First time builder

[7Insomniac]

Hello. I'm making my first build and I have a few questions.

Currently I'm at:

Biostar TZ77XE3
i5-3570K
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB)
Kingston HyperX 3K 120 GB SSD
and I already have the mouse, keyboard, monitor, and blu-ray drive.

1. Is it necessary to have a video card? I plan on gaming eventually, but not until I can afford a good gpu. This build is already close to $1000, and I still have to get the psu and case.

2. I have no idea what kind of psu to get. Any recommendations?

3. Any possible improvements I can make to my current build that won't cost me more money? I'd be willing to downgrade, but I don't want to sacrifice too much quality.

[manofthem]

Hello and Welcome to TPU!

1) You will need a video card if you want to do some gaming

2) Get a decent PSU, don't be tempted to cheap out on it.

3) Where are you located, and where are you getting your parts from. This info helps with recommendations.

[NHKS]

Welcome to TPU..
are you from the US or elsewhere? and what is your max budget?... would help members to recommend components based your budget.. I believe you need the following -
CPU, mainboard, GPU, RAM, SSD/HDD, PSU, case & OS(?), right?

your choice of components looks fine at first glance... but it could optimized further based on some conditions.. for eg, do you plan to OC your CPU? if not, then 3570K might not be required.. if yes, then you will have consider a better cooler and not the stock(u get with cpu)..

as for your questions:

1. gaming generally requires you to have dedicated GPU to have comfortable fps.. but it would also be useful to know your monitor resolution and the type of games you play..

2. PSU can be decided based on what components you will run.. having graphics card will increase the power req.. but the brand and model can be decided once you make your requirements more detailed..

3. to improve(or to say optimize) your current build please clarify above details. & the country you are located can significantly change the total budget..

[Crap Daddy]

How are you close to 1000$?
You definitely need a GPU, HDD, PSU case and OS.
Something like this for affordable decent 1080p gaming:

XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-b...

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cac...

CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 8...

BitFenix Merc Alpha Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid ...

That's $365 after rebates plus win 7 OEM which is around $100 will get you at at least 465$.

[7Insomniac]

Thanks for the replies guys.

1. I live in the US, and I'm getting my parts from Newegg, Amazon. Generally any place that has the best deals.
2. I wouldn't say I have a fixed limit on spending, but I'd like my total money spent to be around $1000. I only need a psu and case, and I'm already at $800.
3. Yes, I do plan on overclocking. I'm getting the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for my cpu.
4. I have an ASUS VH242H 23.6" 1080P LCD monitor.
5. I play everything. FPS, RPG's, etc.
6. I already have a 2TB HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 8 pro. (yes, they are legit.)

For now, I just want to be able to play movies and do basic computer stuff until I can afford to get a good gpu. I'm just curious whether or not It's absolutely necessary that I need a gpu to run my computer.

[Aquinus]

Originally Posted by 7Insomniac

I'm just curious whether or not It's absolutely necessary that I need a gpu to run my computer.

No, because the i5 has Intel's HD 4000 graphics on it which isn't really ideal if you game. If you didn't game, it would be fine.

Edit: Don't you need proprietary software for playing Blu-ray on a computer because of DRM?

Edit: You know, a new Vishera 6-core would cut your costs by quite a bit. This totals 750 USD with the CPU, Mobo, Memory, SSD, and Video Card. 250 should be enough for the rest of the rig for the parts you don't already have.
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket A...
ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional AM3+ AMD 990FX ...
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 S...
MSI R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Ed...
Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F120GBGT-BK 2.5" 120G...

[Fourstaff]

HD4000 is ok for most older games at min specs, but not much better than that. I would stick with this and then get a potent gpu in the future but if the wait is longer than 1/2 year I would consider something else instead.

[7Insomniac]

1. Thanks, that was my biggest question. My intention isn't to game right away. I'll wait until I get a good gpu.
2. I purchased PowerDVD about a year ago, so that isn't a problem.
3. That build is too much for me. I already have $400 dollars spent on the monitor, mouse, keyboard, Blu-ray drive, cpu cooler, and RAM. That leaves $600 for the cpu, mobo, ssd, psu, and case.

[7Insomniac]

Thanks for the help guys.

At this point all I need is a psu recommendation. Would Crap Daddy's recommendation of the CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 8... be enough to power the parts I listed in the OP? Keep in mind that I'll eventually get a good gpu in a few months as well. I don't want the psu to struggle when I get my gpu.

[BlackOmega]

CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 8...

You can get the cx600 for the same price (after rebate) as the cx500.

[7Insomniac]

Thanks, BlackOmega. I'll getting that. Huge thank you to everyone.

[NHKS]

great!..

hope you have rechecked your calculation on total cost..
Biostar TZ77XE3 - 129
i5-3570K - 229
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) - 40
Kingston HyperX 3K 120 GB SSD - 99
CX600 - 69

total: $566

this is quite far behind the $800 you mentioned earlier..
and have you decided the case you will be getting.. anyways have a great time building the system

[7Insomniac]

Hey, it's me again. I just have a few final questions until I go ahead and buy my parts.

1. This is the case I want to get NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel..., however, it has 3 fans while my motherboard only has 2 fan headers. Is there any way to get them all working?

2. Which psu is better?
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 8...
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V ...

[manofthem]

Originally Posted by 7Insomniac

Hey, it's me again. I just have a few final questions until I go ahead and buy my parts.

1. This is the case I want to get NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel..., however, it has 3 fans while my motherboard only has 2 fan headers. Is there any way to get them all working?

2. Which psu is better?
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 8...
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V ...

The case fans likely use molex connectors (I can see the fan on the side panel does), so you'll plug them into the PSU. As for the PSU, i'd go for the tx model if you have the money. it's 10% off and $25MIR I had a tx750 and loved it

[Jstn7477]

Originally Posted by 7Insomniac

Hey, it's me again. I just have a few final questions until I go ahead and buy my parts.

1. This is the case I want to get NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel..., however, it has 3 fans while my motherboard only has 2 fan headers. Is there any way to get them all working?

2. Which psu is better?
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 8...
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V ...

If you can afford the Corsair 650TX, I would rather suggest this for the same price: Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-650 650W Continu...

Many people may disagree with Rosewill power supplies, but they do use good OEMs for some of their PSUs (this one should be a Super Flower unit like my 550w model). Compared to the Corsair power supplies, this one is almost 10% more efficient, has more PCIe connectors, and isn't based on a nearly 4 year old Channel Well platform. I have the 550w model running my overclocked i7-2600K and HD 7950 and it has provided me stable power with very little heat produced by the power supply.

As far as the fans go, the ones that come with the NZXT case you chose can use either the 3 pin fan headers OR a 4 pin Molex connector (use one or the other).

[7Insomniac]

Thanks for the help, guys. I'll probably go with the 650tx because of the rebate. Any money I can save is a plus. Thanks again.