Building First Gaming Computer (2500-2750)

[Kerfuffle13]

As the title says, i'm building my first gaming computer and would like any suggestions or advice that you are willing to give. Thank you in advance for any help.

Here are some details i'm looking for:
Approximate Purchase Date: March (still got a lot of research to do)

Budget Range: $2000-2750 after shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Everyday use

Are you buying a monitor: Yes (dual screen)

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, amazon.com (preferred but not necessary)

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe



Current Setup I'm considering:

Motherboard -
ASUS Sabertooth Z77 LGA 1155
Price: $239.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821

CPU -
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W
Price: $219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ore-i5-3570K&gclid=CJCZ5LvlzLQCFUbf4AodUlEAcw

Cooler -
Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E Dual Fan Universal CPU Cooler
Price: $86.90
http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-Silver-Arrow-SB-E-Universal/dp/B007BO0VEI

Note: Considering Corsair Hydro Series H100i
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032
Pros vs. Cons? H100i vs Silver Arrow for cooling?

Graphics Card -
ASUS GTX680-DC2T-2GD5 GeForce GTX 680
Price: $539.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121634

RAM -
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB DDR3 1866
Price: $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231550

Hard Drive -
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache
Price: $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148844

SSD -
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR240GB
Price: $165.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226237

Case - Would prefer a mid-tower over a full tower
Considering many cases, but do not know if the GTX680 fits in them yet.
Also must fit the Silver Arrow into the case.

Monitors -
ASUS VS229H-P Black 21.5”
Price: $149.99 x 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236205

Monitor Stand -
Planar 997-5253-00 Black Dual Monitor Stand for LCD Displays
Price: $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824995006

Keyboard -
Razer Deathstalker Ultimate Elite Gaming Keyboard
Price: $249.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823114027

Mouse -
Logitech Wireless Gaming MouseG700
Price: $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...04377&Tpk=Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700

Speakers -
Logitech Z523 40W RMS 2.1 Speaker System
Price: $85.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121036

Optical Drive -
ASUS Black SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
Price: $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Power Supply - (Large enough for overclocking?)
(Note: Would prefer a fully modular power supply)
Corsair Professional Series Gold AX750 750W
Price: $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139016

Extra Fans for airflow?

Current Cost: $2529 (not including case or any other fans needed)
(also does not currently include shipping)

Thank you!

 

[g-unit1111]

You have a lot of things on this build that are way overkill and not necessary. The GTX 670 and 680 use the same processor and the GTX 670 is much cheaper. Plus getting two of those you have the option for SLI and it puts out the same frame rates that a GTX 690 does. The Silver Arrow is OK it's not the greatest cooler out there, and the H100i isn't worth purchasing. Wait and get your build setup before purchasing extra fans.

The Asus Sabertooth isn't worth purchasing either - it's overrated, expensive and the thermal armor traps more heat than it is designed to prevent. I also wouldn't pay $85 for Logitech tin can speakers - wait and spend a bit more and get yourself a pair of Audioengines ( http://audioengineusa.com/ ) or a pair of Klipsch Pro Media speakers. Trust me - as someone who spends a lot of time listening to music and watching movies on his PC, you want a good set of speakers. Don't compromise here.

Drop the monitor stand - for gaming you ideally want a three monitor config. Dual will be useless in first and third person games. Unless you're playing 30 minute piano solos there's no need to spend $249 on a keyboard either. You can get a good one for $100 and spend that money elsewhere.

This would be a more ideal config:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP4 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($180.48 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($366.97 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($366.97 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($168.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1785.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-05 03:13 EST-0500)

The $700 difference will be more than enough to get the speakers I suggested, a dual monitor config (triple would be more ideal) and whatever peripherals you want.

 

[bigcyco1]

Case – Corsair Graphite 600t White Edition
when it comes to computer cases, there really are only a few that can match the elegance of the Corsair Graphite 600T. With its sleek high gloss plastic accents, the 600T gives off that “wow” feeling, making it worthy of any enthusiast system. As usual with Corsair cases, they’ve done a terrific job at maximizing space in the case as well, so you should have no trouble getting everything to fit nicely. Corsair has always been masters of innovative cable management design as well and on the 600T, you’ll see nothing less.
The cooler Master HAF X case is possibly one of the most popular high end computer gaming cases on the market today, and that’s because it’s damn good. Starting with the appearance of this case, it’s absolutely stunning. The entire “tank like” chassis is finished in black and wrapped in some very high quality steel and plastic. As its name, high air flow, implies, the major selling point of this case is in its top notch cooling performance. Up front through the mesh grill you get a 230mm red LED lit fan sucking plenty of air into the case while up top you also get a large 200mm fan complemented with another 140mm fan to round out the exhaust system. On one side of the case you also get a large window covering 3/4 of the sidepanel allowing you to show off your components, while the other 1/4 of the window houses an extra large 200mm intake fan for unprecedented graphics card cooling performance.

Of course, the case also features some other pretty sweet features such as USB 3.0 front headers, full support for every motherboard size between mATX to XL-ATX, excellent cable management, tool free installation, SLI/Crossfire support, and even casters so you can roll this badboy around.
My recommendations: Processor I5 3570K The I5 is the best well rounded processor on the market currently.You should know that it’s just about the best processor you can get for the money today. With plenty of performance, top notch overclocking capability and enough horsepower to run any game you throw at it, the choice is a no brainer.


Ram - As of right now 8 gig's of ram is still overkill for game playing and most applications. 16 Gig's is mainly just for server's and other High multi-tasking functioning network systems.


GPU - This depends if your running multi monitors and how many. If just want go with the GTX 670 2GB MSI or the Asus 670. If you plan on doing multi monitor I would do the 670 4GB or go with the 3GB 7970 but if your gonna do 3+ monitor I would SLI one of the cards depending on the resolution you decide to play at.


PSU - If you plan to just run one GPU then I would only go with 550W. If you plan on doing more than one SLI then go 750W.


Monitor - depends if you want 120hrz 3D monitor or just a standard LCD/ LCD/LED backlit, etc. etc.... Everyone has their opinion of the best. If you play high speed games FPS I would suggest a 120Hrz if not go with a standard and save some money.




HDD - not sure how much storage you needed but I’d definitely suggest going with a 128GB Samsung 840 Pro or 256GB Samsung 840 Pro in combination with a 1TB Seagate Barracuda. This will allow for plenty of hard drive space for storage while OS and application files may be placed on the SSD for that extra top notch performance.


OS - just go with Home premium


Cooling - This is a lot of personal preference. There are a few good rasa kits and open air coolers to choose from. If you plan to overclock though to overclock hardcore than a rasa kit system would be best

Motherboard recommendations

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130660
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545#top
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819#top
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128558
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131934



Gaming mouse recommendations

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NTFATI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hhmsquiddiscount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001NTFATI
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Q4U5DK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hhmsquiddiscount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B002Q4U5DK
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZMF26W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hhmsquiddiscount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZMF26W






Case recommendations

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003S68Q0Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003S68Q0Y&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00752QYLU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00752QYLU&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UE1W9K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cpcreview-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004UE1W9K
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JW6VUW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cpcreview-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005JW6VUW







Gaming Monitors recommendations
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-GD235HZbid-Widescreen-23-6-Display/dp/B0035KC3R0/ref=pd_cp_pc_2
http://www.amazon.com/BenQ-XL2420T-Professional-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B006HIKIG0%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1140819-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006HIKIG0http://www.amazon.com/LG-D2342P-PN-23-Inch-Widescreen-Passive/dp/B004WK3R4U%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa256930-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB004WK3R4U
http://www.amazon.com/VE248H-24-Inch-Full-HD-Integrated-Speakers/dp/B0043T7FHK%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1056067-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0043T7FHK
http://www.amazon.com/LG-D2342P-PN-23-Inch-Widescreen-Passive/dp/B004WK3R4U%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa256930-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB004WK3R4U
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260055#top
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008484Q6E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008484Q6E&linkCode=as2&tag=gamingsquid-20

 

[Sumukh_Bhagat]

I've edited the List According to your Budget and the Comments above.
In your Budget you can have a Beast able to max out 3 Monitors.
So I'll suggest you to get 3 Monitors

And Surely get a Cheaper Keyboard. Razer ones have the Look, but aren't worth the Price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP4 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($180.48 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($91.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($426.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($426.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 600T White Graphite ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.15 @ Mac Connection)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1971.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[Kerfuffle13]

@g-unit1111

The GTX 670 and 680 use the same processor and the GTX 670 is much cheaper. Plus getting two of those you have the option for SLI and it puts out the same frame rates that a GTX 690 does.

I heard that its better to get 1 really good graphics card as opposed to 2 good ones and then putting them in SLI. Also I read that having cards in SLI can cause micro-stuttering. Is this a common problem?

The Asus Sabertooth isn't worth purchasing either - it's overrated, expensive and the thermal armor traps more heat than it is designed to prevent.

Good to know, I just saw it had good reviews on newegg.

Drop the monitor stand - for gaming you ideally want a three monitor config. Dual will be useless in first and third person games.

A three monitor config would be ideal but it my desk can only hold a dual, therefore I am confined to having only a dual setup. Maybe in the future I upgrade.

Unless you're playing 30 minute piano solos there's no need to spend $249 on a keyboard either. You can get a good one for $100 and spend that money elsewhere.

I know I'm overpaying there but I really like that keyboard. I have some $100/$150 that I'm looking at too.

Thank you for all of your input.

@ bigcyco1
Thank you very much for the case suggestions.

PSU - If you plan to just run one GPU then I would only go with 550W. If you plan on doing more than one SLI then go 750W.

I added a little more W to my PSU than I needed in case I want to upgrade components in the future. Also, i'd like a PSU that's fully modular. From talking to people, having a fully modular PSU is very helpful in wire management.

Monitor - depends if you want 120hrz 3D monitor or just a standard LCD/ LCD/LED backlit, etc. etc.... Everyone has their opinion of the best. If you play high speed games FPS I would suggest a 120Hrz if not go with a standard and save some money.

Is a 120Hrz monitor worth it? I thought that the human eye would not be able to tell the difference. I don't really plan on doing much with 3D.

Cooling - This is a lot of personal preference. There are a few good rasa kits and open air coolers to choose from. If you plan to overclock though to overclock hardcore than a rasa kit system would be best

I plan on overclocking, but i don't plan on going crazy with the overclocking so I think just a good air cooler will work fine. I'm still a little weary about using liquid cooling.

Thank you for all your recommendations.

@Sumukh_Bha

In your Budget you can have a Beast able to max out 3 Monitors.
So I'll suggest you to get 3 Monitors

As I said above, I will not be able to fit 3 monitors on my desk at the moment, so I'm gonna have to go with 2.

And Surely get a Cheaper Keyboard. Razer ones have the Look, but aren't worth the Price.

I realize that, I just really like the look of that Razer one so I put it in there.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)

Is i7 necessary? For gaming hyper-threading won't help much so I might as well go with the i5 which is pretty much just as good and cheaper.

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($91.99 @ Newegg)

Why not 8GB RAM? From what I've heard, 8GB of RAM should be fine for any games I want to play.

_______

Note: I would prefer a blu-ray drive over just a DVD drive.

 

[blake1243]

Yeah but if you are gonna spend that much then you might as well future proof everything and get 16gb ram.

 

[jonjonjon]

dual monitors don't work for gaming. just think of where the crosshair would be in a fps. 2 monitors are fine for productivity and web browsing. getting a single card is better then 2 cards. the problem is there is no 1 card that will beat sli 670's. so if you want more performance then a 680/7970 you need to go sli/cf. the 690 is a single card but its still just 2 680's in sli.

that is one expensive keyboard and its out of stock at both newegg and amazon. i wont even try to suggest a replacement since keyboard/mouse are so subjective. for the monitor another option is a nice 27" IPS 2560 x 1440 monitor. they also sell 27" korean monitors on ebay for $300. which is nice deal. you can always add another 8GB of memory later. it wont future proof you.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.95 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 690 4GB Video Card ($984.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($86.13 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHBS112-04 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($68.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Razer DeathStalker Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Touchpad ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G700 Wireless Laser Mouse ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2876.54
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-05 14:08 EST-0500)

 

[Kerfuffle13]

dual monitors don't work for gaming. just think of where the crosshair would be in a fps. 2 monitors are fine for productivity and web browsing.

Yea, I understand, but I don't have room for 3 monitors and i'll be using this computer for general use as well. So I thought dual monitors was a good compromise. Would you recommend getting 1 really nice monitor instead then or just sticking with dual screen and potentially upgrading to 3 monitors eventually.

getting a single card is better then 2 cards. the problem is there is no 1 card that will beat sli 670's. so if you want more performance then a 680/7970 you need to go sli/cf.

I was thinking of keeping the 680 until I figured out how much money I have left to work with after I figure out most of the other parts and upgrading to SLI 670's if I have enough left in my budget.

that is one expensive keyboard and its out of stock at both newegg and amazon.

Yea, but hopefully it'll be restocked by the time I want to buy all this.

Otherwise, one of the other keyboards I'm considering is:
Razer DeathStalker RZ03-00900100-R3U1
Price: $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823114028

you can always add another 8GB of memory later. it wont future proof you.

Agreed.

___________________________

Thanks everyone for the advice! Open to any more suggestions/advice!

 

[g-unit1111]

I heard that its better to get 1 really good graphics card as opposed to 2 good ones and then putting them in SLI. Also I read that having cards in SLI can cause micro-stuttering. Is this a common problem?

No you're thinking of AMD cards. With NVIDIA micro stuttering isn't an issue. That's true in some respects but if you've got the money to spend that's where you will come out ahead.

Good to know, I just saw it had good reviews on newegg.

Don't believe what you see on Newegg reviews - they're not really a good source to judge products. Raidmax gets a lot of positive reviews on Newegg but every power supply and case I've ever used from them has had horrendous build quality and very high fail rates.

I know I'm overpaying there but I really like that keyboard. I have some $100/$150 that I'm looking at too.

There's good mechanical ones you can get for $150 less - the keyboard and mouse should be the last place to spend hundreds on a build. Especially if you're buying everything.

I added a little more W to my PSU than I needed in case I want to upgrade components in the future. Also, i'd like a PSU that's fully modular. From talking to people, having a fully modular PSU is very helpful in wire management.

Having more wattage than you need doesn't hurt. Fully modular is nice to have but those cables will be hidden behind the motherboard tray anyways - you won't see them.

Is i7 necessary? For gaming hyper-threading won't help much so I might as well go with the i5 which is pretty much just as good and cheaper.

That's correct - on a gaming rig you won't benefit from an i7.

Note: I would prefer a blu-ray drive over just a DVD drive.

I'm going to tell you - I use mine more for backups than I do watching movies. Games aren't going to be moving to the BD-R format anytime soon - everything is moving toward cloud computing and online distribution - Steam and iTunes are popular examples of this method. Physical media will become obsolete in the next few years - you won't get much benefit from a BD-R drive so it's not worth spending the money.

Yea, I understand, but I don't have room for 3 monitors and i'll be using this computer for general use as well. So I thought dual monitors was a good compromise. Would you recommend getting 1 really nice monitor instead then or just sticking with dual screen and potentially upgrading to 3 monitors eventually.

I'd definitely go with a single nicer monitor over two lesser ones. You can get a good 2560 x 1440 display off eBay for $400 and that's your dual monitors plus the stand. That would be a much wiser investment.

 

[Kerfuffle13]

No you're thinking of AMD cards. With NVIDIA micro stuttering isn't an issue. That's true in some respects but if you've got the money to spend that's where you will come out ahead.

Ah ok.

Don't believe what you see on Newegg reviews - they're not really a good source to judge products. Raidmax gets a lot of positive reviews on Newegg but every power supply and case I've ever used from them has had horrendous build quality and very high fail rates.

What's a better place to go for reviews then? I personally haven't had a problem with newegg reviews before.

I'm going to tell you - I use mine more for backups than I do watching movies. Games aren't going to be moving to the BD-R format anytime soon - everything is moving toward cloud computing and online distribution - Steam and iTunes are popular examples of this method. Physical media will become obsolete in the next few years - you won't get much benefit from a BD-R drive so it's not worth spending the money.

I agree, I was thinking of future proofing it but I guess I don't really need it because so much stuff is moving to online instead of disk.

I'd definitely go with a single nicer monitor over two lesser ones. You can get a good 2560 x 1440 display off eBay for $400 and that's your dual monitors plus the stand. That would be a much wiser investment.

Would you recommend getting a LCD/LED Backlit Monitor as opposed to a 120Hrz 3D monitor?

Thank you for all of your help.

 

[g-unit1111]

What's a better place to go for reviews then? I personally haven't had a problem with newegg reviews before.

With Newegg reviews - it's either you like this product or you got a DOA. If you look closer at a lot of the negative reviews - they have almost ZERO to do with the actual product. It's either bad refunds or problems with UPS. For actual reviews - the front page of Tom's Hardware is a good source. I also like Anandtech, Jonnyguru (the source for power supplies), and Hardware Secrets - they go far more in depth on product reviews than the people on Newegg do.

I agree, I was thinking of future proofing it but I guess I don't really need it because so much stuff is moving to online instead of disk.

Future proofing is kind of a moot point anymore. Technology moves so fast that things change in an incredible rate. The thing I don't like about BD-R on a PC is that the software is so finicky that watching movies is more of a hassle than it's made out to be. But yeah everything is moving toward online distribution, even Maximum PC didn't include an optical drive in this year's Dream Machine.

Would you recommend getting a LCD/LED Backlit Monitor as opposed to a 120Hrz 3D monitor?

I personally wouldn't pay the money for a 3-D display - I think it's kind of a gimmick more than anything. I'd rather get an ultra high resolution display - 1440p - for instance, that will be a better investment.

 

[bigcyco1]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294&Tpk=pb278q


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbGhz01JL24&playnext=1&list=PLNnqT0svlJfQ7SQeyOP8bb4Z9BunFBrW0&feature=results_main
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/asus_pb278q_2560x1440_monitor_review/1

 

[g-unit1111]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294&Tpk=pb278q


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbGhz01JL24&playnext=1&list=PLNnqT0svlJfQ7SQeyOP8bb4Z9BunFBrW0&feature=results_main
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/asus_pb278q_2560x1440_monitor_review/1

You could get one of these and save $300: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROSSOVER-27Q-LED-High-Resolutio-n-2560x1440-QHD-DVI-D-Dual-S-IPS-27-Monitor-/121010134957?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item1c2cc41fad

 

[bigcyco1]

You could get one of these and save $300: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROSSOVER-27Q-LED-High-Resolutio-n-2560x1440-QHD-DVI-D-Dual-S-IPS-27-Monitor-/121010134957?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item1c2cc41fad

looks good.

 

[Kerfuffle13]

Updated Setup

Motherboard -
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77
$189.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545

CPU -
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W
$219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

Cooler -
Noctua NH-D14
$80.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

Graphics Card (SLI)-
Gigabyte GV-N670WF2-2GD GeForce GTX 670 2GB
$379.99 x 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125438

RAM -
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB DDR3 1600
$49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231548

Hard Drive -
Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148844

SSD -
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB
$249.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

Case (really not sure yet what I want here, would prefer a Mid tower if it can fit everything. Really need some help here if anyone has advice) -
Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005

Corsair Obsidian Series Black 650D Mid Tower Computer Case
$164.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004UE1W9K


Thermaltake Element G VL10001W2Z Black Steel/Plastic Atx Mid Tower Case
$139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133086

Cooler Master HAF XM RC-922XM-KKN1 Latch Side Panel Mid Tower Case
$129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119257

Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN3-GP Mid Tower Case
$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

Cooler Master Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Mid Tower Case
$139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194

Corsair Graphite Series 600T Silver Steel Mid Tower Case
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139017



Zalman MS1000-HS2 Mid Tower Case
$164.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235021

Corsair Graphite Series 600T CC600TM Mid Tower
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139007

SilverStone Fortress Series FT02B-USB3.0 Mid Tower
$249.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163201

Zalman MS1000-HS1 Mid Tower Case
$134.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235020

SilverStone Fortress Series FT02B-W-USB3.0 Mid Tower
$259.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163202

Monitors (still considering switching to 1 monitor, need to do some more research of it first so ill leave dual monitor setup in here for now)-
ASUS VS229H-P Black 21.5”
$149.99 x 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236205

Monitor Stand -
Planar 997-5253-00 Black Dual Monitor Stand for LCD Displays
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824995006

Keyboard -
Razer DeathStalker RZ03-00900100-R3U1
$79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823114028

Mouse -
CM Storm Inferno
$39.40
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZMF26W

Speakers -
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System
$179.99
http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-ProMedia-Certified-Computer-Speaker/dp/B000062VUO

Maybe?
Logitech Z523 40W RMS 2.1 Speaker System
$85.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121036

Optical Drive -
LITE-ON DVD Burner
$16.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Power Supply (750W enough with SLI? Or do I need to go higher?) -
Corsair Professional Series Gold AX750 750W
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139016

Current Cost without case: 2598
At my current cost, I might have to go over my price range by a little bit for case. I am willing to go to $3000, but that's only if i have to.


Thank you everyone for your input!


EDIT: Removed Raidmax case from list

Raidmax Agusta ATX-605BW Mid Tower Case
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156280

 

[bigcyco1]

Case is personal preference i would say SilverStone,Corsair,Cooler Master, any of those you have listed are good i would not mess with Zalman or Raidmax cases though.nVidia itself recommend 500W for a single 670.
http://www.nvidia.in/object/geforce-gtx-670-in.html#pdpContent=2


For testing conducted for SLI 670, the resulting system consumption for SLI is 433W of which 293W are attributed to the gpu cards.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-670-2-and-3way-sli-review/4


All points out to 750W being more than enough.I would stick with 750W.

 

[g-unit1111]

Updated Setup

Case (really not sure yet what I want here, would prefer a Mid tower if it can fit everything. Really need some help here if anyone has advice) -
Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005

Corsair Obsidian Series Black 650D Mid Tower Computer Case
$164.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004UE1W9K


Thermaltake Element G VL10001W2Z Black Steel/Plastic Atx Mid Tower Case
$139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133086

Cooler Master HAF XM RC-922XM-KKN1 Latch Side Panel Mid Tower Case
$129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119257

Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN3-GP Mid Tower Case
$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

Cooler Master Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KXN1-GP Mid Tower Case
$139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194

Corsair Graphite Series 600T Silver Steel Mid Tower Case
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139017

Raidmax Agusta ATX-605BW Mid Tower Case
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156280

Zalman MS1000-HS2 Mid Tower Case
$164.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235021

Corsair Graphite Series 600T CC600TM Mid Tower
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139007

SilverStone Fortress Series FT02B-USB3.0 Mid Tower
$249.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163201

Thank you everyone for your input!

Do not - repeat do not - purchase a Raidmax case. They are one of the absolute worst vendors you could purchase from. The cases are very cheaply made and fall apart easily. Of those choices I'd pick the Corsair 600T, Obsidian 550D/650D, or the Silverstone Fortress. But seriously - stay very far away from Raidmax. You have been warned. You don't need the monitor stand either - drop that and spend the money elsewhere.

As for speakers I'd heavily suggest the Audioengine A2 ($199) or the Klipsch Pro Media ($179) - don't purchase the Logitech tin can ones.

 

[Kerfuffle13]

@g-unit1111

For actual reviews - the front page of Tom's Hardware is a good source. I also like Anandtech, Jonnyguru (the source for power supplies), and Hardware Secrets - they go far more in depth on product reviews than the people on Newegg do.

Thank you.

I personally wouldn't pay the money for a 3-D display - I think it's kind of a gimmick more than anything. I'd rather get an ultra high resolution display - 1440p - for instance, that will be a better investment.

Ok, i'll look into them.


@bigcyco1

Case is personal preference i would say SilverStone,Corsair,Cooler Master, any of those you have listed are good i would not mess with Zalman or Raidmax cases though.

I understand the looks of case is all personal preference, but I'm not exactly sure how to tell if the graphics cards and everything else will be able to fit in them.

All points out to 750W being more than enough.I would stick with 750W.

Ok because i used http://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html and it came out as 743W and I didnt know if that was cutting it kinda close.

 

[Kerfuffle13]

Do not - repeat do not - purchase a Raidmax case. They are one of the absolute worst vendors you could purchase from. The cases are very cheaply made and fall apart easily. Of those choices I'd pick the Corsair 600T, Obsidian 550D/650D, or the Silverstone Fortress. But seriously - stay very far away from Raidmax. You have been warned. You don't need the monitor stand either - drop that and spend the money elsewhere.

Thank you, didn't realize they were so bad.

As for speakers I'd heavily suggest the Audioengine A2 ($199) or the Klipsch Pro Media ($179) - don't purchase the Logitech tin can ones.

The Klipsch are definitely my first choice, but I'm only leaving the logitech ones up because Logitech products have been good to me in the past.

 

[g-unit1111]

Do not - repeat do not - purchase a Raidmax case. They are one of the absolute worst vendors you could purchase from. The cases are very cheaply made and fall apart easily. Of those choices I'd pick the Corsair 600T, Obsidian 550D/650D, or the Silverstone Fortress. But seriously - stay very far away from Raidmax. You have been warned. You don't need the monitor stand either - drop that and spend the money elsewhere.

Thank you, didn't realize they were so bad.

As for speakers I'd heavily suggest the Audioengine A2 ($199) or the Klipsch Pro Media ($179) - don't purchase the Logitech tin can ones.

The Klipsch are definitely my first choice, but I'm only leaving the logitech ones up because Logitech products have been good to me in the past.

Logitech makes some good products - especially keyboards and mice - but the speakers definitely aren't one of their specialties. If you want good speakers I'd recommend going with a company that knows what they're doing. I have the Klipsch Pro Media speakers and they are excellent, I can definitely vouch for them.

 

[bigcyco1]

@g-unit1111

For actual reviews - the front page of Tom's Hardware is a good source. I also like Anandtech, Jonnyguru (the source for power supplies), and Hardware Secrets - they go far more in depth on product reviews than the people on Newegg do.

Thank you.

I personally wouldn't pay the money for a 3-D display - I think it's kind of a gimmick more than anything. I'd rather get an ultra high resolution display - 1440p - for instance, that will be a better investment.

Ok, i'll look into them.


@bigcyco1

Case is personal preference i would say SilverStone,Corsair,Cooler Master, any of those you have listed are good i would not mess with Zalman or Raidmax cases though.

I understand the looks of case is all personal preference, but I'm not exactly sure how to tell if the graphics cards and everything else will be able to fit in them.

All points out to 750W being more than enough.I would stick with 750W.

Ok because i used http://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html and it came out as 743W and I didnt know if that was cutting it kinda close.

For the case i can tell you the 600T would be my choice though to answer your question all those cases are big enough For power supply i recommend this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102 nothing wrong with having breathing room for future upgrades i run sli 670's that is the power supply i have its top of the line bests of the best.

 

[twp]

This is almost exactly the same build I just ordered. I went with 7970 instead of 670 and only ordered one for now but might get a second if performance isnt good across all of my monitors. Also have a small desk. I'm getting a three monitor stand and three nice monitors. I think on a stand the three monitors will work on my desk. I do a lot of photo editing so want the real estate.

I chose the 600T from a pretty similar list to yours, fwiw. Once I got an adapter to plug the usb3 from the front into the mobo header it seemed like the best option.

 

[g-unit1111]

@bigcyco1

Case is personal preference i would say SilverStone,Corsair,Cooler Master, any of those you have listed are good i would not mess with Zalman or Raidmax cases though.

I understand the looks of case is all personal preference, but I'm not exactly sure how to tell if the graphics cards and everything else will be able to fit in them.

Any modern case - especially those from Cooler Master, Corsair, Fractal Design, NZXT and Silverstone - all have room for full size graphics cards, power supplies, and cable management features. Plus some of the better ones give you the option to remove one of the HD cages so you can have room for larger video cards. The Switch 810, HAF X series, and the Silverstone cases all have this feature.

 

[blake1243]

My raidmax case has a huge space for GFX cards. IDK why you guys are dissing on raidmax lol. LEAVE RAIDMAX ALONE, JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE ;(. lol

 

[g-unit1111]

My raidmax case has a huge space for GFX cards. IDK why you guys are dissing on raidmax lol. LEAVE RAIDMAX ALONE, JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE ;(. lol

Why am I thinking of the Leave Britney Spears alone guy just now? :lol: