First gaming rig... just want some opinions. (Detailed)

[Jerbinz]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($199.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Video Card:  XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($182.94 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($122.98 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($102.98 @ Newegg) 

Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($157.58 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($28.99 @ Newegg) 

Keyboard:  Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($131.98 @ Newegg) 

Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse  ($65.98 @ Newegg) 

Headphones:  Razer Kraken 7.1 Channel Headset  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1478.35

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

PS: A couple things to note before I start talking about the main build and why I chose what I chose. The RAM listed is just my best suggestion because I already have 8gbs of some old corsair XMS3 RAM which I decided to keep for the budgets sake so I could get the pc a little earlier than expected. Also, most of this build is theoretical until I buy it... The parts that I already own are the Headset, Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, and Case.

 

CPU: Ok so now we get into the real build. For the cpu I decided to go with the amd fx-8350 due to the fact that it can pump out extremely similar performance to the i5-4670k for much less and can outperform the i5 in compute/rendering programs due to its 8 cores, these 8 cores also give this cpu a significant advantage in heavily threaded applications which, as time goes on, more and more games are becoming multi-threaded instead of single. These cores also mean the cpu is a boss for multitasking which is extremely beneficial to me and not to mention it's also a bad-ass overclocker. A con to this cpu is that you're going to be loosing performance in single threaded application compared to intel's i5 and i7 lineup but nothing drastic... Oooohhh yeah and I got $40 off for a Newegg Newslettler Promo.

 

CPU Cooler: This decision fluctuated a little bit between a budget cooler and a noctua NH-D14. In the end I decided to go with the more budget friendly coolermaster hyper 212 EVO because the noctua was just plain breaking my budget. I don't plan to massively overclock my cpu either so in the end I felt no real purpose to opt for the noctua instead.  After some research the Hyper 212 EVO seems to be the best in it's price/performance class... Hopefully it lives up to it's praise.

 

MoBo: This decision also fluctuated quite a bit between ASUS and Gigabyte. So my two main options were the gigabyte 990fxa-ud3 and the asus m5a99x evo r2.0; my ultimate decision was the asus because after some research on the gigabyte board a lot of people had said the motherboard was completely fried within a month of use... I wasn't taking that chance even with some serious return/coverage policy. I figure this board has all the features I will need for now... I guess... I'm not too educated on this matter.

 

Memory: So as I said in the PS statement I already have 8gigs of some dated XMS3 ddr-3 RAM which will have to do until I get my next paycheck to buy some ripjaws.

 

Storage: The storage is pretty basic just a WD caviar blue. I didn't choose an SSD, again for the sake of my budget, but I plan to add an SSD sometime in the future.

 

GPU: So I started out between some low-budge cards such as the gtx 750ti and the r9 265. I realized that if I just saved a little more money I could get something exponentially better. Ultimately  I chose the XFX r9 270x DD because XFX has grown to be one of my favorite manufacturers. This gpu packs some serious power for its price range, directly competing with the gtx 760 and in some instances when overclocked beats it. This card runs about $60 less than a 760 for virtually the same performance; I feel that this card is the absolute sweet spot for gaming at the moment. 

 

Case: I always had my eye on the Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 because personally I think it's one damn sexy case. One day it was on a shell-shocker sale for $50 and there was absolutely no way I was passing that up. Even though I haven't physically tested it myself I have heard great things about this cas (airflow, water cooling compatibility, design, volume, etc.) I really hope this one lives up to my expectations of it. If anyone reading this has experience with this case I would love to hear your opinions on it.

 

PSU: This is probably what I had the most trouble choosing because I desperately wanted a seasonic 650w modular PSU but there was absolutely no way I was getting that for under $100. So for the longest time I was going to buy the XFX Core Edition PRO650w and that was fine by me other than it being non-modular... But then a miracle happened... the last day I was revising my parts list I wandered upon a sale for a Seasonic m12ii 620w priced at $89.99 (originally $129.99) this price was exactly the same price as the XFX... yeah that XFX got the boot real quick.

 

Optical Drive: Nothing special just a Samsung DVD burner for $15. I really have nothing to say for this one.

 

OS: Ok so this was also debated in my mind... I didn't know whether to get windows 8, windows 7, or just try out SteamOS. I decided on windows 7 because after having windows 8 for over a year I realize windows 7 is just a more mature, reliable OS. I booted SteamOS because I have literally 0% experience with anything Linux... maybe I'll look into it again after it is out of beta.

 

Case Fans: So again I just decided to opt for budget fans that look good, and where else to go other than Corsair. I really do wish all the cooling in my were by the masters at Noctua but their products are just so damn expensive.

 

Peripherals: Ok so these items are the make or break factor for the beauty of my build.

 

• Headset: I went with the Razer Kraken 7.1 Channel Headset, I'm not too sure what compelled me to buy this headset but something about it just always made me want it. Most likely it was because alll of the reviews were from Razer fan boys who think a slightly better experience from the last headset Razer made gives them a right to a highly rated review. Well it doesn't... This post isn't to rag on the Kraken or Razer themselves and I'm not saying the headset isn't good it's just not as good as claimed. If you go on amazon and look at these customer reviews everyone is either rating this a 4 or 5 and this headset just doesn't live up to that.  Now I have had no serious problems with this headset other than the mic being nothing more than lackluster... actually let me take that back I do have a serious issue with the Kraken lineup and that is that they are marketed as the "most comfortable headset in the world." Let me tell from experience Razer pulled that statement right out of their ass... maybe just maybe if worn perfectly you can get a lot of comfort out of these but after a couple hours of use my inner ears  (which btw rub straight up against the can) are more tender than when I was fresh out of the womb. The cans in this headset just aren't deep enough. Another problem I have is the bass... It drowns out most vocals, the mids, and the highs I can't hear the mids or highs well unless I turn the bass almost off in the Synapse 2.0 software. When playing games such as counterstrike it's just impossible to pinpoint where your enemies are even with the 7.1 capability. I would overall give this headset a 2.5 out of 5 maybe a 3 but they are not even close to being worthy of a 5.

• Keyboard: So this is a product that was done right... Thank you Logitech for saving my peripheral section. This keyboard is beautiful in many ways (aesthetically, it's tactile feedback,etc.) This keyboard was designed very well and to think I was going to get a Razer Black Widow over it... The tactile feedback is impressive with the O-rings on and is even better with them off. This has to be one of my favorite Cherry MX Brown keyboards to date. I have only one complaint and that is with the secondary buttons mapped to the number keys... they are flipped from most keyboards having the numbers on top and the secondary functions below, this sometimes confuses me into thinking I don't have to hold shift to access the parenthesis... but other than that it is an outstanding keyboard.  

• Mouse: Logitech has saved my rig once again with the G600 MMO Gaming Mouse. This mouse is a lifesaver when playing WoW, DOTA 2, LoL, or any other mmo and or moba. The 12 buttons on the side have I nice layout which let's you know exactly what key you are on all the time. The tactile feedback of the keys are surprisingly good for membrane keys as well. No complaints other than me just hating on board memory on any mouse... but that is just a personal hatred nothing towards Logitech.

• Monitor: I have the Acer H236HLbid... this monitor is a great 23 inch IPS display for its price range. It's about $120 and gives a nice response time (5ms) and good color reproduction. The design/aesthetics of the monitor itself are beautiful... Its slim bezel makes it look down right sexy and the sheen/gloss to the glass gives the picture a very crisp, sharp look rather than some matte finished monitors. I adore this monitor and hope to get another for 2 or maybe even 3 way eyefinity because the bezel is so slim.

That's it... Hope you guys enjoyed and any feedback is encouraged. Thanks!

 

BTW: The grand total without any peripherals is: $1004.98

[Manny Calavera]

get rid of this kraken headset and get 8320

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SE-A1000-Over-Ear-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B0033PROOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400353467&sr=8-1&keywords=se+a1000

 

and a modmic or some other alternative

[Jerbinz]

Use bbcode markup, my eyes hurt  x.x

 

Then i comment

Fixed! Sorry for the inconvenience.

[LawrenceBarnes2013]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($142.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler:  Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($100.00 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard:  ASRock 970 Extreme3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($199.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:  MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($299.24 @ Amazon)
Case:  Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply:  Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($13.63 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($13.63 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard:  Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse  ($60.95 @ Amazon)
Headphones:  Razer Kraken 7.1 Channel Headset  ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1503.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 15:24 EDT-0400)

 -your same CPU 8320 performs great

-artic air cooler with 6heat pipes provides optimal cooling for budget price

-asrock extreme mobo with USB 3.0, SATA 3, PCI-E3.0 with support for CF and up to 64GB Mem, cause decent AMD Mobos are really expensive

-quad 8GB Ram for ubbber bandwidth, more than enough for Gaming but you can go with 2x4GB sticks or 4x4GB sticks, up to you

-240GB SSD for Gast Boot and OS, 1TB HDD and you  can accelerate it by that SSD

-GTX 770 Gaming, for Ulta Settings 1080p Gaming with solide 30FPS+ at the lost modern title

-tha case looks good, but most important, got good airflow

-this system consumes around 320W and you got a 650W PSU, 80+Bronze, so it on the safe zone

-i kept your peripherals, they're perssonal choice

[s3ns3]

well since you mentioned those games,and you buy a mmo mouse,i really suggest an intel cpu.

[Jerbinz]

well since you mentioned those games,and you buy a mmo mouse,i really suggest an intel cpu.

I didn't mention but I do work a lot in photoshop and after effects... I also plan to stream to twitch that's why I chose a cpu with more cores. 

[CJPowell27]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3LO8f

A lot better and balanced 

I have Corsair AF120s Quite edition and they are the loudest thing in my case though

[LawrenceBarnes2013]

Or can i suggest an intel based build ?, you just add your peripherals and it's gonna be around 1300$

[Jerbinz]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($142.99 @ NCIX US)

CPU Cooler:  Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($17.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard:  ASRock 970 Extreme3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($199.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card:  MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($299.24 @ Amazon)

Case:  Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply:  Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($157.58 @ Newegg)

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($13.63 @ NCIX US)

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($13.63 @ NCIX US)

Keyboard:  Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($118.99 @ Amazon)

Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse  ($60.99 @ Amazon)

Headphones:  Razer Kraken 7.1 Channel Headset  ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1421.94

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 15:03 EDT-0400)

 -your same CPU 8320 performs great

-artic air cooler with 6heat pipes provides optimal cooling for budget price

-asrock extreme mobo with USB 3.0, SATA 3, PCI-E3.0 with support for CF and up to 64GB Mem, cause decent AMD Mobos are really expensive

-quad 8GB Ram for ubbber bandwidth, more than enough for Gaming but you can go with 2x4GB sticks or 4x4GB sticks, up to you

-240GB SSD for Gast Boot and OS, 1TB HDD and you  can accelerate it by that SSD

-GTX 770 Gaming, for Ulta Settings 1080p Gaming with solide 30FPS+ at the lost modern title

-tha case looks good, but most important, got good airflow

-this system consumes around 320W and you got a 650W PSU, 80+Bronze, so it on the safe zone

-i kept your peripherals, they're perssonal choice

Thank you for this! I'll change mine up a little and add some of your suggestions also what higher wattage psu do you recommend because I plan to crossfire or sli whatever gpu I end up buying?

[Manny Calavera]

added modmic + se a1000

changed 8350 to 8320

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($142.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:  XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($182.94 @ Newegg)
Case:  Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($24.15 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard:  Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($118.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse  ($60.68 @ Amazon)
Other: Amazon.com Pioneer Se-A1000 ($60.00)
Other: Modmic ($50.00)
Total: $1368.18
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 15:15 EDT-0400)

 

you can spend extra money 40$ for anything you want

[s3ns3]

I didn't mention but I do work a lot in photoshop and after effects... I also plan to stream to twitch that's why I chose a cpu with more cores. 

well than buy a nvidia card for streaming ,also the i5 is fine for photoshop http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/697?vs=837 (*lower is better)

 

but for mmos and rpgs,it can like double the performance

[LawrenceBarnes2013]

Thank you for this! I'll change mine up a little and add some of your suggestions also what higher wattage psu do you recommend because I plan to crossfire or sli whatever gpu I end up buying?

depends on the Cards you plan to use, if it's like 280X or 290 750W would be optimal, if it's lower horse power like 7790s or R9 270Xs 600~650W, as i said, it depends

[Jerbinz]

added modmic + se a1000

changed 8350 to 8320

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($142.99 @ NCIX US)

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard:  Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($104.99 @ Newegg)

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg)

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card:  XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($182.94 @ Newegg)

Case:  Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US)

Power Supply:  SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg)

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)

Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($157.58 @ Newegg)

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($24.15 @ NCIX US)

Keyboard:  Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($118.99 @ Amazon)

Mouse:  Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse  ($60.68 @ Amazon)

Other: Amazon.com Pioneer Se-A1000 ($60.00)

Other: Modmic ($50.00)

Total: $1368.18

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 15:15 EDT-0400)

 

you can spend extra money 40$ for anything you want

You are completely correct with the mod mic config... after this experience I dislike gaming headsets... specifically headsets.... but the reason I chose the 8350 over the 8320 was because I got $40 off the 8350

[LawrenceBarnes2013]

if you can spen 1500$ on it go with the swiftech H220, awesome cooler i added it in the build, check it

[Jerbinz]

if you can spen 1500$ on it go with the swiftech H220, awesome cooler i added it in the build, check it

Would love to get some sort of closed loop in the future but right now I'm on a tight budget because I thought I had a retail version of windows 8 but turns out it was an OEM so I have to buy another copy which will be all the money I have. I'll make sure to keep that cooler in mind for the future!

[LawrenceBarnes2013]

Would love to get some sort of closed loop in the future but right now I'm on a tight budget because I thought I had a retail version of windows 8 but turns out it was an OEM so I have to buy another copy which will be all the money I have. I'll make sure to keep that cooler in mind for the future!

it cool, the one i had included at first will also do, plus i guess you wont OCing the CPU

[jaggysnake57]

im gona put this out there but if i was in your position would take the peripherals, scrap them, and buy some cheap ones for now and get the good stuff later.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($227.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.69 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($459.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $1480.59
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 16:08 EDT-0400)

 

this the way i would go. in fact i would go with a cheaper case and sacrifice the HDD but......also dont get windows 7 over 8 there has been alot of improvements o it and it is better than it has been 

[rambi36]

Here's what I would go with in my opinion, including peripherals

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($172.99 @ NCIX US) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($120.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($59.00 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($289.99 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Monitor:  Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 

Keyboard:  Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($56.98 @ Newegg) 

Mouse:  Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse  ($52.99 @ NCIX US) 

Headphones:  SteelSeries Siberia v2 Headset  ($61.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $1280.24

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 16:56 EDT-0400)

The whole "you can oc an 8320 to 8350 speeds" argument is getting kinda annoying. You can easily oc this 8350 so it will be faster than an oc'ed 8320. Plus, the fact that it comes stock clocked higher is good because not everyone is comfortable with overclocking their hardware. Hope you enjoy your new rig. It certainly won't disappoint

[AHaskin14]

Cheaper than those corsair fans, better performing, quieter. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553006

[Jerbinz]

 

Here's what I would go with in my opinion, including peripherals

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($172.99 @ NCIX US) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($120.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($59.00 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card  ($289.99 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Monitor:  Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 

Keyboard:  Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($56.98 @ Newegg) 

Mouse:  Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse  ($52.99 @ NCIX US) 

Headphones:  SteelSeries Siberia v2 Headset  ($61.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $1280.24

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-17 16:56 EDT-0400)

The whole "you can oc an 8320 to 8350 speeds" argument is getting kinda annoying. You can easily oc this 8350 so it will be faster than an oc'ed 8320. Plus, the fact that it comes stock clocked higher is good because not everyone is comfortable with overclocking their hardware. Hope you enjoy your new rig. It certainly won't disappoint

 

I agree completely... I myself am not comfortable with overclocking, at all, since I've never had any prior experience... plus no one seems to be understanding that I got the 8350 for the same price as an 8320 so why pass on the oportunity. Thanks for the post!

[Wyzzy Moon]

8320, and go for it

[Eddprzz]

i wudd jus like to say great choice of monitor i used to run it and it really does look amazing and the stand is sturdy 

[s3ns3]

you must be out of your mind if you play mmos and still you buy amd couse it sucks for the games you play

and like i said for streaming get nvidia and use the integrated hardware

[Jerbinz]

i wudd jus like to say great choice of monitor i used to run it and it really does look amazing and the stand is sturdy 

Thanks Ed! I was really impressed with the display as well... it's an outstanding IPS for its price range.

[Jerbinz]

you must be out of your mind if you play mmos and still you buy amd couse it sucks for the games you play

and like i said for streaming get nvidia and use the integrated hardware

With the new Warlords of Draenor expansion for wow I am, since they are reconstructing the whole game, relying on them to update the engine to let it utilize more than just 2 cores effectively, which I'm sure they will... I'm going to get perfectly good performance in WoW (which is the only really cpu intensive game I even play) my cpu was about $80 less than an i5 4670k which would have broke my budget. This computer isn't only for gaming either.