# New Gaming System - 1st time builder



## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

hello,

I am new to building computer's. Here is what I puchased so far.


case: 
AZZA Solano 1000R Black / Red Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Motherboard:
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS


I would like some input on processor, ram, vid card, power supply, ect..

I am thinking about sticking with an intel core i5 processor like.

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K - Not sure if this compatable or not.


thanks in advance!


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi and Welcome to TSF!

I highly recommend you follow our TSF build recommendation guide here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...ams-recommended-new-builds-2012-a-668661.html


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Ditto ^


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

What those dudes said. :grin:

As for the CPU, yes it is compatible, but it's a Sandy Bridge, the previous Intel generation. If you've spent 200$ on a mainboard, you can spend the extra 10$ to get the i5 Ivy Bridge 3570K instead. If you use the listed promo code (EMCXTXW22) it's actually cheaper so definitely the way to go.

You should look at the build list, determine your budget and what you'll be using the PC for.


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## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

ok, i know the motherboard is compatible with the sandy bridge processor.. is it also compatible with the ivy bridge processor? not sure if i have to update the bios or something like that


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

You don't need to spend $200 on a motherboard. Expensive boards cost more because they're loaded with features for heavy overclocking, SLI/Crossfire, and massive had drive setups. You can spend $150 or less and get a reliable motherboard with everything you need. Something like this Gigabyte model should be more than good enough:
GIGABYTE GA-Z77-HD4 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - Newegg.com

Also, if you choose the z77 chipset instead of z68, you won't need a BIOS flash to support Ivy Bridge.


Until 3/7, the _slightly_ superior i5-3570k is actually a little cheaper than the 2500k. Both are amazing CPUs with more gaming power than you're going to need anytime soon.
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K - Newegg.com


As for the other topics, as stated above our recommended builds should help get a good grasp budget balance. By the way, what is your preferred budget range?


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## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

thanks for the info, my budget when completed is about 1500 or so


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## T_Rex (Oct 21, 2012)

There are a few other things you can consider - if i may. The new i5's are fast enough you don't need to overclock, you can get a B75 or even H77 board - they tend to be more stable overall vs the Z77 counterparts - actually because of the fact that they are many times mass-ordered for businesses so they have to be stable for RMA's sake. H77's usually have 2x SATA 6 ports B75 only one. Many gamers that don't want / dont have the time to sit around and tweak / just opt for a stable system and then add a _nice CPU and GPU _as well as a good power supply. I have one friend that i built a B75 mATX for and he added a GTX670. He wanted supreme stability no fuss no muss and godly graphics =) That system delivers it. Not only that but since it was an mATX mobo he can use a smaller mATX case in the future if he so chooses to save space.

Just some food for thought. Cheers and good luck with your build! :smile:


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

toothman said:


> Also, if you choose the z77 chipset instead of z68, you won't need a BIOS flash to support Ivy Bridge.


Nice catch, I missed the Z68 in the motherboard he listed.

kingnothing315, if possible it may be best to return the motherboard you already purchased for the reasons listed above. mATX is a good choice if you can find one. I take it from the links you've provided that you're ordering from Newegg?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

kingnothing315 said:


> thanks for the info, my budget when completed is about 1500 or so


Our $1000 Intel build should be more then enough for your use. Look at the link I posted in #2.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Our $1000 Intel build should be more then enough for your use. Look at the link I posted in #2.


Ditto ^


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## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

yea, i returned the motherboard. im glad i found this website because i was clueless on compatability on certain things. i will keep reading the other posts!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Our suggested build list contains only top quality known compatible components.
Using it as a guide insures top quality and reliability.


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## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

my plan is to go with the $1600 intel build that you have currently posted. 

the case i have is ..

AZZA Solano 1000R Black / Red Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case

is this case a good match for that build ie: compatibily, airflow ect ect.

Also the ram. Since ram is pretty cheap these days, could i jump up to 16gig ram.
and what would the difference be between 4 4gig ram or 2 8gig ram?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Personally, I feel the $1200 Intel build is a better value. The $1600 build adds unneeded fluff.
16GB of RAM offers no advantage for normal use. A 2x4GB matched pair will be plenty.
You can lower the PSU to 650W also.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

What a good idea may be to pick the $1200 build and then buy a nice monitor.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Again, 16gb of RAM is definitely overkill since you really have to push your system to bottleneck on just 8gb. If you do decide on 16gb, 2x8gb is a better choice than 4x4gb. Here's a really good kit for the cost:

G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-16GSR - Newegg.com


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

2x4GB is more than plenty for gaming and you'll want 1600MHz with the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3.


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## kingnothing315 (Mar 1, 2013)

I returned that ASUS motherboard already. My plans are now to stick with the $1,600 intel build however...

If that build is not the best gaming system i can put together for that price please let me know. I play world of warcraft and would like to experience the game on the highest setting without any lag, and awesome framerates. At the same time, my wife who does alot with photoshop ( multiple layers ) i will need sufficent specs for that too. so please feel free to post me a your thoughts on how i can accomplish this goal.

thanks in advance.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

The 1200$ build will more than fit your needs, the only difference being a needlessly more expensive mainboard and a GPU that would be overkill for your needs. Oh, and apparently an SSD snuck its way into that build. :grin: That's something you could add to the 1200$ build as it's a very visible performance upgrade.

Assuming your wife isn't into professional model shooting with massive resolutions and filters those specs will also work fine. You could probably even make do with the 800$ build which drops the i7 for an i5 and has a low-midrange GPU.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The $1200 build will do what you need. The $1600 build adds unneeded components like the "k" CPU, SSD, 850W PSU.
And, as noted above, the $1000 Intel build (the best bang for buck on the list IMO) would be fine.


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