First Build - Aspiration Level (Ultimate) Aptitude Level (n00b)

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Brolaf

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Apr 3, 2013
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10,510
Hey,

Would appreciate any comments on the below build, please excuse any ridiculous choices or glaring non-compatibility issues as this is my first build and before about a week ago, I had zero knowledge of how to build a PC, and have tried to learn as much as possible from Google.

Intended Purpose/Aspired Purpose: To tank any game out there at the moment on Ultra Settings and achieve solid FPS (exception being Crysis 3 but will still like to give it a shot to see how it holds up), likes of BF3, Skyrim, Planetside 2. Would also like to have some future proof contingency in there too to allow me to beast the likes of Elder Scrolls online, BF4 and other future releases. Side note also, I play a reasonable amount of LoL online with friends, and although I know you could probably play League on a Rasperry Pi, it would be nice to be able to rip the a***hole out of it as I am currently playing on my laptop (not ideal). Idea is to allow for overclocking flexibility also at some point in the future.

Current projected build:

Case - Corsair Carbide 500R White
CPU - Intel i7 3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5Ghz
GPU - 2GB EVGA GeForce GTX 680
MoBo - Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H (this is one component that I am struggling to understand how to get the right one)
RAM - Again not sure about compatibility with MoBo but aiming for 8-12 GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR3
PSU - 750W Corsair Pro Series Gold HX750 Modular
HDD - 1TB Seagate Barracuda
SSD - 128GB Corsair Force series
CPU Cooling - Corsair Hydro i100 series

+ Monitor, not sure which one is a winner yet. More research needed.
+ Keyboard. Need to try some out in person and get a feel for them.

So what are the thoughts. Have I gone too far, not far enough? Is this a tank or is this a mouse? Any recommendations/advice/heckles would be welcome as this is my first build, and I barely know what I am doing at the moment...

Cheers

Brolaf, UK

 
Solution
burritobob
Couple things to note about your build in order of your selections:

Case is great, personally I prefer the Cooler Master HAF 912 for performance/dollar, it's a great case looks fantastic and feels fantastic.

CPU the i7 is an interesting topic, you could get the i7 and have plenty of power to work with, but it is normally unecessary and you could get away with the i5 3570k which performs at the same level right now for the price.

GPU, the 680 is not high and mighty, it is actually just an overpriced GPU, you would be better off with a single 7970, which out performs the 680 in every circumstance with ease and is cheaper. Just look at the benchmarks, we're talking $50 cheaper than the 680 and you get performance that is about %10...
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SchizTech

SchizTech

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Jan 16, 2011
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That will be one powerful system, no worries there. A Z77 motherboard will be your best bet for a high-end third-gen Core-i series rig, so you're on the right track with that motherboard. You don't need quite such a high wattage Power supply for any single GPU, even the mighty 680; it's safe to roll that back a bit. For gaming 8 GB of RAM is fine.
 
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SchizTech

SchizTech

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Jan 16, 2011
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Also, you can save a bit of cash with minimal loss in most current games with an i5. The 3570K will give similar performance in most games since there aren't too many titles out (currently) that can scale to 8 threads. On the other hand if money is no issue it's no harm in going with a more powerful CPU like the i7.
 
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Brolaf

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Apr 3, 2013
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10,510


Hero, thanks for the reply. I'm glad to see that I'm at least on the right track with this. Ah nice, any ideas what would be an adequate Power Supply, something more like 550? I was thinking the i7 because I have saved for this for a while, and thought I may as well go all in and go for the best that I can afford at the moment, I will have a look at the i5 thought before I make the purchase. Cheers again.
 
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burritobob

burritobob

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Nov 14, 2012
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Couple things to note about your build in order of your selections:

Case is great, personally I prefer the Cooler Master HAF 912 for performance/dollar, it's a great case looks fantastic and feels fantastic.

CPU the i7 is an interesting topic, you could get the i7 and have plenty of power to work with, but it is normally unecessary and you could get away with the i5 3570k which performs at the same level right now for the price.

GPU, the 680 is not high and mighty, it is actually just an overpriced GPU, you would be better off with a single 7970, which out performs the 680 in every circumstance with ease and is cheaper. Just look at the benchmarks, we're talking $50 cheaper than the 680 and you get performance that is about %10 faster.

Motherboard is fine, any of the Asus P8Z77 - V XX or Asrock z77 or the board you suggested are all basically the same in quality, if you could get one or another for cheaper go for it.

8GB of ram is more than substantial today, and corsair is a fine provider. The only thing I would like to note is that there is an 1866mhz Patriot Viper 2x4GB kit that is the same price (bout 5 cents less) on amazon, it's a great deal I suggest you look into it.

750w is to much, you should really plan on going for a 550w or 600w is more than enough for overclocking and upgrades. Stick to Corsair XFX Seasonic or Antec and you will be good to go.

HDD/SSD is good to go.

The CPU cooler is simply not going to cut it. The H100i is not as good as a Noctua D-14 and is about $20 more expensive. You should look at getting a Noctua D-14 which outperforms the H100i and is cheaper... you really cannot go wrong with that CPU cooler.

Again this is a very powerful machine at the end of the day but these tweaks will bring it to the next level in terms of price to performance.
 
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burritobob

burritobob

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Nov 14, 2012
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80 plus really means nothing, though sticking to XFX Seasonic Corsair or Antec is going to get you to the right place.
 
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SchizTech

SchizTech

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Jan 16, 2011
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Strictly speaking it's not necessary (nor even an indicator of a good PSU) I agree; however, it is a plus to have a more efficient PSU and if you're looking for the best kit I don't see why you wouldn't include that. Anyway, a lot of the better PSUs nowadays are certified to begin with.
 
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dalethepcman

dalethepcman

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Jul 1, 2010
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For a personal build I prefer the Corsair Obsidian cases, but I refuse to buy any case with plastic, too many arrive broken.

Your motherboard selection is just fine.

Since Corsair seems to be a theme, for memory you can order this 16GB kit, its on the qualified memory list for this board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233248

For cooling the Hydro series are ok, but perform similar to a traditional air cooler for noise or cooling, but cost is significantly higher. The Hyper 212 series is the best of the best for the price tag for air coolers. The Noctua previously mentioned performs better, but is twice the cost of the 212.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

For a power supply, I would stick with the 750. I never build a system within 70% of its power capacity unless I am doing crossfire/sli out the gate. Better to pay the extra $20 up front and have an easy upgrade option down the road, then have to buy a new power supply later.

As a side note, the 4xx0 will be released in 6-7 weeks and should have the same price as the current 3xx0 chips while consuming less power and having a slight performance edge. If you can hold off until then, the only part that would need replaced from your current list would be the CPU as they are socket compatible with current gen architecture. If you are stretched for cash buy the I5, if you want to future proof stick with the I7.

Happy Building!
 
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Brolaf

Honorable
Apr 3, 2013
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10,510
Cheers for the answers to this! Good to see that I'm sort of on the right track.

Will play around with some of your suggestions and see what my first build turns up like!

Brolaf, UK
 
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