You People Are the Best! Please Rate My Build...

[wrightfellow]

I'm about a month away from building my first pc and this website has been an amazing resource. I've gone from knowing nothing to at least stringing together a few components for a (hopefully) decent build. My budget is $1,700 and must include OS, monitor, and keyboard. I'm an nVidia fan, too, for driver support and accessibility. So here's what I have so far. Any help is always appreciated:

Gaming PC
Case: Corsair 600T
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O0PAKW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

PC: Intel i7 3570k
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SZ0E1K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

GPU: nVidia GeForce GTX 660ti (just released so I'm waiting a couple weeks to pick the actual card)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EYSMGW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_10?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Mobo: ASRock P67E4G3 LGA 1155 (I want the best possible mobo for my budget; I'm afraid of dealing with mobo issues)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FGMQAQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Ram: Corsair Vengeance 16 GB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QBUL1C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

SSD: Samsung 830 128 GB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GPXE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650w
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GPXE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DHGMK0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

HD: Western Digital 1 TB 7200rpm SATA
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036Q7MV0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Monitor: Asus 24 inch LED
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058UUR6E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Keyboard: Logitech G110
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RRLQIO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Total Price thus far ... Floating around $1670 - $1,720

Important Note: I'll be buying all components from Amazon

Thank you to anyone who can approve this build or offer some guidance.

 

[manofchalk]

Case is good.

i7-3570k? I think you mean i5. Still a good CPU.

GPU is meh IMO, its only around a HD7870 for performance, doesnt overclock as well as the 7870 and $50 more expensive.

That mobo is very old, the p67 chipset is effectively defunct now. You want a Z77 board, much newer technology and comes with features like PCI-3, USB3 SATAIII (everything 3 you could think of!), SSD caching and other good stuff.
I recommend this board, only because the AsRock Z77 Extreme4 doesn't seems to be listed.
ASUS P8Z77-V LK. $150.
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-P8Z77-V-LK-Intel-Motherboards/dp/B007RIFKTY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345205492&sr=1-1&keywords=ASUS+P8Z77-V+LK

For a gaming rig you can half the RAM, you only need 8GB.

Good SSD

Good PSU, though if their is the possibility of Crossfire/SLI, you may want a 750W.

That is the retail Windows Home Premium. You can get the OEM version cheaper, but the product key is only good for installing onto systems built around that motherboard.
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM. $90
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=sr_1_2?s=software&ie=UTF8&qid=1345205656&sr=1-2&keywords=Microsoft+Windows+7+Home+Premium

 

[jerreddredd]

I would get a Z77MB

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-express-ivy-bridge-benchmark,3254-35.html
Gigabyte Z77X-D3H
ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Biostar TZ77XE3

 

[wrightfellow]

Okay, so cut the ram to 8gb ... Replace mobo with z77 ... And look at OEM over retail. Sweet. All three moves might save money and increase performance.

I'll look for the ASRock extreme mobo and I'll keep looking at GPUs. I like the 660ti but maybe I should stretch for the 670?

Not looking to crossfire so I'll stick with 650w psu unless someone says 750 will be more "future proof" with card upgrades in 3-4 years.

 

[wrightfellow]

Sorry for the double post but I'm agonizing over a motherboard choice. It sounds embarrassing but I'm working up a pretty good fear about the whole project because I keep reading all these reviews of motherboards that won't post, dead DIMM slots, or whatever else. For a first timer, it's a bit surprising to see there is no "perfect" motherboard out there.

From what's been said so far, I know I need a Z77 board. Beyond that, I'm happy to spend more money for a greater board but I'm all about stability. I just want the board that will most likely work right out of the box. (Don't we all?)

From the options already suggested (and listed below), can anyone help me make a final pick?

Gigabyte Z77X-D3H
ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Biostar TZ77XE3

I'm throwing in the Asus Z77-V board, too, for futher consideration.

 

[Steverl22]

I picked up the Asrock extreme4.....building my system tonight. Heard nothing bt good things about that board from people around these parts.


Here's my build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/eOU5

 

[wrightfellow]

I picked up the Asrock extreme4.....building my system tonight. Heard nothing bt good things about that board from people around these parts.


Here's my build:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/eOU5

Great build. We have some similarities. Please update and let me know how things turn out. Good luck.