Help me build a gaming computer!

[Quiet Stranger]

Okay so I've been out of the computer gaming scene for a long time (If you ever played Team Fortress 2, well my graphics card in my desktop burnt out long before the Pyro update) but my main computer was never an official gaming PC. Now I want back in but I want to get my own gaming PC, I've always heard cheaper and better to build your own but I don't know what's good in the world of Gaming PCs. I WAS looking at buying this from my local future shop but I wanted to get your opinions:

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/hewlett-packard-hp-pavilion-hpe-phoenix-h9-1387-gaming-pc-intel-core-i7-3770k-128gb-ssd-2tb-hdd-16gb-ram-windows-8-h9-1387/10226768.aspx?path=372aa04d0238141bb891b184dd917f72en02&SearchPageIndex=1

I want power in my computer, I want it to run fast and start up in like 15 seconds. I want to be able to run the highest graphic games (like Crysis games) on their highest settings (though mostly I'd be playing TF 2) can someone teach me and show me the way to becoming one of the master race?

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

Can I get a second opinion on this?

I've never done this before and so you know, 1,900 is about my maximum price range.

What is an i7 and the other thing you said and why do they not go together

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Now I want back in but I want to get my own gaming PC, I've always heard cheaper and better to build your own but I don't know what's good in the world of Gaming PCs.

Good luck getting someone to recommend you a pre-build in this forum. Everyone is going to shout at you to build you own. Personally there's nothing wrong with paying a little more for a pre-build; its what I would do. Unfortunately, I won't be in the market for a full blown desktop for a while so I haven't looked at any pre-builds in a while. But I can tell you few things about what to look for...

I want it to run fast and start up in like 15 seconds

For fast start up speeds, you'll want a computer with a fast hard drive. I see that your's has a hybrid drive which what you'll want. With the OS on the 128 gig solid state, your computer should boot up fast and your games and programs that are saved on it will start fast too. It doesn't say how fast the 2 terrabyte hard disk is though but it should be fine if you plan on storing movies and whatnot on it

Also the computer you're looking at has 16 gigs of ram which you shouldn't need unless you plan on running servers or do video editing. 8 is typically penty, although I'm not sure if that will change with the next consoles using 8 gigs.

As for HP in general, I'm so sure about them. At work we ordered a shit ton of HP notebooks (I work at my college's tech department) and I noticed some the laptop screens had different tints, some were pinkish while others were blue. One of my bosses said it was because they were crappy HP's...

I want to be able to run the highest graphic games (like Crysis games) on their highest settings

This is something I do, I plug my laptop into my tv and play on 1280x720p resolution rather than 1080p in order to get more performance. I hardly notice the difference between the 2. So, if you buy a nice current computer and play on a lower res, I have no doubt you'll be able to play at the highest settings. That's only if you want to save a buck or 2

can someone teach me and show me the way to becoming one of the master race?

I remember when I was in high school and wanted to become pc gaming master race. Then reality set in and I realized Windows is actually shit but its the only thing that runs most games. I don't mean to discourage you, but expect few headaches

Anyway, sorry I can't point you in any specific direction. I myself would buy an Alienware mx51 because they're nice and compact and I have a friend who has one, but alienware is taboo for the pc gaming master race

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

Can I get a second opinion on this?

I've never done this before and so you know, 1,900 is about my maximum price range.

What is an i7 and the other thing you said and why do they not go together

If 1,900 is your max range, you'll be fine. Hell, you'll be better than fine. My machine is rather powerful, and I built it for about 1,000.

As for the parts Shiny Charizard posted, they look good. I'm pretty sure I use that same motherboard. A 1 TB hardrive should be enough storage space. The power supply looks like it should handle the parts he listed, but if you revise any of those parts, make sure that the power supply will still hold up. The power supply is one thing you definitely don't want to skimp on; make sure it's powerful enough to do the job, and certified.

The graphics card is also good. It's hard to go wrong with the GTX series. With your budget being as high as you stated, you could probably get an even more powerful model. Like everything else, the CPU will also work just fine. As for RAM, 8GB will be sufficient. In most scenarios, you could scrape by with 4GB, but 8 is the most you'll need, at least with the current state of gaming technology. It would't hurt to get more RAM, but you probably won't need it.

Just something I'd like to mention about the SSD (solid state drive), is that it's not a mandatory part. Programs installed on an SSD will load up and run a LOT faster than normally, but it's not a necessity. They're rather expensive as far as memory storage goes, so I'd prioritize the other parts over it.

As for PC's being easy to build, Shiny Charizard is correct. Newegg.com has an excellent tutorial on Youtube, which I recommend you watch. Parts are really only designed to fit into one specific place, so slotting them together is easy. Wiring can be a pain in the ass, but if you check the manuals that come with your parts diligently, then you should be fine.

I really do recommend that you build it yourself, or at least pick the parts, and hire someone else to put it together. You'll save a lot of money. If I had gotten a store-bought computer that was of an equal power to the one I built, it would probably have cost double what I ended up paying, at the very least.

 

[The White Hunter]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

I'd bump up to a Haswell build with a 4670K and maybe gofor a dual 7970 GPU setup instead.

But that's just me. The build Shiny Charizard suggested is pretty close to my revised build, bar the lack of Haswell.

Actually, go either Haswell for it's low power consumption of pick up a bit of sweet sweet sandy bridge, water cool it, and overclock the hell out of it.

 

[AWAR]

Good luck getting someone to recommend you a pre-build in this forum. Everyone is going to shout at you to build you own. Personally there's nothing wrong with paying a little more for a pre-build; its what I would do. Unfortunately, I won't be in the market for a full blown desktop for a while so I haven't looked at any pre-builds in a while. But I can tell you few things about what to look for...

Pretty much everything is wrong with pre built systems, take this HP system for example: i7 processor which doesn't offer serious gains in gaming performance compared to i5 and a 7770 (!) which is a medium to low end model. Last but not least, a 600 watt power supply not a word about it's crap brand name or efficiency.

O.T. There is no point in getting a pre built system. Most tech shops can build you custom rigs with whatever hardware you prefer, not to mention you are going to save tons of money. I like Charizard's build although the PSU needs a little nitpicking because of the 770, this will do.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

I contacted a guy at a Custom Building Computer store and he said these would be good for my price range

Intel core i7 37770 Quad core

16GB Ram

128gb SSD

1TB Storage

DVDRW

Antec 1 Case

750 Watt Power supply

GTX 660 Video card

Windows 7 or 8.

Gigabyte Mainboard.

Can anyone comment on how well these parts would work together? I've never done this before and I really need help figuring all this out.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

Can I get a second opinion on this?

I've never done this before and so you know, 1,900 is about my maximum price range.

What is an i7 and the other thing you said and why do they not go together

If 1,900 is your max range, you'll be fine. Hell, you'll be better than fine. My machine is rather powerful, and I built it for about 1,000.

As for the parts Shiny Charizard posted, they look good. I'm pretty sure I use that same motherboard. A 1 TB hardrive should be enough storage space. The power supply looks like it should handle the parts he listed, but if you revise any of those parts, make sure that the power supply will still hold up. The power supply is one thing you definitely don't want to skimp on; make sure it's powerful enough to do the job, and certified.

The graphics card is also good. It's hard to go wrong with the GTX series. With your budget being as high as you stated, you could probably get an even more powerful model. Like everything else, the CPU will also work just fine. As for RAM, 8GB will be sufficient. In most scenarios, you could scrape by with 4GB, but 8 is the most you'll need, at least with the current state of gaming technology. It would't hurt to get more RAM, but you probably won't need it.

Just something I'd like to mention about the SSD (solid state drive), is that it's not a mandatory part. Programs installed on an SSD will load up and run a LOT faster than normally, but it's not a necessity. They're rather expensive as far as memory storage goes, so I'd prioritize the other parts over it.

As for PC's being easy to build, Shiny Charizard is correct. Newegg.com has an excellent tutorial on Youtube, which I recommend you watch. Parts are really only designed to fit into one specific place, so slotting them together is easy. Wiring can be a pain in the ass, but if you check the manuals that come with your parts diligently, then you should be fine.

I really do recommend that you build it yourself, or at least pick the parts, and hire someone else to put it together. You'll save a lot of money. If I had gotten a store-bought computer that was of an equal power to the one I built, it would probably have cost double what I ended up paying, at the very least.

And what is your computer and what would you recommend? I really want to get the best bang for my buck.

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

Can I get a second opinion on this?

I've never done this before and so you know, 1,900 is about my maximum price range.

What is an i7 and the other thing you said and why do they not go together

If 1,900 is your max range, you'll be fine. Hell, you'll be better than fine. My machine is rather powerful, and I built it for about 1,000.

As for the parts Shiny Charizard posted, they look good. I'm pretty sure I use that same motherboard. A 1 TB hardrive should be enough storage space. The power supply looks like it should handle the parts he listed, but if you revise any of those parts, make sure that the power supply will still hold up. The power supply is one thing you definitely don't want to skimp on; make sure it's powerful enough to do the job, and certified.

The graphics card is also good. It's hard to go wrong with the GTX series. With your budget being as high as you stated, you could probably get an even more powerful model. Like everything else, the CPU will also work just fine. As for RAM, 8GB will be sufficient. In most scenarios, you could scrape by with 4GB, but 8 is the most you'll need, at least with the current state of gaming technology. It would't hurt to get more RAM, but you probably won't need it.

Just something I'd like to mention about the SSD (solid state drive), is that it's not a mandatory part. Programs installed on an SSD will load up and run a LOT faster than normally, but it's not a necessity. They're rather expensive as far as memory storage goes, so I'd prioritize the other parts over it.

As for PC's being easy to build, Shiny Charizard is correct. Newegg.com has an excellent tutorial on Youtube, which I recommend you watch. Parts are really only designed to fit into one specific place, so slotting them together is easy. Wiring can be a pain in the ass, but if you check the manuals that come with your parts diligently, then you should be fine.

I really do recommend that you build it yourself, or at least pick the parts, and hire someone else to put it together. You'll save a lot of money. If I had gotten a store-bought computer that was of an equal power to the one I built, it would probably have cost double what I ended up paying, at the very least.

And what is your computer and what would you recommend? I really want to get the best bang for my buck.

My PC is pretty similar to the one Shiny Charizard recommended. The only major difference is the graphics card (I use a GTX 660). I'm certainly not an expert, so I really couldn't recommend you a build from scratch. I can only verify the efficacy of Shiny Charizard's recommended build, since, like I said, it's so similar to my own.

As for best bang for your buck, you could go to pcpartspicker.com. It offers parts from various online retailers, and will automatically set you up with the retailer with the best price (if, for example, one of the retailers is running a sale on that particular part).

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

I contacted a guy at a Custom Building Computer store and he said these would be good for my price range

Intel core i7 37770 Quad core

16GB Ram

128gb SSD

1TB Storage

DVDRW

Antec 1 Case

750 Watt Power supply

GTX 660 Video card

Windows 7 or 8.

Gigabyte Mainboard.

Can anyone comment on how well these parts would work together? I've never done this before and I really need help figuring all this out.

I'd make a few changes. First go with an i5 over an i7 to save money as the i7 has no additional benefit for gaming. Second drop the amount of RAM to 8GB and the PSU to a 600W version. Then use the money you save there to go all out on the Graphics Card. A GTX 770 is the one I'd pick, but if you have enough money for a GTX 780 then go with that.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Eh that store bought one looks pretty shit. Who the hell would combine an i7 and a HD 7770?

Your best bet would be to build your own (it's not hard), I would use the following components

CPU: i5 3570k

GPU: GTX 770

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 extreme4 Mobo

HDD: 1TB 7200rpm SATA

SSD: 128GB Intel or Crucial SSD

PSU: 600W 80 plus bronze certified

Case: Whatever your preference is, I'd get a Corsair or NZXT case.

RAM: 8GB dual channel ddr3

I contacted a guy at a Custom Building Computer store and he said these would be good for my price range

Intel core i7 37770 Quad core

16GB Ram

128gb SSD

1TB Storage

DVDRW

Antec 1 Case

750 Watt Power supply

GTX 660 Video card

Windows 7 or 8.

Gigabyte Mainboard.

Can anyone comment on how well these parts would work together? I've never done this before and I really need help figuring all this out.

I'd make a few changes. First go with an i5 over an i7 to save money as the i7 has no additional benefit for gaming. Second drop the amount of RAM to 8GB and the PSU to a 600W version. Then use the money you save there to go all out on the Graphics Card. A GTX 770 is the one I'd pick, but if you have enough money for a GTX 780 then go with that.

Me again, this was the last email I got from the guy

Ok here is one sweet system with liquid cooling.

I can make changes up or down.



Keith



1719 plus Tax

1975 tax in



INTEL CORE I7 I7-3770 3.40 GHZ PROCESSOR - SOCKET H2 LGA-1155 - QUAD-CORE (4 CORE) - 8 MB CACHE - 5

GIGABYTE ULTRA DURABLE 4 CLASSIC GA-H77-DS3H DESKTOP MOTHERBOARD - INTEL H77 EXPRESS CHIPSET - SOCKE

2 x KINGSTON VALUERAM 8GB DDR3 SDRAM MEMORY MODULE - 16 GB (2 X 8 GB) - DDR3 SDRAM - 1333 MHZ DDR3-1333/P

EVGA GEFORCE GTX 660 GRAPHIC CARD - 1046 MHZ CORE - 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM - PCI EXPRESS 3.0 X16 - 6008 MH

ANTEC ONE SYSTEM CABINET - TOWER - BLACK - 10 X BAY - 2 X FAN

THERMALTAKE 750 WATT POWER SUPPLY

ANTEC LIQUID COOLING CPU COOLER

SANDISK 128 GB INTERNAL SOLID STATE DRIVE - SATA

BARRACUDA 2TB 3.5 64MB 7200 SATA6G/S 3YR

LITEON 24X24 DVDRW SATA

MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7 HOME PREMIUM WITH SERVICE PACK 1 64-BIT - LICENSE AND MEDIA - 1 PC - OEM - PC -


And today I gave that list to some IT guys in my school who build computers and they came up with this following list of things for cheaper than what the guy with the above list has:

Cooler Master Storm Scout II SGC-2100-GWN1 Gaming Mid Tower - ATX, 3x5.25" Drive Bays, 7x3.5" Drive Bays, 2x2.5" Drive Bays, 4xUSB Ports, 2xAudio Ports, 7xExp Slots, 1x120mm Fan, Gunmetal

Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B Desktop Memory Kit - 8GB (2x 4GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, 9-9-9-24 CAS Latency, Intel XMP Ready, Unbuffered

MSI Z77A-G45 Intel 7 Series Motherboard - ATX, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Intel Z77 Express, 2667MHz DDR3 (O.C.), SATA III (6Gb/s), RAID, 8-CH Audio, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0, PCIe 3.0, SLI/CrossFireX Ready

Intel Core i5-3570K BX806237i53570K Processor - Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache, 3.40GHz (3.80GHz Max Turbo), Socket H2 (LGA1155), 77W, Fan, Unlocked, Retail

OCZ ModXStream Pro Power Supply - 700-Watt, Modular, Dual +12V Rails, SATA, 80Plus

Corsair Hydro Series CW-9060007-WW H60 High Liquid/Water CPU Cooler - 1 x 120mm Fan, Multi-socket Support, Tool Free Bracket Kit, Copper Codl Plate

WD Green 2TB Desktop Hard Drive - Designed for energy efficient applications - 3.5", SATA 6Gb/s, IntelliPower, 64MB Cache - WD20EZRX

Kingston V300 SV300S37A/120G 120GB Solid State Drive - 2.5" Form Factor, SATA III, Up To 450MB/s Read Speed, Up To 450MB/s Write Speed, With Adapter

GeForce GTX 760 Superclocked Video Card

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

and last but not least an Asus DVD drive

All in all this list was quoted for 1,656.

Can anyone compare the two lists? Which is better? I am not a big gamer, I don't stream or make videos or anything like that. Though if I did have a sweet system I would probably play more games.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

snip

The second list is the better choice.

 

[AWAR]

You don't really need that liquid cooling kit, I assume you are not interested in overclocking it to bits.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

snip

The second list is the better choice.

Thank you for responding, so definitely go with the second choice?

 

[Quiet Stranger]

You don't really need that liquid cooling kit, I assume you are not interested in overclocking it to bits.

Don't even know how to overclock, what would you suggest in place of it?

 

[AWAR]

Don't even know how to overclock, what would you suggest in place of it?

Nothing. CPUs come with their own stock coolers, and intel's are ideal for normal usage.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

snip

The second list is the better choice.

Thank you for responding, so definitely go with the second choice?

Yes definitely the second. Also you should heed AWAR's advice and don't go with watercooling, it's more for enthusiasts looking to seriously overclock.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

snip

The second list is the better choice.

Thank you for responding, so definitely go with the second choice?

Yes definitely the second. Also you should heed AWAR's advice and don't go with watercooling, it's more for enthusiasts looking to seriously overclock.

What would you suggest in place of the water cooling unit

 

[ShinyCharizard]

snip

The second list is the better choice.

Thank you for responding, so definitely go with the second choice?

Yes definitely the second. Also you should heed AWAR's advice and don't go with watercooling, it's more for enthusiasts looking to seriously overclock.

What would you suggest in place of the water cooling unit

Just the stock cooler if you don't plan to overclock. If you do in future then I would say get the Coolermaster Hyper 212+