# Looking to Build First Gaming Desktop - Need help selecting components



## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Hi TSF,

One of your members recently advised me to come here for help selecting parts for a gaming pc.

I've only owned laptops in the past, and I've had a pretty poor experience of gaming on them, so I finally allocated some funds to building a new desktop!



I have a very limited knowledge of good parts/brands... So I could really use some help selecting a good build.


Alright, here's what I'm looking for:


*Workload:* SC2, Fraps, iTunes, and Live Video Stream* (*Thats probably the most I'd ever have running at once). Also I like to watch HD movies on the internets.... thats basically all I need my PC for. 
So ideally I'd like to be able to run all that on max specs. Some friends tell me i need a dual core for that, some tell me quad core.... *

GFX Card:* Powerful enough to run SC2* on full specs. Wouldn't mind it having enough power so maybe i could branch out to more graphic intensive games in the future.
*Budget:* $500 - $600
*OS:* NOT Vista 




ANY help I can get as far is which parts to buy, brands to buy from, would be greatly appreciated! I really don't know which are best CPU's, PSU's.... whether I get AMD or Intel.... how much RAM i need.... I'm noob :/

Thank you!




**SC2 System requirements* 

2.6 GHz processor or equivalent
1 GB RAM for XP, 1.5 GB for Vista and 7;
2 GB RAM for Mac OS X
128 MB video card (minimum, Mac/Windows)
512 MB video card (recommended, Mac/Windows)
DirectX version 9.0c or better
12 GB hard disk space
Internet connection[8]


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Whoops forgot this info



Gaming: *Games I'll be playing are SC2, AOE3, Portal, Half Life 2, Morrowind, and Team Fortress 2. Pretty Sure SC2 is the most Graphics intense.*
Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? *Nah don't think so... uploading youtube video's but my crappy laptop can do that easy.
*
Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
*I'm unaware of the use of OC'ing. I'd do it if suggested to me, otherwise no.
*
Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? * I'd like to have 400GB + hard drive memory. I use 200 GB on my laptop pretty easily. iTunes will take up 100GB+ . Rest of space for games / fraps videos of games.
*
Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? *No.
*
Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? *I only really know that I dislike Vista.*
Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
*I'd appreciate some help here too. I prefer darker, smaller cases if possible. But I guess whatever can hold all the PC parts is good!*
Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? *No, I've got everything accept the desktop!*
Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? * No.*
Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from? *No
*
Location: What country do you live in? *USA*


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Ok for your budget I can get a good build together. Here try this build it comes in just over your budget sorry but it can run harder games oh high.

Case:
This is a basic case nothing fancy but luckily nothing ugly. It will be able to hold your components well.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE gz-ph2a3 Black SGCC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

HDD:
This is a Western Digital black. the black edition is WD's top of the line HDD it has high performance for a good price.

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Mother Board 
This is an ASUS motherboard Asus makes some of the best Motherboards on the market.

Newegg.com - ASUS M4A88T-M AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

CPU:
Star Craft 2 is a CPU intensive game. Star craft 2 pushes a CPU to it's limit so because of that I selected this CPU it is a Good quad core by AMD able to play Star Craft 2 with very little slowing or no slowing at all.

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDX840WFGMBOX

RAM:
This is Corsair RAM. Corsair Makes some of the best Ram on the market it is super high quality.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML4GX3M2A1600C9

PSU
This is a Corsair PSU. Corsair makes some of the best Power supply units on the market you will have no problems with this one I know because I have one like it and it has given me no problems.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

Video Card 
This is the ATI Radeon HD5770 it can play almost any game on the market at max quality I have one and it is the best card I have ever bought. 

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VX-2L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

DVD drive
Well it is a DVD drive not much to say it reads DVDs. 

Newegg.com - SONY Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1681S-0B - CD / DVD Drives

OS
Windows 7 Home premium 32Bit. I chose 32bit because it is able to run with more mainstream apps and it has better driver compatibility than 64 bit.

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - Operating Systems


Ok your total prices comes to be $632.60 with shipping 
I am sorry it is over budget. But this is a 5 star build able to run any modern game at max quality and it will be a high quality computer for years to come. It is made form top of the line parts. If you have any questions just post I will answer.

P.S Good choice in playing morrowind I love that game it is one of the best games you can get.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks man 
budget looks good, if i have to I can always get a slightly smaller HDD to cut off a few bucks.

Will I also need to purchase a cooling system? Or does each part come with its own fan...


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

BTW, my friend suggested this Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1351-KR GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card might be a slightly better alternative to the 5770. I don't see much of a difference besides 5770 being an extra $10 bucks... And reason why 5570 > GTS-450?
thx


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

the Cpu has it's own Fan on it. The only time you need an after market is when you want to do some overclocking and from what you said above you wont' be doing any of that. 

For HDD here take this one it is a Western Digital Blue their mainstream HDD it is still high quality and it is about 500GB. The HDD is also 20 bucks less.

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

So your new total including shipping is $614.19 with shipping. Just $14.19 dollars over your original budget so that's good.

As for your question about the video card. I would not go with the Nvidia video card. The reason is you have an AMD chip set. AMD owns ATi. You can run into some problems from having an AMD chip set with an Nvidia card it is just best if you get an AMD chip set just get an ATi card. Sorry man. Also if you have an AMD chip set with an ATI. Also Ati cards with an AMD chip set and AMD CPU will work in a way to give you better performance. It basically optimizes the work for maximum performance.

hey if you have any other questions just post.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Alright cool man thx, good to know!

I looked at the Radeon Video Card specs and I didnt see any watt requirements. I'm guessing its around 250-300 ish.

You think I could get away with a 500W PSU? Or is 650W a must?

I previously was thinking about this corsair -> Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

the 650W is a must sorry. Believe me your build will use a good deal of the power from the PSU. 650W is optimal because it allows some extra room not just for upgrades but also for the safety of your sytem. 

If you have any other questions just post.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

good point. 

Alright I think I'm about ready to purchase this thing 
CPU recommended to me before was an intel Sandy bridge dual core with near similar specs as your AMD, cept 20 bucks more expensive. Doesnt seem to matter much so I'll go for the AMD...


One last thing, is G.Skill a good brand for RAM? 2x2G for $25. Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT
I was a little worried since there's no user reviews for the Corsair Vengeance sticks, but if you say corsairs are good guess I'll trust you.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Well Corsair is a really good brand one of the best. But so is G.Skill I am running G.Skill my self. But G.Skill has been having some compatibility issues lately. So I would go with the corsair RAM

When you get the build together tell me how it ends up just post here.

If you have any questions just post.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Sir, I will name one of my components after you 
seriously thanks for the help.

Er, I suppose I need to buy screws and cords and stuff to connect and mount everything? Im new to this building thing haha.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

No the screws and power cords come with the parts. The screws for the board and HDD and CD come with the case they will be in a little packet. one peace of advice. In the packet will be little hold screws with a hole for a screw to go into. 
The parts look like this

this.jpg picture by Timer5 - Photobucket

in the case will be little holes in were the board is supposed to go put these in the holes they hold the mother board up if you don't have them installed the computer will not work.

If you have any questions about putting it together or other questions just Post and I can help you out.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Aight.

Well, last hour I've been tlaking to friends and reading reviews, and I have to say it looks like in a battle between Intel Core i3 2100 and AMD Phenom II X4 840, Intel wins. Still gonna look into this but it appears I may switch CPU's then I'll probably have to switch GPU as well.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Well I am an AMD guy so if you choose Intel I will not be able to help. I know very little about the newer Intel CPUs. If you want to be able to upgrade farther into the future I would take this Motherboard. It can support the coming AMD FX series CPUs that will be able to beat the current AMD and Intel CPUs.

Newegg.com - ASUS M5A78L-M LX AM3+ AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

it is completely completable with the rest of the build it is also cheaper than the other board. It is made by Gigabyte. Gigabyte and ASUS are always fighting for having the best boards.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-78LMT-S2P AM3+ AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard 

Getting this board brings your price down to $599.99 with shipping.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Look over our suggested build list for ideas. All of the components are top quality and compatible.
I do do any AMD builds but I have not had any trouble with G.Skill RAM using Asus Mobo's with Intel chips.
I would also suggest an ATX Mobo. mATX are OK but limited.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

I chose Micro ATX because of his budget an ATX board that is AM3+ by Gigabyte is $99 a micro ATX is $59 yes a full size board gives more room for slots but I am pretty sure he has no crossfire plans or plans for like a TV tuner or some thing and yes ATX is better for over clocking but as he stated above he has no plans of overclocking so because of that using a micro ATX board is not a bad choice. I know ATX is better but I have been using micro ATX boards for years and I have never once had a problem and according to my knowledge they will will work for the build he wants. That is why I said go with a micro ATX board.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

But stormin1990 please at the end tell me what decision you make at the end if you go with AMD or Intel.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

You bet dude. I'm discussing it right now on the gaming forum I use, I probably will make purchase in the next 1-2 hours.


I do have another question though. My mate also suggested this to me
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Its got a 1T of memory, and its pretty cheap too.
I'm noob and still cant read specs accurately yet, are there other significant factors to consider when looking at HDD to buy, other then memory size? I dont wanna get a 1T over a 500GB if theres some sneaky little catch that will bite me in the ***.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Samsung is not one of the best HDD makers out there they are not the worst but they are not the best. If you want a 1 TB I can recommend this one it is the one I have. It is $5 more than the Samsung and it is Western Digital.

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

When looking for a new HDD always look at RPM the lower the number the slower it is Also look for brands. Western Digital is one of the best brand out there.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

I''d assume the faster the RPM = better HDD?


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Your assumption is almost correct. Faster the RPM = Faster HDD?
there are junk HDD that are 10,000 RPM but you normally want 7,000 RPM. Any thing above 7,200RPM will only affect video editing not gaming or normal use.

If you have any other questions just post and I will answer.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Stormin1990 said:


> I''d assume the faster the RPM = better HDD?


Better quality, no. Better performance, yes.
To me, the ATX Mobo would still be the better choice.
I would also suggest a better case than the Gigabyte. I had the misfortune of using one of those cases, that a customer brought to me, It is pretty flimsy and is a bit cramped to work in even with a mATX Mobo.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Well it does mean Faster and able to run faster. But it does not equal longevity.


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

But stormin1990 if you have any more questions please post.


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## Pr0GameFreak (Aug 23, 2011)

i must say.. i have a dell inspiron 530.. all stock parts besides my new PSU and Video Card.. I just recently bought Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity and i also bought that corsair tx650 as my PSU.. i play SC2 on ultra graphics.. both new items i bought i am very happy about. and makes my computer work real good. cant go wrong with those two new items.. just thought id put my input about this


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks 
I ended up going for the Intel i3 dual core, GTS-450, 1T HDD, Standard DVD drive, Corsair 600W PSU, Antec steel case, corsair 2x2gb RAM, and a asrock mobo. ended up being right around $590 after rebates and promo's. I'll post a pic of my build once its complete 

Thx all you guys fro your help, i really learned alot about pc's!


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## Timer5 (Dec 13, 2009)

Hey any time man.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Just curious, did you look over our suggested build list?


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

This? http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2011-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

Yeah. But the Intel specs were way beyond my budget and the AMD specs were either too pricy, or not enough performance. At least from what I could tell.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Thanks for the reply.
The build in Post #26 is good but I would have added a few more dollars for a good quality Mobo.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Hey guys!
So all my components from NewEgg just arrived. My RAM which I bought from crucial will arrive on Monday. 

Question is.... Is there a specific Build order i should follow? MOBO -> CPU -> PSU -> the rest? I havent been able to find any suggested build orders anywhere on this site.

Question 2 is... Can I go ahead and build my PC without the RAM now, and then just add the RAM once it comes??

thx guys


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Thoroughly read the Mobo manual to familiarize yourself with its functions and the connection.
Test on the bench before assembling in the case.
Set the motherboard on a non conductive surface. The motherboard box is perfect for this. DO NOT PLACE THE MOTHERBOARD ON THE STATIC BAG! It can actually conduct electricity! 
Install the CPU and heat sink. 
Install 1 stick of RAM.
Install the video card and attach the power supply connection(s) to the card if your card needs it.
Connect the monitor to the video card.
Connect the power supply to the motherboard with both the 24pin main ATX Power connection and the separate 4 or 8 pin power connection.
Connect power to the power supply.
Do NOT connect ANYTHING else. Make sure you have the power connector on the CPU fan connected.
Use a small screwdriver to momentarily short the power switch connector on the motherboard. Consult your motherboard manual to find which two pins connect to your case's power switch. Then touch both pins with a screwdriver to complete the circuit and boot the system.

If all is well, it should power up and you should get a display. Then assemble the parts into the case and try again. If the system now fails to boot, you have a short in the case and need to recheck your motherboard standoffs.

If the system does not boot after this process, then you most likely have a faulty component. You'll need to swap parts, start with the power supply, until you determine what is defective


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

So if I felt like being risky and NOT bench testing my parts, could i just install everything BUT the RAM?

Then Install RAM and my OS as soon as it arrives on monday?

I just wanna make sure i dont wrck anything by not installing the RAM in a particular order.


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## Phaged (Aug 30, 2011)

Tyree said:


> Thoroughly read the Mobo manual to familiarize yourself with its functions and the connection.
> Test on the bench before assembling in the case.


Hey, this may be slightly off-topic, but do Asus mobo manuals include a guide on bench-testing, and the order in which it should be done, and how to navigate the BIOS etc.?


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I allways prefer to install the ram with the motherboard out of the case on a flat surface. Doing so with the motherboard in the case puts ondo pressure on the board seeing as it's raised on standoffs.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Phaged said:


> Hey, this may be slightly off-topic, but do Asus mobo manuals include a guide on bench-testing, and the order in which it should be done, and how to navigate the BIOS etc.?


AsROCK manuals sure as hell don't.
Didn't even say anything about installing the MOBO into the case. pff


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Bench testing is not a requirement but it is a good idea. I have built hundreds of PC's and I, as well as any competent builder I know, have bench tested every one. 
Using good quality parts rarely proposes any problems but when there is a problem the bench test certainly makes it easier to identify/rectify the problem.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Stormin1990 said:


> Didn't even say anything about installing the MOBO into the case. pff


You made reference in post #33 to install everything but the Ram. That is why I posted what I said!


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

And thanks for that advice 

RAM arrived, and I completed the install. PC is up and running and its a nice little rig 
I learned so much from building this.... I'm gonna be way more prepared for my next build in 5+ years.

Kind of wish I had gottena better MOBO with more slots for dual GPU's and some other stuff but np.


I have a concern though, and I was hoping some of you guys familiar with newegg could help.

I purchased this build thinking that I would get a $30 rebate as advertised on the item descriptions... I believe it was $10 from the GPU and $20 from the CPU.

However when I received the components they included no such rebate material for me to send in..... super lame.... anybody experienced with newegg rebates? Something I'm missing? Cause I broke my current keyboard and now without that rebate i can't afford a new one lol.

aha... print rebates from shopping cart.. thx dude!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

A better quality Mobo would have been a better option but not for the dual GPU option.
Two GPU's cost twice as much, consume more power, generate more unneeded heat in the case and you get a small percentage of performance increase in the few games that can utilize two GPU's. One better GPU is almost always the better choice.


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Just realized today I'm going to need to buy a wireless USB internet receiver thingy, cause since my MOBO only has one slot (occupied by my GPU), i wont be able to use the one i had fitted for that slot ( i really need to find out the name of those slots lol). reaaaally wish I had gotten a mobo with more slots.... fml :/


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## Stormin1990 (Aug 29, 2011)

Tyree said:


> A better quality Mobo would have been a better option but not for the dual GPU option.
> Two GPU's cost twice as much, consume more power, generate more unneeded heat in the case and you get a small percentage of performance increase in the few games that can utilize two GPU's. One better GPU is almost always the better choice.


 aaah ok. wasnt sure how the whole dual GPU thing worked.
thx


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Dual GPU's is more of a market gimmick than value


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