My First Build

[cad411]

Hey guys, I need help on deciding on weather this is a good build or not.
This will be my first build and i've been shopping on newegg for components.
My build will be:
Antec Three Hundred Mid tower computer case with 430W supply
Western Digital WD Velociraptor 300GB (main)
Western Digital WD Blue 1TB (secondary)
ASRock Extreme6 FM2 AMD A85X
Rosewill Wireless N Dual Band PCI
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB
Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (total)
AMD Trinity 3.8GHz FM2
Microsoft Windows 8 Pro- OEM
Cougar Vortex Hydro-Dynamic-Bearing Fan
Xigmatek Gaia 120mm Long Life CPU Cooler

I will be using this for a lot of gaming and some other minor stuff
I will use steam mover to move games from hardrive to hardrive. (I realize that an SSD is faster, but you get 10,000 RPM from the Velociraptor which isn't bad and way cheaper)
My limit is 1,150$ and I am at 1,029.84$.
Please leave comments and tips.
Thanks!

 

[Rammy]

You can get a lot more for your money, $1000 is a healthy budget.
Firstly, the trinity processors aren't really what you are looking for as they have built in graphics.
Secondly, if this is primarily for games, you might as well spend a higher % on graphics.
The following build has a cheapish SSD, a much better overclockable processor and a better graphics card. Reason I picked that specific graphics card? It brought the total to almost exactly $1000. There are plenty of other options if you prefer Nvidia.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.55 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($127.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($72.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.20 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $998.62
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-14 01:37 EST-0500)

 

[-Elmer-]

Totally agree on that setup - makes much more sense than the first one. Don't forget to chose a decent PSU (no idea what you have in your first setup). If you plan for a better videocard or future upgrades a powerful and reliable PSU is an absolute must.
Personally, I would for an Asus Z77 motherboard instead of the Asrock - a bit more expensive but I've much better experience with Asus than with Asrock (Asrock motherboards are much better nowadays than the used to be, and offer a great value, but they do not have the reliability Asus is known for).

 

[cad411]

I really only just put a bunch of stuff together that was decently priced and looked cool. I don't really have a clue what I'm doing.

 

[cad411]

Commenting on the Asus Z77. Should I get the Sabertooth or not?

 

[cad411]

Also do you prefer windows 7 or windows 8. Will I be unable to load my software for my components? Is there no support for that yet?

 

[Rammy]

You'd have to compare specifics to see if any features appeal to you, but to the main part I doubt the Sabertooth is worth it. As far as I'm aware it's got some extra features but you are primarily paying extra for an elaborate heatsink/cover thingy over the entire board which doesn't really serve much of a purpose outside of aesthetics.

If by your own admission you don't really know what you are doing, my earlier suggestion of the 3570k might not be for you. You are paying extra for the ability to overclock and if that doesn't appeal to you (it is extra hassle) then you can save a nice chunk of cash by opting for any of the standard 3000series i5s. You can also go for a cheaper motherboard (Z77 is necessary for SLI and overclocking, usually).

And alternative of my first suggestion-
Non overclockable CPU, similar performance out of the box but without that option
Cheaper motherboard, less features but nothing crucial (you can still Xfire with AMD cards)
Double SSD size
Double HDD size (though couldn't find any decent priced WD ones)
Better graphics card
Better case, with USB3.0 on the front (it's trivial, but it might be a useful feature in the future). Cases are a matter of personal taste, but you have extra money to play with in this case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($103.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($285.98 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Shinobi ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $997.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-14 11:13 EST-0500)

 

[cad411]

Thank you. Some other questions. What does having two video cards do for you? Whats the difference between Ivy bridge and Sandy bridge on the Intel i5? If AMD comes with onboard graphics then would having a video card be useless? If you think I should upgrade my video card in my cart which one should I go to rather than the MSI 7870?

 

[Rammy]

2 video cards - essentially nothing. For a new build, 1 good video card is almost always better than 2 that add up to the same price. 2 usually take up more space, use more power, and produce additional issues like microstutter. It's a nice option to have in the future as you might be able to pick up a 2nd card like your original one, link them together, and extend the life of your system for a reasonably low price. For now, don't worry about it.

Whats the difference between Ivy bridge and Sandy bridge
Ivy Bridge is the newer 3rd generation (Sandy is 2nd generation). Unless you can get a really good deal on a Sandy Bridge i5 (2*** name), I'd stick with Ivy Bridge as they are a bit faster at the same clock speed. There's a few differences in features but generally nothing you need to worry too much about.

If AMD comes with onboard graphics...
A lot of modern CPUs come with onboard graphics. The i5 line all have a solid onboard graphics chip to run basic stuff. The AMD trinity line are designed to be an all-in-one solution for basic mid range stuff. For gaming, you are much better off with a proper graphics card, even a cheapish one.

Graphics cards
I'd see how much of your budget you feel you have left over after looking at other stuff. Above I've suggested a couple of options for SSD+HDD as well as cases etc. None of this helps your gaming performance, but it's all good stuff to have.
Based on my numbers above, I'd suggest you look to spend up to $300 on a graphics card. A GTX650ti is fine enough as a basic card, how much you need/want above that will depend on your personal preference. This will partly depend on your monitors maximum resolution. For 1920*1080, a GTX660 or HD7850/70 will work absolutely fine, though you might want to look at going a little higher if you have the money to spend.

HD7850 is $170+ (Don't bother with the 1GB version)
HD7870 is $210+
GTX660 is $220+
GTX660Ti is $270+
HD7950 is $280+

All of those are viable options depending on your requirements and preferences.

 

[cad411]

Final Build-
CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155
Motherboard: Asus LGA 1155 Intel Z77
Memory:Corsair Vengence 16GB (4 x 4GB)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder Series CX500 500W Plus Bronze
Storage: Western Digital 2TB Internal Hard Drive
Storage:Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB SSD (Comes with Assassin's Creed III)
Wireless Adapter: Rosewill N900PCE Wireless N Dual Band PCI
Optical Drive: Asus DRW Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Video Card: MSI R7870 Twin Frozr Radeon HD 7870 2GB 256-bit (Comes with Farcry 3 & Warfighter Game Coupon)
Operating System:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Other Misc: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard
Mushkin 2.5 to 3.5 Drive Adapter
Pixxo Monster Series 3200dpi Mouse
Arctic Silver Thermal Compound (2)
If I am missing anything or have any other comments please tell me.
Thank you.

 

[Rammy]

3470 is only $5 more on newegg. I'd say it's probably worth it, but there's nothing wrong with a 3450.

You don't really need 16Gb of ram. It's pretty cheap but unless you plan on using something that actually needs it, 8gb is already overkill for most things.

You don't really need a CPU cooler or thermal paste, the processor comes with a stock one with paste pre-applied. It's not the best thing in the world but it's perfectly serviceable.

Not seeing a case listed. You might want to look at one with USB3.0 and if it already has 2.5 drive bays, removing the need for that adapter. Many cases these days have drive trays which accept drives of either size.

Otherwise, everything looks ok.

 

[cad411]

The case is NZXT M-59. Thank you so much.

 

[Rammy]

The case is NZXT M-59. Thank you so much.

It does come with a way to mount SSDs so you don't need an adaptor. It doesn't have front USB 3.0 though, which personally I think is a good investment. I also think it's pretty hideous but that's a matter of taste

In that price range here's a few alternatives if you are open to them
Antec 300 2 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129180
Corsair 300R http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011
Bitfenix Raider http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811345009

They are all pretty neutral looking, but they all have both of those features. At the end of the day though, you have to live with it.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[cad411]

Which do you prefer? Windows 7 or 8? Why?