First ever mid-ish budget build

Hardware Build a PC
1

Hey guys! I'm an ex-console gamer who got tired of consoles and decided to join the dark-side. 

I've recently made it a goal to build a PC that would not go above 1.7k, but would still last me atleast throughout high-school, maybe into college.

I will MOSTLY be using this build for Gaming/Streaming/Rendering and the occasional super multi-tasking due to school. I will be streaming with OBS, mostly at 720p when I get the chance too. I play MOSTLY MMOs but occasionally games like Bioshock, Far-Cry etc. I'll be rendering with Sony Vegas and occasionally be using Photoshop and that jazz. I plan on playing games at high/highest resolutions. 

Alot of this is based off of teksyndicate's 1300 PC Build! I would've been ordering an Alienware computer if it wasn't for him! :) 

So to get to the point, I have a few questions about the PC parts I will be listing here in a sec. Thank you for answering them/giving your opinions! I do not mind constructive criticism on parts but please keep in mind it is my first ever build! :-]

 

PCPartpicker Link: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/LegaceyKid/saved/1F0J  

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor @ 219.99 on Amazon 

^What is the optimal GHz when you OC this bad boy? (Some say 4.2, 4.4, I've even heard 4.8..?)

CPU-Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler @ 29.98 on Outlet PC

^Is this is a good starter CPU Cooler? Is applying the thermal paste as difficult as most people say?

Mobo: AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 ATX LGA1155 @ 119.98 on Outlet PC

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 @ 59.98 on NCIX US

^Should I get this or a G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3-2133 for 69.99? If I did, is overclocking RAM as complicated as most people have said? 

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" @ 89.99 on Microcenter

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM @ 85.98 on Outlet PC 

GPU: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB @ 283.98 on Newegg 

^Can this GPU run two monitors? My main monitor is 120Hz, my Secondary is 60Hz (won't be gaming on it, I find dual monitor gaming a bit weird :P) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/ Window @ 99.99 on NCIX US

PSU: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V/EPS12V @ 79.99 on NCIX US

Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer @ 17.25 on Outlet PC

OS: Windows 7

Monitors Asus VS247H-P 23.6" (Main Monitor) @ 149.99 on NCIX US

Acer G236HLBbd 60hz 23.0" (Secondary Monitor) @ 119.99 on Amazon

Mouse: Logitech G300

Keyboard: Perixx PX-2000 Gaming Keyboard 

TOTAL ACCORDING TO pcpartpicker.com - 1516.50 

 

2

1) CPU

The sweetspot for that CPU is around 4.1 - 4.4 GHZ but it depends on the hardware, silicon lotery (mostly) so don't take it as a general rule.

2) Cooler

Yes, that's a good cooler to replace the stock one. It wont be enough to reach the i5's overclocking limit but you will get a medium overclock or have a really silent pc at stock speeds.

3) Ram

Overclocking RAM is easy and Gskill can be overclocked (so I've heard) unlike my Kingston Beasts but I don't think its worth it.

3) Gpu

Yes, it can run two monitors, actually it can run 3-4 monitors. I know everybody thinks we (teksyndicate community) are asus fanboys and it's true, their products have appeared in numerous videos, but it's because they are freakin' good. So to get to the point, I own an Asus 7950  and I can tell you from my personal experience that this DIRECT CU II cooling tehnology is very, very effective. You can overclock it to it's limits and still have below 75c temps. I have overclocked mine to 1080 mhz core and 1500 mhz memory which is the farthest I could go and it does not go over 69c at 75% fan speed.

Advice

Why not get a Haswell i5 so your pc can be more future proof. Socket 1155 is dead, the processors for it are still great but will become obsolete. With a 1150 motherboard you can upgrade your CPU in a few years and avoid buying a new PC altogether.

With a dual monitor setup I would recommend you to try Windows 8. If you don't like it you can always add a start button and it will be exactly as Windows 7 but you still benefit from the incredible boot time and gaming performance. 

3

Thank you for replying and answering my few nooby questions! :-]

I will be sticking with the i5 3570k :P. Won't really be doing toooooooooooo much more than gaming/streaming/rendering. But thanks for the suggestion, I really did appreciate it. :-]

I'll be upgrading to W8. I've been convinced by reading and watching reviews and I think it would be more beneficial in the long run (and it does look better with too monitors)

4

For gaming you can go higher with the 3570k (4.5 average, 4.8 good chips) than with the 4670k (4.4 average, 4.7 good).