Need Advice on 1st Build

[jemcglot]

I am focusing on gaming primarily Battlefield 3, SWTOR, Skyrim at 60FPS on 1080p resolution. I also download and stream movies/t.v shows often but I do not keep them on my current laptop after viewing them. I would be interested in burning blu-ray movies and dvd's.

My max budget for this PC $1,500 roughly any ideas on where I could save money and still have peak performance I am all ears. However, if no one can find where I can save some money I guess I will be stuck paying $1,868.91. I am looking to buy in the next month or two I was debating getting the pieces of hardware over time instead of buying all at once. Then I thought what if I receive a piece of hardware and its DOA and I don't test it for months before I build my PC then I will no longer be able to return it so I am thinking I will have to wait and spend my money lump sum.

I am currently looking at hardware from newegg.com because they have such an expansive selection and easy to navigate website. I have found cheaper prices on Amazon.com for some of the hardware. I would however more than likely buy all hardware from one site.

CPU: i7 2600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
MOBO: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series (2x4GB) DDR3 8GB (1600)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231445
SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB SATA III
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136793
PSU: SeaSonic Platinum 860W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151111
Optical Drive: Samsung Black 12X BD-ROM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151232
Case: Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005
OS: Windows 7 Home Professional 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

I would like to overclock and I have no experience with it or building a PC, but I am sure I can figure it out I have already been looking into it. I am not sure if I should look into downgrading GPU's and running SLI/Crossfire to achieve the same performance as the 7970 for a cheaper price if that is possible.


I have no idea if I should look into a heatsink for my CPU, I have no experience with water cooling and how complicated it is and is it worth doing, I am looking at using my 120hz 55in led 1080p t.v as a monitor for this system does anyone recommend me not doing this I was going to use the HDMI input on my tv.

Total Price: $1,868.91 USD kind of more than I wanted to spend but I think this has everything I would need other than heatsink/fans/watercooler and anything else I may have over looked.

 

[Outlander_04]

Premium graphics cards are not worth the price IMO .
My choice would be a 7950 . Probably the gigabyte "windforce" model with 3 fans

All Z68 motherboards will perform identically at stock speeds . You can spend way less and miss a tiny fraction of overclocking [ if anything ]

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 $122
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

Your psu is also a premium item . It will run more efficiently but the difference is so small you will never notice .
You could use the Corsair 650 TX , or 750 TX if you might add a second graphics card . Not likely to need that b4 the rest of the machine needs replacing tho


Cases are a matter of personal taste ....... but will a white case really go with your other components?

 

[sosofm]

For gaming change the CPU with 2500k.
Change the mobo with that what Outlander_04 recomended you or this ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792
Power supply 80+bronze modular can keep two 7970 in the future CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139029 120$ after rebates.

 

[serialkiller]

I would sugest to have a premium psu as it is the veins of ur pc.

as psu looses its efficientcy over time.

a 80+ silver or gold 850 w would do if sli/crossfire and 1000 w if every thing over clock if im corecct.


if wrong corect me

 

[Outlander_04]

I would sugest to have a premium psu as it is the veins of ur pc.

as psu looses its efficientcy over time.

a 80+ silver or gold 850 w would do if sli/crossfire and 1000 w if every thing over clock if im corecct.


if wrong corect me

OK then
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

a comp wth a single 7970 NEEDS a decent 550 watt psu .
650 watt is reasonable head room

While a gold or silver rated psu is a better quality unit than a bronze rated unit its very hard to justify the cost when 1/ a bronze rated unit will work perfectly well and 2/ you are trying to save money

 

[Maxor1]

Drop the core I7 to a Core i5 2600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

Runs the same for all current gaming and most in the works, odds are if you are going to need faster than that by the time you will the I7 will be as equally outdated.