1. #1

    First build...looking for advice on parts

    Well tax time is here and since my currrent system is very outdated I have decided to build a new system. Im looking for advice on parts and compatibility for my first build. I have used AMD in the past and would like to go over to intel based on overall reviews I have read.

    •Budget --- ~1300 USD
    •Resolution --- 1920x1080 Dual monitor...one for browsing only(already have the monitors)
    •Games / Settings Desired --- WoW, Skyrim, DoTA2, LoL, CoD, BF3 and ESO when it is released. Not expecting to max settings on every game but as close as possible while staying around my budget.
    •Country --- US, Arizona
    •Parts that can be reused --- 2.5TB of mechanical HDD, Optical drive
    •Do you need an OS? --- Yes
    •Do you need peripherals --- No

    Some things I have decided on already to be included:
    windows 8 as an OS(new laptop has it and im starting to like it)
    H100i for the cooler(Few people I know use them and love the performance)
    Modular PSU
    I would prefer a case with a windowed side panel(not a deal breaker)
    Last edited by Hyph3n; 2013-02-03 at 10:35 PM.

  2. #2
    Stood in the Fire Krimzin's Avatar
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    There is a lot of good information on this forum.
    You cant go wrong with the H100. I love it.
    You can see my set up below, but I had a little bigger budget to work with.
    Just because I'm a gamer doesn't mean I drive a Honda.
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  3. #3
    Moderator chazus's Avatar
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    Do the dual monitors get included in the $1300 budget?

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by chazus View Post
    Do the dual monitors get included in the $1300 budget?
    Sorry I should have stated I already have them and the budget is purely for the tower.

  5. #5
    Moderator chazus's Avatar
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    You can pick out a different case, it's personal choice really and I just used that one for price reference. I used the 250gb SSD simply because it looks like you'll have a lot of games on there, and 120gb is cutting it close.

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($223.79 @ Amazon)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
    Memory: Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($188.55 @ Amazon)
    Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($363.98 @ Newegg)
    Case: NZXT Tempest 210 ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.98 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1195.23
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 17:38 EST-0500)
    Last edited by chazus; 2013-02-03 at 10:40 PM.

  6. #6
    With that build what would be a good modular PSU to get? And would the 7870 GHZ or 7950 be an equivalent to the 670? Or would they both have lower performance?

  7. #7
    Here's the build I came up with for you. Not, don't know if you needed the extra 1tb hd. It's a little over your budget, but if you want to accomadate an h100i, a lot of mid tower cases might not be able to handle it. Note: you can try and sort thru some things on pcpartpicker.com thru their custom builds and look what people have posted to get an idea, especially on what case might work best. I took the HAF932 because it seemed like a good deal of the price atm. add that you can also save on the OS by going with the OEM like chazus did to shave off an extra $50

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

    CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Amazon)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
    Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($226.99 @ Mac Mall)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Microcenter)
    Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($77.98 @ SuperBiiz)
    Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Microcenter)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional Full (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
    Total: $1519.88
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 17:52 EST-0500)

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by anyaka21 View Post
    Here's the build I came up with for you. Not, don't know if you needed the extra 1tb hd. It's a little over your budget, but if you want to accomadate an h100i, a lot of mid tower cases might not be able to handle it. Note: you can try and sort thru some things on pcpartpicker.com thru their custom builds and look what people have posted to get an idea, especially on what case might work best. I took the HAF932 because it seemed like a good deal of the price atm. add that you can also save on the OS by going with the OEM like chazus did to shave off an extra $50
    I know I have seen builds with the H100i in mid tower corsair cases but I wasnt aware that it was a common issue for it to not fit in other mid tower cases.

  9. #9
    This should be at the high end of your budget but still be worth it. The case comes in 3 colors and is a very nice sturdy case.
    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.58 @ Amazon)
    Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($192.16 @ Adorama)
    Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($363.48 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
    Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1277.15
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 19:33 EST-0500)

  10. #10
    I actually like that C70 case. Again would I need a GTX 670 to get the performance for those games or would a 7870 GHZ or 7950 perform just aswell?

  11. #11
    I hear most games run better on nvidia. I know WoW does. I have almost the same setup but with a normal GTX 660 and I'm getting around 70-80 fps in MoP while lvling and doing 5 mans

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by jholdaway View Post
    I hear most games run better on nvidia. I know WoW does. I have almost the same setup but with a normal GTX 660 and I'm getting around 70-80 fps in MoP while lvling and doing 5 mans
    Ok well I guess I will stick the the 670 everyone is suggesting. Is there a major difference between them such as better cooling, noise levels ect.

  13. #13
    I would recommend http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125438
    $359.99 after $20 MIR

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