New Build -Final Check

[clairmel1]

Hi Guys.... Im on my third revision. I believe I have everything in order. I would greatly appreciate some feedback and opinions. I'm pretty set on most of the parts. The RAM was hard to choose. I sorta picked it with my own limited knowledge. So any suggestions on RAM would be great. The same thing with the GPU.... I'm set on the 560ti but if anybody has any suggestions as to which brand other than EVGA please let me know.

The computer is going to be used for video editing using either Sony Vegas or Cyberlink. After that maybe some video capture, surfing, and game playing. I have a Dell U2412 monitor with 1920x1200 resolution.
If I left anything out please let me know. Thanks.

The prices and links are from 1/18/12 Newegg.


Build Update v3:

MOBO: $185
ASRock Extreme4 Gen3

CPU: $320
i7-2600k

GPU: $230

EVGA 01G-P3-1561-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130623&Tpk=EVGA%2001G-P3-1561-KR%20GeForce%20GTX%20560%20Ti%20FPB%20%28Fermi%29

RAM: $75

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231445

PSU: $219
SeaSonic Platinum Platinum-860 860W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS PLATINUM Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151111&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&PageSize=10&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo
OS: $140
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit – OEM
HDD: $130
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

 

[WR2]

Hello clairmel1;

Nice monitor!
What's the reasoning behind the extra beefy brawny PSU?
Already have an optical (DVD/BluRay) drive and case for the parts?

 

[g-unit1111]

What's the reasoning behind the extra beefy brawny PSU?

I'm curious to know the logic behind this as well.

Right off the bat I'd suggest dropping the i7-2600K to the i5-2500K and investing the difference in getting a better GPU. Go for the GTX 570 or the Radeon 6970. Cyberlink is consumer video editing software - it won't require the huge resources that, say CS5 or something ridiculously higher end will.

This would be a better motherboard for the same price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506

If you're using video editing programs you could actually up the RAM to 16GB and it won't make a huge dent in your budget.

You'll want an SSD for video editing but I don't see one listed. You can always add that on later once you get your build up and running.

 

[pacioli]

Right off the bat I'd suggest dropping the i7-2600K to the i5-2500K and investing the difference in getting a better GPU. Go for the GTX 570 or the Radeon 6970. Cyberlink is consumer video editing software - it won't require the huge resources that, say CS5 or something ridiculously higher end will.

+1

The 2500K performs the same if not better than the 2600K in most games.

Add the money you save to your GPU for a bigger performance increase. Get a GTX 570 instead

Faster RAM timings usually give a very tiny increase in performance at 1600Mhz. 9-9-9-24 1.5v will work almost identically to the faster stuff. you could save an extra $30 there.

 

[inzone]

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9R
$49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233180

This ram is a good choice over the G.Skill and is the same speed and settings for $25 less. I am thinking you are getting the 2600k for your video editing and want the hyperthreading of that cpu. If not then you can save some money with the 2500k and I noticed that gaming was not much of a priority for you. The psu is a good choice if you plan on going with SLI later on but if not you can save some money with this model;

SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087

I do agree with haveing a good sized psu as you don't have to use it all but if you need it it's there. If you end up making these changes then you could get a 570 and there's nothing wrong with that.

EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$339.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593

 

[g-unit1111]

+1

The 2500K performs the same if not better than the 2600K in most games.

Add the money you save to your GPU for a bigger performance increase. Get a GTX 570 instead

Faster RAM timings usually give a very tiny increase in performance at 1600Mhz. 9-9-9-24 1.5v will work almost identically to the faster stuff. you could save an extra $30 there.

I don't know if you saw that thread yesterday on Intel's RMA policy but they're very strict about the speeds that people run their RAM at anymore due to the fact that with SB the memory controller is actually on the chip instead of the motherboard.

This ram is a good choice over the G.Skill and is the same speed and settings for $25 less. I am thinking you are getting the 2600k for your video editing and want the hyperthreading of that cpu. If not then you can save some money with the 2500k and I noticed that gaming was not much of a priority for you. The psu is a good choice if you plan on going with SLI later on but if not you can save some money with this model;

They're both good choices and I've had success with both brands. I know there's like a hierarchy of what RAM brands are better than others - G.Skill and Corsair are two of the best (along with Crucial, Kingston, Mushkin, and PNY).

 

[clairmel1]

Hello clairmel1;

Nice monitor!
What's the reasoning behind the extra beefy brawny PSU?
Already have an optical (DVD/BluRay) drive and case for the parts?

Future proofing was the main reason. I may have this PSU for a few years and if this build gets off the ground my next one might be more ambitious. Thus I'm just planning ahead trying to ensure I have have adequate power for any future 2 or 3 way SLI. My current rig is 6 years old and I might have this new build at least half as long.

That being said... I'd still like to buy Seasonic. What range of watts would be sufficient for considering future needs?

DVD/BluRay --- No nothing definite yet.. any suggestions?

 

[SingingThroughTheStorm]

But in the future parts will be pooling less power. Ivy Bridge will be more efficient then current Sandy in terms of Wattage.

You are also overpaying on the ram

 

[clairmel1]

What's the reasoning behind the extra beefy brawny PSU?

I'm curious to know the logic behind this as well.

Right off the bat I'd suggest dropping the i7-2600K to the i5-2500K and investing the difference in getting a better GPU. Go for the GTX 570 or the Radeon 6970. Cyberlink is consumer video editing software - it won't require the huge resources that, say CS5 or something ridiculously higher end will.

This would be a better motherboard for the same price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506

If you're using video editing programs you could actually up the RAM to 16GB and it won't make a huge dent in your budget.

You'll want an SSD for video editing but I don't see one listed. You can always add that on later once you get your build up and running.

I like Gigabyte boards. That was my first choice initially. But I wasn't sure if Gigabyte had true Gen3 boards. Then I stumbled on the Z68 Extreme boards.

As for video editing... I may at some point graduate to CSx -but that's a matter of future finances lol. But again would like to have the option.

And your correct about the SSD -- I'd like to get one but that's something I'll look towards once I'm up and running. That and hopefully the prices will come down.

 

[inzone]

The 750w Seasonic I have suggested would be a good choice if you didn't want to go with the 850w , I like both and the fact that you want to go with seasonic shows that you want quality and you also want a good amount of watts for extra just in case. You are the one buying these parts and it will be your computer so you don't have to be told what to get for a psu. Everybody can make thier suggestions and that's thier privilage but in the end it's your decision.

 

[clairmel1]

Sorry -- as for the case I have an HAF 922

 

[hpdeskjet]

Try this RAM if you are going for 8GB. It is from a very good company.

Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00 $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544

Also consider one of these aftermarket coolers if you intend to overclock.

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+ $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

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
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

 

[g-unit1111]

I like Gigabyte boards. That was my first choice initially. But I wasn't sure if Gigabyte had true Gen3 boards. Then I stumbled on the Z68 Extreme boards.

I have two Gigabyte boards and they've been excellent so far as well, I have been really impressed with the way my Z68 build has turned out.

And your correct about the SSD -- I'd like to get one but that's something I'll look towards once I'm up and running. That and hopefully the prices will come down.

I don't recommend getting like a 512GB SSD just because they have much more limited lifespans than say a traditional mechanical drive would. If you really need that much space you're better off going with a small SSD (60GB - 80GB) and then getting a larger 1TB - 2TB hard drive for additional storage.

The 750w Seasonic I have suggested would be a good choice if you didn't want to go with the 850w , I like both and the fact that you want to go with seasonic shows that you want quality and you also want a good amount of watts for extra just in case. You are the one buying these parts and it will be your computer so you don't have to be told what to get for a psu. Everybody can make thier suggestions and that's thier privilage but in the end it's your decision.

I agree with that consensus that it's your system and you're the ultimate decider in what you buy, but I like this forum because it makes aware that some brands are generally way better than others and there's a lot of factors that you have to look out for when choosing components.

 

[clairmel1]

The 750w Seasonic I have suggested would be a good choice if you didn't want to go with the 850w , I like both and the fact that you want to go with seasonic shows that you want quality and you also want a good amount of watts for extra just in case. You are the one buying these parts and it will be your computer so you don't have to be told what to get for a psu. Everybody can make thier suggestions and that's thier privilage but in the end it's your decision.

SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817151087

--The Seasonic X750 Gold was my initial choice but then for future-proofing I wondered if spending the extra $50 wouldn't be a bad decision for future prospects with SLI-ing and future-proofing. And I agree about the quality -- I'm probably gonna have this rig a long time so I don't mind paying a little extra.

I'll probably take your advice on the RAM.

Everybody can make thier suggestions and that's thier privilage but in the end it's your decision

Lol yes but suggestions are pretty valuable as is yours and everybody else's when you are fresh out of them.

 

[inzone]

Then my suggestion is to stick with the 860w Seasonic and then you will be assured of having enough power for whatever you want to do.

 

[clairmel1]

I like Gigabyte boards. That was my first choice initially. But I wasn't sure if Gigabyte had true Gen3 boards. Then I stumbled on the Z68 Extreme boards.

I have two Gigabyte boards and they've been excellent so far as well, I have been really impressed with the way my Z68 build has turned out.

And your correct about the SSD -- I'd like to get one but that's something I'll look towards once I'm up and running. That and hopefully the prices will come down.

I don't recommend getting like a 512GB SSD just because they have much more limited lifespans than say a traditional mechanical drive would. If you really need that much space you're better off going with a small SSD (60GB - 80GB) and then getting a larger 1TB - 2TB hard drive for additional storage.

The 750w Seasonic I have suggested would be a good choice if you didn't want to go with the 850w , I like both and the fact that you want to go with seasonic shows that you want quality and you also want a good amount of watts for extra just in case. You are the one buying these parts and it will be your computer so you don't have to be told what to get for a psu. Everybody can make thier suggestions and that's thier privilage but in the end it's your decision.

I agree with that consensus that it's your system and you're the ultimate decider in what you buy, but I like this forum because it makes aware that some brands are generally way better than others and there's a lot of factors that you have to look out for when choosing components.

and there's a lot of factors that you have to look out for when choosing components.

Oh man there are sooo many factors. Thats where the value of these forums come in. Learning potential is unlimited.

 

[clairmel1]

Best answer selected by clairmel1.