First build (Gaming, $1000, Australia)

Edit: Build complete, everything is running smoothly.
Thanks everyone so much for the help!
I also have a friend ordering exactly the same components list which i will help him assemble.
Thanks again!







Edit: in my third post (5th post down) I have what i think will be my final revised build! just looking to double check compatibility and that everything will fit in the case and that there are no dud parts/choices. thanks!

Edit2: link to wishlist (does this work?) http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] wish_lists

Hi guys, I have decided to build my own budget gaming PC and would really appreciate some help with the details. This will be my first build and I have no experience in this area whatsoever. I am an engineering student and generally consider myself capable of following intstructions such as the ones in the build your own pc guides however only time will tell! I have put my current version of a parts list at the bottom of this post.

I have been having some difficulty calculating how many watts i need for my PSU so any help there would be really appreciated. Also just a general compatibility check is needed.

Any advice would be great and feel free to be as blunt as you like if i have made any mistakes. I hope this is all formatted so that you guys can read it but tbh I was a pretty average english student. Anyway, here goes nothing!



Approx purchase date: This week if possible.

Budget: Around $1000 and can possibly swing $200 in either direction.

System useage: Primary: Gaming, specifically Guild wars 2 and Diablo 3 when they are released.
Secondary: University assignments and internet ect ect...

Prefered websites: www.megabuy.com.au seems to be the cheapest i can find ( I am Australian). If anyone has any feedback about this site (good or bad) that would be great.

Country: Australia

Parts preferences: Intel ( I have no experience in selecting parts however ASUS, GIGABYTE and corsair seem to be commonly used on this site so I have preferenced them in my first attempt at a parts list.)

Overclocking: Not sure. I would love some advice on this!

Sli/Crossfire: No. (possiblility of adding a second GPU in the future but some advice on this would be great as well.)

Monitor res: Don't currently own one however I will expect to purchase one with 1920x1080 resolution.



Current parts list:

CPU: ($137) Core i3-2120 http://www.megabuy.com.au/intel-co [...] 54536.html

Edit: Also looking at the core i5 2500k ($235) http://www.megabuy.com.au/intel-in [...] 08490.html

MOBO: ($250) asus P8z68v-Pro http://www.megabuy.com.au/asus-new [...] 93466.html

Edit: Is this motherboard required or is there a cheaper alternative that will still do the job well?

RAM: ($55) Corsair 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz http://www.megabuy.com.au/corsair- [...] 20970.html

HSF: ($42) Coolermaster COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 EVO UNIVERSAL [RR-212E-20PK-R2]
http://www.megabuy.com.au/coolerma [...] 03122.html

HDD: ($100) Western Digital CAVIAR BLUE 500GB 7200RPM SATA3 16MB CACHE 3.5 [WD5000AAKX]
http://www.megabuy.com.au/western- [...] 21158.html

PSU: **** really need help here. I attempted to add up the watts being used however i couldn't really work this out. Some help/addvice would be amazing!

Edit: This seems like it would be ok? : ($110) antac 550w http://www.megabuy.com.au/antec-55 [...] 87731.html

GPU: ($200) Asus ENGTX560 DC/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX560 1GB 256Bit GDDR5 2x DVI mini-HDMI
http://www.megabuy.com.au/asus-eng [...] 66448.html

DVD: ($26) Sony AD7280SGB SATA Black Internal DOUBLE Layer Multiformat 24x DVD RW OEM
http://www.megabuy.com.au/sony-ad7 [...] 55359.html

CASE: ($62) Thermaltake Dokker Mid Tower Black http://www.megabuy.com.au/thermalt [...] 15761.html

Total price:$982(i3) or $1082(i5)

Thanks so much for your time and as I've said a few times, feedback is hugely appreciated!

-Matt

If you want to OC, go with the i5 2500k. With the ASUS utility I OCed to 4.5ghz with the touch of a button (Extreme) and a couple of BIOS adjustments to stop the double boot (cold boot) issue that many have. If you just click the Fast button you should get 4.2ghz pretty easy, with no other BIOS adjustments to make.

The mobo is good but you don't need the pro unless you plan on using more than 2 SDD. The pro gives you 4 SATAIII I believe. My mobo (see sig) has 2 SATAIII. SATAIII is really only going to benefit solid state drives. I think mine was around $189.

I prefer the Corsair Vengeance low profile memory, to leave plenty of room for your aftermarket CPU cooler. I like the value of the 212 Evo (see sig).

PSU....see my sig for a $90 650w....and its modular so not so many wires if you want less clutter. 500w is probably enough for your GPU but I like a little extra headroom.

Make sure you buy a $3 mobo speaker so you can hear your POST beeps.

Good luck with the build and have fun!

Edit:
I would also spend a few more bucks on a case that is in the mid $100s.....I really was glad I didn't skimp on the case. Having a good quality case made things a lot easier for my first build. Do an external build first, then put everything in the case after you have a good POST.

Looks like a nice rig!

I think either of those cases is a fine choice.

Yes that RAM is compatible, I'm running the exact same RAM and mobo.

Don't forget Win7 64 bit and a mobo speaker ($5).

Compatibility is fine.

FYI the Corsair 650TXV2 is not modular, catatafish must have the 650TXM. The two units are not related to each other in terms of internal design. The TXV2 is made by Seasonic and the TXM is made by CWT.

The Lian Li Lancool PC-K9 comes with a mobo speaker. AFAIK it's used for troubleshooting; so you can hear Bios beep codes.
The K9 is a nice modern, high quality case, I would choose it any day over most TT cases.

Your wishlist link did not work for me as it asked me to login.

Yes it is a good unit. It has been positively reviewed at multiple sites.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/911
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] y&reid=183
http://www.thelab.gr/showthread.php?t=76269

Wow this seems endless but i have one more question about my MOBO.
The mobo that i currently have chosen is unavailable for two weeks. Any opinions on this as an alternative? Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Motherboard http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=17549

Is this board of the same quality and will i still be able to overclock as easily? Pros and cons?
Edit: I after reading about some issues the gigabyte one has had with overclocking i think i might stick with the asus.

Hope this is the last question i need to ask, Cheers!

Edit2: Also looking at new power supply... FSP Aurum Series 750W Modular Power Supply http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=18459

ENDLESS CHOICES MY BRAIN IS FRIED!

Thanks again Silvune!
I will go with the silverstone strider.
I think i have everything cleared up now, I will update the first post to my new list and hopefully I can order the parts soon