First build Critique

LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50B - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136216Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)
$15.99

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119233Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$59.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)

-$5.00 Instant
$69.99$64.99

Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design
Item #: N82E16824009255Return Policy: Monitor Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)

-$30.00 Instant
$399.98$339.98($169.99 each)

MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814127510Return Policy: VGA Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)

-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$219.99$209.99

NVIDIA Free Just Cause 2 + Mafia II Coupon
Item #: N82E16800999242Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
-$59.99 Saving
$59.99$0.00

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power ...
Item #: N82E16817139012Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$139.99$119.99

i-shop Gift
Item #: N82E16800995066Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.99 Saving
$5.99$0.00

Logitech MK200 Black USB Wired Slim Mouse and Keyboard Combo
Item #: N82E16823126193Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)
$24.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL
Item #: N82E16820231426Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$84.99

Intel BOXDP67BA LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813121476Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)
$116.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Item #: N82E16819115072Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)
$224.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116754Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy
$99.99

Intel X25-M SSDSA2MH080G2K5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820167031Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)

-$10.00 Instant
$189.49$179.49
Subtotal:$1,542.37

This is my first build above I was going to get a MAC pro but its a little out of my price range. I think this is a solid build. A little excessive maybe in certain areas but I want something fairly quite that runs cool and is dependable for am a/v editing rig. Will not be over clocking or gaming will be doing some video but no 3d rendering pretty light projects, but heavier audio projects.

Yea, I do alot of online gaming, so I tried to keep everything under $1,300, I will deffinatly keep some of the parts on your list, the RAM, case HDD and PSU, and optical drive lol, may think on monitors but I dont think I would need 2 since I doubt I would use them much, might change cards but 2gb is always handy to have.

Bah hit the wroong key, anyways how would you rate my rig on a scale of 1/10? 1 being junk 10 being very high end pre-built (just for dumb curiosity)

Im far from an expert im new to this whole thing as well but from what I gather its better to spend the extra couple bucks for the 2500k if you plan on over clockin your rig because on non k CPU the memory and turbo boost multipliers are locked. You could get cheaper memory if your not going to over clock you can go with ddr3 1333 and save a couple buck there. depending on the intensity of your gaming you can get the h67 series board that has onboard graphics that will support basic setting on games like warcraft starcraft and such. A ssd is a good investment to put your operating system on it supposed to make your rig a little faster. As far as the psu it looks a little bigger then what you need if you go on corsairs website or several other websites they have psu calculators where you can inputs your parts and they will give you a.good idea of what you need. Corsairs are under rated from factory, and a great psu. Just some stuff to look at may save you a couple bucks, but like I said I am a beginner as well so I would defiantly get a second opinion. Good luck with your build!

LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50B - OEM

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power ...

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL

Intel BOXDP67BA LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

Intel X25-M SSDSA2MH080G2K5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

$1,077.41
And this is the tower itself without OS or monitors. It's a little easier to see in this format.

Well in all honesty the only reason I chose the 750w PSU was that I plan on adding some cold cathode lighting and extra fans to the case, and adding new parts down the line. On the graphics card, would there be much difference between the 6950 and the 6850? if I ever, say, get a Blueray drive for it later down the road, would it affect it much or not really?

(edit) would the Roswill Cruiser be a decent choice in case? because ( I know it sounds foolish ) i would dearly love a window in my first build just too see my handiwork in action

(second edit) What is the difference between an Intel i5 2500 and the 2500k?

There is still a lot to be changed:

650tx you don't need the extra efficiency

get mushkin silverline instead http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

Never buy Intel boards they absolutely suck spend a bit more for this asrock http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

Don't buy an SSD now the next-gen is coming in a month or two buy then, SSD isn't essential from the start it's a luxury not a necessity to a gaming rig.

Finally the video card I don't remember what res, if it is 1920x1080 I would recommend the amd hd 6950 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product if it is lower your gtx 460 should do fine.


This is a critique I received on the parts list above hope it helps.

Just a quick note, I have the Cooler Master HAF 942 and the fit and finish is immaculate - there is nothing I can criticize about the quality so far but I have not completed my build. The CM cases are also very highly rated. However, I cannot comment on the lower end CM cases as I don't own one but the CM RC-692-KKN3 is rated with 5 eggs at NewEgg and the HAF 932 goes on sale for $100 frequently and is very highly rated (it is huge though).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Best answer selected by Wolley74.

Thanks.
Some of the HAF cases look tempting, but even my RC-690 had untapped screwholes, and the front doesn't line up quite right even when securely in place. With my next case probably in the $100-$150 range, I'm not sure I'm ready to risk another Coolermaster case. Many of their PSUs have liar-labels on them (overrated junk; read HardwareSecrets reviews of them), and I don't care to support liars and schlock-mongers.

jit 283 The 690 is an $79 case, I wonder how it compares with other cases that cheap? On NewEgg it has almost 2000 reviews and they give it 5 eggs. Usually that indicates a pretty successful case. It sounds like you might prefer the quality of a higher-end case.

Well, the $30 Rosewill cases have been thinner (as expected), but had better fit and alignment.

Edit: Oh, and no untapped screw holes!

Sounds like you may have gotten a bad case - have you had other experiences with CM cases that are similar?

I think every CM case I ever bought had some untapped screw holes.
Weak tool-less mounts, misaligned panels (to be fair, could have happened in shipping), individual audio wires rather than a block; I'm sure I can think of something else. All were minor, and all could be fixed, but I just got tired of it. None of the Rosewill cases I bought had ANY of these problems.

Thanks for your first-hand experience - I respect comments from people who actually have had the products and used them. Considering the fit and quality of my 942 HAF it is difficult for me to understand some of the things that you are describing. The panels on the 942 fit/align perfectly. I have not tried the toolless optical bays and hard drive bays yet but other reviewers have raved about them and they appear to be strong. If they are not I will post again. I will know more after I finish my build. I got delayed by the 2600K chip issue.