1st Rig Build

[mikemaravani]

Specs

COOLER MASTER HAF X Full Tower Case ...$189.00
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Motherboard ...$194.99
EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) GPU ...$319.99
SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W Power Supply ...$159.99
Intel Core i7-2700K Sandy Bridge 3.9GHz Quad Core CPU ...$339.99
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB DDR3 Ram ...$99.99
Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler ...$99.99
Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5Tb Hd ...$149.99
Corsair Force Series 3 SSD ...$94.99

I've been reading around, and they tell me the i5 core is better than the i7, but why!
I do want to overclock my i5/i7 to around 4.4 - 4.7....liquid cooling. I am hesitant since this is my first build.


I have shopped and youtube'd around and the top two I find is the
CORSAIR H100 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017

or the ANTEC 920 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209054

I have heard of the dreadful H100 noise problem, but I like the fact it gives a duel radiator, in which, my case can handle. I have also looked into custom water cooling kits... that run a little high for me, and the cpu will be the only thing water cooled, so I find them really out of the picture.

Secondly, the Power Supply - I've read that Gold/Silver/Bronze ratings are overrated and in fact misleading. Is it true? I am also playing around with wattage, IF I want to add a second card later on, or in the end, end up getting one... I find 750w not to be enough. And keep in mind I am over clocking.

Third, Overall am I getting the best bang for buck, am I paying too much for a certain something or is there places I should upgrade? And what GPUs do you recommend... Nvidia or Radeon? Best performance vs price. Should I downgrade my mobo and get a GDDR3 slot?

Finally I would like this build to last a few years, I am shopping now but won't buy for another 6 months. Are there things to wait for: a- for performance and/or b- price drops.

All incite, opinions, and views are very much welcome.

 

[C12Friedman]

At $129, water cooling may not be completely out of the question, look at
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/11743/ex-wat-159/XSPC_Rasa_750_RS240_Universal_CPU_Water_Cooling_Kit_w_Free_Kill_Coil.html?tl=g30c83s137
This is a nice basic start with room to grow (and for improvements with time)

The i5 is better value/performance not better, the i7 is currently intel's best

PSU's, I'd say go with Seasonic - I've yet to see a bad review on their products

 

[Zero_]

Check my sig. Best bang for buck without sacrificing quality.

I'd suggest going with the Noctua. The PSU is awesome, but a little bit overkill. There are plenty of highly rated 750W units for around $100. Getting a i5 will allow you to get a GTX680. Would give you much better gaming performance. You can probably save around $60 on the case as well.

 

[mikemaravani]

Best answer selected by mikemaravani.