Want to start PC gaming.

Okay guys, I think I'm ready to post my build. Other than a potential addition of cooling fans (not sure if I need any), and a minor motherboard switch, I'm all set. Here it is:

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http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133319

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167023

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145286

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371025

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135201

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

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Keep in mind that this isn't my final build, so I'm open to more feedback.

Halak41

BETTER POWER SUPPLY

BETTER AND MODULAR

I would strongly recommend a modular PSU. You plug in only the cables that you need, and it makes unboxing the PSU much less scary/daunting.Roggirek

I agree, for someone just getting into it the ability to pick your parts is a big help

To me it's not a huge deal, a few zip ties and cable management and it's cake.

[QUOTE="Roggirek"]I would strongly recommend a modular PSU. You plug in only the cables that you need, and it makes unboxing the PSU much less scary/daunting.Jaysonguy

I agree, for someone just getting into it the ability to pick your parts is a big help

To me it's not a huge deal, a few zip ties and cable management and it's cake.

[QUOTE="Halak41"]

Okay guys, I think I'm ready to post my build. Other than a potential addition of cooling fans (not sure if I need any), and a minor motherboard switch, I'm all set. Here it is:

-

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133319

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167023

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145286

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371025

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135201

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

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Keep in mind that this isn't my final build, so I'm open to more feedback.

Jaysonguy

BETTER POWER SUPPLY

BETTER AND MODULAR

While I agree that the modular PSU you linked is arguably better, the Antec PSU linked above pretty much knocks the socks off the TX750W in terms of power regulation and noise. If the OP is hesitant on bumping up the budget $30-$40, I'd still stick with the Truepower 750W unit.

For everyone who posted that I should switch over to a modular PSU, how exactly does it differ from regualr ones/the one I already have? If it is only an issue of how complicated it is going to be to hook up, then I think I'll stick with the TruePower that I have now. Also, just to make sure, Windows 7 is the best way to go right?

Yes home premium 64 bit. OEM. it has to be 64 bit so you can use all of your ram. Windows 7 is the best OS for gaming, for everything.

your Antec PSU is just fine. its the same one i have.

^

Okay, I don't think I'm going to be switching my PSU. One change I did make, however, was the SSD. Upgraded it to the 160GB version of the one I had so that I won't have to worry about storage room. Yeah, it costs more, but I'm pretty sure it'll be worth it.

Okay, lastly, and I know I've asked about this before, but because the case I'm getting comes with two fans already built into it, is it necessary for me to buy another heatsink/fan? And, if I do, do I get a heatsink or a fan? One which will be used to cool down the CPU or one which will be used to cool down the GPU?

Nevermind that last question, I just threw in a CPU fan for $20.

And, well, this should be my final build. Hopefully I'll be able to order everything by tomorrow morning, or even tonight. Sorry in advance for all the links. Hopefully this will be the last time I'm posting all this.

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http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133319

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167024

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371025

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145286

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135201

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835101006CVF

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

Well, if your not planning on overclocking, then the stock heatsink (that comes with the CPU) will be fine from a temperature standpoint, but there are quieter options if that is a concern.Roggirek

Sorry about that Roggirek. I was already in the middle of posting my build when you gave that answer. I'll probably remove the fan from the list seeing as I'm not planning on overclocking anything.

[QUOTE="Roggirek"]Well, if your not planning on overclocking, then the stock heatsink (that comes with the CPU) will be fine from a temperature standpoint, but there are quieter options if that is a concern.Halak41

Sorry about that Roggirek. I was already in the middle of posting my build when you gave that answer. I'll probably remove the fan from the list seeing as I'm not planning on overclocking anything.

160GB is NOT enough space. you should NOT buy an SSD. buy the 750 GB hard drive i reccomended and you will be fine. trust me. i bought a 500 GB hard drive and it was full in months. i later on bought that 750 GB for games, its now over half full. So it is fine to buy a few 7200 RPM drives. in a year or 2 when SSD technology is perfected, the price will drop and you could get one. You dont know how outrageous that price per space is for an SSD. your computer will be fast enough with a regular 7200 RPM.

And that cpu cooler isnt worth it get this. made for i7, looks nice with an LED fan on it, nickel plated. Silent, tall cool.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029&cm_re=xigmatek-_-35-233-029-_-Product

here is the hard drive you should get again. remeber. it is not worth it to buy an SSD yet. its the biggest waste of money you are spending on your computer.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148445&cm_re=seagate_7200.12-_-22-148-445-_-Product

^

Hmm. Well, now I'm really torn in between what to do. Part of me wants to save money, while the other part wants the SSD really badly. From all the reviews I've read, it's great, and I know that I won't be using up a ton of room in terms of memory, so I don't think the 160GB will be an issue. Also, if that ever does become a problem, I can always add a hard drive. Maybe if a few other people could give some input it would make this decision easier.

^

Hmm. Well, now I'm really torn in between what to do. Part of me wants to save money, while the other part wants the SSD really badly. From all the reviews I've read, it's great, and I know that I won't be using up a ton of room in terms of memory, so I don't think the 160GB will be an issue. Also, if that ever does become a problem, I can always add a hard drive. Maybe if a few other people could give some input it would make this decision easier.

Halak41

imagine 750GB of space for 70$

or 160GB of space for 430$. its quite a ripoff. get one laterrrr some things are just not worth it.

This looks like your final build. you should be set now.

Case

Motherboard

Processor

GPU

Hard Drive

PSU

RAM

CD Drive

OS Windows 7 64 Bit

CPU Cooler

and if your interested in a good mouse

mission accomplished. this should be the first game to play on your computer and test out graphics. buy all your other games from Steam, they have some amazing deals! Its a digital game distributor from valve, and its very popular. too bad you missed the super summer sale though.

And that cpu cooler isnt worth it get this. made for i7, looks nice with an LED fan on it, nickel plated. Silent, tall cool.somegtalover

Not exactly sure why I should go with this fan when the other one seemed fine, and also for around half the price. Maybe I'm overlooking something.

its heat pipe direct touch. its also alot cheaper on the canadian site because i bought mine for 10$ more. keeps things nice and cool. the other 1 u looked at isnt a really a step up from stock cooling.

Well, everyone, it's all finally finished. Everything is set and ready to order. After spending the last few hours finalizing everything and picking out a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and headset, I can now say that I am done with this first phase of PC gaming.

The last few days have been pretty crazy in terms of how much information my brain had to take in, and I am now a hundred times more PC-savy than I was 48 hours ago. Of course, I have everyone who has helped me out here to thank for it all. Every bit of help was and is greatly appreciated, and I will not forget it. You guys at Gamespot/Gamefaqs really outdid yourselves this time.

Now that all of that is aside, if all goes well, I'll be back here in a week's time for further help in actually putting all this junk together. =P

PC building, here I come!

Well, everyone, it's all finally finished. Everything is set and ready to order. After spending the last few hours finalizing everything and picking out a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and headset, I can now say that I am done with this first phase of PC gaming.

The last few days have been pretty crazy in terms of how much information my brain had to take in, and I am now a hundred times more PC-savy than I was 48 hours ago. Of course, I have everyone who has helped me out here to thank for it all. Every bit of help was and is greatly appreciated, and I will not forget it. You guys at Gamespot/Gamefaqs really outdid yourselves this time.

Now that all of that is aside, if all goes well, I'll be back here in a week's time for further help in actually putting all this junk together. =P

PC building, here I come!

Well, everyone, it's all finally finished. Everything is set and ready to order. After spending the last few hours finalizing everything and picking out a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and headset, I can now say that I am done with this first phase of PC gaming.

The last few days have been pretty crazy in terms of how much information my brain had to take in, and I am now a hundred times more PC-savy than I was 48 hours ago. Of course, I have everyone who has helped me out here to thank for it all. Every bit of help was and is greatly appreciated, and I will not forget it. You guys at Gamespot/Gamefaqs really outdid yourselves this time.

Now that all of that is aside, if all goes well, I'll be back here in a week's time for further help in actually putting all this junk together. =P

PC building, here I come!

Halak41

Whoa, WAIT! Don't order all that yet! One crucial thing you need to change: that DVD drive. That only reads DVD's, and doesn't burn them. Also, it uses an IDE connector, which is a fat ribbon-like cable that can disrupt airflow. Here, get this instead.

Additionally, I would have to say that you are spending a ridiculous amount for that SSD. $250 is reasonable considering most decently-sized drives are priced near that. But $450? Really? Just go with a 120GB Sandforce-controlled drive and call it a day. Not only will it save you more than $100, you'll get ample room for a decent amount of games and applications, and have a faster drive than the X25-M.

Also, I would strongly recommend you buy from NCIX instead. With the pricematch feature, and their free ground shipping promotion with that i7-930, you can save a bunch of money.

^

Haha, luckily I decided to pop back in here this morning before ordering. Quickly swapped the DVD drive for the burner you suggested (now I'm paying a whole $1 extra because of you!). I'm also considering switching my SSD for the other you suggested. Other than then that... I think I have everything covered. Thanks for that last bit of feedback though, raven. Saved me the shock of realizing I ordered something wrong once I got all this.

And, to answer Cheesehead's question, the final price of EVERYTHING, tax and shipping included, is around $2500. I know it's a lot, but it's something I'm willing to do, and I knew I would be spending a good two grand when I first made the decision to start this.

Well, buying it from NCIX for those parts came out to 2363.08. Those parts include:

Intel i7 930
ASUS P6X58D Premium
PNY GTX 480
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 6GB DDR3-1600 CL7
Coolermaster HAF 922
Intel X25-M 160GB
Samsung SH-S243D DVD Drive
Antec TP-750
Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System
Xigmatek Dark Knight

As far as I know, that includes everything in your Newegg cart. Saving ~$114 (based on the Newegg cart I have) is not bad, and it's not like you're buying from an unreliable e-tailer.

The thing is, those are only the components from Newegg, which comes out at $2272.07 from that site. Accessories such as the monitor, keyboard, etc. are going to be purchased from Futureshop, which adds another $250. So, in the end, I'm actually saving a bit of money using Newegg as opposed to NCIX.

wow how many folks does it take to assemble a build hahaha 100+ apparently (given room for multiposts)

jk jk

The thing is, those are only the components from Newegg, which comes out at $2272.07 from that site. Accessories such as the monitor, keyboard, etc. are going to be purchased from Futureshop, which adds another $250. So, in the end, I'm actually saving a bit of money using Newegg as opposed to NCIX.

Halak41

Pricematch is your friend... :P I got it to 2060.32 with it. I'll give you the links if you're interested.

^

Are you pricematching from Newegg?

^

Are you pricematching from Newegg?

Halak41

Three of the 10 items are pricematched from Newegg. The others are either sale items on NCIX or pricematched elsewhere.

^

When you say pricematching, does that just mean that your buying lower from other places, or does Newegg/NCIX have a policy where they match any lower prices?

Sell the 360 and save up at least near $900 and you can build a core i5 750 quad core rig with a gtx 460 in matx form factor easily. Hekynn

I like how you think. GTX 480 / 5870 is overkill unless you're gaming at 2500x1600 rez.

The thing is, those are only the components from Newegg, which comes out at $2272.07 from that site. Accessories such as the monitor, keyboard, etc. are going to be purchased from Futureshop, which adds another $250. So, in the end, I'm actually saving a bit of money using Newegg as opposed to NCIX.

Halak41

Clearly this guy's monitor is most likely going to be 1680x1050. Lol, have you all missed this? I wouldn't go any higher than a GTX 460 if that's his monitor rez.

^

Actually the monitor is 1920x1080. You know what they say about assuming...

^

Actually the monitor is 1920x1080. You know what they say about assuming...

Halak41

Sorry, not up to date on monitor prices...didn't know a 1080p can be had for under $200 now.

Still, my main point still stands. GTX 480 is overkill for whatever you're doing, even Crysis. Do you seriously want to splurge hundreds of dollars on ONE franchise? Any other good, optimized game will not be requiring that kind of power, unless, of course, you're running at 1600p. If you care about money, I would suggest getting a 5850.

Also, never mind my last question about pricematching I figured it out. And I think I'm just going to stick with everything I have right now because as long as I and everyone else keeps posting here, I don't think I'm ever going to get to ordering. That said, thank you raven for pointing out that my DVD driver was nothing but, however, when it comes to everything else, I don't think I'm going to be making anymore changes. I'm happy with what I have, and even if I regret a choice or two later down the road, that's life.

Like I said, once everything gets shipped to my place, I'll be back here for more help, if needed.

make sure you post pics of your rig when you finally build it! and maybe come back and play some games with me since i kinda helped ;)

Well everyone, I finally ordered. Should be here in about a week.

Thanks again for all the help.

Well everyone, I finally ordered. Should be here in about a week.

Thanks again for all the help.

Halak41