Hello Friendly (I hope) community

[7achary]

Hello, I am new to computer building and I need some assistance to build a computer.

 

I have absolutely no experience in computer building but I really want to join this "PC master race" type deal with a low budget( like $500-600) I know that isn't a lot but I will upgrade in the future and I just need a starter PC.

 

This is my plan: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/7achary/saved/dvqXsY

Now to all of you intelligent computer beasts out there. What tools would I need for this build? I would love not to destroy a $900 CPU or break the motherboard in half . Please point out any possible problems in this build such as bottlenecks, incapabilty, etc. 

 

Thank you in advance.

[FatPenguin]

that PSU e-e

Maybe a more high quality one

 

A seagate barracude is a great option for a more well know brand and a very similar price only $2 more for 1TB

 

If you have a old pc within the last 6 or 7 years you can take out the optical drive and its free 

 

 

also if you are a student k-12 and university you can get windows 8.1 pro for $70

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-8.1-Pro-for-Students/productID.288769600

with those savings you could get a GTX 960 

[Comessy]

Build looks good, I would just switch the MoBo to an H81 for overclocking (unless the B85 has OC I'm not sure)

 

And maybe change the HDD to a 1TB for $6 more

[7achary]

that PSU e-e

 

Maybe a more high quality one

 

also if you are a student k-12 and university you can get windows 8.1 pro for $70

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-8.1-Pro-for-Students/productID.288769600

Wow! Thanks, I didnt know that there was a thing for Windows 8.1.

[dmanschramm]

Hi @7achary

 

The build looks really good for $500. That's what I would recommend. I might opt for a 1TB WD blue drive for the storage. Those things are great for lots of files. When you have a little more cash on had, spend 100 dollars on a 128GB or 256GB SSD and make that your boot drive. You can quote me for more details on that, or just ask the forum when you cross that bridge.

 

One small thing is that I would recommend a super cheap Z97 board that has good reviews, like the asrock Z97 anniversary board or an asus Z97 cheap board. It allows overclocking, which I highly recommend with this chip. While it's a little pricier, and you should explore some of the more advanced PC features, this chip is extremely good if you overclock it. I suggest you check out Linus' overclocking guide for this chip if you decide to go that route here:

 

Best of luck mate, its looking good!

[FatPenguin]

Wow! Thanks, I didnt know that there was a thing for Windows 8.1.

yes go to buy and download --> make a microsoft account (or login) --> submit a picture of your student ID (thats what I did its the easiest) or other stuff --> wait 2-3 days and you will have your student status and be able to buy

[Freeeeezy]

Pentium is a nice CPU but since you're new to PC gaming, I wouldn't recommend it because it's basically a must overclock CPU. Regardless if you still wanna overclock, you're gonna need a Z97 Motherboard otherwise it won't work. Plus dual core CPU's are becoming more and more obsolete because of games requiring quad-core but I'm sure with this PC you won't be doing much high res gaming. Overall good starting build though. Just some questionable brand choices, which will get better after experience with building and seeing other builds.

[RJSX1]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($111.98 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($76.98 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($55.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.75 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 270 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($129.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $485.67

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-12 19:27 EDT-0400

 

Add whatever else

[ManIkWeet]

that PSU e-e

Maybe a more high quality one

 

A seagate barracude is a great option for a more well know brand and a very similar price only $2 more for 1TB

 

If you have a old pc within the last 6 or 7 years you can take out the optical drive and its free 

 

 

also if you are a student k-12 and university you can get windows 8.1 pro for $70

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-8.1-Pro-for-Students/productID.288769600

with those savings you could get a GTX 960 

Nothing wrong with EVGA PSUs...

[Goodman2265]

Too be honest I would go with this build here:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8rXN7P

[FatPenguin]

Too be honest I would go with this build here:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8rXN7P

I can under stand why he wants to go with intel so he can upgrade to a i3 or i5 later with out having to change mobos

[Goodman2265]

I can under stand why he wants to go with intel so he can upgrade to a i3 or i5 later with out having to change mobos

yea you got a point

[FatPenguin]

yea you got a point

I honestly would not put a i7 in this board

[7achary]

Pentium is a nice CPU but since you're new to PC gaming, I wouldn't recommend it because it's basically a must overclock CPU. Regardless if you still wanna overclock, you're gonna need a Z97 Motherboard otherwise it won't work. Plus dual core CPU's are becoming more and more obsolete because of games requiring quad-core but I'm sure with this PC you won't be doing much high res gaming. Overall good starting build though. Just some questionable brand choices, which will get better after experience with building and seeing other builds.

Overclocking seems a bit complicated for me. If I didnt want to chose this, what cpu would you reccomend?

[G33k 4 L1F3]

Nice Mobo choice...and CPU. Im sporting the same just check my sig.

 

According to this, you will be looking at 4.3ghz of OC capability. http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2389948

 

 

Also, the R9 270 has better performance to about $20 or so more: http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GDDR5-2GB-2xDVI-Graphics-GV-R927OC-2GD/dp/B00GNE0CHI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1431473994&sr=8-2&keywords=radeon+r9+270

 

and a seagate 1TB HDD only costs $50 http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1431474061&sr=1-1&keywords=seagate+1tb

[G33k 4 L1F3]

Overclocking seems a bit complicated for me. If I didnt want to chose this, what cpu would you reccomend?

the i5 4590 : http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Pentium-G3258-vs-Intel-Core-i5-4590

 

Its has a bit better performance then the Pentium, but I still feel you should go with the pentium. it comes with a $20 warranty that lets you completely fry it, and intel will replace it free.

 

it can be automatically turbo clocked to be 3.7Ghz via bios. Pretty easy score.

the i5 I mean.

[Freeeeezy]

Overclocking seems a bit complicated for me. If I didnt want to chose this, what cpu would you reccomend?

Honestly I would recommend a quad-core CPU if you can afford one, but it depends on the kinds of games you'll be playing. If you're gonna play more high res games that are more graphicly intensive and require a quad-core CPU, I'd go with an AMD processor such as the AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-core at about $20 more (But it means you'd have to change your Motherboard to an AMD Socket that would fit this CPU). But if you're gonna play more non-complex games such as Minecraft, CS:GO or League, then a dual core processor such as the Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-core (Which will cost you about $30 more than the Pentium), or you could just stick with the Pentium over an i3. You don't HAVE to overclock it, it's just that the Pentium was hyped around its overclockability so that's the reason most people bought it.

[7achary]

Holy crap guys! I didnt think I would get so many helpful replies from people! Thank you all!

Are there any specific tools that are needed to build my PC? 

[GlassBomb]

Holy crap guys! I didnt think I would get so many helpful replies from people! Thank you all!

Are there any specific tools that are needed to build my PC?

Almost everything can be done with nothing more than a philips' screwdriver.

[7achary]

Almost everything can be done with nothing more than a philips' screwdriver.

Ok, thanks!