need help with first build

[Dynikus]

Hi, I've never actually built my own computer, but I've always wanted to. I figured since mine's getting a bit dated, it was about time to upgrade. And with black friday around the corner, what better time than now?

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Some gaming (mostly WoW, other MMOs), looking to be able to run wow at ultra setting with decent (~30-40+) fps

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500-650. That I know of Newegg, Amazon, NCIX, and wherever else has good deals doesn't charge tax, and most of the stuff has free shipping.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Los Angeles, Ca

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.
CPU, Mobo, RAM, HD, Video Card, Case, PSU, dvdr/w, keyboard
The keyboard isn't really a big deal for now. When I have more funds I'll upgrade it to a better gaming keyboard, but until then, something like this :http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...iateCustomId=f1e030a3994b7cc2a4ea078d4398c198 will work fine. ($15 for black friday)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Monitor, Mouse

6) Will you be overclocking?
Maybe eventually, but probably not.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
22", 1680x1050

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next few weeks.

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.
Not sure. USB 3.0 and SATA 6bgb/s would be nice though

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I was planning on using lynux and running Wine to run games that require windows.

This is the build I planned thus far, but all of this is subject to change depending on what goes on sale: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mJYQ
I really do like the storm enforcer case though. I'm just looking for any advice on things I could/should change.
This was the build someone recommended originally: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/iZ3Z
But I've heard nothing good about msi mobos, and upgrading to an ivy bridge seems like a good idea. iirc, sandy bridge only supports up to 1333mhz ram?
Plus the coolermaster HAF 912 doesn't have a front panel usb 3.0 port. I would probably be fine with 8 gigs of ram, but since 16 wasn't much more, I thought it would be a nice upgrade as well.

 

[Dangman]

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500-650. That I know of Newegg, Amazon, NCIX, and wherever else has good deals doesn't charge tax, and most of the stuff has free shipping.

Amazon and Newegg charges CA residents sales tax. NCIX doesn't but they tend to have slightly higher prices and relatively high shipping costs.

So again, are tax and shipping included?

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I was planning on using lynux and running Wine to run games that require windows.

It's "Linux", not "Lynux"

This is the build I planned thus far, but all of this is subject to change depending on what goes on sale: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mJYQ

I really do like the storm enforcer case though. I'm just looking for any advice on things I could/should change. [/QUOTE]
The case: It's a tad cramped inside.
The PSU: That PSU is no longer $60 at Amazon.com and therefore not that great of a deal. I recommend the Antec Neo Eco 520C instead.
The mobo: Doesn't appear to be too reliable.

This was the build someone recommended originally: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/iZ3Z

Also the PSU in that setup isn't that good for the money either. Go for the Antec I mentioned above. That setup will be your best bet if you have to factor in sales tax in your $650 budget.

But I've heard nothing good about msi mobos,

Then whoever or where ever you're listening to is out of date. Like most other motherboard companies out there, MSI's motherboard lineup includes mobos ranging from low quality all the way to high-quality. As said above, the Asus mobo you chose wasn't all that good.

and upgrading to an ivy bridge seems like a good idea.

Yes and no: IB CPUs are only 3 to 5% faster clock for clock and use slightly less power than their SB brothers. Up to you if that's worth the extra $20 or so.

iirc, sandy bridge only supports up to 1333mhz ram?

True but current Intel platforms do not benefit that much from RAM speeds higher than DDR3 1333. So even if you got an IB CPU and DDR3 1600 RAM, it'll still basically feel the same as a IB CPU with DDR3 1333 RAM.

 

[Mercuri]

All three of those websites charge sales tax in CA, just FYI.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($229.95 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $583.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

A 660 is overkill for an MMO like World of Warcraft, but not for an MMO like Guild Wars.

Ordinarily, I'd recommend a Radeon 7850 or 7870. But Linux driver support for the 7000 series is fairly weak.

430 watts is plenty for a 660. Because it uses one 6-pin cable, it can't draw more than ~150 watts.

You won't use anywhere near 16GB of RAM in gaming.

Linux can be installed from a USB stick. In fact, it's preferable because it's a lot faster.

 

[Hagrid]

Why not get windows 7 or 8 and dual boot linux?
Or even run linux as a VM?

 

[Dynikus]

@Danny Bui: I think the IB is worth the extra money. it's only $10 more, so yeah. I'm still going to wait a little longer though for fry's and newegg's black friday ads to come out before I buy anything. A few weeks ago frys had an i5 3570k + 8gigs 1600mhz ddr3 for $180, but I missed the sale.

I thought lynux looked wrong, my bad.

I didn't know they added tax to amazon either, that kinda sucks.

Why not get windows 7 or 8 and dual boot linux?
Or even run linux as a VM?

because windows 7 or 8 would run me about $70-100, whereas linux is free.

@Mercuri: Thanks for the build
I think I'm gonna switch out the SB for an IB i3, and a western digital hd instead of the seagate one.
Is there any benefit to 2 4gig sticks of ram over 1 8gig? Frys has the same ram for $27 (38.99+tax w/ a $15 mail in rebate) or newegg has kingston blue red series for $30+tax

Would the poor driver support be that big of an issue for using the 7850? I do play gw on occasion, but a majority of my play is on WoW, and if need be I could just run gw at lower settings.
And is the storm enforcer that cramped? I know the tower you chose is a little cheaper, but I do like the overall look of the enforcer a bit more, plus the giant fan in front is nice.

 

[Dangman]

I'm still going to wait a little longer though for fry's and newegg's black friday ads to come out before I buy anything. A few weeks ago frys had an i5 3570k + 8gigs 1600mhz ddr3 for $180, but I missed the sale.

Have you been to Fry's on BF? It's bloody insane and stupid packed. IIRC, Fry's BF deals only apply to in-store, not online.

And you didn't answer my tax question.

because windows 7 or 8 would run me about $70-100, whereas linux is free.

Yes but you would get the full performance of whatever video card you get. And have you used Linux before?

Is there any benefit to 2 4gig sticks of ram over 1 8gig?

No.

Frys has the same ram for $27 (38.99+tax w/ a $15 mail in rebate) or newegg has kingston blue red series for $30+tax

Don't bother with rebates for RAM since the rebates aren't guaranteed and you'd be paying more than necessary for RAM.

Would the poor driver support be that big of an issue for using the 7850?

You'd get very low performance, stability issues, OS crashes, won't get access to all of the features, etc. And that's not including the stability and reliability issues you'll get from running games in Wine. Speaking of Wine, have you actually used it before?

And is the storm enforcer that cramped? I know the tower you chose is a little cheaper, but I do like the overall look of the enforcer a bit more, plus the giant fan in front is nice.

Not enough space between the HDD cage and the rear expansion slots. In addition, front fan doesn't affect the cooling of the PC as much as two rear fans.

 

[Hagrid]

Have you been to Fry's on BF? It's bloody insane and stupid packed. IIRC, Fry's BF deals only apply to in-store, not online.

And you didn't answer my tax question.

Yes but you would get the full performance of whatever video card you get. And have you used Linux before?

No.

Don't bother with rebates for RAM since the rebates aren't guaranteed and you'd be paying more than necessary for RAM.

You'd get very low performance, stability issues, OS crashes, won't get access to all of the features, etc. And that's not including the stability and reliability issues you'll get from running games in Wine. Speaking of Wine, have you actually used it before?


Not enough space between the HDD cage and the rear expansion slots. In addition, front fan doesn't affect the cooling of the PC as much as two rear fans.

I am not sure how good WINE is but thats why i asked about running windows, then linux as either as a VM or dual boot.
So +1 to Danny about the video and other things that go with it. I run Linux mint 13 and love it, but wouldnt use it as my main OS. But it is run as main on one of my ESXI hosts, which is a nice dual purpose machine.

 

[Dynikus]

Sorry, the $500-650 is after tax.
And yeah, I generally avoid frys like the plague on bf, but if I could score any good deals, I think it's worth the chaos.
I was going to try out linux, then if I don't like it, buy win 7.
I've never used linux before though, no. So also never used Wine.
And well the enforcer has a 120mm rear fan, and room for either 2 120mms or 1 200mm on the top near the back. Also it has usb 3.0 front panel which is good. But if it wouldn't work, then I could go with something else. Are there any similar styled cases for around the same price, with ample room?

 

[Dangman]

Sorry, the $500-650 is after tax.
And yeah, I generally avoid frys like the plague on bf, but if I could score any good deals, I think it's worth the chaos.

No deal is worth the chaos unless you can actually ensure that you'll be near the front of the line. Last time I went to Fry's on BF, the line wrapped around the entire store and extended partially into the streets. So yeah, not worth the wait.

I was going to try out linux, then if I don't like it, buy win 7.
I've never used linux before though, no. So also never used Wine.

So your budget is actually $750 then? You're gonna end up getting Windows 7. Like Hagrid, I've used Linux for quite a few years now and I still wouldn't recommend it for a gaming PC.

And well the enforcer has a 120mm rear fan, and room for either 2 120mms or 1 200mm on the top near the back. Also it has usb 3.0 front panel which is good. But if it wouldn't work, then I could go with something else. Are there any similar styled cases for around the same price, with ample room?

Considering your budget, style should be the least of your concerns.

 

[Dynikus]

alright, so since I'm probably going to end up getting win 7, should I still go with the 660, or just go for the 7850?

 

[Dangman]

$650 includes Windows now right? Or is your budget $750?

 

[Dynikus]

Umm I'll have to see how much I can get. probably 650 though. :/ maybe 700.

 

[FRZ]

As a fellow Angeleno, I suggest trying Tigerdirect.com and Directron.com

Both fantastic computer resellers who do not charge tax in Cali

 

[Dangman]

All right, here's an alternative list with Windows 7 now:
$120 - Intel Core i3-2120
$104 - Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H Intel B75 mATX Motherboard + Kingston HyperX Blu 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G Combo
$110 - PowerColor HD 7770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$60 - Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$18 - LG iHAS124-04 DVD Burner
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$55 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
-----
Total: $640 plus some shipping from Directron. Tax included.

 

[Dynikus]

All right, here's an alternative list with Windows 7 now:
$120 - Intel Core i3-2120
$104 - Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H Intel B75 mATX Motherboard + Kingston HyperX Blu 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G Combo
$110 - PowerColor HD 7770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$60 - Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$18 - LG iHAS124-04 DVD Burner
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$55 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
-----
Total: $640 plus some shipping from Directron. Tax included.

Thank you very much