Anything wrong with this <$2,000 gaming machine?

[bw85]

INTEL Core™ i5-3570K Quad-Core 3.4 - 3.8GHz TB, HD Graphics 4000, LGA1155, 6MB L3 Cache, 22nm, 77W, EM64T EIST VT-x XD, Retail
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler, Socket 2011/1155/1156/1366/775/FM1/AM3/AM2, Copper/Aluminum
ARCTIC COOLING MX-4 All-Around Thermal Compound, Electrically Non-Conductive
ASUS Sabertooth Z77, LGA1155, Intel® Z77, DDR3-1866 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /1+1*, SATA 6Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 3Gb/s /4, DP + HDMI, USB 3.0 /6, HDA, GbLAN, ATX, Retail
CRUCIAL 8GB (2 x 4GB) Ballistix Elite PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL8 (8-8-8-24) 1.5V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
EVGA GeForce® GTX 670 915MHz, 2GB GDDR5 6008MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, 2x DVI + HDMI + DP, OEM
CRUCIAL 256GB M4 SSD, MLC Marvell 88SS9174, 500/260 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, Retail
WESTERN DIGITAL 500GB WD Caviar® Black™ (WD5002AALX), SATA 6 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB Cache
RAID No RAID, Independent HDD Drives
SABRENT CRW-UINB Black 65-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, Internal USB
SONY AD-7280S Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, OEM
LOGISYS 12" Single Cold Cathode Case Light Kit, Red
CORSAIR TX850 V2 Power Supply 850W, 80 PLUS® Bronze, 24-pin ATX12V v2.31 EPS12V 2.92, 4x 8/6-pin PCIe
MICROSOFT Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM

I haven't listed a case yet because I am still trying to figure one out.

 

[bw85]

Well, I don't plan on SLI-ing to begin with, mainly because of my budget. My idea is that one this machine starts to get "dated", I can SLI my video card and upgrade my RAM to get it back into top gear. So, I am getting what I think I need now, but just preparing for the future. This is my first ever custom-design computer, with no previous IT knowledge of any kind, so I just want to make sure it'll all work before I pull the trigger. Thanks, man!

 

[rolli59]

Looks good and that PSU will allow you to SLI at a later date.

 

[bw85]

Awesome, thanks guys! Can't wait to get it!

 

[bw85]

Also, am I fine with that heat sink, or should I get a Corsair Hydro? I don't want to overspend if I absolutely don't need it.

 

[bigcyco1]

HERE ARE SOME FULL TOWERS I RECOMMEND http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146089 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133191 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146079

 

[bw85]

HERE ARE SOME FULL TOWERS I RECOMMEND http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146089 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133191 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146079

Cool man, thanks for that!

 

[bigcyco1]

MID TOWERS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146091 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

 

[bigcyco1]

Cool man, thanks for that!

No problem bud i listed some Mid Towers as well just in case you prefer smaller

 

[bw85]

I think I want to stick with a full-size tower, actually. I don't think I will have much of a heat issue, but should I decide to expand and whatnot, I want to make sure I have plenty of room with plenty of cooling!

 

[bigcyco1]

I think I want to stick with a full-size tower, actually. I don't think I will have much of a heat issue, but should I decide to expand and whatnot, I want to make sure I have plenty of room with plenty of cooling!

Smart choice imo i do the same thing

 

[bw85]

Thank ya, sir! Do you think I will get by with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, or should I consider liquid cooling?

 

[bigcyco1]

Also, am I fine with that heat sink, or should I get a Corsair Hydro? I don't want to overspend if I absolutely don't need it.

Actually the Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler, is fine for mild overclocking you don't need to change it unless your trying to overclock past 4.5ghz then you'll need something allot better

 

[bw85]

Yeah, I won't be overclocking anything, lol. I know people say manufactured overclocking is safe and whatnot, but I just prefer not to have any risk or worry.

 

[rolli59]

The 212 EVO is fine for your CPU and overclocking it is easy, just change the multiplier and monitor temps.

 

[bigcyco1]

Yeah, I won't be overclocking anything, lol. I know people say manufactured overclocking is safe and whatnot, but I just prefer not to have any risk or worry.

Understandable besides to be honest it's very addictive i am hooked if they made a rehab for overclocking i check myself in :lol:

 

[bw85]

Lol! Fortunately, for what I will be using the machine for, I don't think overclocking is even a necessity. I plan to play Diablo 3, maybe StarCraft 2, and the new SimCity when it's released on max settings. I think my setup now is even overkill for that, but semi-future proof nonetheless hehe.

I compare it to a car. Sure, everyone would love a Shelby Mustang with 500+Hp, but it's no fun if you can never go more than 65mph. I mean, you can, but run the risk of accidents or tickets.

A game can only be as visually stunning as it was programmed to be. I hope my analogy makes sense hehe.

 

[bigcyco1]

Lol! Fortunately, for what I will be using the machine for, I don't think overclocking is even a necessity. I plan to play Diablo 3, maybe StarCraft 2, and the new SimCity when it's released on max settings. I think my setup now is even overkill for that, but semi-future proof nonetheless hehe.

I compare it to a car. Sure, everyone would love a Shelby Mustang with 500+Hp, but it's no fun if you can never go more than 65mph. I mean, you can, but run the risk of accidents or tickets.

A game can only be as visually stunning as it was programmed to be. I hope my analogy makes sense hehe.

Makes perfect sense

 

[bw85]

I am really leaning towards the Cooler Master HAF X, but have been getting strong encouragement for the Silverstone Raven. The Thermaltake Chaser looks awesome, but AVA doesn't seem to offer the full-size case. I have had my eye on the HAF X for a loooong time now, but now I'm getting all of these other pretty nice cases. I want something that offers optimal cooling, doesn't look "too far out there" (Thermaltake Level 10 comes to mind), but has a cool ambiance about it.

 

[SteelLAD]

I am really leaning towards the Cooler Master HAF X, but have been getting strong encouragement for the Silverstone Raven. The Thermaltake Chaser looks awesome, but AVA doesn't seem to offer the full-size case. I have had my eye on the HAF X for a loooong time now, but now I'm getting all of these other pretty nice cases. I want something that offers optimal cooling, doesn't look "too far out there" (Thermaltake Level 10 comes to mind), but has a cool ambiance about it.

I can personally vouch for the Coolermaster HAF X, its a truly huge beast, very robustly built and correspondingly very heavy when your system is installed in it. On the inside it contains, as you would imagine plenty of elbow room for those E-ATX and XL-ATX motherboards, plenty of drive cages for your ssd's, hdd's and whatnot. Some of the disadvantages are as follows; not very watercooling friendly (you can though mount closed cpu coolers such as the corsair hydro series without to much difficulty), they could have made it easier to clean dust filters.

Not many drawbacks really, this is a case that I could easily recommend!

You could always aim for a newer full tower, for example the Coolermaster Cosmos II?

 

[bw85]

As awesome as that looks, it will put me well over my budget. The specs I posted at the beginning of the thread had the Cooler Master HAF X figured in, and it came out to about $1,850, without shipping and without taxes.

I live in an older home (1930) and I think it may tend to be a little more dusty than your newer-built homes. I have a feeling I may need to clean the filters once a month, if not twice. How hard are the filters to get to? Will I run the risk of breaking anything if I clean them often?

 

[SteelLAD]

As awesome as that looks, it will put me well over my budget. The specs I posted at the beginning of the thread had the Cooler Master HAF X figured in, and it came out to about $1,850, without shipping and without taxes.

I live in an older home (1930) and I think it may tend to be a little more dusty than your newer-built homes. I have a feeling I may need to clean the filters once a month, if not twice. How hard are the filters to get to? Will I run the risk of breaking anything if I clean them often?

Its not really to bad, just the front panel can be a slight pain and that is only because you have to remove the bottom part of the panel which requires a bit of force (but not so much that could break the panel).

If you get the case just remember to attach the wheels to the bottom, it will save you a lot of headaches of trying to move your 20kg system around.

But a definite good purchase.

 

[bw85]

Oh I plan on it! Some nights when the fiancee goes to visit her family, I'd like to wheel it out and hook it up to the big screen hehe. Is this case sort of meant to sit on the floor? Luckily I have removed all of the carpet from the house and stained the floors, but the only spot I'll have (if I can't figure out another way to coordinate 2 desks in one office) is right in front of a return register.

 

[SteelLAD]

Oh I plan on it! Some nights when the fiancee goes to visit her family, I'd like to wheel it out and hook it up to the big screen hehe. Is this case sort of meant to sit on the floor? Luckily I have removed all of the carpet from the house and stained the floors, but the only spot I'll have (if I can't figure out another way to coordinate 2 desks in one office) is right in front of a return register.

Yeah, its fine on the floor, just like a regular case. For someone who had only used mid-tower cases, upgrading to this was just funny, its that tall its almost the same level as my keyboard.

 

[bw85]

Holy crap! Most of my cases have been small-mid size, and either a Dell or an Acer, lol. My work computer measures about 7" wide X about 18-19" length and height. I wish I could see these full-size cases in person, to get a feel of their monstrosity. How heavy does it weigh with all of your components?