Gaming setup case/motherboard suggestions?

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Nisrak

Honorable
Jan 8, 2014
9
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10,510
Hi,
I'm working on building a new mid-level gaming setup and have the following picked out so far:

CPU: Haskwell i5 3.4GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=19-116-899

GPU: Geforce GTX 660 ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130825

PSU: 550W
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013

Memory: 8GB DDR3 2133
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231689

Storage: Hybrid drive any good?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178381&ignorebbr=1

I'm just not sure what to go with for the case/motherboard. I'm thinking a smaller mini-tower would be nice if I can find a good suitable motherboard. Also, any suggestions on the components I have selected so far would be great! Thanks!
 
Solution
Oleonius
Good choice of components.

- For the PSU, XFX is a very good brand. But do not go with a cheap model. You should check for a model with a higher certification and modular cabling. It is a bit more expensive but well worth the money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207032

- I would not recommend a hybrid drive. Buy two separate drives, an HDD and a SSD.

- I don' know about your budget, but you should really invest in a better GPU. I'm thinking about a GTX 760. The brand is personal taste, but the best one are ASUS, Gigabyte and EVGA.

For the motherboard, every ASUS or Gigabyte boards are good. Personally, I like the Gigabyte Z87X-D3H or the ASUS Z87-Plus.

For the case, it's more difficult. It depends if...
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Oleonius

Oleonius

Distinguished
Jul 29, 2011
448
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18,960
Good choice of components.

- For the PSU, XFX is a very good brand. But do not go with a cheap model. You should check for a model with a higher certification and modular cabling. It is a bit more expensive but well worth the money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207032

- I would not recommend a hybrid drive. Buy two separate drives, an HDD and a SSD.

- I don' know about your budget, but you should really invest in a better GPU. I'm thinking about a GTX 760. The brand is personal taste, but the best one are ASUS, Gigabyte and EVGA.

For the motherboard, every ASUS or Gigabyte boards are good. Personally, I like the Gigabyte Z87X-D3H or the ASUS Z87-Plus.

For the case, it's more difficult. It depends if you want to do an ATX build or a micro-ATX build. Here are my suggestions:

ATX

Fractal Design Define R4

Antec Nine Hundred V2

Corsair Carbide 500R

Corsair Vengeance C70

Coolermaster HAF XM

Micro-ATX:

Bitfenix Prodigy M

Corsair 350D

SilverStone Temjin TJ08-E
 
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Solution
Adroid

Adroid

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Jul 2, 2009
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20,160
I agree with Oleonius on several points.

The GTX 760 would be worth another 75$ if you so chose. If money is tight go for a good mechanical storage drive like a western digital caviar black or similar, and pick up a SSD later.
EVGA, ASUS, Gigabyte all make great GPUs.

Case is largely a matter of preference. If this is a first build, bigger cases are much easier to deal with. I have the Antec Nine Hundred and I absolutely love it. It has great air flow, and plenty of room for a big heatsink and 11" graphic card, etc.

For motherboards, I'm a gigabyte fanboy... The Z87 D3H is a solid choice I'm sure. If you need more features, you can spend a little extra for them. Gigabyte is notoriously long lasting and mostly idiot proof - hence the reason I'm a return customer.

Best~
 
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N

Nisrak

Honorable
Jan 8, 2014
9
0
10,510
Thanks! Good advice!

I'll probably go with an smallish SSD and either an external or internal HDD.

That's interesting because I was considering the GTX 760 as well, but read that it isn't that much superior to the 660 ti:
http://www.hwcompare.com/14802/geforce-gtx-660-ti-vs-geforce-gtx-760/

This is my second build (my first 5+ years ago has mostly broken down) and I'm thinking cube-shaped case might be kinda cool and different. I'll do some research and try to find one with good airflow.

Thanks again for all the great advice!
 
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