Could you give my build a once over?

[Demarestine]

Hi there. This is my first custom PC. Could some people please comment on it and let me know if it's solid? I think I've made good choices, but I want to be certain.

I'll be using it for gaming at a consistent 60FPS+ on a single 1920 x 1080 monitor, as well as video/audio recording and editing. I won't be overclocking the RAM as I've heard that's tedious to do and has little benefit, but I will overclock the CPU and GPU to their limits, or at least until the aircooling (7 fans) fails to keep the temperature down. I am aware that the fans are only as good as the room temperature.

I live in Australia, so listing prices is probably pointless.

Edited build.
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Full (32/64-bit)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor
Keyboard: Leopold FC500RL/AB Wired Standard Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech G400 Wired Optical Mouse

 

[faster23rd]

Looks solid. I'd suggest a 3570k, but it would seem that budget constraints isn't a concern so go ahead and enjoy your i7.

 

[eyeage]

I have the R4. I don't see the point of buying a quiet case, then undoing all the quiet to provide airflow. You might find that the stock fans provide adequate cooling. If anything, adding a single fan to the front, so as to not have to rip off sound dampening material.

PSU is probably overkill, but meh, to each their own.

Mouse, never been a fan of logitech mice.... I love my death adder, however.

If it were me, and I was willing to spring for a 680, I'd surely be getting the 4gb version. Also, if I'm not mistaken, AMD cards tend to have better multi-monitor support (food for thought).

ENjoy the new build

 

[Demarestine]

Looks solid. I'd suggest a 3570k, but it would seem that budget constraints isn't a concern so go ahead and enjoy your i7.

I would have gone with the i5, but I've been hearing more and more lately how the i7 is becoming the norm, showing a significant difference in recent games compared to the i5.

I have the R4. I don't see the point of buying a quiet case, then undoing all the quiet to provide airflow. You might find that the stock fans provide adequate cooling. If anything, adding a single fan to the front, so as to not have to rip off sound dampening material.

Good point. I can always add more later if needed.

PSU is probably overkill, but meh, to each their own.

"probably" doesn't fill me with great confidence. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially with the PSU.

Mouse, never been a fan of logitech mice.... I love my death adder, however.

Razer? Ehk. Overpriced and flashy. Not really my style. The g400 has great reviews and a lot of gamers consider it a sturdy, reliable mouse.

If it were me, and I was willing to spring for a 680, I'd surely be getting the 4gb version. Also, if I'm not mistaken, AMD cards tend to have better multi-monitor support (food for thought).

As I mentioned in my post, I will be gaming on a single monitor, so 4gb VRAM is pointless, and the multi-monitor support is unneeded.

 

[eyeage]

I would have gone with the i5, but I've been hearing more and more lately how the i7 is becoming the norm, showing a significant difference in recent games compared to the i5.

I would agree that the 3570k is enough unless you're doing intensive video work/rendering.

"probably" doesn't fill me with great confidence. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially with the PSU.

Your PSU is definitely overkill (better?). Especially since you're going single monitor/1080P (therefore not needing crossfire/sli). Your system might pull around 400w at max load (key word, might, and max meaning running prime) , so maybe 200-250w at normal load? So yes, 850 is not even remotely required. I'd argue that even a 650 isn't needed.

Razer? Ehk. Overpriced and flashy. Not really my style. The g400 has great reviews and a lot of gamers consider it a sturdy, reliable mouse.

Nearly the same price as the g400 here. Superior in response, and for me, superior in hand feel as well. I find it to be a great mouse for $60. I wouldn't consider it "flashy" either, a little glow.. ok.. my hand covers that anyway. You might like logitech, I never did. I was simply suggesting what worked for me. I suggest you visit a store that has mice you can put in your hand to decide.

As I mentioned in my post, I will be gaming on a single monitor, so 4gb VRAM is pointless, and the multi-monitor support is unneeded.

Figured you were going for pointless. You have an i7, gtx680, 16Gb RAM, 850w PSU, and you're playing on single monitor at 1080p (even though you link 3 monitors in your build). So, why not add one more pointless thing? If you're doing the type of rendering that requires the above items, then you might see benefit to the 4Gb as well. Otherwise, you''ll see little to no (5%?) performance increase for a 50% price premium.

 

[Demarestine]

Nearly the same price as the g400 here. Superior in response, and for me, superior in hand feel as well. I find it to be a great mouse for $60. I wouldn't consider it "flashy" either, a little glow.. ok.. my hand covers that anyway. You might like logitech, I never did. I was simply suggesting what worked for me. I suggest you visit a store that has mice you can put in your hand to decide.

I was speaking of Razer in general. They seem like they're pandering to teenage boys with their products. They are.
I don't "like" Logitech, but that mouse in particular seems pretty solid. I'll find out.

Figured you were going for pointless. You have an i7, gtx680, 16Gb RAM, 850w PSU, and you're playing on single monitor at 1080p (even though you link 3 monitors in your build). So, why not add one more pointless thing? If you're doing the type of rendering that requires the above items, then you might see benefit to the 4Gb as well. Otherwise, you''ll see little to no (5%?) performance increase for a 50% price premium.

It might be my imagine (it isn't) but you seem to be acting passively aggressive towards me, and by targeting my build, of which I have come to this website to seek guidance on. That's a bit silly, especially considering it's my first build.

Anywho. I have 3 monitors because that's apart of my setup, but I'm not "playing" on three monitors. I was going to amend two from the list so this assumption wouldn't be made, but then I assumed no one would make that mistake. Ah well.

I'll take your word for it though, that the parts I've picked are overkill, and downgrade a little.
i5, because I was wrong about the i7 having a practical difference in performance.
8Gb RAM, because I can always upgrade to 16Gb in the future.
650w PSU, because I went to a couple of sites that attempt to determine the amount of watts needed for a build, and you seemed to hit the mark on that one.
Still sticking with the GTX 680, though. I'm certain I'll make the most of it.

Thank you for the help. I appreciate it.

 

[goodguy713]

well try the corsair m60 gaming mouse its pretty nice ..

 

[Derza10]

I was speaking of Razer in general. They seem like they're pandering to teenage boys with their products. They are.
I don't "like" Logitech, but that mouse in particular seems pretty solid. I'll find out.


It might be my imagine (it isn't) but you seem to be acting passively aggressive towards me, and by targeting my build, of which I have come to this website to seek guidance on. That's a bit silly, especially considering it's my first build.

Anywho. I have 3 monitors because that's apart of my setup, but I'm not "playing" on three monitors. I was going to amend two from the list so this assumption wouldn't be made, but then I assumed no one would make that mistake. Ah well.

I'll take your word for it though, that the parts I've picked are overkill, and downgrade a little.
i5, because I was wrong about the i7 having a practical difference in performance.
8Gb RAM, because I can always upgrade to 16Gb in the future.
650w PSU, because I went to a couple of sites that attempt to determine the amount of watts needed for a build, and you seemed to hit the mark on that one.
Still sticking with the GTX 680, though. I'm certain I'll make the most of it.

Thank you for the help. I appreciate it.

Pff you have 3 monitors use them! I have 3 1920x1200 monitors - so about 11% more pixels than you and i use a single GTX 680 2gb (its overclocked to 1280 Mhz) I can play all of my games pretty much maxed out and keep 40+ FPS. Once you go Surround you will never be able to play games without it lol. Although i do have a 4th monitor so I can monitor my system/web/chat/whatever you want to do on your desktop while gaming on the other 3.... So you might want to consider a 4th IF you try surround and can't live without it heh... I have mine setup with the 3 monitors in landscape then the 4th above the center one at a slight angle facing down.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/189/ef073bf6446f4ba4a005d88.jpg/

 

[Fokissed]

I was speaking of Razer in general. They seem like they're pandering to teenage boys with their products. They are.
I don't "like" Logitech, but that mouse in particular seems pretty solid. I'll find out.


It might be my imagine (it isn't) but you seem to be acting passively aggressive towards me, and by targeting my build, of which I have come to this website to seek guidance on. That's a bit silly, especially considering it's my first build.

Anywho. I have 3 monitors because that's apart of my setup, but I'm not "playing" on three monitors. I was going to amend two from the list so this assumption wouldn't be made, but then I assumed no one would make that mistake. Ah well.

I'll take your word for it though, that the parts I've picked are overkill, and downgrade a little.
i5, because I was wrong about the i7 having a practical difference in performance.
8Gb RAM, because I can always upgrade to 16Gb in the future.
650w PSU, because I went to a couple of sites that attempt to determine the amount of watts needed for a build, and you seemed to hit the mark on that one.
Still sticking with the GTX 680, though. I'm certain I'll make the most of it.

Thank you for the help. I appreciate it.

I've owned 3 Razer mice and 2 Logitech mice in the past few years (G500 (x2), Deathadder 3.5G, Naga, Imperator). The Deathadder was the best (Naga/Imperator are very sensitive to bass), and the G500 was also great (doesn't last very long though).

The i7 will be faster in most CPU heavy applications (video editing/rendering) but it won't be any faster than an i5 for gaming.

16GB of RAM isn't a bad idea, RAM is cheap and it never hurts.

PSU is more about quality than watts. Get a well rated 80PLUS PSU.

I like the GTX 680. If I were buying right now, that is what I would get. (My HD 5870 is starting to show it's age)

Overall: good build.

 

[Demarestine]

well try the corsair m60 gaming mouse its pretty nice ..

I don't like that cyborgian look it has. That looks like it would annoy my hand with its gaps. I'd be constantly touching and messing with it because of OCDness.

Pff you have 3 monitors use them! I have 3 1920x1200 monitors - so about 11% more pixels than you and i use a single GTX 680 2gb (its overclocked to 1280 Mhz) I can play all of my games pretty much maxed out and keep 40+ FPS. Once you go Surround you will never be able to play games without it lol. Although i do have a 4th monitor so I can monitor my system/web/chat/whatever you want to do on your desktop while gaming on the other 3.... So you might want to consider a 4th IF you try surround and can't live without it heh... I have mine setup with the 3 monitors in landscape then the 4th above the center one at a slight angle facing down.

That does look spiffy, but I'm only interested in gaming on a single monitor. I'll have a bunch of other stuff on the side monitors, as well. It's cheaper, and I'm already hooked on multiple monitors. I don't want to be hooked on multi-monitor gaming too.

I've owned 3 Razer mice and 2 Logitech mice in the past few years (G500 (x2), Deathadder 3.5G, Naga, Imperator). The Deathadder was the best (Naga/Imperator are very sensitive to bass), and the G500 was also great (doesn't last very long though).

The i7 will be faster in most CPU heavy applications (video editing/rendering) but it won't be any faster than an i5 for gaming.

16GB of RAM isn't a bad idea, RAM is cheap and it never hurts.

PSU is more about quality than watts. Get a well rated 80PLUS PSU.

I like the GTX 680. If I were buying right now, that is what I would get. (My HD 5870 is starting to show it's age)

Overall: good build.

I don't think anyone will be able to convince me to buy a Razer product.

I'll stick with the i5. I will be video editing/rendering but I can't imagine the difference will be so great as to warrant the extra cash. It seems like it's more a matter of convenience. 8Gb ram for now, I can always add more later. I kept PSU quality in mind, which is why I picked that one. GTX 680 is still a necessity because games aren't slowing down with gpu-demands.

I'm happy with this build.

 

[eyeage]

@ Demarestine

I don't think they're aimed at teenage boys, as I'm 32 and love mine. I couldn't care less about the "look" of it. I care about the feel and responsiveness. This mouse is very light, very comfortable in my hand for hours at a time, has just enough buttons for me, and reacts like lightning. Yes it lights up, and that's great and all, but it lights up under your palm... so no biggie. You might be surprised if you held one, wait wait... "would" be surprised (friendly jab )

About the passive aggressive bit, I was a bit... seemed like you were acting in a similar fashion about my recommendation. I figured if you were trying to future proof with the components you listed, the 4Gb card was the realistic choice.

I think the 670 vs 680 is literally 5%. This link pretty much sums up every other review I've seen.

About the PSU, yeah, again I think a quality 550w unit would be fine. Since you want to be sure I'd recommend the Seasonic x650 or the Corsair AX650. Those are the only two I would personally consider for 650w (I'm sure there are other quality options, but the Corsair is the Seasonic basically, and everyone knows seasonic's reputation). (after scrolling back I see that's the one you picked... nice choice)

About the monitors, yes, I got that you said single monitor, but again linked three monitors. Surely, you can see where the mistake was made. Honestly, I think at 1080p you're going to have to vsynch to keep your system from tearing. If that's the case, you can triple buffer, and then that 4Gb Vram might come in handy... but I digress..

I think your system is great, I think you can build an equivalent version for about 60% of the cost, for what you want it to do. In reality, it's not my money, you do what you feel comfortable with

 

[ingtar33]

ok...

like the amended build. got a few suggestions.

1) you're clearly building for airflow, big air cooling. Temps are your prime concern. The conflict is your case. That's a quiet pc case designed for noise reduction. You're paying a premium for a case with a different goal from your build goal. Quiet pc cases by definition have limited and restricted airflow. That one is no different. Look at something like a Fractal Design Arc Mini. Its about the same sized case, but with much better airflow... Or if noise is a concern in addition to airflow go with one of the Silverstone Raven cases or maybe something funky like the Silverstone Fortress ft03b. Those cases will need far less fans, to achieve high airflow. which will by definition will lower the noise of the overall project.

Moving on...

2) I see you're shooting for the stars with the GTX 680. Two thoughts on that card. If you're not wedded to NVidia, the Radeon HD 7970 is a slightly more powerful GPU for like $100 less... so there is a better buy out there (it also has 3gb of GDDR5 ram, vs the 2 on your 680, which matters if you are planning on using more then 1 monitor at any point in the future). If you must have an NVidia GPU, the GTX 670 is like 5% off the 680's performance, for much less cash. So you have 2 better options you can go with.

3) your SSD is a bit on the slow side of SSDs in general. I'd spend a little extra and get a Samsung 840 Pro or a OCZ Vector. Both are about x2 faster then the M4 in writing data to the disk... and about 20% faster in reading data off it. (in the USA the Vector is actually going for like $20 less then the M4 too, so keep an eye open for it)

 

[ZippyPeanut]

Two things related to future expandability:
Be aware that if you ever want to expand your RAM to 16GB or above, then your OS should be Home Professional or Ultimate.
And, yes—better to be safe than sorry with the 650 psu. In fact, if you ever want to SLI another 680, then you’ll probably need more than 650 watts.
Enjoy!

 

[eyeage]

Two things related to future expandability:
Be aware that if you ever want to expand your RAM to 16GB or above, then your OS should be Home Professional or Ultimate.
And, yes—better to be safe than sorry with the 650 psu. In fact, if you ever want to SLI another 680, then you’ll probably need more than 650 watts.
Enjoy!

Nah... 650 would power SLI just fine. SLI would only draw ~500 under load.

 

[Demarestine]

@ Demarestine

I don't think they're aimed at teenage boys, as I'm 32 and love mine. I couldn't care less about the "look" of it. I care about the feel and responsiveness. This mouse is very light, very comfortable in my hand for hours at a time, has just enough buttons for me, and reacts like lightning. Yes it lights up, and that's great and all, but it lights up under your palm... so no biggie. You might be surprised if you held one, wait wait... "would" be surprised (friendly jab )

About the passive aggressive bit, I was a bit... seemed like you were acting in a similar fashion about my recommendation. I figured if you were trying to future proof with the components you listed, the 4Gb card was the realistic choice.

My only beef is with Razer.
Razer is the Dane Cook of PC Hardware. Its demographic is teenage boys, and it IS aimed at teenage boys when it uses names like "Razer" and "Deathadder". But, that's an entirely different debate for a different forum.

I'm not actually trying to future proof, since I know that's impossible, but I just don't want to get my PC and play a game like Metro 2033 or Far Cry 3 or Battlefield 3 and find out my pc can't handle it at max settings the way I want it to. That would suck.

I think the 670 vs 680 is literally 5%. This link pretty much sums up every other review I've seen.

About the PSU, yeah, again I think a quality 550w unit would be fine. Since you want to be sure I'd recommend the Seasonic x650 or the Corsair AX650. Those are the only two I would personally consider for 650w (I'm sure there are other quality options, but the Corsair is the Seasonic basically, and everyone knows seasonic's reputation). (after scrolling back I see that's the one you picked... nice choice)

About the monitors, yes, I got that you said single monitor, but again linked three monitors. Surely, you can see where the mistake was made. Honestly, I think at 1080p you're going to have to vsynch to keep your system from tearing. If that's the case, you can triple buffer, and then that 4Gb Vram might come in handy... but I digress..

I think your system is great, I think you can build an equivalent version for about 60% of the cost, for what you want it to do. In reality, it's not my money, you do what you feel comfortable with

I've changed the graphics card.
What do you mean by "at 1080p you're going to have to vsynch to keep your system from tearing"?
Isn't that the whole point of getting this kind of hardware? To avoid that?

If you think I can get what I'm after for cheaper, then by all means let me know your suggestions.
Have a looksie over the build now, and let me know if you have a better, cheaper suggestion.

ok...

like the amended build. got a few suggestions.

1) you're clearly building for airflow, big air cooling. Temps are your prime concern. The conflict is your case. That's a quiet pc case designed for noise reduction. You're paying a premium for a case with a different goal from your build goal. Quiet pc cases by definition have limited and restricted airflow. That one is no different. Look at something like a Fractal Design Arc Mini. Its about the same sized case, but with much better airflow... Or if noise is a concern in addition to airflow go with one of the Silverstone Raven cases or maybe something funky like the Silverstone Fortress ft03b. Those cases will need far less fans, to achieve high airflow. which will by definition will lower the noise of the overall project.

I wanted the R4 because it's a large mid-tower and has a fantastic minimalistic look. The sound-dampening helps.
I'm going with its stock fans, though. I will only add more if it's necessary.

2) I see you're shooting for the stars with the GTX 680. Two thoughts on that card. If you're not wedded to NVidia, the Radeon HD 7970 is a slightly more powerful GPU for like $100 less... so there is a better buy out there (it also has 3gb of GDDR5 ram, vs the 2 on your 680, which matters if you are planning on using more then 1 monitor at any point in the future). If you must have an NVidia GPU, the GTX 670 is like 5% off the 680's performance, for much less cash. So you have 2 better options you can go with.

Going with Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card now.

3) your SSD is a bit on the slow side of SSDs in general. I'd spend a little extra and get a Samsung 840 Pro or a OCZ Vector. Both are about x2 faster then the M4 in writing data to the disk... and about 20% faster in reading data off it. (in the USA the Vector is actually going for like $20 less then the M4 too, so keep an eye open for it)

Going with the 840 Pro then.

Two things related to future expandability:
Be aware that if you ever want to expand your RAM to 16GB or above, then your OS should be Home Professional or Ultimate.
And, yes—better to be safe than sorry with the 650 psu. In fact, if you ever want to SLI another 680, then you’ll probably need more than 650 watts.
Enjoy!

I'll end up going with the Ultimate, but I just hate the garbage features Windows crams into it.

 

[eyeage]

@ Demarestine

Tearing results from timing issues. One of the easiest ways to create tearing is to have a PC pumping out way more FPS than the screen can read (another is a game's poor graphic engine). So, having a 1080p 60hz screen but your pc slamming out 100fps, you get tearing. That's the point of vsynch, it keeps the pc/monitor timing. Therefore, it limits the amount of frames your GPU actually sends. Buffering is when the GPU uses the VRAM to store these images for when the display is ready to receive. This results in some imput lag. Choosing triple buffering allows the GPU to achieve vsynch with less imput lag, but it taxes the VRAM (more memory used to hold said images). That's the simple version. You can research it a bit more if you want.... I'm not graphics guy, so I can't get super technical, but that's the jist of it.

In reference to the "razer" name, and "death adder" name.... well their logo is made of snakes, and most of their mice are names of snakes... if anything it's geared toward people who shave and own snakes.... lol.. I don't own snakes..

I'm going to suggest you look at this RAM: Samsung ... It's hard to find, and expensive now that the secret is out, but if you can find it for reasonable, buy it, don't even think about it, just click buy I know you said no OC of RAM, but... BUY.. lol

Besides the ram I think your build looks pretty badass. I feel about 99% confident you'll be able to run any game on ultra with 4x AA without any issues. If you have issues, it's the game, not the PC.

As far as the GPU, 670 or 7970 are good choices. Choose the cheapest one as each has it's advantages (that or look at how each game you play performs on said card). Since playing single 1080p monitor I'd be more inclined to go with the 670. But, my system has a 7870xt, so... either will work great. Really comes down to the games you play. I think the 7970 is more overclockable, but is a bit of a power hog. If physx is important, go with the 670. Again, each has their advantages.

Either way, I think you have a solid build. I wouldn't stress too much about it. Everything looks pretty good (though I'd change the ram). Can't wait to see the pics.

P.S. if that didn't make sense.. I've been up for 33 hours... so sue me.

 

[Demarestine]

@ Demarestine

Tearing results from timing issues. One of the easiest ways to create tearing is to have a PC pumping out way more FPS than the screen can read (another is a game's poor graphic engine). So, having a 1080p 60hz screen but your pc slamming out 100fps, you get tearing. That's the point of vsynch, it keeps the pc/monitor timing. Therefore, it limits the amount of frames your GPU actually sends. Buffering is when the GPU uses the VRAM to store these images for when the display is ready to receive. This results in some imput lag. Choosing triple buffering allows the GPU to achieve vsynch with less imput lag, but it taxes the VRAM (more memory used to hold said images). That's the simple version. You can research it a bit more if you want.... I'm not graphics guy, so I can't get super technical, but that's the jist of it.

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info!

I'm going to suggest you look at this RAM: Samsung ... It's hard to find, and expensive now that the secret is out, but if you can find it for reasonable, buy it, don't even think about it, just click buy I know you said no OC of RAM, but... BUY.. lol

Can't get the ram at any of the stores I know. Ah well.

 

[eyeage]

That's too bad. O'well, small piece of the puzzle. Looks like you have a solid system here that will last you a long time. Best of luck getting it all together. I suggest using the newegg "how to build a pc" videos on youtube as starting source for how to build your pc. The one recommendation I will say you should not follow on that video is the "spread" method of applying the paste. Either use the pea or line method. Do some searching on these things before you go gung ho. The newegg videos were priceless for me, with the thermal paste exception. Good Luck!

 

[Demarestine]

That's too bad. O'well, small piece of the puzzle. Looks like you have a solid system here that will last you a long time. Best of luck getting it all together. I suggest using the newegg "how to build a pc" videos on youtube as starting source for how to build your pc. The one recommendation I will say you should not follow on that video is the "spread" method of applying the paste. Either use the pea or line method. Do some searching on these things before you go gung ho. The newegg videos were priceless for me, with the thermal paste exception. Good Luck!

Thanks for that. The videos will definitely help.

I think the ram is too big, and it won't fit with the noctua cooler. I think I'll get Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory instead.

 

[Praxeology]

Thanks for that. The videos will definitely help.

I think the ram is too big, and it won't fit with the noctua cooler. I think I'll get Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory instead.

Just to give you some perspective, you can drop the 7970/680 and grab 2 gtx 660/ radeon 7850 instead for much better performance, higher minimum and average fps across the board at all resolutions. Have a look for yourself at just SOME, of the many, benchmarks.

Source

Source

Source

7850 Benchmarks Below

Source

Source

Source

Despite the naysayers, who quite likely have never had an SLI system, micro-stuttering is a minor issue that crossfire/2-way SLI PC gamers aren't shedding any tears over. Their beastly 7970/680s in crossfire/sli are doing just fine, and the youtube videos on the newest most demanding game's max graphics are usually running on a 2+ video card setup xD. The difference is ofc, they spent an extra 400-600$ for 20-40 fps over the 660/660Ti;7850/7870 cf/sli setups. The choice is up to you I would recommend getting a Corsair Gold 850 psu if you do feel like this is for you. 650seasonic will probably run it fine, but with capacitor aging and all, I would go 850; + it allows future SLI/Crossfire 2-3 gens from now.

Between the 660/7850 I would go with the SLI 660(As it outperforms the 7850 crossfire, in everything if you look at the toms hardware source), an MSI or Asus 2-fan model. Everything else in your build looks good to me, though I would recommend MSI's g45 board for 109$ with 10$ rebate. It will do the same thing, with better bios because MSI OC Genie(It's awesome and makes OC damn stable/easy), better ratings @ 59% 5 star, and of course it's 150$ cheaper which would allow you to buy a second 840Pro for raid 0 setup, which z77 chipsets now support trim in raid 0 btw. Link= NomNom The second alternative is the ASRock extreme 4 for 150$ cheaper also. Think about it!

-Prax

 

[Demarestine]

Just to give you some perspective, you can drop the 7970/680 and grab 2 gtx 660/ radeon 7850 instead for much better performance, higher minimum and average fps across the board at all resolutions. Have a look for yourself at just SOME, of the many, benchmarks.

Despite the naysayers, who quite likely have never had an SLI system, micro-stuttering is a minor issue that crossfire/2-way SLI PC gamers aren't shedding any tears over. Their beastly 7970/680s in crossfire/sli are doing just fine, and the youtube videos on the newest most demanding game's max graphics are usually running on a 2+ video card setup xD. The difference is ofc, they spent an extra 400-600$ for 20-40 fps over the 660/660Ti;7850/7870 cf/sli setups. The choice is up to you I would recommend getting a Corsair Gold 850 psu if you do feel like this is for you. 650seasonic will probably run it fine, but with capacitor aging and all, I would go 850; + it allows future SLI/Crossfire 2-3 gens from now.

Between the 660/7850 I would go with the SLI 660(As it outperforms the 7850 crossfire, in everything if you look at the toms hardware source), an MSI or Asus 2-fan model. Everything else in your build looks good to me, though I would recommend MSI's g45 board for 109$ with 10$ rebate. It will do the same thing, with better bios because MSI OC Genie(It's awesome and makes OC damn stable/easy), better ratings @ 59% 5 star, and of course it's 150$ cheaper which would allow you to buy a second 840Pro for raid 0 setup, which z77 chipsets now support trim in raid 0 btw. Link= The second alternative is the [url= extreme 4[/url] for 150$ cheaper also. Think about it!

-Prax

SLI seems to have problems that I'm not interested in dealing with. And it seems more aimed at people with higher resolutions or who intend to multi-monitor game. I will be satisfied with the 7970.

That G45 board looks awesome. I'll get that.

What is the benefit of having two SSDs/ raid 0?

 

[verbatimline]

do you think it would make sense to go for a mobo without a video chipset and go with a i7 Ivy Bridge which comes with Intel® HD Graphics 4000 in the chip.

That is what I am considering for my first build or am I going wrong?

 

[Fokissed]

SLI seems to have problems that I'm not interested in dealing with. And it seems more aimed at people with higher resolutions or who intend to multi-monitor game. I will be satisfied with the 7970.

That G45 board looks awesome. I'll get that.

What is the benefit of having two SSDs/ raid 0?

I agree, SLI isn't worth the trouble.

Two SSDs in raid 0 will double your sequential read/write performance, and have no effect on response times. The only time it really makes a difference is in benchmarks and copying/transferring files.

 

[Demarestine]

I agree, SLI isn't worth the trouble.

Two SSDs in raid 0 will double your sequential read/write performance, and have no effect on response times. The only time it really makes a difference is in benchmarks and copying/transferring files.

Doesn't seem worth it then.

 

[eyeage]

MSI makes a good board, no doubt. I will say that I went with the asrock z77 extreme 4 instead. I have no complaints. I didn't think your last board was bad. It's all kinda personal choice, and how much you want to spend.

I would suggest against the SLI that Praxeology for one simple reason. Should you decide that you need to later down the road, you can xfire the 7970 too. If the two 660s aren't enough in a year or two, you're stuck upgrading entirely. Just my take on it.

Too bad you couldn't get the Samsung dimms... They're super low profile...

You also have
Ballistix Tactical

I like 1.35v chips, more headroom. I still suggest you spend a little time looking for the Samsung, however.

If you wanted a budget board (less than $160), I'd look at the asrock z77 extreme4, very good OC benchmarks. I've had no complaints with mine, though I've only had it a short time. Even the extreme6 if worried about the mosfet, etc... I went with the 4 because it's faster. When's the big day (order day)?