The title says it all, i would like some help building my first PC. I have helped build 5 gaming PC's for friends so building the rig itself is not a problem. I have an idea in mind, i added parts to my wishlist on amazon yesterday, and i would like some feedback on it. Also any recommendations on parts i should add/remove would be great.
Wishlist PC: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/P0UFMN851CFI/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_o?
I'm pretty sure i'm sticking with that case. Any other part recommendations or builds would be great. Just the basics to play game off the Apu's graphics, like the description says i don't need a video card at this point in time. Any help is appreciated. I would like to run Skyrim with this PC, even on low i just want to be able to play it with no lag. So if you can recommend a build that can do it for sub $400 that would be great.
Firstly, it would be nice to use pcpartpicker, you'll be saving a couple of bucks here and there. Thirdly, I don't know why you went for the APU over there.
Have a look at this list, if there are any questions just ask.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3cBIh
I went for a cheap and better PSU, 1 4gb stick (you can add another 4 gb later on, just make sure they're the same, and run 8 gb in dual channel). I went for the Athlon 760k which is a quad core @ 3.8 GHz, solid, cheap desktop CPU. I went for a cheaper mother board I think, saved a couple of bucks on the case and managed to find a Radeon 7770, which is more powerful than the integrated graphics of an A10 7850K, let alone the 6800K that you wanted to buy. If you can spend another $30 you can pick up an Asus 650 Ti which is a massive upgrade over the 7770.
Edit: As for Skyrim, it should run it on high settings with 60+ fps at all times, but I'm not sure (due to 4 gb of RAM). However, what I can say is that it'll DEFINITELY run it on medium settings with no lag, 60+ fps at all times :)
Second edit: Take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVMBqPxc6X4 He's running an Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz whereas you'll have an Athlon 760k @ 3.8 GHz, both are quad core processors. He's also using 4 gb or RAM at 1333 MHz and you'll be using 4 GB or RAM at 1600 MHz. I'm not saying that yours will significantly outperform the person's PC, but it will definitely beat it by a little. This is on ultra settings, maxed - 45-60 fps without fraps. I guess you could just turn a few filters down, play with the video settings and it'll be perfectly playable :)
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3cCMu
This should be good if you are dead set on an APU. I highly recommend that you add another 4gb RAM stick to this to get overall performance boost. Also, NEVER skimp out on a PSU. That Rosewill you had is garbage. That being said, the Cosair 430w PSU in this build is 80+ Bronze certified, saving you money and from having your PC fried. Not only that, it's modular! Meaning you can better manage your cables for better air flow in your case. I'm pretty sure this can play Skyrim at least at medium at 720p. I you want to play on low just to be safe, I think you be in a good spot with this at 720p.
Edit: If your not entirely wanting to stick with the APU, this guy above me has a nice setup going for the roughly same price.
I thank both of you for the quick replies :) I wanted the apu because it was recommended by Logan in one of the videos. Why would a cheaper CPU be better or is that just to get the video card in there? True with the ram, i don't need 8 GB right off the bat, my crappy laptop that i'm typing with has 4 and runs games fairly ok, especially fitting a video card in. I can definitely spend the extra $30 for the 650 Ti, I'm in no rush to buy this and would love the extra performance. Also, how is 430w better than 500w? Is it because of the brand and build quality? I thought Corsair and Rosewill were both solid PSU's.
Let me start of by saying that an Athlon 760k is basically an A10 6800k/7850k with the integrated graphics turned off and a different clock speed. The CPU performs is pretty much the same, you're just saving money by not buying the one that comes with the integrated graphics (hence going for the Athlon).
Well depending on how much you can save, you may be looking to go beyond a 650 Ti, in which case there are cards that I can recommend. Just let us know how much you will be able to chip in because remember, the GPU is something that you can't just add to, and usually you'll be using it for at least 2 years. The 430W PSU is Corsair's 430W which is 80+ which means it has 80% or higher efficiency. All you need to know is that it's higher quality than a 500W PSU as that is less efficient.
You definitely don't need 4 GB right off the bat, I'm using 4 GB of RAM right now, I have Skype open, MS Word, 2 Google Chrome windows with several tabs, OneDrive, Box Sync, AVG in the background, oh and autodesk 360 sync in the background as well, and I'm completely fine with it. I would also like to mention that I, myself, am using a 760k, it's one of the best (if not the best) processor for the money. Don't feel shy to grab it ;D
Once again, in case you didn't understand, the cheaper CPU is basically just to buy the CPU without paying for the integrated graphics since we're buying a higher quality graphics card. Our budget is low but not THAT low that we cannot afford a better graphics card. Trust me, the 650 Ti is pretty solid :) You could always pick up a 660 but that's near $200. The 650 Ti is less. Anyway, your choice man. Trust me, the more money you can squeeze out of your wallet to get that graphics card, the better. :) And I mean if you're spending $200 then might as well spend $236, get the GTX 760. That card is a beast. However, don't get me wrong, the 650 Ti is awesome, it's just, you want a high end video card to begin with so you can make small upgrades like RAM without worrying about the graphics card :)
A 760k and a weak GPU will usually perform better than an APU. The HD 7770 is a decent low end card and will work pretty well.
Ok, thank you for explaining everything. I'm not constricted on time, but i would definitely like to get this as soon as possible, so i think this will suffice for now.
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Copernicus182/saved/46BP
The 650 Ti will get me through the next year or so, and i will most likely get another stick of ram in the next few months. Thank you for all your help and suggestions, I appreciate it :)