Is this build good?

[anol33t]

Hello World!

I'm trying to put together my first ever build. This will primarily serve as a home workstation but I will add more components to it later (GPU, cooling, etc.) to turn it into an overclocked and moderate gaming build. I want my current budget to be close to $1000 (excluding a monitor).

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096

Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834

Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240

Power Supply: OCZ 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=50802

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Keyboard: Logitech MK320 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126188

Current total for above components comes to around $1020 including taxes.
Experts, please advise! Are the above components good enough or should I replace anything?

Thanks for the help!

 

[malbluff]

Generally fine. The one thing I would seriously try to change is PSU. Corsair would be a much better, for performance and reliability. What are you planning to add? Unless you are planning on a couple of powerful GPU's in SLi, you don't need 850W. 600 or 650W would be more than adequate for most things. 750W if you want plenty of scope, but 850W is probably OTT.
Not used Samsung for RAM, so can't really comment, but generally prefer Corsair for RAM, as well.

 

[mocchan]

850w is HIGHLY overkill for any gaming rig at the moment. Unless you are planning to SLI/Crossfire, I would recommend going for a 650w unit. On a side note, a 650w will be able to run ANY modern GPU without a sweat. It can also SLI/Crossfire some of the more power efficient cards such as the GTX660Ti and Radeon HD7850.

Besides that, everything looks good to go

 

[anol33t]

Thanks for you reply malbluff!

Two GPUs in SLi/Crossfire mode is what I was planning to add later. I may also add another HDD for storage, but for now 2TB will suffice. Plus some cathode lights, an additional 200mm fan and maybe a replacement cooling solution for the CPU. Certainly, "later" in this context means this will happen when I have more $$ to spare in 3-6 months..


I did look at a Corsair PSU, the HX750 specifically. But that is twice the price of this one. I have the OCZ one on the list since I'm getting it for $90 (after rebates) from NCIX.

The Samsung RAM has some good reviews on Newegg and I think I found a board post somewhere that recommended it for overclocking. Are G.SKILLs or Corsairs similar? I don't see much price difference between them and can buy those if they are recommended by the experienced folks.

 

[aznshinobi]

^+1 mocchan

Except I would save on the motherboard, you're spending way too much on that. And where is the GPU? Here's the review of the P8Z77 Pro, it's overpriced and underperforms:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-extreme6-z77a-gd65-z77h2-a2x,3187-22.html

Check out my $1000 build here:
http://www.squidoo.com/electronicandmore
Save money and get a graphics card that is more than enough.
Review of the Rosewill Hive if you don't trust Rosewill:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Rosewill-HIVE-650-W-Power-Supply-Review/1460

 

[anol33t]

I have a follow-up question. Since both of you said 850w is an overkill and I will have no SLi/Crossfire for atleast a couple of months, does it mean that this will damage my PSU or something?

What exactly does "overkill" mean here? I was thinking, since I'm getting it for a good price and it leaves room for expansion later, I should jump on it. Please correct me if this is not the right approach.

Thanks!

 

[mocchan]

I'm not too sure of RAM performance as I haven't really looked into it, but I would personally prefer Corsair due to their heatspreaders. (They also look cooler :lol: )

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027
You may want to consider this unit as it's $89.99 after rebates, it's a pretty nice steal IMO.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049
This is a very nice PSU for a great price as well. It currently has a 15% discount to make it around $90

 

[mocchan]

I have a follow-up question. Since both of you said 850w is an overkill and I will have no SLi/Crossfire for atleast a couple of months, does it mean that this will damage my PSU or something?

What exactly does "overkill" mean here? I was thinking, since I'm getting it for a good price and it leaves room for expansion later, I should jump on it. Please correct me if this is not the right approach.

Thanks!

'Overkill' for PSU's basically means your PSU is capable of providing much more power than your rig will actually use. This actually ties in with the PSU's power efficiency. Most power supplies efficiency drops SIGNIFICANTLY when it is below 20% load.

However, I will agree with aznshinobi, the P8Z77 series of boards are VERY nice and have a great feature set, however, the ASRock Extreme4 Z77 board will perform the same, if not better, for roughly ~$40 less.

 

[anol33t]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

As suggested, I am now going for the Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB blue sticks for my RAM.

One of the reasons for choosing the P8Z77-V PRO was the Wi Fi GO! onboard and a better looking UEFI bios (personal preference).

I'm going to look into the links for the power supplies and buy a 750w.

 

[mocchan]

You're very welcome.

I understand what you mean about the UEFI, that's what lured me into my board TBH, not to mention the deal I got on it :lol:

 

[aznshinobi]

Hmm... Wifi is easily attainable with a USB adapter. The UEFI is kind of meh, are you going to tweak that much, that should be what you're looking at. Even my Gigabyte has UEFI but I still stick to BIOS because it actually is pretty easy to use. Gigabyte offers tweaking in OS software and many of the motherboard companies offer in OS tweaking that is pretty solid.

 

[mocchan]

+1 to Wifi adapters

I personally find UEFI to be much easier to move around (what it was meant for, right?) but I do understand what you mean with the tweaking. I love to overclock, but once I find that sweet spot, I never go back into my BIOS. It may be better to save cost there and invest elsewhere.

 

[anol33t]

I see what you guys mean.
I'm now reading about ASRock Extreme4. Any other board suggestions are appreciated.

aznshinobi, is it a particular board that you are referencing when you say Gigabyte offers tweaking in OS software?

 

[aznshinobi]

If you want to try out some OS software:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/automatic-overclock-motherboard-cpu,3048-17.html
All companies have their own. Seems like Asrock has one of the better more efficient ones. Asus has a solid one however for a Daily overclock, I wouldn't try pushing the voltage to 1.45, the Asrock allocated 1.36v is enough.

 

[anol33t]

Thanks again! I will look into all these considerations and post my final build soon.

 

[malbluff]

I have a follow-up question. Since both of you said 850w is an overkill and I will have no SLi/Crossfire for atleast a couple of months, does it mean that this will damage my PSU or something?

What exactly does "overkill" mean here? I was thinking, since I'm getting it for a good price and it leaves room for expansion later, I should jump on it. Please correct me if this is not the right approach.

Thanks!

Having an oversized PSU is not a major problem. It just won't be operating efficiently, most of the time, and will be throwing more heat, than is necessary, into your case. I would be more concerned about the manufacturer. Saving a few dollars on a PSU is pointless, if it then fails, and destroys half your system. I personally like Corsair, because of their efficiency and RELIABILITY, but there are many other manufacturers, better than OCZ.

 

[aznshinobi]

OCZ is pretty solid. You're not supposed to look at the brand but the OEM manufacturer. Corsair doesn't even get their PSUs made by Seasonic anymore, CWT makes most of them.

 

[mocchan]

^ +1