Looking to build a gaming pc from SCRATCH

[sykohxD]

I'm looking to play game like CS:GO on a setup that'll last me a few years for sure. I'm completely new to building PCs, and I have no peripherals, OS, or monitor to start off with. So a budget of $600-$700 would have to incude EVERYTHING I need. I'm ok with going slightly over budget if need be, but I'd prefer to stay under if I can.

The keyboard and mouse don't have to be the best, I just need a solid PC, monitor, and OS somewhere in my price range. Thanks! 😀

 

[Shneiky]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($53.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($16.75 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE228H 21.5" Monitor ($123.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $741.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-22 13:39 EST-0500

Everything you need. And after few years, you can upgrade little by little. The case, power supply and monitor should serve you well for long. You can always change a graphics card and CPU+Motherboard and RAM or add an SSD in the future. Cheers

P.S You can change to Windows 8 if you wish to do so.

 

[sykohxD]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($104.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($53.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($16.75 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE228H 21.5" Monitor ($123.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $741.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-22 13:39 EST-0500

Everything you need. And after few years, you can upgrade little by little. The case, power supply and monitor should serve you well for long. You can always change a graphics card and CPU+Motherboard and RAM or add an SSD in the future. Cheers

P.S You can change to Windows 8 if you wish to do so.

Wow. It's quite over budget but I guess that's what I have to do if I want a good one huh? Thanks for the answer! Just wish it was cheaper lol....

 

[Shneiky]

I can shave off some 50 bucks or so - but the thing is, you have a price of around 400 for your basics - case, PSU, hard drive, operating system, peripherals, monitor. These do not bring any performance but they are essential. Then you have the motherboard and RAM which is another 100. So what defines your performance is the CPU and video card. And those two cost 230. Anything you slash off - will affect performance. Its those last 50 bucks that it is worth it and bring as lot to the table.

Also, you wont be buying anything else in a long time. So it makes sense to put up 40 more and be happy for longer.

 

[okcnaline]

Eh.... x) I know it's bad, but it should handle games with sufficient performance at quite low settings.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($33.69 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 250 1GB Video Card ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VX228H 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($138.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator - OEM Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $677.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-22 13:53 EST-0500

 

[sykohxD]

I can shave off some 50 bucks or so - but the thing is, you have a price of around 400 for your basics - case, PSU, hard drive, operating system, peripherals, monitor. These do not bring any performance but they are essential. Then you have the motherboard and RAM which is another 100. So what defines your performance is the CPU and video card. And those two cost 230. Anything you slash off - will affect performance. Its those last 50 bucks that it is worth it and bring as lot to the table.

Also, you wont be buying anything else in a long time. So it makes sense to put up 40 more and be happy for longer.

Ah very true...I just didn't know it would be this expensive to get started. Oh well, still worth every penny! Thanks for the explanation! c:

 

[sykohxD]

Eh.... x) I know it's bad, but it should handle games with sufficient performance at quite low settings.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($62.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($33.69 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 250 1GB Video Card ($61.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.75 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VX228H 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($138.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator - OEM Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $677.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-22 13:53 EST-0500

Cool build! Although I need those 1080p graphics and 60fps lol. Thanks for the help though, and I really like that headset you added! It looks pretty sick!

Would this monitor be ok to use? It has some pretty good reviews...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-20-widescreen-flat-panel-led-monitor-black/5563131.p?id=1218661381932&skuId=5563131

 

[Shneiky]

You can always add a headset, but going with G3258 with R7 250 will provide only 1/3 of the fps of I3+750Ti.

Though if you want a good headset with not so steep of a price try:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/logitech-headphones-981000541

I have a pair. They sound good, the mic is descent and they are rather solid. You can take off and wash the padding when it gets dirty. Some people complaint they are on the heavy side, but I did not experience anything as such. Though that is what you get when you want something not so flimsy.

The monitor you listed has Maximum Resolution of 1600 x 900. The one I included is 1920x1080 for the same price and Asus does a pretty descent job and it does have some weak integrated speakers (or at least it says so).

 

[okcnaline]

1) You will get 1080P@60FPS... on low settings, I bet!!! xD
2) The monitors okay... I guess. However, the point of the monitor I added is the 1ms response times, compared to competition.

 

[Shneiky]

If you are running 60 FPS - that means each frame is 16-17ms.

1 ms response time is complete nonsense since your computer can not spit out frames that fast for it to matter. Any monitor with 5 ms is good enough. For those 5ms to become an issue you have to be running with 200-240 FPS. Your ping during on-line play is around 30-40-50 ms in best case scenario.

 

[sykohxD]

You can always add a headset, but going with G3258 with R7 250 will provide only 1/3 of the fps of I3+750Ti.

Though if you want a good headset with not so steep of a price try:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/logitech-headphones-981000541

I have a pair. They sound good, the mic is descent and they are rather solid. You can take off and wash the padding when it gets dirty. Some people complaint they are on the heavy side, but I did not experience anything as such. Though that is what you get when you want something not so flimsy.

The monitor you listed has Maximum Resolution of 1600 x 900. The one I included is 1920x1080 for the same price and Asus does a pretty descent job and it does have some weak integrated speakers (or at least it says so).

I already have some Astros, so I don't need a new headset as of now. I do like the heavier headsets as well though

Ah ok I see. Thanks for that, cause I would have been an idiot and bought one that doesn't even use the graphics to the max :s Btw, can your setup run CS:GO at 60fps smoothly on max settings? Because I'd hate to build the whole thing and then find out that it stutters or lags haha.

 

[Shneiky]

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/content/reviews/graphics-cards/29407/nvidia-geforce-gtx-650-ti-overclocked-graphics-card-review/10

This means my 650Ti would be scoring 89 fps at Maximum detail. The 750Ti you have in your build is 20-30% more productive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gipzf3ogbOI

And apparently that guy gets 122 average FPS with his 750Ti.

But just activate V-Sync so you don't get tearing and you will be running constant 60 FPS in sync with the monitor for silky smooth game play.

 

[sykohxD]

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/content/reviews/graphics-cards/29407/nvidia-geforce-gtx-650-ti-overclocked-graphics-card-review/10

This means my 650Ti would be scoring 89 fps at Maximum detail. The 750Ti you have in your build is 20-30% more productive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gipzf3ogbOI

And apparently that guy gets 122 average FPS with his 750Ti.

But just activate V-Sync so you don't get tearing and you will be running constant 60 FPS in sync with the monitor for silky smooth game play.

My god....I had no idea how powerful that build was! I thought you had to have a pc that costs like $3,000 to get results like that! Your build definitely impresses! So I could technically play any game I wanted and I would get really good frame rates? Because CS:GO isn't the most fps hungry game out there, I know. Do you know the limit for this build?

 

[Shneiky]

You would most likely play all modern games with graphics ranging from medium-low to ultra depending on the game.

I can definitely say you will run League of Legends,DOTA2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA: Online, Diablo3, Path of Exile and any other existing MMORPG at over 60 fps at ultra. I am not a hardcore gamer anymore so I do not game a lot and I have not tried out my 650 TI that much. I use my computer as a home 3D workstation mainly.

 

[sykohxD]

You would most likely play all modern games with graphics ranging from medium-low to ultra depending on the game.

I can definitely say you will run League of Legends,DOTA2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA: Online, Diablo3, Path of Exile and any other existing MMORPG at over 60 fps at ultra. I am not a hardcore gamer anymore so I do not game a lot and I have not tried out my 650 TI that much. I use my computer as a home 3D workstation mainly.

Well thanks for this amazing help! At first I thought your build was way overpriced and not worth the money, but after your descriptions and all the statistics I'm thoroughly appalled. Knowing that I can use this on all the games I want to play and upgrade it for years to come seals the deal for me

One last question, and this one will be very noobish.... Is there anything special I need to do while building a pc? Or do all of the parts just click in? I don't want to have to do any threading of connections or stripping or soldering things together if I can avoid it haha. Thanks again for being really informative!

 

[Shneiky]

Building a computer as as streamlined as it gets. Its like a LEGO for adults.

But lets start from the begging:

1 - Watch a video tuturial on how to put the parts together.
2 - Read the manuals. All of them - all pages.
3 - Read the manuals again!
4 - Before touching any PC component - ground yourself. Touch a huge metal piece that is not connected to electricity - large metal heater or etc. Do not wear any clothes that easily build up static electricity (synthetics predominantly). After you ground yourself - remove all plastics and foils around the components. Do not touch parts such as the CPU socket, PCIe socket or the RAM/Graphics card connections.
5 - Do not force any component in. If it does click with minimal amounts of force - there is something wrong.
6 - Read the manuals another time!
7 - Before turning the computer on - tripple check all cables and all screws. Pick up the manuals and go check up step by step.

 

[sykohxD]

Building a computer as as streamlined as it gets. Its like a LEGO for adults.

But lets start from the begging:

1 - Watch a video tuturial on how to put the parts together.
2 - Read the manuals. All of them - all pages.
3 - Read the manuals again!
4 - Before touching any PC component - ground yourself. Touch a huge metal piece that is not connected to electricity - large metal heater or etc. Do not wear any clothes that easily build up static electricity (synthetics predominantly). After you ground yourself - remove all plastics and foils around the components. Do not touch parts such as the CPU socket, PCIe socket or the RAM/Graphics card connections.
5 - Do not force any component in. If it does click with minimal amounts of force - there is something wrong.
6 - Read the manuals another time!
7 - Before turning the computer on - tripple check all cables and all screws. Pick up the manuals and go check up step by step.

And all of the stuff is universal? All CPUs will click into the motherboard and the guides can all apply to this build? I'm still shaky on the build or buy option, but I'm kinda psyched to build my own. The chance of the parts not working or something is the only think I'm kinda freaked out about. Because if I spend $750 on parts I would be really pissed if they didn't work lol...

 

[Shneiky]

You have different CPUs that fall into different sockets. The CPU and motherboard I gave you are compatible. Else - all video card fall in PCIe x16 slot which is a standard. All motherboards that use DDR3 have the same slots - its a standard. DDR3 sticks are a standard of their own. Just be careful at what position do you place the parts. They have a certain orientation.

 

[sykohxD]

You have different CPUs that fall into different sockets. The CPU and motherboard I gave you are compatible. Else - all video card fall in PCIe x16 slot which is a standard. All motherboards that use DDR3 have the same slots - its a standard. DDR3 sticks are a standard of their own. Just be careful at what position do you place the parts. They have a certain orientation.

Huh. I guess the days of soldering and clipping wires are over huh? I've done a bit of research, and I'm a bit lost here. Is i3 cpu still good enough for gaming? I see that theres an i7 out now, so an i3 seems quite dated, does it not? And on that thought, is Intel or AMD better for intensive gaming? I had no idea building a pc would be so difficult :s

 

[Shneiky]

No, I3 is not outdated.

Every year and a half Intel releases 4 main consumer CPU models

- Pentium G - 2 Physical cores - up to 80$
- I3 - 2 Physical Cores and 2 Hyper threaded - from 100 to 160$ (around)
- I5 - 4 Physical Cores - from around 170 to 240$
- I7 - 4 Physical Cores and 4 Hyper threaded - from 270 to 330$
(1 Hyperthreaded core has around 1/3 the potential of a real Physical core)

I5 does not replace I3 and I7 does not replace I5. They are manufactured at the same time and are aimed at different budgets. Currently the newest generation of consumer grade Intel processors is Haswell. That means I3 4000 series, I5 4000 series and I7 4000 series. I3/I5/I7 is a name to show to which target group it is catered - not something directly tied to a model.

I have a 2011 year I7 and my model is 2700K. In 2012 there was the 3000 series with I7 3770K and in 2014 the 4000 series with 4770K and later in 2014 we had a refresh with 4790k.

And as far as it goes at the Intel VS AMD argument - I will just say that for your budget and for your purpose - you are better served of by an I3. There are many technical details that explain why Intel is better at this and that and why AMD is better at that other thing, but that would require a lot of writing from my part and a lot of googling from your part.

 

[sykohxD]

Oh I see. So that number only shows the amount of cores, not necessarily when it was released....good to know!

After even more research, I've found that Intel is better for what I want and the i3 suits my needs and budget perfectly. Plus, I can always upgrade to an i5 or i7 later when I get the money I'll buy the materials when summer starts (maybe the prices will be lower as well lol) and I'll hopefully make a thread on the process. I'll be sure to credit you for the build! Thanks so much man, your feedback has been invaluable!

 

[Shneiky]

Keep in mind that when summer comes and you start your build it will be completely different. Prices change on a daily basis and what is a good deal today, will be a bad deal tomorrow. Also, there is new hardware introduced constantly, so the list I gave you now might be rather outdated when summer comes.