BUILDING MY FIRST GAMING PC

[NPRamirez]

HI! I'm new to Tech-Forums and new to anything "Tech" related. I've had a mediocre PC that runs games like WoW at medium performance and even that might be a stretch. The point is, it is completely outdated. A Pentium 4, virus infected, crusty old pile of crap.

First, let me explain what I already have. Mouse, monitor, keyboard and headset are a check.

...Next, let me explain what I want and my budget.

My New-PC Requirements:
--Run any game on the market without a hiccup
--Play Blu-Ray movies
--Burn and store many movies
--General document work like word, excel

My Budget:
$1200-1500 US Dollars

So, is this realistic?

NOW I'd like to post what I've chosen and I have a few questions regarding these parts and the computer as a whole.

--CASE--
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Blue RC-932-KKN3-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Blue RC-932-KKN3-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
$160

--MOTHERBOARD--
Newegg.com - MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
$190

--CPU/PROCESSOR--
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Model BX80601930
Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Model BX80601930
$290

--MEMORY--
Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D
230$

--HARD DRIVE--
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$95

--VIDEO CARD--
(not much selection on newegg.com. What card would you recommend for high performance games and blurays?)
!!NEED PRODUCT!!

--POWER SUPPLY--
Newegg.com - Rosewill BRONZE series RBR1000-M 1000W Continuous@40°C, 80Plus Bronze Certified,Modular Cable Design,ATX12V v2.3/ EPS12V,SLI Ready,CrossFire Ready,Active PFC"Compatible with Core i7, i5" Power Supply
Rosewill BRONZE series RBR1000-M 1000W Continuous@40°C, 80Plus Bronze Certified,Modular Cable Design,ATX12V v2.3/ EPS12V,SLI Ready,CrossFire Ready,Active PFC"Compatible with Core i7, i5" Power Supply
140$

--DVD BURNER--
(does this include the standard DVD/CD drive as well? I'd prefer it did if possible.)
!!NEED PRODUCT!!

--BLURAY PLAYER--
!!NEED PRODUCT!!

=================================

*********IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE POINT********

>>>>I think those are all the components necessary. Here are my overall concerns and why I need you tech-genius' in the first place!

-Do all of these components fit together?
-Are they compatible with that case?
-Are these sufficient with high performance gaming and BluRay?
-..If not, what should I upgrade?
-Should I downgrade anything? I don't do any photoshop or any fancy advanced art "stuff"!
--PLEASE any other comments would greatly help!! If you have any questions for me I will answer promptly.

Thank you SOOOO much in advance!!!

 

[Sean W.]

I would go with with the cooler master haf x case, its a little more expensive than the 932, but the extra money is worth it.

get this mother board
Asus P6X58D Premium
Amazon.com: ASUS P6X58D Premium - LGA 1366 - X58 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard: Electronics

get a i7 920 processor

id go with either a radeon 5870 or a nividia 470 or 480 graphics card

a 1000 wat psu is a bit more than u need but thats okay

and all these things will work together just fine

also, get a cpu cooler

if u get a blu ray player/burner u wont need a cd/dvd burner, a bluj ray burner can burn blu ray/ cd/ and dvd
and ull be good to go

 

[FoxMcCarther]

Sean summed it up good, but you could also get away with the radeon 5850 or GTX285, if you are not in the market for quite that costly of a card they would not be the newest but it could handle anything you throw at it like a champ. (but the $50-$100 extra dollars for the newer cards would probably be worth it if you can afford it).

BD Drive / CD Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...189&cm_re=bluray_drive-_-27-136-189-_-Product
That should be what you need, it is a blu-ray reader, and it also burns and reads non-blu-ray content (Meaning, It will NOT burn blu-ray disks, if you want that, you need a model or two up). (While not particularly useful, it also has lightscribe, which I love to play with ). It also comes with all the software you will need for the drive and player.

 

[NPRamirez]

Awesome. I made the upgrade for the __case__.

Why should I downgrade the __processor__ from 930 to 920? Is there really a difference? It won't take much to convince me to save money, though . I added it to the Wish List.

As for the __video card__.. HOLY COW $320+? I didn't know it would be that much for a graphics card but that's fine. I'll post some specific cards when I get a minute to look through some.

I'll keep the 1000 __watt__ just in case.

Also, I added the __blu-ray__ combo drive. Thanks!

The __motherboard__ you suggested is another $110 more! Is that worth it? If so, I'll take your word.

Could you maybe post a specific __"CPU Cooler"__? I've never dealt with one.

----I'll keep you guys updated on what parts I decide on permanently and start to purchase.

And as always, Thanks so much for your time!

I re-did my Wish List on NewEgg. Luckily, I was able to find every product on there (probably no surprise to you newegg vets). My total came to $1680.00. A bit more than expected but it will have to do. I will post each and every part soon. However, I am getting my wisdom teeth and bicuspids extracted tomorrow at noon. Wish me luck! Hopefully I'll be on soon after. Depends how everything goes. I'll treat my self by buying a 1.7k toy

 

[Sean W.]

nice, the cooler master Haf X case is, dare i say, the best case on the market right now

the only difference between the 920 and the 930 is the factory set clock speed, other than that they are identical. and many people have experienced that the 920 overclocks better.

i would deffinatly go with the Radeon 5870 or if you are feeling like splurging, the 5970, but if the 5970 is out of your price range then i would either go witht he 5870 or the nividia 480. and yes, the price is worth it, any one of these graphics cards can run any game at absolute maxed out setting. the 5970 is the fasted graphics card on the planet.

1000 watt is fine, gives you something to work with for your next build or upgrade, so a powersupply then wont be a factor, youll have peace of mind that you have a powersupply that can run probably anything that comes out in the future.

that mother board is the absolute boss, not many other mother boards can beat it, and with a setup like this itd be silly to skimp on the back bone of your computer. id stick with that mother board.

if you want to be the big dog on the porch, go with this CPU cooler, it is arguably the best air cooler on the market:
Newegg.com - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler

but if spending close to $100 on a CPU cooler isnt what gets your juices flowing than, anyone of these would be perfectly acceptable.
in order from best to worst ( even tho none of these coolers are " bad " far from it infact )

Newegg.com - Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
Newegg.com - Noctua NH-U12DO 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CAFA70 120mm Dual-Fan CPU Cooler
Newegg.com - Thermalright U120eXtrem1366RT R-C 120mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler
Newegg.com - Noctua NH-U9B SE2 92mm SSO CPU Cooler
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler

 

[NPRamirez]

...Ok, man. You made me do it, Sean. I was going to do the
Newegg.com - HIS iCooler V H585FNT1GDG Radeon HD 5850 Turbo 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
for about $320 but I figure I might as well jump an extra hundred or so to ensure I am running roughly the best of the best. However, the 5970 is just too much but the 5870 will have to do.

Which card should I go with then?

Newegg.com - XFX HD-587X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
at $380

--OR--

Newegg.com - ASUS ROG MATRIX 5870 P/2DIS/2GD5 Radeon HD 5870 Platinum 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
which is around $520

----They are both 5870s but what is the difference other than 140 dollars?
Would you recommend a specific 5870 card? Link?

PS: I added the first cooler you suggested. I assume it fits in that massive case, lol.

I'm now closer to 2000 (with a ~$500 graphics card) but that will probably be the highest point. It should go down if anything. I've thrown the highest priced items that I would buy in there. Hopefully, when I lay out all the parts, you gurus can take a final look and let me know if this is a dream machine or not.

--Like I said earlier, hopefully I'll be on soon to lay it all out.

Thanks again, Sean!

 

[Trotter]

Asus is factory overclocked, is 2GB, and has a three year warranty

XFX only has 1GB, is not overclocked, and has a lifetime warranty.

As for me, I would go with the XFX as it has a lifetime warranty. You can VERY easily overclock the card using one of several programs, even the Catalyst Control Center (part of the driver package) allows you to do that.

 

[Sean W.]

i completely agree with Trotter, go with the 1 gig XFX 5870. you wont see a difference in gaming with 2 gigs of Ram, i dont know why, but it doesnt really work that way, you would think since you have twice the ram you would think you would have twice the performance, but it doesnt work that way. go with the 1 gig XFX 5870

post your final build and we will make sure everything its good. but from the sound of it, this computer will haul ***

 

[Muffin Man]

you don't need a 1kw psu.

for $117 with this promo code (corsair10psu) w/ free shipping, this psu is a great deal and will more than handle your rig with future upgrades with no problems
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

the corsair ram is also expensive ram. you can get this set
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM
runs at the same speed with the same timings and save $70.

and you can also save some money with this version of the asus mobo that's not quite as high end but still very good.
Newegg.com - ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

 

[Sean W.]

^ muffin man is the king, listen to him, not me haha