Brand new to PC gaming..need help!

So I'm a long time console gamer. Ever since like age 10 (17 now). But now with all this change to computer gaming, I'm caving and gonna build a gaming computer! The only problem...I'm a total noob. I have no clue what I need, there are billions of each required component and I can't tell which is best for my situation. So I will ask for you guys to help me out! My spending limit is 700 bucks, a little room above but not much. I want to be able to not only run games, but outdo my console's performance (if possible in my budget). Some suggestions on parts along with tips on building would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a ton. :D

-Drew

Do you have anything you can use? HDD? Case? OS? M+KB? or is this 700$ build from absolutely nothing?

I have windows 7, that's about all. My computer is pretty low line and basic so nothing can really be transferred haha.

This my be a good option assuming you only need the computer and nothing else http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1QwG7

And that all is compatible with each other I assume??

Wait, I'm not seeing a disc drive, am I missing it or something? 

An optical drive costs like $20 so you can easily add it to that build. Here is my recommendation http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Qx1q

I am focusing on the CPU, RAM, and motherboard because those are costly or difficult to upgrade. If you want a 75% increase in performance then you could pay 80USD more to get a Radeon HD 7950 instead of a 7850.

Okay I updated the build so it now has a disc drive and changed the ram since it was no longer on sale a FX6300 should be a fine processor and with the motherboard I picked you should be able to get a good overclock on it. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1QH0q

" I want to be able to not only run games, but outdo my console's performance (if possible in my budget)."

Any PC no matter how high tech, as long as it has a dedicated GPU or maybe even an APU, can outperform a console.  Consoles (at least current gen) are seven years old.  The games don't even have anti aliasing, filters, or high res textures.  I ran battlefield 4 beta on my console and on my PC on lowest settings possible and PC still comes out on top.  

With that said, can I know your area just to be a little more accurate for a build?

Sorry for the late reply, been real busy with work. Anyway, what do you mean by area exactly??

You stated a 700 dollar budget.  All the suggestions here were ~800+, so here's my 0.02!

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Vl9P

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor.  With new games coming out and optimizing for more cores, the FX-8350's performance should improve to match/slightly surpass the i5 3570k/4670k.  It's also cheaper.

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler.  The performance is almost identical to the EVO.  It'll work well, especially if you're not overclocking just yet(assuming you won't be overclocking until a bit due to no knowledge/console)

MOBO: MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard.  I went with this one because it was cheaper without sacrificing much.  If you're not going to be getting a Solid State Drive(more info later), I would take the Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard as the performance would probably be a little bit better with the larger heatsinks and stuff.

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory.  You don't need more than 8GB for gaming.  If in a couple years you feel it's maxing out, there's two more slots for more memory in your motherboard.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive.  Typical 1TB drive.

GPU: MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card.  I had a 1GB 7850 and it worked awesome.  2GB is the sweet spot nowadays.

Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case.  cheap, does the job.

PSU: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply.  Plenty for the build.  Anything 600w+ is overkill for this system.  I have one in my system, and it works flawlessly.

OD: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer.  If you don't need this, you can save 15 bucks or so.  Otherwise, it's here if you need it.

ADDABLE OPTION:

SSD: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/kingston-internal-hard-drive-sv300s37a120g.  Cheap SSD with a decent size.  Although it's not the highest performing drive, it'll still be a LOT faster than that 1TB hard drive.  You will want to put your OS and most used programs on here.  It'll make your boot times FAST, and your programs snappy.  If you can push your budget just a little bit, this would make a great buy.

Hope this helped :)

probably your location: e.g. California, USA

This is similar to my build (I have a 7870 instead of a 7850) and it is running everything I play with ultra settings, 1080p, 50-60 fps just fine. As a PC noob I'm assuming you're going to be playing minecraft. 300+fps is normal. 

When I had a HD 7850 (1GB), and my old Core2Duo e8600, I was able to play Bioshock Infinite on Ultra at maybe 30-40fps (1080p).  Minecraft: not a problem.  Pretty good GPUs.  A friend has a 2GB HD 7850 and he's happy with it.

Thanks, that sounds really good, I will try and get that ssd cause I've heard good about them! As for games, I WON'T be playing minecraft haha. I meant noob as in I don't have experience in playing games on them and such haha. But I plan on playing games like Skyrim, FNV, all that, thus, I need a snappy computer. But again, thanks :D