General Build Advice: PSU / Case Concerns

geoscrewed

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Dec 4, 2010
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Edited 12/05: The below component list reflects the changes made based on other comments. I think I'm good with this build. With the last few changes, I was able to hit my budget almost exactly (how often does that happen?) :wahoo:

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Original Plea for help:
I'm a n00b when it comes to building PC, but I've done a fair amount of research and have come up with the below build. I'm looking for general advice as well as a double check on my selection of power supply and case. Please let me know if you see any red flags or notice any major improvements that could be made :)

Budget: Right around $2000, which is just about where this build is at currently.

Uses

Gaming PC: I need it to handle the latest games at or near their highest quality with scalability for future games.

Home Theatre: Since this will be next to my HD TV in my bedroom, I might as well use this machine to watch HD movies (no use for Blu-Ray though) . This is a minor point since this isn't a living room setup or anything.

Overclocking: Maybe? I've read there's not much to be done with the GPU in ways of overclocking, but other components might be a possibility.


Finalized Component List After Recommendations:

CPU:
Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950

Motherboard:
ASUS Rampage III Formula LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Power Supply:
[strike]CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-1000HX 1000W[/strike]

[strike]CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W[/strike]

XFX Black Edition XPS-850W-BES 850W ATX12V / EPS12V

Case:
[strike]Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case[/strike]

NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case

HDD/SSD:
[strike]SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive[/strike]
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Video Card:
MSI N580GTX-M2D15D5 GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Note: Currently planning on adding a second card at a later date when I need it / when I save up some more moolah.

Memory:
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit

Heat Sink / fans
[strike]COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus[/strike]

Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler

2 X Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan

Optical
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner

[strike]Total Price: 2033.76 with shipping - $20.00 rebates = 2013.76[/strike]

Total Price: ($1981.90 + $38.74 shipping) - $20.00 rebate = $2000.64
 

BeCoolBro

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Feb 27, 2010
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Tomorrow is the release date of the new amd radeon 69xx series gpus.I seriously suggest waiting until tomorrow as the 6970 will either outperform the gtx 580 or at least drop its price.
About the case,do not use an antec 300 for sli gtx 580's as they will probably overheat in it due to the little space.I'd suggest the NZXT Phantom or the Coolermaster Haf 932 at the very least.
For the heatsink,although the hyper 212 is great value for money,I'd look for something beefier for an i7 950.Something like the prolimatech megahalems with two Scythe S-Flex fans in a push pull configuration.
These should set you a bt out of budget,but they are mandatory futureproofing you should take if you have overclocking and sli in your mind. :)
 

geoscrewed

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Dec 4, 2010
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Thanks to vexer and BeCoolBro... they provided some pretty good feedback, so I went with some of their suggestions as outlined below.

Any additional comments or suggestions are appreciated.

For vexer's comments:

That's a good catch on the 1TB for 15 bucks more. I didn't mention I have a NAS with two 2TB drives in a RAID 1 config where all my media is being stored, so I'm not going to be hurting for disc space. I figure the 500GB would do fine for me.

As for the power supply, that seems reasonable... the 1000W psu was chosen by me based on its being used in one of the best config builds by eloric. It also received outstanding reviews from what I read. I've decided on downgrading to this (and saving some money in the process... help's out for BeCoolBro's stuff):

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W

For BeCoolBro's comments:

You addressed exactly what I was worried about as far as cases. I decided to go with the NZXT Phantom. It's really large, but seems like it might keep everything alot cooler. I like the option of turning the fan lights on and off easily at the flick of a switch... so I can be stylish and sleep well.

I also replaced the COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus sink with the Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler and picked up the two Scythe S-FLEX fans

I'll also wait another day for the Radeon 6970s to be released in hopes it will pull down the GTX 580's price. I would need to see a review though before considering to change video cards.

New Total Price: 2033.76 with shipping - $20.00 rebates = 2013.76

I'm slightly over budget, but $13 over isn't too bad.

 

geoscrewed

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Dec 4, 2010
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I think I'm good with this build... my final list of components have been updated. I appreciate all the advice!

BeCoolBro: That's fine, I like that power supply and it's just a bit cheaper. I was able to find a combo deal on the same CPU and motherboard, so I was able to knock a few bucks off.

I decided to take vexer's advice on the 1TB upgrade after all... I mean, why not $15 for a whole 'nother 500GB? I got the same feeling upgrading to that HDD as I get when supersizing a drink, hehe.