New build, need help

[1b0b1]

Greetings everyone,

This is my first build since like 5 or 6 years, so it is safe to say that I am way too much outdated when it comes to today's hardware. However, the building process haven't changed much. My only concerns are the parts to be used.

Mainly, this will be a gaming rig. Plus, some rendering and video editing. My Budget is 1500$~2000$ including the LED screen (already decided, approximately 200$).

Below is the list that I came up with after extensive research:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K (BX80637I73770K)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SZ0EOW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=A2YLYLTN75J8LR

Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O65JXI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&smid=A2EUTVCJXLAJ4K

MB: Asrock Z77 Extreme4
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KTY4A6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

GPU: MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (N680GTX LIGHTNING)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008D1JKF4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

HDD: WD Caviar Black 1 TB 7200 RPM 64 MB (WD1002FAEX)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036Q7MV0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

SSD: Corsair Force GT 240 GB (CSSD-F240GBGT-BK)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IZ4IRS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006EWUO22/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Or

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) (F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006T0CHLA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A2C3SMXXIDC93V

CASE: NZXT Phantom 410 Mid Tower USB 3.0 Gaming Case - Red
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006I2H08E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

PSU: I didn't make up my mind yet, I need some help with this one keeping in mind that I am planning to use SLI with dual GTX680's and some overclocking (CPU & GPU)

Thanks in advance guys

 

[raident30]

pretty solid build, i suggest getting the corsair ram... a corsair tx850 would be best for you if you are gonna use SLI...

 

[1b0b1]

pretty solid build, i suggest getting the corsair ram... a corsair tx850 would be best for you if you are gonna use SLI...

When you said Corsair tx850, which one of the below you were referring to:

Corsair Enthusiast Series 850-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply Compatible with Core i3, i5, i7 and platforms - TX850

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthu...&qid=1355913609&sr=8-1&keywords=corsair+tx850

Or

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 850 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze (TX850M)

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthu...&qid=1355913609&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+tx850

 

[EarthDog]

They are the same except one is modular.

750w model is also fine.

 

[1b0b1]

They are the same except one is modular.

750w model is also fine.

I saw that, but how come they are both priced exactly the same? From what I know, modular PSU's are more expensive since they allow you to connect only the necessary cables which will lead to more air flaw and better cable management.

I think I'll go with the modular one if the price is exactly the same.

EDIT:

I just saw that you said that the 750 is fine, will it be enough to support SLI (overclocked GPU's) + overclocked CPU ?

 

[snowbrd]

Depends on how far you overclock. But it should be fine.

 

[1b0b1]

Depends on how far you overclock. But it should be fine.

Well, it will be my first professional overclock (except for overclocking the 5650m in my laptop which didn't turn out well )

Anyways, taking into consideration that parts I've included in my build, my questions goes like this: is the motherboard, accompanied with the EVO heat sink, ready for overclocking both the CPU and the GPU to their limits (not necessarily their MAXIMUM limits, but yeah, at least to get the most out of it) ? If so, which PSU will suits me the most ?

 

[Ajay57]

For what its worth buy yourself a QUALITY PSU either the Corsair 850 or the 750 EarthDog said! Why because if you decide to rebuild in 2 years time you can use that again and save some money for other things. But Corsair or Seasonic are some of the best PSU's to buy. AJ.


P.S. Well after searching Newegg and Micro centers that 850w Modular is a super deal, as the price is very much higher!

 

[EarthDog]

I saw that, but how come they are both priced exactly the same? From what I know, modular PSU's are more expensive since they allow you to connect only the necessary cables which will lead to more air flaw and better cable management.

I think I'll go with the modular one if the price is exactly the same.

EDIT:

I just saw that you said that the 750 is fine, will it be enough to support SLI (overclocked GPU's) + overclocked CPU ?

Well, it will be my first professional overclock (except for overclocking the 5650m in my laptop which didn't turn out well )

Anyways, taking into consideration that parts I've included in my build, my questions goes like this: is the motherboard, accompanied with the EVO heat sink, ready for overclocking both the CPU and the GPU to their limits (not necessarily their MAXIMUM limits, but yeah, at least to get the most out of it) ? If so, which PSU will suits me the most ?

The GPU's are 195W each with a 20% power limit increase (so ~235W each maximum when overclocked). The CPU can be around 125W at 4.5GHz. mobo, ram, hdd's, fans, not much difference there, so 100W at most. Thats 700W and you would only reach that value if you were running all items at 100% (which is not done in gaming). A QUALITY 750W PSU would be fine, but that 850W modular is a steal, go for that.

 

[1b0b1]

For what its worth buy yourself a QUALITY PSU either the Corsair 850 or the 750 EarthDog said! Why because if you decide to rebuild in 2 years time you can use that again and save some money for other things. But Corsair or Seasonic are some of the best PSU's to buy. AJ.


P.S. Well after searching Newegg and Micro centers that 850w Modular is a super deal, as the price is very much higher!

This exactly why I am kinda picky about the particular part, since it will last till the next upgrade if it is decent enough. Plus, even if I don't need all the extra power now, it is totally worth it to get it now since it will be a must in the near future.

That said, I'll go with the Modular one.

Thank you

 

[1b0b1]

The GPU's are 195W each with a 20% power limit increase (so ~235W each maximum when overclocked). The CPU can be around 125W at 4.5GHz. mobo, ram, hdd's, fans, not much difference there, so 100W at most. Thats 700W and you would only reach that value if you were running all items at 100% (which is not done in gaming). A QUALITY 750W PSU would be fine, but that 850W modular is a steal, go for that.

Thanks for the explanation, much appreciated. I made up my mind and I am going to get the modular one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E98EI2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[EarthDog]

Plus, even if I don't need all the extra power now, it is totally worth it to get it now since it will be a must in the near future.

This is false really... the trend over the past few years is power requirements going DOWN. I mean look at CPU's and GPU's.

 

[1b0b1]

This is false really... the trend over the past few years is power requirements going DOWN. I mean look at CPU's and GPU's.

Well, dual overclocked GTX680's would definitely utilize almost half of the PSU power, leaving a little room for the remaining parts. So why would I risk it ?

 

[EarthDog]

Risk what? There isnt a risk. The remaining parts are also very little compared to the GPUs (CPU, RAM, Mobo, fans). There is PLENTY of power for what you have said, I just mentioned that above. Unless you participate in a distributed platform (F@H, WCG, SETI, etc) where your CPU and GPU's will actually be running at 100%, you will not even reach the 700W value... likely much closer to 600W.

Let me give you another example... with a 4.9GHz 3770K(1.5v) and 2 7970's @ 1250/1800 (1.3v), I PEAKED at 735W AT THE WALL in 3DMark 11 (realistic gaming load). I have a 90% efficient PSU so the actual load on the PSU was around 660W. The 7970 uses 20W more than a 680 and from what you have posted so far, you will not be running close to 4.9GHz 24/7 (more likely 4.5GHz with the setup selected) nor running the cards that fast 24/7. That was for benchmarking.

I still say 850W but not because of the wattage, only because its a great deal.

EDIT: These are stock values (at the wall) for 4GHZ 3770K and stock 7970's from my review.

 

[1b0b1]

Risk what? There isnt a risk. The remaining parts are also very little compared to the GPUs (CPU, RAM, Mobo, fans). There is PLENTY of power for what you have said, I just mentioned that above. Unless you participate in a distributed platform (F@H, WCG, SETI, etc) where your CPU and GPU's will actually be running at 100%, you will not even reach the 700W value... likely much closer to 600W.

Let me give you another example... with a 4.9GHz 3770K(1.5v) and 2 7970's @ 1250/1800 (1.3v), I PEAKED at 735W AT THE WALL in 3DMark 11 (realistic gaming load). I have a 90% efficient PSU so the actual load on the PSU was around 660W. The 7970 uses 20W more than a 680 and from what you have posted so far, you will not be running close to 4.9GHz 24/7 (more likely 4.5GHz with the setup selected) nor running the cards that fast 24/7. That was for benchmarking.

I still say 850W but not because of the wattage, only because its a great deal.

Well explained, thank you. So now I have to decide which one to get:

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthu...1-2&keywords=Corsair+Enthusiast+Series+TX+750

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E98EI2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


The difference is 21.25$.

 

[EarthDog]

Snag that 850W modular... as mentioned a couple times already... its a steal at that price.

 

[1b0b1]

Snag that 850W modular... as mentioned a couple times already... its a steal at that price.

Yeah yeah, got it

But what about the other parts, do you think I should replace them with anything else or they're fine ?

The only thing I can think of is the mobo, maybe get GIGABYTE instead. But most of the reviews referred to the Asrock extreme4 as a killer deal.

 

[XNine]

Get the Asrock. I've had nothing but praise for the two I've bought from them.

For RAM, stick with the GSKill, if you're ever going to OC, GSkill is known to mop the floor with pretty much everything. Conversely, if you want cheaper RAM that's solid, OC's, and is badass, Samsung Green RAM is the way to go. It's low-profile, it OC's very well, and it's cheap.

 

[1b0b1]

Get the Asrock. I've had nothing but praise for the two I've bought from them.

For RAM, stick with the GSKill, if you're ever going to OC, GSkill is known to mop the floor with pretty much everything. Conversely, if you want cheaper RAM that's solid, OC's, and is badass, Samsung Green RAM is the way to go. It's low-profile, it OC's very well, and it's cheap.

Thanks for the info, but I am not planning to OC the RAM.

 

[Knufire]

You can ignore the ones that you've already answered elsewhere in this thread:

• What are you planning to do with this compuer? Please be as specfic as possible.

• What is your budget?
  
  1. Does this include a copy of Windows?
  2. Does this include peripheals (a keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, etc.)?
• Are you from the United States or a different country? Are you ordering from your own country or from across borders?
  
  1. Wherever you may be from, does the store that you are planning to order from have a website? It's okay if it isn't in English, we can manage.
  2. If you are from the United States, do you live nearby a Microcenter?

• Do you have any specific requests with the build?
  
  1. Do you plan on overclocking? If yes, do you have a specific goal in mind?
  2. Would you prefer the build to be particularly small?
  3. Would you prefer the build to be particularly quiet?
  4. In general, do you prefer this to be a computer that you can spend money on now and let it rest, or a box built for continuous upgrading?
  5. Do you ever plan on utilizing NVIDIA's SLI or AMD's CrossfireX technologies? These features, with a compatible motherboard, allow a user to link multiple identical graphic cards together for added performance. In real world terms, this lets you buy a second identical graphics card down the line as a relatively cheap and easy way to gain a fairly large boost in performance. However, this requires buying a SLI/CFX compatible motherboard and PSU now, which may result in slightly higher initial cost.

Once again, thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these, and I hope you enjoy your stay at OCF!