1st Gaming computer! 2k price range (Almost ready for purchase)

[BloodHawk123]

Approximate Purchase Date: Next 5 to 10 days

Budget Range: $1500 - $2300

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Current gen gaming, and longevity into future of gaming.

Parts Not Required: Monitor, OS, Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: No preference

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Likely at some point.

Monitor Resolution: No preference

Additional Comments: I want to build a computer with the future in mind. My choices of parts have thus been influenced by the idea of longevity, it may not be needed now, but for the nominal extra investment I would like to get something which will last.

Prospective Build:

CPU - i7 3930K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819116492
$600

MOBO - ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131802
$430

Graphics Card: Some sort of GTX 680 - $500 (I don’t know which version to get however, what is recommended? Evga, Zotac, Galaxy?
$500

PSU- Corsair 850w Pro series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139015
$200

Hard Drive(s) - Samsung 830 256GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820147164
(Not sure what type of SSD drive to get, is this a good one, or does anyone have any other suggestions?)
$290

Memory - G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
$115

Case- Corsair 400r Mid-Tower http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811139008
$99

CPU Cooler
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
$30

Optical Drive
LG GH22NS90B DVD/CD Writer
$20

Total - $2285

I guess I should add that the advice I am looking for is where I am going way overboard, or where there is a better deal to be had. (Eg. This is roughly equal in power but $50 cheaper). I have 3 main questions:
1) Is it overkill to go with the CPU I have chosen. From all my research gaming cannot currently take advantage of 6 core processors. My thought process here is that this would safeguard me for the near future. Is this true?

2) The mobo I have chosen I read as being highly compatible with the i7-3930k. It seemed this mobo would give me good upgrade possibilities for the future and keep me up to date for a while to come. Do you guys agree, or have any better suggestions?

3) Not sure about my PSU / SSD Hard Drive choice. Is the PSU simply too much, or is it reasonable to help me cover possible future upgrades (SLI GPU etc.)? And is my SSD hard drive choice a good one, or is there something else you would suggest?

Finally, I am not sure about my case / cooler. Will these be adequate?

Thanks so much for the help guys!

 

[duhduh_13]

1. It's overkill if just for gaming, atm only 2 games i can think of supports more than 4 cores, BF3 and Civilization V. What holds in the future who knows, depends how good is the next generation engines are.

2. Rampage IV looks solid from reviews, I use MSI Big Bang XPower II on my rig, it's a solid board also.

3. Personally I would get at least 1000W for PSU, if you plan to SLI and overclocking the cpu, SB-E eats lots of power when you overclock.
Samsung SSD is solid choice, other choices are Crucial m4 and Intel 520.

Rampage IV Extreme is Extended ATX form, it won't fit inside Corsair 400R.
You need Full Tower case for Extended ATX.
Cooling wise I suggest get Noctua NH-D14 for air, or Corsair H100.

And Sandy Bridge E supports Quad Channel memory, so you should get Quad channel kit RAM.

As for GTX680 brand, EVGA been solid for me.

 

[Why_Me]

Games don't even come close to taking advantage of 8GB of RAM. The only reason people are purchasing 2x4GB sets is because of price...RAM is dirt cheap atm. It's not a good thing to future proof "too much" imo. Tech changes just too fast these days to be putting too much money into a new build.

This build down below will allow you to easily push dual gtx 680's/7970's with plenty of juice to spare.

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-CC-9011012-WW/dp/B005E983JW/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1335759693&sr=1-6 $114.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Mid Tower Gaming Case CC-9011012-WW

http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-case.html <---- another look at that case

This psu down below is manufactured by Seasonic as are all XFX and the mid and upper tier Corsair psu's. It got a 9.6 on the Johnny Guru review.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207017 $154.99 - $134.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING 10% off w/ promo code XFXS10, ends 5/6
XFX PRO850W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850 Watt Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.910383 $499.98 FREE SHIPPING
ASRock Z77 Extreme6 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-extreme6-z77a-gd65-z77h2-a2x,3187.html <----- That Asrock motherboard included in that review. Notice: over clocking, temps, and power consumption on there

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme6 <----- another look at that board


This cpu h/s was just released a week ago on newegg. It's new to the market and it's gotten great reviews across the net.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103176 $69.99
Cooler Master TPC 812 RR-T812-24PK-R1 120mm Sleeve with Dual Vertical Vapor Chamber TPC 812 CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2654 <----- that's a review on that h/s

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm <----- there's that h/s on Frosty Tech's Top 5 list.

Add this fan down below to that CM cpu cooler up above for a "push - pull" effect to help bring cpu temps down even more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103069 $11.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER R4-BMBS-20PK-R0 Blade Master 120mm Case Fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231550 $59.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-8GAB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226255 $499.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR480GB-DX 2.5" 480GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_cp_e_2 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600315498%20600311819&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20680 <---- GTX 680's. Look for one with non reference cooling. Not in stock atm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600286767%20600286740&IsNodeId=1&name=Radeon%20HD%207970 <----- AMD 7970's. Look for the ones with non reference cooling like the Gigabyte card for example

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007617+600060968+600255030&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=20&description=&hisInDesc=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc= <----- LED and 120Hz refresh rate monitors...some with 3D.

 

[BloodHawk123]

Thanks so much for your replies and information! This is great stuff.

"Why_me" I really like the build you have put together. It seems to rein things in where necessary and allows me to spend a bit more on things that may be a bit more useful.

I do have a few further questions, however:

How can I tell whether or not a graphics card has non reference cooling? I have googled it and I can't seem to figure it out.

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for a dvd read/write drive? Or is the one in my original post reasonable?

Thanks again!!!

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks so much for your replies and information! This is great stuff.

"Why_me" I really like the build you have put together. It seems to rein things in where necessary and allows me to spend a bit more on things that may be a bit more useful.

I do have a few further questions, however:

How can I tell whether or not a graphics card has non reference cooling? I have googled it and I can't seem to figure it out.

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for a dvd read/write drive? Or is the one in my original post reasonable?

Thanks again!!!

Here's two non reference cooled 680's

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127672

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125422

And here's a few non reference cooling 7970's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102982

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125413


Any $20 +/- DVD/CD writer. Just make sure it's SATA and not EIDE. Asus and Sony are pretty solid brands.

 

[BloodHawk123]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.910383 $499.98 FREE SHIPPING
ASRock Z77 Extreme6 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-extreme6-z77a-gd65-z77h2-a2x,3187.html <----- That Asrock motherboard included in that review. Notice: over clocking, temps, and power consumption on there

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme6 <----- another look at that board


This cpu h/s was just released a week ago on newegg. It's new to the market and it's gotten great reviews across the net.

I want to confirm which CPU you are recommending for me. In the description you suggested the i7-3770k Ivy Bridge. However, the link was to a package deal including the Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge. Is it your suggestion I go with the package and therefore the i5 ivy bridge? Or would you suggest the i7?

Thanks again, I am very close to making my final decision! You guys are the best!

 

[Why_Me]

I want to confirm which CPU you are recommending for me. In the description you suggested the i7-3770k Ivy Bridge. However, the link was to a package deal including the Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge. Is it your suggestion I go with the package and therefore the i5 ivy bridge? Or would you suggest the i7?

Thanks again, I am very close to making my final decision! You guys are the best!

Well for gaming, other than Microsoft Flight Simulator there aren't any games that I know of that take advantage of hyper threading. In fact more times than naught the 3570K beats out the 3770K in games.

I was putting together two builds when I threw pasted that on this thread...my mistake.

 

[BloodHawk123]

Best answer selected by BloodHawk123.

 

[BloodHawk123]

Well for gaming, other than Microsoft Flight Simulator there aren't any games that I know of that take advantage of hyper threading. In fact more times than naught the 3570K beats out the 3770K in games.

I was putting together two builds when I threw pasted that on this thread...my mistake.

Ahah, got it, no worries at all for the mistake. Its in stock and saves me some money, so I can't complain eh

Haha, looks like my main quest will be trying to track down a Gtx 680 with the non reference coolers. I plan to go with Geforce rather than Ati. From what I hear and a few friend's advice, Geforce provides better driver updates than Ati. My current computer has a radeon card, and I can't stand that video control panel.... lol.

Thanks again for your help! Cheers!

 

[Why_Me]

Ahah, got it, no worries at all for the mistake. Its in stock and saves me some money, so I can't complain eh

Haha, looks like my main quest will be trying to track down a Gtx 680 with the non reference coolers. I plan to go with Geforce rather than Ati. From what I hear and a few friend's advice, Geforce provides better driver updates than Ati. My current computer has a radeon card, and I can't stand that video control panel.... lol.

Thanks again for your help! Cheers!

Give it a week or two for those cards to hit the shelves. The cool thing though is that cpu provides decent on die graphics (Intel HD 4000), which means you can build and use your PC until your card comes in stock. When it gets in, order it and slap it in. But your PC will be usable until then.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5771/the-intel-ivy-bridge-core-i7-3770k-review/14 <--- nothing you want to game with, but you can surf the net, etc..