My updated gaming PC build. Please comment!

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510
Last week I posted a gaming build, requesting comments and thoughts. I now need them again because i've updated the build. Please let me know if I'm missing something.
Case: Corsair 800d http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001 $280
PSU: Roswell RX750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182067 $90
Motherboard: Asus LGA 1155 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131773 $133
CPU: i5 2500k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 $230
SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 120GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706 $190
RAM: G.Skill Sniper 8GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231519 $65
GPU: I have a 560ti
HDD: have an 500GB drive right now
Liquid Cooling system: Rasa 750 RX360 http://www.frozencpu.com/products/14183/ex-wat-182/XSPC_Rasa_750_RX360_Universal_CPU_Triple_Radiator_Water_Cooling_Kit_w_RX360_Radiator.html $200+UV lights
Others: Blue ray drive $65
I have a few questions also.
1. Will the liquid cooling system fit into the case?
2. I only need to cool the cpu, can I get the RX240 instead? Will it be enough to cool the cpu?
3. Is there anything I can do to reduce the price but not hurt performance?
 
That is an astonishingly expensive case. Only get it if you're absolutely in love. Almost any case above $60 will work fine for your purposes, because...

You do not need liquid cooling. Get a $50 Scythe Mugen 3 and you'll be fine.

Get the 830 or a Crucial M4 for reliability's sake; it seems like you can spare the cash.

Might as well save $10 and get identical Kingston HyperX RAM for $40.

Get a mobo that can handle two GPUs easily and will overclock well, like this Gigabyte: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498

Might as well get a good, efficient PSU. XFX 80+ Silver, $100 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207016
 

biscuitasylum

Distinguished
Jan 5, 2012
194
0
18,690
"3. Is there anything I can do to reduce the price but not hurt performance?"

Unless you're doing some really serious extreme overclocking... Liquid Cooling is nothing more than an Ego thing. I see UV Lights, so I kinda get the feeling this is nothing more than an ego thing for you. I mean if you really want to brag and show off, go for it... heck you might find 1 out 500 girls that might think youre cool.

I agree with Kajabla "Get a $50 Scythe Mugen 3 and you'll be fine."

as far as the case... really?

Do you plan on living in it? lol

I select Kajabla as the best answer.
 

vollman1

Distinguished
Aug 8, 2011
1,060
0
19,360
Water cools better than air. And if you are OCing at all, you will want the coolest temps that you can get.

That said, you don't have to go with custom loops. You can get factory sealed water cooling solutions like the H60 or H80 from Corsair which are not as cool as custom loops but better than air.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181016&Tpk=h80


They will knock 5-10'C off of your temps compared to air coolers. I use the H100 (similar to H80) and that is what I have seen.

If you are on a tight budget, air is a better value, but you will probably not be able to OC past 4.3-4.5 or about 1.35v.

If you want performance, go with water. You can get pretty good rebates if you wait/shop around.
 

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510
Wow... you guys are totally right! I must be going out of my mind lately. Im not even a hardcore gamer yet I want such a hardcore gaming machine. I really have no one to show off the machine to either. Maybe I should go cheaper and just get a second gpu instead of such an expensive case. Time to shop around a little more.
 

Zero_

Distinguished
Ouch, that's one expensive casing. You can easily knock off $150 on that. Also, not too happy about the PSU and as always, make sure you absolutely need water cooling. A decent air cooler can push a 2500k to 4.5GHz+ easily, without the hassle and at a fraction of the price.
 

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510

So what do you think about the SSD?
 

biscuitasylum

Distinguished
Jan 5, 2012
194
0
18,690



Just think of the many years of overclocking thats been done without watercooling.

I still remember installing heat sinks on chip sets long before motherboard companies ever did.

:pt1cable:
 

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510


good case but im looking for a full tower case so i can upgrade later. if you can recommend me a great full toweer case for a good price let me know. thanks
 

vollman1

Distinguished
Aug 8, 2011
1,060
0
19,360



5-10'C....

For like $17 more....
 

biscuitasylum

Distinguished
Jan 5, 2012
194
0
18,690



You know, I have a good friend who was a huge geek... He bought a $99 window unit back in the day and designed an air flow system for a custom case he made that was air conditioned.

 
An H100 will probably get you 5 degrees, yes. Not 10. It might get you one more bin on your maximum overclock, or maybe two, but you won't need that. Get a 2600K if you're crazy about OCing for its own sake, but you're still going to be GPU-bottlenecked. Get the Mugen. If you really want that last couple of degrees, get the Archon. It's just about the same as the H100 and costs $80, though it's still more than you need: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/corsair-h100_5.html
 

vollman1

Distinguished
Aug 8, 2011
1,060
0
19,360


Air if you are on a budget; water if you want performance.

I respect your guessing about the H series coolers. My first hand experience just happens to be different.

The H100 (very similar to the H80):

1- dropped me 10'C and it is on low fan setting; High gives me another 5'C
2- was much easier to install than an air cooler
3- Increases air flow though the case due to less clutter
4- doesn't stress the mobo like having a heavy air cooler hanging off of it does
5- didn't have to spend another $10-15 on thermal grease because it is pre-applied to the H series coolers.

I have used air and water coolers and I am not a fan boy of either. But, water cools better than air.

Air is cheaper, especially if you are not going to get as much out of your cpu as you can.

But then let's face it, if you aren't going to do that then you may as well just save more money and use a stock cooler with a mild OC.

Edit:

Your review is dated back to August of last year btw. Prices of the H60 are now anywhere from $45-$65 and the H100 is anywhere from $70-$105 depending on MIR and other sales.
 

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510

Ok, ive made up my mind and decided to get the rasa rx240 water cooling kit because i fear ill regret if i dont go with water cooling. Might go with the 17 2600k but was told performance wont improve that much from an i5 2500k. Will adding another 560ti twin frozr 2 improve my gameplay? I heard it doesnt combine the memory of the two cards? What do you think?
 

mlor3

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
17
0
18,510

your recommendations were great! Ive switched the mobo and psu with the ones you recommended but will stick with the ocz because its faster. Liquid cooling seems just too awesome to pass up too. I changed my case to a NZXT White http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146088 because it looks awesome. I want white, thinking about pink ones too, tubes in water cooling to make it look super great. What do you think?
 

vollman1

Distinguished
Aug 8, 2011
1,060
0
19,360
If you are custom water cooling, be really careful on parts and DO NOT GO ON THE CHEAP. I have no experience with custom loops, but I do hear horror stories of people trying to go budget and losing their entire system due to part failures.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you hit the water cooling forums and get parts lists from them and feedback. Jaquith in Motherboards is also a GREAT resource if you can catch him.

Don't go on the cheap though, really.
 
Message jaquith. Might as well go for the best to begin with instead of hoping he finds you.
If you go for water cooling, know that it'll be for aesthetics. This is a perfectly reasonable justification, if that's what you want. The performance won't be worth the money.

The Vertex 3 Max IOPS beats the 830 in synthetic benchmarks, barely, but it's a different drive. I'd still go for the 830: you won't be able to tell the difference, and Samsung's SSDs are famously reliable.

If you like the look of that case, go for it. Check out the Phantom, though, and trawl the Egg a little: you may save $50 or so on another case that you like just as much.
 

vollman1

Distinguished
Aug 8, 2011
1,060
0
19,360
^ +1

A decent custom loop will run you some coin. I have planned one out with Jaquith's help (as a hobby item) and it is really about $500 all said and done with reputable parts.

It will cool great and is a great hobby item, but the return per dollar has kept me away for now.