Beginner Builder, Please Help?

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1

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and to DIY computers. I wanted to do a run down on my ideas and ask you guys for help.

I don't have an incredibly small budget, but I would like to keep it under $1,000. I am going for a gaming system, and I want it optimized for a beginner builder, rather than hardcore specs or anything like that. Here is my current wish list:

 

- Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I Snow ATX Mid-Tower $34.99

- Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme4 Socket AM3+ $49.99

- CPU: AMD FX 6300 Black Edition 3.5GHz Six-Core Socket A $119.99

- Memory: Corsair Vengeance Series 8GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9 Dual Channel $49.99

- Storage: Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hardrive $66.99

- Power: Corsair Builder Series CX600 600 Watt ATX 12V $54.99

- Graphics: EVGA O2G-P4-2662-KR NVIDIA Geforce GTX 660 Superclocked 2048MB GDDR5 PCle 3.0x16 $199.99

OR

- ASUS HD7850-DC-1GD5 AMD Radeon HD 1024MB GDDR5 PCle 3.0 x16 $189.99

 

Now having that said, I'm worried about compatability, and space. Would this be a good set up, or can I improve without raising cost too much? Again, I only care so much for performance, because I just want the hands-on experience building a computer. On the other hand, I will use it a lot and often, specifically for games. I am only a beginner and I'll try to absorb all of the information but I probably have less knowledge about this than I think. So, any help is more than amazing, and I thank you in advance.

 

Also, if you do have suggestions for different hardware, please tell me why. I am very curious as to what works and what I should stay away from. This is "learn time" for me, and hopefully it will kick off an amazing hobby.

 

Thanks again!

2

Get an SSD because HDDs suck. Otherwise it looks good.

3

I was thinking of it, but to save some money for the time being I wanted to start with an HDD. I do plan on getting at least one SSD in the future.

4

I don't have any experience with AMD so I can't help you there. The 660 is a good card because of CUDA and all that good stuff although the AMD cards preform better in that price range from the reviews I've seen. I have a 660 from Asus w/ the direct CUII cooler and that is completly silent, don't know the EVGA cooler.

5

I appreciate it, and I will look into the Asus 660 as well. I think I'm going to go ahead and start collecting the parts, so wish me luck I suppose, and hope I don't screw everything too bad.

6

That is not really true, the fact that SSD's are really fast does not suddenly make HDD dead slow, they're still fine and for mass storage theyre great! In that area, SSD's suck.

7

"because cuda". Great argument there. Might wanna change that up a bit. Cuda only helps in programs that support cuda, which is mainly the Adobe creatiev suite. For gaming, Cuda doesnt do shit. You can get a 7870 for the same price or less as the 660 and it will perform just as good if not way better.

The thing about the coolers is true though. i have the idea MSI and EVGA have advanced their coolers to such a point where they are really great on almost all new and older video cards.

8

You really dont need 1866 memory when you are using a dedicated graphics card. it'll be cheaper if you get 1600mHz ram, it'll give you more money to pour into the GPU.

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That sounds like a plan, I will get right on that. Thanks.

10

Just buy a prefabricated desktop computer: Best New Desktop Computers.  How about them Cyberpower PCs!

 

JUST KIDDING!

Best of luck to you!  I think your build looks awesome.  Tell us how it turns out.

11

The official theme song to this build: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A2TeB9zikA

12

www.pcpartpicker.com will save you on the compatibility side as well as let you know how many watts your system is expected to produce. Check it out!

13

Oh, one more question. Should I go with a modular cable design on the power supply? I'm worried that I might have cables in the way, or where I don't want them.