Eventually moving from console to PC gaming :) Need advice!

First and foremost, apologies for the length of this post lol, I just have a lot of questions

Ok, so this is the first ever PC I’ve built, hell, it’s the first ever PC I’ve had that can actually play games well, and due to that fact I’m slightly worried about paying out so much only to find my components aren’t compatible or I’ve missed key things I need to buy or I’ve spent too much and bought parts that are essentially overkill for what I’ll use them for.

So if any kind souls would like to look through this post and maybe help me out with some of my questions, if only to ease my mind…..
Tower
Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower Case with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 - (RC-932-KKN5-GP)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

Not much too debate on this one, between the price point and rave reviews it seems like I can’t go wrong with this .

CPU

Intel Core i7-2600K Processor 3.4GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1155

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

Or

Intel Core i5-2500K Processor 3.3GHz 6 MB Cache Socket LGA1155

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-250 [...] 157&sr=1-1


I was debating purchasing the i5 -2500k as I’ve heard the performance between it and the i7 -2600k are relatively similar for games, however, this is the one component I won’t have to pay out for myself….Birthday present

So with bang for buck disregarded, which is strait up better for pure gaming?

i7 -2600k or i5 -2500k?

Until I get the relevant info I’ve settled on the slightly pricier i7- 2600k.

Motherboard

ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe - LGA 1155 - Z68 - SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 - ATX Intel Z68 DDR3 2200 Motherboards

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

Or
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-P8Z68-V [...] 692&sr=1-2

I’ve got a few of questions regarding these motherboards

Is there much of a difference between the PRO and the DELUXE versions?

On some listings I see some of the P8Z68 models listed as “GEN3”, can someone elaborate? Should I be looking for GEN3 versions of these mobo’s? Or are they ALL GEN3?

The next question stems from the first review under the P8Z68 “PRO” Mobo, but I assume it’s also relevant to the “DELUXE” too, it states that the Mobo refuses to boot up Windows unless a CPU cooler is connected to it, so can anybody with either of these boards confirm this? And can anybody with the same tower confirm that 1 of the 4 built in fans can be connected to the board? Or will I have to shell out for a separate CPU Cooler?

Here’s a link to the review for any interested.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R82O2 [...] hisHelpful

And here’s the link for the tower again, for anybody who can’t be bothered to scroll back up lol.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER




Ram

Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB PC3-12800 1600mHz DDR3 240-Pin SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit for Intel and AMD Platforms CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

I’ve heard good things about this Ram, I’m just wondering if 16GB is overkill? Could I get away with 8GB?
Bare in mind the most intensive thing I’ll be doing is gaming.

Mainly BF3 and Skyrim…
annnd maybe FF14 2.0 .

GPU

MSI N580GTX Lightning Xtreme Edition GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 3072 MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

I decided on a single GPU because of the micro-stuttering phenomena, which I admittedly know little about, is it as bad as some people make it? Is it worth avoiding SLI or Crossfire set ups because of it?

As of right now I’m thinking I’ll get the most beastly single GPU I can in my budget, and this is it!

To be completely honest, I know a few people are going to tell me to get a lower end graphics card, but I probably wont lol, this is about the only component I’ve absolutely set my mind on getting, I must have some form of GTX 580 3GB, unless micro stuttering isn’t really as big a problem as people make out.

Also, FF14 doesn’t support dual gpu, so a single is definitely preferable.


HDD

Crucial 64 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT064M4SSD2

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

So I’m probably going to get this small SSD first of all and have nothing but the operating system and Skyrim. (I’ve heard SSD’s are god for games that are loading a lot? Oblivion constantly loaded as you walked, think this may help out?)

Oh, are Crucial also a good manufacturer of SSD’s? I see another Crucial 64GB and I’m not really sure what the difference is?

Crucial RealSSD C300 - Solid state drive - 64 GB - internal - 2.5" - SATA-600

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Real [...] 186&sr=1-6

And in the not too distant future, I’m going to invest in a few…

Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Internal Desktop Hard Drive - WD2002FAEX

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] ct_title_1

Would this be a good course of action, or should I forget about SSD’s all together for now?


DVD Drive
Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS424-98 - Retail (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

So I assume it’s best that I get 24x speed, other than that I know nothing about Drives, all I know is that I couldn’t care less for Blu-Ray right now, so will this be good enough for gaming, or are there beter recommended D-Drives?

PSU

Corsair Enthusiast Series 750-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply Compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD platforms - CMPSU-750TXV2

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] PDKIKX0DER

One question really, will this PSU be enough to handle all of the above??

And just one more thing…..

Are these parts so fragile that it would be a bad idea ordering them from the US to be delivered to the UK just to save money?

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this, and maybe help out with some input, its appreciated .

CPU - In gaming you won't notice the difference between the i5 and i7, it's very slight. I would get the i5.

RAM - At the moment 4GB would be plenty for gaming, I don't think any games actually use any more than that. RAM is cheap though so most people go with 8GB at this budget. 16GB would be completely unnecessary for gaming.

GPU - If you are playing at 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 then 3GB of video RAM wouldn't make a difference, you would get the same FPS with that as you would with a standard 580. The 3GB comes in handy when you run super high resolutions (2560x1600 etc.) or 3 monitor setups. (5760x1080 etc.)

SSD - The Crucial M4 is awesome, get it and don't look back

PSU - 750W is a bit overkill considering you don't want to SLI. 600W would be more than enough power. If I had that setup myself I would consider a Seasonic X-560, tad expensive but one of the very best PSUs out there.

A big thanks for the replies guys, I actually thought no one would bother, what with the length of the post and my obvious noobieness, glad to see the community here is tight

Just one more thing though, I worked out the pricing, and even factoring in shipping and custom tax, a few things in that list, especially the MSI GTX 580 work out so much cheaper still, not only because of the US to UK exchange rate, but because its also plain cheaper, but maybe thats just me not checking out enough sites that sell these parts....I'll take a look at the sites you recommended and report back in....

......Its just so tempting to see my 1050 pounds magically transform into 1700 dollars lol, there I was thinking ordering over-seas was a smart move

I'll be back soon with progress!

Thanks for the read, I'll take note from it.

Sorry for my sloppy format lol.

Would you mind keeping the thread open while I'm in the process of ordering these parts?

My budget is between 1000 - 1100 quid.

Approximate Purchase Date: Everything except the Graphics card now, GPU in December.

Budget Range: 1100 Pounds before rebates and shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Crysis, The witcher 2, Diablo 3

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Windows 7

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: amazon.co.uk, scan.co.uk, ebuyer.com

Country of Origin: UK

Parts Preferences: None.

Overclocking: Not sure yet.

SLI or Crossfire: No.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I just want a PC within my budget that can eat up games for the next year or so.

COOLER MASTER RC-932-KKN5-GP HAF 932 Advanced MicroATX/ATX/E-ATX Full Tower Case (Black) (£122.58)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] 2T48Y49NKD

AsRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard, Socket 1155, PCI-Express 3.0, DDR3, USB 3.0, HDMI, 7.1 HD Audio, ASRock Instant Boot (£113.05)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] FT52IYP40Q

Intel Sandybridge i5-2500K Unlocked Core i5 Quad-Core Processor (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache, Socket 1155) (£169.70)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] ROKL5A1OLE

G-Skill 8GBXL Ripjaws X for Intel Sandybridge Platforms DDR3 PC12800 1600MHz 8GB Kit (£40.48)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] ROKL5A1OLE

Crucial CT128M4Solid State Drive2 128GB M4 Solid State Drive (£149.99)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] ROKL5A1OLE

LiteOn IHAS624-32 24x DVD-RW SATA LS LT Retail BLK (£29.99)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] ROKL5A1OLE

MSI N580GTX Twin Frozr II/OC - Graphics adapter - GF GTX 580 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 1.5 GB GDDR5 - DVI, HDMI ( HDCP ) (£414.42)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] 20ID72903M

Corsair CMPSU-650TXV2UK Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 High Performance 650W Power Supply (£75.48)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] Z2X9I7KSQG


TOTAL =
£1,115,.69 at Amazon.co.uk
£1,115,.69 overall.

This better?

I'd agree you could save on the case. And are you aware of how huge HAF 932 is? If your not going to sli, water cool or fill every pci slot and hard dive bay then go for a smaller cheaper case. I Have the HAF 922, says it's a mid tower and the thing is enormous.

Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to get a few opinions on this build:

EVGA P67 Micro SLI
LGA 1155, Intel P67 chipset

Intel Core i5-2500K
3.3 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo), Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache

Cooler Master Hyper TX3

Mushkin Enhanced Redline 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600 Kit
Dual-Channel Desktop Memory Kit

2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 460 1 GB
1 GB GDDR5

OCZ Vertex Series 30 GB SATA II SSD
30 GB, SATA 3Gb/s

Western Digital Caviar Black 750 GB
750 GB, 7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache SATA 3Gb/s

Sony Optiarc DVD Burner
24x DVD Burner

Raidmax Atlas-295WB

Corsair CX600 V2 600 W
ATX12V, EPS12V, 80 PLUS-Certified

Do you think that it can max out Skyrim and Battlefield 3?

Thanks a lot!!

--Hayden

@ Hayden

+1 to Why_me on the SSD front.

GTX 560ti SLI is gonna cost you only slightly more and it's gonna be faster than the 460SLI system in your proposed build. And yes, it will max out BF3 on 1920X1080. If you're on a lower resolution monitor though, you won't need anything remotely this powerful.

GTX460 1GB vs GTX 560Ti

Cheaper z68 board - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3

PSU: $75 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 - Got significantly higher amperage on the +12V rail as opposed to the CX600. Will give you the extra headroom for only a few bucks extra.

RAM: Get additional 4GB seeing as it will cost you only 'bout 15 odd bucks extra. 2X4GB 1600Mhz CL9 should be good enough.

Also, start a new thread to get more varied opinions and post the link here. Maybe I'll find the time to take a look.

Also, if it helps in regards to the PSU and i5 question, I've decided to pick up an MSI 560ti instead of the GTX580, and wait to see how the next gen cards fare in reviews and benchmarks.

MSI nVIDIA GTX560Ti OC 880MHz 4200MHz 256Bit DDR5 TWIN FROZR II Graphics Card (1024MB, PCI-E, 2xDVI, 2xHDMI)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product [...] S5ETPMZ9A1

You'll need to get a 750 TX for a 560Ti SLI system if you don't want to cut it too close.

Guru3d recommendation

EDIT: You can use this Power Supply Calculator to determine for yourself.

The power cables will come with your PSU and the data cables with your board. But if you do go for RAID with multiple drives, you'll have to buy separately. Newer SATA drives (HDD, ODD, SSD) working in conjunction with new PSU's won't require a 4-Pin Molex adapter.

Also, the Corsair 650 in your link comes with 2 GPU power connectors, which you will require for the 560TI, so you're well covered on that front too.

In any case, you need not order them from the net. While assembling, if you find yourself short, just run up to your local store and get 'em. Just a few pennies anyways.

Depending on your budget, The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO/Noctua NH-D14 or the Corsair H-100 are amongst the best options in their respective price ranges.

Having said that though, unless you're OC'ing, the stock Intel cooler that'll come with your retail boxed CPU should be good enough. Get an aftermarket cooler only when you decide to overclock your processor.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] m#t2424811

Sorry, I was kinda sleepy when I posted this

Man caaaalguy, I hate pestering you!

But! lol............I need to buy a LAN card also, I've decided to screw wireless and go with an ethernet cable for a faster connection....can you recommend any good LAN cards?

Also I couldnt find the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, I could only find the "Plus" version, but it doesnt say anything about it being compatible with 1155 mobo's, so I guess that version wont be compatible?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Mas [...] ef=lh_ni_t

And last of all, should I buy anti static wrist bands or just forget about them completely?

Promise those are my last questions lol

I'm just waiting on an answer for these and my GPU to come through the post then I can start constructing this bad boy!

Thanks again!