Completely new build

[Sarionshadow]

Know that i don't know how to build a gaming computer. However i can understand things if they are explained to me. I need a computer that will last me for some years. I want it to allow me to play video games with ease without worrying about having the fan blown off my graphics card or the plastic of my case melted off.
I wound like to keep my budget as close as 1000 euros. The built i present you now is 1400 and IS acceptable by my parents who are going to buy me this computer. They want it to last for more than 5-6 years.


Know that i live in greece and that i can but won't import stuff from overseas. There is a store here that has a lot of equipment for building a computer. Also not that i am not really interested in dual video cards . and that i prefer NVIDIA since my entire life they never failed me.
My GT 240 never ceases to amaze me.

Here is my rig

Case : AEROCOOL X-WARRIOR DEVIL RED EDITION

Processor : INTEL CORE I7-3770 3.40GHZ LGA1155

Processor Cooler: NOCTUA NH-D14 CPU COOLER

Motherboard : ASROCK Z77 EXTREME4-M

Ram: CORSAIR CMZ8GX3M2A2133C11R VENGEANCE 8GB (2X4GB) PC3-17064 DUAL CHANNEL KIT RED

Video Card: ASUS GTX670-DC2-2GD5 2GB PCI-E RETAIL

First Hard Drive: WESTERN DIGITAL WD10EARX 1TB CAVIAR GREEN SATA3

Second SSD : OCZ OCZSSD2-1VTXPL60G 60GB VERTEX PLUS SATAII 2.5'' SSD RETAIL

New Monitor: LG E2242C 21.5'' LED FULL HD BLACK

Sound Card: HERCULES GAMESURROUND MUSE 5.1 DVD

OS: Windows 7 64 Bit En

Power Supply: OCZ ZS SERIES POWER SUPPLY 650W


I believe all components are compatible. Maybe the case is small and i think i can buy a bigger one.
Remember i want something that can last and won't break apart.
If something is incompatible then please say so.
I want to hear suggestions improvements and if they lower the overall price even better !

 

[l0v3rboi]

i5 3570k - i7 and i5 performance are pretty much on par in terms of gaming. If you don't plan to OC, the i5 3550 is what I would suggest.

Asrock z77 Extreme 4 - I suggest the non -M one since that would be a micro ATX. An ATX board is the way to go since you have more space to work with and for future upgrades.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - While the one you chose is very good, this one is cheaper but preforms really well. Also, if you don't plan to OC< then you don't need this anyway.

Crucial M4 - I would get this one instead of the OCZ because of reliability especially because you wanted your PC for the long haul.

You don't need a sound card. The MoBo comes with onboard audio.

WIndows 7 home Premium 64 bit

The rest of your choices are pretty good (I'm not familar with your case though).

 

[Sarionshadow]

I did find your Cooler Master in the store so i will take your word and change the cooling system.
However can you suggest me another Motherboard around that price range that supports my graphics card because the store does not have the non-M version.
One more question, why should i buy and i5 instead of an i7 if i want my pc to last?

 

[joluk44]

i agree with all the points above, except definately go for the 3570k. even if you dont overclock, the k series tend to live for longer

as for the case, a full tower would be better than a mid tower, and would have more cooling options. the antec nine hundred would be a good example

 

[l0v3rboi]

The only difference between i5 and i7 is a feature called hyperthreading. In terms of gaming, this feature is not being utilized and therefore, would be a waste if your main purpose is such. In terms of reliability, they are both IB so they should last roughly the same (unless of course you are unlucky enough to get one of the defective ones).

As for MoBo suggestions, here are couple of options for you. Gigabyte z77x-D3h, or Asus P8z77v-LK. Compatibility is not much of an issue. As long as the MoBo has a PCI Express slot, it will work with your MoBo.

In terms of cases, a full tower is not necessarily better. Sure you have more space for air flow but that can also be achieved with a well built Mid-tower. Case and example are the Corsair Carbide series cases vs their Obsidian series. The Carbides are mid-towers with great cooling while their obsidian series have full towers but have heat issues. Just choose one that you have researched to have good air flow and cable management.

 

[Sarionshadow]

I will go to the store itself and ask experts as far as BUILDING the computer goes. Thank you for your suggestions keep them coming if you like since by following your suggestions the price has gone down by 150 euros already.

Any suggestions on the Monitor? Perhaps i should search one with 10.000.000:1?

Would this MoBo do a good job? ASUS P8Z77-V LE?

Also what about this case? `RAIDMAX TYPHOON SIDE WINDOW BLACK

Also is it possible that in the future this Hyperthreading will be used in video games? And what does it offer in general?

 

[joluk44]

nothing wrong with the asrock mobo so long as you go to the regular version, and avoid raidmax whenever possible.

 

[Sarionshadow]

Raimax is not a good company for cases i presume?
Also why is it that i can only find -M, -V or - iTX versions of Motherboards? Since i really cannot get it from anywhere else, what do you suggest i buy from these?

 

[l0v3rboi]

I have the P8z77v-LE. It works great. No reliability issues and has some great features.

Hyperthreading is a feature that allows workload to be distributed between all 4 cores. For example, when compiling a program, instead of using 100% of the power of 1 core and leaving the 3 cores alone, it would start "threads" that will distribute the workload so that each core will be using 25% of its processing power.

Yes, in the future, it may be that games will be using hyperthreading. Not anytime soon though. As of today, only one game has stressed out an i5 so much that it was bottlenecked. That game is Arma 2 and is the exception. If you do plan to get this game, might be a good idea to get the i7.

Raidmax sell low quality cases. Their cases have a "cheap" feel to them. Take a look at this case. Its pretty cheap but looks good, has good airflow, and has good cable management. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240 If you can find that in your store I would recommend that case.

 

[Sarionshadow]

Thanks for clarifying, its not in my top priorities to play arma 2 but in any case hyperthreading sounds rather appealing and i am ready to spend 50 euros for that feature.
But as far as performance goes i7 2600 is still equal to the latest i5 right?

Also i could not find that exact case but i found another that claims to have good cable managment and airflow having 4 pre-installed 120mm fans as well as room for 2 more.
AEROCOOL STRIKE-X ADVANCE WHITE
Tell me what you think.
Also. No suggetions on the monitor?

 

[richard694000]

Why are you going with a sata 2 ssd when the board support sata3?

 

[Sarionshadow]

I did fix that and changed the Sata 2 to a Sata 3

OCZ AGT3-25SAT3-60G 60GB AGILITY3 SATA3 2.5'' SSD

 

[l0v3rboi]

No. The i7 2600 would be better than the latest i5. I noticed that you always choose the non "K" versions of the CPU. Do you not plan to OC?

Sorry, I don't know much about monitors.

 

[edtheguy]

Also, use the SSD as your FIRST hdd, put your OS on there, it will have the greatest benefit that way, then use the old fashioned spinning hdd for data storage.

 

[Sarionshadow]

I am not sure i am willing to OC for i am afraid of Overclocking things, i think i will be buying the i7 2600 since i am not willing to risk an overclock.

 

[joluk44]

even if you dont plan to overclock the k versions tend to last longer

 

[l0v3rboi]

If you are getting the i7 2600 then I would suggest getting the i7 3770 and pairing it up with an h77 MoBo. This way, you only lose overclocking and would still be able to take advantage of PCI Express 3.0; a feature that is not utilized at the moment but will be in the future. Here are some h77 MoBo's: Asus p8h77-v LE, Gigabyte h77-ds3h, or Asus p8h77-V.

You can also take out the CPU cooler in your build. The stock cooler that comes with the CPU would do fine if you are not going to overclock.

 

[Sarionshadow]

What is the big difference? Does 3770 have more processing power cause of its smaller technology? ( 22nm)) Also I thought the PCI express 3 relates to the type of Video card you have.
I mean My 670 goes into a PCI 3.0 so what does that have to do with the proccesor?

 

[l0v3rboi]

What is the big difference? Does 3770 have more processing power cause of its smaller technology? ( 22nm)) Also I thought the PCI express 3 relates to the type of Video card you have.
I mean My 670 goes into a PCI 3.0 so what does that have to do with the proccesor?

You are right. The processor has little to do with the Graphics Card. However, there are certain features available for newer technology.

That being said, it is not the processor that makes these new features available. It is the way they are built. Sandy Bridge architecture only supports PCI Express 2.0. Ivy Bridge, on the other hand, supports PCI Express 3.0. It is a newer technology that allows for faster video processing. At the moment, it is not being utilized to its fullest but in the future (since you said you want to keep your computer for 5 years) it will be.

From the MoBo standpoint, the z77/h77 refers to the chipset that is central to the MoBo (kinda like the brain of it). The h77 MoBo is especially designed to take advantage of the features in the IB architecture. Lets say the processor is the muscle. To maximize muscle function, you have to have the brain designed to take advantage of its capabilities.

Now as to how it actually works I'm not sure. I don't delve into the technical specifics. Too much jargon.

Your GTX 670 goes in a PCI Express slot. It will work in either 2.0 or 3.0. For future-proofing however, I would suggest you get the PCI Express 3.0.

The IB architecture is faster clock per clock compared to its SB counterpart. Since you don't plan to OC, it will be a good idea to get the IB.

Hence, I suggested the IB i7 3770 + h77 MoBo. They will work well together and give you the features that will last for a while.

 

[Sarionshadow]

Thank you for your analytic explanation. That was very informative and helpful i did not know the processor was not able to utilize the PCI 3.0 should it be a 2600. I lean towards getting a 3770 in order to use the PCI 3.0 my GTX 670 is able to.
If i ever decide to overclock, i need a Mobo that allows Overclocking a processor with at the end of its number yes?

 

[l0v3rboi]

Thank you for your analytic explanation. That was very informative and helpful i did not know the processor was not able to utilize the PCI 3.0 should it be a 2600. I lean towards getting a 3770 in order to use the PCI 3.0 my GTX 670 is able to.
If i ever decide to overclock, i need a Mobo that allows Overclocking a processor with at the end of its number yes?

If you do want to overclock, we have to change a few things.

First, you need a "k" series processor. Something like the i7 3770k. "K" series processors have unlocked multipliers which allow for overclocking.

Then, you need a MoBo with a z77 chipset. Only the z77 MoBo has features for overclocking. Something like the one's I previously mentioned: Gigabyte z77x-d3h or Asus p8z77v-lk.

Lastly, you need an aftermarket CPU cooler. An overclocked CPU will produce more heat so you need something stronger to help dissipate it. I recommended the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. Just a warning though, overclocked IB processors gets very hot once you go past a certain point. With the cooler I suggested, you can get up to 4.1 or 4.2 GHZ. If you plan to go over that, then its better if you go with the Noctua cooler you previously chosen.