About to buy this setup, just want last words before I spend this much

[Olaugh]

Hey guys so after constant research and review reading, and more research this is the set up I have finally come up with. I'm looking at purchasing it within the next couple of days and I just wanted to post it up here just to make sure I made no stupid mistakes lol. I just want to make sure everything was compatible with everything and that I dont find out I'm not able to build my computer because something isn't compatible.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155
CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-R 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Red LED
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
SSD: SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC
Video Card: ASUS GTX660 TI-DC2-2GD5 GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Case: COOLER MASTER CM Storm Scout 2
Power Supply: Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-650-M 650W ATX12V v2.31 & EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
Optical Drive: SAMSUNG DVD Burner SATA Model SH-224BB - OEM
Monotor: SAMSUNG B350 Series S22B350H Transparent Red 21.5" 2ms LED

Total Price:$1528

Full list on newegg.com here:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=21994626

If you have any last suggestions or helpful tips or anything at all, please post! Everything helps. My budget was $1000 lol but i worked my butt off and made some extra bucks to afford this. So the max I'm willing to spend now is $1550. No more though lol. Thank you for everyones help on here!!

 

[loresr97]

Change the botherboard to a AsRock Extreme4, it is much cheaper.
Make sure your RAM doesn't have the tall spikes.
Change the PSU to a 80 plus bronze, it is cheaper and more less the same.

 

[Olaugh]

Isnt asus more reliable than asrock? And what do you mean by the tall spikes? Is everything else compatible with everything?

 

[loresr97]

Asus is good, but don't get that one it's too expensive. Get the P8Z77 V LX or LK.

 

[jacobsta811]

Agree that the PRO Motherboard is more expensive than it is worth. the LX or ASRock Extreme 4 are better priced for what you get.
As far a RAM, what you have will work, but the Vengeance has overly large decorative "heatspreaders" that will interfere with good coolers, especially if you ever want to fill all 4 RAM slots. Save yourself some headache down the road and get a lower profile set like the
Samsung 1.35v (buy two sticks, sold as 1x4gb): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147094 (best RAM you can buy for intel - ignore specs, at 1.5v most people can get these to 1866 or 2133 at less than 11-11-11)
or the
GSKill ares: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546

 

[ARICH5]

that monitor is kinda small...the standard now is 23.6in to 27in 1080p

 

[hytecgowthaman]

1.Transcend 1800mhz ram (lifetime warranty) 4GB x2 from transcend .com.
2.ocz 128 or 256 GB ssd Because samsung ssds are expensive and low performance.
3.hp dvd drive (high speed then other also low cost)
4.use inbuild cooler , if u want to oc upto 4.5 use coolermaster v10 watercooler otherwise don't waste money.

 

[robthatguyx]

honestly i would go with a hyper 212 evo or + it will get you to 4ghz and is alot cheaper than that zalman

 

[robthatguyx]

and i also agree with the motherboard suggestions

 

[bgunner]

A lot of people are brand fan boys (for lack of better words for it) and believe other brand s cant be as reliable. AsRock has some VERY good boards as long as you get the Extreme 4 or higher boards. They have the full bios for over clocking, good power management and excellent features. I have run asrock boards on 2 of my builds and never had an issue. A friend bought a Asus crosshair formula III board and sent it back a few times so don't mis-judge other company's.

side note: my 770de+ from AsRock OCed better than his Crosshair board too. Food for thought. Toms actually gave high praise to AsRock recently for one of there boards.

 

[Onus]

I have two 1080p monitors on two different rigs, one 23" and one 21.5." I very much prefer the 21.5" one, and use it on my primary PC. Obviously it depends on your desk, and on your eyes, but I prefer being able to see the entire image in a smaller area.
The Rosewill Capstone has received an excellent competent technical review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5698/rosewill-capstone-450w-and-650w-80plus-gold/6

 

[Onus]

I have also had good results from ASRock boards, and from Asus.
For the cooler, get a Xigmatek Gaia. It cools as well as the CM (per Frostytech reviews) but is quieter, comes with the rubber mounts for a second fan, and is only $21: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082
I'm running them on my rigs now, and they stay cool and quiet.

 

[loresr97]

that monitor is kinda small...the standard now is 23.6in to 27in 1080p

i disagree with you i have a 21.5" 1080p asus and i feel it is the right size, a bigger one would be uncomfortable

 

[robthatguyx]

i have a asrock extreme 3 gen 3 z68 motherboard and it hasn't given me any problems at all,4.5ghz overclock on my 2500k and its still chugging away no problem, i got it for 130 back before they went out cant complain it has everything i need even dual gpu support. Only downside is there's no usb3.0 headers on the motherboard itself. so +1 for asrock boards

 

[Olaugh]

Ok so small update, I have decided to go with the Asrock Extreme4 Mobo, and I'm switching out the Corsair Vengeance memory for the "SAMSUNG 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)" x2. Which looks like they have great reviews everywhere I've looked so far. I'm probably going to stick with that monitor cause its on a good deal and 21 in is enough for me. I just feel iffy about the cpu cooler, I'm planning to overclock to around 4-4.2Ghz but I don't know if it'll cool the cpu well enough. BUT I like how the cooler looks, Is there any cool looking cpu coolers that still do a great job at cooling? Sorry if that's a stupid question lol.

 

[Olaugh]

Oh and I am also replacing the Samsung SSD with an OCZ Vector Series VTR1-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC. Is that a good choice?

 

[Potential]

Oh and I am also replacing the Samsung SSD with an OCZ Vector Series VTR1-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC. Is that a good choice?

Ahh I'd say no. I was thinking the same as you were until I've gotten TONS of recommendations not to go with that SSD and I've also seen tons of bad reviews on that SSD because of its failure rates etc. I bought the Samsung 840 Pro 128GB and honestly. Its absolutely amazing. Its improved my PC's performance drastically and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[Olaugh]

Oh wow ok ok. Do you use it as your boot drive? If so, how fast is your boot time?

 

[Onus]

I have a Samsung 830 in my secondary rig and it is very fast. I would not buy an OCZ SSD after all the tales of woe I've read about them, especially the Sandforce ones.

 

[Olaugh]

Ok I guess I'll stick with the Samsung in that case! Does anyone have anything to say about my cpu cooler question??

 

[Onus]

I use Xigmatek Gaias on my systems. They're $21 right now. They are comparable to CM Hyper212+ / EVO, but cheaper and quieter (per Frostytech reviews).