Mac finally died! Looking for input on new PC.

[Flaring]

So my 4 year old Mac desktop finally died on me and its time for something new. Friends from work all play PC so I figure I will go that route. I've owned macs my entire life so I'm not very knowledgable about building PCs. I might end up building it myself but I could also end up having it professionally done.

What I'm looking for:

-Budget: $1200-1400 (includes peripherals and OS).
-Resolution: 1920x1080
-Games / Settings Desired: WoW, LoL, D3, Borderlands 2, SC2 all at near-max/max settings.
-Don't do anything but gaming, frapsing and streaming media.
-I do need an OS.
-I need all peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor and headset).

Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks!

[Belize]

If you want it professionally done check this site out: http://www.xoticpc.com/index.html

It could also give you ideas about price ranges,

[n0cturnal]

How serious are you about streaming? Would you be willing to pay $100 extra for a CPU that would give you a small benefit while streaming but not otherwise for gaming?

What is the budget for peripherals?

[Flaring]

Belize: I'll check them out thanks!

Noct: I love being able to stream/fraps (especially in WoW/LoL/BL2) while still having great fps so definitely yes. 1200-1400 is a good budget for the PC and peripherals combined I think. Maybe $1500 if its really worth it.

[constantduty]

I'm in the same boat, but my imac is still running strong. I've been lurking here for a few weeks and considering building a PC versus picking up one of the newer imacs. Curious to see what everyone has to say...Similar budget as OP and similar demands on gaming outside of streaming/fraps.

[chazus]

A few notes here.
-Case can be whatever. I just picked that because I personally like it, and you can get others around that price.
-I picked the 620 over the 520 PSU because the 620 is on sale for the same price. You don't need over 520, normally.
-Normally dont recommend 16gb ram, but it's only $20 more in this case, and depending on how much streaming you do, it might help. But probably not. Knock down to 8 if you wanna save $20
-The LCD is what I use. I like them, but they arent necessary. Price range is about what you'll spend though, so at least that shows you what kind of money you'll do.

This leaves you with $100 for keyboard/mouse/headset/whatever. With that price range, I dont think you can afford the i7, however I also dont think it is worth it, if you just do streaming for fun, and not professional streams in which income is involved.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.21 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: ViewSonic VX2450wm-LED 23.6" Monitor ($187.95 @ Mac Connection)
Total: $1298.03
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-30 22:06 EST-0500)

[jholdaway]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.21 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: ViewSonic VX2450wm-LED 23.6" Monitor ($187.95 @ Mac Connection)
Total: $1298.03
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-30 22:06 EST-0500)

Is there a reason you have 2 HHD and a SSD listed? Just wondering

---------- Post added 2013-01-30 at 07:36 PM ----------

This build may look more expensive but the mouse and keyboard is included.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.21 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($107.95 @ Mac Connection)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($273.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M90 Wired Laser Mouse ($57.28 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1388.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-30 22:31 EST-0500)

[Priestiality]

Is there a reason you have 2 HHD and a SSD listed? Just wondering

I would assume to put the OS and games on it for faster load times, while most other programs would be fine on a normal HDD.

[jholdaway]

I would assume to put the OS and games on it for faster load times, while most other programs would be fine on a normal HDD.

No he has 2 different HHD's and a SSD.

[Kosm]

Use http://pcpartpicker.com

[Priestiality]

No he has 2 different HHD's and a SSD.

And? SSD=OS/Games. 500GB HDD=Programs 1TB HDD=Media. It's a fairly common setup. In fact, I'm using a similar setup right now, just 2 1TB instead of a .5 and a 1.

[chazus]

Is there a reason you have 2 HHD and a SSD listed? Just wondering

Naw, that's just pcpartpicker being derpy and me clicking too fast. Should be just the 1tb blue, and ssd.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/AA1k

I really have no reason to recommend a more expensive 650w over the 520. There is no real purpose for the extra cost. Also, the 7950 would probably be a better choice than the 660ti. Same price, better performance.

[Flaring]

Naw, that's just pcpartpicker being derpy and me clicking too fast. Should be just the 1tb blue, and ssd.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/AA1k

I really have no reason to recommend a more expensive 650w over the 520. There is no real purpose for the extra cost. Also, the 7950 would probably be a better choice than the 660ti. Same price, better performance.

Liking this build and price quite a bit. Pcparts noted something about motherboard/case USB 3.0 problems?

I'll make the 2 hour drive to Microcenter tommorow for some of their good sale parts.

Really appreciate all the help. Cheers!

[chazus]

Pcparts noted something about motherboard/case USB 3.0 problems

Again, that's just the case I picked, and have. You can get whatever case you want. The "USB3" thing is just noting that it only supports USB 2.0 up front. Nobody has anything that really utilizes USB 3.0 that you'd plug in front so it's no big deal (if you plug a USB3.0 cable into it, it'll still run at normal USB 2.0 speeds). There are still 2-4 USB 3.0 ports in back, should you actually have a USB 3.0 external drive hanging around. They're still somewhat rare.

[n0cturnal]

Since you are a former MAC user I would suggest that you take a look at Fractal Design Define R4.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HD3EA0/?tag=pcpapi-20
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...-_Arctic_White

It has a white clean design and also some pretty good noise dampening features.

[RicardoZ]

If you want it professionally done check this site out: http://www.xoticpc.com/index.html

It could also give you ideas about price ranges,

The prices on that site are absurdly high. You can get a superior system from Cyberpowerpc for far less, and they have a much better variety of options.

EDIT: I just built a system with a 3570k (including 20% OC and cooling system) and GTX 650 ti for $830, gaming mouse, gaming keyboard, and shipping included on the cyberpowerpc website. This guy from xoticpc.com wants $875 for a system that had an fx-4100 and hd7750...Don't buy anything from him.