Newbie Gaming/Everything Build

R Fitz

Honorable
Nov 27, 2012
5
0
10,510
Hey, I frequent these forums a lot through random researching. And recently decided to make an account to ask this question and hopefully hang around some more, who knows.

Anyway, I'll be moving out soon as I'm joining the military, and can't bring my XBox. So I've decided to get more into PC gaming. But the laptop I have can barely run anything as it uses integrated graphics, and is a cheap laptop in general.

I used PC Part Picker and browsed these and other forums and created a build I think will work very well, though it did get quite expensive, which was sort of expected since I'm starting with absolutely zero parts.

My goal was to end it at about $1600 dollars or less, which I went over, ending up at $1865.
So any tips on lessening the cost, or anything really that you think would help is greatly appreciated.

Also, as of a few days ago, I knew practically nothing about PC parts, so I'm not 100% sure this build will even work, though Part Picker says no issues.





http://pcpartpicker.com/b/yNx

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($14.99 @ Newegg)
(For cooling I had trouble decided what is and what isn't good, I chose a large tower so there is space, therefore less heat, but when it came to an actual system, I'm at a loss)

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($32.66 @ NCIX US)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($179.52 @ NCIX US)
(From what I've read, using an internal SSD to store the OS and other things will have the computer boot and load those things much faster. So I could like go smaller on the SSD, and just save OS and other essentials to that, and have everything else on the HDD?)

Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($354.98 @ Newegg)
(I may add another video card later, depending on how everything works out. Though I haven't read anything on using multiple cards yet)

Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($124.00 @ Amazon)
(When it came to sound cards I read a lot of forum posts across the internet, still haven't really figured them out, and eventually chose something I saw recommended a few times that seemed at a middle price)

Case: Azza Genesis 9000 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
(I assume this is definitely large enough for this build, or to hold any modifications I may make in the future)

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
(PC Part Picker assumed 465W, so I decided to err on the safe side and go with a 650W, and went with what I've heard is a great brand. Unsure of if this choice works or makes sense though)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.20 @ NCIX US)

Monitor: BenQ XL2420T 120Hz 24.0" Monitor ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Gigabyte GK-K8100 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($55.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Cyborg R.A.T.7 Albino Wired Laser Mouse ($84.24 @ Amazon)
(These are other things I plan on purchasing with the build, I don't own a monitor or keyboard, and my current mouse is falling apart. I will not have TV so I went with a monitor with a screen much bigger than I'm used to because I will be watching movies/TV through my computer.)





Any suggestions/comments/whatever would be great. I won't be moving for another 2 months, and won't be settled at an actual place for another 2 months after that. But I want to build this computer beforehand, and work out any problems before I leave, so hopefully everything will be ready when I move.

Thanks for any help you guys have
 
Solution
it would mean less but the cooling provided is still about as much as a regular chassis. not as good as most "gaming" chassis but still better than the generic
-for a bit more there are way better coolers
-better ram
-cheaper SSD. although i have one of those mushkin drives
-better video cards
-the sound card you chose is a scam
-better chassis
-do you seriously need a 120hz monitor?
-no. just no. dont bother with the keyboard and mice. another scam
-do you seriously need blu-ray


id get this
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/pLPP

monitor
http://www.amazon.com/AOC-i2367Fh-23-Inch-Screen-Monitor/dp/B009V8F700/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353962218&sr=8-2&keywords=aoc+ips+monitor
 

R Fitz

Honorable
Nov 27, 2012
5
0
10,510
-Any suggestions on a better cooler?

-What counts as "better" RAM? Always figured if it works and is a decent brand, you're all good.

-I agree with the SSD, I may go down to 60gb

-That video card is near the top on Tom's hierarchy chart, and was listed best for its price range, so I figured it was good.

-Cheaper soundcard sounds good to me

-What constitutes better chassis? If it holds it all then your good, eh?

-120Hz wasn't really a deciding factor, just a bonus. It was slightly more expensive than similar monitors I was looking at, but much better reviews.

-I doubt I'd go with that keyboard and mouse anyway, just looks flashy.

-And it's if it barely costs any more to go with blu ray, why not?
 
-look at my build recommendation. has all the recommendations
-ram hardly has any difference so get the cheapest one from a major ram maker like gskill, corsair, patriot, crucial and samsung. samsung ram is the best but it costs more compared to the kit im using
-128gb is the optimal
-the 670 is a better buy when it performs about equal and is 30 bucks cheaper
-thicker side panels, little flex, and good internal layouts = a better case. mine is also a quiet case with foam
-mine is not a little less. its a lot less
-barely? more like 40 bucks. plus, optical media is dying out
 

R Fitz

Honorable
Nov 27, 2012
5
0
10,510
Oops, forgot to look at that monitor, and it does look like a good buy.

-And yeah might as well buy RAM from a better company, so i'll do that.
-Yeah 128gb is probably what i'd want out of the SSD anyway
-Still not 100% on the case, wouldn't thicker panels and foam mean less ventilation? Plus some noise doesnt bother me at all
-I definitely did not look at prices well when it came to blu ray.. granted this was at like 4am, definitely prefer your option