SLI, w/ 3570k; Need MoBo and PSU advice

[Reflex135]

I would like to order this weekend. Budget doesn't really exist for these parts just common sense and rationality. If there's a reason to spend more than my price preference I will really consider it. I'm experienced in building but have been out of the loop for ~ 3 years.

I have 2 GTX 670's stock OC'd. Getting a HAF X Case.

I am purchasing a 3570k and will OC on air with NH-D14 - neither are bought yet.

I would love to get a motherboard with PCI 3.0 16x16x in SLI but I don't need this I'm sure, so 8x8 should be adequate, and cheaper right? I'm keeping my 8 GB of ripjaw 1600 btw. Any recommendations? $100-$180 please.

As for PSU I need at least 2x 6 and 2x 6+2 or 2x 8 pin power for GPU's. And needs to be lengthy to reach everything. At least 80+ certified or for SLI is it recommended to be at least gold or something? $80-$120, I guess 700w to 850w please.

If anyone knows setups that don't have micro stutter I may want to copy them. I am seeking best performance in BF3. All items here can change such as SB to IB or I5 to I7. I mainly game so no need for HT and mildly OC the cpu.

I was also considering an Acer 120Hz 23.6" monitor for $300 on newegg - any opinions on these? I will do surround soon based on one 120Hz center. I currently have 2x 22" 60Hz.

Thanks very much!

 

[Why_Me]

Gold rated for SLI? All Gold means is the efficiency of the psu. Gold, silver, and bronze rated...it's a fine line that separates them.

This psu down below is manufactured by Seasonic for XFX and is modular.


http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PRO750W-Semi-Modular-80Plus-Supply/dp/B005IUVYA2/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035009&sr=1-4 $111.71 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping | Price after rebate: $101.71
XFX PRO750W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80Plus 750 Watt Power Supply (Silver)

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD3H/dp/B007R21JJK/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035086&sr=1-4&keywords=Intel $151.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001537 $379.99
SAMSUNG S23A700D Black 23" 2ms HDMI Widescreen 3D Capable LED-Backlit LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 1000:1 120Hz

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Heatsink-Technology-RR-T812-24PK-R1/dp/B007WPHXIS/ref=sr_1_39?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035559&sr=1-39&keywords=CPU%2Bcooler $69.21 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Heatsink Cooling Pad with Vapor Chamber Technology (RR-T812-24PK-R1)

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2654 <----- review of that CM cpu h/s @ Frosty Tech

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm <----- that same CM cpu h/s on Frosty Tech's Top 5 list

 

[Reflex135]

Gold rated for SLI? All Gold means is the efficiency of the psu. Gold, silver, and bronze rated...it's a fine line that separates them.

This psu down below is manufactured by Seasonic for XFX and is modular.


http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PRO750W-Semi-Modular-80Plus-Supply/dp/B005IUVYA2/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035009&sr=1-4 $111.71 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping | Price after rebate: $101.71
XFX PRO750W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80Plus 750 Watt Power Supply (Silver)

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD3H/dp/B007R21JJK/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035086&sr=1-4&keywords=Intel $151.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001537 $379.99
SAMSUNG S23A700D Black 23" 2ms HDMI Widescreen 3D Capable LED-Backlit LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 1000:1 120Hz

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Heatsink-Technology-RR-T812-24PK-R1/dp/B007WPHXIS/ref=sr_1_39?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1347035559&sr=1-39&keywords=CPU%2Bcooler $69.21 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Heatsink Cooling Pad with Vapor Chamber Technology (RR-T812-24PK-R1)

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2654 <----- review of that CM cpu h/s @ Frosty Tech

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm <----- that same CM cpu h/s on Frosty Tech's Top 5 list

Wow I'm really glad you posted.the information about that heatsink! Thank you, I'll definitely look into getting that one instead!

I really dislike Amazon super saver shipping since they use some new random carrier where I live now - not a big deal though.

That monitor looks amazing. Sucks that it was on sale for 299 before according to the reviews...

About that mobo can you explain why you recommended it, like are there special things about it?

Was thinking gold may be recommended for SLI or something due to better energy efficiency and power bill by a lot or something.

Any other recommendations welcome!

 

[idroid]

I would like to order this weekend. Budget doesn't really exist for these parts just common sense and rationality. If there's a reason to spend more than my price preference I will really consider it. I'm experienced in building but have been out of the loop for ~ 3 years.

I have 2 GTX 670's stock OC'd. Getting a HAF X Case.

I am purchasing a 3570k and will OC on air with NH-D14 - neither are bought yet.

I would love to get a motherboard with PCI 3.0 16x16x in SLI but I don't need this I'm sure, so 8x8 should be adequate, and cheaper right? I'm keeping my 8 GB of ripjaw 1600 btw. Any recommendations? $100-$180 please.

As for PSU I need at least 2x 6 and 2x 6+2 or 2x 8 pin power for GPU's. And needs to be lengthy to reach everything. At least 80+ certified or for SLI is it recommended to be at least gold or something? $80-$120, I guess 700w to 850w please.

If anyone knows setups that don't have micro stutter I may want to copy them. I am seeking best performance in BF3. All items here can change such as SB to IB or I5 to I7. I mainly game so no need for HT and mildly OC the cpu.

I was also considering an Acer 120Hz 23.6" monitor for $300 on newegg - any opinions on these? I will do surround soon based on one 120Hz center. I currently have 2x 22" 60Hz.

Thanks very much!

*i strongly advise not to get a DH-N14 it will KILL your whole system aesthetics... you can a little bit more and get something that will perform better, look better and it will not put any kind of pressure to your motherboard.... this you should get

*Get this motherboard. it supports dual cards @ 8x/8x

*Get this PSU

*microstuttering is BS... i have with dual and quad 7970s @ multiple resolutions and i never experienced it.

*to be honest with you.... if you want a 3D monitor either go home or go loud.... if you REALLY want a TRULY AWESOME KICK A$$ 3D monitor get this: http://pcpartpicker.com/mr/newegg/asus-monitor-vg278h it support Nvidia 3D Vision 2

 

[Why_Me]

Wow I'm really glad you posted.the information about that heatsink! Thank you, I'll definitely look into getting that one instead!

I really dislike Amazon super saver shipping since they use some new random carrier where I live now - not a big deal though.

That monitor looks amazing. Sucks that it was on sale for 299 before according to the reviews...

About that mobo can you explain why you recommended it, like are there special things about it?

Was thinking gold may be recommended for SLI or something due to better energy efficiency and power bill by a lot or something.

Any other recommendations welcome!

Any PC component on amazon can be found on newegg and vice versa. The mobo has dual bios, full size atx, etc... although just about all the boards these days have dual bios. Just make sure you have the latest bios and with all these new boards it's pretty much impossible to brick your board when flashing to the latest bios. The difference between gold and silver efficiency rating electricity wise (savings) comes out to a can of coke and maybe a candy bar over a years time if you leave your PC on 24/7.

 

[Reflex135]

Idroid: Thank you for those links. I really like that PSU. The mobo seems nice but some of the reviews make me worried lol. I don't really want to do water cooling just yet.

As for monitors... I have no need for and will never use 3D, it just comes with all the 120Hz I've seen.

Why_me: nice analogy lol makes sense. And yeah I was just voicing my opinion on amazon, I understand that everything is on both sites.

I found that Samsung monitor on nextdaypc.com for 300 but never heard of them...

 

[idroid]

Idroid: Thank you for those links. I really like that PSU. The mobo seems nice but some of the reviews make me worried lol. I don't really want to do water cooling just yet.

As for monitors... I have no need for and will never use 3D, it just comes with all the 120Hz I've seen.

*DO NOT pay attention to newegg reviews, they're all written by a bunch of idiots with no clue on how to build a PC... read this: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6108/gigabyte-gaz77xud5h-review-functionality-meets-competitive-pricing

*Water cooling is AWESOME, there is absolutely nothing to worry about with that cooler, it will not leak and it will outperform any air cooler.

*Wait until you give 3D a try.... btw, that monitor i linked isn't your average 3D monitor, i really can not explain how perfect it is, i have 3 of them and i love them!!

Edit: i almost forgot.... if you're gonna buy that monitor make sure you get a GTX670... not a 7970.

 

[Reflex135]

*DO NOT pay attention to newegg reviews, they're all written by a bunch of idiots with no clue on how to build a PC... read this: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6108/gigabyte-gaz77xud5h-review-functionality-meets-competitive-pricing

*Water cooling is AWESOME, there is absolutely nothing to worry about with that cooler, it will not leak and it will outperform any air cooler.

*Wait until you give 3D a try.... btw, that monitor i linked isn't your average 3D monitor, i really can not explain how perfect it is, i have 3 of them and i love them!!

Edit: i almost forgot.... if you're gonna buy that monitor make sure you get a GTX670... not a 7970.

Ok you've got me interested. I know absolutely nothing about water cooling. Can you tell me more... here's your chance to talk me into it lol!

 

[idroid]

Ok you've got me interested. I know absolutely nothing about water cooling. Can you tell me more... here's your chance to talk me into it lol!

lol!! lets get started!

there are two types of water cooling, closed loop watercooling and custom watercooling.

Closed loop water coolers (Corsair H100, Thermaltake Water 2.0, etc) are a combination of all the necessary equipment for a custom watercooler cramed into a radiator, they do not perform as good as (SOME) custom loop watercoolers but the highest-end model can easily kick any air coolers butt.... the advantage of having this coolers is that its extremely easy to install (unlike custom watercoolers) and they do not put any kind of pressure to your motherboard.... they also don't requiere any maintenance.

Custom loop watercoolers are the real thing.... you have to buy pumps, CPU/GPU blocks, radiators, reservoir, tubing, fittings, coolants, etc and put them together.... they're kinda hard to make and they requiere maintenance each 6 months but they are the ULTIMATE cooling solution

 

[Reflex135]

lol!! lets get started!

there are two types of water cooling, closed loop watercooling and custom watercooling.

Closed loop water coolers (Corsair H100, Thermaltake Water 2.0, etc) are a combination of all the necessary equipment for a custom watercooler cramed into a radiator, they do not perform as good as (SOME) custom loop watercoolers but the highest-end model can easily kick any air coolers butt.... the advantage of having this coolers is that its extremely easy to install (unlike custom watercoolers) and they do not put any kind of pressure to your motherboard.... they also don't requiere any maintenance.

Custom loop watercoolers are the real thing.... you have to buy pumps, CPU/GPU blocks, radiators, reservoir, tubing, fittings, coolants, etc and put them together.... they're kinda hard to make and they requiere maintenance each 6 months but they are the ULTIMATE cooling solution

Thanks for that. I have decided to try out the Cooler Master 812 Why_me suggested because there was a good price combo with the CPU - if I oc and it isn't good enough I will try out your water cooling ideas =)

Because of the price on the 812 I was able to justify spending more on the motherboard you suggested, so I bought that along with the PSU you suggested as well - really liked it!

Still debating on the monitor... lol For surround which cords should I use? And what's the best way to get SLI running correctly when building new on first boot and all?

 

[Reflex135]

Sorry for double post, but I want to thank the two posters above for their recommendations.

The Gigabyte UD5H is an amazing board and I'm so glad you suggested it - I'm very happy with it. That Seasonic PSU is awesome too. I can tell why you recommended this brand.

The same goes for the CM 812 - it has my 3570k running at 4.8Ghz! Still working on seeing how low of voltage I can get though. Temps do hit 80 on Prime95/IBT but that won't happen in normal usage - games it is low 70's. Oh, and it looks so much better than the D14 rofl.

I found a pretty good deal on a 23" Samsung 700D so I picked that up!

Thank you both very much! And who knows, I may go water-cooling next time