Seeking Input on First PC Build

[BAM pointBLANK]

Good evening Tom's Hardware forum community. I'd like to start by saying that I could not have possibly achieved what I have in the past few days if it weren't for the abundance of information available on this website, and more importantly, the very per-case specific information available in the forums. After continuous research and reading, I have finally decided on what I would like my computer to consist of. Of course, since I have not actually gone forward to purchasing these parts, I would like any input necessary that would positively influence my build by building on performance and efficiency without increasing the current budget.

My goal while putting together this build was to have as forward-compatible a system as possible. Sure I do not need an i5 3570k processor since I do not plan on overclocking, but I want that option available to me when I decide to use it. My main concern is efficiency, primarily airflow, and would appreciate any input that would maximize this aspects of my build.

Also, aesthetics did play a role in my selection of components:

CPU: Intel i5 3750k
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V Pro
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2x4GB)
GPU: Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
HDD: Seagate Barracude 7200RPM 2TB
SDD: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB
Optical Drive: LG 24X DVD Burner
PSU: Corsair HX Series HX650W 80 Plus Gold
Case: Cooler Master CM Storm Scout 2 Midnight Black
Case Fans: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 120mm

My goal is to Crossfire in the future, so what I am most interested in hearing about is how adaptable my case is for such a setup and how forward compatible my build is for upcoming technologies. How efficient will my configuration be in terms of airflow and temperature control, and how forward compatible is my build? I chose my case fans based on value, so any suggestions on better case fans would be appreciated as long as they are cost effective. Also, I would like to replace the red LED fan that comes with my case with a blue LED fan, so any suggestions there will also be very much appreciated!

Although these are my primary points of inquiry, I am open to all input and criticism. Thank you!

 

[scragnoff]

Might be a bit off-topic, but why not get 2 separate 1 TB hard disk drives? Single platter drives have a lesser chance of failure.

That said, you should add an SDD for your OS/applications drive, and keep the HDD as data storage (music, video, etc).

 

[plasmaj12345]

Is this a gaming PC? If so, you should spend less on the motherboard and CPU Cooler and upgrade the GPU to a 7870 XT. Also, 650w isn't enough for crossfire. 750w should be the minimum. SSD is also an expendable component. You can get a 60GB boot drive if you really need it. Also, what is your budget for building?

 

[g-unit1111]

Might be a bit off-topic, but why not get 2 separate 1 TB hard disk drives? Single platter drives have a lesser chance of failure.

That said, you should add an SDD for your OS/applications drive, and keep the HDD as data storage (music, video, etc).

Yeah but then RAID leaves you more open for a chance of a drive failing then keeping two drives and running them separately.

The original build looks good. My only thing is I think I would go with a Noctua D14 over that Phanteks cooler, and maybe get this for your power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703038

 

[BAM pointBLANK]

Might be a bit off-topic, but why not get 2 separate 1 TB hard disk drives? Single platter drives have a lesser chance of failure.

That said, you should add an SDD for your OS/applications drive, and keep the HDD as data storage (music, video, etc).

I am not aware of the advantages of using two 1TB drives over using a single 2TB drive, so if you could expand on that, I would be very grateful. Also, an SSD is present in the build for that particular purpose.

Yeah but then RAID leaves you more open for a chance of a drive failing then keeping two drives and running them separately.

The original build looks good. My only thing is I think I would go with a Noctua D14 over that Phanteks cooler, and maybe get this for your power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703038

I have read very little about RAID 0/1 and the like, so I am not too familiar with that. How does that affect the performance of the HDDs? I saw the Noctua heatsink/fan cooler and was very impressed, but was not a fan of its design. I do not like the colors. Is the Phanteks choice inferior?

Thank you for the PSU suggestion. I will definitely keep it in mind.

Is this a gaming PC? If so, you should spend less on the motherboard and CPU Cooler and upgrade the GPU to a 7870 XT. Also, 650w isn't enough for crossfire. 750w should be the minimum. SSD is also an expendable component. You can get a 60GB boot drive if you really need it. Also, what is your budget for building?

I am building this PC primarily as a gaming machine, yes. I will also like to be able to watch hi-def movies and basically make this my entertainment system. When I used a few calculators to test my necessary wattage, it was something like 420-450 watts, and that was including crossfire in the calculation. That is why I chose a 650W PSU. How far do I need to push my system to reach the 750W mark?

Considering that I am planning to crossfire in the future, Will two 7870 XT cards be a significant upgrade from two 7850 cards? Also, I picked the motherboard for its features, although I am not sure how necessary they will be to me. As for the CPU cooler, that was mainly aesthetics.

Also, I would like to keep my budget where it is, which is ~$1200.

 

[g-unit1111]

I have read very little about RAID 0/1 and the like, so I am not too familiar with that. How does that affect the performance of the HDDs? I saw the Noctua heatsink/fan cooler and was very impressed, but was not a fan of its design. I do not like the colors. Is the Phanteks choice inferior?

Thank you for the PSU suggestion. I will definitely keep it in mind.

On some RAID configurations - especially those dealing with one drive acting as an auto backup, if one fails the rest of the drives on the chain will most likely fail at one point or another.

And the Noctuas are great heat sinks with very solid constructed fans. Yeah the color scheme isn't very flattering but you can't really build systems around particular colors.

 

[BAM pointBLANK]

I guess I have to do more reading on RAID configurations because that really did not make much sense. Is there any particular advantage to RAID configurations? Also, I will do some more research on the heat sinks and see how much better the Noctua heat sinks are. Thanks very much for your help.

 

[plasmaj12345]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.16 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1074.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-28 18:04 EST-0500)

You are much better off with a system like this

 

[BAM pointBLANK]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GEl4/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.16 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1074.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-28 18:04 EST-0500)

You are much better off with a system like this

I see. I am very much set on the ASUS Z77 motherboards, I really really like the features they have and their software looks pretty impressive. If you could suggest a more appropriate motherboard in the ASUS Z77 line, that would be fantastic. What difference does the memory do (Ripjaws X vs. Ares)?

 

[plasmaj12345]

I see. I am very much set on the ASUS Z77 motherboards, I really really like the features they have and their software looks pretty impressive. If you could suggest a more appropriate motherboard in the ASUS Z77 line, that would be fantastic. What difference does the memory do (Ripjaws X vs. Ares)?

The ARES has a low profile heat spreader, meaning it is easier to mount a CPU cooler. Low profile RAM is must have for air cooling. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-p8z77vlk This ASUS motherboard is good in your budget since you prefer their boards.

 

[BAM pointBLANK]

The ARES has a low profile heat spreader, meaning it is easier to mount a CPU cooler. Low profile RAM is must have for air cooling. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-p8z77vlk This ASUS motherboard is good in your budget since you prefer their boards.

Thanks again for the input, I will definitely use the suggested RAM, and will do more research on the boards to see exactly what features I will actually need.