Building my first system

[Appelsapje]

Was considering to let a store assemble it, but this way I'll be able to save money, learn more and be able to customize it exactly how I want it. Win-win-win

My current system is 5 years old, only upgraded the ram once, and replaced a dead GPU with a comparable model.

So yeah, I feel like it's become time for me to upgrade my system a bit to meet the new standards of games. I'm really interested in BF3, Skyrim and the new COD, so I'd like to be able to play those games maxed out.

Of course, I'd like this system to be system proof. Going on for 3-4years without too many upgrades would be ideal.

This is what I had in mind so far:

Case:
Antec Three Hundred : http://www.antec.com/demo/ThreeHundred/ - may be changed in a one hundred

PSU: (Still kinda guessin' here) - Perhaps 500W would be enough, but maybe I'll be upgrading to a crossfire-setup in the future...
Thermaltake TR2 RX Cable Management 550W

CPU:
i5-2500K - Gonna start out with the stock fan, do some slight OC'ing perhaps and see how the temps are. Might install an aftermarket cooler later on.

RAM:
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL (1600 mhz, even though the CPU supports 1333 stock, can be OC'd)

Motherboard: Not too sure about this one either. I've come to prefer the P67 over the Z68, but there are so many different versions. I'm seriously clueless

Hard Drive:
Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ, 1TB + 500GB of my current PC for media storage.

Optical Drives:
Again, I will recycle this from my old PC.

Video Card:
Have thought over this one quite a bit, I think I'll be going with a Radeon HD6950.



That should be it
Any suggestions/comments/questions?

 

[DR DEUCE]

Whats your budget?

 

[Appelsapje]

Whats your budget?

I'm from Belgium, so I'll be paying in Euros.

I'd like to keep it around €900, €1000 tops.

 

[DR DEUCE]

Comes out to like 855 euro. This is a american store so prices over there might be a bit more expensive. I would pick out a better case but its fine if u like that one. Do u have a os?

 

[Appelsapje]

I was thinking of getting an Antec One Hundred first, saw the 300 and thought it was better, I guess not . So One Hundred is on number 1 now.

I do not have an OS right now, but I'll be able to borrow my brother's and buy a key via school next semester, so no worries about that one .

Gotta say that site's pretty cheap when you transfer it to euros! I want to play safe and buy from a store near me though, in case of warranty issues..

I see you've changed the GPU and Motherboard. Could you explain those changes please?

 

[DR DEUCE]

The motherboard is just a basic entry level z68 board. The gtx 580 is gonna perform better than the 6950 u wanted to get but it comes a a bigger price. The 6950 is a good card and if you want to save money then grab it because its strong. You can flash it to a 6970 for even better performance.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/331?vs=305
http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/159

 

[Appelsapje]

I've heard about the 6950->6970 trick, will be doing it for sure if I get one.
The 580 is too expensive for me, so I won't be getting it.

I was doubting between the P67 or Z68, I don't think the Z68 brings me anything new, and the P67 is a bit cheaper, or am I wrong here?

Also, there's many different manufacturers for the mobo and the GPU, are there ones to avoid/...?

 

[DR DEUCE]

I've heard about the 6950->6970 trick, will be doing it for sure if I get one.
The 580 is too expensive for me, so I won't be getting it.

I was doubting between the P67 or Z68, I don't think the Z68 brings me anything new, and the P67 is a bit cheaper, or am I wrong here?

Also, there's many different manufacturers for the mobo and the GPU, are there ones to avoid/...?

Th only thing i would say that is beneficial of Z68 is the ssd caching although its not a huge difference. There's not really any company to avoid just pick one that has a good warranty or the card that look pleasing to u lol.

 

[Appelsapje]

Th only thing i would say that is beneficial of Z68 is the ssd caching although its not a huge difference. There's not really any company to avoid just pick one that has a good warranty or the card that look pleasing to u lol.

Aight. I'm being really careful here since it's my first build

I'm already buying a designated SSD, so I'll be fine I guess

 

[Knufire]

The iGPU support is pretty cool. And it speeds up converting videos a TON. I'd get a Z68 board just for the sake that if your video card dies, and you need to RMA, you don't have a super expensive paperweight for two weeks.

Gigabyte, EVGA, ASUS all make great motherboards. MSI is pretty good as well.

PSU-wise, you're going to need a 750W if you want to crossfire those 6950s. Look at the recommended PSU sticky in the PSU section of the forums for some ideas. If you find one you like, google the name and try to find a review from Jonnyguru.com or other reputable reviewers (also in the sticky).