Need advice/help building a computer

[cleverpun]

Alright, I'm finally starting to cash out, so it is time to start asking about advice for a gaming computer.

Things to note;

Budget: 800-1200 USD -- this includes OS/peripherals/monitor/accessories and maybe a chair if I have the money leftover for it. I already have a Samsung LCD TV for big picture stuff. I could spend more (or less), but I thought this was a good range for the performance that I want (though I could be wrong)
Overclocking: No (don't need it)
Liquid cooling: no (don't need it, have heard too many stories about it going bad)
Purpose: gaming, with some movies and light schoolwork (typing etc.). Not going to be rendering video, streaming, or any other processor intensive activities. I also heard bitcoin mining was no longer profitable due to electricity costs.
Benchmark games: Titanfall, Evil Within, Borderlands; The Pre-Sequel, Metro: Redux, etc. I'm going to be playing a mix of new and old releases, and I don't need maximum settings or 200 FPS. This is going to be my only computer for a while, however, so the more stuff it can handle, the better.
Previous computer building experience: zero (unless you count that one middle school project). I did watch that newegg youtube tutorial and read that one reddit guide, but other than that I'm still pretty new to this.
Other notes: I have a nasty habit of spending long stretches of time at my computer, so an upgrade to the stock CPU fan was something I was considering. I have been advised by multiple people that, unless you want to overclock, fan upgrades are not necessary (guess I'm just accustomed to my terrible laptop and got paranoid).
Space is not a concern. I have a decently sized desk and won't be moving any time soon.

Other than that, I don't have any strong preferences in mind. I've never built a computer before, so layman explanations/links/PC Part Picker lists are appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

[Darklunerninja]

My PC cost around 1,200 but I also splurged on extras ($200 case and such).  Ill see if I can find my specs and put them here.  It runs all the high end games pretty easily (Dark Souls 2, Assassins Creed BF, Skyrim etc..).

 

CPU- i5 4670k

Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper212 EVO CPU

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3

GPU: Gtx 770

Power Supply: 800 Watt Corsair (Don't remember exact model)

Case: Corsair Carbide Air

 

I recommend a Regular hard drive unless you want to spend money on a SSD to turn your computer on faster.  RAM is also up to you.  8gb will work with games now but if you have some extra money upgrading to 16gb should be a first.  I recommend any Corsair Case due to the fact that they are easy to take apart and clean.

[Seminal Inhalation]

I'm sure Shepard can give you some good suggestions.

[killeryes2]

ignore this.

[Ɲαɳσ]

You don't need anything extreme then besides a beefy graphics card

[killeryes2]

Welp, I think you would get more help if you went somewhere like PCPartPicker or Tom's Hardware.  Reddit's /r/pcmasterrace and /r/buildapc are also useful.  I'll list out the parts and the reasoning behind them below, and then the link to the PCPartPicker list.  By the way, OC= overclock.

 

CPU- i5 4670k:  This CPU is a BEAST for gaming.  It's probably the best CPU in it's price range (190-220 dollars).  Very strong single thread performance, and wipes it's closest competition the 8320/8350 on gaming benchmarks if utilizing 4 threads or less, which most games do.  Not much else to say, except if you have some money to spare and would like to have cooler temps and easier OCing you should go for the i5 4690k.

 

CPU Cooler- CM Hyper 212 Evo: This is optional.  If you don't plan to overclock, stick with the stock CPU cooler that comes with the CPU.  If you do want to experiment with overclocking, this is the best you're going to get for around 35 dollars.  This will even beat certain water coolers below the price of 90 dollars.  Overall, it's a great bargain for OCing albeit it's optional for non OCers.  

 

Motherboard- MSi Z97 PC Mate ATX:  This motherboard is at a very nice price and also comes with all the features you might want.  It's also a Z97 chipset motherboard, so you have room to upgrade your CPU later.  However, consider upgrading if you do plan to SLi NVidia video cards someday.  

 

Memory: 8 GBs of Kingston Blu Red Series (2x4 sticks): Blah blah blah, your generic 8 GBs of RAM from a trustworthy company.  8 GBs is the most you're going to need for gaming.  Nice price, with a speed of 1600mhz.  Also comes with heatspreaders, and that's always nice and cool!

 

Storage-Seagate Barracuda 1 TB & Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120 GB: This should be obvious.  Good brands, nice price too.

 

Video Card- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770- Reputable brand, and looks nice too.  Very good aftermarket fans, and the 770 is a powerhouse.  It will be able to max out almost every game on 1080p currently.

 

Case- Corsair 300R:  This part, in the end is personal preference.  I recommend the 300R personally, but you can pick just about any case as long you check that all your parts fit.  

 

Power Supply- Corsair HX 750 watts:  Your PSU is the thing that makes or breaks (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM) your PC.  The HX 750 is a very good PSU, and 750 watts is more than enough for your config and also allows room for Crossfire or SLi in the future.

 

Optical Drive- Whatever: Only get one if you need one.  These are becoming more and more obsolete.  You might need one for your OS.  Just get the cheapest one.

 

Sound Card- Not needed: Only get this if you're an audiophile or audio engineer.

 

Network Adapter-Comes with motherboard:  I'm pretty sure on this.  You might want to double check.

 

Peripherals- Your choice.

 

Monitor- Your choice.  

 

Case Fans- Situational: Only get these if you're using a Crossfire or SLi config.  If you are, these are mandatory if you want a healthy PC temperature.  Even then, it's situational as your case comes with case fans already.

 

Well this took longer than I thought.

 

Link to parts list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LgNCFT

 

NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST SUGGESTION.

[wallywalrus_]

If you have money left over that you want to spend for nicer performance, invest in a mechanical keyboard. oh my gahd it's like going from running shoes to cleats on a bike,  you'll never to back. SSD to load windows onto aswell

[Ɲαɳσ]

CPU: Intel 4470 - Since you don't want to overclock . $300

GPU: 660 TI $200

PSU: 800 - 1000w (in case you wanna upgrade later) Something with Rosewell, Corsair, etc $100 - $150

RAM: 8Gb is enough $80 - $90

Motherboard: Asus Z87 PRO $160

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R $60

HDD:Western Digital 1 TB Black $80

 

Leaves you with about $200 for anything else you want. Cough, You're welcome

[killeryes2]

CPU: Intel 4470 - Since you don't want to overclock . $300

GPU: 660 TI $200

PSU: 800 - 1000w (in case you wanna upgrade later) Something with Rosewell, Corsair, etc $100 - $150

RAM: 8Gb is enough $80 - $90

Motherboard: Asus Z87 PRO $160

Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R $60

HDD:Western Digital 1 TB Black $80

 

Leaves you with about $200 for anything else you want. Cough, You're welcome

 

Dude, you're totally recommending the wrong items.  Why get the i 4470 when it's more expensive than the i5 4670k, and doesn't leave open the opportunity to OC if he/she changes her/his mind in the future, even more, you don't need an i7 for gaming!  i5 is really all you need.  Also, why get the 660 Ti?  That thing is also overpriced and weak.  The GPU is what really matters in gaming these days (except for exceptions like Total War II Rome).  Also, why get the 200R when the 300R is the same price?

[jacustjack]

*Note: My personal endorsements are bolded. These aren't necessarily what's in my build, but they are the best out of the given choices

 

I've organized some CPU Choices below:

 

1. i3-4130 -- $120

Nowadays, a lot of people are convinced that they need an i5, or even an i7. Truth is, for gaming, there is very little difference between physical and logical cores. From this i3 to the flagship i7-4770k is approximately a 15-20% increase in gaming performance facing a 175% increase in price. For people who are interested in "bang for your buck" as well as not wanting top-of-the-line performance, which you stated you don't care for, this processor is a great choice. 

 

2. i5-4430 -- $185

For those interested in light programming, Minecraft, or other potentially CPU-intensive tasks, this is an option worth considering as opposed to lower end CPUs. Now, a handful of programs can take advantage of the physical, rather than logical, cores. This is turns out nice performance, about comparable to an i5-4670.

 

3. i5-4670 -- $220

Some people need top of the line products, no matter how ridiculous. If you're interested in heavier programming without spending those extra 100 bucks for an i7 or just bragging rights, the flagship i5-4670 could be potentially useful. I would not recommend paying $100 more than the i3-4130 for something fairly similar, but some may find use in this processor.

 

As well as some possible Graphics Card choices I put together:

 

1. GTX 760 -- $250

Nice for the games you're interested in playing. No point in spending more money for lower-end modern games. This is powerful at the moment, but as you said, if you want a more future-proof PC, look at some of my higher end GPU choices.

 

2. R9 280X -- $300

Good at bang-for-your-buck, and getting cheaper by the moment. Even in Titanfall, one of the games you were interested in and likely the most GPU-intensive, you can pull in just under 60 (59.9) at completely maxed-out settings.

 

3. GTX 770 -- $320

A touch better than the 280X, at a higher price. Not highly recommended for anything other than bragging rights

[Shawnee]

I recommend a Regular hard drive unless you want to spend money on a SSD to turn your computer on faster.  RAM is also up to you.  8gb will work with games now but if you have some extra money upgrading to 16gb should be a first.

 

In no way should you EVER need 16GB of Ram. 8GB is well enough.

 

You can get a decent SSD at a good price http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ssd/series/MX100 (256GB for a MSRP price of $114.99). Load your OS and most-used games/programs onto it.

 

 

RAM: 8Gb is enough $80 - $90

 

 

Leaves you with about $200 for anything else you want. Cough, You're welcome

$200 for peripherals, OS, and possibly a chair? Good luck. And you should be able to get 8GB of RAM for $50 or less. I got 2x4GB sticks of Patriot Ram for $35.

You don't need an i7.

 

Dude, you're totally recommending the wrong items.  Why get the i 4470 when it's more expensive than the i5 4670k, and doesn't leave open the opportunity to OC if he/she changes her/his mind in the future, even more, you don't need an i7 for gaming!  i5 is really all you need.  Also, why get the 660 Ti?  That thing is also overpriced and weak.  The GPU is what really matters in gaming these days (except for exceptions like Total War II Rome).  Also, why get the 200R when the 300R is the same price?

This man knows what he is talking about. i5, not i7. 

[cleverpun]

Welp, I think you would get more help if you went somewhere like PCPartPicker or Tom's Hardware.  Reddit's /r/pcmasterrace and /r/buildapc are also useful.  I'll list out the parts and the reasoning behind them below, and then the link to the PCPartPicker list.  By the way, OC= overclock.

I started by asking here since I saw several other threads that got a decent response. I figured I would start here then then ask other forums/people for advice--I definitely plan on getting as much info and opinions as possible before buying parts.

 

I'm still not sure if a SSD + HDD combo is completely necessary--my current computer has 450 GB of storage, and I didn't fill it up after 3 years of use (though obviously the new one is going to have more large files on it from games). I guess that memory is so cheap now that I shouldn't be too worried about it.

 

*Note: My personal endorsements are bolded. These aren't necessarily what's in my build, but they are the best out of the given choices

Your i3 link is incorrect--it's just a copy of the 4670 link.

 

Thanks for the recommendations--The R9 does seem like a good buy. While I would like my PC to be as future proof as possible, paying such a large premium for a small increase doesn't seem worth it. It also syncs up with the recommendations here.

 

I've heard that GPUs and CPUs should be close in price if you want to avoid bottlenecking, so I'll have to look into your recommendations for CPUs more

[Ɲαɳσ]

 

I've heard that GPUs and CPUs should be close in price if you want to avoid bottlenecking, so I'll have to look into your recommendations for CPUs more

lel no, while bottlenecks are possible, they are only when the cpu is crappy and the gpu is better than not crappy. And finding a cpu and a gpu with the same price, it more likely the gpu will be bad.

[jacustjack]

Your i3 link is incorrect--it's just a copy of the 4670 link.

 

Thanks for the recommendations--The R9 does seem like a good buy. While I would like my PC to be as future proof as possible, paying such a large premium for a small increase doesn't seem worth it. It also syncs up with the recommendations here.

 

I've heard that GPUs and CPUs should be close in price if you want to avoid bottlenecking, so I'll have to look into your recommendations for CPUs more

Thanks. fixed

[killeryes2]

 

I've heard that GPUs and CPUs should be close in price if you want to avoid bottlenecking, so I'll have to look into your recommendations for CPUs more

 

That's not true.  Your GPU should be more expensive than your CPU, as it is the more intensive component in most games.  CPUs usually cap out around 220 dollars, paying any more for a CPU is probably overkill for most people.  However, too weak of a CPU can bottleneck the performance of your GPU.  Anything below a 6300 will bottleneck something like a 760 and above for NVidia, and a 7870 and above for AMD.

[killeryes2]

 

I'm still not sure if a SSD + HDD combo is completely necessary--my current computer has 450 GB of storage, and I didn't fill it up after 3 years of use (though obviously the new one is going to have more large files on it from games). I guess that memory is so cheap now that I shouldn't be too worried about it.

 

These days with SSDs becoming dirt cheap, with your budget range you can easily afford one.  As for the HDD, if you're confident that you won't use more than 450 GBs of storage, you can just put that HDD in your new PC.  However, if you feel that you might need more storage later, just get a 1 TB HDD.  It's the same price as a 500 GB HDD, with the same price.

[Shawnee]

These days with SSDs becoming dirt cheap, with your budget range you can easily afford one.  As for the HDD, if you're confident that you won't use more than 450 GBs of storage, you can just put that HDD in your new PC.  However, if you feel that you might need more storage later, just get a 1 TB HDD.  It's the same price as a 500 GB HDD, with the same price.

You can keep the current HDD assuming it runs at a decent, bearable speed (in terms of rpm and gb/s). Mainly, 7200rpm + 6gb/s HDD > 5400rpm at 3gb/s (very likely for what you have now.)

[cleverpun]

These days with SSDs becoming dirt cheap, with your budget range you can easily afford one.  As for the HDD, if you're confident that you won't use more than 450 GBs of storage, you can just put that HDD in your new PC.  However, if you feel that you might need more storage later, just get a 1 TB HDD.  It's the same price as a 500 GB HDD, with the same price.

You can keep the current HDD assuming it runs at a decent, bearable speed (in terms of rpm and gb/s). Mainly, 7200rpm + 6gb/s HDD > 5400rpm at 3gb/s (very likely for what you have now.)

I had planned to leave my current computer together since it still works.

 

While I do have a decent budget, paying for an SSD just so my computer will boot really fast doesn't seem worth it, although I'm still looking over all my options.

[killeryes2]

I had planned to leave my current computer together since it still works.

 

While I do have a decent budget, paying for an SSD just so my computer will boot really fast doesn't seem worth it, although I'm still looking over all my options.

That's not the only advantage of a SSD.  They have no moving parts, so a SSD is less susceptible to breakage and will on average have a longer lifespan than a HDD.  Also, while even the quietest HDD makes noise, again since the SSD has no moving parts, it will not make any noise.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

I5 4670/4690 (220)
Msi h97 guard pro (100)
R9 280x (300)
Nzxt spurce 210 (40) / corsair carbide 300r (60)
8gb corsair vengeance (75)
Samsung 840 evo 128gb (85)/ adata premier sp600 (65)
Wd blue 1tb (60)
Corsair cx500 (30)

Total: 900 leaving plenty for a monitor keyboard and mouse.

If you want to have the option of getting a second gpu then you will want a z87/97 board. I would personally spend the extra $10 and get a 4690k and another $10 to $20 and get a z97 board that way you can oc and have multiple gpus in the future if you want.

I'm on my phone right now, so no links and long winded rationales....but I'll be home later tonight

 

EDIT:

Actual spec'd out build, a bit over budget, but easily knocked down by:

• getting a cheaper mouse/keyboard
• not getting an overclockable cpu--although I think you should get one since you can gain a nice performance boost (and longevity) in the future should you oc. 
• z97 motherboard since it gives you the option to oc and SLI/XFIRE--again allowing you to gain a nice performance boost in the future. 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($238.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard: ASRock Z97M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($76.50 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($84.98 @ OutletPC) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X Video Card  ($389.00 @ Newegg) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.98 @ OutletPC) 

Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Micro Center) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)  ($21.00) 

Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse  ($14.98 @ OutletPC) 

Mouse: Corsair Raptor M45 Wired Optical Mouse  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1275.37

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

[cleverpun]

Alright, I've decided that I'm going to run an ethernet cable from my modem to my room instead of buying a wireless signal booster (my modem and room are on opposite ends of the house). Do I need any extra dongles to get that to work properly?

 

And what's the difference between Cat5 and Cat6?

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Alright, I've decided that I'm going to run an ethernet cable from my modem to my room instead of buying a wireless signal booster (my modem and room are on opposite ends of the house). Do I need any extra dongles to get that to work properly?

 

And what's the difference between Cat5 and Cat6?

cat5e is fine. Cat 6 is just a faster/newer version of cat 5/5e which allows for 10gbps speeds--but considering it costs $100 just to get 1gbps internet speeds, and most ethernet ports/cards only support up to 1gbps theres no benefit at all to cat 6 other than future proofing for when it eventually becomes a standard speed--not anytime soon. 

 

And any decent mobo will have a built in rj45 (ethernet) port. 

[Shawnee]

I had planned to leave my current computer together since it still works.

 

While I do have a decent budget, paying for an SSD just so my computer will boot really fast doesn't seem worth it, although I'm still looking over all my options.

That's not the only advantage of a SSD.  They have no moving parts, so a SSD is less susceptible to breakage and will on average have a longer lifespan than a HDD.  Also, while even the quietest HDD makes noise, again since the SSD has no moving parts, it will not make any noise.

On average based on general read/write usage rather than mechanical parts breaking down. SSD's can be used to launch things such as the OS faster, but no OS will take up anywhere near 128gigs, so you can put your most-used programs on it or things like Photoshop that take longer to open (in general).

 

 

8gb corsair vengeance (75)

I just don't understand spending that much on 8gb. You can easily find it cheaper.

 

 

Alright, I've decided that I'm going to run an ethernet cable from my modem to my room instead of buying a wireless signal booster (my modem and room are on opposite ends of the house). Do I need any extra dongles to get that to work properly?

No dongles needed. My desktop is in the same room as the router, but I simply plug the ethernet cord into the port that's beneath my desk.

 

 

Also, while I have no personal experience with them, you can find decent Solid-State hybrid drives for not much more than a normal hard drive.

 

3.5inch 2TB at 6gb/s for currently $115: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-Solid-Hybrid-ST2000DX001/dp/B00EIQTKAS/ref=lp_1292116011_1_21?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1404431886&sr=1-21 

 

Another option would be a 2-in-1 combo -Possibly a tad bit more expensive than an SSD + HDD (depends, really) but you get both in one package: http://store.westerndigital.com/store/wdus/en_US/DisplayAccesoryProductDetailsPage/productID.292400900?psrid=52333999

 

Idk.

[cleverpun]

Is there any difference between 1 stick of 8gb RAM and 2 sticks of 4?

[Shawnee]

Is there any difference between 1 stick of 8gb RAM and 2 sticks of 4?

Assuming you won't be adding more RAM later, which you most likely will have no need to, the general consensus is 2x4gb is better.