Help With New Build

[neefman]

This is the standard "look at my parts" post. I haven't built a new system in six years so I'm rusty. Here's my optimal system build specs. I am looking to go moderately high end but with just one graphics card:


Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
EVGA SuperClocked+ 02G-P4-2684-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M4A1600C9B
Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770
Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128D/AM 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

1) Any general issues with this list? Are there any bottlenecks in terms of performance?

2) What can I "settle" for as I need to come down a little on price? I have a great Thermaltake Armor case already loaded with fans but it's huge and noisy. Should I just deal with the size/noise and reuse that case while keeping all of the hardware?

3) Do I have a good wattage for power? I always worry about that even after I run the tests.

Thanks!

 

[stormweaver1983]

Is it primarily a gaming machine? If so, the i7 is unnecessary as you will see no performance gains over an i5 3570k. Could save some money there. The hyperthreading in the i7 only really comes into play with high end video/photo editing.

 

[g-unit1111]

1) Any general issues with this list? Are there any bottlenecks in terms of performance?

First off what is the build going to be used for and what is your budget? If it's games you would be wise to drop the CPU to an i5-3570K and add an aftermarket cooler.

2) What can I "settle" for as I need to come down a little on price? I have a great Thermaltake Armor case already loaded with fans but it's huge and noisy. Should I just deal with the size/noise and reuse that case while keeping all of the hardware?

A Sapphire Vapor-X 7970 GHz edition is cheaper than that 680 you linked to and has a better cooling solution. You can definitely reuse that case if it's in good shape - replace the fans though.

3) Do I have a good wattage for power? I always worry about that even after I run the tests.

650W is fine for a single card configuration. If you want dual or better you will most likely need 750W / 850W.

 

[neefman]

Yes, this is a gaming machine and your tip is precisely the type of help I was hoping to find. Thanks!

 

[neefman]

Excellent. Confirmation on the i5-3570K too, thanks. That cut around $80.

Followup question: Is bigger better for cases in regards to cooling? Do most use the behemoths still or are mid-towers even an option?

 

[stormweaver1983]

Welcome! and definitely refer to g-unit's post as well. After finding out it is a gaming machine, I would definitely make the changes he recommended.

 

[stormweaver1983]

Midtower is definitely an option, unless you're packing in tons of hard drives, or serious watercooling without wanting to mod the case.

Any of the Corsair series are good. Personally I'm a fan of the Fractal Design Arc Midi. Case selection is 80% personal preference, 20% quality/build.

 

[neefman]

Very helpful. Thanks again.

One more question: can I vulture my DVD/optical drive? I use it so rarely now it probably doesn't have much actual mileage on it. Will connections from years ago work with modern motherboards?

 

[g-unit1111]

Excellent. Confirmation on the i5-3570K too, thanks. That cut around $80.

Followup question: Is bigger better for cases in regards to cooling? Do most use the behemoths still or are mid-towers even an option?

Bigger is not always better - if you want to use liquid cooling in the future you will need a bigger case like the HAF X or Switch 810. But for most air cooled configurations a mid tower will do just fine.

One more question: can I vulture my DVD/optical drive? I use it so rarely now it probably doesn't have much actual mileage on it. Will connections from years ago work with modern motherboards?

Yeah definitely reuse any spare parts like that you can - HDs, DVD drives, and things of that nature can be reused.

 

[neefman]

I would like to say this is my last question, but no promises.

Can I get away with 8 GB of RAM - maybe upgrade later? Or will that become the bottleneck I'm trying to avoid?

 

[stormweaver1983]

You can definitely get away with 8gb of ram.

 

[g-unit1111]

I would like to say this is my last question, but no promises.

Can I get away with 8 GB of RAM - maybe upgrade later? Or will that become the bottleneck I'm trying to avoid?

8GB RAM is plenty - for most uses anything else is overkill, you most likely won't use all of it.