New Gaming Build, looking for advice!

[jross12]

Approximate Purchase Date: Tues, Jan 17, 2012

Budget Range: ~$2,000 USD

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming(Star Wars:ToR, Skyrim), Surfing, Downloading

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, Monitor, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com, Anyone else who will ship to the US

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: Don't have a preference, I would like something that will last a while and leave me room for upgrading later.

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I would like to play newer games at max settings. I'm not too sure about my pick for the GPU, I haven't kept up with newer hardware since the ATI Radeon 7000 series was new. This is what I've pieced together so far, please feel free to make changes.

Mobo $269.99
ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131791

CPU $219.99
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

Fan $54.99
Thermaltake Frio Overclocking-Ready Intel Core i7 (six-core ready) & i5 Compatible Five 8mm Heatpipes Dual 120mm Fans Intel & AMD Universal CPU Cooler CLP0564
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150

Memory $48.99
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345

GPU $549.99
SAPPHIRE 21197-00-40G Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961

HDDs $194.99 + $239.99
Crucial m4 CT128M4SSD1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC 7mm Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148529

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

BD-RW $79.99
LITE-ON Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM SATA 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu Ray 3D Feature IHBS112-04 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106369

PSU $189.99
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015

Case $159.99
Corsair Graphite Series 600T CC600TM Mid-Tower Gaming Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139007

 

[BohleyK]

You have a nice setup up there but you have a few things you could change to save money and have better performance.

Mobo: ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 (Its ROG and cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131806

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (Lower latency, minimal bandwidth loss, and less intrusive heatspreaders)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231402

PSU: SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W (Can still Crossfire)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087

SSD: Corsair Force Series GT 120GB (Simply faster and cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233191

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (Nicer)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139006

 

[g-unit1111]

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (Nicer)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811139006

I'd honestly recommend the Carbide over the Graphite - it's a lot smaller (but still roomier on the inside), has native support for SSDs and USB 3.0.

Mobo: ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 (Its ROG and cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131806

That's a Micro ATX board though - it only has 2 x PCI-e 2.1 x 16 slots and won't be capable of using the 7970 to its' full extent. The Deluxe is a better way to go as it has PCI-e 3.0 x 16 so it will take full advantage of the 7970's capabilities.

edit: Didn't realize that was a new revision of that board... :lol:

Still you're better off going with the full size ATX board though.

SSD: Corsair Force Series GT 120GB (Simply faster and cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233191

I have not heard good things about the Force 3 and that's mainly due to the Sandforce drivers that Corsair uses. Don't get something just because it's cheaper - really take your time and research everything you can about the products before buying them. A PC is something you don't want to get on impulse. No matter what product you buy it's always a good idea to head to the manufacturer's support forums to see what the most common installation errors and issues a particular product is having that way you know how to deal with it when you get it.

Fan $54.99
Thermaltake Frio Overclocking-Ready Intel Core i7 (six-core ready) & i5 Compatible Five 8mm Heatpipes Dual 120mm Fans Intel & AMD Universal CPU Cooler CLP0564
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835106150

The Frio is an OK choice but I have come to the point where I really dislike gigantic coolers like that. The one I have when I got my new board was incredibly difficult to install. You're better off going with a small cooler like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835288001
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608016

Or maybe a closed liquid loop like the H100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017

 

[BohleyK]

Mobo: ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 (Its ROG and cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131806

[strike]That's a Micro ATX board though - it only has 2 x PCI-e 2.1 x 16 slots and won't be capable of using the 7970 to its' full extent. The Deluxe is a better way to go as it has PCI-e 3.0 x 16 so it will take full advantage of the 7970's capabilities.
[/strike]
edit: Didn't realize that was a new revision of that board... :lol:

Still you're better off going with the full size ATX board though.

How is a full ATX better than a micro with the same features while the micro is cheaper?

Also those "liquid coolers" from Corsair, Antec, and the like are a waste of money. Air coolers get the same performance for half the price.

You should still get a different SSD. The write times on the Crucial are a joke.

 

[Gordon Freeman]

Your build is solid but that MOBO you picked is overpriced save a little on that if you want but otherwise great build that will last.

 

[g-unit1111]

How is a full ATX better than a micro with the same features while the micro is cheaper?

The Micro only has two expansion slots - if you go SLI you will not have anything left for anything else. I know sound cards are a waste anymore but there's times when you need one so you couldn't use one on this board. But if you need like an extra LAN adapter (some routers, switches and cable and DSL modems require them), a PCI wifi adapter, anything of that sort - it will be useless to install those things because you won't have the slots for them. Cheaper isn't always better, IMO.

Also those "liquid coolers" from Corsair, Antec, and the like are a waste of money. Air coolers get the same performance for half the price.

I agree with that to a certain extent. I always think it's better to have a stronger air cooler than a weak liquid cooler.

You should still get a different SSD. The write times on the Crucial are a joke.

I have one and it's been great so far. No problems or complaints about it.

 

[jross12]

Thanks for all the replies so far!
After doing some reading I think I'll go with the Corsair Force Series GT 120GB. All the issues it had seem to have been fixed by a firmware update.
Other than lack of expansion on the micro atx board, are there any other reasons to not choose a micro atx board?
What about overclocking the cpu and memory?
I've never seen anything like the H100 before. Will it keep my cpu cooler when overclocking?
I really like the Carbide 500R case.

 

[g-unit1111]

Other than lack of expansion on the micro atx board, are there any other reasons to not choose a micro atx board?

I tend to go ATX no matter what. Tom's did build a Micro ATX system based around that same board and it had really good results but the thing is micro ATX cases most of the time are very cramped and don't leave room for air flow, which full ATX systems do.

What about overclocking the cpu and memory?

If you overclock your CPU, you'll want the i5-2500K model. It's never a good idea to overclock your memory - the speeds are just there and loading anything beyond what your motherboard can handle will result in really bad things and could even fry your board as a result.

I've never seen anything like the H100 before. Will it keep my cpu cooler when overclocking?

It will keep your CPU cool, but no matter what case you get it will have to have mounts for 2 x 120mm fans on the top of your case in order to support the radiator the H100 requires. I generally tend to steer away from liquid cooling though as it can be really risky and have adverse effects if something goes wrong. Air cooling has no room for error and will prolong the lifespan of your system.

I really like the Carbide 500R case.

Corsair makes some amazing cases. I have the Graphite 600T and I love it, you can't go wrong with any of theirs.

 

[jross12]

If I decide to go with the ASUS board I originally posted, would that G.SKILL memory BohleyK suggested still be a better buy? Is there a better ATX option I could go with?

 

[g-unit1111]

If I decide to go with the ASUS board I originally posted, would that G.SKILL memory BohleyK suggested still be a better buy? Is there a better ATX option I could go with?

The G.Skill memory is excellent for the price. They're one of the best manufacturers on the market.

If you want a better ATX option - this is the same board I have and it's been really great so far: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506