Hey guys, im going to start saving for my first build-gaming pc.

The specs will be:

Gigabyte Z77M

i5 3570k.

Sapphire Vapor-X HD 7770

8 DRR3 Vengeance

1Tb

24'' Full HD.

What do you think? Will it handle most games? Recent AAA's in mid settings smoothly?

1 decade ago*

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Very good I think, but I would put 2-3GB GPU instead of this with 1Gb, because 1GB in future will became old, if didn't yet, but yes practically all games should run on max on this for now. I really don't know what games won't run on Max on this. XD

And how much is the price of this all?

1 decade ago
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the gpu+cpu+mother+ram here in mexico the price is about 650 US $

1 decade ago
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god I hate you americans... so fucking cheap...

1 decade ago
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cheap? thats not cheap for me lol. I think i can get that for about 400$ in amazon i guess.

1 decade ago
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I'm sure with a HD 7870 you could run AAA games in full.

1 decade ago
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it's all my budget can afford :c (i hope prices drop a little more so i can get a better gpu)

1 decade ago
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yeah it's a bit old gpu but I'm sure it still works perfectly, just looking more into the future :P.

1 decade ago
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It's not old, just weaker.

1 decade ago
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This is good, but I think when you're building a computer you need to worry about how much your components will be considered new and good, not only for the year you're buying. There is one Nvidia GPU with 2Gb GTX 670 and RADEON HD 7970 3Gb, at same price, but yes is more expensive obviously. Compare GPUs here: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU12/372

1 decade ago
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Why would you even suggest the 670 with the 7970 when the 7970 is the better card?

1 decade ago
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Shoot for a 560 ti on amazon warehouse. They sometimes drop to only 100$

1 decade ago
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1 decade ago
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I have this just about same spec it's been doing very well, running all of my games on max settings with 30+ fps so more than playable most games are above 60. So, it is very nice

1 decade ago
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it's nice to hear this. thanks :D!

1 decade ago
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A tad weak in the GPU department, but if all you're going is "mid" settings which I'll assume means medium, you should be ok, dependng on what framerates you're acceptable with. Try to go with a 7850 at the minimum if you can scrape together extra dough.

1 decade ago
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I'd replace the 7770, but rather than that it's one of the few good pc builds on the forums.
What's your budget for the graphics card? I'd save up to get at least a 7850.
Edit: Do you plan on overclocking?

1 decade ago
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I do not plan overclocking

1 decade ago
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Nvm i just looked at it and mexico is a shit place to buy computers

1 decade ago
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a lot sir!

1 decade ago
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I would like to suggest that you use the website PCPartPicker to make it easier to share PC builds with everyone. It also makes it easier to spot most incompatabilities, but you're on your own when it comes to large video cards blocking neighboring ports.

The build you prepared will perform as you requested. I think the remaining concern is future-proofing your build so you don't have to run at low settings a year from now.

I would first boost your ram, which I would say is the weakest component here. Another 45 USD and you'll get another identical 8gb stick. Getting RAM with lower stock CAS timings is mostly a waste of money for little to no noticeable performance difference unless you're studying benchmark results.

I love your video card choice, due to the balance between price and performance. I share other readers' concern over video RAM. More and more games are coming out that allow higher rez textures that require more video RAM, and this will only become more common as we continue. Video RAM is expensive though, so you'll pay a lot more if you want to keep the same GPU.

If you have another 30-60 USD to spare and you don't want to improve video RAM, I suggest a 7850. Passmark benchmark scores suggest a performance boost of 70% for a 50% price increase.

If you do not intend to use more than one video card in the future, consider getting an Nvidia if there's a sale.

Look at getting a small SSD to put your OS on. Restarting and getting back to desktop in under 10 seconds is awesome.

If you can, get a few SSD for your games that read from the hard drive as you're wandering around. Planetside 2, Skyrim, Saint's Row 3, most MMORPGs, and most open-world games. Games that give an advantage when you finish loading faster are also prime candidates for SSD usage, but this is again mostly MMORPGs. It is a great feeling, never seeing a LOADING screen for longer than it takes to blink. They're also great for running dedicated game servers off of.


Potential price concerns

Going from 24" to 21" monitor is an unnoticeable difference to many people. Heck, you can just sit half an inch closer to the screen to get the same screen-induced suntan. Also note that if you already have a monitor that will be okay for a short time, you can wait for a sale on a monitor of your choice at a later time.

Using two 4gb sticks of RAM instead of a single 8gb might be cheaper, depending on sales at the time. For the best investment though, I would take a single stick of 8gb. Ideally, take two identical 8gb TODAY. A two-stick package is usually meant for dual-channel mode, which will give a performance boost. You might not get that same boost if you buy two packages of single sticks, even if both are the same stick, but this is often safe.

Multiple hard drives of smaller size means you can use a raid array, but the double performance also means double failure rate. Non-raid multidrive means your system is still running while you save up for a drive to replace the failed one. It also makes upgrading storage simpler. Depending on sale prices, multidrive might be cheaper. It is usually cheaper to go single drive.

Radeon and Nvidia devs work closely with different game developers, which results in better performance on one brand's cards when compared with the other brand of the same specs. Look into this for specific games you know you'll be playing a lot of.

If you need a large amount of storage space for videos and archival stuff, consider external drives. Even a USB 2.0 device will provide enough bandwidth to watch a high-bitrate Blue Ray rip with no skipping. For longterm storage, performance is mostly a non-concern.

If you need a large amount of space for files you won't access often and you need the ability to load/transfer large files quickly, consider an external eSATA device. Ready-to-go setups are pricey, but you can get a cheaper eSATA shell and put a normally internal SATA drive inside of that.

I wouldn't put any open-world games like Fallout 3 on a USB drive for performance reasons, but fighting games work fine from a USB drive if you don't mind the load times between matches. Also, don't try watching videos stored on a USB drive if you're also playing games on that drive.


I have most of my games on external drives of varying size and performance. This lets me keep heat lower in my system and I can use a lower wattage PSU, saving money and some more heat. I need more power outlets because of this, but that's why power strips exist.

1 decade ago
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Wow nice tips sir! i'd love to get a non-k version of 3570k but for some strange sale, i get in a bundle the processor, the motherboard and the ram, i save about 50 bucks if i buy them together, and the non k version of the 3570k is more expensive in mercadolibre (thing most close to ebay that you may have).

Thanks a lot for the reply

1 decade ago
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I actually have the same GPU, it performs quite well for a budget build. If this system is almost purely for gaming then you could drop the i5 and switch it out with an i3 (Performs very well FYI, save $100) and then use that money to get a better GPU.

1 decade ago
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Do this if money is short.

i3 actually packs a pretty big punch, its fine for gaming.

1 decade ago
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i3 3220 here, things are all good (paired with a gtx 660)

1 decade ago
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Get the non-k version of the i5 CPU, unless your really going to overclock and use Sandy Bridge rather than Ivy Bridge (honestly there is no point in overclocking it when it's running all the games smoothly anyways and ivy isn't a good overclocker without heating issues).

Instead use that extra cash to invest in a better Graphics Card, such as the nVidia GTX 580 (older technology but performs like the 680, you might be able to get cheaper), GTX 660Ti (average/good gaming performance), or GTX 680 (highly recommended if you can get for a good price) - with at least 1.5GB memory for today's texture sizes and resolutions.

For memory, just use 8GB of 1600MHz DRR3 RAM (CL7 or CL9). This is optimal levels for gaming performance, the 3rd Generation motherboard will take care of the rest, direct access between cpu and memory. Slower memory will tend to bottleneck, however faster memory just costs a lot more and won't even show a 1% performance gain towards gaming.

Also, consider a small SSD (Solid State Drive) to use as cache on top of your Hard Drive, if affordable.

1 decade ago
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You can simply just replace the TIM on the IB chips to get lower temps. For moderate overclocking, its perfectly fine. In terms of GPU, why would you go for old technology. Older GPU prices are way inflated because they aren't even made anymore. In terms of which GPUs to get, the 7850 at that 150-170$ price, 7870 at ~210$, 7950 at 300$, or 670 for a little more (or 7970 for 20$ more). In most situations, the 680 is a poor choice since its performance is so close to the 670/7970 for much much more.

1 decade ago
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Fair enough - I only meant the GTX 580 as a second hand option. I was lucky to get the GTX 680, second hand, but don't think many will get that option. It is the best performing nVidia card - 690 being way overpriced.

1 decade ago
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A 660ti is overkill on a 24", nowhere close to good performance. I can get over 100 fps on every game at max and your data must be wrong.

1 decade ago
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What resolution are your running at? Higher than 1080p 1920x1080, with the latest games on ultra settings? Duel monitor?

1 decade ago
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Nothing ...

1 decade ago
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Get an Nvidia GPU. A 560ti will handle anything, but will occasionally hiccup on the most demanding games. I OC my computer, so I can use max settings on the non-A titles that actually push the system.

1 decade ago
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I have the same graphics with i7 and 4 rg ram. For example I´m playing Arkham City with all settings maxed but without anti-aliasing, runs 45-55 fps.

1 decade ago
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3570k - p8z77-v pro - 16 Gb - GTX680

1 decade ago
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There are cheaper mobos that are perfectly fine unless you need wifi for some reason. 16GB of ram is useless for gaming, and 680 is heavily overpriced. 670/7970 is almost the same performance for much cheaper. It doesn't make any sense to go for that.

1 decade ago
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You can get a USB WiFi dongle that works just as well as a WiFi card or anything on the motherboard. Ignore WiFi.

1 decade ago
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You should wait for Haswell to come out in a couple months. It will be a huge improvement over that i5. The added cost will be worth it this cycle.

1 decade ago
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This is a good idea.

Any time a new tech comes out, the older tech becomes cheaper as people want to lower their stockpiles.

1 decade ago
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For a while, then it becomes more expensive.

1 decade ago
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Well, timing -is- everything.

1 decade ago
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Get the cheapest DDR3 RAM and use the savings to upgrade to a HD 7850 which is one of the best bang for your buck gpus

1 decade ago
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What do I think about your next computer build? I think your GPU is a serious bottleneck.

1 decade ago
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thx for you feedback people

1 decade ago
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Closed 1 decade ago by Miguedeth.