Sub-1000 € build - comments appreciated

[Nesher]

Hello!

I'm planning my first own build, in the form of a gaming PC to fit a budget of max 1000 € (living in northern Europe). I am planning to start the build in April/May, but thought about asking for advice already at this stage, in order to have plenty of time to plan and pick good deals for the parts I need.

Anyway, the idea so far:

Chassi: BitFenix Merc Alpha
HDD: 7200 rpm 500 GB, Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 seems to be the best deal around here
PSU: Corsair CX 500 V2, 500 W
Op.d: LG DVD+/-RW DL 22x
CPU: Intel i5-2500K
MB: Asus P8Z68-V LX
Graph. Asus EAH6870 DC
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM 4 GB 1333 MHz

In goes also a 120 mm fan or two, Windows 7 64-bit Home, a Sidewinder X4 keyboard and an Asus 23-inch monitor (1920x1080).

The idea is to build a computer that allows for upgrading over the coming few years, e.g. fitting a second HD6870 in Crossfire, going up in RAM, and so on. At the moment I am happy if I get good performance in 1920x1080 for the current generation of games (think BF3, Skyrim,...).

Questions/thoughts on my part:

-Are there any obvious bottlenecks/missmatches?
-Will the stock-coler of the i5 be enough, or is an after-market cooler needed?
-Any place were I have overlooked the fact that some parts wont fit the chassi?
-Anything else noteworthy...?

I am very thankfull for any help/comments I can get. If you think it looks ok considering the intended use & budget, please do share! As I said, it is a first build, and I'm a little nervous about overlooking something ridicoulus and ending up with pieces that doesn't fit togheter

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/PCIe3/overview.html <----- April/May is when Ivy Bridge is due out. 1155 Gen 3 motherboard + Ivy Bridge + New generation video card = PCI-E 3.0

 

[Nesher]

I figured waiting for the release of the next generation of CPU's & new generation video cards would dump the price levels for the current generation. However, of course I could settle for the new stuff with the same price tag.

If I do, you suggest that swapping the V-LX for, say, a Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3 or a AsRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 would be the way to go. I'm a bit unsure about exactly what the PCI-E does. Do I need two PCI-E 3.0 slots if I want to take advantage of it in the case I go for Crossfire/Sli in some future upgrade?

 

[Why_Me]

I figured waiting for the release of the next generation of CPU's & new generation video cards would dump the price levels for the current generation. However, of course I could settle for the new stuff with the same price tag.

If I do, you suggest that swapping the V-LX for, say, a Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3 or a AsRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 would be the way to go. I'm a bit unsure about exactly what the PCI-E does. Do I need two PCI-E 3.0 slots if I want to take advantage of it in the case I go for Crossfire/Sli in some future upgrade?

If you want to use a dual cards set up then you want to go with either the Asus P8Z68-V/GEN3 or the Asus Pro Gen3 version of that board, or the Asrock Z68 extreme3 Gen3, Asrock P67 extreme4 Gen3 or the Asrock Z68 extreme4 Gen3.

 

[Nesher]

So to sum it up, the P8Z68-V LX is less than optimal if I upgrade to Crossfire in the future, and regarding video and CPU no one can be certain about what will be the best deal in May until after we've seen the releases of Ivy Bridge, Pitcairn and Kepler.

I think I will simply put my plans aside for a few months, before going over my list again in May (perhaps June) to see what fits my purpose & budget best at that point. Thank you very much for your help (oh, and the Asrock Z68 extreme3 Gen3 does indeed look good when compared to the V-LX, especially with the small price difference)!

 

[Nesher]

Best answer selected by Nesher.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey