Mid-level gaming rig (I'd love your opinion)

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viksenpai

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Oct 11, 2013
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I think I've finished building my rig and I want to check in with you.

CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K (I plan to OC that to at least 4.3 Ghz)
Cooling - CM HYPER 212 EVO
GPU - ASUS R9 280X DirectCU II TOP 3 GB
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
RAM - CORSAIR 2x4GB Vengeance Blue LP DDR3 1600Mhz 1.5V or CORSAIR 2x4GB Vengeance BLUE DDR3 1866Mhz 1.5V. I need a tip here, the 1600 one is low-profile, but is 1600Mhz. The 1866 version that I can buy is this one, which, I think, will be in the way of the cooling... but is @ 1866Mhz.
SSD - Samsung 120GB SSD 840 EVO SATA 6Gb/s
HDD - 1TB WD Blue (or something else, don't think it really matters)
PSU - PSU SEASONIC SS-750AM BRONZE
Case - CM HAF-912 ADVANCED

As for budget - the parts that I've picked are near my max. I can spare up to 30-40$ more, but that'd be a stretch.
So, would you guys replace / add / remove something?

Thanks in advance. :)

P.S. Also, how much do you think I'd be able to OC the processor with that fan? Need I invest in a better one? (a question better suited for the OC forums, but it's just a small inquiry, no need to start a thread just for that) :)
 
Solution
Onus
Well, you can save maybe $5 to $10 with the slightly superior Xigmatek Gaia:
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/07/07/review-xigmatek-gaia-sd1283/7/
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/11/27/review-cooler-master-hyper-212-plus/4/

Unlike the Hyper212 EVO (ignore the URL; it IS the EVO they tested), the Gaia never throttled, although it wasn't always the coolest depending on the fan used. Both got awards, but if you factor in the price, the Gaia wins hands down. The shape of the Gaia is also less likely to block RAM slots (it doesn't block mine).
If the DDR3-1600 has lower latency, it is probably actually faster in use. In any case, the performance difference would be slight, assuming you notice it at all.
The rest looks good.
Overclocking...
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PepitoTV

PepitoTV

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Oct 10, 2013
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Can you tell your max budget?

It is a solid build, just curious on why you'll pick Ivy Bridge over Haswell as there is no cost difference between the platforms, just a nitpick here as the 3570k is still a beast of a processor.
 
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Onus

Onus

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Jan 27, 2006
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Well, you can save maybe $5 to $10 with the slightly superior Xigmatek Gaia:
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/07/07/review-xigmatek-gaia-sd1283/7/
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/11/27/review-cooler-master-hyper-212-plus/4/

Unlike the Hyper212 EVO (ignore the URL; it IS the EVO they tested), the Gaia never throttled, although it wasn't always the coolest depending on the fan used. Both got awards, but if you factor in the price, the Gaia wins hands down. The shape of the Gaia is also less likely to block RAM slots (it doesn't block mine).
If the DDR3-1600 has lower latency, it is probably actually faster in use. In any case, the performance difference would be slight, assuming you notice it at all.
The rest looks good.
Overclocking to 4.3GHz seems likely, but remember every chip is different. If all you get is 4.2GHz, that's still 800MHz.
 
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Solution
dextermat

dextermat

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Sep 21, 2007
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Hi,

Looks good, the only advice would be to get a Black WD, since you get 5 year warranty on it and the extra money spent on it will be worth it down the road

I still have 2 X 500 GB WD black in perfect condition and they are 7-8 year old.

Since you are getting ivy bridge, get a aftermarket cooler if you plan to overclock

For the ram get the less expensive @ the better clock speed (lower is better)
Most of the time ddr3 1600 mhz @ cl 9 will perform a bit less than ddr3 1333 @ cl 8.
But it depends on what you are doing and in the end it translate to 2-3 % difference in performance.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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May 27, 2010
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Biggest price difference between Ivy and Haswell is the motherboard and cooling. CPUs are usually within $10 or the same. LGA1150 is the newer platform but given what looks to be a short lifespan for the socket, it may not be worth it unless you have a lot of USB 3.0 or SATA III drives to hook up.

(Though I am totally getting a Broadwell when they come out, I got a dud of an i7-4770k)
 
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viksenpai

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Oct 11, 2013
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It's hard to calculate as I'm working with different prices and currency. Let's say 1300$, but that's an approximate.
As for the Ivy Bridge vs. Haswell - as someone else said, the processors are similar in cost, but the motherboards aren't. And given that future-proofing isn't be possible with Z87 motherboards I see no points in going for LGA 1150.

Onus, thanks for the advice, I'll have that in mind (unfortunately I'm buying all the parts from one place and the store doesn't have Xigmatec coolers).

dextermat, thank you too. I'll consider the black WD. :)

Eximo, my thoughts exactly.

coastie65, that's reassuring.

Anyway, thank you all for the input (everybody else - keep it coming if you so desire).

P.S. It would be hard to decide what was the best "solution" is, given the type of the inquiry, so don't take it personal if it isn't yours. :)
 
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viksenpai

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Oct 11, 2013
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Also, I forgot, should I buy a different fan (as in the tests in the article) or just stick with the stock one?
 
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