Requesting Advice on New Build/First Build

[jackthetexan]

Hello!

This is my first post to tom's hardware and this will be my first build ever.

I have been planning on a build for quite some time and have done quite a bit of research into what I want and I just want to run it by you gurus to make sure that I am not leaving anything out, overlooking some key element, or have any compatability issues that I have not thought of.

This build will be mainly for gaming, but I am also a photographer and will be doing all of my phot editing on here.

My plan was to have some serious longevity and also something that I will be able to upgrade if/when I need/want to.

I have used PC Part Picker to build the system up for you guys, please let me know what you think.

TLDR: New gaming/photo editing build looking for approval.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/IjND

 

[stickmansam]

Chose the UD3h over the other mb unless you want thunderbolt
Chose and IPS, LED screen for much better image quality
Case is a tad bit expensive but your choice and leave it to others to suggest better ones as not my expertise
You'll want lower profile ram with the 212 EVO though you can either use slots 2&4 to avoid the EVO or suffer some displacement "shown in pic at bottom"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($85.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($72.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($279.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($283.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DVDE818A7T/BLK/B/GEN CD Reader, DVD Writer ($24.97 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($171.98 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K90 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer Mamba 2012 Elite Wireless Laser Mouse ($97.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1867.78
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-09 04:04 EST-0500)

 

[jackthetexan]

Chose the UD3h over the other mb unless you want thunderbolt

Is that the only difference between the two? Because I would rather have the firewire over the thunderbolt if that is the case.

 

[jackthetexan]

Chose and IPS, LED screen for much better image quality
Case is a tad bit expensive but your choice and leave it to others to suggest better ones as not my expertise
You'll want lower profile ram with the 212 EVO though you can either use slots 2&4 to avoid the EVO or suffer some displacement[/i]

Already have case and Ram as well as SSD (got all on sale over the last 2 months), everything else is optional.. was expecting to take a bit of a hit on the ram with the EVO and i'm okay with that as long as it will in fact fit.
Also, is the loss of an inch made up for in screen quality?

 

[stickmansam]

Already have case and Ram as well as SSD (got all on sale over the last 2 months), everything else is optional.. was expecting to take a bit of a hit on the ram with the EVO and i'm okay with that as long as it will in fact fit.
Also, is the loss of an inch made up for in screen quality?

You can try turning the evo to clear the ram AFAIK, or take the hit or run on slot 2 &4, just as good as on slot 1&3

Is that the only difference between the two? Because I would rather have the firewire over the thunderbolt if that is the case.

Yeah the 4 also has an extra pcie 3.0 x4 slot which you may or may not need

Firewire would require the ud5h which is still cheaper than the thunderbolt mb, also has the third pcie 3.0

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz77xud5h

 

[jackthetexan]

You can try turning the evo to clear the ram AFAIK, or take the hit or run on slot 2 &4, just as good as on slot 1&3

Cool, that's what I was planning on doing (slot 2/4).

Yeah the 4 also has an extra pcie 3.0 x4 slot which you may or may not need

That's always a plus, but not necessary.

Firewire would require the ud5h which is still cheaper than the thunderbolt mb, also has the third pcie 3.0
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz77xud5h

I was refering to the eSATA connections when I first looked at it.. thought they were firewire..

Thanks for your advice.

 

[stickmansam]

no problem

the ud3h should suit your needs just fine then

 

[Marcopolo123]

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600
Will do the job
Your graphics card is kinda weak for this build...
Get a i5-3570k and a hd 7970.

 

[jackthetexan]

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600
Will do the job
Your graphics card is kinda weak for this build...
Get a i5-3570k and a hd 7970.

Why do you recommend the i5-3570k over the i7-3770k?

the 7970 is a bit out of my price range with the i7.. but if you have a valid reason to step back to the i5, it is possible.

 

[Marcopolo123]

Well you won't feel a difference or benefit from a i7 eather in games nor in other applications you use... i guess

 

[Marcopolo123]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor
I found this

 

[jackthetexan]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor
I found this

If only I had a store nearby! That would be an excellent deal.

 

[stickmansam]

the i7 will show better performance in photoshop and other editting apps
the 7970 is the best gaming chip but the 660ti/670 have cuda for other apps (both cuda and opencl will accelerate photoshop afaik)

we all wish we lived near mc they have great offers on i5 3570k and i7 3770k as well as $50 off mb if you buy the i5/i7

 

[jackthetexan]

the i7 will show better performance in photoshop and other editting apps
the 7970 is the best gaming chip but the 660ti/670 have cuda for other apps (both cuda and opencl will accelerate photoshop afaik)

we all wish we lived near mc they have great offers on i5 3570k and i7 3770k as well as $50 off mb if you buy the i5/i7

The advantages in photoshop was why I was leaning towards the i7, but maybe i'll just suck it up and get the 7970 anyway.

 

[stickmansam]

The 7950 boost (850mhz version) would be the card to get, faster than the 660ti, slower than the 670 but close tot eh 7970

 

[jackthetexan]

The 7950 boost (850mhz version) would be the card to get, faster than the 660ti, slower than the 670 but close tot eh 7970

That looks like a good card to me.. just may be the best option... thanks again

 

[Marcopolo123]

http://uk.hardware.info/reviews/3314/11/amd-fx-8350--8320--6300-vishera-review-finally-good-enough-benchmarks-cpu-adobe-photoshop-cs4

Not realy faster you won't feel a difference