Help Finishing Gaming Build?

[thatdamnkiwi]

Hi all, I'm a first-time builder, looking for help finishing off this gaming build. I'd love suggestions on anything in the build, but what I really need is advice on is the motherboard.

I'll be using it primarily for new games at high settings, but I don't plan on investing in an enormous monitor for ridiculously-high resolutions. I'll probably overclock, add more ram, and a 2nd video card in crossfire at a later date, so I need to take that into account.

- mobo: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3? Asus P8Z68-V? Something else entirely?
- cpu: i5 2500k (is it worth upgrading to the i7 2600k?)
- ram: 2x 4GB DDR3 1600 G-Skill Ripjaws-X
- gpu: Radeon HD 6950 2GB (will flash up)
- hdd: Western Digital SATA3 500GB blue
- optical: whichever basic dvd player is cheapest when I go to pick up other parts
- psu: 750W Corsair AX-750
- case: CoolerMaster HAF 922
- cooling: sticking with the stock case fans until I'm ready to OC


Thanks!

 

[Archean]

If you do choose to go with Asus, I would suggest that please do ensure that your RAM is on QVL list of that motherboard. I've observed in tons of Asus motherboard builds that RAM issues can drive you to the edge of reasoning. Sometimes even if the RAM is on QVL a user can still have issues, and only way to overcome is 'manually' configure your RAM's settings in BIOS.

 

[thatdamnkiwi]

Good info, thanks guys

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

Gaming: stay with i5-2500K, no need for i7-2600K