New Build / New Builder--Advice Needed Please

treven

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Sep 9, 2012
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CPU Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core $545.99
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 $82.74
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $79.99
Storage OCZ Vertex 2 60GB 2.5" SSD $34.99
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM $69.99
Video Card MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB $399.99
Case Lian-Li PC-X2000F ATX Full Tower $479.98
Power Supply Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V $139.99
Optical Drive Lite-On iHES212-08 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer $64.99
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) $128.08

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hBsJ

I am open to an part changes or cheaper / better substitutes except the CASE really, i love it and plan to keep that for awhile.

I need a Mobo, i couldnt decide which one to pick haha.
 
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bennaye

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That is one overpriced case o_O

Anyways, what are you going to use your pc for? Gaming? Editing? Surfing the interwebs???

First off, I have to warn you about the heatsinks on your RAM and your CPU cooler; the heatsinks might be too large for it to fit under the cooler. You'd be much safer going for a low-profile set of RAM, like the G.Skill Ares F3 line. And speaking of RAM, you can drop down to 8 GB if all you're going to be doing is playing games. However, if you're regularly doing stuff like video editing/rendering and photoshop and rely on it to make some sort of living, then 16 GB + would be recommended.

Your processor is also very powerful, but can be substituted for a much cheaper 3570K if you're gaming. The price difference between the two could be put towards a better GPU (which tbh is kinda hard going from a 670), which has more impact on gaming performance than the CPU does, or a better/larger SSD. However, if you're editing stuff like videos or photos as mentioned above, then the 3930K would be more suitable because of the hyperthreading that i7 has.

Your allocation of funds could also be better distributed, like say to your SSD. Your SSD provides a very big performance boost, yet you're getting a Vertex 2. A better choice would be a Crucial M4 64 GB or a Samsung 830 64 GB. Both provide better performance and are much more reliable, albeit at a cost of an extra ~$50.

The PSU can also be downgraded to a 650W, unless you're planning to SLI in the future. Any PSU from Corsair, Seasonic, XFX or Antec would be fine.

For mobo, the ASRock Z77 Extreme6 Motherboard is a pretty solid pick. The things to look out for on this board is the USB 3.0 header on the mobo and the dual x8 PCI-e lanes. This means it can connect to the USB 3.0 ports already provided by your case without you forking out extra cash or letting the 2 ports go to waste. It also lets you run x8/x8 mode instead of x16/x4, which is significant for dual-GPU setups.

 
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I agree it is one overpriced case haha, anyways, but if you're happy with what you've chosen then, everything is very good... but your PSU is kinda overkill, unless you plan on SLIing in the future. And with the mobo: if you plan on oc'ing your cpu, go for any from the asus rampage series. if not i'd recommend something similar or equivalent to Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 or ASrock Extreme4 - which are S2011 boards
 

treven

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The build is for programming, video streaming, gaming, and skype calls mostly.

Thanks for insight into all that

i will in the future do dual, and maybe perhaps tri sli.

i would like an 850w just for safety incase i add something or along those terms.

thank you, i will look into a different RAM module
 

treven

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also

Intel Core i7-3930K @ 3.20GHz 13,596 $569.98*

Intel Core i5-3570K @ 3.40GHz 7,711 $215.99*


the i7 is much better in benchmarks overall for the cost compared to the 3570 i5, does the 32 -->22nm ivy bridge make a big difference in performance if any?
 
Here are my thoughts on what is, a no holds barred build:

1) Few games can use more than 2-3 cores, making the extra cores and hyperthreads of the 3930K irrelevant.
A 3570K at half the price would perform just as well.

2) For gaming, the graphics card is all important. Why stop at a GTX670? Use the savings from a 3570K on a GTX680 superclocked, and you will game better.
There is little need for more, unless you are contemplating triple monitor gaming.
Here is my canned rant on planning for sli:
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Dual graphics cards vs. a good single card.

a) How good do you really need to be?
A single GTX560 or 6870 can give you great performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.

A single GTX560ti or 6950 will give you excellent performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.
Even 2560 x 1600 will be good with lowered detail.
A single gtx690 is about as good as it gets.

Only if you are looking at triple monitor gaming, then sli/cf will be needed.
Even that is now changing with triple monitor support on top end cards.

b) The costs for a single card are lower.
You require a less expensive motherboard; no need for sli/cf or multiple pci-e slots.
Even a ITX motherboard will do.

Your psu costs are less.
A GTX560ti needs a 450w psu, even a GTX580 only needs a 600w psu.
When you add another card to the mix, plan on adding 150-200w to your psu requirements.
A single more modern 28nm card like a 7970 or GTX680 needs only 550W.
Even the strongest GTX690 only needs 650w.

Case cooling becomes more of an issue with dual cards.
That means a more expensive case with more and stronger fans.
You will also look at more noise.

c) Dual cards do not always render their half of the display in sync, causing microstuttering. It is an annoying effect.
The benefit of higher benchmark fps can be offset, particularly with lower tier cards.
Read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995.html

d) dual card support is dependent on the driver. Not all games can benefit from dual cards.

e) cf/sli up front reduces your option to get another card for an upgrade. Not that I suggest you plan for that.
It will often be the case that replacing your current card with a newer gen card will offer a better upgrade path.
The GTX780 and amd 8000 series are not that far off.
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3) I love the SSD, it makes everything feel so much quicker. But a 60gb ssd is just too small, and inappropriate for this build.
I would use a minimum of 120gb. That is enough to hold the os and a handful of games. 180gb or 240gb would be better.
Use the 1tb drive for large video files only. The best trouble free ssd's come from Intel and Samsung.

4) No game uses more than 2-3gb by itself. 8gb is plenty for the gamer. But, ram is cheap, and I see no negative to 16gb, particularly if you will be multitasking, or using 64 bit enabled apps. A 2 x 8gb kit of DDR3 1600 low profile ram is good.
Tall heat spreaders are not necessary for 1.5v ram, and are mostly marketing.

5) The 3930K is a lga2011 chip, and needs a X79 based motherboard. The 3570K needs a Z77 based motherboard which will be less expensive. For a single graphics card, most any Z77 motherboard will do, pick your favorite brand. ASUS, Gigabyte, ASrock are favorites.

6) I like Corsair as a quality brand. Other good ones are Seasonic, Antec, XFX, and PC P&C. How strong you need is determined by your graphics configuration. Now, or in the future. It is not wrong to overprovision a bit. Use this link to determine what you need for a PSU once you have nailed down your graphics configuration. Use it as a maximum, since future cards will be using even less power. http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm
If you value quiet, look at a silver or gold rated psu. They will usually run quieter because they are more efficient. You will never recover the cost delta in electricity savings though.

7) I love Lian li cases. At one time, I used a X1000 case, a predecessor similar to yours. The quality and design was outstanding, and, yes, it was very expensive. But it was HUGE! Very tall. Take a yardstick to see how it will fit in your space.
What I liked was that it was not very deep, my space was restricted as to depth.
Buy it since you love it. But realize that it has way too much volume for what you need it to hold.
Consider a smaller version, like the LIAN LI PC-B10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112355



 

treven

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yes i love the case haha, i plan to keep it for a LONG time and upgrade parts within it and eventually turn to a watercooled set up when i want to in the future.

You will never recover the cost delta in electricity savings though.

what do you mean by that?


I plan to get dual cards down the road just not right away, i will be using dual monitors.

i heard the difference between a gtx670 and 680 is only about 10% for 100 $ more, i mean down the road that would be nice if i got another 680 im sure it would be a nice increase but for now i will just have to stick with a 670 until the 780's come out most likely.

are the z77 or x79 mobo newer? i would prefer the newer model so if i plan to upgrade the processor down the road it will not require a mobo upgrade as well

also the 3930k, just seems like it would perform worth the cost and outlast the 3570k but as of this i am not sure.

as for RAM fitting into the slots and the heatsink / header having enough space, how big of an issue is that?

and the heatsink and fans for the CPU what would i need for the processor --not watercooling as this isnt something i want at the moment.
 


To address some of your points:

In the future, parts will be made of smaller components, requiring less, not more cooling, and less, not more power.

Z77 is for 1155 pin sockets, X79 is for 2011 pin sockets. They support different series of cpu's.

If you are running multi thread enabled apps, like video editing, then the 6 core 3930K is very good.
If you are gaming, you will not use as many as 4 cores in most games, making the 3570K about the best gamer out there. Either chip will OC to sufficiently high levels. It is just that the 3930K cost twice as much.

DDR3 ram fits into slots just fine. But if you have a large cooler that overhangs the ram slots, it will conflict with the height of some ram that use high heat spreaders. It is an insoluble issue, there is no downside to using low profile ram. The only justification I see for tall heat spreaders is if you are a competitive overclocker and are overclocking the ram high enough to cause heat issues.

For about $90, the Noctua NH-D14 is as good as it gets for an air cooler.
For $30, the cm hyper212 will do the job well. Expect a .1 less overclock than with the Noctua. Is that worth it to you?

A bronze rated psu will be 85% efficient at 50% load. A gold rated psu will be 90% efficient. The difference is 5% in electrical cost to run your PC. It will take a long time to recover the higher cost of a gold rated psu compared to a bronze rated unit.
 
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