Support NeoGAF

[Mineshaft_Gap]

These are the parts I've decided to go with:

Items Ordered Price
1 of: EVGA GeForce GTX760 SuperClocked w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual-Link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI,DP, SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2765-KR) Graphic
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$259.99
1 of: Xigmatek Desktop Computer Heatsink Cooling Fan GAIA SD1283
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$36.99
1 of: Windows 8.1 System Builder OEM DVD 64-Bit
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$96.88
1 of: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB Cache - WD10EZEX
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$59.99
1 of: AMD Quad Core A10-Series APU for Desktops A10-6800K with Radeon HD 8670D (AD680KWOHLBOX)
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$139.99
1 of: ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$136.98
1 of: Corsair CX750 Builder Series ATX 80 PLUS Bronze Certified Power Supply
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$87.24
1 of: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Compact ATX Case CC-9011023-WW
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$59.99
1 of: Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB (2X4 GB) PC3-12800 1600mHz DDR3 240-Pin SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
$89.99
1 of: Asus 24x DVD-RW Serial-ATA Internal OEM Optical Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)
Condition: New
Sold by: LLYtech (seller profile)
$23.26
1 of: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound 3.5 Grams
Condition: New
Sold by: BestSource OfficeSupplies (seller profile)
$7.55

Costing me around $995 total. Am I missing anything? Will it run Half Life 2?

In all seriousness. I want something that will last me a while. Is there anything I've skimped on here that I shouldn't have? Especially regards to to cooling... I'm in over my head...

 

[Telaso]

You don't need the aftermarket heatsink unless you plan to overclock. People dont tend to OC AMD from my experience either since they are pretty unstable.

 

[Unhandled Exception]

Looks decent, I wouldn't worry about aftermarket cooling unless you're going to overclock. Just make sure you have a case with good air flow (not familiar with that Corsair case) and you're fine.

 

[super-famicom]

PC Building thread in Gaming side: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=745567

The OP is full of useful info.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

PC Building thread in Gaming side: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=745567

The OP is full of useful info.

Thanks!

 

[Metal Gear?!]

1) PC Part Picker that list and give us the link so we don't have to read through that unformatted garbage http://pcpartpicker.com/

2) Why are you getting an AMD CPU? Don't do that. Why would you do that?

3) Why do you need a 750W PSU? Even with an AMD CPU you don't need that.

4) Where's the SSD?

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

In case you need visual aid on how to set it up to run at a cool temp on max grafix.

 

[Envelope]

You're going a bit overboard with the cooling and PSU, you could save some money there.

 

[8bit]

Get an SSD, or maybe a hybrid. Also, you'll never go wrong with as much RAM as you can afford.

 

[Keyouta]

In case you need visual aid on how to set it up to run at a cool temp on max grafix.

Lol

 

[Damaniel]

1) PC Part Picker that list and give us the link so we don't have to read through that unformatted garbage http://pcpartpicker.com/

2) Why are you getting an AMD CPU? Don't do that. Why would you do that?

3) Why do you need a 750W PSU? Even with an AMD CPU you don't need that.

4) Where's the SSD?

I concur with 2-4, especially 2. If you're looking to spend $1k, don't buy AMD - they're strictly for budget boxes, even the high end ones. Also, squeeze in a SSD if you can.

 

[Keyouta]

Ah, yes. Get an SSD. You'll never go back to not using one after you have it. Install the OS and any important applications on it, then have the 1TB HDD for media.

 

[npa189]

APU for a gaming rig? I haven't really looked at anything new since I built my rig in 2012, so my knowledge is a bit rusty. Are APUs decent enough to keep up with a 760?

 

[Shrike Alvaron]

I would definitely recommend an SSD, the Samsung 840 Evo is my current choice for best value. You can get by with the cheapest 120GB one I linked there and keep just Windows, common use programs, and a handful of games on it while the rest go on your hard drive if the more expansive ones are too expensive.

If you don't go with an SSD I'd at least recommend updating the WD Blue to a WD Black. You may want to consider that anyway if you get an SSD small enough you still have to run games from the HDD.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

I'd drop the whole AMD idea and pick up an i5 4670k and a Z87 motherboard. You'll pay a little more but you'll be glad you didn't skimp in the end. I'd also opt for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler. And I'd highly recommend getting at least a 128GB SSD, it will make a world of difference.

 

[Cyprus]

If sounds like you've already ordered the parts, is that true?

 

[Atraveller]

In case you need visual aid on how to set it up to run at a cool temp on max grafix.

That is painful to look at.

 

[docbon]

where the christ is the SSD

would you enjoy having your operating system booting up in the time it took me to type this sentence?

if so, get one.

Spoiler

it was <10 seconds, for reference

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

No reason to get a cooler or paste unless you are going to be doing a fair amount of over-clocking. I would also shave off 20-35 by getting a different PSU. Doing that would get you close to $100 in savings, I would use that for a small SSD. Having the OS on an SSD is a huge difference imo.

 

[Goodacre0081]

im pretty sure new CPUs have thermal compound already applied

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

im pretty sure new CPUs have thermal compound already applied

They do, which is why you do not need the paste. Hell most aftermarket heat-sinks come with it too.

 

[Randam]

I'm not sure about the APU either.
And yeah, get a SSD.

 

[NoRéN]

PC Building thread in Gaming side: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=745567

The OP is full of useful info.

Fuck that. OP is obviously so important they require their own thread!

 

[neurosisxeno]

I hope he didn't, that motherboard and CPU aren't even compatible. Here's what he should do, I used Newegg but Amazon should have comperable prices.

AMD Setup:
AMD FX-6300 6-Core CPU
MSI 970A-G43 AM3+ ATX Motherboard
eVGA SuperClocked GTX770 w/ ACX Cooling
Kingsteon HyperX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Corsair Carbide 200R
NZXT HALE82 V2 700W Modular PSU
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO
ASUS DRW-24B1ST
Windows 8.1 64-bit

Total Cost: $979

Better in every single way and cheaper. GTX 770 instead of a GTX 760, FX-6300 instead of a crappy Quad-Core APU, compatible motherboards, and reasonable cooling and PSU solutions. If you fished between Newegg and Amazon searching the model numbers I bet you could even trim that down to a hair below $950. When I get a chance I will do an i5-based one, but that is a solid setup.

 

[komplanen]

Since OP already got his own thread here's some thoughts:

Screw the APU
Get an SSD

 

[NJDEN]

Looks like a pretty solid rig, but get a motherboard that's socket is compatible with your CPU & you can probably get away with a cheaper mobo model as well... Like the other have said; the Heat Sink is kind of over kill unless you plan on over clocking, but I don't recommend it with an AMD chip as its kind of hit or miss.

The thing to remember is when you get it all built and it powers on that's only phase 1, phase 2 is software. Make sure you install all the drivers that come with your components, but be sure to differentiate between the bloatware (Norton Anti Virus) and something important like your USB 3.0 drivers. Also Windows 8 does a good job at getting most of your drivers for you, but be sure to use the OEM drives as much as possible as they may have been tweaked by the manufacturer in some way to work more effectively with your hardware...

Since its a gaming rig your going to want to grab: DirectX, Java & .net Framework which are required for some games to run. Some good digital distribution clients are: Steam, Battle.net & Origin

Some other software I recommend is: (Avast: Security), (Chrome: Browser), (7Zip: File Extractor), (VLC: Media Player), (Nvidia GeForce Experience: Graphics Manager), (OBS: Streaming Client), (Tunngle: VPN), (Daemon Tools Lite: Virtual DvD Drive). Also be sure to grab all your major players: Flash, Unity & Silverlight.

I know that's a lot of software, but whenever I do a fresh install on my rig I always go and grab all this stuff from the get go so I don't have to worry about it.

I hope this helps or maybe you knew this stuff already. Good luck and have fun with it!

Edit:
Something to remember for the future, if you're a power user I recommend wiping (reinstalling the OS) once every year if not more times. It keeps your system running quick and clean... I personally do it every few months.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

I hope he didn't, that motherboard and CPU aren't even compatible. Here's what he should do, I used Newegg but Amazon should have comperable prices.

AMD Setup:
AMD FX-6300 6-Core CPU
MSI 970A-G43 AM3+ ATX Motherboard
eVGA SuperClocked GTX770 w/ ACX Cooling
Kingsteon HyperX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 RAM
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Corsair Carbide 200R
NZXT HALE82 V2 700W Modular PSU
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO
ASUS DRW-24B1ST
Windows 8.1 64-bit

Total Cost: $979

Better in every single way and cheaper. GTX 770 instead of a GTX 760, FX-6300 instead of a crappy Quad-Core APU, compatible motherboards, and reasonable cooling and PSU solutions. If you fished between Newegg and Amazon searching the model numbers I bet you could even trim that down to a hair below $950. When I get a chance I will do an i5-based one, but that is a solid setup.

Zero reason to get a aftermarket heat-sink, unless he/she intends to OC to obscenity. SSD is a must though, it is probably one of the largest game changers of modern PC's.

 

[plainr_]

For ~$970 ($1070 with Windows 8.1) I'd go for:

You really don't need a DVD Drive. If you have a spare USB flash drive or external hard drive, you can use that to make a bootable Windows 8 installer.

 

[Scotch]

Zero reason to get a aftermarket heat-sink, unless he/she intends to OC to obscenity.

I wouldn't say zero reason, an aftermarket heat-sink will run a whole lot quieter. That's easily worth 30 bucks in my book.

 

[Glasshole]

What is up with all the AMD hate here?

Do you realize you've become the victims of bizarre marketing strategies?

"Don't buy AMD, I hear it gives you AIDS!"

b2t: Congratulations to your first step to your new gaming rig. Mistakes will be made, and you will learn from them.

 

[SneakyStephan]

That's a really shitty cpu, good luck running total war/arma/ns2 or any other cpu demanding game that doesn't support 6-8 cores on it

@ poster above, I've used nothing but amd since 2003 and have a phenom II in my pc right now, the current amd cpus are just really slow that is all, you should not buy them for gaming especially not if you're spending a whopping 900 bucks on a new pc, this isn't some budget build

in before some perfectly threaded synthetic benchmark showing a 5ghz 200watt consuming fx8350 can perform equally to a stock i5 or people pointing to some bf3 benchmark, those are not representative at all of how 95 percent of games will actually run on it and you are giving the OP shitty misleading advice
I've no hate for amd's cpu division I wish they'd make a cpu for gamers but they simply don't, facts are facts

 

[komplanen]

What is up with all the AMD hate here?

AMD has inferior CPU's to what Intel has and inferior GPU's to what Nvidia has. As simple as that.

 

[fertygo]

What is up with all the AMD hate here?

Do you realize you've become the victims of bizarre marketing strategies?

"Don't buy AMD, I hear it gives you AIDS!"

b2t: Congratulations to your first step to your new gaming rig. Mistakes will be made, and you will learn from them.

Going with AMD with 1000 bucks budget is one of biggest mistake in building gaming rigs.

No ill feeling at all, but people will have different voice if AMD actually have better product.

 

[NJDEN]

What is up with all the AMD hate here?

AMD is ok at what it does, in my mind their products represent the general purpose truck of CPU's & GPU"s. While they get the job done, they run hotter, tend to be more bucky and can be inconsistent when it comes to overclocking. I'm not trying to champion intel or Nvidia, but to me they represent the sports car of computer components; run cooler, fancy pieces of software, power efficient, but these things do show in the price tags...

(I just changed my rig from an AMD over to a Ivy Bridge i5 and am very pleased with my choice)

 

[neurosisxeno]

Going with AMD with 1000 bucks budget is one of biggest mistake in building gaming rigs.

No ill feeling at all, but people will have different voice if AMD actually have better product.

If it's the difference between a GTX760 and GTX770, I'd take the AMD CPU and GTX770, and I have no love lost for AMD.

Zero reason to get a aftermarket heat-sink, unless he/she intends to OC to obscenity. SSD is a must though, it is probably one of the largest game changers of modern PC's.

In the same vein there is almost no reason for people to recommend K Models of every Intel CPU unless they plan on overclocking a decent amount, yet it gets done. In my opinion unless you want to Overclock for funsies why not just get a consumer level Xeon? i7 performance with an i5 price tag in most scenarios...

 

[Demy]

PC Building thread in Gaming side: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=745567

The OP is full of useful info.

Such a golden thread of awesome.

OP, I've built AMD and Intel stuffs. In fact, running one of each at exactly this moment for the roommate and I. Can't see a difference, honestly but neither of us are overclocking.

You don't need that much wattage on your power supply. Maybe pull it back a bit and invest in a SSD. Fast boots are a very nice luxury I make my friends feel bad about regularly.

Also, CONGRATS! Building your first pc is a fun project right up to that amazing moment of "will it start if I press power?". Cheers.

 

[neurosisxeno]

Said I would get around to it;

Intel Build:
Intel i5-4670K
BioStar Z87W ATX Motherboard
ADATA XPG 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600
eVGA GTX 760 2GB w/ ACX Cooler
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Corsair Carbide 200R
Rosewill Green Series RG630
ASUS DVD Drive

Cost: $977

The only reason I don't suggest diving into an SSD is because you have to make too many comprimises. Yes, fast boot ups and quicker load times (although I rarely experience any games taking uncomfortably long) is a perk, it's not as good as being able to wait an extra 10-20s and playing the game at a substantially higher level of detail. SSD's are something you get to compliment a system, they should never be a base component.