First Gaming PC

[Demonlinx]

This is my build. my build 12/1/12 (http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20690805)

I know i need either an hdd or sdd as well as a video card. I am looking for suggestions that will keep price around $1000 I will also need to buy an OS and want to know if anyone recommends windows 8?

I was also wondering if my cooler and mobo are compatible with overclocking the i5 3570K?

I was also thinking that i may drop the wattage on the power supply to like 600W to save some money as well as getting rid of the cooler until i am ready to start overclocking. I thought it would be a good idea to figure out exactly how to do it first and since im on a budget its not a necessity and i can go without it for now.

[zburns]

Demonlinx ,

Welcome to the My Super PC forums.

There is a problem locating your RAM choice on the AsRockZ77 'Memory Support List'. Go to this URL --- http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?cat=Memory&Model=Z77%20Extreme4 -- for the AsRockMemory Support List and try to find your RAM; I cannot find it. If you go to the GSkill Ram locator at this URL --- http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=355 --- it does tell you or imply that that RAM choice is ok. While the GSkill site does tell you the RAM is ok, I would take the time to double check it via the Memory Support List and I would call GSkill Tech Support after you have looked for it and cannot locate it. I would call GSkill just because it is an 'anomaly'; I would take the time to get a 'clear' explanation as to why it is missing. It is probably a oversight on the part of ASROCK; maybe the RAM is a late model and AsRock has not 'kept in touch' , etc..


I was also thinking that i may drop the wattage on the power supply to like 600W to save some money as well as getting rid of the cooler until i am ready to start overclocking.
This comment is regarding the cooler (PSU later). You can use the stock cooler in lieu of the Hyper 212. Probably this is what happens when you do this: Your cpu will run 'hotter' if you use the stock cooler in a non overclock application. While this should fit within Intel specifications, probably the Hyper 212 cooler would allow the cpu to run cooler even when 'not overclocking'. Logically, the cpu is better protected 'lifewise' in the instance where it runs 'cooler' as compared to the stock cooler. You could call Intel and they would probably stick to a party line where they tell you the stock cooler is ok; in this case, you have to put the question to them. Ask if the Hyper 212 cooler better protects the cpu because the cooling should be better, temp wise, than the stock cooler in a non-overclock situation.

Regards the power supply on your list, I think you are better off with a partially modular Antec psu, such as the one at this url: http://www.antec.com/product.php?id=1760&fid=236

By partially modular, this means the more sensitive circuits are hard wired, and the less sensitive are modular. By sensitive, I mean 'high current circuits' which become real dangerous if 'poor contact' occurs. Less sensitive means low current circuits.

EDIT, 4pm, Tuesday: About the power supplies. The Seasonic has 'one +12 volt rail'. This means that this single rail supplies all the current (amps) for all +12 volt circuits. Conversely, on the Antec psu above, there are 4 +12 volt rails and the various currents are divided up according to the number of separate circuits. There is a 40 amp trip point per +12 volt rail on the Antec model. On the Seasonic with one rail, the trip point will be much higher. If you ever have a major problem with the wiring in your build, this Antec has better overall protective circuits because of the multiple +12 volt rails.

Regards the Seasonic psu, here is a url: http://www.seasonicusa.com/NEW_X-series_560-660-760-850.htm On the 750 watt, the max current on the single +12 volt rail is 62 amps. This means a trip point of about 72 amps or a little higher and it applies to all circuits. I saw no mention of safety circuits (electronic circuit breakers) in the Seasonic on line literature. The copyright date on the Seasonic URL just above is 2005.
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Regarding Windows 8: Just use straight logic. Microsoft is the premier supplier of operating systems. Win 8 is obviously better than Win 7, in the sense that 'any faults' or 'relatively poor designs' within Windows 7 have been cured and the newer designs are in Windows 8. While they may be those 'internet specialists' that write negatively about Win 8, it is a losing argument to say I am going to buy an older Win version rather than their newest version.
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Regards hdd or ssd, you probably want a small ssd and a 1 TB HD. That seems to have been the trend on recommendations on this forum for some time.
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EDIT, 11:30 am.

Regarding the HD and the SSD drive, please go to this article by PC World at this url: http://www.pcworld.com/article/248828/how_to_setup_intel_smart_response_ssd_caching_tech nology.html

The article explains the use and benefit of the SSD being the cache for the HD, also mention is made for loading the OS on the SSD. However, in the comments at the end of the article, there is this reader, Fargotof
07/16/2012 12:41 PM PDT who is fairly 'negative' about doing this. I suggest you read the article and then ask questions back to us on the forum regarding this article.

[Demonlinx]

First off I want to thank you so much! I have been on multiple forums trying to get help for my build for some time. I post here and blam! the next day here is your post with detailed answers to all of my questions. Thank you so much and I will be posting my build along with pictures of the completed build as well as any problems and further questions that I run into. THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!

For the Antec psu link that you left I'm not sure if it was supposed to do this but it sent me to the general antec website and didn't offer any information on a specific psu.

Do you think it would be a good idea to get a slightly larger ssd say 128g and run that instead of ssd and hdd? Or do you think i should just get an hdd to save money and spend it somewhere else?

Any suggestions on video cards was looking at EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR which is GeForce GTX 560 Ti with 1g memory and 850MHz core clock. Looking to spend around 220-250 on a decent video card.

thank you in advance.

Updated build, please take a look and tell me what you think.

[zburns]

The Antec link as stated in my post is the correct link. I tried it several times and it works for the Antec TP-750 watt psu.


Do you think it would be a good idea to get a slightly larger ssd say 128g and run that instead of ssd and hdd? If you want to run SSD only, then you should go to a 500 GByte SSD which will be expensive. It is also worthwhile to note that SSDs in the price range you (we) will accept are not as reliable for the long life based on the premise that Enterprise SSDs (server level) are much more reliable than the SSDs for the desktop consumer market. What I am getting at, is that SSDs in the price range you will accept will have a life in the range of five years.

I am on five years with my present WD Black hard drive and I have never had a HD error of any kind to my knowledge. The delays inherent in my HD operation are irrelevant in my estimation. What I want is long term dependable operation.

On the other hand, many new users of desktops will want SSD performance for HD 'caching' or for total storage of day to day data usage. But if you do this, you really have to have a 'hard drive' backup.

So, aside from giving you a 'confusing' answer, I would say that you need to fully understand the comparison in operation or 'operational differences' between current desktop ssds and hard drives.
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If you are a new builder, and new to desktop computer components and their characteristics, then one safe route to follow is to use only hard drives initially, until you become very familiar with your desktop operation; then at some point when you are confident about 'full understanding' of how your computer operates, then add the SSD at a later date. At this point, assuming the use of an SSD for full primary storage, you use your original hard drive as backup.
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If you are new to computer desktop builds and to 'the various theories or specifics behind how the various components operate with respect to each other, it is best to learn based on the simplest configurations of 'computer builds'. This means it is best to build with no SSDs at first, add it later, when you have a full 'feel' for the basic computer operation.
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I am giving an 'opinion' above but it is aimed at 'completely novice builders' versus the builder armed with a fair amount of desktop computer experience. Such experience can come from previous builds, and, or college classes in computers or software, etc.. Even using a desktop computer for a year or two can provide substantial knowledge depending on training or just plain curiosity.
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EDIT: I should have mentioned the following earlier. If you are a novice builder, I suggest you go to this URL: http://www.mysuperpc.com/processor.shtml This is Rob's Online computer build site. At the bottom of the page you will find links for each 'sequential' operation involved in the building of a desktop computer. The nice thing here is that the sequential operations are spelled out in the 'order of assembly'. For a novice builder, it is probably best to follow Rob's instructions, or at least, read thru them several times to gain 'familiarity'!!!

[Demonlinx]

Thanks. I searched google and was able to update my build with the psu you suggested as well as adding a video card. Would you mind looking at it and tell me what you think.

Since reading your last post i will most likely just go with a hard drive and then add an ssd later when i fully understand what my build and my knowledge of computers is at.

I am a novice builder and this is my first build however I have a friend and his father that will be helping me and they both have years of work and builds with computers under their belts so I may ask them if they understand doing ssd as cache for hdd and see if they advise this, however, I want to do most of this build on my own and save the most amount of money but still have a kick ass computer so ill probably just go with a plain ol' hdd.

Also any suggestions on hdd? I have heard that the caviar or something like that is a good hdd.

[RickyTick]

Also any suggestions on hdd? I have heard that the caviar or something like that is a good hdd.
The Western Digital Caviar Black 1tb is highly recommended.

[zburns]

The video card looks fine up to a point which I will explain. It has 384 cuda cores (processors); the speed (in effect, the frame rate) is proportional to the number of cuda cores (processing speed). But so is the price of the card. Increase the number of cuda cores, pay more for the card, get a faster speed (frame rate). The frame rate also affects your psu. The one you have picked should run two cards in SLI. You could drop your psu down to 550 watts or maybe even 500 watts for the card that you have picked. So if you keep the card as is, and add a second card at a later date for SLI operation, your present psu choice (antec) will run both cards.

The purpose of the above is to explain the relationship of the single video card to the computer, in particular the psu; also, the effect of adding a second card which would require system watts to roughly equal the 750 watt choice. Yoiu are probably better off leaving things as they are right now. Learn your system after the build. Later see what a second card will do to speed things up. I will check one of my points with EVGA tomorrow and add a comment if alters any of my comments in a significant manner. I will try to get a rough idea of the frame rate with the present card choice!


i will most likely just go with a hard drive and then add an ssd later I agree. I think I would do the same.


The Western Digital Caviar Black 1tb is highly recommended. An excellent choice.

[Demonlinx]

I will try to get a rough idea of the frame rate with the present card choice!

Thank you so much. I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of feedback i am getting, can't wait to hear what fps ill be getting with this card. I probably cant spend more than 225-250 max on my GPU so thats about as good as I could find for the money.

If you know of something better please post about it I'd love to have the best bang for my buck before I start my build.

You also mentioned going down to 500W however I did want a card that was SLI compatable and later get two video cards so I'd like to keep that for when I do have the extra money to get the second card.
Thanks again.

[RickyTick]

Wait...don't spend $250 on a GTX560Ti. You can get a GTX660 for the same price or less and it is a much better card in every way measurable.
Here's a good example. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127699

Here's a current review of the GTX660.
http://techreport.com/review/23527/review-nvidia-geforce-gtx-660-graphics-card

[Demonlinx]

Thanks Ill check that one out. I mostly will be playing Guild Wars 2 and Skyrim along with some League of Legends. Will I be able to max graphics on these games and still have a stable fps above 40? I read that the 660 Ti can put out 60-80 on ultra settings playing skyrim, is there a noticeable difference between the two?

[RickyTick]

Thanks Ill check that one out. I mostly will be playing Guild Wars 2 and Skyrim along with some League of Legends. Will I be able to max graphics on these games and still have a stable fps above 40? I read that the 660 Ti can put out 60-80 on ultra settings playing skyrim, is there a noticeable difference between the two?
Take a look at the review that I linked to above. It's worth reading.

[zburns]

Wrapping up comments!!

Please stick with Ricky's recommendations regards the video card. He has lots of experience in gaming and has the best feel for video card performance vs price.

On the PSU, I strongly recommend the Antec TP-750 or any other of the Antec psus. Having multiple + 12 volt rails with smaller overcurrent trip points makes total sense. A high power single + 12 volt rail that has a overcurrent trip point on the order of 70 to 80 amps or more makes no sense electrically. Having multiple + 12 volt rails with smaller trip points better protects the individual computer components.

Good luck. Do not hesitate to ask questions at any time regards your build.

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EDIT: I also suggest you read thru Rob's online my super pc build instructions; you might want to use Rob's instructions as a check list to make sure you are not 'jumping ahead' or missing something, etc.. It is better that you know in advance precisely what you intend to do and when to do it.

Also, you must use good static control and handle components 'properly'. By 'handling components properly', I refer to the actual process of picking them up, holding them, then installing them. Any circuit board item, handle it this way: Good static control using wrist strap connected to case. Circuit boards are typically made of fibreglass, components on top, component wire leads flow soldered on the bottom.

Do not ever (not even once) touch the top or bottom of a circuit board, much less touch a component -- there is no reason to ever touch the top or bottom of the circuit board -- always try to avoid this. Pick up a circuit board using two fingers, each touching the thin 1/32 inch thick edge of the board. If must touch the top or bottom of a circuit board, try to be sure where you touch does not have a wire or soldered point or component present. And be certain you are wearing the static wrist band.

[Demonlinx]

Thanks again. I will be using the video card that Ricky recommended. I will also be going with your recommendation of the Antec PSU. I will come back again when I actually begin putting the parts together. Ill probably be getting them after Christmas depending on when I have the money. My build so far is around $1000 with everything included except a monitor.

I'll also make sure to read through the guide that Rob has put together.