good moving forward? Thanks so much for your help. I'll definitly be getting a cpu cooler then since it's necessary

 

[stevydinho]

The GPU upgrade is worth it, but whether it's worth ~$150 is dependant on how important graphics are to you. The 770 will max out games at 1080p for a while to come, and 2GB of VRAM is fine. Finally, just a note of your monitor setup, if you're going to be using your monitor and TV simultaneously (assuming your TV is 1920x1080, that's 3840x2160), the 3GB VRAM in the GTX 780 would become more important, but if you're only using one or the other at any given point, I'd save the $150 or so and go 770.