[Solved] Making an i7 2600K Build. Need Opinions

Alright, so I am building (first time) a high end gaming computer setup. I wanted an intel processor and a strong GPU. As for a budget there isn't one, but I don't want this to hurt my head too much :na: Here is what I came up with:

1tb HDD $111 (got an open box for less. good choice?) http://www.microcenter.com/single_ [...] id=0352167

i7 2600K $300 (after taxes, but may change to i5 for 100 less) http://www.microcenter.com/single_ [...] id=0354587

850w GOLD ocz modular PSU $140 (rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] ocz%20850w

Lian Li K63 Case $120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 20li%20k63

570gtx GPU $350 (not sure if I should get 560gtx or some radeon model instead) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130620

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS $215 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131790

Corsair Vengence 8gb RAM $40(changed to slim model) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233186

DVD Burner $20 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827135204

Windows 7 $100 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116986

SAMSUNG P2770FH ToC Rose Black 27" 1ms Full HD HDMI LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 70,000:1 (1,000:1) $300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824001431

Then for a keyboard and mouse I am just using an average Microsoft one. Had to "save" somewhere.

It all (including monitor, OS, etc) adds up to about $1750 I think.

UPDATE: Getting close to final build, and updated "leading" components.

II will happily listen to any comments, opinions, or advice.

Message edited by EpicLord on 12-04-2011 at 09:55:08 PM

Reply to EpicLord

How about the case?

The Corsair power supplies are rated by most people as the best. You could probably get away with a lower watt power supply, but I personally like to have headroom in amps and so forth.

A lot of people on the boards use G Skill memory and there are similar options for the money if you want an option...but there aren't any BLUE sticks if you want to go all Blue to match your MOBO...

Good Luck...

Here is an option on the HDD I picked for my build...higher performance and you can RAID later if you want. Price is similar also...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Hitachi/0F13180/

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by ford1 on 12-04-2011 at 03:44:19 AM

------------------------------ Ford1
Reply to ford1

ford1 wrote :

How about the case?

The Corsair power supplies are rated by most people as the best. You could probably get away with a lower watt power supply, but I personally like to have headroom in amps and so forth.

A lot of people on the boards use G Skill memory and there are similar options for the money if you want an option...but there aren't any BLUE sticks if you want to go all Blue to match your MOBO...

Good Luck...

Here is an option on the HDD I picked for my build...higher performance and you can RAID later if you want. Price is similar also...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Hitachi/0F13180/

The case is included in a combo with the PSU. It is a Corsair Graphite series 600T. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811139007

Reply to EpicLord

I don't know what your budget is since you didn't list one , and it sounds like you want a powerful gaming rig so if that is the case instead of the 2600k which you don't need for gaming and you can basicly get the same performance from a 2500k and it is a lot cheaper. Take the money you will save from that and put it towards a GTX 580 and you will then have a top notch gaming rig that will last for a few years anyway and if you were able to get another 580 then there will be no game that you couldn't max out.

ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $194.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157264

This is also another MB that you could go with if you wanted another choice.

High Current Pro HCP-850 850W TX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371053

This is $10 cheaper and a much better psu than the one you had listed.

COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Black Steel, ABS Plastic, Mesh bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119194

With these two (psu and case) it will be the same price as what you had but much better components.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to inzone

EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $499.99 and a $10 rebate for $489.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130587

This could be a card that you could get instead of the GTX 570.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to inzone

inzone wrote :

I don't know what your budget is since you didn't list one , and it sounds like you want a powerful gaming rig so if that is the case instead of the 2600k which you don't need for gaming and you can basicly get the same performance from a 2500k and it is a lot cheaper. Take the money you will save from that and put it towards a GTX 580 and you will then have a top notch gaming rig that will last for a few years anyway and if you were able to get another 580 then there will be no game that you couldn't max out.

ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $194.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157264

This is also another MB that you could go with if you wanted another choice.

High Current Pro HCP-850 850W TX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371053

This is $10 cheaper and a much better psu than the one you had listed.

COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Black Steel, ABS Plastic, Mesh bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119194

With these two (psu and case) it will be the same price as what you had but much better components.

Alright, I will look into this. The main reason I didn't get the i5 is because I feel too bad about missing the black friday deal microcenter was apparently having. I think it was $150 i5 (30 bucks cheaper than normal) and $60 off a compatible mobo... Don't think they will give me this deal, but if they would I would definitely go for that (potential $200 savings).

Reply to EpicLord

this case is a bargain....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811147053

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to phenom90

phenom90 wrote :

this case is a bargain....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811147053

I am browsing around now and saw that, and that definitely looks like a good alternative if need be. The reason I was initially wanting the Corsair Case is that it is combo'd for 40 bucks off with the 850w GOLD Corsair Modular PSU. If I find a better value PSU, I might go for that and get this case. Also, how much wattage do you think I would need to SLI 570gtx? Or even 580gtx (this would be a lot further down the road)?

Reply to EpicLord

a good quality 850watts should be enough... but to be safe get a 1kw instead... gtx 580 definitely if you got the money to burn...

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to phenom90

inzone wrote :

EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $499.99 and a $10 rebate for $489.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130587

This could be a card that you could get instead of the GTX 570.

I was looking at that card, but it would be about a 130 buck difference in price. I have searched around some articles here, and I am getting numbers that the 580gtx is about 10%-15% faster? It also has more memory doesn't it? The one thing that may make me think about getting this would be the lifetime warranty.

Reply to EpicLord

phenom90 wrote :

a good quality 850watts should be enough... but to be safe get a 1kw instead... gtx 580 definitely if you got the money to burn...

If I go to 1kw PSU, I would probably get the Rosewill case to save some money since there would no longer be a combo. What are your thoughts on this unit?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817171056

This unit is also in a 30 dollar reduction combo with this mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157264

The mobo is a bit cheaper than the one I currently have selected, but I believe it should still work well.

Message edited by EpicLord on 12-04-2011 at 04:34:50 AM

Reply to EpicLord

i like that asrock board... the coolermaster psu is good as well... so in my opinion you're good to go... and get the rosewill cases...

Reply to phenom90

Personally, I like the Corsair PSU, and the Coolermaster Case. I believe them to be superior units, each in their own rights, hence my build. The case is simply excellent, top quality, and the Corsair PSU has performed flawlessly. I have owned a lot of different PSU's, including Coolermaster, and I prefer the Corsair Gold series right now.

If you can swing it, I have to throw in my 2 cents about getting an SSD for your OS drive. It was definitely, I mean definitely worth the buck fifty I spent on mine. If you have never used a PC with an SSD, there is no way to explain how big a difference they make in everyday use, everything is just like "bang", instant, its done.

Reply to jitpublisher

That Asrock mobo is crap compared to Asus P8Z68-V pro .. don't cheap out on mobo.
Cooler master PSUs are so so .. I would stay with Corsair, Antec, Pc power and cooling
Don't forget u'll need aftermarket cooler for ur CPU and some RAM .. like gsKILL might interfere with it (so go for low profile one as heatsink on the ram is pretty much useless)
and yes you will want to get SSD into your system ... 120Gb should be enough to put OS, 3-4 games and some progs .. the rest keep on HDD

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to madchemist83

Get the HAF 932 advaanced case it is sweet

Reply to ILoveGamingOnAPC

and the corsair hx750 or 850

Reply to ILoveGamingOnAPC

madchemist83 wrote :

That Asrock mobo is crap compared to Asus P8Z68-V pro .. don't cheap out on mobo.
Cooler master PSUs are so so .. I would stay with Corsair, Antec, Pc power and cooling
Don't forget u'll need aftermarket cooler for ur CPU and some RAM .. like gsKILL might interfere with it (so go for low profile one as heatsink on the ram is pretty much useless)
and yes you will want to get SSD into your system ... 120Gb should be enough to put OS, 3-4 games and some progs .. the rest keep on HDD

I know that asrock is owned by ASUS, and is kinda their budget version, but is it really that much worse? The board I was looking at come with a 35 dollars off combo with a 1000w PSU from Cooler Master (169 + another 35 off for a gold certified modular). I also read somewhere that the ASUS model I was looking at was going to be discontinued, so there won't be future support for it? Also, I could probably go with the Corsair Vengeance low profile model then, if the heatsink is too large. And how good is an ssd really, and do you have recommendations for one?

Reply to EpicLord

asrock is separated from Asus
they make alright mobos .. just the build quality is a little off .. that's why the stuff it with gimmicks like PCI e 3.0
if u want stable and painless oc get Asus
also I would watch out regarding combos .. usually combined of one good component and one low quality .. there is a reason they put it in combo
I'm sure Asus p8z68-v pro is not going to be discontinued
SSD is lightning fast compared to HDD .. if u want ur OS , games and progs load way faster .. go for it
Crucial m4 is very good SSD

Reply to madchemist83

Alright, I got pretty much everything figured out, except for what PSU I am going to be using. I need it to be able to eventually run dual 570gtx cards, so I think around 850w would be the best? I would like for it to be a good value for the price, since I am considering an ssd.

Message edited by EpicLord on 12-04-2011 at 08:18:12 PM

Reply to EpicLord

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817703028
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817116016

Reply to madchemist83

Thoughts on this 850w GOLD fully modular? It has a really nice price after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341044

Reply to EpicLord

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/art [...] ew/1204/10
great .. go for it

Reply to madchemist83

u only need 750w so get the hw750 by corsair

Reply to ILoveGamingOnAPC

hx

Reply to ILoveGamingOnAPC

Best answer

Here's a comparison of the PSU's promoted so far:

Antec HCP-850 - 9.0 performance rating
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] 5&reid=215

Corsair AX850 - 9.5 performance rating
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] 5&reid=197

If ya wanta 9.5 level PSU, the XFX Core Edition is much cheaper than either of those. The NZXT Hale

If ya want better, the Antec CP-850, SG-850, Corsair HX850, Seasonic M12, XFX Black Edition all get 10.0 ratings

Case - I'd consider the 500R which is extremely well reviewed and come sin similar combos

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 0R&x=0&y=0

The ideal screen size for 1920 x 1080 is 23"..... I find 27" to be a bit "grainy" at normal viewing distances.....the human eye can detect individual pixels starting at about 96 ppi (pixels per inch). A 27" has a ppi of about 81.6.....a 23.6" is 93.3. I'd suggest a 120 Mhz monitor like thisAsus

$290 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236104

This might help w/ ya GFX selections

Guru3D uses the following games in their test suite, COD-MW, Bad Company 2, Dirt 2, Far Cry 2, Metro 2033, Dawn of Discovery, Crysis Warhead. Total fps (summing fps in each game @ 1920 x 1200) for the various options in parenthesis (single card / SL or CF) are tabulated below along with their cost in dollars per frame single card - CF or SLI:

$ 215.00 560 Ti - 900 Mhz (495/862) $ 0.43 - $ 0.50
$ 340.00 570 (524/873) $ 0.65 - $ 0.78
$ 500.00 580 (616/953) $ 0.81 - $ 1.05

The 570 gets 524 fps in single card config and 873 in SLI.......costing ya 65 cents per frame w/ single card and 78 cents in SLI.

The 580 would get ya 17.5% more fps for 47.1 % more dough. In SLI, it gets ya only 9% more foor the same 47.1% cost increase.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 80&x=0&y=0

The 560 (900Mhz) would get ya 5.8% less fps for a 47% cost savings. In SLI, it gets ya only 1.3% less for the same 47% cost savings.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] hz&x=0&y=0

RAM is a good selection but drop the tall toothy heat sinks that do nothing but "look cool" and use the low profile version so it doesn't interfere with ya heat sink.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233186

Since ya mention budget being an issue, a 2500k will save ya $100 and result in little change in gaming performance.

With money saved on the above, ya can afford a decent Mouse and KB

Keyboard - $ 100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126100
Mouse - $ 50 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6826104318

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by JackNaylorPE on 12-04-2011 at 09:12:18 PM

------------------------------ If a man speaks in the forest and no woman hears him, is he still wrong ?
Reply to JackNaylorPE

I agree with that^, I have a 25 inch screen, and it looks fantastic, but I don't think I would want to go any larger unless I was sitting at least 6 feet or more from the monitor.

Well, I am thinking about going with the 27 inch SAMSUNG because I have almost the exact same model on the computer I am currently using. It hasn't bothered me yet. However, I would definitely be open to suggestions about what would be better with a 570gtx. Has to be about $300 dollars at most though.

Reply to EpicLord

Could I recommend one of these PSU to save you some money. Then you can chose which case you want. If you want to stick with the corsair you still save some money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341044
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341045
Personally I would get a coolmaster case the Haf or Haf x if you want the slightly better model.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 139-007-TS
Also go with a 580 GPU you can SLI a second in the future and even a third although this is a bit overkill.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by andrewcarr on 12-04-2011 at 09:34:47 PM

Reply to andrewcarr

JackNaylorPE wrote :

Here's a comparison of the PSU's promoted so far:

Antec HCP-850 - 9.0 performance rating
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] 5&reid=215

Corsair AX850 - 9.5 performance rating
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] 5&reid=197

If ya wanta 9.5 level PSU, the XFX Core Edition is much cheaper than either of those. The NZXT Hale

If ya want better, the Antec CP-850, SG-850, Corsair HX850, Seasonic M12, XFX Black Edition all get 10.0 ratings

Case - I'd consider the 500R which is extremely well reviewed and come sin similar combos

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 0R&x=0&y=0

The ideal screen size for 1920 x 1080 is 23"..... I find 27" to be a bit "grainy" at normal viewing distances.....the human eye can detect individual pixels starting at about 96 ppi (pixels per inch). A 27" has a ppi of about 81.6.....a 23.6" is 93.3. I'd suggest a 120 Mhz monitor like thisAsus

$290 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236104

This might help w/ ya GFX selections

Guru3D uses the following games in their test suite, COD-MW, Bad Company 2, Dirt 2, Far Cry 2, Metro 2033, Dawn of Discovery, Crysis Warhead. Total fps (summing fps in each game @ 1920 x 1200) for the various options in parenthesis (single card / SL or CF) are tabulated below along with their cost in dollars per frame single card - CF or SLI:

$ 215.00 560 Ti - 900 Mhz (495/862) $ 0.43 - $ 0.50
$ 340.00 570 (524/873) $ 0.65 - $ 0.78
$ 500.00 580 (616/953) $ 0.81 - $ 1.05

The 570 gets 524 fps in single card config and 873 in SLI.......costing ya 65 cents per frame w/ single card and 78 cents in SLI.

The 580 would get ya 17.5% more fps for 47.1 % more dough. In SLI, it gets ya only 9% more foor the same 47.1% cost increase.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 80&x=0&y=0

The 560 (900Mhz) would get ya 5.8% less fps for a 47% cost savings. In SLI, it gets ya only 1.3% less for the same 47% cost savings.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] hz&x=0&y=0

RAM is a good selection but drop the tall toothy heat sinks that do nothing but "look cool" and use the low profile version so it doesn't interfere with ya heat sink.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233186

Since ya mention budget being an issue, a 2500k will save ya $100 and result in little change in gaming performance.

With money saved on the above, ya can afford a decent Mouse and KB

Keyboard - $ 100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126100
Mouse - $ 50 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6826104318

In regards to the graphic card testing, would it be best to go with the 900mhz 560gtx over the 570gtx since I would like to keep costs down a bit? 1.3% less framerate for 47% less cost in SLI sounds really good when I am at the checkout...

Reply to EpicLord

andrewcarr wrote :

Could I recommend one of these PSU to save you some money. Then you can chose which case you want. If you want to stick with the corsair you still save some money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341044
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341045
Personally I would get a coolmaster case the Haf or Haf x if you want the slightly better model.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 139-007-TS

I am going to update my post with the new product decisions I have made. And I probably am going with that ocz PSU, and I have decided on using a Lian Li K63 case.

Reply to EpicLord

Reply to andrewcarr

So what are two good 24" screens to go with this build? or even 27"

Reply to wright83

If he plays FPS games it is better to go with three monitors two still only allows him to play on one of the screens and not the other but then he has to upgrade his video card. Thus one 27'' should be best for him. The 27'' he has listed is also a great monitor.
24''- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236111
25''- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236123
27''- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236091

Reply to andrewcarr

Best answer selected by EpicLord.

Reply to EpicLord

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