Are my motherboard and graphics card compatible?

[kangarue45]

I am building my first ever computer, I want to use the computer primarily for gaming. I have chosen all my parts, which I list below, my question is whether the graphics card and motherboard are compatible, and well whether all the parts are compatible and are good for a gaming computer. Also is there anything else I will need to get, like an ethernet card, or a separate CPU cooling fan, or any cords? Also I would be using my LCD TV as a monitor if that makes any difference. Thanks.

Case: Cooler Master- HAF X Ultimate Full Tower
CPU: Intel core i7-3770K
Mobo: Gigabyte ATX motherboard 2666MHz (socket 1155)
RAM: Corsair-Vengence 2-pack 4GB DDR3 DIMM
GPU: MSI-N570GTX Twin Frozen II graphics card
Optical drive: HP-24X internal Double-Layer DVD ± RW/CD-RW Drive
Power Supply: Corsair-Gaming Series 700-watt ATX CPU power supply
HDD: Western Digital- Caviar Black 1TB internal serial ATA Hard Drive for desktops
SDD: Corsair-Force Series 3 120GB internal serial ATA III solid state drive
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

 

[blazorthon]

The i7s are no better than the i5s for gaming on the LGA 1155 socket platform, so the i7 is a waste of around $100 compared to a comparable i5 such as the i5-3570K. The graphics card, a GTX 570, is also a poor choice because the Radeon 7850 overclocks better, has much more VRAM capacity, and uses a fraction of the power. Considering your budget, you might want to step up to a GTX 670 or a Radeon 7950 or Radeon 7970.

Also, an 8GB RAM kit would be a better idea. The brand that you chose is great, but 4GB is kinda low for a high-endish gaming computer. It probably would be okay if you don't do any multi-tasking during gaming, but newer games that use even somewhat more memory than current games could cause 4GB of main system RAM to be insufficient in the next few years.

Also, your motherboard choice doesn't actually tell me what motherboard you're looking into. There are probably several Gigabyte motherboards that support 2666MHz memory. Make sure that the memory that you buy is 1600MHz. Higher frequency memory is not really any better for gaming and what little benefit that there is is not noticeable in gaming.

 

[geofelt]

Your parts look to be compatible.
But, could you provide links to the specific parts?

Here are my thoughts:

For gaming, there is little value in spending a $100 price premium for a 3770K over a 3570K.
The reason is, that few games use more than 2-3 cores, making the extra hyperthreads of the 3770K useless.

Most any Z77 based motherboard will do. Exactly which one did you pick?

When you buy ram, buy a single 8gb kit(2 x 4gb) of ddr3 1600 ram.
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards can be very sensitive to this.
That is why ram vendors will not support ram that is not bought in one kit.
Although, I think the problem has lessened with the newer Intel chipsets. Still,
it is safer to get what you need in one kit.
Also, pick low profile ram. It costs no more, and low profile ram will not interfere with aftermarket cpu coolers.

I would add a $30 cm hyper212 cpu cooler. The 120mm fan will keep your cpu cooler, quieter, and make it easier to OK.
The backplate mount is easier for the novice to install. The stock Intel pushpins can be tricky.

All motherboards will come with an ethernet connection and at least 2 sata cables. Check the newegg photo's to see what is in your particular package. You will need three sata cables. one each for the dvd, ssd, and hdd.

For gaming, my rule of thumb is to spend twice your cpu budget on the graphics card. In this case, you have it opposite, a $340 cpu and a $250 graphics card. You would have a much better gamer if you spent $230 on a 3570K and a $400 GTX670.

--------good luck--------

 

[kangarue45]

Ok so based on what you said this is the CPU and motherboard I've changed to, is this one sufficient? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Intel%26%23174%3B+-+Core%26%23153%3B+i5-3570K+Processor+and+GIGABYTE+ATX+Motherboard+2666MHz+(Socket+1155)/6000857.p?id=1218712330256&skuId=6000857

For RAM would I need a 2 pack of 4GB sticks to equal 8GB? So this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair+-+Vengeance+2-Pack+4GB+DDR3+DIMM+Desktop+Memory+Kit/2904596.p?id=1218361848253&skuId=2904596

And then this for the graphics card? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/PNY+-+GeForce+GTX+670+2GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+3.0+Graphics+Card/5586059.p?id=1218667454208&skuId=5586059&st=gGTX%20670&cp=1&lp=1

 

[geofelt]

Ok so based on what you said this is the CPU and motherboard I've changed to, is this one sufficient? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Intel%26%23174%3B+-+Core%26%23153%3B+i5-3570K+Processor+and+GIGABYTE+ATX+Motherboard+2666MHz+(Socket+1155)/6000857.p?id=1218712330256&skuId=6000857

For RAM would I need a 2 pack of 4GB sticks to equal 8GB? So this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair+-+Vengeance+2-Pack+4GB+DDR3+DIMM+Desktop+Memory+Kit/2904596.p?id=1218361848253&skuId=2904596

And then this for the graphics card? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/PNY+-+GeForce+GTX+670+2GB+GDDR5+PCI+Express+3.0+Graphics+Card/5586059.p?id=1218667454208&skuId=5586059&st=gGTX%20670&cp=1&lp=1

The cpu/motherboard combo looks ok to me.

The ram description is misleading, but it really is a 8gb kit which is ok, but I would buy a low profile kit which costs less:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair+-+Vengeance+2-Pack+4GB+DDR3+DIMM+Desktop+Memory+Kit/3027178.p?id=1218372342370&skuId=3027178

GTX670 looks ok too.

BBUY prices seem a bit high to me.
If you live near a microcenter, check them out. They will sell you a 3570K for $190, and you should be able to buy a z77 based motherboard for <$150.

Or, order online.