My Computer Build

[Aange10]

So I don't know much about computers, so my friend helped me put one together. I'm looking for a gaming computer, and also something that could handle processing for my programming. My budget is about $2,000 USD, and this is at $1610. Hopefully this would last me a while. I put it up here because all of you are very smart, and could definetly catch any mistakes. Also, should I get a sound card/headset? I have $400 budget.

($499.99) Graphics Card [GTX 680] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768
($199.99) Processor [AMD FX-8150] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103960
($184.99) Mother Board [ASUS Sabertooth 990FX] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131736
($109.99) Ram [G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231456
($209.99) SSD [Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443
($209.99) HD [Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148506
($104.99) Power Supply [OCZ ZT Series 750 W (full Modular)] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341052
($69.99) Case [Antec Three Hundred ATX Tower] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
($19.99) DVD Drive [Asus 24x DVD] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

[OR]
($89.99) Blue Ray [Asus Black 12x 8MB Cache] = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252


My friend noted that the CPU could handle two of the graphic cards, but he said that there is nothing out that could use that much and it'd just be a waste of $500.
They also spoke of DDR4?

[Raknarg]

where'd you get 2000 from?

[Aange10]

I have a job. But more on topic please?

[DemonWasp]

I notice that you don't mention a screen in your build -- if you're using an existing one, it would be helpful to know its characteristics.

$2000 is a LOT to spend on a computer.

The graphics card is massive overkill. Unless you plan on running Crysis 1 at maximum settings and NEED over 200fps for some reason, you're better off saving $350 and getting an older / lower-end card. That saved money can upgrade your graphics card later, when a GTX680 is $150 in a year or two. Buying the top-of-the-line device feels great, but it depreciates really fast.

That hard drive is stupid expensive. Here's effectively the same device for half the price: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62047&vpn=WD20EARX&manufacture=WESTERN%20DIGITAL%20-%20RETAIL%20DRIVES&promoid=1145

Only buy the SSD if you're sure you care about the difference. They are primarily useful for the following:
- high read / write speed
- low power consumption
- no noise

Obviously the second and third reasons don't matter much in a desktop. Are you sure the speed is worth the $200? Maybe it is, or maybe you'd be happier spending those $200 on something else.

Your build is otherwise okay.

If you do choose to save money on the guts of the computer, consider spending some of it on the peripherals. Better screens, mice, headsets, speakers, etc are incredible and well worth the money.

[Aange10]

My monitor is http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009119. (errored out: Acer AL1716 Fbd Black 17" 5ms LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 800:1)

I know the graphics card is an overkill, but Its a good guarantee for the future. I know there are cheaper ways to go about it, but in a year or two I don't know how things are going to be.

As far as the Hard drive goes, that would be a great deal - if it wasn't from Canada. I'd probably spend the same, if not more shipping that to southern USA (Oklahoma). On top of that, on the link my friend couldn't find an RPM?

On the SSD, I'm a bit on the fence for it, but I'm still well under my budget. More speed can only be better, and if it means anything I've had my current computer for nearly 2 years and I only have ~200G of files on it. (The 2TB HD would be good for storing movie clips!)

With $400 left I have a bit to get the peripherals. I'm looking for a good headset it you have any suggestions (Preferably under $200). As far as a mouse/keyboard goes, there really isn't much offered in upgrades (that I know of anyways)

Anything else that should make me not buy it, or consider trading out anything?

[DemonWasp]

Ah, I assumed you were Canadian because this is a Canadian board. You should be able to find your HDD for around $100 in the US though. If not, consider just moving your old HDD over to the new machine. The drive I linked is a WD Green drive, meaning it can operate at up to 7200RPM, but will spin down to 5400RPM when not in active use to save power / heat / wear and tear / noise. In my experience, they're pretty much as fast as the "Black" series, which is always at 7200RPM, just cheaper.

Don't feel compelled to spend your entire budget. You may want to consider dividing your whole $2k budget into an "initial" portion and an "upgrade" portion that you spend in a year or two. The price-performance curve is such that, after a certain amount of money, you are getting "diminishing returns" on your money and should really consider saving the money. You can buy upgrades twice as frequently if you're willing to buy below the bleeding-edge hardware.

I would seriously recommend relaxing on the GPU. I have the personal experience of buying an 8800GTX for around $700 about 6 years ago. About four years later, the card died completely and I replaced it with a GTX460 for $200; the GTX460 is around 50% faster than the 8800GTX was. I should mention that my GTX460 happily chews up Crysis and every other high-end game I've cared to try, under high settings at 1920x1200.

Computers double in speed every 18 months or so. The top-of-the-line GTX680 ($500) is around twice as fast as a much cheaper card, such as the GTX560 ($160), but is three times the price. In a year, you'll be able to buy a graphics card as fast as the GTX680 for around $160. If you upgrade your graphics card every 18 months (silly) you'll have a card fast enough to run any game, for a cost of $160/18 months, instead of $500/36 months.

The difference between graphics cards is more pronounced at higher resolutions: a better graphics card matters more if your screen is better.

I would recommend you look to get a MUCH better screen: look for 1080p resolution, an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel, and high brightness. A screen like that will cost you around $400-500, but will be with you for a long time. I have a BenQ FP241WZ, and despite the initial price of $800 (6 years ago) it's one of the best investments I've ever made.

I can't recommend any particular headset. I'm enjoying my current Corsair headset, but it's not high-end ($70, on sale for $40). I have bought more expensive headsets before ($150, 5.1 surround-sound). They're fragile, though, and have more points of failure (because they have 4 times as many speakers). I've had two such headsets (as well as several cheaper ones) fail. I view headsets as disposable now.

Consider getting a mouse that has more buttons on it. At least back / forward buttons make web browsing and file browsing much more pleasant.

You can probably save some money on the motherboard. Are you really going to use the features offered by a $200 board that aren't offered by a $120 board? Maybe, maybe not. I know my $300 motherboard was a waste of $150, because I don't use any of the "extra" features.