1. #1

    First computer build, tips/feedback appreciated!

    Hi I'm planning to build my first computer, which is mainly going to be used to play wow and maybe a little of bf/cod(I would like to play wow on ultra, but I don't mind for the other games). Anyways, my budget is around 900-1100 dollars(If you know any parts that can do a comparable job for a lower price let me know - I'm trying to keep the price down). I already have windows 7, keyboards/mouse, and a monitor that I can use. So all I really need is info on the computer it self. Here is my current plan for my build
    CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
    Mother Board - MSI Z77A-G43
    RAM - G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
    SSD - Kingston SSDNow V+200 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
    GPU - XFX Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card
    Case - Fractal Design Define R4 (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case
    Power Supply - OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply

    I realize that the case is expensive, but it looks really cool so I'm thinking about keeping it anyways. I also would prefer a modular power supply, because they seem easier to organize. I'm not going to bother with a regular hard drive right now, because I don't really use much space on my current laptop. But I might buy one in the future, just to store junk that doesn't really need to be on the SSD.

    If you can critique it, and perhaps recommend better parts please do so. I am an inexperienced builder(just a college kid without any training), I've watched a few YouTube guides on how to put together a computer, so I thought that I could give it a try. If you have any in depth guides that you would recommend to a first time builder, please share them with me. Thank you for your feedback.
    Last edited by xandiant; 2012-10-13 at 11:34 PM.

  2. #2
    Brewmaster Biernot's Avatar
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    Build looks good. Just some annotations:

    Heatsink
    You might want to get an after market heatsink. The stock one that comes with the cpu is sufficient, but under high stress (especially when over clocking) the temperatures can get a bit high. I would suggest e.g. Coolermaster Hyper 212 or Xigmatek Gaia as fairly cheap but powerful coolers.

    Motherboard
    Nothing wrong with the MSI board you picked. If it shouldn't be available at the time you purchase your parts, you could also go for one of these:
    Asrock Z77 pro3 / pro4 / extreme4
    Asus P8Z77-V LX / LK

    SSD
    I don't know how reliable Kingston SSDs are, but i haven't heard anything bad about them until now. Alternatives (and my recommendations) would be Crucial m4 or Samsung 830.

    Case
    IMHO best case on the market at the moment. I plan to get it myself in the next 1-2 weeks (as soon as my employee bonus arrives).

    Power Supply
    I don't like OCZ as a brand. They had so much problems with other products in the past and handled them badly, so i don't trust them anymore.
    While 600W is fine, you can go lower without any risk. Some suggestions:
    Seasonic S12 520W / 620W
    XFX Core Edition Pro 550W
    Lepa B550 / B650 (Lepa = Enermax)
    In this price range i can't really recommend Corsair, because of the coil whine tendency of ther CX builder series.
    Why do something simple, when there is a complicated way?
    Ryzen 7 2700X | BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | MSI X470 Gaming Pro | MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X 8G | 500GB / 750GB Crucial SSD
    Fractal Define C | LG 32UK550 | Das Model S Professional Silent | CM Storm Xornet

  3. #3
    Thanks for the tips, I'll check out one of those other power supply brands, and maybe get a Samsung ssd(they seem to have pretty good reviews).

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