First Build in 8 Years

[Sitral]

Here is what I have so far. If you guys can give me some constructive criticism I'd appreciate it very much.

Budget: $450-$550 for the tower
Country: USA
When: As soon as you tech savvy people give me the go ahead.
Overclocking: Wouldn't even know where to start.

CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($117.26 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($77.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 520W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($63.98 @ Newegg)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 SE 1GB ($120 @ Newegg)

This is gonna be a gaming PC with other average day to day uses like watching movies and web surfing. I don't plan on pushing it really hard, I've been out of PC gaming for a while so I have a large backlog of games that I want to play but I will venture on to games like Skyrim and Max Payne 3 so being able to play those at like medium would be sweet.

I obviously need a MOBO. I've read a lot about them but I'm still having trouble picking one out, all the features and specs are making my head spin. Ideally I'd want one good onboard sound, 4 RAM slots in case I want to upgrade to 8GB in the future and maybe a PCIe 3.0 again for future upgrades. People have told me that I could use a better GPU, what do you say?

I already have a mouse, keyboard, an optical drive, and a copy of Windows 7. I think I'm set on what monitor I want: ASUS VH236H 23 Widescreen LCD. It's a really nice size and has HDMI and built in speaks so I can use it as a TV if I ever decide to. Quick question about monitors vs TVs. The max res on this monitor is 1920X1080...isn't that regular HDTV res? If so why do I keep reading that TVs make sub-par computer monitors?

Thanks in advance, guys. I'll appreciate any and all help.

 

[mfenn]

What you've got comes to $450 w/o mobo. I think that we can do better than that for $500, mobo included.

Pentium G620 $64 - While the i3 is certainly better, the G620 is still good and there are a lot higher priority components for a gaming PC
ASRock B75-GL $60 - Won't need 4 RAM slots because we're getting 8GB right off the bat. PCIe 3.0 is pointless on a lower-midrange machine
PNY DDR3 1333 8GB $40 - Cheap? Check. Decent brand? Check. No stupid heatspreaders? Check.
Sapphire 6870 $160 AR - Much faster than a GTX 560 "Sucky Edition"
Hitachi 7K1000.D $80 AP - The Seagate you found is fine too, but getting everything from Newegg will probably work out cheaper once you figure in shipping
NZXT Source 210 $32 AP - Fine choice, especially at $32
Corsair CX600 $40 AR AP - The Seasonic you picked out is quite good, but this Corsair is all that you need and is a steal at $40 AR AP
Total: $476 AR AP

If you wanted to spend up to $550, you could upgrade the GPU to the 7850 (comparison)

As for the resolution, yes 1920x1080 is the same resolution as a 1080p TV. You can use one as a monitor, and in fact many people do. The downsides are that the larger screen size means you need to sit further away, which can make text hard to read and that TVs usually do more processing on the signal which can cause input lag.

 

[azeem40]

Why do you factor in MIRs btw?

 

[Sitral]

The MIRs? I used a website called pcpartpicker.com to put all the stuff together. You pick a part, it shows you what they cost on each retail site, they compile benchmarks and stuff.

Thank you so much mfenn. I'll take all that into consideration and probable go with most of your choices. I'll probably end up going with the 23inch ASUS I found cause it basically is a TV and 32 inch might be a bit overboard for a monitor anyway.

Since the monitor has speakers and I'm mostly gonna be using my headset for sound, what's the easiest way to connect my headset to the computer? I don't want to be frustrated every time by having to connect it into the back of the MOBO. Some sets of speakers come with like a control center like this

That controls the volume plus I can plug a mic and headset into it. Can I buy something like that by itself?

 

[mfenn]

That controls the volume plus I can plug a mic and headset into it. Can I buy something like that by itself?

If you want something that controls the volume in hardware, you basically need a headphone amp. There are plenty of those, but the decent ones usually cost $80+. The most straightforward way to go about it is probably to use the front panel ports on the Source 210 or a couple of 3.5mm extension cords from the back panel.

 

[Sitral]

If you want something that controls the volume in hardware, you basically need a headphone amp. There are plenty of those, but the decent ones usually cost $80+. The most straightforward way to go about it is probably to use the front panel ports on the Source 210 or a couple of 3.5mm extension cords from the back panel.

How did I not notice those on the front? Thanks for pointing that out, pretty much solves my problem right there. I just bought my ASUS monitor with built in speakers + headset should satisfy me for sound. I have a keyboard that has special keys to change the volume and I can just plug in my mic and headset into the case. Sweet deal. I just hope connecting those jacks to the MOBO is simple.

 

[mfenn]

How did I not notice those on the front? Thanks for pointing that out, pretty much solves my problem right there. I just bought my ASUS monitor with built in speakers + headset should satisfy me for sound. I have a keyboard that has special keys to change the volume and I can just plug in my mic and headset into the case. Sweet deal. I just hope connecting those jacks to the MOBO is simple.

It is, there is a standardized HD Audio connection block that you use.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Staples has an e-mail coupon for $100 off Lenovo computers, and they have a $379 ($279 after coupon) i3-2120 rig with 4 or possible 6GB of RAM, 1TB HD, etc.

Seems like a decent deal, check it out.