First Build - ~$2500 budget, need help with final component selection!

[Glocktypus]

Hello all,

I've decided to take the plunge and build my first PC! I'm looking to create a monster, capable of handling any game on the market for at least a couple of years (ultra settings at 1080p). The components that I have already chosen are as follows:

Case: CM HAF X 942
CPU: I5 2500k
Aftermarket cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Video Card: EVGA 015-P3-1580-AR GeForce GTX 580
PSU: CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 Modular
Mobo: Here is where I run into difficulties. I can't decide whether to buy a z68 chipset or not (p67 has everything I need, but z68 is newer). I want at least one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, in case I decide to upgrade to Ivy Bridge, but I also want a board with a configuration that would allow me to add a second GTX 580 in SLI, and still leave room for PCI/PCIe network and sound cards. USB 3.0 is a must, and preferably (though it's not a deal breaker) I would like a board with front-facing headers. Obviously I'm looking for LGA1155, but I also want a user-friendly BIOS for easy over clocking, as I plan to push the 2500k pretty far. Quality, durability, and stability are more important than aesthetics. These are a couple of boards I've been looking at, although new suggestions are more than welcome:

- ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
- ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0)
- ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3
- ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
- ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3

Should I consider Gigabyte and MSI boards? I don't really know anything about them.

Other considerations:

- I chose the HAF X because I wanted to make sure that I would have enough space for the D14 and the 580, but I would consider a mid-tower if these components will still fit comfortably. I figure less volume + comparable CFMs from the fans = better cooling.
- Is a 850w PSU overkill/not enough if I add a 2nd GPU?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[Glocktypus]

I forgot a couple of things:

Memory: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB 1866
HDD: WD Black WD5002AALX 500GB
SSD: Anyone have any suggestions on 128GB or more SSDs that are relatively cheap and well made?

 

[Glocktypus]

One last thing: the $2500 budget also includes peripherals (keyboard, mouse, monitor, sound system) and other components (sound card, network card, SSD, optical drive).

 

[g-unit1111]

One last thing: the $2500 budget also includes peripherals (keyboard, mouse, monitor, sound system) and other components (sound card, network card, SSD, optical drive).

You don't need a sound card or NIC, get the expensive peripherals later, as far as the monitor goes that can go either way, I will adjust accordingly.

I wouldn't even recommend Z68 on a $2500 build or a 580. The 942 is quite a bit overkill - get a Corsair Carbide 500R - that will be more than enough to house a D14..

As far as GPU goes - the 580 is a good choice but it's getting quite a bit old now and if you're going to pay that kind of money you should get a 7970 or 7950 - those are the latest and greatest. And don't bother with any RAM speed above 1600 as most motherboards that are Z68 will have a hard time recognizing it.

I'd just scrap most of your original build and go X79 - I wouldn't bother with the GENE-Z on such a huge case - the limited expansion will be quite be frustrating. X79 will be far more future proof than Z68 will on a $2500 budget.

Try this build:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Seasonic X1250 Gold - $259.99
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 - $329.99
CPU: 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-3820 - $319.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $89.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 16GB (4 x 4GB) 1600Mhz 1.7V Quad Channel For X79 - $159.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $174.99
HD: Samsung Ecogreen F4 2TB - $149.99
Optical: LG Black BD-R Burner - $79.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 - $559.99
OS: Windows 7 Pro - $139.99

Total: $2,406.89

 

[yougotjaked]

Alright I'll go though my thoughts on everything:

Case: I'd go for the HAF you were looking at. I personally like full towers as there is more room and better cable management, which ultimately leads to better airflow.

CPU: Best for gaming, not must else to say haha.

Cooler: Again, not much to say. Although since you're on a $2500 budget, have you consider water cooling? (and no I'm not talking about the Corsair or Antec closed loop kits)

Video Card: I'd go for a 7970 over a 580. They perform better and don't use as much power. Or you could wait and see how the 600 series performs (which is what I'm doing)

Mobo: If you don't need the features of z68, then just get a p67 board. I went with the ASRock z68 Extreme3 Gen3, and have had no problems so far. I'm currently at 4.5GHz easily on my 2600k, and the build quality is great (I've actually dropped it in the case a few inches, but no problems!) The BIOS is great too, in my opinion. So I'm personally going to recommend the ASRock P67 Extreme4 Gen3 since you don't need the z68 features. The ASUS boards are great too, but I don't see why to spend an extra $50-100 on a mobo when you can get great performance for less! And you can consider looking at Gigabyte boards, but I'd avoid MSI boards as there are better options out there.

Memory: It's memory and it works. Not much else to say except maybe just go for 1600Mhz for the same reason g-unit stated.

HDD: If we're looking at the same HDD, that one's $180, right? That's insane for a 500GB drive. Save some money and go with this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

SSD: Alright I've got a bunch of 120GB drives and up.
1) Mushkin Enhanced Chronis 120GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236
- $130 for a 120GB drive? It's out of stock right now, but this is the best priced drive.
2) Intel 520 120GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167093
- I love Intel drives. They are very reliable and now screaming fast! Plus a 5 year warranty!
3) Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe 120GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226225
- A little of a performance upgrade from the first drive. I wouldn't justify the price difference, however.
4) Kingston HyperX 120GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139601
- Not really much to say. It's fast and reliable.
5) Corsair Force Series 3 180GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233220
- This one's only $210 after a mail-in rebate. If you want a little more space go for this.
6) Crucial M4 128GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
- Crucial makes awesome drives. Can't go wrong with this

You can't go wrong with any of these drives. Personally, I'd get the first Mushkin drive since the price is so low! Otherwise, I'd go for the Intel one due to it's reliability.

Hope this was helpful. Please tell me if I missed anything. It's late for me

 

[phenom90]

try this build....

cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Intel Core i5-2500K - $225

mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157265
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 - $170

ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB CML8GX3M2A1600C9 - $50

hsf: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181011
CORSAIR CAFA70 - $30 after rebate

odd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136236
LG DVD Burner 24X GH24NS70 - $19

hdd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB - $115

ssd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820249014
Plextor M3 Series PX-128M3 2.5" 128GB - $185

psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256057
SILVERSTONE ST1000-P 1000W Modular - $183 after rebate

gpu: wait for nvidia kepler series as it may have impact on current market prices
plus it's so close to launch date...

case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053
Rosewill THOR V2 - $130

keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191
Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 - $47

sound: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836113033
ALTEC LANSING Octane 7 2.1 - $64

monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047
Dell UltraSharp U2412M - $340

os: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $100


total: $1658 after rebate excluding shipping...

 

[azeem40]

I like the above build, except for the CPU Cooler suggestions. The Noctua D14 will perform much better.

 

[EzioAs]

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 is the board I'd pick. The D14 is solid, good choice. The HX850 is more than enough for 2 580s and overclock. Everything seems solid and almost ready but as earlier suggested, better get a 7970 or wait for kepler. Just skip the video card right now and wait so that you won't have any regrets. Also, tbh keep your expectations realistic. You might not be able to max upcoming games 3 years later with that config. At some point, you will need to upgrade

For SSD, I recommend crucial m4 128GB. Very reliable. The price have gone down a little bit so you should grab one fast

 

[g-unit1111]

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 is the board I'd pick. The D14 is solid, good choice. The HX850 is more than enough for 2 580s and overclock. Everything seems solid and almost ready but as earlier suggested, better get a 7970 or wait for kepler. Just skip the video card right now and wait so that you won't have any regrets. Also, tbh keep your expectations realistic. You might not be able to max upcoming games 3 years later with that config. At some point, you will need to upgrade

That's why I suggested SB-E - it may run a bit more but you won't have to buy the same part twice to get extra features like PCI 3.0. I'd rather pay more now than pay double later.

 

[hellfire24]

You don't need a sound card or NIC, get the expensive peripherals later, as far as the monitor goes that can go either way

+1

wouldn't even recommend Z68 on a $2500 build or a 580. The 942 is quite a bit overkill - get a Corsair Carbide 500R - that will be more than enough to house a D14..

no offence but i think z68 is better for a gaming rig.x79 is for heavily multi threaded apps.you can't upgrade whereas with z68 you can get a ivy bridge,cases are a personal preference.500r is good but nothings wrong with HAF X.BTW i would suggest NZXT Switch.

As far as GPU goes - the 580 is a good choice but it's getting quite a bit old now and if you're going to pay that kind of money you should get a 7970 or 7950 - those are the latest and greatest. And don't bother with any RAM speed above 1600 as most motherboards that are Z68 will have a hard time recognizing it.

I wouldn't bother with the GENE-Z on such a huge case - the limited expansion will be quite be frustrating.

+1

X79 will be far more future proof than Z68 will on a $2500 budget.

How?

Try this build:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Seasonic X1250 Gold - $259.99
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 - $329.99
CPU: 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-3820 - $319.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $89.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 16GB (4 x 4GB) 1600Mhz 1.7V Quad Channel For X79 - $159.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $174.99
HD: Samsung Ecogreen F4 2TB - $149.99
Optical: LG Black BD-R Burner - $79.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 - $559.99
OS: Windows 7 Pro - $139.99

Total: $2,406.89

psu is super overkill.HX850w or AX850 is more than enough.x1250 can run a gtx 580 3-way SLi.
other parts are good.investing now on a 2500k on a z68 mobo is better idea as you can upgrade to ivy bridge in future.

 

[g-unit1111]

[/i]

psu is super overkill.HX850w or AX850 is more than enough.x1250 can run a gtx 580 3-way SLi.
other parts are good.investing now on a 2500k on a z68 mobo is better idea as you can upgrade to ivy bridge in future.

I ran it through my PSU wattage calculator: http://support.asus.com/PowerSupply.aspx?SLanguage=en

And it suggested 1000W minimum on 6970 (equivalent) and SB-E.

I'm suggesting SB-E so you don't have to upgrade to Ivy to get PCI 3.0 support - like I said I'd rather pay more initially than pay double a year from now, that's just based on my experiences.

How?

I've been told that after Ivy that z68 is going to be a dead end and that the generation after Ivy will utilize an entirely new socket - knowing the way Intel does things this doesn't surprise me at all. We had X58 and P55, then P55 went the way of the dodo and Z68 appeared, but X58 is still around even though it's disappearing fast. Now we have Z68 and X79 - after Ivy, Z68 will go away for something new and X79 will still be around.

 

[hotthree]

My recommendation:

Go with SB over 2011..Ivy bridge out performs lga2011 at basic clocks. Yes it is confirmed already. Only reason to go 2011 atm is for future upgrades IB-E. Or, doing some serious editing/rendering/auto cad/ w/e you can think of that needs this performance.

Go with 1600 or 1333 ram for SB. Buy at least 8gb for dual channel.

Go with 7970 or with the new 680 rumored to drop on March 23rd. March 12th be on the lookout for a paper launch or other details.

Go with any case you like. My suggestions would be 500r, silverstone, fractal design, 650D.

Get w/e cooler you want...zalman/noctua are best of air imo. or go with a h100 water cooler.

Get a 128 or 256gb SSD and w/e harddrive you want. Stay with Crucial m4 or Samsung 830. Intel is expensive but very good too.

PSU: stay with seasonic, antec, corsair, xfx (in this order antec/corsair can be flip flopped)
650w = 1 Card
750w = 2 cards (could be borderline if you OC)
850w = 2 cards easily
anything over is overkill for your needs unless you are just going trifire etc.

keyboard - go mechanical imo unless you want features stay then with logitech

Monitor - Im an ips fan, so dell 2411 or 2311h

sound card - unless your going for overkill the asus xfi will be plenty for cheap and includes an amp.

speakers/headphones...look this up ..i would go with sennheisers/audio tech 700's etc.

3.0 pci is a gimmich atm. Its not fully utilized and still won't be with IB. Yes it does help a tad, but very very marginal until games etc catch up to the field. You'll see little improvements. However still get it because its practically on every board anyways.

z68 vs p67 = z68 has dedicated onboard graphics and few more bells and whistles for usb 3.0 etc.

hope this helps. remember these are only suggestions so that you don't buy some 1200watt psu etc that some idiot told you to buy. I have already seen someone tell you to get a 1000watt that is way overkill.

$2500 gives you a lot of headroom and it would be a mistake not to get the best. However, theres no point in spending it all if the performance/price will not be beenficial to you.

 

[g-unit1111]

Get w/e cooler you want...zalman/noctua are best of air imo. or go with a h100 water cooler.

Zalman is not the best air cooler - I'll agree with Noctua, but I also really like my EVGA cooler.

sound card - unless your going for overkill the asus xfi will be plenty for cheap and includes an amp.

Not needed - sound cards are a waste of money anymore when the built in audio is fine.

speakers/headphones...look this up ..i would go with sennheisers/audio tech 700's etc.

Don't include headphones in your budget - you can always get the speakers later.

3.0 pci is a gimmich atm. Its not fully utilized and still won't be with IB. Yes it does help a tad, but very very marginal until games etc catch up to the field. You'll see little improvements. However still get it because its practically on every board anyways.

That is true but it's always better to be prepared for it than to have to buy the same part twice.

PSU: stay with seasonic, antec, corsair, xfx (in this order antec/corsair can be flip flopped)
650w = 1 Card
750w = 2 cards (could be borderline if you OC)
850w = 2 cards easily
anything over is overkill for your needs unless you are just going trifire etc.

I agree with brand choices but wattage will vary, this is the most accurate PSU calculator I've ever used - it's usually right on the money: http://support.asus.com/PowerSupply.aspx?SLanguage=en

Go with 7970 or with the new 680 rumored to drop on March 23rd. March 12th be on the lookout for a paper launch or other details.

I don't recommend any new hardware until I see some actual numbers - most of Radeon's 7XXX series have already proven to be top performers, whether the NVIDIA 6XX series will or not remains to be seen.

 

[hotthree]

Some zalman's perform quite well. They can be louder yes. It's preference. Price/performance is not the greatest but it does perform well. Nocuta is best/quietest.

I reccomended 680 only because it'll be top notch (suppose to be). However Im sorry I did not imply to read reviews. This is a no brainer imo.

If a budget is $2500 for everything he list then why wouldn't you include headphones? ...I recommended them anyways.

Yes that is a pretty good Psu calculater. However like many calculater's it still gives you headroom. I built a system on it that I knew could run on a 500watt and sure enough it recommends a 700watt...That is why calculators are good and bad. They help you not make bad choices but also cost you more money to. two edge sword.

If your experienced you can easily pick something out that will suffice which is why I suggest my recommendations.

I suggested 2 in a 750 (but this might not apply to a sli 580 which would draw a lot more power then a sli 460/560 system..hence why i said borderline.

 

[g-unit1111]

If a budget is $2500 for everything he list then why wouldn't you include headphones? ...I recommended them anyways.

I don't include anything that's not essential to the build - headphones definitely aren't.

I try to focus on the key areas and get the most for the money - case, PSU, motherboard, CPU, RAM, storage (optical, SSD, HD(s) ), video card, and monitor are the most important - PSU and GPU are to me, the most important parts of any build. Then motherboard/CPU/RAM, then storage, then everything else. OS is pretty much an after thought since it's Win 7 all the way, unless you're using Linux - most users don't but there's definitely exceptions.

To me, peripherals - and especially expensive keyboards, mice, headsets - are always an after thought as well since it's relatively easy to add those, it's not easy to add a new motherboard. I'll never recommend a $200 keyboard / mouse setup - to me that's really pointless to waste that kind of money when you could put it into getting the best GPU or CPU setup you can get. If you have $2500 to spend on a build I'd rather it go toward the most top-notch hardware you can get for the price rather than waste it on those things. Accessories as well like cable hubs, front panel LCDs, LED lights, static wrist straps, things like that are absolute junk and you're pretty much throwing your money away - I will never include that stuff on a build as it puts a dent in what hardware you're able to buy, and you can always get that stuff later.

Some zalman's perform quite well. They can be louder yes. It's preference. Price/performance is not the greatest but it does perform well. Nocuta is best/quietest.

I really like Noctua fans and I also like my EVGA cooler - that's worked out quite well. I've used plenty of fans - I've had the best luck with the Hyper 212 and the EVGA cooler, I've had the worst luck with the Xigmatek Gaia (too many loose parts and cheap thermal compound) and the Thermalright Silver Arrow.

I reccomended 680 only because it'll be top notch (suppose to be). However Im sorry I did not imply to read reviews. This is a no brainer imo.

That's just speculation though - you can read all the PR you want, but after the fiasco with the overhype surrounding AMD's FX line, I always take a wait and see attitude toward new hardware - especially CPUs and GPUs. To me that's one of the most important parts of any build, and I don't want to trust it to hype - I want to trust it to what I see.

TOTAL = $3189.50

HOWEVER, if you want to get to your $2500 price, just remove the speakers and the second graphics card. Then your total will come to:

You're going over the budget by like $700 there. 2 x 7950s are quite overkill (nice to have... :lol: ), get one now, get the second when you can afford it.

 

[g-unit1111]

It stands to reason that there may be more money to play with (if justified) than the $2500 budget. Poor people don't drop 2.5g's on a gaming computer

Definitely not going to argue there. :lol:

I don't think it is that big of a deal especially when acknowledging the fact that the speakers and the second graphics card are the most expendable pieces of this build and are easily omitted. I have my reasoning explained under each individual item which includes the "questionableness" of a second HD7950 at this very moment.

True - but if you drop the accessories and expensive peripherals, I'd agree with most of those choices. I'm not a fan of Lian Li though - the cases are well built, I'll give 'em that, but they're overpriced for what you get vs. the competition, I'd be more inclined to suggest the Azza Hurricane 2000 after reading this article today: http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/586-switch-810-cosmos-ii-strike-x-hurrican-2000.html
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517010

I always say focus on the build and the best hardware you can get first - get the expensive peripherals and accessories last.

 

[Glocktypus]

Thank you g-unit for the solid advice. While that X79 system would be an absolute beast, unfortunately it's just too much for me to handle financially. I've decided to forgo the sound and network cards, at least for the time being, and the 7970 definitely interests me as a GPU option. Also, the Carbide 500r is a beautiful case, and I'm torn between it and the HAF X, although the HAF is still very tempting, mainly due its appearance, and the fact that it has some neat features pertaining to GPUs (cooling, and bracket for extra support for heavy cards). I'm going to post an updated list of my components.

 

[Glocktypus]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help me out, I feel like I'm almost ready to go out and pick up some parts. This is my updated and revised list:


CPU: 2500k

Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Mobo: either ASRock P67 Extreme 4 Gen3 OR ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Rev3.0). I figure I don't need integrated graphics, so I can save a bit by going with P67 over Z68. ASRock has PCIe 3.0, but ASUS seems like the better board.

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Low Voltage (1.25) 2x4GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 (both motherboards above are on the qualified motherboard list on the G.Skill site. Also, they are low profile enough to be cleared by the NH D-14). Decent latencies, and I think low voltage is better for overclocking.

Case: HAF X 942 or MAYBE Corsair Carbide 500r

Video Card: Radeon 7970 Sapphire (so tempted to wait for Kepler)

Optical: something cheap, I can upgrade to blu-ray later

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB (so many recommendations, seems like a good buy)

PSU: Either Antec HCP-850 or Corsair AX850 or Seasonic X-850 ...I want something rock steady, and these seem to be three good choices.

Monitor: ASUS VE278Q 27" LED backlit. Saw this in a store and fell in love.

HDD: just found a pair of SATA II 500GB WD Caviar Blues lying around, should serve for the time being.

Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate

Mouse: Razer Lachesis 5600


Again, thanks for all of the info, I still need to make a few more decisions, but I'm close! Feel free to offer any other suggestions.

 

[g-unit1111]

While that X79 system would be an absolute beast, unfortunately it's just too much for me to handle financially. I've decided to forgo the sound and network cards, at least for the time being, and the 7970 definitely interests me as a GPU option

Yeah it usually is for most people - I want to upgrade my system to X79 but $300 for a CPU, $300 for a motherboard, and $150 for RAM certainly isn't cheap.

I generally recommend the Carbide because it's a sleek case that doesn't compromise on features, is very solidly built, and has enough interior room that will handle the largest coolers, video cards, PSUs, you name it.

Maybe try this for a <=$2500 deal:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII 950W - $149.99 ($20.00 MIR)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P - $169.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $224.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $89.99
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 1600MHz 1.5V - $44.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $174.99
HD: Samsung Ecogreen F4 2TB - $149.99
Optical: LG BD-R Burner - $74.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 - $559.99
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - $99.99
Monitor: Asus 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - $199.99
Speakers: Klipsch Promedia 2.1 - $149.99

Total: $2,218.87

You can use the difference to get whatever other peripherals you might need (keyboard, mouse, etc).

 

[hellfire24]

FYI, the Corsair AX850 and the Seasonic X-850 are the same PSU made by Seasonic, so pick whatever is cheaper if that is what you want to go with. I still would recommend the Kingwin LZP-1000 over anything else in this price range. It is cheaper (out the door) than any of the three units you mentioned. It is also on a current platform. The Antec is almost a 2 year old design, and the Seasonic/Corsair (once again, they are the same thing) is last year's model. Plus, that particular Seasonic design is known for coil whine. Here is a link to the review at Jonny Guru dot com for the LZP-1000.

you don't need a 1000w 80+platinum psu to run cfx.7xxx cards are every power efficient.even 7970 cfx runs fine on a high quality 750w.i would suggest 850w for more headroom.xfx xxx 850w 80+ silver psu is more than enough.it's beats in it's league(they are also made by seasonic).price is very attractive.

Don't bother overclocking your RAM, you probably won't even see an additional 1FPS in performance from it.

+1

 

[hellfire24]

^so you think spending $200+ on a 850w psu just for a 80+platinum thing is worth it?
HELL NO!

 

[g-unit1111]

^so you think spending $200+ on a 850w psu just for a 80+platinum thing is worth it?
HELL NO!

I completely agree there.

Don't bother overclocking your RAM, you probably won't even see an additional 1FPS in performance from it.

I also completely agree there - not only that OC'ing your RAM has dangerous consequences and can fry your whole build if you're not careful.

I would also encourage you to forget about Kepler for the moment. It's looking more and more like a paper launch with no definitive date on when product will be "in the channel". TSMC supposedly has stopped all 28nm production at the moment for unknown reasons. Also, supposedly yields are terrible on Kepler as well. So, who knows...

Not only that, I'm really tired of the "wait for Keppler / wait for Ivy" crowd. Right now - it's all Apple-esque PR noise and people are falling for it. I think that the people who are waiting for Keppler / Ivy are going to be really disappointed. Until there's actual numbers - I'm not buying it after the fiasco we learned with the AMD FX series - sometimes the insane overhype is just not going to be worth it. Especially when you take into account that a $275 GPU (Radeon 7870) is beating a $500 one (GTX 580), and a $70 CPU (Intel Pentium G620) is outperforming a $250 one (AMD FX-8150), it's pretty much things are changing and changing rapidly. Until I see the numbers, I'm not buying the hype.

 

[azeem40]

I am not either. They need to realize not everyone wants to wait for the next big thing - they want what it best for now and worry about upgrading later. If you really want someone to get Kepler, atleast let them get a GPU to survive till then, then get the GPU. I am going to end up laughing if all those proponents of Kepler and IB end up being disappointed. I mean, what is the point of assuming one will be better than something else when it is not even released? That is ridiculous in my eyes. How can you be so sure Kepler will be amazing? Just because NVIDIA is saying so? Isn't it possible that they are just trying to boast how good they are just to scare? It's stupid to keep suggesting something that is still in the factory and doesn't even have benchmarks released. /rant

 

[hellfire24]

Go read a review. HardOCP or JonnyGuru are a couple of examples. It is a PSU with, not good, not great, but excellent ripple suppression and voltage regulation. It being a 80plus Platinum rated is just a plus. If you want an equally stable gold rated PSU, look at the Rosewill CAPSTONE series. Great PSUs for the money, but not modular. Also, none of the Kingwin Platinum series PSUs are $200.

LZP-1000 - $186
LZP-850 - $168
LZP-750 - $160
LZP-650 - $136
LZP-550 - $128

They are on sale, see the green text that says "20% off w/ promo code Kingwin20, ends 3/11" above each Kingwin PSU?

you don't try to teach me about reviews okay!
and where the hell is your LZP 850w for $168 dude?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121093
IT"S $210 before rebates.i only trust,enermax,corsair,seasonic,xfx MIRs.
let's say i agree lzp 850w is $168 but xfx 850w is $135-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207017
it's a better deal unless you are getting stubborn to keep the psu with a "platinum certified" tag.
'modular' is just another word to gain popularity.it hardly(yeah hardly) makes any difference .

 

[EzioAs]

I do suggest people to wait for ivy/kepler now but not buy them at the time of release. I agree, we do need numbers and if kepler somehow manage to pull off and outperforms radeon 7000, the wait is probably worth it but if it doesn't, get the radeon 7000 series, it's that simple. Not everyone read reviews before buying but I thought that's why there are forums where people who know more share their thoughts and opinions about something.

(Note: Ivy is a good upgrade for people who skip sandy because the prices are going to be the same, otherwise not worth it. Anandtech has a preview on the 3770K I believe, check it out)