Need some computer advice

[Alkin]

So recently I have decided that I will be getting a new computer, I am looking for a desktop computer that can run most games on high settings and also recording videos w/ fraps. I heard from a few people that it is better to build a PC custom but since I have limited knowledge on the topic I would have no idea where to start. Should I be getting one custom built or buying one complete? Where should I start? Also my budget is around 1000$ and am living in Aus if that helps. Thank you .

[Biernot]

Please read http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-build-Read-me! and answer the questions.
After that, have a look at http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-Sample-Builds , then come back here.

[Alkin]

Budget: Around $1000 - $1500
Resolution: I don't know how to answer this, like I said, don't really understand computers.
Games / Settings Desired: Most MMOs on max settings, examples i guess being planetside 2, WoW. As well as new and upcoming games (Far Cry 3, DayZ, etc)
Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc): Nothing other than gaming and recording/editing videos with fraps.
Country: Australia
Parts that can be reused: N/A
Do you need an OS?: No idea
Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)?: None

[yurano]

I would go with something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($91.33 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($288.49 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1128.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-17 10:50 EST-0500)

You can drop from a 3770K to a 3570K.

Notable upgrade points: GPU, Heatsink, Mobo, Case

[Biernot]

The build from yurano is solid baseline. Some additional thoughts:

CPU: As already mentioned by yurano, you can easily drop down to the i5-3570k without any noticeable impact on games. When you do video editing, the i7-3770 will be a little bit faster, but not that much. In my opinion, save that $100 and go with the i5.
RAM: 8GB would be enough, but as ram is so cheap, you can get the 16GB. But i would probably pick a 2x8GB set instead of a 4x4.
Motherboard: Very good choice. Alternative would be Asrock Z77 extreme4.
Storage: As you want to use fraps, two drives is a must: One for windows/programs/games and the other one for storage and fraps. It might be even worth it to get a total of 3 drives, to have one hdd as a dedicated fraps drive.
Video Card: Good choice. Alternative would be Radeon 7870 or 7950. Price/performance is about even, "you get what you pay for".

The prices from yurano's build are USD, so expect them to be a little higher in Australia.

Resolution: I don't know how to answer this, like I said, don't really understand computers.

This means, what resolution your monitor has (e.g. 1280x1024, 1680x1050, 1920x1080)

Do you need an OS?: No idea

Do you currently have a windows license that can/will be reused? Depending on how old your current computer is, you probably have Windows XP or Vista.
- If you have Windows XP, i strongly recommend to get an up to date Windows. Either Windows 7 or Windows 8, both are fine.
- If you have Vista, the need to upgrade is not that urgent, but you should consider it.
- If you already have Windows 7, stay with that. (But it needs to be 64bit. The 32bit version won't do!)

[Alkin]

The build from yurano is solid baseline. Some additional thoughts:

CPU: As already mentioned by yurano, you can easily drop down to the i5-3570k without any noticeable impact on games. When you do video editing, the i7-3770 will be a little bit faster, but not that much. In my opinion, save that $100 and go with the i5.
RAM: 8GB would be enough, but as ram is so cheap, you can get the 16GB. But i would probably pick a 2x8GB set instead of a 4x4.
Motherboard: Very good choice. Alternative would be Asrock Z77 extreme4.
Storage: As you want to use fraps, two drives is a must: One for windows/programs/games and the other one for storage and fraps. It might be even worth it to get a total of 3 drives, to have one hdd as a dedicated fraps drive.
Video Card: Good choice. Alternative would be Radeon 7870 or 7950. Price/performance is about even, "you get what you pay for".

The prices from yurano's build are USD, so expect them to be a little higher in Australia.


This means, what resolution your monitor has (e.g. 1280x1024, 1680x1050, 1920x1080)


Do you currently have a windows license that can/will be reused? Depending on how old your current computer is, you probably have Windows XP or Vista.
- If you have Windows XP, i strongly recommend to get an up to date Windows. Either Windows 7 or Windows 8, both are fine.
- If you have Vista, the need to upgrade is not that urgent, but you should consider it.
- If you already have Windows 7, stay with that. (But it needs to be 64bit. The 32bit version won't do!)

I see, well the laptop which I use currently has windows 7 64bit and my screen resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels.
Thanks both of you heaps for all of the help, really is appreciated. (that is screen resolution for the monitor i would use with the desktop computer, not laptop.

[Alkin]

I have this all up on pcpartpicker, but it is saying "Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard has an onboard USB 3.0 header, but the Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case does not have front panel USB 3.0 ports." Is that an issue?

[Biernot]

I see, well the laptop which I use currently has windows 7 64bit and my screen resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels.
Thanks both of you heaps for all of the help, really is appreciated. (that is screen resolution for the monitor i would use with the desktop computer, not laptop.

Let me get this straight: You currently use a laptop, also for gaming. Do plan to further use the laptop after you get the new computer? If so, then you will need an additional windows license for your new computer, because you only can use them on one machine at a time.

If you currently have a laptop... what monitor do you plan to use with your new computer? Because you said you don't need to buy a new monitor. (Hint: you can't use the laptop screen for the new computer...)
The question about the resolution was to estimate what graphics card you need, because higher resolutions need more gpu power to achieve the same frame rates (so your games don't stutter).

I have this all up on pcpartpicker, but it is saying "Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard has an onboard USB 3.0 header, but the Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case does not have front panel USB 3.0 ports." Is that an issue?

Only a minor one. It just means, that the motherboard has an internal USB 3.0 connector that can be used in combination with a case that features USB 3.0 front connectors. You do not have to use them. The case you chose has USB 2.0 front connectors, which the motherboard has too. So no problem here.

[Alkin]

Let me get this straight: You currently use a laptop, also for gaming. Do plan to further use the laptop after you get the new computer? If so, then you will need an additional windows license for your new computer, because you only can use them on one machine at a time.

If you currently have a laptop... what monitor do you plan to use with your new computer? Because you said you don't need to buy a new monitor. (Hint: you can't use the laptop screen for the new computer...)
The question about the resolution was to estimate what graphics card you need, because higher resolutions need more gpu power to achieve the same frame rates (so your games don't stutter).

Nah I was planning on using http://www.cnet.com.au/sony-bravia-k...185.htm#image2 as the monitor, as for the laptop yes I probably will still use it, so i am guessing i should also pick up an additional license for windows 7? One other thing, are there any major differences between the cooler master HAF 912 and 922? Because the 922 doesn't have the compatibility issue warning so i was maybe thinking of going with that. Thanks again for the help.

[Biernot]

Nah I was planning on using http://www.cnet.com.au/sony-bravia-k...185.htm#image2 as the monitor, as for the laptop yes I probably will still use it, so i am guessing i should also pick up an additional license for windows 7? One other thing, are there any major differences between the cooler master HAF 912 and 922? Because the 922 doesn't have the compatibility issue warning so i was maybe thinking of going with that. Thanks again for the help.

Yes, you can use this TV as a monitor. Just be aware, that the image quality will not be that good. First because of the low resolution, and second because TVs tend to have some "image enhancements" build in, that make the TV picture better, but will be bad for computer output. In most newer LCD TVs you can disable these filters, but from looking at the specs of yours, it seems to be a bit older and you might not have that option.

The HAF 922 is bit bigger than the 912, but other than that it's not much different.

[Alkin]

Awesome, I will probably upgrade the monitor in time, just don't have the money right now. So just as a final post, I gathered everything on pcpartpicker and this is what I came up with; http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tbAC but before I buy all the parts would anyone be able to check it for me, i wouldn't be surprised if i overlooked something or made a mistake.

[Rhyseh]

Seeing as no one has recognised this fact yet.... Living in Aus you will not be able to afford the same build with Australian prices. Here's a similar build from an Australian retailer that I use for my builds:

https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php...ion=wish_lists

Notable differences:
Crucial M4 instead of Samsung 830. I can't seem to get any 128GB Samsung 830's in Aus anymore. The prices should be similar.
Listed a 3570K instead of a 3770K. Add ~$110 for the 3770K...
This site doesn't stock XFX PSU's. Instead I have added a similar bronze rated PSU from Seasonic, which is a bloody good PSU manufacturer.

Apart from the above all parts are the same. Grand total is $1,262 excluding shipping.

[Deleted]

Seeing as no one has recognised this fact yet.... Living in Aus you will not be able to afford the same build with Australian prices.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.00 @ Scorptec)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($125.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($325.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($115.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($19.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 3-Pack (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.00 @ Scorptec)
Total: $1339.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-20 13:32 EST+1100)

[Rhyseh]

I find there isn't alot of choice on the PC Part Picker site for the Australian region. Seeing as most of the stuff is from the one retailer I would just shop there and save yourself the postage.

[Alkin]

Cool, so I have all the parts Rhyseh suggested ready to go in my cart on pccasegear.com. Before I go for it is there anything else I might have forgotten? I need to use like 3-4 usb ports at a time (headset, keyboard and mouse), do i need like a USB hub or something for that? Also can i connect it to my monitor with just a HDMI cable or do i need to look into that too?

[Deleted]

I missed that he had already put a build together using one site (which is good).

I would suggest spending slightly more on a better case with USB 3.0, better cable management and more like the Corsair Carbide 400R or Corsair Carbide 500R (I have the white version, see my signature).

You can spend a little less on the HDD since you're OS etc. will be on a SSD, Western Digital WD Blue 1TB is perfectly fine.

You can also save some more just getting 8GB of RAM, it'll be perfectly fine:

Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz
G.Skill Sniper Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz

For a few extra $ you can get the modular version of the PSU:

Seasonic M12II 520W Modular PSU

[Rhyseh]

Notarget is making good points. I was simply putting together a similar build to what was recommended previously as a price comparison. I did a similar build a few months ago with a AsRock motherboard quoted in Notarget's previous post. So feel free to go with that one if you want to save a few dollars.

I would also spend a few more $ on a case if it was my built. Corsair cases are getting pretty good write ups.

[Alkin]

Cool, have been looking around and choosing all of the parts, this is what I have at the moment; https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php...ion=wish_lists. The only thing im still uncertain on is the USB ports and whether there will be enough, i threw in a Astrotek External USB 3.0 4 Port Hub with PSU, is that worth getting? Will i need it to have multiple USB devices connected at once? Also am I able to use the HDMI cable I have currently to connect the computer to the monitor I have?

[Deleted]

Yes, HDMI is fine.

No, you don't need a USB hub there is plenty of ports, front and back combined. I think it's like 6 (8) ports, 4x 3.0 (+2 front USB 3.0) and 4x 2.0.

[Evil Inside]

I would go with something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($91.33 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($288.49 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1128.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-17 10:50 EST-0500)

You can drop from a 3770K to a 3570K.

Notable upgrade points: GPU, Heatsink, Mobo, Case

Go with this, drop the cpu to a 3750k and upgrade the graphics to a 7950.