Advice / Approval On $1500ish Gaming Rig

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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Hey... I haven't built a computer in about 7 years and I don't remember much. Anyways Ive done some research and put a build together for about $1500. I'd like to know if there are any issues with fit or compatibility. Also, $1500 is more than I wanted to spend, so if there's anything unnecessary feel free to mention it. But, I will say Im rather fond of most of the components and aesthetics are an issue for me. Hence the case, cooler, and memory choices. I also do a lot with music so I wanted some more memory and the sound card. A couple notes, I already own an external HDD and DVD drive which is why they're not included. I would like to have the option of OCing as well. Oh and I plan on buying Windows 7 HP. I think that's it. Feel free to tear it apart...

P.S. - Any sites or tips on doing inexperienced building and OCing are welcome.

Case - Thermaltake Armor Revo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133202

Motherboard - ASRock Z77 Extreme6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157295

CPU - Intel I5 3570k
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

Video Card - Sapphire Radeon HD7870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

Memory - Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145347

Storage - OCZ Agility 3 240GB SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227727

Sound Card - Asus Xonar DX 7.1 Channel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

CPU Cooler - Zalman CNPS9900MAX-B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118074

Power Supply - OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018
 

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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If someone with experience could give this a once over it would be greatly appreciated. I would like to order everything ASAP but I wanna be sure before I spend so much money. Thanks
 
That setup should serve you quite well, few issues though.

Might want a bigger PSU if your going to upgrade/crossfire in the future. Another 50W would do.
Not a massive issue, but you could get a better value CPU cooler. $70 is a lot to spend.
You probably wont need 16gb of RAM unless you are truly into editing.

Other than those that build is fine (though I must question the all white case...)

 


That PSU looks and apparently is very good. Didnt even know there are tri colour LED PSU's out there. I wouldn't object to having it. Though If your a freak for cable management, the non modular interface could be an issue, but you'r cases inbuilt cable management should render that point moot.
 

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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Well I lowered the memory to the two four gig sticks. I can always buy more if I need it. I just cant get myself to part with the Cpu cooler tho. I think I'm gonna stick with the Extreme6 motherboard too.
 

WaffleIron

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May 12, 2012
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I would actually leave the mobo at the extreme6. You get sli/crossfire support, pci2.0 slots in addition to 3.0, a display port, and other misc ports that the extreme4 doesn't have. Only $30 more too.
 

Azok

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Apr 11, 2012
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you can find a cheaper cpu heatsink/fan just as good, or you should just spend a little more and go watercooling.

the money you've saved on going 16gb to 8gb ram (good choice too) you should change your gpu to a nvidia gtx 670.

i would stay away from OCZ, i hear a lot of bad things about them... i have never used them because of that.

the only major difference between the asrock extreme4 and extreme6 is that the 6 has usb 3.0 front panel. so if you need to shift your money, that's an option too, usb 3.0 in the front IS convenient. is it worth the extra $30? your choice.
 


Z77 Extreme4 has front USB3 headers in it, I think all Z77 boards do.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_1183&products_id=19867

Scroll down and its in the USB3 row.
 

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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Yeah I like the extreme6 board for longevity / expandability. Wont DisplayPort be useful? I also love the look of the Cpu cooler which will be one of the main things seen through the window. Despite its price reviews are solid. I also don't want a double fan cooler blocking memory slots and the Evo is cheap but so plain. I also already purchased the SSD cuz it came with a free 32gig SSD that I'm hoping to resell. Or maybe use...would putting the OS on it be a good idea? I remember a rig building guide saying to keep your os on a seperate partition from your data but like I said its been 7 years

Edit : Going with a Gigabyte GTX 670
 

Azok

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Apr 11, 2012
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does display port matter when using a graphics card? since your monitor(s) would be hooked up through it?

i was originally looking at that zalman... i read someone saying it was really heavy and they won't be using it again. the hyper 212 evo weighs 1.29 lbs and the zalman 1.68 lbs
 

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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Well Ive done a lot of searching around on the net and the Extreme4 apparently does have a front 3.0 USB. As far as the DisplayPort goes I wasn't even thinking about the gpu. So this should definitely help me afford the video card upgrade
 

Rataan

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Apr 26, 2012
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You could save real money dropping down to a 120GB SSD. I just built a system with a 240GB Crucial SSD, and now I'm having trouble justifying the added expense. Even a 240GB SSD isn't big enough to hold everything, so you will still need to decide how to divide data and installs. I'm at about 45GB on my SSD after getting my system most of the way toward its final configuration. A 64GB SSD could get the job done, if you are smart about keeping unnecessary files off of it, but I could see it getting cramped. 120GB looks like the sweet spot to me.

I'm skeptical of expensive cases, and your choice definitely qualifies. Do you really need full tower? Judicial savings here and there could allow you to bump up your graphics card to a bleeding edge model.
 

mehoshal

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May 10, 2012
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Azok

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Apr 11, 2012
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Cases are ALWAYS overkill, because... what do they really do?

The number one thing you should be looking for is AIRFLOW. I see these people spend $100+ on cases with two exhaust fans and NO intake. They just get it because "it looks good"...

I spent ~$45-50 on my case and it's airflow is great on LOW settings. It's like... race cars.. It's about what's inside it, the outside is just a fiberglass mold to cover it all.