IntelEnthusiast :
Overall the build looks good. I do have a couple questions/concerns. My first question is what are you planning to do with your system? The Intel® Core™ i7-2600K is an outstanding processor that is very well suited for a person doing a lot of video/audio editing or some other heavy multi-threaded work. If you are looking to build a gaming system then you might want to take a look at the Intel Core i5-2500K.
The motherboard you have selected the Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 is a very nice board, but a lot of people who are looking at for Z68 boards are looking for the ability to use the IGP (intergraded graphics processor) for backup graphics to use the software like the Lucidlogix Virtu software to switch to get the best performance between the dedicated video and the Intel QuickSync technology. If that is the case then you might want to look at changing the motherboard you have selected because without any on board support for graphics you won’t be able to use the IGP at all.
Last concern is if you are planning to overclock the processor you are going to want to add a 3rd party HSF for better cooling. While the stock HSF that goes with the boxed processor is fine for running this processor at stock, if you overclock you should get a better HSF. I have heard some good things about the 212+ if it can fit in your chassis.
Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team
Yes I was planning on building a gaming computer, I dont do any video or audio editing. If i understand it right the i7 has hyperthreading and that games may start taking advantage of that soon. So figured it was better than the i5.
As for the Z68 I have never heard of integrated graphics processor and seem a bit lost from what I pulled up from some quick google searches. Do I need it? or what exactly is it?
I heard the Z68 was great for SSD's and made them much more efficient.
I was aware that I would need a better CPU cooler for overclocking but for now I have no plans of overclocking, at least not till i understand it better and if/when I do ill be sure to buy one.
Thanks everyone for your replies, im a bit of a noob and really appreciate any help you can give.