first desktop gaming pc

[rannon]

hey toms hardware,

i have a budget of around 700$ and was thinking of a by no means sick gaming machine but still does the job , i just want to know if the components are incorrectly matched or what not-

CPU
I3-4370 3.8Ghz (can i use the stock cooler? or should i get a hypo 212 evo? )

GPU
GTX 960 G1 gaming from gigabyte 2GB

RAM
8GB (2x4gb) hyperx 1600mhz

PSU
Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze

CASE
haven't decided

right now in sitting in the 580$ mark ... so 120$ to go (170 + is pushing it but plausible )
will be using a old hp monitor i have right now but will be upgrading to a 144hz moniter when i get the cash (1080p).

did i miss anything ?
is there anything else you guys want to know ?
is there anything i can upgrade to if there is a problem ?

games i want to play are mostly battlefield series , call of duty series , etc
( i am aware that the titles i play are extremely demanding , but i want to more like balance the power of my I3 with the 960 and right now my 960 is around 10-15% faster) basically i am trying to build a system which has no bottlenecks ... and since i play games mostly , i put the extra cash into the 960 .. but of course that doesn't mean my i3 cant keep up..

so what do you guys think, recommend, suggest, etc?

a reply is greatly appreciated

 

[Ometta]

Computer Build for you
http/pcpartpicker.com/p/gNV6gs

Based off your 700 dollar budget this is a build I would generally be looking at. I stepped up your GPU cause obviously that's one of the most important for PC gaming. If your could afford more step up to an Intel i5 4690k.

 

[rannon]

Computer Build for you
http/pcpartpicker.com/p/gNV6gs

Based off your 700 dollar budget this is a build I would generally be looking at. I stepped up your GPU cause obviously that's one of the most important for PC gaming. If your could afford more step up to an Intel i5 4690k.

don't i have to overclock my fx 6300 so i don't get a big bottleneck on the 970? will a hype 212 evo do for about 4.5-4.6Ghz?
at that speed do you think i'd still be bottle-necking the 970?

 

[Ometta]

I don't think you will bottleneck the GPU at all. If that is a concern you could always overclock the CPU. I would personally fork out the extra cash and get an Intel i5. Yes I actually picked out a Cooler Master Hype 212 EVO for you but I removed it so I could stay under your 700 dollar budget. As far as hitting 4.5-4.6 Ghz on that AMD CPU I wouldn't really know. I actually use an Intel i5 but my brothers computer that I built he uses that same AMD CPU and he has no problems or bottlenecks at all.

 

[rannon]

I don't think you will bottleneck the GPU at all. If that is a concern you could always overclock the CPU. I would personally fork out the extra cash and get an Intel i5. Yes I actually picked out a Cooler Master Hype 212 EVO for you but I removed it so I could stay under your 700 dollar budget. As far as hitting 4.5-4.6 Ghz on that AMD CPU I wouldn't really know. I actually use an Intel i5 but my brothers computer that I built he uses that same AMD CPU and he has no problems or bottlenecks at all.

thank you so much for the help man . much appreciated , cheers!

 

[Ometta]

Anytime enjoy your computer and happy gaming!

 

[madmatt30]

you do need to overclock a 6300 to get the most from a gtx 970 ,not massively 4-4.3ghz will do the job - I know this because thats exactly what I run,
Ometta - you missed the case off mate

Ive revised your build a bit to include the case & an aftermarket cooler - the ssd pretty much had to go unfortunately.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.50 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $647.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-24 07:57 EDT-0400

case I would honestly go with the kendomen - you can drop components in & just not worry about cooling as it comes wioth 5 preinstalled fans & a fan controller.it doesnt show on partpicker

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811853012

 

[rannon]

you do need to overclock a 6300 to get the most from a gtx 970 ,not massively 4-4.3ghz will do the job - I know this because thats exactly what I run,
Ometta - you missed the case off mate

Ive revised your build a bit to include the case & an aftermarket cooler - the ssd pretty much had to go unfortunately.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.50 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $647.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-24 07:57 EDT-0400

case I would honestly go with the kendomen - you can drop components in & just not worry about cooling as it comes wioth 5 preinstalled fans & a fan controller.it doesnt show on partpicker

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811853012

so this or the original ? and thanks man xD , but nobody uses an optical drive these days (Y) ,

 

[Ometta]

you do need to overclock a 6300 to get the most from a gtx 970 ,not massively 4-4.3ghz will do the job - I know this because thats exactly what I run,
Ometta - you missed the case off mate

Ive revised your build a bit to include the case & an aftermarket cooler - the ssd pretty much had to go unfortunately.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.50 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $647.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-24 07:57 EDT-0400

case I would honestly go with the kendomen - you can drop components in & just not worry about cooling as it comes wioth 5 preinstalled fans & a fan controller.it doesnt show on partpicker

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811853012

I missed the case on purpose cause that's more of a personal preference and he doesn't need help picking a case out.

 

[Ometta]

you do need to overclock a 6300 to get the most from a gtx 970 ,not massively 4-4.3ghz will do the job - I know this because thats exactly what I run,
Ometta - you missed the case off mate

Ive revised your build a bit to include the case & an aftermarket cooler - the ssd pretty much had to go unfortunately.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.50 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $647.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-24 07:57 EDT-0400

case I would honestly go with the kendomen - you can drop components in & just not worry about cooling as it comes wioth 5 preinstalled fans & a fan controller.it doesnt show on partpicker

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811853012

so this or the original ? and thanks man xD , but nobody uses an optical drive these days (Y) ,

I still use an optical drive cause I still buy retail copies of PC games. For me it's a lot more personal owning an actual copy of the game I can hold in my hands.

 

[madmatt30]

The ud3p is a better board IMO & cheaper (I use it myself
The ram I changed simply because its the same spec ,good quality but cheaper.

Same with the PSU - cheaper if you don't count the rebate & far better quality.

You need the cooler trust me on that.

 

[rannon]

you do need to overclock a 6300 to get the most from a gtx 970 ,not massively 4-4.3ghz will do the job - I know this because thats exactly what I run,
Ometta - you missed the case off mate

Ive revised your build a bit to include the case & an aftermarket cooler - the ssd pretty much had to go unfortunately.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($85.50 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Stealth 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.60 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.10 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $647.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-24 07:57 EDT-0400

case I would honestly go with the kendomen - you can drop components in & just not worry about cooling as it comes wioth 5 preinstalled fans & a fan controller.it doesnt show on partpicker

http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811853012

so this or the original ? and thanks man xD , but nobody uses an optical drive these days (Y) ,

I still use an optical drive cause I still buy retail copies of PC games. For me it's a lot more personal owning an actual copy of the game I can hold in my hands.

i see! , that makes everything clear then , and good on you for that! , not many people do that these days unless they play on a console...

true , case isn't important , i could even go pick one out from my computer store LOl , but thanks for everything man! , have a nice day. cheers.

 

[rannon]

The ud3p is a better board IMO & cheaper (I use it myself
The ram I changed simply because its the same spec ,good quality but cheaper.

Same with the PSU - cheaper if you don't count the rebate & far better quality.

You need the cooler trust me on that.

gotcha ! (Y) , thanks

 

[Ometta]

The pc build that I sent you was a general guideline of what to generally look for in your price range. I'm not saying you should pick every part that I listed cause I threw that together in less than 5 minutes. Most important part is picking out the parts that you think you will be most happy with.

 

[madmatt30]

^ definitely squeeze an ssd in if you can budget for it mate - its worth the outlay.

 

[rannon]

The pc build that I sent you was a general guideline of what to generally look for in your price range. I'm not saying you should pick every part that I listed cause I threw that together in less than 5 minutes. Most important part is picking out the parts that you think you will be most happy with.

thanks bro , yeah i got that , but honestly i genuinely like the build you made for me and i can deal with a bit of overclocking for the cpu

thing is i already have an ASUS G751JY ( look if up if you want ) with me that i carry around , but at home i prefer to use a desktop so i thought id give it a go at building one.

 

[Ometta]

That's a really nice gaming laptop! I have only owned one gaming laptop about 8 years ago and have never bought another cause they are just way too expensive for what you get. 99% of my gaming is done at home anyways so for me a desktop is the only way to go. If you wanted to hold out on building a desktop and save up some more cash so you can invest in better parts that laptop will get you by. You could always add a usb mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse to the laptop to give it a more desktop feel. You can play any game out their right now with that laptop.

 

[rannon]

That's a really nice gaming laptop! I have only owned one gaming laptop about 8 years ago and have never bought another cause they are just way too expensive for what you get. 99% of my gaming is done at home anyways so for me a desktop is the only way to go. If you wanted to hold out on building a desktop and save up some more cash so you can invest in better parts that laptop will get you by. You could always add a usb mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse to the laptop to give it a more desktop feel. You can play any game out their right now with that laptop.

thanks man , yeah i could do what you just mentioned , but i want a desktop for the simple reason is when i have a LAN party i use my current laptop, give my second laptop to a friend. but i want a desktop so i can use it to play games when i host LAN parties and give my laptops to friends who arent so fortunate as me . the laptops are i own are one ive already mentioned , then the asus g751jt , and this desktop.. (which i will build )

 

[Ometta]

Only you know what will truly make you happy. The cool thing about that AMD CPU and MB is that it's an AM3+ socket so you can always jump up to a much bigger and better CPU whenever you feel the need and because that CPU I recommended you is only 80 dollars it's not a big loss for you to jump up to something bigger and you could probably sell it on ebay for 50 dollars.

 

[rannon]

Only you know what will truly make you happy. The cool thing about that AMD CPU and MB is that it's an AM3+ socket so you can always jump up to a much bigger and better CPU whenever you feel the need and because that CPU I recommended you is only 80 dollars it's not a big loss for you to jump up to something bigger and you could probably sell it on ebay for 50 dollars.

good point , thanks for the all the help man ! , have a nice day , cheers!