First Gaming Build

[mdeze]

Hello everyone,

I'm planning my very first gaming build. I'm not a big gamer but mostly I want to able to play skyrim online. I chose these parts from www.memoryexpress.com using their system config. tool but there were too many choices so I'm worried I might have picked something incompatible or unnecessary. I don't want to spend over $1500 CAD as that is my budget. As for peripherals I have my existing mouse, keyboard, monitor and speakers which I plan on using but my CPU is too old, so I would like to build one from scrtach.

My problem is that I don't have enough information on the topic. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Parts List:

	AMD FX-8370 Processor 4.0GHz w/ 16MB Cache, Wraith Cooler ILC: 730143307390 SKU: MX61207	1	$259.99	$259.99
	MSI 970 Gaming w/ Dual DDR3 1866, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit LAN, CrossFireX / SLI ILC: 824142025536 SKU: MX53810	1	$139.99	$139.99
	Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB) ILC: 843591014298 SKU: MX35113	1	$59.99	$59.99
	Samsung 850 EVO Series mSATA Solid State Drive, 250GB ILC: 887276074801 SKU: MX56539	1	$114.99	$114.99
	Seagate 2TB Constellation ES 7200rpm SATA III w/ 64MB Cache ILC: ST2000NM0011 SKU: MX33900	1	$139.99	$139.99
	LG UH12NS30 12x Blu-Ray Combo Drive, SATA, M-DISC, 3D Playback, OEM, Black ILC: 058231309485 SKU: MX54713	1	$69.99	$69.99
	EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SuperClocked Gaming, 2GB PCI-E w/ DVI, HDMI, Triple DP ILC: 843368037277 SKU: MX58828	1	$204.99	$204.99
	Asus Xonar DGX PCI-E 5.1 Gaming Audio Card w/ Headphone Amp ILC: 886227121007 SKU: MX40246	1	$64.99	$64.99
	Asus PCE-N15 Wireless N PCI-E Adapter Card ILC: 610839379774 SKU: MX36594	1	$39.99	$39.99
	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64 bit) OEM ILC: KW9-00140 SKU: MX58357	1	$139.99	$139.99
	Corsair CX Series CX650M Semi-Modular Power Supply, 650W ILC: 843591058124 SKU: MX61039	1	$104.99	$104.99
	NZXT Phantom 410 Case, White ILC: 815671010520 SKU: MX37034	1	$119.99	$119.99

 

Total: $1459.88 CAD + Tax

[Castdeath97]

Avoid the FX 8370 for gaming, it has poor single core IPC. Get a skylake i5 6500.

Do you really need a sound card? You can use the on board audio for gaming absolutely fine.

Get something better than the 950 like the R9 380 4GB.

You can always use http://ca.pcpartpicker.com to find better prices in Canada.

[Castdeath97]

Also do you really need that CD/DVD or do you just plan on using it to run windows?

[Castdeath97]

Also the prices from where ever you are buying from are surprisingly over priced! I was able to make this which is significantly better but managed to get it cheaper:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($254.35 @ Vuugo) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-D3H ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($107.50 @ Vuugo) 
Memory: A-Data XPG Z1 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory  ($34.88 @ Canada Computers) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($88.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($439.68 @ shopRBC) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.03 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($84.98 @ Newegg Canada) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer  ($15.94 @ Amazon Canada) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($122.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Linksys WUSB6300 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($77.89 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $1400.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 03:42 EDT-0400

[Mooshi]

Gonna have to agree a bit here. Swap that chip to either an i5 6400 or 6500 if this is meant to be gaming only.  I'd also grab a regular ssd since you're not really gaining anything with that different form factor. I'd also ditch the soundcard since those are kinda useless these days. A FiiO E10K is a good intro usb dac/amp. 

[Sam Z Man]

9 minutes ago, Castdeath97 said:

Also the prices from where ever you are buying from are surprisingly over priced! I was able to make this which is significantly better but managed to get it cheaper:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($254.35 @ Vuugo) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-D3H ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($107.50 @ Vuugo) 
Memory: A-Data XPG Z1 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory  ($34.88 @ Canada Computers) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($88.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($439.68 @ shopRBC) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.03 @ Amazon Canada) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($84.98 @ Newegg Canada) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer  ($15.94 @ Amazon Canada) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($122.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Linksys WUSB6300 802.11a/b/g/n/ac USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($77.89 @ Amazon Canada) 
Total: $1400.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 03:42 EDT-0400

All of this please, and if you go to memory expresse they will beat the competitors prices by 10%

[HKZeroFive]

@Castdeath97 has posted a much better build, I strongly recommend you going with it.

[Aereldor]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.98 @ DirectCanada) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($38.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($152.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($46.99 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: PNY CS1311 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($75.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($62.35 @ Vuugo) 
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 Fury 4GB Video Card  ($659.27 @ Amazon Canada) 
Case: BitFenix Nova ATX Mid Tower Case  ($29.07 @ DirectCanada) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($91.38 @ DirectCanada) 
Other: Windows (Kinguin OEM key) ($50.00)
Total: $1506.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 04:15 EDT-0400

Keep in mind that the OS is free, but you need to pay for the activation key in order to install it. Fortunately, places like G2A and the aforementioned Kinguin sell them for relatively cheap, even for Canadian prices.

[mdeze]

Awesome thanks a lot guys. I'll rely heavily on the lists provided by Castdeath97 and Aereldor. One thing I want to ask is about the motherboard. I read online everywhere that MSI 970 gaming is supposed to be one of the best intro gaming motherboards yet neither of you included that. Why is that?

[mdeze]

Also wouldn't the unlocked CPU (like the mentioned by aereldor) be better than an unlocked one? And if thats the case, than there should be a motherboard that supports that too right?

[Aditya0002]

10 hours ago, mdeze said:

Hello everyone,

I'm planning my very first gaming build. I'm not a big gamer but mostly I want to able to play skyrim online. I chose these parts from www.memoryexpress.com using their system config. tool but there were too many choices so I'm worried I might have picked something incompatible or unnecessary. I don't want to spend over $1500 CAD as that is my budget. As for peripherals I have my existing mouse, keyboard, monitor and speakers which I plan on using but my CPU is too old, so I would like to build one from scrtach.

My problem is that I don't have enough information on the topic. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Parts List:

	AMD FX-8370 Processor 4.0GHz w/ 16MB Cache, Wraith Cooler ILC: 730143307390 SKU: MX61207	1	$259.99	$259.99
	MSI 970 Gaming w/ Dual DDR3 1866, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit LAN, CrossFireX / SLI ILC: 824142025536 SKU: MX53810	1	$139.99	$139.99
	Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 4GB) ILC: 843591014298 SKU: MX35113	1	$59.99	$59.99
	Samsung 850 EVO Series mSATA Solid State Drive, 250GB ILC: 887276074801 SKU: MX56539	1	$114.99	$114.99
	Seagate 2TB Constellation ES 7200rpm SATA III w/ 64MB Cache ILC: ST2000NM0011 SKU: MX33900	1	$139.99	$139.99
	LG UH12NS30 12x Blu-Ray Combo Drive, SATA, M-DISC, 3D Playback, OEM, Black ILC: 058231309485 SKU: MX54713	1	$69.99	$69.99
	EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SuperClocked Gaming, 2GB PCI-E w/ DVI, HDMI, Triple DP ILC: 843368037277 SKU: MX58828	1	$204.99	$204.99
	Asus Xonar DGX PCI-E 5.1 Gaming Audio Card w/ Headphone Amp ILC: 886227121007 SKU: MX40246	1	$64.99	$64.99
	Asus PCE-N15 Wireless N PCI-E Adapter Card ILC: 610839379774 SKU: MX36594	1	$39.99	$39.99
	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64 bit) OEM ILC: KW9-00140 SKU: MX58357	1	$139.99	$139.99
	Corsair CX Series CX650M Semi-Modular Power Supply, 650W ILC: 843591058124 SKU: MX61039	1	$104.99	$104.99
	NZXT Phantom 410 Case, White ILC: 815671010520 SKU: MX37034	1	$119.99	$119.99

 

Total: $1459.88 CAD + Tax

PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/PxGnsY
Price breakdown by merchant: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/PxGnsY/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($254.35 @ Vuugo) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-D3H ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($97.50 @ Vuugo) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($36.74 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($72.99 @ NCIX) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($62.35 @ Vuugo) 
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card  ($416.25 @ Vuugo) 
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.88 @ Canada Computers) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ NCIX) 
Total: $1080.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:33 EDT-0400

[tataklee]

12 hours ago, mdeze said:

-snip-

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.98 @ DirectCanada) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($38.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($160.00 @ Vuugo) 
Memory: Kingston FURY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($84.99 @ NCIX) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.35 @ Vuugo) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card  ($427.00 @ Vuugo) 
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.50 @ Vuugo) 
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ NCIX) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($44.99 @ Canada Computers) 
Total: $1404.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 15:42 EDT-0400

 

This is what I'd be getting.

[mdeze]

UPDATE

So I've combined stuff all the suggestions I've got and this is what i ended up with so far.

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($299.98 @ DirectCanada) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($38.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Motherboard: MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($152.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Memory:Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($46.99 @ DirectCanada)

(looked for A-Data XPG Z1 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2800 Memory  ($34.88 @ Canada Computers) but cant get it shipped to here in alberta)

Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.98 @ DirectCanada) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($88.98 @ DirectCanada 
Video Card: ?? Radeon R9 390 but whats the difference between double dissipation vs fury vs nitro  
Case: ?? I really like the NZXT phantom 410 (white), might get it if everything works out 
Power Supply: EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ NCIX) 
Wireless Network Adapter: ??

Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($44.99 @ Canada Computers), cant get it shipped

Optical Drive: ??
Total: $817.88 + some more

 

How's it look?

 

[mdeze]

Another update:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/mdeze/saved/9XZtt6

How does that look? Any input?

[tataklee]

14 minutes ago, mdeze said:

Another update:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/mdeze/saved/9XZtt6

How does that look? Any input?

The GTX 960 is a really poor choice compared to the R9 390. Castdeath97's, Aeroldor's and my build would all be significantly better choices.

 

Just take a look at this.

 

[Prysin]

On 22/04/2016 at 2:29 AM, Castdeath97 said:

Also do you really need that CD/DVD or do you just plan on using it to run windows?

dont diss people for a optical drive. Ive got one too, and ive found more often then not that it is handy to have one rather then not. I learnt that the hard way when i built a PC without one and then needed to do a repair using my windows CD

[mdeze]

1 hour ago, tataklee said:

The GTX 960 is a really poor choice compared to the R9 390. Castdeath97's, Aeroldor's and my build would all be significantly better choices.

 

Just take a look at this.

 

I changed it to that cause the expert I talked to said that a r9 390 was overkill and he recommended I use this one, because of its relatively easier and reliable bios. As I've mentioned above, I'm not a heavy gamer, I just want to play games like skyrim at 1080p quality without it running into problems. Does the gtx 960 still sound a bad choice? 

I'll look at the graphic card choices again, maybe bump it up to a gtx 970 or 380? Also does power supply seem stable, my friend told me I needed to get a bigger one.

Does the rest of the setup seem stable? Thank

[mdeze]

On 4/22/2016 at 1:29 AM, Castdeath97 said:

Also do you really need that CD/DVD or do you just plan on using it to run windows?

I want to use it for running music/video cd/dvds in addition to run the windows. 

[Castdeath97]

52 minutes ago, Prysin said:

dont diss people for a optical drive. Ive got one too, and ive found more often then not that it is handy to have one rather then not. I learnt that the hard way when i built a PC without one and then needed to do a repair using my windows CD

Nah I don't diss them it's just that many just buy one for the sake of running Windows and would then leave it like a useless pile.

[mdeze]

What if I change the memory card to  XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card, mobo to  MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboad and reduce RAM from 500 GB to  Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive, remove windows 10 cause I can it outside for cheaper.

PCPARTPICKER: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yPyHvK

Total:  $1425.24, under $1500 yay!!

 

Also whats the difference between XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card VS  Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card, cause they're about the same price range so I could go either way

[Castdeath97]

23 minutes ago, mdeze said:

I changed it to that cause the expert I talked to said that a r9 390 was overkill and he recommended I use this one, because of its relatively easier and reliable bios. As I've mentioned above, I'm not a heavy gamer, I just want to play games like skyrim at 1080p quality without it running into problems. Does the gtx 960 still sound a bad choice? 

I'll look at the graphic card choices again, maybe bump it up to a gtx 970 or 380? Also does power supply seem stable, my friend told me I needed to get a bigger one.

Does the rest of the setup seem stable? Thank

The GTX 960 gets beaten by the R9 380 at the same price point with a good CPU, so why not take it?

[Castdeath97]

25 minutes ago, mdeze said:

I changed it to that cause the expert I talked to said that a r9 390 was overkill and he recommended I use this one, because of its relatively easier and reliable bios. As I've mentioned above, I'm not a heavy gamer, I just want to play games like skyrim at 1080p quality without it running into problems. Does the gtx 960 still sound a bad choice? 

I'll look at the graphic card choices again, maybe bump it up to a gtx 970 or 380? Also does power supply seem stable, my friend told me I needed to get a bigger one.

Does the rest of the setup seem stable? Thank

The power supply seems fine as well. You may want to save up a bit by getting the i5 6500 and getting a cheaper B150/h170 board, no need for a i5 6600k at your needs.

[Prysin]

10 minutes ago, Castdeath97 said:

Nah I don't diss them it's just that many just buy one for the sake of running Windows and would then leave it like a useless pile.

yes, unfortunatly, the external ones can be really temperamental because not all modern mobos have ACTUAL USB2.0 ports with legacy support enabled in firmware. So when you properly brick your system, external ones doesnt always work.

 

Ive had this issue with several brands of external versions. It is such a PITA to spend 20-30 bucks on a external device, just to realize that windows and whatever mobo you have doesnt want to play ball with it when shit hits the fan.

 

Honestly, i wish case manufacturers would do like NCASE and RAIJINTEK has done with the NCASE M1 and RAIJINTEK STYX. Allow for the use of Slot loading ODDs. They are small, discrete and practical. And thanks to the consoles, you can buy a "PS3/PS4" labeled replacement drive, which usually works with any system. Sadly, it will probably not happen.

[Castdeath97]

7 hours ago, mdeze said:

What if I change the memory card to  XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card, mobo to  MSI Z170-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboad and reduce RAM from 500 GB to  Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive, remove windows 10 cause I can it outside for cheaper.

PCPARTPICKER: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/yPyHvK

Total:  $1425.24, under $1500 yay!!

 

Also whats the difference between XFX Radeon R9 390 8GB Double Dissipation Video Card VS  Sapphire Radeon R9 390 8GB Nitro Video Card, cause they're about the same price range so I could go either way

The sapphire one is better if you can get it.

 

You can also wait to see if new cards will come over the summer if you are welling to wait.

[mdeze]

Thanks everyone. I set it all up yesterday and it actually works! Woohoo!! I just have some minor tweaks and settings I still need to figure but I was actually able to build a computer, that's awesome! Thank you all for your help

My system:

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/mdeze/saved/rrXxFT