I5 2500k Build for $950 + Tax. (Questions + First Build)

[aliasautumn]

Hello. I posted a couple days back requesting for some advise on i3 2100 build vs an i5 2500k build for gaming and some video editing. Right now, I have a rough idea of what I want, though I'm looking for any comments or fixes I should make. The point of this build is to have something that will last me (hopefully) through college, with just an upgrade here and there. (I'm going into my senior year of high school in the fall). My additional comments have some reasons for my choices. Thanks ahead of time for any comments/suggestions/ect.

Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully ordering it in a couple days.

Budget Range: ~$1000 after rebates.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Reliability (running 24/7), Gaming, Video Editing, Multitasking

Parts Not Required: Mouse, Keyboard, Operating System, Speakers, Monitor

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, as it's all from one site.

Country of Origin: United States

Parts Preferences: None, though I have a rough idea of what I want.

Overclocking: Yes, I plan to in the future.

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, I plan to in the future.

Monitor Resolution: 1900x1200 (Possibility for a second monitor.)

Additional Comments: One of the most important aspects of this build is is potential for upgrades. You would think the 750W Power Supply and i5 2500k would be unnecessary, but I plan on adding a cooler to over-clock the CPU, as well as an SLI 560 Ti as I get more money. I only put 4GB of Ram as I plan on sticking two more sticks (total of 8GB) in the future.

Current Parts List:

$19.99 LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

$59.99 COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

$64.99 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

$249.99 MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

$109.99 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

$44.99 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425

$384.98 ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
-COMBO Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.642515

+ $934.92 Subtotal
+ $77.13 Tax
+ $00.00 Shipping
- $40.00 Mail-In Rebate
= $972.05 Total "After Rebates"

Questions:

[1.] I'm thinking of pushing maybe +0.3 or +0.4 GHz on the stock cooler, and maybe go for 4.5 GHz later on with a Frio or Hyper 212+. How difficult is the over-clocking process?

[2.] Is TX750 need for SLI 560 TIs, or would a TX650 be able to do that? This is including an over-clocked i5 2500k.

[3.] Are there any notable differences between using 2 x 2 GB of Ram (and later 4 x 2GB) versus 1 x 4GB of Ram (and later 2 x 4 GB)?

[4.] Who actually read my wall of text? If so, thank you. ^_^

 

[jmsellars1]

That build looks great, almost exactly what i would suggest.

1. Small overclocks are very easy, big ones are more difficult.

2. 750W should be enough, i don't think 650W would be. (If it's on 24/7 you may want to consider a little bit more power, 800-850W perhaps.)

3. 2 sticks is the best so it depends where you want it to perform slightly better now or later.

4. Me, youre welcome

 

[genghiskron]

a good 650w would probably be enough, but 750w is generally recommended for dual gtx 560 ti.

consider this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.642515

or if you want 8gb right off the bat:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.644341
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.653970
the asus is also a great 560ti, tomshardware recommended

 

[aliasautumn]

1. What is considered small/big?
2. Any recommendations for more powerful PSUs then?
3. So how much of a performance hit would I get if I opted for a single stick of 4GB ram right now?
4.

I switched to the combo, to save $20. (First post is updated)
Hmmm, anyone have any experience with the Asus 560ti versus the MSI Twin Frozr II 560ti?

 

[jmsellars1]

1. I consider a small overclock the amount you can get before you have the start changing voltages, on my CPU thats about 3.2-3.3ghz, started at 2.8. (i5-760)

2. The one you have will be great but i just like to overshoot it in case i get extra HDD's and USB devices. Plus i have my PC on 24/7. As for brands i'd just stick with Corsair, Antec or XFX.

3. You probably wouldn't even notice the difference.

Ive heard great things about the MSI one and it's always highly reccommended but note that generally youre paying for the cooler more than anything because GPU overclocking is so easy and theyre all using the same GTX 560 chip, unless its Ti or Fermi or whatever.

 

[aliasautumn]

So I finalized my build, and am planning to order everything later tonight. I actually switched over to Amazon, as I still get free shipping on everything, but since I life in California, I actually save quite a bit on Taxes.

MAIN BUILD

$25.99 Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS424-98 - Retail (Black)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SIMPXM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$59.99 Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower ATX Case (RC-912-KKN1)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZM7YTA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$224.99 Intel Core i5 Processor i5-2500K 3.3GHz 6MB LGA1155 CPU BOX80623I52500K
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBUXHQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$179.99 ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 Supported Intel P67 DDR3 2400 ATX Motherboard
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QF0VD6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$109.99 Corsair Enthusiast Series 750-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD platforms 750TX v2
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MYFODI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$249.99 MSI GeForce GTX560 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card N560GTX TI TWIN FROZR II OC
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JLNZXU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$59.99 Samsung Desktop Class Spinpoint F3 1 TB SATA 3.0 Gb-s 32 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare-OEM Drives, HD103SJ
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MQC0P8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$48.70 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-4GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425 (Newegg: Price is after tax.)

EXTRAS

$6.99 KingWin Anti-Static Wrist Strap (ATS-W24)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042TLA90/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

$13.39 Cooler Master 120mm Silent Case Fan 4-in-1 Value Pack - (R4-S2S-124K-GP)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O8I474/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Total $980.01

Last questions:

1) Are the 4 x 120mm Fans going to help with performance/stability? I'm planning on running it 24/7, so I thought extra cooling would help with this.

2) Anti-Static Wrist Strap? Necessary? Or is there some secret trick people use to discharge static?

 

[jmsellars1]

The extra fans aren't going to help stability unless you mean to stop it from overheating. The main thing that will help stability is a good quality power supply. The one you are getting looks good. Personally i don't have an anti static band, i just earth myself by touching some form of metal pipe connected to the earth ie. Metal tap or radiator piping. At $6.99 it's probably worth it for the peace of mind though. One last thing i would note about the PSU, it is not modular so youre going to have to spend some time managing cables for good airflow. I regret buying a non modular PSU and wish i just payed the bit extra. If youre thinking of doing this, look for the HX-750.

Good luck

 

[aliasautumn]

Best answer selected by aliasautumn.