Ready to buy a system, still have several questions.

grummor · Aug 15, 2013

Hey guys, i have asked questions about this system i'm planning to build, but i'm back with a whole bunch of new ones that i couldn't answer myself with the guides that are out there, because they mostly rely on personal experience and hear-say rather than stats.

The comp is for gaming purposes, to last me the next 3-5 years WITHOUT OC'ing, and then OC'ing the CPU if it will end up bottle-necking the next GPU.

Here are the components:
CPU: Intel i5-3570K ($240)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

-Should i replace the stock fan, i don't plan on OC'ing it right now, only down the road?
i'm pretty stocked about buying this little thing, and to go with it:

MoBo: Asrock Extreme 3 ($150)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157330

-No questions here, its a mobo that can handle the OC'ing of a 3570k core which i plan to do 3-5 years down the road.

GPU: GTX 760 ($260)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130935

-I'm pretty sure this is good value, no questions here.

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws Z 8GB (2X4GB) ($77)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231585

-This ram is said to be 2400, but i read everywhere that i won't be able to reach that without OC'ing. I don't plan on OC'ing, so what freq will it run on? 2133, or lower, is there a way to monitor/control it ?
-Is there cheaper/better ram that i could get for the same price or lower ?
-Is Ripjaws Z a good series, i hear a lot of good things about their X ones, not the Z though.
-Will this ram last me 5 years ?

PSU: Rosewill Capstone 750W 80 plus Gold ($125)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182264

-on this site: http://pcpartpicker.com it says the system needs 352W, so i went ahead with +400W, to account for OC'ing later on, room for occasional increase in load, and ofcourse the fact that i want it to last through the next upgrade. Do you think i went overkill and could have just stuck with a tier 2 Antec 80 plus bronze ?
-This PSU is shown to be modular, does it have all the necessary cables i will need for the components i listed plus 3 fans that i will link below ?
-Is modular a benefit or just extra hassle when assembling ?
-What programs should i install to monitor the well-being of the PSU and to make sure i got everything right when connecting it ?
-From what i read 60A limit on the +12v rail is plenty, but is it really ?

Fans: 3x Cougar CF-V12H 120mm ($42)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553001

-Lots of good comments on newegg about this fan, is it really any good though, in your guys' experience ?
-What should i buy/download to go with these, as i will end up having 5 fans in my case: rear + a 140mm top exhausts, 2 fronts and side intakes.

SSD: Samsung 840 pro 128GB ($144)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192

-I know its a good drive i plan to install my OS on it, and keep a game or two on it, and also the backups. Will that be enough space ?
-Is there a cheaper but still similar quality SSD you guys know of perhaps ?

I live in Canada, so its newegg.ca.

In any case thx for the replies and if you feel like i'm lacking knowledge somewhere specifically don't hesitate to point me to things i should read/take a look at.

I'll be grateful for any and all information you can throw at me. Especially if you think this system won't work together, then i'm definitely curious.

grummor · Aug 15, 2013

reserved in case i forgot to include something,

Addition 1: also, in case it's not clear form my post, this is the first time i'll be buying parts that aren't already inside the PC, let alone building one from scratch, so i'm trying to cover all my bases before pulling the trigger on this.

Addition 2: This will be built in an Antec 300 case, bottom PSU, top and rear exhausts. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

fkr · Aug 15, 2013

maybe consider this graphics card. they have really been coming down in price. last week they were down to 189 but they sold out. never the less your choice is fine just an option. i actually prefer nvidia.

power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139051&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

cheaper and better

the ram is overkill but why not. anything over 1800MHz does nothing for intel. AMD loves fast RAM not so much with intel. but the price difference is not that big, just an fyi

SSD
the non pro version is just as good and less expensive. but a 120 GIG is not big enough for more than the OS and a couple of programs, you should really buy a cheap HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

here is a build i did for a contest here
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($135.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($200.00 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($200.00 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.99 @ Microcenter)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case Fan: BitFenix BFF-SPRO-20025KK-RP 148.7 CFM 200mm Fan ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1046.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-15 00:31 EDT-0400)

i will have to revisit the fans later as I am on my way out the door and i do not have my list in front of me

grummor · Aug 15, 2013

Also edited my post to reflect that i'm using an Antec 300 case.

fkr · Aug 15, 2013

there is allot of information about power supplies that should always be read up on as a system builder.
the biggest thing is how many amps on the 12v rail (amps*volts=watts.....62amps*12v rail=744 watts on that 12v rail or to the GPU)
also about any list it is always a stupid endeavor, very few sellers make there own power supply. look below
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-5.html
i just picked a good deal from a great company made by a good manufacturer(channel well), while your power supply is made by super flower which is a truly superior manufacturer. but when you look at specs and the over 100 user reviews you see that they have equally good ratings and you end up paying a big premium for no performance gain. they both have 62 amps on the 12v rail. the whole gold thing means very little and only really means it converts energy at a specific point a little bit better and it is not something that you would ever see reflected in a power bill. also your choice was a great power suppply
one more link, these guys are pheno,mminal and if you read through this review you wil understand more than most about power supplies
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/04/04/seasonic_xseries_x850_power_supply_review/
I hope the above helps with power supplies

RAM
the stick you picked is over volted and has okay timings. I do not like to go over 1.5v for intel, there have just been to many stories of it messing with chips so the risk is just not worth it.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231538

So trying to tell you everything about ram would take a few so here is a quick link
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ram%20timing%20wiki&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCAS_latency&ei=jPkMUoP4PMqYyAG0_IC4Bw&usg=AFQjCNEy6uPYpLQG34ptDxYejgKgkBCS8A&bvm=bv.50723672,d.aWc
there are two things about RAM, first is speed of the data(MHZ) and next is how often it sends data through or the timings. its like driving a 100mph but one car does a new lap every 8 minutes and the other car starts a lap every 10 minutes. both equally as fast but one car is getting more done.
so low volts and low timings with high speed is what we look for.

a SSD does not increase performance for games at all. any SSD will make your OS snappier and i really like my own. systems will boot up more quickly and will also come out of sleep mode faster. games and programs will load more quickly also. but there is no real performance increase (no fps in game play).
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188
so while the above writes kinda slow (still faster than any HDD) it reads really fast and will be just as good for os and productivity software(MS odffice, browser, ect.). If you have the money i think it is worth it to get one as long as you can afford to get a standard HDD also. If i had to pick between capacity and speed i would take the capacity every day. I want movies music and all the games i can fit on my rig.

wireless adapter
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704085CVF
this is just a random one from the same manufacturer i use. these plug into a pci slot inside your case on the motherboard. i have one with three antenna

about your GPU

the only thing i do not like about the gtx 760 is the memory interface. it is using the old 256 while the amd uses the 384bit memory interface. this is a real limitation for the future
amd
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150671
nvidia
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130938

i agree i like nvidia better but amd has the better product at the right price. i use an amd tahiti card 79xx and the gaming is great. i just feel the need to let you know. both will game great right now but if you ever go to a 1440 or higher monitor or want a 120hz monitor or want to SLI/crossfire then that 256 bit memory interface will be a bottleneck.

grummor · Aug 15, 2013

fkr :

there is allot of information about power supplies that should always be read up on as a system builder.
the biggest thing is how many amps on the 12v rail (amps*volts=watts.....62amps*12v rail=744 watts on that 12v rail or to the GPU)
also about any list it is always a stupid endeavor, very few sellers make there own power supply. look below
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-5.html
i just picked a good deal from a great company made by a good manufacturer(channel well), while your power supply is made by super flower which is a truly superior manufacturer. but when you look at specs and the over 100 user reviews you see that they have equally good ratings and you end up paying a big premium for no performance gain. they both have 62 amps on the 12v rail. the whole gold thing means very little and only really means it converts energy at a specific point a little bit better and it is not something that you would ever see reflected in a power bill. also your choice was a great power suppply
one more link, these guys are pheno,mminal and if you read through this review you wil understand more than most about power supplies
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/04/04/seasonic_xseries_x850_power_supply_review/
I hope the above helps with power supplies

RAM
the stick you picked is over volted and has okay timings. I do not like to go over 1.5v for intel, there have just been to many stories of it messing with chips so the risk is just not worth it.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231538

So trying to tell you everything about ram would take a few so here is a quick link
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ram%20timing%20wiki&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCAS_latency&ei=jPkMUoP4PMqYyAG0_IC4Bw&usg=AFQjCNEy6uPYpLQG34ptDxYejgKgkBCS8A&bvm=bv.50723672,d.aWc
there are two things about RAM, first is speed of the data(MHZ) and next is how often it sends data through or the timings. its like driving a 100mph but one car does a new lap every 8 minutes and the other car starts a lap every 10 minutes. both equally as fast but one car is getting more done.
so low volts and low timings with high speed is what we look for.

a SSD does not increase performance for games at all. any SSD will make your OS snappier and i really like my own. systems will boot up more quickly and will also come out of sleep mode faster. games and programs will load more quickly also. but there is no real performance increase (no fps in game play).
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147188
so while the above writes kinda slow (still faster than any HDD) it reads really fast and will be just as good for os and productivity software(MS odffice, browser, ect.). If you have the money i think it is worth it to get one as long as you can afford to get a standard HDD also. If i had to pick between capacity and speed i would take the capacity every day. I want movies music and all the games i can fit on my rig.

wireless adapter
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704085CVF
this is just a random one from the same manufacturer i use. these plug into a pci slot inside your case on the motherboard. i have one with three antenna

about your GPU

the only thing i do not like about the gtx 760 is the memory interface. it is using the old 256 while the amd uses the 384bit memory interface. this is a real limitation for the future
amd
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150671
nvidia
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130938

i agree i like nvidia better but amd has the better product at the right price. i use an amd tahiti card 79xx and the gaming is great. i just feel the need to let you know. both will game great right now but if you ever go to a 1440 or higher monitor or want a 120hz monitor or want to SLI/crossfire then that 256 bit memory interface will be a bottleneck.

WOW, thanks a lot for all the information! I erased my previous answer because i thought i'd wait for a few more replies and do it all in bulk, so i don't bump my thread too much, but i'm glad you saw it before i did.

for the GPU, i'm assuming the one you suggested is compatible with my mobo, i'll of course do my own double-checking but i will most likely switch to it. I planned on doing exactly that (adding another 760 in a few years in sli/crossfire), not something i could have found out unless i was specifically looking for it.

About the PSU and Ram, thanks for the links ill go read them right away and will definitely follow your recommendations.

As for the SSD, i will pass on it for now, i'm trying to keep the cost under 1000$ before taxes, shipping, and the retail copy of windows 7 home premium that i still need to buy.

You have been an incredible source of information, thank you so much.
I will let this thread sit a bit to give other people a chance to contribute, even though i want to give your post best answer right away.

Edit: any advice on the stock CPU cooler?

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Ready to buy a system, still have several questions.

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