Building a new PC, ~$1400 to spend

[Naturalistlol]

I'm currently looking at building a new PC to replace my >5 year old one. Current one is a huge piece of shit, I'm lucky to get 10 FPS in a 25 man raid with 0 addons and min settings. x.x So, lets get started with what I need and what I know, etc.

-I've got around $1550 or so to spend, I can go a bit higher but would prefer to keep it a bit lower if possible.
-In addition to building the new PC, I'm also looking to go to dual screens, and prefer getting two new monitors to have them be the same, 21-24 inch preferred. I know very little about monitors other than size and that I don't want wide screens, so please, any sort of information/reasoning behind them would be greatly appreciated.
-I will be building this myself, so, please, no premades. <3
-Currently, I do mostly gaming (D3/WoW/SC2/LoL, etc), though will likely start doing a lot more PC gaming once I have a computer that can handle it, so I need something that's pretty good. Other than gaming, I do school work/programming, so, something that'll run all my games at 60ish FPS etc is what I'm looking for.
-I don't really know that much about the hardware side of computers, so any and all reasons/reviews and whatnot for any parts would be appreciated so I can make an informed decision on my purchase

Those are most of the basics, if you need any other information let me know, I'll be checking this thread often.

Currently looking at going with this: Updated

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($224.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series GT 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($274.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($78.38 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1504.23
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

[Biernot]

Monitors:
- There is no option besides wide screen. Except for a few "professional" monitors, they are all wide screen.
- You have to decide if you want 120Hz monitors for extra smooth gaming. But keep in mind, that you need a very beastly computer to support the high fps. And if you actually want to game on two monitors, then you can forget about 120Hz.
- With that in mind, i would advise you to get 60Hz monitors with IPS panel, for the better colors. Mostly they will be 23" and cost around $200.

Now for the computer. You can check out some suggested builds here: Marest's Sample Builds
I'm assuming that your budget includes the monitors, you i will try to keep the computer around $1000 or slightly above.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMG-3000 74.2 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($309.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 600T (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS229H-P 21.5" Monitor ($155.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VS229H-P 21.5" Monitor ($155.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1470.86
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Possible Variations:
- CPU/MB/Memory/SSD/HDD/ODD/PSU either shouldn't be changed, or would not really affect the price
- VGA: Depending on your needs, you could go for a Radeon 7850 (-$50), or bump it up to a GTX670 (+$100)
- Case: This is very subjective, so you have to decide on the looks. The chosen case is a bit more expensive, so if you want to save some money, you can always go for a cheaper one (e.g. Bitfenix Shinobi, Corsair 400R, Coolermaster HAF 922)
- Monitors: I picked two "cheap" 21.5" IPS models from Asus. If you want bigger screens (e.g. 23"), you will need to spend about $50 more per monitor.

[glo]

No reason to go with a 570 anymore. 7870 is the same price.

[Naturalistlol]

Alright. So got another build from a friend of mine.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($184.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($105.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($137.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($254.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($105.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1441.86
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

With that in mind, after talking to him about it more, was looking at going with the previous HDD setup with the SSD and 2TB. A quick question on that, how much of a price difference would it be to drop down to the same thing but in a 1TB setup? because as is i have a 360GB that runs around 80% full, not really sure I'd need the 2TB, and if I can save another $40-50 or so on that it'd be pretty solid. Also, update to this. My price range has gone up ~$150 (to $1550) so if there's anything else in that sort of price range that might make a significant impact then I'd be interested as well.

[n0cturnal]

The GTX 570 is a silly thing to buy right now, it is old and expensive. Antec Nine Hundred is an old and outdated case, it has almost no possibilities to do proper wiring. 750W is not needed, you could go for ~550W and save a bunch there. Do you really need 16GB RAM? IMO any build above $1000 budget should include a SSD. I also don't see the point in spending that much on a motherboard and then go for a locked CPU. I would rather go down to a cheaper motherboard and get a 3570K.

[inux94]

You'll be better off with bier's build, going for a Z77 & then proceeding to get a locked CPU doens't make any sense.

Also the power supply is overkill.

[protput]

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ NCIX US)

Don't go below 7200 rpm, it's very noticable.

[Deleted]

More RAM than you need and not the best option available.

Older generation GPU.

More power from the PSU than you need.

Considering you chose a locked CPU in your build the motherboard is way overkill, especially if you don't need the extra features it comes with.

Let me give you my recommendation:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: NZXT HAVIK-140 90.3 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($128.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Hard Drive: Mushkin Chronos 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($95.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($274.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($118.85 @ Mac Connection)
Power Supply: Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor ($174.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor ($174.98 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1473.71
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

The PSU recommendation is mainly if you think you might SLI/CF one day, if not you can choose this one instead:

Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.64 @ Newegg)
Total: $69.64
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

The case aesthetics is more of a personal taste kind of thing, just aim for high quality components, airflow, cable management etc. I recommend the 500R (comes in white/black as well), Fractal Design Arc midi or Antec P280 (Google them if you're in doubt).

[n0cturnal]

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ NCIX US)

Don't go below 7200 rpm, it's very noticable.

Depending on the build there is nothing wrong with going for a 5900 or 5400rpm drive, the build in question has a SSD and then you would most likely use the mechanical drive for storage mostly.

[Naturalistlol]

Alright. So, question. My experience with overclocking is pretty much 0. I'm not opposed to doing some, but I really don't know what I'd be doing. Any basic info or recommendations on doing so or just avoiding it?

[n0cturnal]

Alright. So, question. My experience with overclocking is pretty much 0. I'm not opposed to doing some, but I really don't know what I'd be doing. Any basic info or recommendations on doing so or just avoiding it?

Overclocking the current generation Intel CPUs is really easy up to around 4.5GHz you pretty much just need to change the multiplier. There are tons of guides if you look around and it is pretty much an extra 20-30% more performance from your CPU for free.

[Drakoes]

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($184.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($105.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($137.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($254.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($105.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1441.86

I see a lot of less optimal and outdated components there, there's definitely a lot of room for improvement. Here's some of my recommendations:

For starters, get the i5-3570k CPU instead. This is because it can be freely overclocked, whereas the i5-3450 cannot since it is a locked model. Not overclocking a CPU of such caliber would be a huge waste tbh, since you're already spending so much, so you may as well try and get the most out of these parts. These new processors are also extremely easy to OC, and it's a lot of free performance as well which will be very noticeable in CPU-intensive games such as WoW. OC'ing intel CPUs have actually simplified over these years, and it mainly comes down to raising the mulitplier, CPU core voltage, disabling any power-saving features for stability, as well as keeping the temperatures under control.

As for the RAM, I'd step down to 8GB. You can save over $50 from doing so and more RAM doesn't translate to higher in-game FPS or performance, as 8GB is more than enough right now for gamers - you can safely do so without comprising performance. Going with more memory than that only matters if you're doing workstation stuff or tasks such as rendering, encoding, image editing with Photoshop/Adobe programs, etc. I would only go with 16GB of RAM if you think you'll be doing those kind of things a lot in the future.
So, such a saving means you can probably get a newer and even better GPU.

As for the HDD, I would personally go for the Samsung F3 instead. It's got less capacity, but this one tends to be more reputed and reliable. You will probably not notice the difference if you're going with a SSD, so this is up to you, it's just that the F3 is equally or if not more popular than the WD one. As far as speeds go, again, it'll probably not be noticeable if you're going with a SSD and you shouldn't worry about it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152185

With regards to the video card, I'd consider a HD7870 instead. It's a little bit faster than the GTX 570, whilst still being able to use less power as well as being priced similarly. It's also worth mentioning that it's got a bit more video memory which should help too with your multi-monitor setup. Here's a good one that is worth looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127662

Lastly, you might want to step down to a 650W PSU instead, since the system will be using very low power due to their efficient hardware architectures from the CPU (22nm) and GPU (assuming you get that HD7XXX card). I would only go with such a PSU if you can see yourself getting another video card in the future for SLI/Crossfire in the future.

Oh and just for reference, I have an i7-3770k at 4.7Ghz, along with a heavily overclocked GTX 680 and I don't even use up anywhere close to 650W. Note that I do have a Seasonic X-650, which is a gold rated PSU, but that shouldn't matter too much anyway.
You can safely step down to a 600-650W PSU to save some more money and probably even get an even better video card in the process, such as a GTX 670.

[Deleted]

Alright. So, question. My experience with overclocking is pretty much 0. I'm not opposed to doing some, but I really don't know what I'd be doing. Any basic info or recommendations on doing so or just avoiding it?

look at the build I linked you. With the Asus board, all you do is enter the UEFI (BIOS) and switch to the performance setting and you'll get a moderate 4.2GHz. You can obviously overclock more if you feel like it and fine tune settings and all that jazz, I just wanted to let you know it takes not effort to get a decent increase in performance.

Nothing to worry about and if you ever feel like you need more power there are plenty of guides out there (Google is your friend).

[Naturalistlol]

Alright, got an updated build now going off of what some have said and some other input.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($184.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Hard Drive: OCZ Octane 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.95 @ B&H)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($274.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($78.38 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1504.20
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Thoughts/opinions now?

[n0cturnal]

Yeah, stay away from the OCZ Octane. It is a really low performance SSD and all I've heard about it is bad.

[Naturalistlol]

updated once more.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($224.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series GT 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($274.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($78.38 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1504.23
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

[protput]

updated once more.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($224.98 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series GT 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($274.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($78.38 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($20.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($192.98 @ B&H)
Total: $1504.23
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Pick another motherboard, it's not worth it if you don't want to overclock. Asrock z77 Extreme4 has all the features you'll ever need, and costs 100 bucks less. Everything else looks good.

[Deleted]

The motherboard is overkill unless there is anything specific on the board you need or want, especially if you don't intend to overclock in the near future. Not that it's a bad board my any means, I got it in my build.

You're paying more for the same performance RAM (as the RAM I linked you) and they're high profile which could make it hard to fit with any potential CPU heat sink in the future.

PSU is fine but you can get a modular unit, good quality for about the same cost (either of the PSU I linked you).

Considering your budget going for the CM HAF 912 seems out of place, it's decent at best.

SSD is more expensive for something that performance at about the same level.

I believe the monitors are very similar so I'd opt for the cheaper but they probably both fine.

It's just nitpicking but the optical drive is again more for less =p

[Naturalistlol]

The motherboard is overkill unless there is anything specific on the board you need or want, especially if you don't intend to overclock in the near future. Not that it's a bad board my any means, I got it in my build.

You're paying more for the same performance RAM (as the RAM I linked you) and they're high profile which could make it hard to fit with any potential CPU heat sink in the future.

PSU is fine but you can get a modular unit, good quality for about the same cost (either of the PSU I linked you).

Considering your budget going for the CM HAF 912 seems out of place, it's decent at best.

SSD is more expensive for something that performance at about the same level.

I believe the monitors are very similar so I'd opt for the cheaper but they probably both fine.

It's just nitpicking but the optical drive is again more for less =p

Any chance you could do an updated pcpartpicker with the changes you'd make? me luff you long tiem.

[cyberarya]

Just make sure to factor in the operating system in your build too. Thats extra money that is going to be taking away from your actual computer parts that you want.