I'm looking to build a very strong system for gaming at max (or near max) and 3d animation/rendering. I use the adobe suite, Autodesk software, cinema 4D, and an assortment of other, less intensive programs. I play (this list is likely to increase drastically as I cut out all consoles and move to pure PC gaming) Skyrim, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2 at launch, Diablo III, and interested in The Witcher 2.
First off, I'm a first time builder with some prior knowledge from my father and ex, however since they won't be helping me on this build I thought it best to get some advice from more experienced individuals.
As a note: I have a question below about liquid cooling, but, despite being my first (solo) build, I am confident that, if the benefits are worth it, I can handle the installation/upkeep. I know the processes, risks, and requirements.
My budget: I'm willing to go to a max of $2500 (peripherals included: monitor, operating system, keyboard, and optical drive), but the cheaper the better as I am a college student with bills. I will hit (or possibly increase) my max budget if the performance is worth it. I plan to make upgrades when the need arises.
(EDIT: Prefer Intel, but not strict choice.)
My proposed setup is:
CPU: Intel i7-2600K 3.4GHz quad-core
MoBo: Asus Sabertooth z77 ATX LGA1155
GPU: EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1Gb
Ram: Kingston HyperX 16gb (4x4gb) DDR3-1600
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5"
PSU: Corsair 750W ATX12V/EPS12V
Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D ATX Full Tower
Full List with peripherals: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bJTX
My questions/concerns:
1. Most importantly: Is everything compatible? This may seem like a newbie question, but I've done all my part picking in the wee hours of the morning. So if I've missed anything major, and keep missing it cause I'm tired, I'd like to know now!
2. I'm worried that my PSU is not correct for this setup. The PSU is one area where I feel as though I'm flying totally blind. I know that it's better to go a bit high, and the system will use what it needs, rather than go low and nothing will work. Where exactly does this PSU fall in the range of my setup and how big is the margin? E.G. if I make any upgrades will I need to increase the PSU? Note: I do want a modular PSU as cable management is extremely important to me visually.
3. Computing power of my core components. From what I know, rendering is on the CPU and gaming is obviously heavy on the GPU. My parts are strong, but are they strong enough? I will be gaming much more often than rendering while I am still in school. I've never been a part of the component selection process in the past, so this is my first time making choices (plus the technology is always improving). Any recommendations on this? E.G. should I replace a part and with what?
4. Air vs Liquid cooling. I've not decided on whether I will overclock (though it's leaning towards a yes), however should I decide to overclock would the benefits of liquid cooling this system be noticeable? Would it be worth it even without an overclock? I live in Florida, where the heat can persist all year round, and will be forced to keep my a/c at minimal levels, so the ambient temperature will be higher more often.
I personally prefer the look of liquid cooling visually and the silence, despite the significant increase in cost. If I decide to liquid cool I would be seeking the help of my father who has experience in setting it up correctly. I've chosen my case carefully so that I can change to liquid cooling later if I decide to start with air. I'd prefer to liquid cool from the standpoint of visuals, but I don't want to drop the money if the benefit is negligible. (As a note, I'm aware that the quality of the liquid cooling system itself affects this. Let's assume that I'm willing to spend around $650 on the liquid cooling if it's worth it.)
5. Is there anywhere I can shave off some money and not lose significant power? The lower the price the better, but I do want a powerful system that will last me a few years. The case could be downsized, but I'm very partial to the look of the Corsair 800D. The peripherals are not set in stone, but mostly come from outside personal factors. E.G. I have a razer mouse, and would like to match the keyboard.
Sorry for the long post! I'm a bit paranoid and like to have my facts checked a couple times over before I make big decisions.
First off, I'm a first time builder with some prior knowledge from my father and ex, however since they won't be helping me on this build I thought it best to get some advice from more experienced individuals.
As a note: I have a question below about liquid cooling, but, despite being my first (solo) build, I am confident that, if the benefits are worth it, I can handle the installation/upkeep. I know the processes, risks, and requirements.
My budget: I'm willing to go to a max of $2500 (peripherals included: monitor, operating system, keyboard, and optical drive), but the cheaper the better as I am a college student with bills. I will hit (or possibly increase) my max budget if the performance is worth it. I plan to make upgrades when the need arises.
(EDIT: Prefer Intel, but not strict choice.)
My proposed setup is:
CPU: Intel i7-2600K 3.4GHz quad-core
MoBo: Asus Sabertooth z77 ATX LGA1155
GPU: EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1Gb
Ram: Kingston HyperX 16gb (4x4gb) DDR3-1600
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5"
PSU: Corsair 750W ATX12V/EPS12V
Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D ATX Full Tower
Full List with peripherals: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bJTX
My questions/concerns:
1. Most importantly: Is everything compatible? This may seem like a newbie question, but I've done all my part picking in the wee hours of the morning. So if I've missed anything major, and keep missing it cause I'm tired, I'd like to know now!
2. I'm worried that my PSU is not correct for this setup. The PSU is one area where I feel as though I'm flying totally blind. I know that it's better to go a bit high, and the system will use what it needs, rather than go low and nothing will work. Where exactly does this PSU fall in the range of my setup and how big is the margin? E.G. if I make any upgrades will I need to increase the PSU? Note: I do want a modular PSU as cable management is extremely important to me visually.
3. Computing power of my core components. From what I know, rendering is on the CPU and gaming is obviously heavy on the GPU. My parts are strong, but are they strong enough? I will be gaming much more often than rendering while I am still in school. I've never been a part of the component selection process in the past, so this is my first time making choices (plus the technology is always improving). Any recommendations on this? E.G. should I replace a part and with what?
4. Air vs Liquid cooling. I've not decided on whether I will overclock (though it's leaning towards a yes), however should I decide to overclock would the benefits of liquid cooling this system be noticeable? Would it be worth it even without an overclock? I live in Florida, where the heat can persist all year round, and will be forced to keep my a/c at minimal levels, so the ambient temperature will be higher more often.
I personally prefer the look of liquid cooling visually and the silence, despite the significant increase in cost. If I decide to liquid cool I would be seeking the help of my father who has experience in setting it up correctly. I've chosen my case carefully so that I can change to liquid cooling later if I decide to start with air. I'd prefer to liquid cool from the standpoint of visuals, but I don't want to drop the money if the benefit is negligible. (As a note, I'm aware that the quality of the liquid cooling system itself affects this. Let's assume that I'm willing to spend around $650 on the liquid cooling if it's worth it.)
5. Is there anywhere I can shave off some money and not lose significant power? The lower the price the better, but I do want a powerful system that will last me a few years. The case could be downsized, but I'm very partial to the look of the Corsair 800D. The peripherals are not set in stone, but mostly come from outside personal factors. E.G. I have a razer mouse, and would like to match the keyboard.
Sorry for the long post! I'm a bit paranoid and like to have my facts checked a couple times over before I make big decisions.
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