First gaming build, 1200$ ± 200$

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Hello world! I am new in the field of PC building, and I've had this plan to dump my laptop for a while now. Had to buy this thing because the previous laptop melted, and this thing I'm gaming with is starting to date.

This time I'm going for a desktop build, because I realized, after passing 2 laptops, that those things simply just aren't made to handle the heat. Well, not enough to be worth a long term investment, that is.

I've read reviews of PC building and parts for a month now, but I'm still unsure what to buy to get the best "Bang for the buck".

Here's a list:

-1200$ ± 200$ budget for a gaming PC, need to buy peripherals (monitor is not included in the budget, not sure if buying at local store or online). I live in Canada, so currency is CAD. Windows 7 OS needs to be included in the price (whatever version is needed).

- Not messing with watercooling yet. I might do so when I learn a bit more about overclocking. I don't mind buying a good heatsink+fan for the CPU though.

- Pc is mainly used to play a FPS Unreal Engine game and a FPS Source Engine game. For this reason, I think I need fast, good amount of RAM, and a 120 GB+SSD drive. I tend to multitask alot when I do homework (20 internet pages + other programs), and I sometime use a map compiler for Source.

- Resolution does not matter much, but I'd like something 1080p if possible.

- Need a Keyboard too, but I don't know what is best suited for FPS gaming. Flashy lights not necessary :P

- USB 2, 3, and headset analog on front panel of case is preferred.

- I need to buy a toolkit, since this is my first build!

- Should I order all the parts from 1 distributor, to make things simpler?

 

After watching some reviews, I think I'll go with the AMD FX-8350 CPU with a GeForce GTX 760 GPU. I'm not sure what manufacturer I should get the card from. For the motherboard, I was thinking about a ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX, not sure if I should take UEFI BIOS installed on it though. If you think that mobo is a bit overkill, don't hesitate to propose something more appropriate. I'm totally in the dark for the rest, but for this moment and time, I think those are the best performance/value I can get.

Tell me if you agree or not, post suggestions, and pro tips are always welcomed!

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http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1yz3X

Use the +-200 on the mouse keyboard headset. 

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The reason I left off the Sabertooth is because having the lanes for 4 way SLI doesn't seem worth it.

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http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1yzk5

Dual 1080P monitors, you can take one out if you want, for extra productivity.

A 6300 doesn't bottleneck a 7950 at all...

Logitech keyboard for all the extra goodies.

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Thanks for the precisions about the Sabertooth tmlhalo.

Thanks to you too ghettohamster for the list. I will look more seriously into getting 2 monitors.

About the 7950 Radeon, why is it better than a GTX 760? is there some kind of synchronization/symbiosis with the AMD CPU? EDIT: I know the 7950 is like 50$ cheaper, but it's not as good as the 760. Is the gap worth the 50$?

 

And about the toolkit, you guys got any idea if I could buy all that stuff locally?

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760 and 7950 are about the same. They trade blows depending on the game. The 7950 will have the edge in multi moniter support as it has 3 gbs of Vram instead of 2.

There isn't any benefit from pairing amd with amd.

Good website for comparing gpus.

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-HD-7950-vs-GeForce-GTX-760

Take it with a grain of salt though.

I'm not sure what you mean by toolbox. I've never used more than a couple of non magnetic screwdrivers and a very small wrench (for the stand offs). 

 

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You also get the free 3 games.

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Do you know the usual size needed for the wrench and screwdriver? I pretty sure the screwdriver is a #2 philips though.

 

And nwhiteman, what games are you going on about? O.o

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http://sites.amd.com/us/promo/never-settle/Pages/nsreloaded.aspx

And I'm sorry, I wouldn't know. The screwdrivers I have are just an odd assortment of different ones. The wrench was a small 5 inch wrench. A pair of pillers or anything that grips well should be able to turn the stand off's hex shaped bases.

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Ok, and about ordering parts, do you think I should order all on the same day, try to kinda centralize the shipping? or is that simply not desirable?

Also, I'm still wondering if I should go for the best RAM I can find. 8 GB seems like a good amount to me.

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I vote all at once. Simply because if it takes place over 30 days sometimes it's a hassle returning. I find Gskill or corsair to be what I look for in ram.

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Thanks alot :D

I heard some things about chanelling and RAM clock speeds, is that something you have to choose considering the CPU/mobo you have? Or it's just: The faster the better?

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I have a £1000 Gaming PC build over at my youtube channel MrDantheman2050: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H8RxaRrEMc

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Checking it right now.

Also, along with the RAM question, does someone knows if any sale event/price drop is going to happen soon for parts?

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If not for labor day tomorrow nothing comes to mind til Christmas.