~$1000 Gaming Build

[darkclownjoe]

Approximate Purchase Date: This week(end?)

Budget Range: $1000 (~$650 left to spend)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching HD movies, Light video editing, Internet Surfing

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, 1080p Monitor, OS, Case, DVD/CD Combo Drive, 750GB HDD

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Amazon, Microcenter Store

Country: California, USA

Parts Preferences: None, Reliability>Performance

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, a bit in the future

Monitor Resolution: I am planning on using a single 1080p monitor while playing, but dual 1080p for general usage

Additional Comments:
-Will Microcenter offer the comparable Ivy Bridge at the same price?
-Should I wait for the Ivy Bridge?
-If not, which motherboard/PSU should I go for this build? (Options below)

Parts I already have:
-Rosewill Gear x3 Gaming ATX Mid Tower Case - $64.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147121

-Sony DVD/CD Combo Drive - $19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

-Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB Hard Drive - $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136283

-Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit - $99.99

Parts left to buy:
-Intel Core i5 2500k Processor - $179.99 (Microcenter)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589

-Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler - $35.34 (Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330747523&sr=8-1

-Kingston HyperX blu 8GB DDR3-1333 Dual Channel Memory - $29.99 (Microcenter)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0360526

-Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Graphics Card - $169.99 (Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/SAPPHIRE-Radeon-6870-GDDR5-Graphics/dp/B005C8RTTU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1330747655&sr=1-1

-Mobos:

Spoiler

-ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard - $129.99 (Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

-Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Motherboard - $159.99-$50(CPU+Mobo deal) = $109.99 (Microcenter)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0366193

-Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Motherboard - $164.99-$50(CPU+Mobo Deal) = $114.99 (Microcenter)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0364085

-PSUs:

Spoiler

-OCZ ZT 750W Fully-Modular 80+ Bronze Power Supply - $109.99 (Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-Series-Fully-Modular-Performance-compatible/dp/B005SCYFRE/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1330748487&sr=1-5

-Corsair Enthusiast TX V2 Series 750W 80+ Bronze Modular Power Supply - $113.99 (Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthusiast-Certified-Performance-CP-9020003-NA/dp/B005E98FVS/ref=sr_1_11?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1330748585&sr=1-11

 

[Outlander_04]

All Z68 motherboards will perform identically at stock speed .
Buy the one with the features you want

The computer will run well on a 500 watt psu .

 

[darkclownjoe]

Will it still be able to support dual 6870s?
Also, I want to overclock my 2500k, so is there any difference between the boards?
I might be adding another HDD and SSD into this build, so I figured I'd give myself some headroom.

 

[Outlander_04]

you need a board with two pci-e x16 slots that can run in x8/x8 mode for crossfire performance

A 650 watt psu will be plenty for CF 6870's

 

[darkclownjoe]

I couldn't find a 650W PSU that would save me $10 over the 750W, so I guess I'll stick with the 750W. Thanks for your help!

 

[darkclownjoe]

Best answer selected by darkclownjoe.