Help and Suggestions for Building New High End Gaming PC

[ghost101]

I am new to this, with novice knowledge of building a PC. I know and understand parts, but have yet had the experience of building the PC. I was hoping I could get some suggestions on how this build is? I went to CyberPowerPC and configured a system I wanted, and just copied the parts. Sure I can buy it from them, but I wanted to build it myself for the joy of the task and to save on the labor cost. So, what do you guys think? Did I miss anything? Need more of something? Etc. Please keep comments kind and helping.




Case - Thermaltake Commander Mid-Tower Gaming Case


Fans - Maximum 120MM Case Cooling Fans


Noise Reduction - Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts


CPU - AMD FX-8150 3.60 GHz Eight-Core AM3+ CPU 8MB L2 Cache & Turbo Core Technology


Graphics Card - AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card


Cooling Fan - Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)


Motherboard - CrossFireX/SLI] GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AMD 990FX Socket AM3+ ATX Mainboard w/ Ultra Durable™ 3, Dual Bios, On/Off USB Charge & 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB 3.0, SATA-III RAID, 4 Gen2 PCIe X16, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI


Power Supply - 850 Watts - Cooler Master Silent Pro Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply


RAM - 16GB (8GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory


Hard Drive - 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD


Optical Drive - 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive


Operating System - Window 8 (release end of October)


WiFi - 802.11b/g/n 300 Mbps Wireless Card + External 2.4G 5 Dbi Omni-Directional Wireless Antenna



Thanks for reading / helping! It is very much appreciated!

 

[ghost101]

Thanks excella1221 and TheBigTroll! Your help has been so great! I can not tell you how much I appreciate it!

Do you guys think I will have trouble with the assembly of the system I created in PCparts? Anything I may run into that you suggest I keep in mind? Since as I mentioned this is my first time building it myself lol.

I was also lookin for a cooler case, would a Cooler Master Storm Trooper Full Tower Gaming Case work just as well as what I have? Or better?

 

[excella1221]

I'm sure you'll do fine. Just make sure to discharge yourself for any static every after holding components.
I like most of the Cooler Master cases. It's all on the matter of your needs and preference.
Here's a good break down of 3 Full Towers I would recommend: Click!

Out of those 3, I would get the HAF 932. Personal preference though.
The Storm Trooper just has so much drive bays that I'll probably never utilize in my lifetime. XD

 

[TheBigTroll]

i cant see your build. you are supposed to post your permalink not the URL on the browser

 

[ghost101]

I will likely go with COOLER MASTER CM Storm Series Trooper (SGC-5000-KKN1) Black Computer Case

 

[TheBigTroll]

no i want to see what you put together

 

[ghost101]

Not sure how to "permalink" I was working fine a bit ago, either way here is the list of specs, anything you see that should be edited?


CPU

Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core



CPU Cooler

Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM



Motherboard

ASRock Z77 Extreme9 ATX LGA1155



Memory

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600



Storage

OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" SSD



Video Card

Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB



Case

Antec Three Hundred Illusion ATX Mid Tower



Power Supply

Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V



Optical Drive

Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer



Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 3-Pack (64-bit)

 

[TheBigTroll]

1: reduce down to a i5 3570k. no performance increase going to a i7
2; the asus z77-v pro is a better motherboard.
3:id get a msi gtx670 power edition over a 7950 any day
4: there are better cases like the corsair carbide 500R or your storm trooper
5: the xfx xxx 750w is much better
6: i dont see the use of a 3pak

 

[excella1221]

Ohmy, I didn't notice the link you gave was a browser link. I must've been looking at a build I cooked up for someone then. XD
You don't need the i7 if it's just for gaming. It's essentially the i5-3570K minus the hyper-threading.

 

[ghost101]

I still plan on having the i7, I am sure it will have its uses in the future. Not sure why they would make it without future use, lol. Is the nVidia msi GTX670 a "top of the line" graphics card?

Note: This is not for PURE gaming, just 70% of the build is for that reason alone. I still want to be able to run apps like MS Office and what not on it with no issues. Whats the points of an i7 when an i5 does the same things? Why do they make the i7, for what?

 

[ghost101]

How is the GTX670 better than the AMD I picked? If it is ONLY for 3D then I should state that I hate gaming, or watching movies, in 3D.

 

[ghost101]

Here is the newer build based on what you said, also, what do you mean "the use of a 3pak"? Please understand i am not an expert I am new and seeking guidance, I do not know all terms and parts/software. I assume that has to do with the Windows 7 I picked, however as i mentioned I will be waiting for windows 8 so not to worried about that right now. More so worried about getting the proper parts required for high end gaming and basic office / personal use. e.g. I wanna be able to get my work done then play Skyrim on highest settings with no lag.


CPU

Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core




CPU Cooler

Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM




Motherboard

Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155




Memory

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600



Storage

OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" SSD




Video Card

Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB




Case

Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower




Power Supply

XFX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V




Optical Drive

Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer




Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 3-Pack (64-bit)




Let me know if the parts you mentioned are here, and also why the GTX670 over the 7950 would be appreciated, I have heard reviews that the 3GB 7950 is superior to the GTX670 2GB. If you suggest this solely for 3D then I should mention again I do not use 3D and do not want to.

 

[excella1221]

I understand how you feel about the i7. I too will get it for my new build but simply because I like the fact it's "i7" and I don't mind wasting the extra cash. So I won't stop you anymore there.
The GTX 670 is high-end, yes. And it outperforms the 7950 quite a bit.
Regardless, the 7950 is still a great card. Do note though that the 3gb and 2gb don't really matter if you're on 1 monitor. VRAM is only ever utilized when multiple monitors come into play.

 

[excella1221]

Might I add you should drop Ripjaws X series and get either the Sniper or Ares because the Ripjaws' heat spreaders will be conflicting with your Noctua NH-D14 due to it being tall.

 

[ghost101]

Ok, here is what I got from the partspicker site based on what you two have suggested. Also, should I get any compound glue or special tools? Or do I not need an unique tools for building this?


CPU

Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core




CPU Cooler

Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM




Motherboard

Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155




Memory

G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333




Storage

OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" SSD




Video Card

Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB




Case

Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower



Power Supply

XFX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V




Optical Drive

Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer




Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 3-Pack (64-bit)

 

[ghost101]

Anything else you guys think I should change or swap out (aside for i7 and the operating system, I plan on getting Windows 8 in October so no need to buy 7).

And anything I may encounter when building for the first time you think I should know about (like the special tools I asked about) and things beginners may not know or be confused by?

 

[TheBigTroll]

you need a screwdriver (phillips) and some cable ties.

 

[ghost101]

Thats all? Excellent!

 

[ghost101]

Excella1221 I swaped out for the Sniper, how does the build look to you guys now? More suitable for high end gaming? No conflicting parts?

 

[TheBigTroll]

the ripjaws fit under the d14.

also, take note that my friend can run skyrim at 1080p maxed out with a 6870 and a i5

 

[ghost101]

So you would say that this build will handle any high end games for a few years? (high end games at least 3 years from now). And you think this config is good and will not have any conflicts with assembly?

Is it safe to assemble each part as i aquire it? It will likely take 2 months for me to get all the money for the parts and i want to put each part on the system as I aquire them. Is it ok to leave parts assembled for some time without being finished. (I would not turn it on of course until completion). I am sure it will be fine, but I am a "ask and be sure" kind of girl and like to be safe, especially with expensive parts.

Last question before I begin my project, where do you often buy your parts? Amazon? Newegg? I am looking for the CHEAPEST cost for the parts. I am also interested in new parts only, nothing used. I do not like or use eBay/PayPal. With that stuff in mind any suggestions where to aquire the parts at the cheapest prices (shipping included).

 

[TheBigTroll]

it will play most high end games for 3 years at high settings.

if you are buying part by part, id suggest getting the following given prices dont flictuate as much

ram
cooler
case
power supply
optical drive

the rest should be bought when you see a very good deal


there are no conflicts with what i suggested

to your build
1: get ripjaws 1600mhz
2: get a msi power edition gtx670 over the asus. asus is overrated on their video cards

 

[ghost101]

I didnt see a msi in the parts list, but will look again. To be honest I am feelin a bit nervous about building it myself. Kinda freaked out I will put lots of money into it and not be able to assemble it. Perhaps I would put the parts in the wrong places or the wrong plugs in the wrong slots, etc. I saw some tutorials, but I do not even know how/where to install any needed drivers and what not. For a first timer I think I am just feelin a bit overwhelmed...

 

[TheBigTroll]

how to install drivers. go to manufactuers website and look for your model and download the newest ones. if you cant go on the internet, go to your motherboard CD and get the network driver

the msi card
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n670pe2gd5oc

 

[ghost101]

Do I need to find out to install these drivers for each componet? If drivers need to be installed before power up and booting of the OS how would that work? I think I will just have to have it built for me, every answer I get makes me have more questions.

 

[excella1221]

I think it's a better idea if you built it yourself while under the supervision of a tech, and you can ask him questions along the way.