How good will my custom gaming PC be?

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sababwl

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Dec 20, 2012
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Hello, I want to switch to PC for my gaming needs, and build a custom PC to accommodate this, but I'm quite new to computer components. What I want is a high-mid range rig that doesn't need to be top of the line, I just want it to reliably run games coming out for the next few years, not worried about super good graphics though. Looking around, I've taken a shine to the following components:
RAM: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-Modules-KHX1600C9D3K2-8GX/dp/B0037TO5C0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1355999313&sr=8-5&keywords=Kingston 8GB
CPU: http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-2500K-Quad-Core-Processor-Cache/dp/B004EBUXHQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355999382&sr=1-2&keywords=i5
GPU: http://www.amazon.com/PCI-Express-ENGTX550-TI-DC-1GD5/dp/B004RJJN9Y/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355999454&sr=1-4&keywords=GeForce GTX

All I want to know is roughly how future-proof will these parts be, and are there any improvements I could make without a vast increase in the price. Thanks guys :)
 
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Sorry, first time here :)
Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month

Budget Range: Flexible, but not too much more than US$1000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, internet surfing, video editing, microsoft office

Are you buying a monitor: No



Parts to Upgrade: Complete new PC

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: amazon.co.uk, amazon.com, newegg.com, www.dragonpc.co.nz

Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1440x900

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: To make my PC my gaming hub, preferably able to run most games at decent settings for the next few years.
 
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($90.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($131.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($231.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $998.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-20 17:07 EST-0500)
 
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I don't see anything wrong with this build, but as someone new to PC gaming I'm also curious what kind of graphics quality I can expect, and how long this will last me. Thanks :)
 
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Yeah, no. As much as I love LOTR, that is unsustainable as entertainment, unless I die along the way (which is likely).
 
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I have roughly the same components (well, the ones that matter) in my rig, you get fairly good gaming performance from that. Crysis 2 (Everything Ultra, 1080p, Dx11 and High Res pack) has an average of 45FPS while playing, with the occasional dip to 35FPS when something big happens.
Lesser games like AC:Brotherhood, Dishonoured, vanilla Skyrim all hit the V-Sync barrier of 60FPS quite easily at max setting.
 
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Parts are good except the SSD, that is trash you want a Corsair GT/GS. The graphics card is also bad. Don't go AMD unless you plan to voltage OC in which case you need an MSI AMD, not a XFX, and if you do not plan on voltage overclocking as you most probably don't, grab a 660TI/660. All of these parts are ok but the price will be much more expensive. He doesn't have access to Micro Center, or really any of those places. Generally you want an i5K, with a z77 board if you plan on OC. 500 watt PSU from Corsair/Seasonic. 8 gigs of ram, corsair/gskill typically, with a 660/660TI depending on budget. If you are going with an AMD card, you want to get an MSI version, as the other companies lock voltages.
 
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You can tweak voltage on any AMD card, its Nvidia who lock down voltages (and then MSI subvert them).
Also there's plenty of reason to get an AMD card other than its unlocked voltage.

Agree with the bit about not being able to access Microcenter and such. New Zealand prices are a fair bit more expensive than the US, you probably wont be able to get that kind of hardware on that budget in NZ.

Calling a Samsung 830 a bad SSD, tut tut.
 
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This is the dumbest thing I have read today. Almost all AMD cards on newegg are locked. I have an 2GB XFX 6870 and am sad I didn't get an MSI. At the time I didn't know the difference. AMD graphic cards are indeed locked and the 830 series is trash, corsair smashed it completely. That is why there is an 840 series.

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Neutron-Exclusive-LM87800-CSSD-N240GBGTX-BK/dp/B008YUVA34 There you go. Enjoy that 5 year warranty.
 
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I have a Sapphire 7870 that I have raised the voltage on. Are you sure you cannot alter the voltage, just that in most overclocking applications (like MSI Afterburner, which is what I use) you have to change some settings to unlock the voltage.

And heres proof of Nvidia locking down voltages.
http://www.overclockers.com/nvidia-says-no-to-voltage-control
http://www.overclock.net/t/1313300/nvidia-forcing-voltage-locking-600-700-series-discussion-thread.

Really... Your comparing them by Warranty? This is what matters.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/670?vs=532
Besides, I don't want to get in this argument. I was just pointing out that the 830 is a great SSD, not the trash you claimed. I made no comparison to any other drive.
 
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I never said all AMD cards are locked, but way too many for comfort do. Are you sure? Yes, I am sure that the majority do. It depends if it is a reference/non-reference card mostly. XFX Locks all of their cards. That is probably why they provide a life-time warranty. Card will literally last a life time if you don't push it. But I'd rather push it for 5 years and get a new card to repeat the process. All nvidia cards are voltage locked, which is why I say if you go AMD, voltage clock, or go nvidia, you'll get better or equal performance in future games, and lots of times in the games right now. Ultimately you want to buy x card, check to see if its locked. Can you link me to your exact card?

Edit*

According to some dude on another forum: Which country are you from ? Depends on prices in your country. Unless the HD 7850 is atleast 20% cheaper its not a good deal. HD 7870 beats HD 7850 by 20% in stock configuration. clock for clock its close to 10% faster. But on average HD 7870 also has better max overclocks than HD 7850. So it boils down to price. if the HD 7870 is 250 bucks and HD 7850 is 190 get the HD 7850. If HD 7850 is 220 while HD 7870 is 260 get the HD 7870.

The best HD 7870s are Gigabyte HD 7870 OC , HIS ICEQ HD 7870, Sapphire HD 7870. they have the best coolers and are voltage unlocked. the asus DC II cards are voltage locked. so avoid them.

7870s seem to be unlocked.
 
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Its the non factory overclocked version of this.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1372&products_id=19778

Eh, I wouldn't get an XFX card anyway. If you went in with the intention of overclocking it, why would you get a reference design card? Though I am fairly sure you can control the voltage on reference cards, because I have seen some big overclocks on water-cooled cards (which have to be reference PCB's to fit the water block).
 
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And this is why I've waited so long to switch to PC. I'm not interested in overclocking/voltage, I'm just going to put it together and hope it works. I'm also more interested in what parts I should get than where to get them, I can navigate my fairly limited options. Thanks guys!
 
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