First try at making my own computer, looking for a second opinion.

[Dray]

After a long day of combing these forums and trying to figure out what would best work for a gaming computer, I've come up with this:

CPU:$220/Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3 GHz: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

MOBO:$115/ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

8 GB RAM: Already have.

HDD: $120/Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache
SATA 6.0 Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

SSD: $93/Intel320 Series SSDA2CT040G3K5 2.5" 40GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167044

GPU: $420 EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

FAN: $30/COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

PSU: $175/CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

Case: $60/HAF 912: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233


Subtotal: $1113.00
Total: $1166.30 ( with est. tax @ 10%)

I want it to be fairly "future proof," with options to later overclock or SLI.
Does this look good? There isn't some kind of huge, laughable, newbie mistake in here is there?
Any feedback greatly appreciated, and thank you for your time!

 

[g-unit1111]

Switch out your SSD with a Crucial M4 - 40GB will not be good for a boot drive or any kind of drive for that matter.

Try this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148447

I'd also scale back the PSU a bit and upgrade your case. A single GTX 670 won't come close to using a full 850W, even 2 x 670 won't. Here's what I would suggest:

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146085

Then I'd also suggest going with a Z77 and i5-3570K - that won't alter the price much - maybe $20 - $30. Try this:

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

 

[Dray]

Thanks a lot for the in-depth response, I totally missed that there even was an i5 3570K.

With the parts you just listed, do you think I would be able to run most modern games on high settings, or would it be fairly commonplace for a computer? It would be nice not to lag for a change.

EDIT: The price is only about $37 more with the changes you suggested, so that's good too.

 

[Khalan]

That system should run everything smoothly at max settings.

Just be aware that the Ivybridge runs slightly hotter than the Sandybridge, but my system maxes out at 61C @4.5ghz during normal gaming with the Evo 212, so it's fine IMO.

 

[Dray]

Good to hear!

Oh yeah, Ivybridge... Right, that was why I chose the i5 2500X. i5 2500X is Sandbridge, and can be better overclocked.
Which would be a better choice, taking into consideration temperature and performance?

 

[Khalan]

From what I've read Ivybridge has slightly better performance but slightly higher temperatures. I'm happy with my Ivy, but it's up to you which way to go.

 

[dreadllokz]

Nice setup! I would change the SSD for some sata III model, and the cooler for H80 or H2O 920! Your psu is good for sli upgrades, and If you want better, you can spend some more and get a 3570k amd a z77 mb. Other than that, rly nice setup!

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks a lot for the in-depth response, I totally missed that there even was an i5 3570K.

With the parts you just listed, do you think I would be able to run most modern games on high settings, or would it be fairly commonplace for a computer? It would be nice not to lag for a change.

EDIT: The price is only about $37 more with the changes you suggested, so that's good too.

Those parts will be able to max out just about any game right now - the 670 will be a solid GPU for a long time to come.

The i5-3570K is brand new - it's eventually going to be replacing the 2500K.

Nice setup! I would change the SSD for some sata III model, and the cooler for H80 or H2O 920! Your psu is good for sli upgrades, and If you want better, you can spend some more and get a 3570k amd a z77 mb. Other than that, rly nice setup!

I would never recommend a closed block loop like the H80 when a solid air fan like the D14 or Phanteks TC-9 will give you the same results and air is always safer than water, always.

From what I've read Ivybridge has slightly better performance but slightly higher temperatures. I'm happy with my Ivy, but it's up to you which way to go.

Yeah but with a good cooler that shouldn't be a problem.