planning on building my first comp

LaraCroftsLeftBoob

LaraCroftsLeftBoob

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here's the parts i'm planning on using:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.15 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GT 640 2GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Raidmax Super Hurricane (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($55.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($94.44 @ Amazon)
Total: $708.51


are there any incompatibilities or issues i'm overlooking with these parts? or any suggestions?
it's mostly gonna be for home use, internet, movies, light gaming, and for the kid.
 
Maybe it's just me, but I would never even consider getting a Seagate hard drive. I swear they never last more than 6 months. Western Digital has always been good to me. I can think of 4 WD drives I have right now: 6 years, 5 years, 3 years and 2 years. They last forever.
 
It might be worth it to throw a little extra money at the Hard Drive. If you have the cash to spare, seriously consider getting a Solid State Drive. (even if just as an extra for your system) I got an SSD for my most recent system build, and its been the biggest contribution to improved performance. It can mean an extra $100 - $150, but having your OS installed on an SSD makes a world of difference.
 
i had always heard good things about seagate. thought they were right up there with wd.
i'm not too interested in ssd, yeah the performance increase would be nice, but i'm trying to keep this build under $700 if i can.
the part that worries me the most is going that cheap on a mobo. i've been told not to go too cheap on one, but it looks like it will work fine for what i need. i'm just concerned there's something i might be overlooking there and should spend a little more on it.
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']i had always heard good things about seagate. thought they were right up there with wd.
i'm not too interested in ssd, yeah the performance increase would be nice, but i'm trying to keep this build under $700 if i can.
the part that worries me the most is going that cheap on a mobo. i've been told not to go too cheap on one, but it looks like it will work fine for what i need. i'm just concerned there's something i might be overlooking there and should spend a little more on it.[/QUOTE]

I dont understand why you are getting an i5 in that system. I mean unless you are specifically doing video encoding its wasted in that system.

This would be the one time I would recommend an APU solution from amd over an intel processor.
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']i'm not too interested in ssd, yeah the performance increase would be nice, but i'm trying to keep this build under $700 if i can.

the part that worries me the most is going that cheap on a mobo. i've been told not to go too cheap on one, but it looks like it will work fine for what i need. i'm just concerned there's something i might be overlooking there and should spend a little more on it.[/QUOTE]

That's understandable on the SSD. SSDs have to stay fairly small, you'll break the bank if you went for a large one. (and the performance is slightly improved by a smaller size) For the price range you're shooting for, you've got a pretty solid build going.

The Mobo is a feature worth considering. For that price you'll get a mobo that's good for your current build, but probably won't allow too much upgrading for the future. Investing in a more expensive mobo is all about making your computer more future-proof and upgrade-friendly. When someone decides to put together a completely new box, it is usually because the mobo is out of date. If you are planning on making regular updates to your hardware, then go for a mobo in the $150 range. If you weren't going to make regular hardware updates, just stick with your current target mobo.
 
I'm still new to computer building, but I've been reading a lot lately, and people bring up microcenter in every pc building thread, so if you have one close by, grab your processor/motherboard from there.

Intel Bundles

Building your computer with an i5 but a slower graphics card won't be able to handle much gaming, so it might make more sense to get a 650 ti or a 660, and an i3 if you're looking for something that provides better gaming for the same cost. Regular computer functions won't be as smooth without the i5, but most games rely more on a fast graphics card.

[URL='http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/612?vs=660"]Here's an example of the jump in performance, although this doesn't take into account the reduced CPU power.[/URL]

Also, Haswell will be released in 1 month, and new Nvidia cards (Kepler refresh) are rumored for a mid-May launch. I wanted to build my first gaming desktop to play Bioshock Infinite, but decided to play it on my crappy laptop, and just wait for the new hardware to come in, although they don't look like particularly attractive updates, they do improve upon what's currently available, and should bring prices down for better performance.

I bought a desktop from ibuypower.com, and it was broken when it showed up, so I returned it, and I've decided to build as well. I'm buying a small SSD to load Windows, and some of my favorite games onto, and then probably adding a 1TB slow hard drive for videos, music, and games like Dragon Age that take up 30 GBs. I've heard it makes everything so much faster and more stable, it makes a lot of sense to grab a 128GB SSD for $80, rather than the 500GB drive for $56.
 
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Notices i5 and thinks, "fuck this guy, I don't like that he is going to have a better build than me".

Then notices GT 640 and just laughs...

Seriously OP, what if you goal with this PC? If it is to game with, then buddy, you need a better GPU. If you just plan to browse the web and use spreadsheets, then it's solid.
 
i don't plan on doing alot of pc gaming, i'm more of a console gamer, but i do some on pc. mostly games that are a couple years old, not really the latest and greatest. thats why i went with the gt640. i'm hoping it will hold me over on some older games untill i can put a better one in it.
i'm also not planning on doing alot of upgrading to it. probably just a better video card and maybe some more ram in the future if i need it. or maybe a ssd for the os when they drop in price some more. i usually just make do with what i have until everything is really outdated or until it dies. with that thinking should i stick with my current mobo or spend a bit more on it?
that's also my thinking with going with the i5. i know its probably more than what i need now, but it's to kinda future-proof myself if i would need it in the future.
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']i don't plan on doing alot of pc gaming, i'm more of a console gamer, but i do some on pc. mostly games that are a couple years old, not really the latest and greatest. thats why i went with the gt640. i'm hoping it will hold me over on some older games untill i can put a better one in it.
i'm also not planning on doing alot of upgrading to it. probably just a better video card and maybe some more ram in the future if i need it. or maybe a ssd for the os when they drop in price some more. i usually just make do with what i have until everything is really outdated or until it dies. with that thinking should i stick with my current mobo or spend a bit more on it?
that's also my thinking with going with the i5. i know its probably more than what i need now, but it's to kinda future-proof myself if i would need it in the future.[/QUOTE]

Go for the gtx 650. The performance difference is astounding for a $20 margin
 
[quote name='aShufflinZombie']Go for the gtx 650. The performance difference is astounding for a $20 margin[/QUOTE]

yeah, i am kinda debating going an extra $40 for the 2gig gtx650, but i'm already a little over my budget now. so i'm not sure if i should go ahead or wait til later when i'll be able to go even better than the 650.
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']yeah, i am kinda debating going an extra $40 for the 2gig gtx650, but i'm already a little over my budget now. so i'm not sure if i should go ahead or wait til later when i'll be able to go even better than the 650.[/QUOTE]
My 1gb GTX 650 can push high/very high with most games. You won't see a difference with the 2gb card with most games except for say, hitman absolution and far cry 3 but for the majority of games, it doesn't make a difference.
 
Do you have a Microcenter near you? If so you can get the same processor for $189.95 and the RAM will be cheaper, and also the motherboard. Microcenter offers between $40-$50 discount on motherboards with that CPU combo.

Your prices are high for online.
 
Check out MicroCenter for deals, and if you are in no hurry then wait and cherry pick items one by one so you can get a better pricing on them.
 
[quote name='aShufflinZombie']My 1gb GTX 650 can push high/very high with most games. You won't see a difference with the 2gb card with most games except for say, hitman absolution and far cry 3 but for the majority of games, it doesn't make a difference.[/QUOTE]

Depends on resolution. If he's playing at 1920x1080 or below, the 1GB version will be fine. If he's using something like 2560x1440/1600, then a 2GB card is a must.
 
Even if you don't downgrade that processor, you should at least drop the "k" from the 3570, since that's just for overclocking, and I don't think you're planning on it (and you better not be, since you don't have a CPU heatsink listed there). It'll only save you a few bucks, but it's something you can put into a better GPU or a more efficient PSU.

Srsly though, that's a really good CPU you have in that thing compared to the GPU. If you're overbudget, you have one very obvious place to look.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Even if you don't downgrade that processor, you should at least drop the "k" from the 3570, since that's just for overclocking, and I don't think you're planning on it (and you better not be, since you don't have a CPU heatsink listed there). It'll only save you a few bucks, but it's something you can put into a better GPU or a more efficient PSU.

Srsly though, that's a really good CPU you have in that thing compared to the GPU. If you're overbudget, you have one very obvious place to look.[/QUOTE]

Yea he has a good point your motherboard isn't that great for overclocking potential. You could really save yourself some money even by stepping down a CPU, down to the 2500.

The video card I highly recommend if you are limited on bugets are two:

Nvidia 660Ti (usually around $169 or so with a game)
ATI 7870
 
Like others have said, if you have a MC near you its the place to go.
i7-3770k for $230 at MC.

Also I have a 7870 and so far I have been reaaly pleased with it, but it may be out of the range you want to spend. You gotta be willing to spend a bit though to get something out of your machine, maybe somehting like this GTX660
for $169 after rebate and promo code on newegg (also comes with Metro Last Light, which you could probably sell for at least $25-$30 and recoup some more of the cost)
 
Dude, if he's willing to go as low as a GTX 650, he does not need a god damn 3770k. Hell, most people with legitimately good GPUs don't need a 3770k.
 
[quote name='aShufflinZombie']I just designed a build for my friend and it's a decent build for what OP is looking for.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/UVJE

Note: the mobo is 84.99 from microcenter as a part of a combo with the 3570k[/QUOTE]

The price is good on that mobo but id stay away from it. look at the incredibly high ratio of 1-star ratings at newegg. that mobo has serious issues, really should be noted in all the pc site builds using it.
 
[quote name='paz9x']The price is good on that mobo but id stay away from it. look at the incredibly high ratio of 1-star ratings at newegg. that mobo has serious issues, really should be noted in all the pc site builds using it.[/QUOTE]

I don't consider 73% good, 6% meh and 21% bad to be that horrible.

I'm buying it from Microcenter so I can actually look for bent pins and I probably wouldn't go with it if the price wasn't so low but I could see the issue of someone buying it from an e-tailer.

Edit: I'll probably buy a extended warranty from MC aswell. Their warranty is bring it back and they issue you a gift card for exactly what you paid. Best warranty ever.
 
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[quote name='aShufflinZombie']I don't consider 73% good, 6% meh and 21% bad to be that horrible.

I'm buying it from Microcenter so I can actually look for bent pins and I probably wouldn't go with it if the price wasn't so low but I could see the issue of someone buying it from an e-tailer.[/QUOTE]

buying any mobo from a local retailer is the best idea. good luck.
 
[quote name='paz9x']The price is good on that mobo but id stay away from it. look at the incredibly high ratio of 1-star ratings at newegg. that mobo has serious issues, really should be noted in all the pc site builds using it.[/QUOTE]

Also keep in mind, people having problems are more likely to review/make a fuss than those who had zero issues with it. Just saying.
 
I'd really get a better video card. It'd be a great system if you spend a little more and get a 660Ti or the Radeon equivalent. Even a 650 is good.

You might be a console gamer, but that PC is just SO close to being a great gaming system, you might as well make it one for a little extra cash. Spend more now, and you'll save money by making it more future-proof.
 
[quote name='SEH']Also keep in mind, people having problems are more likely to review/make a fuss than those who had zero issues with it. Just saying.[/QUOTE]

Definately. That mobo however has a lot of issues, a lot of threads regarding recurring problems. I bought that mobo because of the high number of mostly good reviews and its inclusion in a bunch of toms/anandtech builds and i dont think it deserves to be there.
 
[quote name='paz9x']Definately. That mobo however has a lot of issues, a lot of threads regarding recurring problems. I bought that mobo because of the high number of mostly good reviews and its inclusion in a bunch of toms/anandtech builds and i dont think it deserves to be there.[/QUOTE]

I don't know if the 970 and the Z77 versions have the same build quality but my 970 Ext4 is holding up well.
 
If you don't plan on really playing games with it and it's more for work/school, I'd just get a prebuilt and call it a day. Unfortunately the Dell outlet fire sale just ended last week lol

If you do plan on playing games even somewhat regularly, I'd avoid the GT640, a GTX650 or HD7770 is a huge bump for $100 or less.

As for the AsRock Extreme 4, there's only two things that are really wrong with it: thin PCB and low quality MOSFETs, neither of which should be an issue if you're not overclocking.

But bottom line, the only way you're going to get good recommendations is if you tell us exactly what you're going to be doing with the machine.
 
One of my systems has the ASRock Z75 Pro3 and it's worked flawlessly. It was pretty cheap too.
 
[quote name='Psybuster']

As for the AsRock Extreme 4, there's only two things that are really wrong with it: thin PCB and low quality MOSFETs, neither of which should be an issue if you're not overclocking.

But bottom line, the only way you're going to get good recommendations is if you tell us exactly what you're going to be doing with the machine.[/QUOTE]

Which if you are buying a 3570k you should be overclocking. Assuming you have solid components you can get 4.2-4.4 with about 2 clicks.

OP is probably better of going with an i5 3470 for 50 less and throwing that money into a new gpu. With the 3470 a geforce 660 could be had for just $20 over the original budget.

And it sounds like the OP just wants a good all around machine. And the cheaper i5 with new GPU it would do that.

Throw a 256gig SSD at some point and you've got a solid performer.
 
i can get the 3570k cheaper than the 3570, so even if i don't overclock it's still the better deal.
i'm checking out some different parts right now to see if i can go a bit cheaper here and there so i can go for a gtx650
 
i made a few changes. i think i can get by with this without the wife getting too mad i went overbudget.
if anyone has any cheaper part suggestions (except for processor) to save me another $20 i can upgrade the gtx650 to a gtx650ti.
comments or issues i've overlooked are always welcome.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G41 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.68 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 2GB Video Card ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Raidmax Super Hurricane (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($52.13 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $14.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $721.68
 
just got done with my 3770 build here hehe. Honestly id just get one of these 3rd gen i7 boards with the good integrated 4000 graphics and screw the video card(new i5s might have the same graphics too). think they did a benchmark where skyrim was getting 40fps or something. its really good as long as ya got a board with that graphics boost though.

also This is just my own personal exp but never buy a mobo from newegg. they are nice for small things like ram but i found my last RMA to be pretty unpleasent with em. Bought a maximus v fusion mobo they said i bent the pens and denied a return. long story short i won a claim for being sold a defective product and after requesting not to send teh box back to me i got a broken mobo (did come with a mix amp) out of the deal . might open the box later and see if there was any foul play involved!

ohh also on the case, consider spending a little more for a silent case such as a R4 fusion. on my 1st build i went for the monster fans but the thing is it's loud as heck and now these fans are dieing and i can either spend 50$ repairing all the fans or buy a new case hehe. this new build i cut down on the noise the computer makes by about 3/4. if you're going to live with the thing then you want to cut down on the noise as much as possible :)
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']i made a few changes. i think i can get by with this without the wife getting too mad i went overbudget.
if anyone has any cheaper part suggestions (except for processor) to save me another $20 i can upgrade the gtx650 to a gtx650ti.
comments or issues i've overlooked are always welcome.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G41 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.68 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 2GB Video Card ($118.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Raidmax Super Hurricane (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($52.13 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $14.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $721.68[/QUOTE]


If you can get the 3570K for same price go for it obviously.

That said all looks pretty good. I would still squeeze out $50 more and go 660 gpu. If its top of the budget I get it. But if you are on the fence and gpu is the last budget piece, spend more!!

I'm just speaking from experience. I went with a 7870, and wish I would have got 80ish more and 7950. My card is great, but 3 months later the extra 80 means nothing, and want the extra performance.
 
Part by part (I built mine a week ago so I have fresh experience)

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Amazing one, even better than most i-7)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (Another very good one)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Same brand as I chose, I bought 8gbx2, but 4gbx2 is also more than enough )
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (I have been using seagate for years and never had problems, it is the same HDD I chose)
No SSD?? I really recommend you to buy one, loadings are a thing of the past with this kind of disk, but yes, are expensive.
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GT 640 2GB Video Card (hahahhahaha, no :p GTX 650 totally)
Case: Raidmax Super Hurricane (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (maybe I am wrong, but in the pic it doesn´t look like it has the holes to put the cables behind the motherboard. This will help you to keep everything clean and avoid issues)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply (Efficiency is > 80%. that means the real power is 440W, are you sure that is enough for that pc?)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer (it is ok, but I found a blu-ray reader-also asus- very cheap)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (GET WINDOWS 8!!!.... nahhh, it was a joke)
 
I like the new choice in motherboard. I picked up an MSI Z77A-G45 for my slightly over-powered build. It's not the same model, but close, and its been treating me well. The SATA 3 ports on it will make upgrading to an SSD down the road nice and easy. The 32 GB of potential RAM is also nice for future upgrades. Given the price, I would say that mobo is a good value for the money.

Overall, I'd say you're looking at a pretty nice budget build. A good balance between performance and value.

I went a little nuts with my last build. a 3770 i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 180 GB Intel SSD drive, and two GTX 660 2GB video cards running in SLI. It cost me quite a bit, but then I don't have a significant other to answer to. This beast has been chewing up and spitting out everything I throw at it.
 
[quote name='Celebrimnar']
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply (Efficiency is > 80%. that means the real power is 440W, are you sure that is enough for that pc?)
[/QUOTE]

maybe i was told wrong, but i thought psu efficiency worked the other way. meaning a 500 watt 80% eff psu still delivered 500w, but drew 600-650 watts from the outlet it was plugged into?
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']maybe i was told wrong, but i thought psu efficiency worked the other way. meaning a 500 watt 80% eff psu still delivered 500w, but drew 600-650 watts from the outlet it was plugged into?[/QUOTE]

You are correct.
 
quick, stupid question...do cpu fans vent the hot air away from the cpu or blow cold air onto it? i thought they vented, but looking at some cases that have 2 fan slots on the side, it looks like one of them will line up with the cpu, and the manufacturers airflow diagrams show those as intake fans. so if they do line up and the cpu fan vents, won't the two be working against each other?
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']quick, stupid question...do cpu fans vent the hot air away from the cpu or blow cold air onto it? i thought they vented, but looking at some cases that have 2 fan slots on the side, it looks like one of them will line up with the cpu, and the manufacturers airflow diagrams show those as intake fans. so if they do line up and the cpu fan vents, won't the two be working against each other?[/QUOTE]

Depends on how the fans are installed. CPU fans are usually pull configed but case fans vary.
 
probably the biggest electric expensive in my house is the pc hehe. in my new build i got a 850psu with a seasonic goldstandard psu. lights don't dim when turning it on now

new pcs have a really great sleep mode though. this one the fans even turn off :)
 
[quote name='LaraCroftsLeftBoob']quick, stupid question...do cpu fans vent the hot air away from the cpu or blow cold air onto it? i thought they vented, but looking at some cases that have 2 fan slots on the side, it looks like one of them will line up with the cpu, and the manufacturers airflow diagrams show those as intake fans. so if they do line up and the cpu fan vents, won't the two be working against each other?[/QUOTE]

It depends on if I remember to put it back on how I found it or not. :lol:

But seriously, either way works.
 
here's my final parts list. went a little more over budget than i hoped, but the wife wasn't too mad.
as soon as the last few things get here i can start building. wish me luck.


CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $194.99)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (Purchased For $76.49)
Memory: GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $47.69)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $64.99)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $169.00)
Case: Cougar Volant (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $42.19)
Case Fan: Enermax UCTB12N-BL 53.0 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $8.79)
Case Fan: Xigmatek CLF-F1251 68.3 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $5.59)
Case Fan: Xigmatek CLF-F1251 68.3 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $5.59)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (Purchased For $37.99)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $14.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $79.99)
Other: 2 SATA cables ($3.17)
Total: $751.46
 
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