Right, so I'm planning on building my own PC for gaming. I have never done this before, so I'm after a bit of help, just to make sure that I haven't screwed any of this up.

Basically, overall I have around $2000 to spend all up. So far my build prices out to around $1750, with everything included. My basic goal is to be able to run all games at max settings. To make this a realistic goal in my price range, I'm going for 1080p, not 1440p.

I've seen a few other threads around here on the same subject, but everyone has their own needs, so I'm making one of my own. Without further ado, here is my list of parts. I'm going to be buying this from the website www.pccasegear.com, so all the links go there.


Let's start with shit I know nothing about:


Corsair Carbide 300R Compact Gaming Case $109

Ok, so I did quite a bit of research into the case. According to some reviews I looked at it's very good in terms of both fitting everything in there, keeping everything relatively cool, and not being noisy as fuck. I also like the idea of having something small and not flashy that doesn't have 10 LEDs glowing blue all over the place. I like it's relatively simplicity, and that fact that it doesn't look like all that much. It seems quite subtle. So basically, am I missing something? Is there a reason I shouldn't get it?

Corsair TX-650M Modular Power Supply $129

I have no idea whatsoever about this. I think I just stole someone elses suggestion from another thread. Comments?

ASUS P8Z77-V LK Motherboard $165.

Same as above. I honestly know less than nothing about motherboards. Does this support all of the other things I'm buying? Should I be buying something better? I honestly don't understand what they do, apart from the fact that they're the thing you plug shit into. All I know is that it's compatible with my CPU, my case says something about ATX, and so does this.

CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler $36

Do I need a CPU cooler? Don't they come with one?

Corsair CMP8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 $79

It's ram. Should I get better ram? Should I get cheaper ram? Should I get more ram? I have no clue.


CPU:


Intel Core i5 3570K $239

It was either this, or the i5 2500k. Considering the new generation costs only $10 more, is there any reason not to get it?

I should also point out that at this stage I'm not really planning on overclocking. I may or may not decide to in the future though.


Graphics Card:


Gigabyte Radeon HD7870 2GB Overclocked $349

Ok, so this is probably the thing that I am most unsure about. I've read a lot of things, and none of them tell me specifically whether I should AMD or Nvidia. What I do know, is that this card seems to be very good, and it should be more than sufficient for 1080p gaming. This is the review I'm basing this on btw.

So basically, my question here is the same as before really. Am I missing some kind of information? Should I be going for a Nvidia card in the same price range? I don't really want to spend more than $350 on a graphics card at this point. Also, if I do decide to go to 1440p, is there any reason I couldn't just add another one of these cards, and do the SLI, or crossfire or whatever it is?


The rest of the stuff:


Corsair Force Series 3 240GB SSD $239

So, I haven't had an SSD before, except in my iPhone. But I do know that I want one, and that I want one that can fit everything that I'll be primarily doing. I'm happy to pay the price for a 240GB SSD. What I don't know about is brands. Should I be buying corsair? Is there another brand that's better that doesn't cost a stupid amount more?

Western Digital WD Green 2TB WD20EARX $115

Ok, so it's a 2TB HD that costs $115. I'll be using this for storing media, and whatever else I want to. Won't use it all that often. I plan to keep all my main stuff on my SSD. I've also had good experiences with WD on my elements external HD.

Samsung SH-222BB SATA DVDRW Drive OEM $22

I haven't used a CD or DVD drive in a long long time. But I figure i'll need one to actually install windows in the first place heh. I doubt i'll ever use it after that, but probably best to have it just in case.

Samsung S24B300H 24in Widescreen LED Monitor $179

So, I've got a friend who swears by Samsung for displays, and frankly, his does look pretty good. It seems to come down to this, or Asus. And Samsungs look better aesthetically imo. Any reason I shouldn't get this?

Steelseries 6G V2 Mechanical Keyboard $95

And last but not least, the keyboard. This is probably the thing I am the most conflicted on. I have two friends, one has this, the other has the Razer Blackwidow. First things first, I cannot stand how loud his keyboard is. Therefore, I was looking at getting the stealth version of the blackwidow, that has the Cherry MX Brown switches, instead of blue. Which are apparently significantly quiter. It also is apparently the best balance between gaming and typing. Unfortunately, the Razer store in Aus, which is the only place that you can buy it, is out of stock of them. For at least 2 weeks. That pretty much makes getting one of them out of the question. I'm not willing to wait 2 weeks for this.

So, basically, the Steelseries 6Gv2 is my other option from what I can tell. I have no idea about any of these other brands for Mechanical keyboards. Should I be looking at them? The biggest issue I have with the Steelseries keyboards, is that they removed the windows key, and put in a steelseries fn key that is completely unbindable. Literally it's hardcoded or something, so you can't rebind it. I have major issues with that, but I guess it's something that I am going to have to learn to live with? Does anyone have any other suggestions for a mechnical keyboard? Is it significantly better to go for the Steelseries 7G?


So, that's pretty much that. I'm basically looking for feedback about my selections, and whether I'd be better off doing something different somewhere. If this all looks good, I'll be pretty happy, as not only does it seem like it'll do what I want, it'll also do it for $1700. Which isn't bad considering that I have to buy everyone except a mouse. (I have a Razer Deathadder, which I'll probably switch for a Steelseries sensei at some point)

Let me know what ya think? I'm planning on buying this on monday. (Sunday in the US)

Cheers.

 

I'm by no means heavy handed when it comes to PC hardware, but here's my two cents:

As far as I can tell there isn't much difference between Sandy Bridge (2500k) and Ivy Bridge (3570k) performance-wise. But the internal graphics card in the Ivy Bridge (the HD4000) shoots the older HD3000 out of the water. But you don't really need that card, when you got your main one. But for 10$? I would go for it.

The Steelseries 6Gv2 is built like a fucking tank and should be classified as a freaking weapon! I was once told by a guy from Steelseries that they tried to run it over with a car. Needless to say the keyboard made it.

Anyway, I really dislike the font on the Black Widow. The letters are difficult to read and the keys' placement on the board feels a bit awkward. I do like the rubber coating and the one with lights in it. The 6Gv2 is made like an old IBM keyboard, so they're both completely in their own category. I love the noise from the mechanical keyboards. It feels very satisfying, but yeah, I understand.

I would go for the 6Gv2 over the Widow, because I really hate the key design on the latter.

 

Case, psu, motherboard, cooler is fine

You can buy cheaper ram without issue

Cpu is fine (buy a k series one like you have if overclocking is on the cards at all)

Card is fine, it's better than what I have and I can play at 2560*1440 without issue for most games, so you should be fine (so long as you can drop from ultrahigh to just high or something). No reason you couldn't go for crossfire though.

Get a crucial m4 as your ssd - less hassle

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_902_909&products_id=17686

Storage drive is fine.

You get what you pay for with mechanical keyboards - I'd recommend one from ducky or das.

For further reading: http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide

Enjoy your (soon to be) new setup!

 

Fellow Australian eh? Let's pick apart your choices:
Case: Corsair Carbide 300R

A good choice, but based on your comments, you may want to have a look at the Silverstone TJ08-E ($99). This will require a change in motherboard to a micro-ATX one though. Another choice is the Bitfenix Shinobi ($69). If the Bitfenix Shinobi catches your fancy, have a look at the windowed version; it costs a little more but comes with a front fan and option to put a fan on the side panel.

Power Supply: Corsair TX650M

A good choice again, but if you don't care about modular cables, have a look at the Antec Earthwatts Platinum (550W or 650W). Their efficiency is platinum rated (three steps above the bronze rated Corsair unit) but lose the ability to pick and choose which cables are attached so you'll have to find some place in the case to hide the excess cables.

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK

Good choice (again, I know), but if you don't need the extra expansion slots, have a look at the micro-ATX Asus P8Z77-M ($115) or its PRO variant ($135)

CPU cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo

You technically don't need this, but it's far better than the one they include with the CPU. At its low price, it'll do a good job at keeping your computer cool and quiet.

RAM: Corsair 1600C9 2x4GB kit

Have a look at G.skill memory, as they tend to be cheaper than Corsair. For example, this is a single 8GB DIMM, same specifications, lower voltage and to top it off, is cheaper.

CPU: Core i5 3570K

You really only need the K variant if you're going to overclock by more than 400 MHz since the non-K can do a max of +400MHz overclock. The difference of $20 and the fact that you'll probably get the CPU cooler above means you may as well get this rather than anything else, regardless of whether you overclock or not in the near future.

Graphics Card: Gigabyte 7870 OC

Use this as a basis, then take a look at the games you play to see if they favour AMD or Nvidia. If you're willing to take the hit on warranty, Vertex3D and Sapphire have cheaper offerings.

SSD: Corsair Force Series 3 240GB

While a lot of people have no issue with Sandforce drives, I'm biased against them due to their peculiarities and the instability issues that used to plague them. If you must have an SSD with a proven track record, you'll want Intel, Crucial or Samsung (though the OCZ Vertex 4s seem to be on the up and up).

Re: Optical Drive

Spend your money on a flash drive instead (or use an existing one). Then when you get a Windows key, download the ISO and make your flash drive bootable through the Windows 7 USB DVD Download tool. It'll install faster this way and you won't have spent money on an optical drive you'll likely use only once.

Re: Mechanical keyboard

From what I've read, mechanical keyboard enthusiasts will tell you not to get a gaming mechanical keyboard. In that vein, have a look at Das Keyboard, Ducky, Filco, Leopold and Topre Realforce boards. If you want a gaming oriented mechanical keyboard, have a look at Coolermaster (wide variety of switches) and Corsair (Cherry Red).

 

micro-ATX? Really? I wouldn't use that in a gaming rig at all, especially since that would take away all chances of doing Crossfire/SLI in the future. Why, exactly, do you recommend micro-ATX for a gaming rig? It's nonsense, at least in my opinion.

Then there is the thing with a non-modular PSU. If he has a budget of $2000, why do you recommend a non-modular one? Also, why do you tell him to not buy an optical drive? You can't be serious with "you'll likely use only once", because not every software and not every game is available for download (and you can't just assume that he has super fast internet, either).

 

I do have super fast internet.

As for the responses so far, a lot of the options provided seem to do pretty much the same thing as the ones I've already chosen. I'm switching my SSD from Corsair to the Crucial one linked above though.

The biggest problem that I'm having, is the keyboards now.

I've just spend the last 2 hours reading all about them. The biggest problem I'm having, is that I don't really want to shell out $150 for a keyboard. However, the options i've come up with so far, are these.

Cheap - Steelseries 6Gv2 as noted above. Apparently the black switches are very good for gaming. Should cost between around $95.

Medium - Leopold FC500R, with Cherry Brown. This honestly looks like the best in betweener. It fits all the categories i want, not too expensive, Brown switches, but the downside is that for the life of me, I cannot find a review of it with the Brown switches. That annoys the fuck out of me. Costs $109.

Expensive - Filco Majestouch2 with Cherry Brown. Right, so this looks really really good. Downsides? It costs $150.

The biggest problem I am having right now, is that the only 2 brands I actually know for keyboards are Steelseries and Razer. Both of the choices from those two that I want are out of stock on PC case gear. Are these other brands really worth the price?

Thoughts/comments? I'm almost thinking I should make a seperate thread for this.

Edit: Some other options. http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=113_1224&products_id=17307 Das Keyboard with Cherry Browns, $139.

Ducky doesn't seem to have any available options for under $150. And none of them use the Browns.

 

I have a mechanical keyboard with black switches

It's silent if you don't bottom out the keys (since they 'press' before they actually hit the base of the button), and isn't too noisy if you do bottom out the keys.

The Das Model S Silent is on pccg for 139 and uses mx brown switches, which is what i'd probably go for

fakeedit: hey, you included it in your edit, coolie!

 

Ok, I have another query as well. I've pretty much settled on the Filco keyboard, having read some reviews around the place. So I guess I'll end up spending the $150. In that case, I'm thinking of getting less storage in my SSD.

So my question is, what's the difference between the intell 330 series of SSDs and the 520 series. Because I can get a 180gb 330 series for $160. Which frankly is a very good price.

Are these SSDs bad? Or would it be fine to get one?

 

520's are faster, but all intel ssd's are very good quality.

 

micro-ATX has 4 expansion slots, how does that take away from Crossfire/SLI? Note that the OP has not specifically noted any need for additional expansion slots and I specifically noted that it would prevent further expansion.

It's an alternative and I gave advantages and disadvantages for the alternative option. As for optical drive, the OP even stated that they would unlikely use it again. Just because you can spend money doesn't mean you should.

They're pretty much the same type, but the 330s have three years warranty vs the five on the 520. You pay more for the 520 for slightly better binning and longer warranty.

While true, you don't get SSDs for the read/write speed, but low access latency. ANY SSD is better than no SSD at all.

 

Ok, so im pretty happy with what I have now. I've gone for G-Skill ram as the other stuff i'd chosen ran out of stock. I'm also going with a Crucial M4 128gb SSD. Getting the Filco Majestouch 2 as well.

The last question I have before I order all of this, is do I need to buy any cables and stuff? SOme of the SSDs said that they came with the drive only, no cables. This SSD doesn't say that, but I'm not sure what that means.

Otherwise, all the cables inside the PC and stuff, do they come with all the other stuff i've bought? Or do I have to buy them seperately?

Love to hear some more comments, as there's no point ordering until monday.

 

you should be right for all cables - motherboards come with some SATA cables even if your hd doesn't.

If you plan on putting games onto your ssd, I recommend getting at least a 180gb one.

 

In that case, this is my best option.

The only thing I found, was that I saw that tomshardware had a rather mixed review for it, but it was so full of terminology that I just couldn't but fucked learning, I don't really know what to think of it. I don't care about massive write speeds or anything, I just want game levels to load fast, and apps and OS shit to load fast.

Will it do that?

 

yes it will do that easily.

 

Quick question of my own - is 8 GB of RAM more than enough to run most modern day games at full settings with maybe a Chrome and standard system processes in the background? I'm not going to be running heavy processes on the side. However, I play a lot of RPGs and need to alt-tab frequently at least in the beginning to access power-build guides, etc.

Thanks.

 

I need more information for me to say. What kind of graphics card do you have? Processor?

 

Use Ellisande's specs for reference

 

That's actually a question I want an answer too as well. I've always been told that it's stupid to get more than 8GB of ram. Is this true? I too plan on alt tabbing quite a bit myself, and running chrome in the background. Especially as I intend to add a second monitor for chrome etc at some point in the near future.

 

Yes 8GB is more than enough, though your mileage may vary as it'll depend on how many tabs and what content is cached. Hitting two or even three GB of memory use through the browser, even including plugins, is difficult and a quick restart of the browser will re-check what it needs to cache and what it doesn't. As for getting more than 8GB, you really have to look at your use case to see if it's worth it. Most people don't need it, but for others the excess capacity can be used to great effect in RAM drives.

 

8GB is fine for gaming & regular pc usage.

I'm using chrome with 32 tabs, irc, foobar2k, steam, skype, excel and various background apps (anti virus, dropbox, etc) and am only just on 3GB used, so when I want to play something I just start the game without worrying about closing programs or whatever.

More than 8GB is most useful for things like autoCAD or video editing.