New i5-2500k build, compatibility and best options advice please!

[thereddojo]

Hi everybody, just wanted to put this up and make sure I've got my bases covered as far as what I'll be needing and if the options I've selected are appropriate. I haven't built a machine in about 10 years and even then it wasn't overly elaborate, so my knowledge is quite a bit behind on the new parts and any suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks in advance for looking

Approximate Purchase Date: A month from now


Budget Range: $1000-$1250 (Ceiling is flexible. Cheaper is better, but can't skimp on reliability)


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Using the machine mainly for Photoshopping, gaming and game modification with mild 3d modeling. Also a bit of mild sound editing. Surfing.


Not Required: Mouse, Speakers. OS, I'll be running some incarnation of Windows 7 x64 on it.


Preferred Website: newegg.com preferably, but anywhere else that's reliable.


Country of Origin: UK. Don't fuss over shipping costs unless it's ridiculous, it'll be shipped to my parents home in the states if it's a North American based site, then they are rerouting it to England after my brother checks everything for me.


Parts Preferences: No preference on manufacturer, as long as it's reliable. See list below of pre-determined parts I'm dead set on.


Overclocking: Yes, but only slightly and nothing over the top.


SLI or Crossfire: No


Monitor Resolution: Would like to have a 23"-25" monitor with a rather high resolution. 25" I'm on right now is at 1920x1080 and I'd like to stay around there.


Additional Comments: Doesn't particularly need to be the quietest machine, or the flashiest. The priority is reliability and longevity. Don't really need a HDD over 500gb, I have a ridiculous amount of 500gb and 1tb externals. Also, I don't have to run all games at max specs, that's not that important to me, but I do want to be able to run them so they look great.


Parts I'm pretty dead set on but feel free to recommend;

Intel i5-2500K 224.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB 99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW......... 23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106281

Saitek Cyborg V5 CCB44026N002/06/1 Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard 41.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175012


Parts I'm still in the air about and would like recommendations;


PSU (Thinking I'll need about 650w-700w max to cover future upgrades, needs to be able to run in the UK)

Motherboards (Feel free to recommend others in that price area):

MSI P67A-G45 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard 139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130582
or
ASUS P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard 144.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131706

GPU ($275 max on this please)

Monitor ($275 max on this please, 23"+ HD is the target)

HDD (No SSD's please, doesn't need to be massive either)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

Sound (Optional. Nothing more than $50. Part below is the highest end of what I'd want/need, and onboard audio from the above MB's may be fine.)

DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71DDL 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829111002

Heatsink/Fan (Please recommend for moderate overclocking if you feel other than stock is needed)



I think that covers everything... if you see something I missed, please let me know, and thanks again for looking

 

[thereddojo]

Just seen the RAM is on 25% off promo until tomorrow, think I'll go ahead and order that...

 

[thereddojo]

Please forgive the extra posts, I can't seem to edit my messages above...

Anyway, after a bit more homework, I've found the following parts that I'd like to put up for your consideration of what I would be looking for...

GPU

HIS H695F2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161355

Monitor

ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049

 

[thereddojo]

As I haven't had any replies, I've narrowed down everything I can best based on reviews and just general googling and have come up with the following list that seems as fitting as possible to my needs. Already jumped on the G.Skill memory as it was $75 with free shipping.

If anyone sees anything incompatible or a better alternative for around the same price, please let me know!!

SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

ASRock P67 EXTREME6 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157231

Intel Core i5-2500K combo w\ SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 $424.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.620213

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW........... $19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823107120

Acer G235HAbd 23'' 5ms 1920x1080 WideScreen LCD monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 $149
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212+ $34.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

COOLER MASTER R4-L2S-122B-GP 2x 120mm fans for side (Removing LEDs, why so many LED fans????? *shrug*) 11.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103022



$1,115 before shipping/rebates/whatever so it's right in the price area I wanted and considering the specs it should be great to use for a couple of years at least imo.

 

[genghiskron]

really looks like an excellent build, thats typically the reason people dont reply (nothing interesting to say). in my opinion, the extreme6 mobo really gives you nothing over the extreme4, so id just stick with that. i would buy the Hyper 212+ on amazon as it is cheaper. Or, if you want to buy everything on Newegg, i would go with the SCMG-2100. It is quieter and more effective, and the price gap is too small on newegg to go with the 212+, imo:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/lga-1156-heatsink,review-31796-16.html
the psu looks good for a single card, however, the extra money you pay for an extreme4 or extreme6 mobo is generally so you can SLI/crossfire (cheaper mobos have a more limited PCI-e bandwidth). So, if you plan to add a second 6950, I would get a higher wattage PSU, 750w minimum. Seasonic, Corsair, XFX, or Antec.

The one other thing is that you might want to consider a monitor with a faster refresh rate. I honestly dont know. My gut says it really doesnt matter, but some people insist upon 2ms.

Also, an aesthetic note: DVD drives like the Sony Optiarc dont have ugly white "LITE-ON" text all over the front (and hence the front of your new computer). That may or may not be worth an extra $3 to you.

 

[thereddojo]

Appreciate the reply. I didn't even see the Extreme4 in all honesty so the $50 or so off is good considering the minimal (if any) gain. I didn't originally have a plan for SLI/crossfire when I started this thread, but that's why I eventually went with the Extreme for a just in case in the next year to year and a half upgrade if needed.

Based on your recommendations I'll more than likely drop down to the Extreme4 and push up the PSU to the CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX to leave the headroom for SLI/crossfire.

As far as the monitor is concerned, I'm currently on my other soon-to-be-wife's machine and it's got a 25" with 2.5ms and I love it, the new monitor will be following this HP PoS to her. I seriously doubt she'll need the 2ms but I may take your advice and try to find a better option for around the same price. I saw an Asus 23" the other day with 2ms for 179 and a rebate so...

The Lite-On logos won't bother me at all. One thing I am pretty good at however is dismantling and repainting things so when I do the case I may do the drawer front of this. Either way though, might be a waste of time as like I said, it won't bother me.

Thanks again

 

[thereddojo]

Also, been reading a bit more and it seems like the Sapphire 5850 might be the way to go @ $139 as opposed to paying the $209 for the 6870 both performance wise and price wise.

From what I've been reading, it seems the 6870 is really only better for 3d setups and unless you're planning on kicking out the dosh for such a setup just go with the 5850's for less. Anyone care to back that up?

 

[banthracis]

Performance wise a 5850 is about the same as a 6870. However, the prices on 5850's right now are extremely good.

Where the 68xx GPU's make more sense is when they're xfired since they scale better.

Grabbing an xfx 650 is a cheaper way to get a seasonic 650W PSU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207007&cm_re=xfx_650-_-17-207-007-_-Product

If your primary usage for this PC is photoshop, you should consider getting a hyperthreaded CPU, CUDA capable GPU and IPS monitor. Dell 21.5" ultrasharps are $230 after shipping on provantage.
http://www.provantage.com/dell-468-7485~7DELL0L9.htm

Rest of the build looks fine.

 

[thereddojo]

Thanks for the advice, I looked at the XFX 650's earlier and just worried a bit about the fan noise from reading some of the reviews, isn't necessarily a decibel problem so much as it's a loud clicking. I don't mind wind noises but a ton of clicking would drive me mad, lol. I will keep an open mind about it though.

As far as the CPU goes, my laptop has an i7 in it and I definitely get your point as I do quite a bit of photoshopping on it as well. Originally considerd the i7-2600k but is it really worth the extra $90 over the 2500k considering how far you can push it even with a moderate OC?

I guess this is where being out of the hardware loop for 10 years really bites you.

 

[banthracis]

Well a clicking PSU should be RMA'd regardless of who makes it.

CPU wise it's your call. The difference is pretty big in some cases, while very close in others. Up to you to decide if time saved is worth the extra money.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sandy-bridge-core-i7-2600k-core-i5-2500k,2833-15.html

 

[thereddojo]

Thanks again for the advice, it's much appreciated

 

[genghiskron]

agreed. i somehow missed the 6870 there in your build, i thought you were going for the 6950 2gb you mentioned in the previous post. at current prices that $139 hd5850 is by far the best value available in a graphics card. It may not scale as well as the 6870, but it is $120 cheaper to crossfire.

 

[thereddojo]

I was thinking of that 2gb one but it's just waaaaaaay too much for what I need, both performance and price. In all honesty I was all over the place just looking at what might suit my needs and needed some outside input to keep my feet grounded.

Glad I came here for my hardware questions, really is the best place on the net for it in my opinion. Thanks to you guys it looks like I've got the build sorted with everything I'll need for cheaper than I expected, now just have to order everything and throw it together. I'll be sure to post pictures when it's completed.

Definitely going to go with the 2600k but with a Gigabyte mobo combo as it'll save me quite a bit and still be somewhat comparable if I decide to run SLI/crossfire. Also going with the XFX 650 as I think I'm going to scrap the SLI/crossfire plans for now and go with the Sapphire 5850, the price and performance on those is just too good to pass up. If/when the time comes and I want a better GPU option, I can always drop the Sapphire in the machine I'm on that I'm giving to my wife and just upgrade the new one.

Thanks again guys for the advice and assurances of compatibility.

If anybody has anything further to add, please feel free as I always welcome critique and advice. I won't be ordering for a few weeks probably unless the parts I have shortlisted go on offer of some sort.