New gaming rig, need some assitance!

[Griever114]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within 2-3weeks

Budget Range: $3,500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, net surfing, watching blu-ray/dvd's, HEAVY photoshop/minor video editing

Parts Not Required: Monitor (Currently a nice E248WFP 24-inch Widescreen Black Flat Panel LCD Monitor), dell 2.1 speakers (dont have the room to change since these work fine)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: All newegg please

Country of Origin: Armpit of America

Parts Preferences: Intel processer, nvidia graphics card to go with my monitor and speakers by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to use an AMD CPU & Biostar mobo with a 24" LCD and full tower case)

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution: 1600x1200 and above. What can i pull off with this setup

Additional Comments: Basically, I want this to MELT my mind/eyes. Dont want to be cliche but i want this to play bf3 and "future proof" for a while. I had a friend who helped me put together the below build and I think its pretty good but I want to BE SURE im not going to fry the parts or MYSELF when setting it up. Also, this is my first build and i am weird. By weird, i know alot about computers but only enough to get me into trouble. I.e. I can fix most problems through research and troubleshoot on my own. Problem is, i dont want to screw something up and basically fry a mobo/etc. Also, I am looking to avoid SSD as the primary drive. Granted i know the SSD is much faster for booting/loading the OS/programs but frankly i would like to get a HDD. I heard VelociRaptor and the caviar black are amazing and the V. raptor is the fastest non-ssd HDD. Lastly, yeah sound card. I am a pseudo audiophile. As i mentioned... head, face, eyes, ears.. let em melt Thoughts?


Corsair Graphite Series 600T CC600TM Mid-Tower Gaming Case
case
*My friend showed me this "storm trooper case" and i plan on naming it Darth Cartman.. or something

BELKIN BP112230-08 8 Feet 12 Outlets 4320 Joules Pivot-Plug Surge Protector
Surge protector

MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Mobo

2x EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support
GPU

CORSAIR Professional Series HX1050 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Power ...
PSU

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
CPU

2x (should i get 16 gb?)
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
RAM

Western Digital VelociRaptor WDBACN6000ANC-NRSN 600GB 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Main HD

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Main HD option #2

Western Digital Caviar Black WD2002FAEX 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Storage drive

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
Dvd burner/dvd player

ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS - OEM
blu-ray burner/blu-ray player

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional 70SB088600002 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card
sound card

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
yay, upgrading from xp to 7!!!!

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Thermal paste
*This or Mx-4? I have heard literally the same exact things. I am NOT looking to reapply paste so this is one and done until i need to upgrade the cpu..

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Cooler/heatsink

RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
razer
or
Logitech G19 Black 104 Normal Keys USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard
logitech g19

I currently have a g15 and really love it. But its getting old and looking to upgrade. Never had a mechanical but want opinions. Is the g19 an upgrade to the g15?

Thoughts, comments, suggestions... Bueller???

Bueller?

 

[tacobravo]

You know your main hard drive link is to some RAM. Every thought about going for a SSD? Also since RAM is dirt cheap why not just go with 16 GB? Another thing you really don't need some fancy thermal paste, the one in the cooler master fan should be fine enough. Another note, why not go for liquid cooling? That'll make your eyes bleed when you overclock that i7 to 5 Ghz!

 

[kajabla]

ok.
-You don't need 16gb as games are today. There's nothing you can do that can max 8gb out in games. You'll probably need it in the future, though, so you might as well get two identical 8gb kits while you can. Go for it.
-SSD!!! With this enormous budget, there's no reason not to get at least 256gb. Forget that Velociraptor.
-Hyper 212 EVO is the new version
-No sound card. If you've got speakers that don't cost thousands of dollars, you won't be able to tell the difference. Onboard sound is quite good.
-AS5 is fine.
-You only need one ODD. The BDR can do DVDs as well.
-The BlackWidow is very clickety, if you like that kind of thing. Personally, I use an Apple keyboard . I'd recommend the Stealth Edition if you go Razer. It's got the same feel without the noise, which can really be deafening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svir0VPZ2Y0 (set your volume based on his speaking voice)
-Do you have a monitor or not? That one looks fine, but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere. The VW246H and similar ones are popular too, at around $200.

 

[g-unit1111]

Going with a Velociraptor with that build? NO. If you're going to sink $3,500 into a build - go with two OCZ Vertex 3 SSDs in RAID 0, that's the way to do it!

Or you could also go with a single Vertex 3 for your primary drive and a Seagate 2 - 3 TB hard drive for your secondary, and then invest the money in a better cooler. Sure the defacto standard here is the Cooler Master Hyper 212, why not try a no-maintenance liquid block like the Corsair H100 or the Antec Kuhler?

Oh and Asus DVD burners are terrible. Don't bother with those drives - go with LG, Lite-On or Plextor. Don't trust a build that fine to second-rate hardware. You also don't need two either - one is plenty sufficient these days. A blu-ray burner will handle just about any format you can throw at it.

 

[kajabla]

^I'd take two SSDs (more SSD data) over a smaller RAID setup.

 

[AdrianPerry]

I can't work out where $3,500 has vanished to on this build.

$2000 build should be plenty for SLI 580's and i7-2600k.

For storage something like 128/256GB SSD + x2 1TB RAID0 Caviar Blacks might be a good idea, but it depends on how much storage space you need, 1TB might be plenty?

 

[Griever114]

Hello all!!!!

Here are my changes:

1. Looks like I might go for the 16gb of ram. I mean, why the heck not >.
2. Adrian, sorry, I SHOULD have said >$3,500 with tax/shipping. My apologies. There is some software that I am getting from newegg that is bumping the price by a little
3. Is this the liquid cooler? My friend intially suggested this one but Im afraid of punching a hole in it when i set it up . Like i said, im a newbie.
CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017]I COOL THINGS
Does the H100 have thermal paste applied already? Is it reliable?
4. My hesitation with SSD is two fold. Doesn't the OS grow with age? Also, I swap out games like crazy. I am very concerned with using a SSD since I am concerned about flash dependability. Don't they have a shorter write life cycle? I have been burned in the past with flash drives and tbqh, dont SSD's wear out faster? I mean I know it will shave a few seconds off boot time and loads but if im sacrificing dependability to a few seconds i can deal. FYI, i know HDD do fail, im not a complete fool .
5. IF i go SSD for the main, can i get a link to a good one? I did some searching and the OCZ vertex's i found are only 3*.. Y U NO 4+ stars!!! . LOL. I am very hesitant with 3* and having things fail on me. Are there any 4*+ 200+ gb SSD drives?
6. I have a dell monitor as listed above.
7. With regards to ODD, the ones i have selected are all 4-5*. I selected 2 since i burn ALOT of picture cd's and video from my editing.
8. I have really nice headphones so the sound card stays. I have loud neighbors and slap on my headphones so i do hear the difference. I know the 2.1 aren't great but they serve their purpose.

Thanks for comments thus far.

 

[g-unit1111]

1. Yes - for that build 16GB is definitely a wise choice, you will not regret it in the long run.

3. Yes - the H100 is the cooler I recommended - I've heard that setup isn't that big of a pain but if you're worried about the tubes getting punctured you could always go with a dual fan/heat sink setup like the Noctua D14 or the Thermalright Silver Arrow. Once you get the radiator mounted on the top of your case (make sure that it supports a dual fan radiator before you buy it) then attaching the cooling unit to the CPU isn't that big of a deal.

4. Yes and no. SSD is really amazing if you know what you're doing. Never, ever do a clean format of an SSD or run multiple benchmarking programs - those will wear down your drive. If you install Windows as is on the drive, and you don't overload your SSD beyond 80% capacity then it's easily worth it in the long run, you will not regret it. And with Z68 supporting 3TB and beyond, you can always add more drives later on. Z68 also has Intel's excellent smart SSD caching feature where you can install and use your SSD as a memory cache and you'll get blazing performance that way.

5. OCZ Vertex is kind of the defacto standard from the big computer mags like Maximum PC, I use Intel and Crucial drives and they're both excellent. If you go with a 128GB Crucial M4 and pair it with something like a Seagate Barracuda 2TB or a Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB then you will not have to worry about long term storage or anything. Just make sure to install all your games and that kind of stuff on the secondary instead of the primary and you'll do fine.

7. Yeah but then again I tell people that the reviews aren't always reliable - a lot of the bad reviews on Newegg are generally due to installation errors, RMAs, or bad refunds ( :lol: ). I got a cheapo Asus burner to replace a drive that had failed on me and it got so hot that it nearly exploded after the third burn. I wound up sending it back to Newegg like that day. A single Blu-Ray burner will read every available format you can throw at it. I like the Plextor B940 myself but it looks like that one may be discontinued. Although I should note that I use my external HP DVD burner more than any burner I own.

 

[Griever114]

1. 16 Gb .. check
3. H100 cooling check... ( i hopoe O_O)
4. Honestly, I checked a bunch of forums and read up and the setup is a PAIN and too much for me honestly. Yes, i know, flog me for being lazy but it seems like i have a MUCH higher chance of screwing it up especially since I will already be tense with this setup.
That being said. I am getting the raptor (please dont flog me too hard >_<). Im not ready personally for the shift.. yet.
This brings me to a different question. Once i get everything set up, how do i format the new drive? I mean, i get to the bios to check if everything works and change the boot order to the windows cd. Install 7 but then its too late to format. Am I missing something?
7. LOL, yeah i read the reviews that alot of the RMA's errors and issues for the OCZ may be client side but im already venturing into uncharted territory with this and not looking to make things more complicated. True, i have two drives but i prefer it. My drives are almost ALWAYS running something.

Last question, what kind of rig am i looking at? Playing bf3 on ultra? What about shelf life? I might throw my 570gtx as physx. Are there any problems i should look out for? The HC100 has thermal paste already on it correct?

Thanks!!!!

 

[g-unit1111]

I've never really used the H100 - I'm heavily considering checking it out if my Silver Arrow isn't performing the way it's supposed to (and right now it isn't but that's a different topic...) but from what I've been reading about it - I think it has its own thermal paste already applied, but if it doesn't thermal paste is not that expensive. You can get the Arctic Cooling stuff for like $5 - $10 depending on where you shop. The trick is to make sure that you get a case that's capable of supporting a dual fan radiator and installation should be nothing. Check out Corsair's own cases - I own the 600T and love it, but the new Carbide 400 and 500 are really sweet.

And as far as SSDs go, setup is not a pain as some are making it out to be. I'll admit that I was pretty wary of going SSD at first but the Z68 chipset made installing and configuring SSDs an absolute breeze, especially compared to my X58 system where installation was a bit of a pain but once I got everything in the BIOS ironed out it was no trouble whatsoever. The trick is to make sure that you don't, under any circumstances, perform a full clean format of the drive. You wont notice any performance difference switching from a 7200 RPM drive to a 10000 RPM drive, but you will notice with an SSD.

So here's a build that you'd want to consider - this is just parts that I've thrown together. Keep in mind that if the H100 is indimidating to you then you could always go with a well-built air cooler like something Cooler Master, Thermalright, or EVGA offers:

Case:Corsair Carbide 400R - $99.99
PSU: Corsair TX750 V2 - $109.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P - $179.99
CPU: 3.30 GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99
Cooler: Corsair H100 - $109.99
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw 16GB (4 x 4GB) 1600MHz - $109.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $197.99
HD: Seagate Barracuda XT Green Edition 2TB - $109.99
Optical: LG Black Super Multi 12X BD-R Combo - $69.99
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570TI 1.2GB - $319.99
Keyboard / Mouse: Logitech MK280 - $28.99
Monitor: Asus 23.6" 1080p VH242H - $179.99
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - $99.99

Total: $1,820 ($1,961 w/ tax and shipping)

 

[kajabla]

Still gonna flog you on that raptor
Seriously, SSDs are a much better idea. There's nothing to be "personally ready" for; they're just obviously superior.
SSDs fail at roughly the same rate as HDDs, erring on the side of slightly better reliability. Failure is not a big issue, and if you back up it doesn't even matter. Their performance is so much better that they're therefore the obvious choice.
Tom's SSD reliability article: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-reliability-failure-rate,2923-9.html
If I were you, I'd get a 256gb SSD and throw Windows and a couple of your favorite games on it. Later on, when you get tired of them, you can switch them out for others and dump them on your HDD.

 

[Griever114]

I read the guide you suggested earlier actually along with a few others. Sorry I know logistically its better but I am not ready to make the switch... sorry Also, the liquid cooling wont fit in the case so i added 4 case fans to the side panel.

Below is the semi-final build. I just have to know the following:

1. How/when do i format the primary hard drive? when do i do it before installing the OS?
2. when do i tweak the RAM timing?
3. any other timings i need to worry about?

Other than that here is my current build ($2,979.43 with some extra software i added):

Corsair Graphite Series 600T CC600TM Mid-Tower Gaming Case
case
BELKIN BP112230-08 8 Feet 12 Outlets 4320 Joules Pivot-Plug Surge Protector
Surge protector
MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Mobo
2x EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support
GPU
CORSAIR Professional Series HX1050 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Power ...
PSU
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
CPU
2x G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
RAM
Western Digital VelociRaptor WDBACN6000ANC-NRSN 600GB 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Main HD
Western Digital Caviar Black WD2002FAEX 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Storage drive
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
Dvd burner/dvd player
ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS - OEM
blu-ray burner/blu-ray player
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional 70SB088600002 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card
sound card
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
yay, upgrading from xp to 7!!!!
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Thermal paste
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Cooler/heatsink
Logitech G19 Black 104 Normal Keys USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard
logitech g19
COOLER MASTER R4-S2S-124K-GP 120mm Case Fan
MOAR WiND!

 

[kajabla]

I know you're uncomfortable, but really, what's the difference? They act the same, the fail the same. One just works much better. This is like sticking with floppies because you've always used them and you're "just not ready to make the switch".
Otherwise, this looks pretty great. I recommend the Hyper 212 EVO, which is the newer version of the 212+ and works better.
You really don't need a sound card. It's $120 down the drain for an undetectable difference.

 

[AdrianPerry]

I know you're uncomfortable, but really, what's the difference? They act the same, the fail the same. One just works much better. This is like sticking with floppies because you've always used them and you're "just not ready to make the switch".
Otherwise, this looks pretty great. I recommend the Hyper 212 EVO, which is the newer version of the 212+ and works better.
You really don't need a sound card. It's $120 down the drain for an undetectable difference.

+1 on the SSD.

You only need to check out some of TOMs Hardware building threads and SSD round-ups to realise its possibly the most highly suggested component for a new build.

Raptors are old-school and just aren't worth the money any more. Either grab an SSD or just stick with 7200RPM HDD's.

Crucial M4 is a highly recommended SSD currently, the 64GB, 128GB AND 256GB all featured in TOMs "Best Value for money SSD's - October".

 

[Griever114]

+1 on the SSD.

You only need to check out some of TOMs Hardware building threads and SSD round-ups to realise its possibly the most highly suggested component for a new build.

Raptors are old-school and just aren't worth the money any more. Either grab an SSD or just stick with 7200RPM HDD's.

Crucial M4 is a highly recommended SSD currently, the 64GB, 128GB AND 256GB all featured in TOMs "Best Value for money SSD's - October".

Once again thank you guys for the assistance. My order timeframe got pushed to the first week of Nov so I will do a lot of research on SSD setup. Which brings me to my (hopefully) last questions:

1. How/when do i format the primary hard drive? when do i do it before installing the OS? Can you point to a guide on formatting the HD or how to PROPERLY setup the SSD for the first time?
2. when do i tweak the RAM timing? will the ram itself come with the proper configuration?
3. any other timings i need to worry about?

Thanks!

 

[AdrianPerry]

Once again thank you guys for the assistance. My order timeframe got pushed to the first week of Nov so I will do a lot of research on SSD setup. Which brings me to my (hopefully) last questions:

1. How/when do i format the primary hard drive? when do i do it before installing the OS? Can you point to a guide on formatting the HD or how to PROPERLY setup the SSD for the first time?
2. when do i tweak the RAM timing? will the ram itself come with the proper configuration?
3. any other timings i need to worry about?

Thanks!

1) You can format your HDD at any time, THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA off the HDD. Operating System, files, folders, EVERYTHING. Make sure if you wish to keep any data on the HDD that you keep an external backup safely elsewhere BEFORE formatting and then transfer the data back after the HDD is formatted.

The SSD - install this into your build first (via SATA cable) - install your OS on there and get your PC up and running. Once your OS is installed on the SSD and you can boot into windows, then proceed to install your HDD.

2) OC RAM generally isn;t supported just by installing it onto the motherboard. RAM settings and timings can be set within your BIOS. This may just required "XMP" to be enabled - it depends on your motherboard.

3) No, RAM is the only component that might require tweaking to run at its listed spec.

 

[Griever114]

1) You can format your HDD at any time, THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA off the HDD. Operating System, files, folders, EVERYTHING. Make sure if you wish to keep any data on the HDD that you keep an external backup safely elsewhere BEFORE formatting and then transfer the data back after the HDD is formatted.

The SSD - install this into your build first (via SATA cable) - install your OS on there and get your PC up and running. Once your OS is installed on the SSD and you can boot into windows, then proceed to install your HDD.

2) OC RAM generally isn;t supported just by installing it onto the motherboard. RAM settings and timings can be set within your BIOS. This may just required "XMP" to be enabled - it depends on your motherboard.

3) No, RAM is the only component that might require tweaking to run at its listed spec.

Alright, I am looking into the following drive:
Crucial M4 CT512M4SSD2 2.5" 512GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148444]Crucial m4, MOAR POWER!!!
So
Maybe the 256. I plan on using hibernation, system restores/etc, so if i go with the 256, should i install my games on my 2 gb WD caviar Black? If i go with the 512 i guess i can install the heavy hitters on the main drive... right?

Other than that, I always thought that you should ALWAYS format the drive before using it? But how would i do that when im first setting up a computer? I mean when you first get everything working you are only using the BIOS to change the boot order. Once that happens you are installing the OS and then you are using the drive? Don't SSD's have some special way to be prepared for use (i.e. firmware or something) or else they error out?

Like i said, im dangerous , like a child that found his dad's tool shed...

 

[kajabla]

Jeez, 512gb SSDs are expensive. 256 should be plenty for the OS and a bunch of games and apps.
Just make sure you're in AHCI
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/windows-7-and-ssds-setup-secrets-and-tune-up-tweaks/2910?pg=2&tag=content;siu-container
and you'll specify in the BIOS which drive you're booting to/installing on.

 

[farsuka]

OCing ram is pretty pointless, honestly.

 

[Griever114]

Jeez, 512gb SSDs are expensive. 256 should be plenty for the OS and a bunch of games and apps.
Just make sure you're in AHCI
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/windows-7-and-ssds-setup-secrets-and-tune-up-tweaks/2910?pg=2&tag=content;siu-container
and you'll specify in the BIOS which drive you're booting to/installing on.

Yeah i figure might as well just go balls out while i can and just deal with it. frankly, with the exception of moving the page file to the other drive, I will be keeping hibernation and a few other things on the SSD.

can you guys recommend me a 2.5 to 3.5 bracket so i can drop in my fancy smanchy 512 ssd .

lastly, i keep hearing about ssd firmware. also, that when i install firmware it wipes the drive... wth???

 

[kajabla]

You'll only ever have to do one firmware/format/whatever, and that'll be when you first set up the drive, so deleting won't be an issue. Many drives come formatted, so you won't have to do any setup at all. Just don't do anything until you read the instructions that come with whatever drive you end up getting.
Your drive may well come with a bracket. Do you have a link?
Why would you put the page file on the HDD? Wouldn't it be much faster on the SSD? I'd put everything on the SSD except your media, like music and pictures, and documents.

 

[Griever114]

You'll only ever have to do one firmware/format/whatever, and that'll be when you first set up the drive, so deleting won't be an issue. Many drives come formatted, so you won't have to do any setup at all. Just don't do anything until you read the instructions that come with whatever drive you end up getting.
Your drive may well come with a bracket. Do you have a link?
Why would you put the page file on the HDD? Wouldn't it be much faster on the SSD? I'd put everything on the SSD except your media, like music and pictures, and documents.

Thanks for the tips. Once again, i appreciate the advice since i am pretty much out of my league with SSD at this stage as well as with building my new rig.

Here is a link to the SDD:
Crucial m4 SSD

i heard that the page file takes up unnecessary space. granted, this is not a majoy concern since i have a 512 but i want this baby to last a while. i plan on putting my music, games, OS and thats about it on my SSD. my 2 tb WD will hold my photo's, video edits, etc.

I dont think the M4 comes with a bracket. If it doesnt, can you suggest a cheap/effective one?

Thanks!

 

[kajabla]

The page file is probably worth having on the SSD; though you'll probably never use it with this much RAM, the SSD will make it nearly RAM-fast if you ever somehow max out your RAM (video editing?). You have so much space that it won't matter (mine is 8gb with a total 200gb system).
Your music should absolutely be on the HDD. It plays so slowly that access time is not at issue at all. Media is the biggest thing to leave off an SSD.
I don't think your choice of bracket matters much lol, but this one seems well reviewed: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994087

 

[AdrianPerry]

There's a good chance that whatever case you buy will come with some SSD 2.5" brackets. My CM Storm Scout did and that's by no means an "expensive" case.

 

[Griever114]

There's a good chance that whatever case you buy will come with some SSD 2.5" brackets. My CM Storm Scout did and that's by no means an "expensive" case.

Thank you Adrian.

I mean ***, for $700 the damn SSD better sex me up

So, where do i stand with my rig in its current status? SSD and all