All Around Decent Computer (Compatible Parts?)

[gamecreator]

Hi All,

I'm looking to put together a decent computer that will play Starcraft II and Borderlands 2 smoothly but also perform well with Windows 7 (I have XP now), Photoshop, 3DS Max and even video editing.

My budget is roughly $1,000 total (but I'm flexible) and this is what I have put together on Newegg.

Also note that I already have a 1920x1200 monitor (the resolution I always use), keyboard, mouse, speakers and also a GeForce GTX 285 which I will keep for a few more months until I upgrade. When I do upgrade, I'll pick one of the top graphics cards from this list that's under $300 that's also a good value for the price. Right now it would be the GTX 480 or 670 as they seem cheap for their performance rating. I don't plan on doing SLI.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html


Here are the parts I'm considering buying:

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Model #:Three Hundred
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

ASRock Z75 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Model #:Z75 Pro3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Model #:M12II 620 Bronze
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 ...
Model #:BX80623I72600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115071

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-16GBXL
Model #:F3-10666CL9D-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231486

Kingston HyperX 3K SH103S3/240G 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (Stand-Alone Drive)
Model #:SH103S3/240G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820239046


I chose these parts for their reasonably good speed, compatibility, decent prices and also for their high reviews.


My questions:
1. Are the parts all compatible?
2. Are there any replacement suggestions, especially considering my future graphics card update? These parts cost $794.94 total but I'm not opposed to spending over $1,000. I'm thinking mostly about the memory here. I'm not sure if paying $50 more will provide a significant improvement.
3. Is the power supply enough (or is it overkill) for a future GTX 670?


Any other thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. (I'm also not opposed to shopping elsewhere for savings but this was just the list I've been putting together for some time.)

Thanks much!

 

[obsama1]

All compatible, but so-so choices.

Get a Z77 Extreme 4, i7 3770, and 16GB 1600. Best to get a 128GB SSD. I mean, a 128GB SSD goes for $90-$100, and you can always add one later and get a bit more storage than that 240GB for a bit less.

 

[gamecreator]

Completely agreed with the i7 3770. The extra performance for the minor price increase seems worth it. I'll change that.

The Z77 received a lot of bad reviews (55% 5 rating versus the 77% for the Z75). It also costs $50 more. What do you like better about it?

Good thought on the SSD but I know I'll use more than 128GB soon with the OS and the games I'll put on it and I don't mind paying a little extra to have 1 drive instead of two. Tempting though...

 

[obsama1]

The Z77 Extreme 4 has 4 stars on Newegg. It's better quality, Z77, and has a few more features. Not really a big-deal. If none of the extra features interest you, I'd at least get the Z77 Pro3/4.

SSDs go down to $80 every other day. Get 2x for 256GB at $160. And you just saved $50 and got a bit more storage!

 

[idroid]

here:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($295.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout ATX Mid Tower Case ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1030.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-14 20:31 EDT-0400)

 

[gamecreator]

Best answer selected by gamecreator.

 

[gamecreator]

Thank you both. I'm glad I was mostly on the right track.