Question on building a custom PC

[Guest Nathanised]

Hello, I am new to these forums and new to building a customized PC. I would like a few opinions on what I chose and if you have any suggestions. I went to pcpartpicker.com to start. I have never built a computer so I didn't really know what I would need. I do have a budget, under 900$ but still want a good computer. 

What I would be doing with this computer. 1. Rendering minecraft images (I love minecraft and Iv'e tried rendering images with my current laptop and it uses all my processing power and goes really slow). 2. Running a 2GB minecraft server (also takes up a lot of cpu power). 3. Playing minecraft and or other games such as World of Tanks. In games like World of Tanks, I am currently only getting about 28 fps average which is horrible. I would like to bump that up a ton.  I also play games such as World of Warplanes. There, I get 10-15 fps with graphics on low :/ I hope to play other graphic intensive games in the future because now I wont be limited to the games I can play. I will also be playing World of Warships when it comes out. Seeing the trailer video made me think that this game will require a lot of GPU power because of the water particles and action in the game.

 

Why I chose what I picked out. I needed enough cores and GHZ to have the power to render images and run a server. I needed a decent graphics card that was fast enough to get good fps. I needed a decently fast enough HHD for recording with fraps due to fraps recording with raw video footage. Everything else was picked out by ratings and compatibility with the other things I have picked out. 

 

I wanted my build to be a compact PC so its small yet can be moved with ease.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1m9yv

Are there any suggestions on what I should change? And opinions on what I picked out? Thanks.

 

EDIT: I just remembered. I will need to encode the fraps videos with H.264 and that really can use a lot of resources.

[Thibaudv]

I'd definitely change up the CPU Cooler, that one is loud and not well-performing. Go with something like the cooler master hyper 412s

[Guest Nathanised]

I'd definitely change up the CPU Cooler, that one is loud and not well-performing. Go with something like the cooler master hyper 412s

Ok, thanks for the opinion. I will change that.

[LegendKillerRG]

Go with Hyper 212+ for $25...

[mvitkun]

do you have a microcenter near you?

because it says it overrode the processor pricing.

[Vitalius]

Overall, that's a good system with two exceptions. The built-in PSU and the CPU cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0598 45.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($192.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DSX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($49.49 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PC2 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($27.29 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.48 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.73 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $876.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 13:54 EDT-0400)

Note that the only reason it's more expensive is because I added the OS. If you already have one, it's basically the same price as your list. Maybe a tiny bit cheaper.

[Kayn]

I would change the motherboard to a better motherboard(maybe not sure) , a new cpu cooler and don't use the power supply from that comes with the case.

 

I don't know AMD motherboards that well so I can't really help you with that but the CPU cooler I would go with Hyper 212 Evo and a nice quality PSU from Seasonic or Corsair at around 550w - 600w.

[LegendKillerRG]

Also, if you possibly could, try to get the GTX 760 for $50 more than the 660... small budget bump for big performance...

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?p=AS-760DO2G&c=pw&hash=9f1dSmWAATLfE2GlsGssFtL1NW9buAwjFw2HfGTiQByAVYHm5J%2FUVTCSg%2BSNEKy%2BAEA33nX%2FRQfrR38rpqA6JKqeWWPoOEIzlb6trgtBGlPbNvvn9fQPst4N8nA

[CoolBeans]

@  

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($179.99 @ Microcenter) 

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

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($102.10 @ TigerDirect) 

Memory: Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($65.23 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($99.99 @ Microcenter) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card  ($241.00 @ Newegg) 

Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Microcenter) 

Total: $894.26

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 14:00 EDT-0400)

[Guest Nathanised]

I would change the motherboard to a better motherboard(maybe not sure) , a new cpu cooler and don't use the power supply from that comes with the case.

 

I don't know AMD motherboards that well so I can't really help you with that but the CPU cooler I would go with Hyper 212 Evo and a nice quality PSU from Seasonic or Corsair at around 550w - 600w.

Alright I changed the CPU cooler to the 212 EVO. However I am not sure if changing the motherboard is an option. There are compatibility problems if I do + I need one that can go up to DDR3 1600 RAM

[Guest Nathanised]

do you have a microcenter near you?

because it says it overrode the processor pricing.

I have one about 7 miles away. I did a override on purpose due to the fact that I know more about microcenter and because its close.

[Guest Nathanised]

 

@  

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1owWC/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($179.99 @ Microcenter) 

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

Motherboard: Asus M5A97 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($102.10 @ TigerDirect) 

Memory: Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($65.23 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($99.99 @ Microcenter) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card  ($241.00 @ Newegg) 

Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case  ($57.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Microcenter) 

Total: $894.26

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 14:00 EDT-0400)

 

I will check out the video card. However the RAM is not fast enough, I would like this pc to last a good amount of time before upgrading anything. I might think about getting an SSD but they sure are expensive.

 

EDIT: That video card is not fast. The speed will make a big difference. I picked out a 2GB that is 1GHZ+ on purpose.

[Guest Nathanised]

Overall, that's a good system with two exceptions. The built-in PSU and the CPU cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)

CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0598 45.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)

Motherboard: ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($54.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($192.98 @ SuperBiiz)

Sound Card: Asus Xonar DSX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($49.49 @ NCIX US)

Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PC2 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($17.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($27.29 @ Amazon)

Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.48 @ Outlet PC)

Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.73 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $876.88

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 13:54 EDT-0400)

Note that the only reason it's more expensive is because I added the OS. If you already have one, it's basically the same price as your list. Maybe a tiny bit cheaper.

For now I may try the Windows 8.1 because it is free.

[Samdb]

I wouldn't use an included PSU, they are often of poor quality and rejected as a regular PSU that you could buy .

[Guest Nathanised]

I wouldn't use an included PSU, they are often of poor quality and rejected as a regular PSU that you could buy .

Ok, in that case I will look for another small case.

[DjArtifact]

If you're going with an 8-core I wouldn't go with the 8350, it's just an overclocked 8320 that costs $20 more.  If you have a CPU cooler and you're going to overcloc anyway save some money and get the 8320.  Also I would get a 7870 because it's just faster than the 660, just look through Linus' GPU benchmarks:

.

[CoolBeans]

I will check out the video card. However the RAM is not fast enough, I would like this pc to last a good amount of time before upgrading anything. I might think about getting an SSD but they sure are expensive.

 

EDIT: That video card is not fast. The speed will make a big difference. I picked out a 2GB that is 1GHZ+ on purpose.

Well that video card has 3GB of VRAM and is faster than the 660 or 760, the clock speed doesn't matter, and if you need faster ram get this http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmz8gx3m2a1600c9b RAM will not effect the performance.

[CoolBeans]

If you're going with an 8-core I wouldn't go with the 8350, it's just an overclocked 8320 that costs $20 more.  If you have a CPU cooler and you're going to overcloc anyway save some money and get the 8320.  Also I would get a 7870 because it's just faster than the 660, just look through Linus' GPU benchmarks:

.

if you get a 8350 you are guaranteed to get at least a 4 GHZ clock.

[Kayn]

I will check out the video card. However the RAM is not fast enough, I would like this pc to last a good amount of time before upgrading anything. I might think about getting an SSD but they sure are expensive.

 

EDIT: That video card is not fast. The speed will make a big difference. I picked out a 2GB that is 1GHZ+ on purpose.

Depending on the card the 7950 can get overclocked to 1+Ghz easily and it has a higher bus at 384bit and has more Vram at 3Gb and will be faster than both the 660 and 760.

[Guest Nathanised]

Depending on the card the 7950 can get overclocked to 1+Ghz easily and it has a higher bus at 384bit and has more Vram at 3Gb and will be faster than both the 660 and 760.

Ok, I may try that then.

[Giddyguy]

I will check out the video card. However the RAM is not fast enough, I would like this pc to last a good amount of time before upgrading anything. I might think about getting an SSD but they sure are expensive.

 

EDIT: That video card is not fast. The speed will make a big difference. I picked out a 2GB that is 1GHZ+ on purpose.

 

@CoolBeans' pc is a good pc

the 7950 is better than the gtx 660, just look at some of linus' reviews.

also, you're going to want to get a ssd, they are really nice and worth it (get a small one or the OS + a HDD for storage)

as for ram if you really want to then get some 1600mhz ram.

 

good luck on your pc build!

[Guest Nathanised]

What about this? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-100352vxsr

[Guest Nathanised]

@CoolBeans' pc is a good pc

the 7950 is better than the gtx 660, just look at some of linus' reviews.

also, you're going to want to get a ssd, they are really nice and worth it (get a small one or the OS + a HDD for storage)

as for ram if you really want to then get some 1600mhz ram.

 

good luck on your pc build!

Thanks

[CoolBeans]

What about this? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-100352vxsr

What about it?

[Guest Nathanised]

What about it?

Would it be better then the 7950? It's clocked a little more.