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[Rough Draft] My First PC Build - critiques??

FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
Hi TYM. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to build my own PC. I spent the past 4-5 hours reading up and learning my stuff, and I think I have a really solid build for the price. I'm looking for a mid-high end gaming PC that will play most current games at 1080p 60+ fps (will settle for >30 MINIMUM), and is relatively future-proof so I can continue throwing things at it for the next ~4 years and not have to transition to shit tier graphics.

Here is the build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver Arctic Alumina Premium Ceramic Polysynthetic 1.75g Thermal Paste ($3.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.89 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1081.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 23:09 EDT-0400)

If, a few years down the road, my graphics card turns out to not be running things as well as I'd like, can I just buy a second one and run them in SLI? Is that a reasonable thing to expect to do in order to bring performance back up? (other than the obvious CPU upgrades that may also be necessary)

TBH I'm not super attached to any of the parts, and I'm willing to accept any critiques/suggestions on the build...

PC Hardware gurus of TYM, get at me! I'd like to stay under $1,200! Plus I won't be purchasing anything for ~6 months, so prices will come down on my current build and I will definitely be looking to modernize it by that time! :)
 
Rokinlobster

Rokinlobster

Nightwolf of the galaxy
FrothyOmen said:
Hi TYM. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to build my own PC. I spent the past 4-5 hours reading up and learning my stuff, and I think I have a really solid build for the price. I'm looking for a mid-high end gaming PC that will play most current games at 1080p 60+ fps (will settle for >30 MINIMUM), and is relatively future-proof so I can continue throwing things at it for the next ~4 years and not have to transition to shit tier graphics.

Here is the build:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1tAGj/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver Arctic Alumina Premium Ceramic Polysynthetic 1.75g Thermal Paste ($3.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.89 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card ($344.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.88 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1081.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-18 23:09 EDT-0400)

If, a few years down the road, my graphics card turns out to not be running things as well as I'd like, can I just buy a second one and run them in SLI? Is that a reasonable thing to expect to do in order to bring performance back up? (other than the obvious CPU upgrades that may also be necessary)

TBH I'm not super attached to any of the parts, and I'm willing to accept any critiques/suggestions on the build...

PC Hardware gurus of TYM, get at me! I'd like to stay under $1,200! Plus I won't be purchasing anything for ~6 months, so prices will come down on my current build and I will definitely be looking to modernize it by that time! :)
Click to expand...
More Ram wont cost you too much more, might as well. Unless your motherboard only supports 8 gigs which in that case choose a different motherboard.
Also SSD are getting cheap.
 
Rokinlobster

Rokinlobster

Nightwolf of the galaxy
LtLuthor said:
8 gb of ram is more than enough for anything. Anyone who tells you otherwise has no clue what theyre talking about.
Click to expand...
It is not about a single program utilizing the full amount of ram, it is about having the freedom to multitask. If he is going to want to live stream games, or even record them with fraps he is going to need that ram.

Not to mention If I were bulding this PC I would want it to last 6-8 years. In 6-8 years 8 gb of ram might not cut it anymore.


Also, next time you want to "help" some one, use some sort of argument for your position instead of demeaning other people. Maybe some personal experience with 8gb of ram.


The fact of the matter is, if there was no need for more than 8gb of ram, then you would not be able to get more than 8gb of ram.
 
Dizzy

Dizzy

False Information Police Officer
Premium Supporter
NetherRealm Studios
The #1 thing I'd suggest, if you wanted to spend a little more, is a bigger SSD. You'll run out of space in no time, unless you constantly uninstall games. I personally only have OS and games on mine and its already at 94 left of 223.

Also, I'd suggest this card personally http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008 as it's in mine. I researched it a bit when I made my PC and the 7970 seems to edge out of 670 slightly, its really close on benchmarks though. But, it's cheaper than the one you have selected by 40 bucks (60 counting the mail in), and comes with 3 free games too. Personally I liked the free Tomb Raider as I was looking to get that game anyways, too.
 
Duck Nation

Duck Nation

Dicks with a future
LtLuthor said:
8 gb of ram is more than enough for anything. Anyone who tells you otherwise has no clue what theyre talking about.
Click to expand...
Complete lie. I have 8 GB and I am pretty much dying to put more in my machine. I can chew it up like nobody's business, and games will always benefit from having more and faster RAM.
 
chores

chores

bad at things
an often overlooked piece of advice: make sure you have a good place to construct the pc. dont do it in a living room or bedroom unless they are huge. you will lose screws and random shit will happen. find a local 'hackerspace' if you are in a city otherwise a school/college computer lab or I.T. area. Be organized and you will save yourself lots of time and also avoid potential headaches
 
Duck Nation

Duck Nation

Dicks with a future
charmangler said:
an often overlooked piece of advice: make sure you have a good place to construct the pc. dont do it in a living room or bedroom unless they are huge. you will lose screws and random shit will happen. find a local 'hackerspace' if you are in a city otherwise a school/college computer lab or I.T. area. Be organized and you will save yourself lots of time and also avoid potential headaches
Click to expand...
I built my last PC on top of my bed. :D
 
msuanderson

msuanderson

Noob
That cooler master 212 evo is amazing. When I first installed it I was scared cause the things is just a beast, but wow, it just works wonders if you aren't going to do any water cooling. 16 gb of ram would be cool if you are multitasking, other than that, 8 gb should be fine. I have an i5-2500k and love it, i7 would be nice of course but that's another chunk of change. I've always been partial to nvidia but that 7900 series is good too. Those game offers Dizzy is talking about could be enough to sway your choice to an AMD gpu. You will be very happy with the current build you have set up, and you can always second guess yourself, so I say pull the trigger!

As for where to construct it, I had to build my last pc in a tiny ass apartment kitchen with very little counter space. The most important thing is, STAY GROUNDED! Don't go walking across carpet with socks on. And just have fun, this should be a good experience that will make you want to build more PCs in the future.
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
Everything I've read said that i7 processors are terrible for gaming. They are pretty inefficient for my purposes (I think? You can prove me wrong here) and I have no intentions of streaming/recording. The most multitasking I will do is play a game and have a music player open simultaneously.

On my phone right now though. I will respond to everyone more fully next time I get to my laptop. Thanks for all the replies so far.
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
Also remember I'm not purchasing for about 6 more months, so I have looots of flexibility and time to think because of that :)
 
Duck Nation

Duck Nation

Dicks with a future
I have an i7 and my PC handles gaming just fine, that's for sure. Whether it's worth the extra money or what difference it would make over an i5 is something I can't quantify though, and I wouldn't have gotten the i7 if I hadn't gotten a stellar deal on it myself.
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
Duck Nation said:
I have an i7 and my PC handles gaming just fine, that's for sure. Whether it's worth the extra money or what difference it would make over an i5 is something I can't quantify though, and I wouldn't have gotten the i7 if I hadn't gotten a stellar deal on it myself.
Click to expand...
Yeah, This is pretty much my thought process. I'm not sure that I need the "extra power" for what I will be doing with the system, but I don't really know what I'm talking about either. Cost/effectiveness wise I'm not sure it's a good investment for me. But if there is a deal where I can get a similar i7 to the i5 I want for like $30 more, I'll probably go ahead and get the i7.

GGA Dizzy what is the difference when it comes to a graphics card being "2GB, 3GB, or 4GB"? Like, the one I originally wanted was the 770 2GB, but then I found out there was a 4GB version for like 40 bucks more. How much of a difference or step up will that extra 2GB give me? Also, I compared the 770 to the AMD card you suggested on some benchmark site I googled, and the 770 gets a higher G3D Mark score. Again, I don't really have much idea what I'm talking about yet, but what makes the one you suggested better/more favorable than the one I've got in my build? Excluding that it comes with free games. No hate, I honestly just have no idea since I'm still learning :)
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
charmangler said:
an often overlooked piece of advice: make sure you have a good place to construct the pc. dont do it in a living room or bedroom unless they are huge. you will lose screws and random shit will happen. find a local 'hackerspace' if you are in a city otherwise a school/college computer lab or I.T. area. Be organized and you will save yourself lots of time and also avoid potential headaches
Click to expand...
This is really good advice I probably would not have picked up otherwise. Thank you, I will keep this in mind. How important is "discharging" while doing the build? How often should I be doing it? Probably a stupid question as the answer will probably be "as often as possible", but just curious I guess..
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
Jer said:
Honestly, if I were you I would just get an i7 instead of i5 and you're set.
Click to expand...
What makes the i7 worth the price over an i5 if all I'm going to be doing is internet, music/movies/netflix, and video games? Like, the most I would ever have running at the same time is as follows: Vidya james at 720p, music player (zune probably), IRC client, voice chat client (skype/vent/or mumble). An i5 should handle all that simultaneously just fine, right? I'm not going to be doing any streaming. Local recording is a possibility but for the very few times I may do that I don't need to be recording 1080p video. Running my game at a lower res and recording at like 480p would be completely fine for any rare case I could think of... I'm not going to be publishing stuff to youtube and trying to monetize or anything like that haha.
 
RiBBz22

RiBBz22

TYM's Confirmed Prophet/Time-Traveler
FrothyOmen

Definitely get a 240-250 GB SSD to run Windows/necessary programs/and games (I only install one to my HD at a time) if you are going with a SSD. Keep media files etc on the optical drive. Get at least 16 GB of ram because ram is cheap as hell and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Why are you getting a micro ATX mobo to put inside a ATX mid case? You might as well get a normal motherboard that is more future proof.

Message me on FB, I basically made my entire college income by building people computers while I was there and I love shopping for components.
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
RiBBz22 said:
FrothyOmen

Definitely get a 240-250 GB SSD to run Windows/necessary programs/and games (I only install one to my HD at a time) if you are going with a SSD. Keep media files etc on the optical drive. Get at least 16 GB of ram because ram is cheap as hell and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Why are you getting a micro ATX mobo to put inside a ATX mid case? You might as well get a normal motherboard that is more future proof.

Message me on FB, I basically made my entire college income by building people computers while I was there and I love shopping for components.
Click to expand...
I have no idea lol. Like I said, going off of like 4 hours of reading and trying to get acclimated with all the different parts. I was just excited to find stuff that all seemed to fit together properly lol. I will message you on FB when I get home this evening, currently at work heh.

If I switch to a 250GB SSD, then I'm probably going to drop the HDD down to like 500GB or something. I really don't need 1.25TB of space, I am too much of a clean freak to ever have that much crap on my computer at once lol. I dunno if that would save me a significant amount of money though, probably not... maybe it'd be better to just stick with the 1TB HDD. idk. I will discuss with you later tonight and you can help me part stuff out more efficiently. Again, not buying for ~6 months so I understand that my build is going to change a lot by then :)
 
FrothyOmen

FrothyOmen

P!
BenGmanUk said:
You're probably better off posting somewhere like OCuK to get feedback on a potential build.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=8
Click to expand...
I just posted here because I'm here all the time and am friends with a lot of people here. I know there are some PC geeks that can get me started which is all I'm really looking for right now :) Plus I would rather not overclock my PC and I'm not sure a site with the word overclock in the name is one that I would get the best advice (for my purposes) on lol, but thanks anyways I will read around their site for advice
 
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