Build Compatibility?

[JSRaper27]

Howdy,

I have recently finished selecting all the parts i need for my gaming build. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if the parts i have selected were indeed compatible with each other, as, from what i have seen, they are. This is my excuse for a double check, and to insure i am not overlooking anything. Even still, i would appreciate any and all recommendations and/or advice given.

Budget: $1500 (preferably) I can go higher if it is wiser to.

Things i'd like to have:

Ability to OC. ( although this isn't something i will necessarily do right away or at all if possible)

"Future Proofing" (as far as that word can take me in this industry) with Ivy Bridge compatibility.

SLI/Xfire support.


BUILD:

CPU: i5 2500k (surprising I know) $220 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072


Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 $190 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157250

Note- Wasn't sure if the extra $60 would be worth it from an Extreme3 to an Extreme4 for extra USB 3.0 and SATA.


GPU: MSI Twin Frozr III $370 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127582

Note- I understand Twin Frozr has a notorious reputation for not playing well with others i.e. cooling and heat dispersion. Would appreciate any other recommendations on this issue. I swear no loyalty to nVidia or ATi.


Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x4 GB) $50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144

Note- I took your advice and looked up similar G.Skill RAM but still went with Corsair because, from what i saw, G.Skill's lowest RAM for DDR 1600 is the same price. should i go with DDR 1333 instead and save the extra $20?


PSU: Antec CP-1000W $150 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371036

Note- I understand the wattage is unneeded and i was about to down grade to an 850W but for this price it is one sweet deal.


HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 $70

Note- Notice i will not be purchasing an SSD card right away. I'd rather just get an HD for now and see how well the build does in high-end gaming till deciding on an SSD.


CD/DVD Drive: Sony Black 18x/48x $20 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

Case: Antec 1200 V3 $160 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100

Note- Is there any real difference between this case and the Antec DF-85 other than the color? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129087

Is this a good, compatible build? I appreciate any help given.

Total: $1200 (roughly)

 

[abekl]

your links are no good

 

[dontqqnub]

Your links, just copy paste them... no need to use the option "add url".

 

[boiler1990]

One thing i am slightly uneasy about is the close proximity of the memory slots to the processor. I am worried that my RAM may be too large to fit if i use an aftermarket CPU cooler instead of a stock fan. Is it possible to setup my RAM so this would not be a problem?

This is a problem with most P67/Z68 boards. Since you're only looking at 8GB, you can slide the sticks over to slots 2&4 rather than 1&3 and there won't be issues. I had to run mine that way for a while.

GPU: As of right now i have chosen a Gigabyte GV-R6950C-1GD Radeon HD 6950 1GB $240 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125385

But thought it best to budget myself down a good $130 for a small reduce in quality. Bad decision? If not would a 2GB be worth the extra cash? Any recommendations?

The 6950s are good at 1920x1080, but the 6970s/570s are better (obviously). If you're looking for the best performance and you can afford a 6970/570, I personally would take that instead. The 2GB models won't do any good unless you're running a multiple monitor setup, so the 1GB should be fine for you.

If you're running SLI/CF you may want to shy away from the Twin Frozr card because the coolers are known to drastically heat up the second card.

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 $50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233144

IMHO Corsair's RAM is overpriced. You can usually get a comparable kit from G.Skill for ~$10 less, and it's still top quality RAM.

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro 1000W $180 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817171049

Note- I understand that is alot of watts for the build, but i decided on this for an eventual SLI or Xfire setup. So look at it in terms of future proofing. Even if it is still excessive the extra wattage makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

This is over-overkill. 2x6950s will need 750W (including headroom), and 2x570s/6970s will require 850W (including headroom). At this point, you'd be wasting money.

HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 $70 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152185

+1. Great and fast drive.

Note- Notice i will not be purchasing an SSD card right away. I'd rather just get an HD for now and see how well the build does in high-end gaming till deciding on an SSD.

Depending on the total price of the rig, I would DEFINITELY recommend a SSD. It makes a great boot drive, and with a 128GB you could store quite a few games - I have a 64GB just for my OS and Office 2010, and I have about 15GB in free space.

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Full Tower $180 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119213

Note- I chose the full tower because of it's expandability and the largeness compensates for my lack of genitalia.

The 932 is a good case. Did you mean the HAF X (942) though? The 942 is $180; the 932 is only $160. Keep in mind you have other options like the Silverstone Raven RV02/03 and FT02.

 

[ares640]

All of your links are broken by the way.

Mobo: Just note that the extreme 3 does not have front panel USB 3.0 support. The HAF 932 has 2 on its front panel. Most aftermarket coolers will cover 1 of the RAM slots but this is not an issue if you are only using 2 DIMMS. Just place them in the 2nd and 4th slot and it should be fine, unless your cooler is VERY wide.

GPU: The only reason to pick the 6950 is to get the 2 GB model. If you are only going 1 GB, the 560 ti is a better choice due to its massive overclocking potential. I personally would go with the 560ti HAWK or 570 Twin Frozr III

PSU: Cooler master PSU's are not very highly recommended. If you want room to potentially SLI, then 850 watts is the max you will ever possibly need. 1000 watts or more is for 3 cards. I recommend Corsair PSU's, such as the TX850 or HX850. Aim for 80+ silver, gold is usually a waste of money.

In regards to the SSD; If your budget is tight then forget about it. Right now it is mainly an expensive taste of what is to come. A 64gb SSD is not large enough to be useful beyond your OS and all your programs. Maybe one or two large games. It is up to you, but absolutely do not downgrade other parts to fit a SSD into your build.

 

[JSRaper27]

I apologize about the dead links. I thought i copy/pasted them and i swore they worked during the initial post. Anyway, i reposted the links and made some significant changes to the build in response to ya'lls advice. Thank you again for your replies.

P.S. Sorry i couldn't respond sooner, i was working and had no time to update my post or repost the links.

 

[ares640]

I don't think it is worth $60 to go from the Asrock extreme 3 to extreme 4. The main point is to gain another PCIe x16 slot for tri sli. If you are looking for a SLI motherboard with all the features you want, check out my signature. It does not support PCIe 3.0 or ivy bridge however, that is it's only drawback.

 

[JSRaper27]

I checked out your Mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130606 The Ivy Bridge support isn't a significant drawback as i suspect when Ivy Bridge comes out there may be some issues with these compatible boards that were built for a product that hasn't been put on the market. Nonetheless it is a nice feature.
I also found another MSI mobo with the exact same stats as yours but with Ivy Bridge support for an extra $10 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130622

 

[JSRaper27]

Best answer selected by JSRaper27.