$1700 Ivy Bridge High-End Gaming Build

bmbrns88

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Feb 19, 2011
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I will be building a desktop computer next month with the sole purpose of high-end gaming (Total War 2/Skyrim). I have researched my components for compatiability but I am still concerned that there may be issues with GPU/CPU Cooler clearance. I am also interested in people's experiences with the components I have selected.

-NEWEGG-
ASUS Sabertooth Z77 LGA 1155 (239.99)
ASUS GTX 770 2GB (409.99)
Corsair Hydro Series H110 (109.99)
EVGA SUperclocked NEX750B 750W PSU (89.99)
Corsair Neutron Series GTX 120GB (124.99)
Western Digital VelociRaptor 500GB 10000 RPM (149.99)
ASUS DRW-24B1ST (19.99)
Arctic MX-2 Carbon Based Thermal Compound (7.99)
Cougar CF-V12HB x4 (55.96)

-AMAZON-
Corsair Carbide 400R (99.99)
Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1866 Mhz (75.99)
Intel Core i7 3770K (313.91)

Sorry I did not stick to the format noted in the thread but I have already done most of the research, so the suggested format made things complicated. I am not interested in Haswell for this build but am open to suggestions on other components. Thanks!!!
 
Forget the Ivy Bridge. Go with Haswell.
-Get the i5-4670k and the ASRock Z87 Extreme6.
-Ditch the overpriced WD VelociRaptor. Grab a regular 1tb WD Caviar Blue for ~$68
-The RAM is a bit expensive, but that's nit-picking.
-Grab the Corsair H100i over the H110. The H110 is a 280m rad while the 400r only supports a 240m rad.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Velociraptor HDs are very overrated, as is the Asus Sabertooth. The plastic armor on the Sabertooth does nothing but trap heat and recirculate it. EVGA power supplies are decent at best, there's better ones you could go with. And extra thermal compound is a complete waste of money. Forget about the extra fans until you actually have your case in your possession.

Here's what I would suggest:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($60.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($188.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($415.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1536.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-06 17:54 EDT-0400)

- Brand new Intel Haswell CPU
- Dropped the crappy Sabertooth motherboard
- Lost the H110 (don't need it)
- Better PSU
- Lost the extra thermal compound and case fans (don't need those)
- Better case
- Slightly slower RAM - you don't need 1866
 

GMPoisoN

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Mar 13, 2013
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You could always go with the Sapphire 7970 Vapor X GHz. Near same performance, but 3 more games than the 770, and only $400 w/ rebate.
 

GMPoisoN

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Mar 13, 2013
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Good build, you won't be disappointing with the speed of the Samsung pro ssd
 

IconicGamerX

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Dec 28, 2013
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Trul said go for the haswell. It will launching in the q3 to q4 2k14 with the price tag of about 1000$ Just take a look :
http://uk.hardware.info/news/38366/specifications-intel-haswell-e-confirmed