Helping build my first computer.

[TheHoboSlayer]

OK so I have never built a computer before and am looking to build my first. I have a good idea of what I want it to do but am kind of lost as to what would work best, so I am looking to get pointed in the right direction.

This PC will be used for everyday tasks and gaming such as StarCraft Civilization and battlefield. I also do a lot of virtualization. I set up virtual networks on my pc (usually no more than 4 at a time) to practice penatration testing and network configurations. Also a lot of back ground tasks are usually running such as steam and teamviewer.

My budget is around 1000 give or take a little. Basically I'm looking for suggestion on a good CPU, RAM, board, and graphics card. Once I figure out those components I should be able to figure out the rest. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[BulkyZaNka]

Are you planning on overclocking or water cooling? Is there any colour scheme your looking for?

[TheHoboSlayer]

No I plan on just using fans. I might consider over clocking in the future but for now I'm just looking for out of the box performance and looks are not that important to me I'm mostly looking for bang for the buck.

[BulkyZaNka]

I'm not the best at these types of systems because I go heavily on gaming but this is what I would go for:

Case: If you want extra cooling potential the Enthoo Pro.. It's over kill but if you have money left over i greatly recommend it! If not, the Carbide Series 100R is good for it's price. It's compact, elegant and has space to tidy up some cables.

Mobo: Asus Z97-P Im not too good at picking mobos so if someone would tell me is this good enough I would appreciate it.

CPU: i7-4770 i7-4770K if you want to OC in the future.

GPU: Geforce GTX 960 or the 970 if you want to have more gaming potential.(The 960 will be able to run most games at high but the 970 will stop you from needing to upgrade as fast.)

RAM: I think the Corsair Vengeance Dual Channel 8 GB at 1600. You can check out their site to see the different colours, they also do low profile if the CPU cooler is blocking them.

SSD: Crucial MX100 2.5" 256GB for system and some thing you use regularly.

HDD: If you need some bulk storage the the Western Digitals are really good.

PSU: Corsair RM650W. It's quiet and is fully modular, it will help you with keeping things clean in a compact case. The 650W might be over kill but it's better to go higher that lower and will give you some space to expand.

The only thing you have to find your self is a CPU cooler, I recommend Noctua but they might get expensive fast.

If you have any money left then invest in a better mobo. Also, you might not want to get such a good CPU to save some money.

I hope I helped!

[TheHoboSlayer]

Thanks a lot this helps me get in the right ball park. Got a question though. I read that the AMD chips are a bit better for virtualization since they use more cores rather than hyper threading. Just so I can compare them what is an AMD chip that is on the same level as the i7-4770?

[OCing Noob]

OK so I have never built a computer before and am looking to build my first. I have a good idea of what I want it to do but am kind of lost as to what would work best, so I am looking to get pointed in the right direction.

This PC will be used for everyday tasks and gaming such as StarCraft Civilization and battlefield. I also do a lot of virtualization. I set up virtual networks on my pc (usually no more than 4 at a time) to practice penatration testing and network configurations. Also a lot of back ground tasks are usually running such as steam and teamviewer.

My budget is around 1000 give or take a little. Basically I'm looking for suggestion on a good CPU, RAM, board, and graphics card. Once I figure out those components I should be able to figure out the rest. Any help is greatly appreciated.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hYc8CJ

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hYc8CJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($322.98 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Corsair H75 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($69.98 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($76.98 @ Newegg)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($124.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Seagate  2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($122.93 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($202.98 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($59.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($54.75 @ OutletPC)

Total: $1018.58

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-19 20:18 EST-0500

 

This will help i guess

[OCing Noob]

Thanks a lot this helps me get in the right ball park. Got a question though. I read that the AMD chips are a bit better for virtualization since they use more cores rather than hyper threading. Just so I can compare them what is an AMD chip that is on the same level as the i7-4770?

No not anymore . any i7 4790K will crush any AMD Chip till date in any kind of task. 8 weaker core are never better then 4 hulk cores with extra boost. its a long story to tell but Amd actually lied about 8 physical cores too.

[BulkyZaNka]

Thanks a lot this helps me get in the right ball park. Got a question though. I read that the AMD chips are a bit better for virtualization since they use more cores rather than hyper threading. Just so I can compare them what is an AMD chip that is on the same level as the i7-4770?

I'm sorry but when it comes to CPU I'm an Intel lover... I don't know anything about AMD. I use their GPUs but CPUs I always go for Intel. I can say that you could always get a Intel Xeon because they are slowwe but with tons of cores and threads.

[OCing Noob]

I'm not the best at these types of systems because I go heavily on gaming but this is what I would go for:

Case: If you want extra cooling potential the Enthoo Pro.. It's over kill but if you have money left over i greatly recommend it! If not, the Carbide Series 100R is good for it's price. It's compact, elegant and has space to tidy up some cables.

Mobo: Asus Z97-P Im not too good at picking mobos so if someone would tell me is this good enough I would appreciate it.

CPU: i7-4770 i7-4770K if you want to OC in the future.

GPU: Geforce

 

No I plan on just using fans. I might consider over clocking in the future but for now I'm just looking for out of the box performance and looks are not that important to me I'm mostly looking for bang for the buck.

 

i respectfully disagree on what i marked in red.

if you want to have more gaming potential.(The 960 will be able to run most games at high but the 970 will stop you from needing to upgrade as fast.)

RAM: I think the Corsair Vengeance Dual Channel 8 GB at 1600. You can check out their site to see the different colours, they also do low profile if the CPU cooler is blocking them.

SSD: Crucial MX100 2.5" 256GB for system and some thing you use regularly.

HDD: If you need some bulk storage the the Western Digitals are really good.

PSU: Corsair RM650W. It's quiet and is fully modular, it will help you with keeping things clean in a compact case. The 650W might be over kill but it's better to go higher that lower and will give you some space to expand.

The only thing you have to find your self is a CPU cooler, I recommend Noctua but they might get expensive fast.

If you have any money left then invest in a better mobo. Also, you might not want to get such a good CPU to save some money.

I hope I helped!

[OCing Noob]

 

I'm not the best at these types of systems because I go heavily on gaming but this is what I would go for:

Case: If you want extra cooling potential the Enthoo Pro.. It's over kill but if you have money left over i greatly recommend it! If not, the Carbide Series 100R is good for it's price. It's compact, elegant and has space to tidy up some cables.

Mobo: Asus Z97-P Im not too good at picking mobos so if someone would tell me is this good enough I would appreciate it.

CPU: i7-4770 i7-4770K if you want to OC in the future.

GPU: Geforce

 

No I plan on just using fans. I might consider over clocking in the future but for now I'm just looking for out of the box performance and looks are not that important to me I'm mostly looking for bang for the buck.

 

i respectfully disagree on what i marked in red.

if you want to have more gaming potential.(The 960 will be able to run most games at high but the 970 will stop you from needing to upgrade as fast.)

RAM: I think the Corsair Vengeance Dual Channel 8 GB at 1600. You can check out their site to see the different colours, they also do low profile if the CPU cooler is blocking them.

SSD: Crucial MX100 2.5" 256GB for system and some thing you use regularly.

HDD: If you need some bulk storage the the Western Digitals are really good.

PSU: Corsair RM650W. It's quiet and is fully modular, it will help you with keeping things clean in a compact case. The 650W might be over kill but it's better to go higher that lower and will give you some space to expand.

The only thing you have to find your self is a CPU cooler, I recommend Noctua but they might get expensive fast.

If you have any money left then invest in a better mobo. Also, you might not want to get such a good CPU to save some money.

I hope I helped!

 

[TheHoboSlayer]

OK thanks. I'm a noon when it comes to this lol. I read that here http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/269940-cpus-and-virtual-machines/so just wanted to make sure. Appreciate all the help.

[OCing Noob]

sorry for double post

[BulkyZaNka]

I'm not the best at these types of systems because I go heavily on gaming but this is what I would go for:

Case: If you want extra cooling potential the Enthoo Pro.. It's over kill but if you have money left over i greatly recommend it! If not, the Carbide Series 100R is good for it's price. It's compact, elegant and has space to tidy up some cables.

Mobo: Asus Z97-P Im not too good at picking mobos so if someone would tell me is this good enough I would appreciate it.

CPU: i7-4770 i7-4770K if you want to OC in the future.

GPU: Geforce

No I plan on just using fans. I might consider over clocking in the future but for now I'm just looking for out of the box performance and looks are not that important to me I'm mostly looking for bang for the buck.

i respectfully disagree on what i marked in red.

if you want to have more gaming potential.(The 960 will be able to run most games at high but the 970 will stop you from needing to upgrade as fast.)

RAM: I think the Corsair Vengeance Dual Channel 8 GB at 1600. You can check out their site to see the different colours, they also do low profile if the CPU cooler is blocking them.

SSD: Crucial MX100 2.5" 256GB for system and some thing you use regularly.

HDD: If you need some bulk storage the the Western Digitals are really good.

PSU: Corsair RM650W. It's quiet and is fully modular, it will help you with keeping things clean in a compact case. The 650W might be over kill but it's better to go higher that lower and will give you some space to expand.

The only thing you have to find your self is a CPU cooler, I recommend Noctua but they might get expensive fast.

If you have any money left then invest in a better mobo. Also, you might not want to get such a good CPU to save some money.

I hope I helped!

I am totally fine with people disagreeing with me because as I said, I mostly do gaming builds... Btw, what's wrong with western digital? I was going to get one myself soon because they have good reviews.

[OCing Noob]

OK thanks. I'm a noon when it comes to this lol. I read that here http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/269940-cpus-and-virtual-machines/so just wanted to make sure. Appreciate all the help.

 

OK thanks. I'm a noon when it comes to this lol. I read that here http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/269940-cpus-and-virtual-machines/so just wanted to make sure. Appreciate all the help.

 

Actually she is right and wrong at same times . when it comes to i7 platform its always better then any other consumer grade PC part.

[OCing Noob]

I am totally fine with people disagreeing with me because as I said, I mostly do gaming builds... Btw, what's wrong with western digital? I was going to get one myself soon because they have good reviews.

my brother with time WD drives lose RPM speed and the build quality starts getting better after WD Blue , Where Seagete gives you alot much more longer run time and build quality and QC is same for every single drive you get from them . RM series of Corsair PSUs are not as reliable as much you pay for it. and about GTX 970 . just google Nvida Lied about the specs of GTX 970s . you'll get the answer .

[TheHoboSlayer]

Actually she is right and wrong at same times . when it comes to i7 platform its always better then any other consumer grade PC part.

alright I keep here good things about the I7 and I've never heard any complaints. Will be putting that at the top of my list.

[BulkyZaNka]

OK thanks. I'm a noon when it comes to this lol. I read that here http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/269940-cpus-and-virtual-machines/so just wanted to make sure. Appreciate all the help.

That is true, any graphic designing or content creating or as you said, virtualization. it's better to have more slower cores than less faster cores that are better for gaming. You have to decide what you do more. Gaming? Fast cores. Virtualization? More cores. Whether Intel Xeon or the AMD are better, I couldn't tell you sorry.

[OCing Noob]

alright I keep here good things about the I7 and I've never heard any complaints. Will be putting that at the top of my list.

for any kind of task and specially for VMs you need an i7 for a smooth less power hungry and cool temps run for long times

[OCing Noob]

That is true, any graphic designing or content creating or as you said, virtualization. it's better to have more slower cores than less faster cores that are better for gaming. You have to decide what you do more. Gaming? Fast cores. Virtualization? More cores. Whether Intel Xeon or the AMD are better, I couldn't tell you sorry.

 

alright I keep here good things about the I7 and I've never heard any complaints. Will be putting that at the top of my list.

Xeon actually kills any i7 of its time . AMD cpus ....not GPUs  are not even near Xeon in any case. i7 is the last line for consumer grade CPU where Xeons are the workstation grade CPUs .

[TheHoboSlayer]

That is true, any graphic designing or content creating or as you said, virtualization. it's better to have more slower cores than less faster cores that are better for gaming. You have to decide what you do more. Gaming? Fast cores. Virtualization? More cores. Whether Intel Xeon or the AMD are better, I couldn't tell you sorry.

Thanks that helps me understand. I think I'm gonna pick the I7 because of the gaming. Looking forward to the windows 10 and Xbox one cross platform abilities so I want to prepare for that.

[OCing Noob]

Thanks that helps me understand. I think I'm gonna pick the I7 because of the gaming. Looking forward to the windows 10 and Xbox one cross platform abilities so I want to prepare for that.

Hell yeah i upgraded to i7 for same thing .lol

[BulkyZaNka]

my brother with time WD drives lose RPM speed and the build quality starts getting better after WD Blue , Where Seagete gives you alot much more longer run time and build quality and QC is same for every single drive you get from them . RM series of Corsair PSUs are not as reliable as much you pay for it. and about GTX 970 . just google Nvida Lied about the specs of GTX 970s . you'll get the answer .

I know how Nvidia lied about the 512MB but it's still an ok card for that price, if your going to have good cooling and you don't care about how loud it is, then you could consider getting a r9 290/290x

I have a Seagate and a WD blue a d I'm satisfied with both. Apart from the fact that I have broken sectors in the WD, I have been running it for 5k hours. The Seagate has 11k on it and it's still really good condition! So I guess Seagate it is then. Thanks.

[OCing Noob]

I know how Nvidia lied about the 512MB but it's still an ok card for that price, if your going to have good cooling and you don't care about how loud it is, then you could consider getting a r9 290/290x

I have a Seagate and a WD blue a d I'm satisfied with both. Apart from the fact that I have broken sectors in the WD, I have been running it for 5k hours. The Seagate has 11k on it and it's still really good condition! So I guess Seagate it is then. Thanks.

No i'll kill my self before buying R9 290/X . if i go to that top i'll go for GTX 980. 290s have hideous stock cooling.

[BulkyZaNka]

No i'll kill my self before buying R9 290/X . if i go to that top i'll go for GTX 980. 290s have hideous stock cooling.

I know what you mean I was going to buy one and go water cooling straight away with it. As OCing Noob said, if you want to spend extra go straight to the 980.

[BulkyZaNka]

TheHoboSlayer, I'd Love to find out how that build works out for you. I hope I helped!