Rookie looking for help.

[PraiseB]

Hello

Lokking for help on my first homebuild. Will be used for mainly gaming, some internet maybe a little movie watching. I don't want to break the bank, but will pay for quality. Will overclock, but not to extreme.

I've bought a few things based on sales/reviews.
Coolermaster HAF 912
G.Skill Sniper 8 GB 2x4GB DDR III
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SSD

Pretty sure I want (can be convinced otherwise)
GTX 670 (brand suggestions etc would be helpful)
i5 3570k 3.4ghz.

No idea items
Motherboard (only plan on one gpu) that works with case.
Cooling (don't want anything too labor intensive)
Power supply


I have a monitor that will work for time being will upgrade by years end.

Anything else I'm forgetting.

Thanks in advance.

 

[kajabla]

Get an ASRock Z77 Extreme4 or a Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H. Both are cheap and have plenty of functionality.
The Hyper 212 EVO is a pretty good deal.
Get a decent 650W PSU (XFX, Seasonic, Corsair) so you can add a second 670 in the future.

 

[PraiseB]

Thanks,

So the processor is the right choice? Any other tips? Does the memory seem decent/sufficient?

 

[kajabla]

Yep. Looks about right. You didn't list the clock speed of the memory; it should be 1600mhz.

 

[aevm]

Since you have a i5 3570k already, your motherboard needs to be LGA 1155.
Some popular examples: ASRock Z77 Extreme4, GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H, ASUS P8Z77-V LK.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
When you pick a MB, make sure it has the features you need. For example do you want wireless support, or dual LAN, etc.

GTX 670 brand... I like eVGA, Asus, Gigabyte. You can easily find reviews that compare the brands, e.g.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-test-review,3217-16.html
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/GeForce-GTX-680-RoundUp-EVGA-Zotac-Gigabyte-Asus/?page=1
Asus in particular has a "Direct CU II" line with low noise.

PSU: a Corsair 650W would do fine there.

 

[PraiseB]

Haven't bought the i5 yet. I can change. Based on what I've read best bang for the buck and what I'll be using it for.

 

[PraiseB]

Here is a link to the memory. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231519

 

[kajabla]

Save your money and get 1600mhz RAM, like I said. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233335

 

[Onus]

Someone posted a Frostytech cooler review recently in which the Xigmatek Gaia (which may be cheaper) outperforms the Crappermaster; not only in temps, but it is 6db quieter as well.

 

[PraiseB]

Thanks for the replys, the RAM I bought is was a little cheaper than the one you linked. "Save your money", makes me think I'm fine with it if the cost was better? I've ordered the case already, but "Crappermaster" makes me nervous. All the reviews I've seen were good, I got it for under $50.00. Would you return it and get the Frostytech?

 

[excella1221]

The case itself is fine. It's just that CM does some false advertising.

 

[mousseng]

Someone posted a Frostytech cooler review recently in which the Xigmatek Gaia (which may be cheaper) outperforms the Crappermaster; not only in temps, but it is 6db quieter as well.

FrostyTech's latest chart shows that it's not cooler, but it does come close (and is quieter); not to mention $10 cheaper.

On the motherboard, aevm gave some great, popular options - the ASRock is probably the best value from an overclocking standpoint, as it has an equivalent voltage regulator to the Gigabyte (for $50 less).

On the video card, depending on what games you'll be playing most, you should consider getting a 7950 or 7970. Taking overclocking into account, you could easily overtake a 670 for similar cost (or even less). Some games favor GeForce cards, others favor Radeons, so checking benchmark comparisons between the three for the games you're looking at playing would be a good idea.

As others have said, a good 650ish PSU will do just fine - this Corsair TX650-V2, in particular.

Are you going to need to buy a storage drive? It's always good to have something to offload static data (pictures, music, etc) onto a magnetic disk to prolong your SSD's lifespan.

And finally, you could think about getting some new case fans - you can get better, quieter (or simply more) fans for not too terribly much (anywhere between $5 and $20 per fan, depending on quality).

 

[PraiseB]

I plan on the hyper EVO as suggested, what fans would you recommend (I already bought the HAF 912)?
The corsair looks good, any benefit on silver or gold vs bronze?
Yes I will get a storage drive, 1 TB I was thinking. Thoughts on that?
Which Windows 7 is the best pick?
Lastly, I think I will get the monitor now, at least 24"? Where would you look for this?

Thanks again to everyone. I plan on pulling the trigger tomorrow for most of this.

 

[excella1221]

The pre-installed fans in the HAF 912 should be fine.
People would usually recomment Win7 Home Premium, but I would personally suggest the Pro version if you don't mind sparing some extra cash.

 

[kajabla]

You'll only need Pro for very specific applications. It's not generally "better" in any way. Why do you recommend it, excella? http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/compare
1tb is fine, especially now that HDD prices are back down.
You can do the math yourself on whether an 80+ Silver PSU will pay for itself in your power bill.

 

[excella1221]

No real reason, I just find the XP mode really convenient.

 

[mousseng]

The corsair looks good, any benefit on silver or gold vs bronze?

Apart from power savings, you'll have less heat (and likely less noise due to that), but that tends to only benefit space-constrained builds or ultra-quiet/cool builds.

Yes I will get a storage drive, 1 TB I was thinking. Thoughts on that?

A Seagate Barracuda seems like a pretty good choice - affordable and well-respected.

 

[PraiseB]

OK bit for Windows 7 just the regular version, not the cheaper system builder one?
I think for the motherboard I'll go with the AsRock. What else will I need to have a wireless network? I have the router already, do I need a card or anything?
Sorry for the dumb questions. My current system is an old Dell and I just plugged the router in.

 

[kajabla]

Yes, you'll need a wireless card. I've found that it's more convenient to just run a long cable to my computer, though. That way my internet works even when the microwave's running.
The system builder version is fine.

 

[PraiseB]

Thanks. I bought the AsRock motherboard, any suggestions on a good wireless card? I use my wireless network a lot. iPads, Xbox etc. Also bought the i5 3570k, the cooling unit suggested above. Still debating gpu. So at this point I have to get the HDD, gpu, wireless card, operating system and DVD drive.