Suggestions on build

[theitaliansico]

Any suggestions? this is based off of the 1250$ tomshardware build. I made a few adjustments for potential needs. I swapped the 650w for the 750w for possibility of SLI would this be suffiecient( i only ask this becuase on Cyberpower they reccomend a system with 800w for just one GTX 680 in the computer)? This is about my max budget still trying to get this down a bit.

Mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3 SE
LGA 1155

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k

Cooler for CPU: Cooler Master Hyper TX3

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600

GPU: GTX 680 or GTX 670. Will a 750 watt be enough for GTX 680 by itself and still have room for another 680 in SLI?

SSD: Crucial m4 64 GB SATA III SSD

HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 750 GB

Optical Drive: Samsung TS-H353C OEM

PSU: Corsair TX750 V2 750 W

Case: Any reccomendation on case? i didnt like the one they had showing as my friend already has it and i want a different one in the same price range with cooling advantages

 

[gary1]

Any suggestions? this is based off of the 1250$ tomshardware build. I made a few adjustments for potential needs. I swapped the 650w for the 750w for possibility of SLI would this be suffiecient( i only ask this becuase on Cyberpower they reccomend a system with 800w for just one GTX 680 in the computer)? This is about my max budget still trying to get this down a bit.

Mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3 SE
LGA 1155

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k

Cooler for CPU: Cooler Master Hyper TX3

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600

GPU: GTX 680 or GTX 670. Will a 750 watt be enough for GTX 680 by itself and still have room for another 680 in SLI?

SSD: Crucial m4 64 GB SATA III SSD

HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 750 GB

Optical Drive: Samsung TS-H353C OEM

PSU: Corsair TX750 V2 750 W

Case: Any reccomendation on case? i didnt like the one they had showing as my friend already has it and i want a different one in the same price range with cooling advantages

CPU Cooler: 212 EVO much better
PSU: Corsair TX850, if you want to SLI, you want to leave yourself some room.
Case: HAF 922 or 932.

 

[g-unit1111]

1. First off I'd switch out your hard drive - Hitachi HDs are terrible and have a much higher fail rate than anything form WD or Seagate.

2. 850 will be plenty for 3 x 680 in SLI - you shouldn't need more than that but I really like my PC Power & Cooling Silencer that I just got so I'll recommend that if you want.

3. If you want case recommendations:

- Antec 1100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129178
- Corsair Carbide 400R: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008
- Fractal Design Arc MIDI: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007

 

[Darth415]

The cases g-unit1111 chose look like they are all good, so look at those. If you want to sli gtx 680s you are going to want a 850 watt for the best system stability, especially if you will overclock. I would recommend the Corsair HX 850 (modular), but if you don't want to pay for it, the TX 850 is also good as long as you can deal with the cables.

Don't get the tx3 cooler, it is barely better than the stock cooler that comes with the 2500k. If space is an issue: get the Cooler Master Geminii s524. If you want the best bang for your buck, get a Cooler master hyper 212 Plus, or Cooler Master hyper 212 EVO. There is NO reason to get the s524 unless you don't have much space though. All 3 of those cases will fit a 212 EVO.

Asrock is a good brand, but the p67 chipset is inferior to the z68 chipset in some ways (I'm not sure off the top of my head). You may want to look it up on google You may want to get a z68 motherboard made by Asrock.

Good luck

 

[g-unit1111]

The cases g-unit1111 chose look like they are all good, so look at those. If you want to sli gtx 680s you are going to want a 850 watt for the best system stability, especially if you will overclock. I would recommend the Corsair HX 850 (modular), but if you don't want to pay for it, the TX 850 is also good as long as you can deal with the cables.

I'm not a fan of modular PSUs - I've had way too many fail on me. And the ones that didn't had tons of issues - I had an Ultra modular PSU (POS is more like it :lol: ) that would fail on me the second I tried to run anything that didn't require use of my PC in idle. I swapped it with a non-modular Corsair TX750 (now running PCPAC Silencer MKII 950) - been problem free ever since.

Don't get the tx3 cooler, it is barely better than the stock cooler that comes with the 2500k. If space is an issue: get the Cooler Master Geminii s524. If you want the best bang for your buck, get a Cooler master hyper 212 Plus, or Cooler Master hyper 212 EVO. There is NO reason to get the s524 unless you don't have much space though. All 3 of those cases will fit a 212 EVO.

With all the cases I picked - space should not be an issue - the Corsair Carbide will accept up to a Noctua D14 with no clearance issues. It might be a bit tricky on the Antec but you'd have to forfeit a case fan or two. I definitely agree with the TX3 - you might as well use the stock cooler. The Evo would be a better choice but there's plenty of good fans out there if you know where to look.

Asrock is a good brand, but the p67 chipset is inferior to the z68 chipset in some ways (I'm not sure off the top of my head). You may want to look it up on google You may want to get a z68 motherboard made by Asrock.

The main differences between P67 and Z68 - Z68 allows for maximum 32GB RAM (P67 has a 16GB limit), allows for more SATA-III and PCI x16 lanes, enables Intel's smart SSD caching feature, and Z68 also enables onboard video. Asrock is fine - I personally prefer Asus and Gigabyte but that's just my opinion.

 

[Redmar89]

I would go for a coolermaster haf or coolermaster cm690 II if you want a good case

 

[K3v1n]

Deff get a different HHD and a good case is the CM Gladiator 600

 

[Darth415]

The main differences between P67 and Z68 - Z68 allows for maximum 32GB RAM (P67 has a 16GB limit), allows for more SATA-III and PCI x16 lanes, enables Intel's smart SSD caching feature, and Z68 also enables onboard video. Asrock is fine - I personally prefer Asus and Gigabyte but that's just my opinion.

I would choose ASus or Gigabyte over Asrock, but they tend to be a little more expensive on the low end. Asrock has cheap motherboards that are good at the same time. Of course, their motherboards lack some of the quality and features that more expensive motherboards have. I simply assumed that he wanted an asrock because it was in his build list
ASus is generally accepted to make some of the best motherboards, I am planning on getting one myself soon. It depends on how much you are willing to spend...

Power supply: the Corsair HX 850 is one of the best psu's ever hands down. It has been proven to stay running 24/7 even under a 900+ watt load at high temps! Many psu's fail when run 24/7 at loads close to maximum (but still a few watts less) much less 50 MORE watts than maximum. That is simply bossness to the highest degree! I must agree when it comes to modular psu's however. The sad fact is, many manufacturers with crappy psu's just make them modular to make them appear like they are worth buying. A friend of mine bought a raidmax modular psu, 650 watt, and it couldn't even run his gtx 260 without failing! He had to use one of those ghetto molex adapters to make it run his graphics card. By the way, don't buy a Raidmax.

 

[g-unit1111]

I would choose ASus or Gigabyte over Asrock, but they tend to be a little more expensive on the low end. Asrock has cheap motherboards that are good at the same time. Of course, their motherboards lack some of the quality and features that more expensive motherboards have. I simply assumed that he wanted an asrock because it was in his build list

A lot of people around here seem to like the Extreme 3 simply because of the price / feature aspect that it offers - I've never tried them but I'm certainly open to it. For Z68 - it doesn't get much better than the Gigabyte UD3H as far as I"m concerned.

Power supply: the Corsair HX 850 is one of the best psu's ever hands down. It has been proven to stay running 24/7 even under a 900+ watt load at high temps! Many psu's fail when run 24/7 at loads close to maximum (but still a few watts less) much less 50 MORE watts than maximum. That is simply bossness to the highest degree! I must agree when it comes to modular psu's however.

Well yeah of course - if you run a PSU 24/7 - expect it to fail within a year or two. They can't handle heavy loads 24 hours a day - you have to shut them off every once in a while (I prefer the suspend mode myself).

A friend of mine bought a raidmax modular psu, 650 watt, and it couldn't even run his gtx 260 without failing! He had to use one of those ghetto molex adapters to make it run his graphics card. By the way, don't buy a Raidmax.

You'll get no argument from me - I hate Raidmax with the fiery passion of 1,000 Pat Robertson sermons. :lol:

I'll also add Ultra too - I had a supposedly top-rated Ultra PSU and it failed on me every single time I required use of my PC when it was in anything but idle mode. It's currently sitting on my desk as an expensive paper weight. :lol:

 

[theitaliansico]

This is what i came up with after your advice. Sorry for the additional info its from a newegg wishlist. Also if i wanted to cut out the HDD completely and just leave the SSD would that be enough to install windows 7 and play a few games?also do you guys have any websites you could reccomend for first time computer builders. Any literature on the subject is appreciated

Cooler:COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm

Case:COOLER MASTER Gladiator 600 RC-600-KKN1-GP Black SECC Body ; Mesh Front bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

GPU: EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video CardModel #:02G-P4-2680-KRItem #:N82E16814130768Return

PSU:CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ...Model #:CMPSU-750TXV2Item #:N82E16817139021Return Policy:Standard Return PolicyIn StockMail in Rebate Card


CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...Model #:BX80623I52500KItem #:N82E16819115072Return Policy:Iron Egg Replacement-Only Return PolicyIn Stock


SSD: Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)Model #:CT064M4SSD2Item #:N82E16820148441Return Policy:Limited Replacement Only Return PolicyIn Stock


RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996981Model #:996981Item #:N82E16820226178Return Policy:Memory Standard Return PolicyIn Stock



HDD (May get rid of all together)Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare DriveModel #:ST500DM002Item #:N82E16822148767Return Policy:Standard Return PolicyIn Stock



Optical Drive:SONY Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1681S-0B - OEMModel #DU1681S-0BItem #:N82E16827118031Return Policy:Standard Return PolicyIn Stock

Software: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

In addition will all of these parts work together well? Any incompatibility?I also swapped the Mobo's to micro ATX. Can i still fit all of this stuff on a mATX board? I am a big noob at this stuff i want to make sure lol

 

[gary1]

I would suggest a different case, only because the HAF series are so much better at cooling, maybe a 912 or 922.

Also, maybe a bigger SSD? I have a 128gb and I do NOT have much space anymore.

 

[Darth415]

There is no way you are going to have enough memory with a 64 gb ssd. A 128gb... Maybe. I think you should keep the hard drive.

 

[g-unit1111]

There is no way you are going to have enough memory with a 64 gb ssd. A 128gb... Maybe. I think you should keep the hard drive.

I have the 64GB M4 - it's a bit of a tight squeeze but I run MS Office and everything else (especially my PST file) on my secondary HD so I don't really notice the difference/ If you use your SSD for boot only you'll be fine with 64.

 

[Darth415]

Everything you chose will work together seamlessly. That micro atx board is great. In the bottom right corner you will see all 6 of the sata ports, facing upward. If you put a gpu in the second port, it will cover all of those up. HOWEVER, the case you chose (or any full atx case) will allow you to put your second gpu in the third port, alleviating this problem.

Once again, I STRONGLY reccomend that you keep the HDD, even if you have to get a smaller one. Otherwise, you are going to learn the hard way just how fast you can fill up that 64 GB of space. after you install windows you will probably have less than 40 GB left, and Team Fortress 2(example) alone takes up around 10 GB.

 

[g-unit1111]

Everything you chose will work together seamlessly. That micro atx board is great. In the bottom right corner you will see all 6 of the sata ports, facing upward. If you put a gpu in the second port, it will cover all of those up. HOWEVER, the case you chose (or any full atx case) will allow you to put your second gpu in the third port, alleviating this problem.

Once again, I STRONGLY reccomend that you keep the HDD, even if you have to get a smaller one. Otherwise, you are going to learn the hard way just how fast you can fill up that 64 GB of space. after you install windows you will probably have less than 40 GB left, and Team Fortress 2(example) alone takes up around 10 GB.

Not to mention games can take anywhere from 8GB (Skyrim) to 16GB (Portal 2) to 25GB (BF3) - you're not left with much room after a full Windows install, I usually use my SSD for boot only and then run games and everything else off the secondary.

 

[rozz]

Looks like a strong build.. 64GB is fairly small, but if you are going with a z68 board, you could put the HDD and SSD in ISRT.. lets you keep the speed and and capacity of a new HDD.

As for a case. i picked up the Corsair 650D. Big, Roomy, and Beautiful. Got some links on it:

https://picasaweb.google.com/103057711278019645882/NewPc#5730152412819994242

https://picasaweb.google.com/103057711278019645882/NewPc#5730152567157563330

https://picasaweb.google.com/103057711278019645882/NewPc#5730152596069489730

https://picasaweb.google.com/103057711278019645882/NewPc#5730152662616735410

As for modular PSUs. it's your choice, but today modular PSUs are some of the best PSUs available and are highly reliable (depending on brand) than in the first generation modular PSUs

 

[Darth415]

Quick update: it has recently come to my attention that many companies are readying their gtx 680 4gb cards. They are also about to release gtx 680s with non-reference coolers (twin frozr, dcu2, etc.) in both the 2 and 4gb flavor. These Gpus will have 2 fans and will run cooler and quieter. If you plan on running ANY resolution higher than 1080p, you are going to want to future-proof yourself by getting the 4gb version of the card. Battlefield 3 already consumes ~1.7 gb of vram AT 1080p, so you may want to get the 4gb version even if you run 1080p just for added security. I have seen the effects of "not enough vram" firsthand, so I know from experience that even a powerful sli rig (gtx 570) will fall to a far weaker gpu (check the laptop in my signature below) if it runs out of vram.

Ivy Bridge is about to come out, so this WILL result in a price drop on the i5-2500k. Not sure how long you would have to wait, but this would be one way to save money.