I7 2600k Build

[na300zx]

Hello guys,

I was torn between the I5 2500K and the I7 2600k but I decided to go ahead and get the 2600K. I ordered it today but I am also looking at buying the MSI GTX 560 Fermi Ti 1GB http://www.amazon.com/MSI-N560GTX-Twin-Frozr-IIOC/dp/B004JLNZXU/ref=lh_ni_t_ . I am going to try and piece this build together within the next few weeks so I need some suggestions. The main use of this computer will be AutoCad, ProE, and Autodesk Inventor. I also will be doing video encoding and mild photo editing with photoshop. I'm set on buying the Asrock Extreme4 P67 board whenever the new board comes out but I have been reading about the new Z68 boards that will be around in the next two months. So, given my stated use for this build.....will it really be worth waiting to take advantage of the integrated graphics? other features? I'm probably answering my own question but this will be my first build and im not up on hardware. The max I want to spend on this build will be $1600. I definitely plan on overclocking this beast, so cooling is very important although I have read that the stock cooler is awesome ( 4.7 Ghz on air!). I have no clue about ram or timing so please make suggestions. I think I will hold out for the next wave of SSD's, but suggest a good 1tb drive to hold me over until then. Help me out guys!

 

[aevm]

Read this page and see if you want Quick Sync:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i5-2600k-i5-2500k-and-core-i3-2100-tested/9

Read this too:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2132318&page=2

If you really want Quick Sync, you can:
a) get a H67 motherboard. This mean no overclocking.
b) wait for Z68. This means waiting, extra cost for the MB, extra cost for software that knows about Quick Sync.

If not, P67 is your best choice IMO.

Apparently a CPU can generate better quality than Quick Sync anyway, even though it takes longer, so as far as I'm concerned I'd take the P67/overclocked CPU route. BTW, 2600K has hyper threading while 2500K doesn't, so I think it's well worth the extra cost.

A good 1TB drive: I have a WD1001FALS (1TB), $88 at Newegg ($10 off w/ promo code EMCKGKB35, ends 3/14), and it's just fine. However, I also have a couple of wd2001fass drives (2TB) and they are faster. These days I'd buy the 2TB version.

 

[na300zx]

Thanks for the useful info. I really don't need to wait for the Z68 and as you have pointed out, I believe HT justifies the cost. I began looking again and am torn between the GTX 560 Ti and the Radeon 6950. They seem very comparable benchmark wise. Which one is more energy efficien? I also am looking at the Coolermaster HAF X Full tower case to allow me to upgrade later. Is this overkill? Also, what memory and PSU should I get? Im also looking at getting the samsung f3 spinpoint 1trb drive for $60. The reviews say it is one of the quickest drives. Ill update as I run into more problems. Thanks for the help guys!

What about this little guy?

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-B10-212P-G1-Universal-Heat-Pipe/dp/B002G1YPH0%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB002G1YPH0

 

[aevm]

GTX 560 vs Radeon 6950:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/12
GTX 560 wins by 5fps in FarCry 2 at 1920x1200

But then the Radeon wins by 4 fps in Crysis Warhead at 1920x1200.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/14

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/7
GTX 560 consumes 11W more than the Radeon 6950.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/9
GTX 560 is quieter by 4dB.

So, 4 tests, each card wins 2, and each time the differences are negligible. I guess you could just pick whichever card is cheaper.



Samsung Spinpoint - I loved the benchmarks on this HDD. It was the fastest 1TB drive around 2009, when I was shopping for a 1TB drive. However, user reviews led me to believe it less reliable than comparable drives from WD and Seagate so I went with WD. It may be just as reliable now, I don't know.



PSU - it depends on your gaming needs. If you're planning to stick with a single GTX 560 or a single Radeon 6950, something like Corsair 650W (CMPSU-650TX) would be great there.

If you intend to add a second card later, or to upgrade to some monster dual-GPU $700 card, you should consider a more powerful PSU.


Memory - I've personally had great results with OCZ and Corsair. I'm guessing AutoCAD likes lots of RAM. Maybe this one:
CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
$250 at Newegg

 

[aevm]

About the Hyper 212: according to Anandtech's review here
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2366/7

it's a pretty decent toy. Not a top performer, not the quietest, but much cheaper than the top performers.

If you want top performance and silence, it would cost about $40 or $50 more, with Noctua NH-D14 or NH-U12P SE2, or similar products from Thermalright.

 

[aevm]

About the HAF-X:

- personally, I wouldn't want a case with a big red LED, it would annoy me while watching movies.

However, based on Newegg reviews:
- it's not hard to install a switch to turn that LED on/off, LOL
- both GTX 560 and Radeon 6950 fit
- lots of huge and quiet fans - great for overclocking
- even the Noctua NH-D14 fits in there, and that's a big cooler

So yeah, assuming you like the red LED, great case choice.

 

[na300zx]

Wow! Thanks for the very helpful information aevvm, as its very much appreciated. Like you pointed out, its really toss up between the ATI and Nvidia and I am not a fanboy for either brand. It looks like they are both equally priced so I guess I will go with the Nvidia 560 Ti. I could see your point about the red LED being annoying lol , so I might have to find a workaround for that. I'll order the video card and the case tonight and do some more research on HDD's and coolers. I think I mentioned being partial to the Asrock extreme4 board earlier. What is a comparable board from Asus, mainly something that is easy for a newbie to overclock? Thanks in advance!

 

[na300zx]

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

How does the timing play into performance?

So now I have the i72600k, Coolermaster HAF X with extra 200mm fan and 120 mm fan, MSI Twin Frozr GTX 560 Ti ordered. Lets go from here!

I looked at the noctua NH-D14 and even some stuff from thermalright: http://www.amazon.com/THERMALRIGHT-SILVER-ARROW-DUAL14CM-HEATSINK/dp/B003XRAKLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1299900190&sr=1-1

Is there any difference in the two? Will the thermalright even fit in the HAF X, Overkill??

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143&Tpk=corsair%20vengenace%2016gb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231401&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=

G-Skill has lower timing and 1.6V, Corsair is 1.5 v and I read that 1.5v is good for sandy bridge? Could someone explain that somewhat?

 

[aevm]

Check out the Asus P8P67 Deluxe. It's the one I'm planning to get myself. Mind you, the Asrock is not available in my city so I hadn't studied it at all.

That Thermalright Silver Arrow looks very impressive, but $90??? Yikes! At Amazon's current prices, I'd prefer the $65 NH-U12P SE2 even if it has smaller fans (120mm instead of 140mm).

Will the Silver Arrow fit? Most likely yes, because it's the same height (160mm) as the DH-14, and I found a user review at Newegg with HAF X and DH-14. BTW, the NH-U12P is 158mm high.

Timings - the tighter (i.e. smaller numbers) the better. But, beware of marketing tricks. In theory, DDR3 for Sandy Bridge should be running at 1.5V. However, some companies raise the voltage, overclock the RAM, and then they claim better performance. In G.Skill's defense, I don't think it's the case here. First of all because the model you found claims compatibility with P55, not P67, and second because they do have a model for P67 that has the same voltage, timings and price as the Corsair Vengeance:
F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429

Now, between the two models (Corsair and G.Skill), both at $250, 1.5V, 9-9-9-24, 4x4GB DDR3 1600, TBH, I don't know which one is better. In theory they are identical. Both companies have excellent reputations. Try finding some reviews...

 

[na300zx]

Here is a link to my wish list

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=19798467

Here is my newegg list
Product DescriptionSavings

1 CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9
Item #: N82E16820233143
$249.99

1 Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
Item #: N82E16835608018
$74.99

1 LITE-ON Black 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature SATA Model iHBS112 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106346
$109.99

1 ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131701
$239.99

1 SILVERSTONE ST1000-P 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 & EPS 12V 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817256057
$184.99

1 COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119225
$189.99

1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Item #: N82E16835100007
$9.99

1 Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
Item #: N82E16819115070
$328.99

1 MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814127565
$249.99

1 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
$54.99


Total : $1693.00

 

[WR2]

I think the PSU sized @ 1000W is much more than you're going to need. MSI N560GTX Ti Twin Frozr II OC SLI Review @ HardOCP
XFX Black Edition 850W 80+ SILVER Modular Power Supply $150 & $20 rebate HardOCP Editor’s Choice Gold Award
Or even the 750W model @ $100 after rebate has plenty of power for x2 GTX 560 Ti factory OC'd video cards.
If you do want to try for top OC's in CPU and GPUs - I think the 850W is a better match for that goal.

 

[WR2]

Does your 3D Blu-Ray burner match up with a 3D monitor or 3D home theater TV?

When there is any question of having 'enough' of something but you can add more later? I always recommend going the add more later route.
Start out with 8GB to keep costs down. You have the option to add more later but I honestly think you won't need to do that.

You can also leave out the AS5 thermal compound. The Noctua NH-D14 has it's own thermal compound in the accessory pack.
http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/35-608-018-Z06?$S640$

With the $60 difference between the HAF 942 and 932 this is more a question of what you want. The 932 will easily fit all your parts and keep them cool in good style. And that $60 difference is roughly half the cost of a SSD boot drive.

How are you doing on the budget? Did these changes leave room for a SSD boot drive? Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB Solid State Drive SATA III 6.0GB/s $128

 

[na300zx]

Will this power supply handle my system with no problems?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003

 

[aevm]

Speaking of RAM: if you start with 8 GB, make sure it's 2 modules of 4 GB each so you can add more later. Also, if you do want 16 GB right away, it's $50 cheaper right now to buy two sets of 8 than one set of 16:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428&cm_re=8GB_DDR3-_-20-231-428-_-Product
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144&cm_re=8GB_DDR3-_-20-233-144-_-Product

You will need a 64-bit OS, of course. A 32-bit Windows would see less than 3GB of RAM on this hardware.

 

[aevm]

Will this power supply handle my system with no problems?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003

Yes it will.

With a single GTX 560, the minimum requirement is 30A on the 12V circuit (according to EVGA on the page for their version of GTX 560 at Newegg). You've got 62A with that XFX 750W. Even if you add a second card later, that's at worst another 169W (http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/7), i.e. another 14A.

 

[WR2]

Plenty of power. It's the one I'd choose in your position.
XFX Black Edition 750W Power Supply Review @ HardOCP

 

[na300zx]

Thanks for the help guys! WR2 we must have been thinking along the same lines PSU Wise. Aevm I will go with the 8GB set now to save moneyu up front fro that new SSD that I plan on buying once the new batch come out. WR2 I went with the XFX 850 which appears to be made by Seasonic! I could have saved money with the 750 but i pulled the trigger before I seen your post. Here is what I have ordered and on the way now

XFX Black Edition XPS-850W-BES 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC ...
Item #: N82E16817207001
$199.99
$149.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$54.99

LITE-ON Black 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature SATA Model iHBS112 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106346
$109.99


Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
$74.99

MSI GeForce GTX 560 1 GB DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x 16 Graphics Card N560GTX Ti Twin Frozr IIOC
249.99

Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AR-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Red)
Cooler Master 120mm Red LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20CR-GP) Cooler Master 120mm Red LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20CR-GP) $17
Cooler-Master Haf X: Ultimate Full Size Gaming Chassis $10
$190
I7 2600K Processor $328.00

Grand Total: $1198.25

So with that in mind, what else besides a good set of ram do I need? Motherboard (really need help here)?

 

[Ajrslg]

Why oh why 2600k? IMHO 100$ does not pay for multithreading. The 220$ 2500k outperforms some of the best processors out there for substantially less money.

 

[na300zx]

Hello Ajrslg, I opted ffor the 2600k just for future proofing I guess. I also was persuaded by this review http://www.guru3d.com/article/core-i5-2500k-and-core-i7-2600k-review/23 I think the 2600k will benefit me in rendering 108p video and in 3d rendering apps.

 

[aevm]

@Ajrslg: multithreading may be more important for na300zx than it is for you. The kind of applications he is planning to use do typically benefit from more threads.

@OP: here's a pretty useful review about P67 motherboards.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4130/the-battle-of-the-p67-boards-asus-vs-gigabyte-at-190/11

They compared Asus P8P67 Pro with Gigabyte P67A-UD4 and with ASRock P67 Extreme4. Here's a part of their conclusion:

I would take the ASUS P8P67 Pro over the Gigabyte P67A-UD4. With the ASUS board, you are getting a detailed UEFI, an awesome auto-overclocking tool, better energy saving features, a USB 3.0 bracket , more SATA 6 Gb/s ports, Intel gigabit Ethernet, and in my case, scope for a better overclock. The Gigabyte board is essentially expensive for what is on offer, in terms of usability, features, and extras.

However, the second question is: ‘what about the comparison to the ASRock P67 Extreme4’? The ASRock board has power/reset buttons on the board, a Debug LED, that USB 3.0 bracket which will hold an SSD (worth in my option about $15), and is almost $40 cheaper. The ASUS board is the slightly better performing, overclocking is easier on the ASUS, the ASUS has a longer warranty, the UEFI is slightly better on the ASUS, the ASUS uses Intel Ethernet rather than Realtek, but the ASRock will take socket 775 coolers. It is up to you to judge, but in my opinion, I would take the Extreme4, pocket the $40 difference, and invest it in something else for a PC build.

As for myself, I'll actually shell a bit more for the P8P67 Deluxe, rather than going with the P8P67 Pro, because I want the dual LAN and the front panel USB 3.0 Box.

 

[na300zx]

Wow, the deluxe is OOS on newegg! Guess ill have to wait awhile to pick up a board. Hmmm red Gskill ram with red LED Fans and blue mobo or black Corsair ram with blue mobo....decisions lol The Asus Maximus board would look awesome.....just not price wise lol

 

[na300zx]

Final Build with all parts on the way. Went over budget but I decided to spring for the Ultrasharp since I used a 25% off coupon and I simply couldn't resist. I have been stuck on 1650x1080 for too long. Please feel free to crtique and add anything that I may be missing. Guess I need a wirless card added? Any suggestions? I will add a SSD later on when the new controllers flood the market. Thanks for all the help guys!

Cooler-Master Haf X: Ultimate Full Size Gaming Chassis
$190.00

DELL ULTRASHARP U2311H 23IN E-IPS Flat Panel Display
$260.00

ASUS P8P67 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel P67 Motherboard Revised B3 Version
$261.00

Intel Core i7-2600K Processor with 8 MB Cache, 3.40 GHz for Socket LGA1155 - Unlocked Boxed
$333.00

Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AR-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Red)Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AR-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Red)
$15.00

Cooler Master 120mm Red LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20CR-GP)
$9.00

MSI GeForce GTX 560 1 GB DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x 16 Graphics Card N560GTX Ti Twin Frozr IIOC
$250.00

(2) Samsung 1 TB Spinpoint 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.5 inch Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive HD103SJ
$124

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series (16GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
$157.00

XFX Black Edition XPS-850W-BES 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$150.00

LITE-ON Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Internal Blu-ray Burner 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature Model iHBS112 - OEM
$110.00

Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
$75.00

TOTAL COST: $1,934.00

 

[aevm]

It looks very good

That Dell monitor is probably a good investment. I have two Dell monitors (2709W and 3007WFP-HC) and I'm happy with both.

If you ever want a second monitor, try to get one with the same resolution as the first one. Mine have different resolutions, and nVidia's software didn't like it. It did work, eventually, but it wasn't easy.