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Gaming Build

T

Twikii

n00b
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Messages
18
I'm looking to build myself a computer that can handle pretty much anything I can throw at it. I've had a shoddy old laptop for the past six years, and it's high time I upgrade to something that'll do what I want to be able to do.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing
Photo manipulation
HD video editing
3D animation
Gaming

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$600-800, shipping included.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Utah--would prefer ordering from Amazon or Newegg. A mix between the two would be fine, if certain parts are less money from one or the other.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

Case
Motherboard
GPU
RAM
Optical drive
CPU
HDD
Power supply
Wifi Adapter

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be using my LCD TV as a monitor, and I already have a wireless mouse and keyboard.

6) Will you be overclocking?
No.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920X1080 40" LCDTV

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
I will have enough money to purchase the parts within the next new months. I'll likely order everything at the end of November.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Basic is fine for this build. Possibly USB 3.0, though.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes...Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium

I have a list of parts put together, but I have not done this before, so I could use some pointers. I'm particularly unsure about the required specs for a power supply to run the GPU I want to get. Also, I came across a less expensive motherboard, and was wondering if it would be sufficient for my needs. I'm not entirely sure that all of these parts will work together, or if they are the best possible options for my build.

Here are the parts I've picked out...

Case

Motherboard

GPU

Power Supply

CPU

RAM

Hard Drive

DVD Burner

Wireless Adapter

Total cost--Approximately $686

Are all of these parts compatible with one another? Are these the best options? Thanks in advance for your help.
 
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I forgot to include a link to the less expensive motherboard I found. I haven't closely compared it with the original one on my list yet...
Motherboard
 
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Both motherboards are fine. Your parts in general are all compatible (technically). Just a few quick pointers:

1. The case you picked does not have USB 3.0 at the front so the USB 3.0 connector on your motherboard will be wasted. You should get something like the Corsair Carbide 300R which has decent features for value.

2. GPU: You are better off with a Radeon HD 7770 as it performs better than the 550Ti, produces less heat, and uses considerably less energy. Notice that most of these 7770s have 1GB of VRAM vs. the 2GB VRAM in the 550 Ti you picked. 3D animation work would use system RAM, not VRAM, so you'll be fine with 1GB because you're only running a 1080p monitor. The 7770 is also cheaper!

3. PSU: Your PSU has more than enough power. But it is of a relatively low efficiency rating. I'd go with a Seasonic model with at least 80PLUS Bronze rating. There is also a promotion for the Seasonic models going on right now. IDEALLY I'd wait for the G-Series 450W model to come out (the 550W just showed up on Newegg today) as it is 80PLUS Gold rated and modular for a very reasonable price. Your system at maximum load will only consume less than 300W, so 450W will even give you headroom for upgrades (technology is becoming more power efficient anyways).

4. RAM: Technically your choice is compatible. But the kit is meant for for a triple channel memory chipset (X58) because there are 3 sticks. AMD systems run at dual channel so you need either 2 or 4 sticks for optimal performance. Get these Samsung sticks. 2x4GB = 8GB that run cooler and faster than the ones you picked. Should you need more for your animation work in the future, just buy another kit to pop in.

5. Hard Drive: Hitachi's 3.5" drive business was recently acquired by Western Digital so I would be cautious about how warranties are done handled at the moment. I'd go with a WD Caviar Black 1TB as the Caviar Blacks perform better than any other 1TB drive and come with a 5 year warranty. The Caviar Black is also compatible with the SATA 6gbps interface that your motherboard has (that Hitachi is 3gbps)...this will let you take advantage of burst reads from the drive.

6. DVD Burner: Any SATA burner will do. Have a look around Newegg and you will find some cheaper than the one you picked.

7. Wireless: I haven't used wireless in any of the systems I've built, but my understanding is that you want as many antennas as you can get. If you're depening on wireless for internet, it is probably a good investment to get something that will maintain a strong connection at all times, as getting dropped is one of the most irratating things in life...

Lastly, I would have recommended an Intel i3 based system judging by your price distribution to the CPU and motherboard, but seeing that you have 3D animation requirements, I think AMD's Bulldozer design will do you better for rendering tasks. I haven't recommended AMD for a while now, but I think it is sensible this time. You should get the CM Hyper 212 to replace the stock CPU heatsink. It is insanely cheap for its performance and should cut back on fan noise vs. the stock fan.
 
For the money, you can do a lot better:
$180 - Intel Core i5 2310 CPU
$90 - MSI H77MA-G43 Intel H77 mATX Motherboard
$45 - Samsung 2 x 4GB MV-3V4G3D/US DDR3 1600 RAM
$131 - XFX FX777AZNF4 HD 7770 CORE Edition 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$89 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$21 - Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE SATA DVD Burner
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$29 - Asus PCE-N15 Wireless Adapter
-----
Total: $692 shipped

Faster CPU, GPU, and HDD, better quality PSU, more compatible case (includes front panel USB 3.0, slightly better and faster wireless adapter, and more RAM
 
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Wow, these are great replies! Extremely helpful! Thank you, rastaban, for giving such detailed reasons along with your suggestions.

Okay...this is probably a noob question...but I don't see how the processor Danny suggested is faster than the other one...

AMD Six - Core at 3.3Ghz
vs
Intel Core i5-2310 Sandy Bridge Quad - Core at 2.9GHz

I know that games don't really utilize more than four cores yet, but wouldn't the first processor be faster anyway because it has a higher clock speed? :confused:
 
The issue at hand is something called "IPC" or Instructions Per Clock. It basically means how much you get out of that speed.

Think of it like a car (with a manual transmission). AMD is getting 3300 RPM out of their motor, but they are stuck in 2nd gear. Intel can "only" get 2900 RPM, but they are already in 5th gear so they are substantially faster. Not a perfect analogy but you get the idea.

You can't really compare AMD vs Intel on clock speed. You have to look at how the processors perform in real programs.
 
As Sn0_Man have noted, you cannot compare based on clock speed alone since the two CPUs use wildly different architecture and designs that results in different methodologies of performance. In other words, you actually have to read reviews to get an idea of the CPU's performance, not the specs page.
 
Thank you, that analogy is helpful. I'll definitely go with the Intel quad-core. ;3

Alright...based on your replies, here are the parts I'm considering. Please let me know if you see any problems/weaknesses.

Case

RAM

DVD Drive

Hard Drive

GPU

CPU

Motherboard

Wireless Adapter

PSU

Again, thank you for your help so far. :D
 
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That RAM isn't worth getting at that price since it lacks free shipping. Do you honestly want a modular PSU?
 
The drive danny suggested is significantly faster than that Seagate drive btw
 
...I was under the impression that a modular PSU was desirable as it cuts down on unwanted cable...
 
It can, but its not really required if you take your time to hide the cables.
 
Bah...I feel like such a noob. I think I'll just take Danny's build suggestion and run with it...though I may keep the CPU and GPU from my second list...unless the ones he suggested are better.
 
Last edited:
What's wrong with paying extra for modular?

Just get what you think will make the build cleaner and easier for you. Personally, I'd gladly pay $15 or $20 extra for modular.
 
Danny Bui said:
In this case: Just the higher cost and lower bang for the buck value. For the same price that the OP is paying for that Seasonic modular PSU, he could have gotten this higher quality and Seasonic built Antec Truepower New 750:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371025
Click to expand...

That's a good alternative. It's also more or less modular.
edit: what makes it better than the Seasonic? I just buy Seasonic off the bat instead of going for rebranded options.
 
rastaban said:
That's a good alternative. It's also more or less modular.
Click to expand...
Barely modular. I have that very PSU and only a handful of cables are really removable. So IMO, I just count it as a regular PSU rather than a modular PSU.

rastaban said:
edit: what makes it better than the Seasonic? I just buy Seasonic off the bat instead of going for rebranded options.
Click to expand...
Despite the fact that they're both made by Seasonic, they're based off different Seasonic PSU platforms. The Seasonic M12II uses an older and lower quality Seasonic design whereas the Antec Truepower New 750 uses a newer and higher quality Seasonic design.
 
Danny Bui said:
Despite the fact that they're both made by Seasonic, they're based off different Seasonic PSU platforms. The Seasonic M12II uses an older and lower quality Seasonic design whereas the Antec Truepower New 750 uses a newer and higher quality Seasonic design.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Do you know which Seasonic the Antec is based on?
 
rastaban said:
Interesting. Do you know which Seasonic the Antec is based on?
Click to expand...

The Antec Truepower New 750 is based on a modified Seasonic M12D platform with elements of an older Seasonic platform.
 
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You probably already know this, but you are awesome. Going with your suggested build.
 
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