$1500 Gaming build; Compatibility Check & SSD Query

[MouldyTaco]

First-time build, Looking to put together a robust gaming rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($223.29 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($103.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.04 @ Amazon)
Total: $1391.21
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-12 14:23 EDT-0400)

I'm mostly concerned about the aftermarket heatsink and the Sabertooth's enclosure interfering. Will that be a problem?

I'm also looking for a 120/128GB SSD to go into this build as well.
If I stick with a Z77 chipset, would sandforce or marvell be better?

I will also be purchasing additional case fans, and was leaning towards these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835226042

Thanks!

 

[nafoni]

The Sabertooth is simply not worth it if you don't care too much about aesthetics. This motherboard will save you a lot of cash while still giving you the same performance and most functionality the Sabertooth does.
ASrock Z77 Extreme4 - 135$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

That Corsair Vengeance RAM is a bit tall and may interfere with your Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler. Go for this lower RAM.
G.SKILL RipjawsX 2x4GB 1600MHz - 46$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

When looking for a HDD these days, you really want 7200RPM at a minimum. Go for this one.
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM - 120$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

Good choice on the GTX 670. Just make sure you don't get a reference design card. The aftermarket designs will keep your card cool at a lower noise than the reference cooling design does. I would recommend one of these cards.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637&Tpk=gtx%20670%20asus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423

A 650W PSU will serve you fine if you only plan on installing one GTX 670. Go for a 750W PSU if you plan to run two cards in SLI in the future. Also, swap it out for the TX650M/TX750M if you want to save a bit of cash.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139031
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030

For the SSD, I would pick one of these. There are a bunch of SSDs out there, and a lot of arguing about who's better and not.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147134
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

 

[azeem40]

For the SSD, I would pick one of these. There are a bunch of SSDs out there, and a lot of arguing about who's better and not.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147134
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

I'd rather get the bare drive for $99.99.

 

[nafoni]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-147-163
Out of stock. Other sites may have them though.

 

[azeem40]

I'd keep the one with the kit then. Other stores have them much more expensive than newegg.

 

[MouldyTaco]

Thanks for the prompt, polite reply! I appreciate your input, and will definitely be adjusting my parts accordingly!

 

[starwitch]

Maybe it's just me, but why do people get a really killer GPU's and skimp out on the monitor?

 

[azeem40]

Maybe it's just me, but why do people get a really killer GPU's and skimp out on the monitor?

How is getting a 1080p monitor with a GTX 670 skimping out on monitor?

 

[nafoni]

Maybe it's just me, but why do people get a really killer GPU's and skimp out on the monitor?

He's not getting the best monitor on the planet, but he's certainly not skimping out on it either.
If he were going to get a better one I'd suggest looking for a 120Hz, but the monitor he chose should be perfectly fine.

 

[Silvune]

RipjawsX RAM is fairly tall itself at 40mm, if you want proper low profile then G.Skill Ares or Crucial Ballistix Sport.

5400RPM/Green drives are fine if you are just storing data on them, rather than running programs/games.

 

[nafoni]

RipjawsX RAM is fairly tall itself at 40mm, if you want proper low profile then G.Skill Ares or Crucial Ballistix Sport.

5400RPM/Green drives are fine if you are just storing data on them, rather than running programs/games.

Yep, those RAMs should be very good.

Reason I picked a 7200RPM was because it looks like his budget can only allow a 128GB SSD, and in my opinion that is not enough to store games on (Steam, for example, requires all games to be installed on the same drive). Anyway, I don't think it's worth putting games on a SSD. You'll notice a little improvement in loading times, but that doesn't really matter in my opinion.

 

[Why_Me]

First-time build, Looking to put together a robust gaming rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($223.29 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($103.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.04 @ Amazon)
Total: $1391.21
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-12 14:23 EDT-0400)

I'm mostly concerned about the aftermarket heatsink and the Sabertooth's enclosure interfering. Will that be a problem?

I'm also looking for a 120/128GB SSD to go into this build as well.
If I stick with a Z77 chipset, would sandforce or marvell be better?

I will also be purchasing additional case fans, and was leaning towards these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835226042

Thanks!

That board is over priced, you want a 750w psu if you want to leave open the option to SLI later on, that case sucks, look for a monitor with HDMI and unless you plan on using that RAM for a hair comb then ditch it. Those tall heat spreaders do nothing other than impede any decent size cpu h/s you choose to go with.


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Tower-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344808586&sr=1-8 $89.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1020392 $149.98 save: $15.00 - $20.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9B

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1030095 $346.98 save: $18.00
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O65JXI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A2EUTVCJXLAJ4K $32.39 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-AD-7280S-0B-Internal-Drive-Black/dp/B0057FRTPW/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $17.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344807960&sr=1-4 $79.98 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

http://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-7PC128B-WW/dp/B0077CR60Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344800801&sr=1-1&keywords=samsung+120+gb+ssd $100.55 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PC128B/WW

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MSI-670_PE $435.99 Free Shipping
MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 OC 2GB GDDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card - N670 PE 2GD5/OC

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_cp_e_2 $90.63 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

http://www.amazon.com/VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-HD-Monitor-Black/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344807205&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+21.5+led+monitor $136.40 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full-HD LED Monitor (Black) | 5ms; 50,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio; Full 1080P with HDMI

Total: $1,480.88 *not including shipping & rebates


http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77%20Extreme4/ <----- another look at that board along with a link to the latest bios

http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/asrock_z77_extreme4_review,1.html <------ review of that board w/benchmarks

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-express-ivy-bridge-benchmark,3254-2.html <------ another review of that board w/benchmarks

http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-400r-mid-tower-case.html/ <----- another look at that case

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_670_Power_Edition/ <---- review w/benchmarks of that MSI card

http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-geforce-gtx-670-power-edition-oc-review/24 <---- review w/benchmarks of that MSI card

 

[starwitch]

The 21.5" 1080p monitor is perfectly fine, but I'm just saying that the 670GTX is a killer card but regardless, it's still the display that shows the clarity and color on the screen. Saving up a little for a good monitor goes a long ways.

 

[MouldyTaco]

Best answer selected by MouldyTaco.

 

[azeem40]

HDMI is not necessary. Same quality as DVI, but with sound, which sucks on a monitor. What you should really look for is 1080p or better, DVI, and adjustment options.

 

[Why_Me]

http://usa.asus.com/Display/LCD_Monitors/VS228HP/#overview <----- this is that monitor I posted in the the build.

HDMI , D-Sub, DVI-D


http://www.asus.com/Display/Features/Splendid_Technology/ <----- ASUS Splendid Technology