Zeroing in on Awesome Build

[babernet_1]

Okay, I am almost there. Will be buying this over the next month. Will use existing 1920X1200 display, mouse, and keyboard. Will be getting Windoz 7 with student's Word EXCEL etc.

Will use for work, but that is not demanding. Will be used for gaming which is the only priority. I want the usual future proofing etc.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9nH
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9nH/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9nH/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Pareema 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Kingwin Lazer Platinum 850W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($142.49 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1534.27
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 18:12 EST-0500)

I don't want to go too much higher in price.

Some questions. Will the memory fit under the cooler?
I want the case to have a fan on the side right above the cards for extra cooling. The case has a fan there, will it clear the cards?

I know the 7950's are much cheaper than the 7970's, but the 70's give a solid 10% better performance on the most difficult games.

Should I put Steam on the SSD, would I need to go with a 180 or 240GB one?

Want the option to overclock if needed. May bump the processor to a nice, even, 4GHz.

 

[rabidraccoon]

Looks good you will prolly have to remove the side fan as I've heard of people with other mid-ATX cases having to do that with the 7970. For the microcenter prices, make sure there's a microcenter near where you live since alot of those deals are in-store only (sorry if you already knew that.) You can easily fit your OS and steam on the 120 GB SSD. Assuming your games are ~10 GB each that'll give you room for 10 games on the SSD at a time. I have the 3570k and 4 GHz will be a very easy and stable overclock to reach.

 

[babernet_1]

Looks good you will prolly have to remove the side fan as I've heard of people with other mid-ATX cases having to do that with the 7970. For the microcenter prices, make sure there's a microcenter near where you live since alot of those deals are in-store only (sorry if you already knew that.) You can easily fit your OS and steam on the 120 GB SSD. Assuming your games are ~10 GB each that'll give you room for 10 games on the SSD at a time. I have the 3570k and 4 GHz will be a very easy and stable overclock to reach.

Thanks for the answers. What case would you recommend? I really want a nice big fan blowing down on the 7970 farm.

 

[rabidraccoon]

I would go with Full-ATX to be safe. The Gigabyte 7970 is 11" long by 5" wide. I once had a EVGA gtx 660 Ti (10" long x 4.38" wide) which fit comfortably with the side fan on in my Cooler Master HAF 932 just to give you some idea of the fit. Keep in mind many Full-ATX cases are wider than the 932, so you should be good with Full-ATX or Mid-ATX that's around 9" wide.

 

[babernet_1]

Best answer selected by babernet_1.