# What do you think of this setup for my first gaming computer?



## wishman35 (Oct 4, 2012)

I am going from a base iMac to this so trust me I am sure anything will seem great, but I do want to be able to play most games on High/Ultra. My friend put this together so I just wanted a second opinion on what people thought of this...

I am mostly a Warcraft/Diablo player but would like to play games like Borderlands/Skyrim at top notch settings. 

Are there any disconnects here? Items that could be priced better? Or something you recommend I upgrade to? I am around $900 on this setup, but I really do NOT want to exceed $1000. The Ivy Bridge was actually cheaper than the 2500K Sandy Bridge with a coupon on Newegg.

I am a novice at this, so the overclocking and what not will not make much sense to me. Thanks in advance! 


Qty	Product Description	Price
1	
*Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570*K
Item #: N82E16819116504
CPU Replacement Only Return Policy	
$229.99
1	
*ASUS P8B75-V LGA 1155 Intel B75 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
*Item #: N82E16813131835
Standard Return Policy	
$104.99
$99.99
1	
*ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
*Item #: N82E16827135204
Standard Return Policy	
$19.99
1	
*Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX*
Item #: N82E16820104173
Memory Standard Return Policy	
$39.99
1	
*Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive*
Item #: N82E16822136769
Standard Return Policy	
$79.99
$69.99
1	
*EVGA 02G-P3-1568-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card*
Item #: N82E16814130683
$30.00 Mail-In Rebate Card
VGA Standard Return Policy	
$279.99
$244.99
1	
*CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply*
Item #: N82E16817139028
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate Card
Standard Return Policy	
$79.99
$69.99
1	
*ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor W/Speakers
Item #: N82E16824236052*
$10.00 Mail-In Rebate Card
Monitor Standard Return Policy	
$219.99
$159.99

1	
*COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case*
Item #: N82E16811119233
$10.00 Mail-In Rebate Card


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## erocker (Oct 4, 2012)

Everything looks fine, except the video card. You chose an older generation of cards. Have a look at the GTX 660's:  Computer Hardware, Video Cards & Video Devices, D...


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## EarthDog (Oct 4, 2012)

Looks solid. I also agree with getting a more modern GPU such as the GTX660ti or 7870. Same/better performance and less power consumption. If you plan on overclocking eventually, you would want to step up a notch on the motherboard though. That board you selected, IIRC, doesnt have any cooling on the power delivery areas... 

My suggestion is Asrock Z77 Extreme 4.


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## BUCK NASTY (Oct 4, 2012)

Agreed as well. Looks like solid choices, but opt for a newer GFX card. Welcome to TPU!


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## wishman35 (Oct 4, 2012)

erocker said:


> Everything looks fine, except the video card. You chose an older generation of cards. Have a look at the GTX 660's:  Computer Hardware, Video Cards & Video Devices, D...



So would this one be similar to the 560ti?

EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Its actually cheaper, but you are saying it is newer? I apologize for being pretty novice with this.


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## erocker (Oct 4, 2012)

wishman35 said:


> So would this one be similar to the 560ti?
> 
> EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
> 
> Its actually cheaper, but you are saying it is newer? I apologize for being pretty novice with this.



It is cheaper, newer and faster. About 25% faster overall than the 560ti.


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## wishman35 (Oct 4, 2012)

erocker said:


> It is cheaper, newer and faster. About 25% faster overall than the 560ti.



Really appreciate the advice, just a few more questions if you do not mind..

The new 660 says 2GB 192-bit, and the 560ti says 2GB 256-bit .. is there a difference here? 

Also for memory..

I have the Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX

I see more reviews for G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory 

And I can probably get the G.Skill a little cheaper... Any difference when it comes to memory?


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## EarthDog (Oct 4, 2012)

Yes, about 64bits . Being serious, unless you are playing at resolutions above 1920x1200, that isnt going to come in to play.

Any cheap RAM will do. RAM is RAM.


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## wishman35 (Oct 4, 2012)

EarthDog said:


> Yes, about 64bits . Being serious, unless you are playing at resolutions above 1920x1200, that isnt going to come in to play.
> 
> Any cheap RAM will do. RAM is RAM.



Great, what about the hard drive - are there certain things to look for? My friend put in the..

*Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive*

but I am able to get the following for about the same price...

*Seagate Momentus XT ST95005620AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive -Bare Drive*


Thanks again!


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## Jetster (Oct 4, 2012)

Seagate Momentus XT   FTW


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## Soup (Oct 4, 2012)

^+1

Also, if you don't plan on a CPU OC then why not this?
Save yourself $50 or put it towards a 660Ti


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## wishman35 (Oct 4, 2012)

Soup said:


> ^+1
> 
> Also, if you don't plan on a CPU OC then why not this?
> Save yourself $50 or put it towards a 660Ti



I wouldn't know the first think about OC. I just want to make sure if I am doing this, I am doing it right and not skimping out too much.

The Intel Core i5-3330 Ivy Bridge 3.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) 0  only has 1 review..

Would you guys recommend me downgrading from the Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)  to that... the 660Ti will be about a $30 upcharge at that point...

What loss will I take from giving up the 3570 going to the 3330 and what benefit do I get from going 660 to 660ti.

As long as I can get some games at ultimate, I will be happy.


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## EarthDog (Oct 4, 2012)

Who cares about one review. Newegg reviews, outside of DOA's are a terrible barometer of anything. Most people that write newegg reviews cant tell their dirty place from a hole in the ground.

660ti is a stronger card and if you wont overclock its not a loss at all.


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## Phusius (Oct 4, 2012)

I am impressed with my non Ti 660, it's hitting 1202 core stable.  shogun 2 on ultra about 55 fps, plays pretty much any game i throw at it with 4x MSAA at 60 fps mostly

msi has the OC edition on sale right now on newegg, its the one i got, 234.95 free ship and a 30 rebate


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## Soup (Oct 4, 2012)

> 660Ti will be about a $30 upcharge at that point



GTX660 vs GTX660Ti = $50 diff after rebate

i5-3330 vs i5-3570K = $50 diff with promo code

No up-charge at all, just pull that $$$ straight across.

Also, the i5's are same chip. The 3330 is just locked and clocked a bit lower. You will see more FPS from the 660Ti than from the 3570K.


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## Phusius (Oct 5, 2012)

Soup said:


> GTX660 vs GTX660Ti = $50 diff after rebate
> 
> i5-3330 vs i5-3570K = $50 diff with promo code
> 
> ...




after rebate, my 660 will be $75 cheaper then 660 Ti...

234.95 free ship off newegg, with 30 rebate, cheapest 600 ti i see is 299.99 with 20 rebate...


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## Soup (Oct 5, 2012)

Phusius said:


> after rebate, my 660 will be $75 cheaper then 660 Ti...
> 
> 234.95 free ship off newegg, with 30 rebate, cheapest 600 ti i see is 299.99 with 20 rebate...



My point is, if he is willing to spend the money anyway, it's better to invest in a stronger GPU than CPU.


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## xxdozer322 (Oct 5, 2012)

^+1, i would go with the 3330 and get the Ti version, that gpu + cpu combo wont bottleneck at all, and since he was already gonna spend that money, that cpu should be more than sufficient enough for the 660Ti...i see an enthusiast being born here. hes gonna get the build, build it and then the OC bugs gonna bite him


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## UDCbey (Oct 5, 2012)

You mentioned that your aren't interested in overclocking, so I would go for an i5 3550.


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## wishman35 (Oct 5, 2012)

Soup said:


> My point is, if he is willing to spend the money anyway, it's better to invest in a stronger GPU than CPU.



Am I looking at playing most games at Ultra with this setup? I've switched to the 660ti, z77, seagate HD, but downgrading the CPU


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## OneMoar (Oct 5, 2012)

yea even the lowest end i5 is more then enough for any title
cram as much gpu as you can afford into it


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## UDCbey (Oct 5, 2012)

wishman35 said:


> Am I looking at playing most games at Ultra with this setup? I've switched to the 660ti, z77, seagate HD, but downgrading the CPU


Thats a good move. You can definitely run most games maxed out with that setup.


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## wishman35 (Oct 5, 2012)

BUCK NASTY said:


> Agreed as well. Looks like solid choices, but opt for a newer GFX card. Welcome to TPU!



This is what I ended up going with. Look good?



1 x CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

1 x EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-3662-KR GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...

1 x ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor W/Speakers

1 x G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

1 x Intel Core i5-3330 Ivy Bridge 3.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 ...

1 x ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

1 x Seagate Momentus XT ST95005620AS 500GB 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive -Bare Drive

1 x ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

1 x GIGABYTE GM-M6800 Noble Black 5+1 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical Dual Lens Gaming Mouse


1 x COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case


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## brandonwh64 (Oct 5, 2012)

Yea that looks great! The only issue is that the I5-3330 cannot be OCed but other than that you are GOOD TO GO


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## wishman35 (Oct 5, 2012)

brandonwh64 said:


> Yea that looks great! The only issue is that the I5-3330 cannot be OCed but other than that you are GOOD TO GO



As it is something I dont even understand, I wonder how much it will make a difference? haha

Should I look into a friend helping me build it? Seems more rewarding to do it myself. Any good guides on how to?


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## brandonwh64 (Oct 5, 2012)

Do it yourself man, Its quite easy. Just follow a how to guide and you should be fine. 

OCing the CPU in some aspects is easy with the newest of bioses and forums to guide you in the right path BUT if you do not feel comfortable then stick with the 3330.


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## Crap Daddy (Oct 5, 2012)

Is it a problem for you to spend just a little more and get the unlocked 3570K?


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## wishman35 (Oct 5, 2012)

Crap Daddy said:


> Is it a problem for you to spend just a little more and get the unlocked 3570K?



I kind of just went with the advice and upped the video card to keep it within budget. I was able to get this a little under $1000.


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## Crap Daddy (Oct 5, 2012)

OK. Now build it yourself.


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## wishman35 (Oct 6, 2012)

Jetster said:


> Seagate Momentus XT   FTW



After looking at reviews for the Seagate Momentus HD.. Is this just for notebooks and Macs? I see it can be put into a desktop but am I better off going with a WD Black/Blue?

Also what makes the Seagate Momentus XT 500GB (7200 RPM 32MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive -Bare Drive) better than the Western Digital WD Blue 500GB (7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive) my friend suggested??

Is the 3.0Gb/s rather than the 6.0gb on the Western Digital a disadvantage?? Again, thanks for the advice, really new to dealing with the individual components


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## Soup (Oct 8, 2012)

The XT has a solid state portion built in to allow for ssd caching while maintaining the mechanical platters and what not for capacity.

Check these:

Smart Response Technology

Hybrid Drives


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