~$1500 I5 2500k Build (advice Please)

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chuglife

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Aug 21, 2011
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18,540
Approximate Purchase Date: This week

Budget Range: $1,500-1,600 after MIR

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, movies

Parts Not Required: need all new parts

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country of Origin: United States

Parts Preferences: Intel/coolmaster

Overclocking: Yes, 4.2-4.5

SLI or Crossfire: SLI in a year +

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: This computer will be in my dorm room so i need it to run quiet and cold.

Part ideas so far

CASE:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197
Case = $99.99

PSU:
LEPA G900-MA 900W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194083
= $179.99, 129.99 after Mir

GPU:
EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595
=339.99

DESKTOP MEMORY:
G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231461
=59.99

MOBO:
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
=129.99

PROCESSOR:
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
=219.99

COOLING:
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
=27.99

CD/DVD:
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
= 19.99

HDD:
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
=59.99

THERMAL PASTE:
ARCTIC COOLING Arctic Cooling MX-4 AC-MX4 4 gram (g) All-Around Thermal Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038
=12.99

OS:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
Free Trend Micro software w/ purchase, limited offer (1 YR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116713
=$119

SSD:
Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
=114.99

EXTRAS:

MONITOR:
ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049
=199.99

KEYBOARD:
Saitek Cyborg V5 CCB44026N0B2/06/1 Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175012
=56.99

MOUSE:
RAZER Orochi Black Bluetooth Notebook Gaming Mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153053
=57.99

CASE FANS:
(2X)COOLER MASTER SickleFlow 120 R4-L2R-20AR-R1 120mm Silent operation Red LED case fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103091
=19.98

ANTI VIBRATION FAN MOUNTS:
VIZO VIZO-AVK-120 Anti-Vibration Kit for 120mm Fan (x3)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998027
=20.97

SPEAKERS:
Eagle ET-AR506-BK 100 Watts 2.1 Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836183038
=69.99


Total price after MIR = $1687
 
Solution
boiler1990
CASE:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197
Case = $99.99
Click to expand...
The HAF 922 is a solid mid tower, and should hold every GPU except the super-long AMD cards (5970, etc). The HAFs also cool pretty well thanks to their airflow design.

PSU:
LEPA G900-MA 900W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194083
= $179.99, 129.99 after Mir
Click to expand...
I've never heard of LEPA before. Can't say for certain whether or not this is a reliable PSU. The 80+ Gold cert is pretty good though.

GPU:
EVGA SuperClocked...
Click to expand...
Sort by date Sort by votes
i would keep your monitor, and keyboard/mouse is personal preference. but heres what i came up with

case/psu combo: 259.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.705525

hdd/dvd burner cobo 67.48
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.696126

mobo 149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157229

cpu 219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
cpu cooler 27.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

ram 57.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

video card 394.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687

ssd 114.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

anyway the parts i listed come to just under 1400 bucks with windows thrown in there and before rebate (1393.39 to be exact)

so with your monitor and keyboard/mouse it may be a little over budget but you could probably opt for a different keyboard/mouse and stay within.

anyway you said you wanted some future proofing. if you still want this to be mildly bearable a few years from now you'll want at least a small ssd, and that video card should do well for awhile to come,
 
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The 570 2560 mb > 570 1280mb superclocked?

also why the change in the mobo? That one's cheaper but i can't figure out why...
 
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the 570 i posted has double the memory, which will keep it relevant for longer and if you feel the need to overclock it you still can.

i posted that mobo because i have built with it before. however after snooping around some more i would probably go with this one (in fact i will be for my next personal build)

edit: the reasoning for this board is the pci 3.0 capability when ivy bridge releases. just adds a bit of future proofing. and its cheap, has everything needed, ect.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
 
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CASE:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197
Case = $99.99
Click to expand...
The HAF 922 is a solid mid tower, and should hold every GPU except the super-long AMD cards (5970, etc). The HAFs also cool pretty well thanks to their airflow design.

PSU:
LEPA G900-MA 900W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194083
= $179.99, 129.99 after Mir
Click to expand...
I've never heard of LEPA before. Can't say for certain whether or not this is a reliable PSU. The 80+ Gold cert is pretty good though.

GPU:
EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595
=339.99
Click to expand...
The larger VRAM model helps with multiple monitor setups, but not a ton with a single monitor. IMO you'll be fine with the 1280MB model. Plus, if you upgrade you'll most likely get a second GPU.

DESKTOP MEMORY:
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455
= $69.99
Click to expand...
1866MHz RAM is only a *little* bit better than 1600MHz memory. I'd go with the kit danger kid posted; I have 2 sets of that and it games great.

MOBO:
ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264
=189.99

OR
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269

(not sure which would better suit my needs, i think i will SLI with 570's in the future)
Click to expand...
Both will support SLI (need at least x8/x8 speeds on 2 PCI Express x16 slots), but they are pricey because they have the PCI Express 3.0 slots. However, A) you won't really be limited by 2.0, and B) you need an upcoming Ivy Bridge CPU to even use the 3.0 slots. PCI-E 2.0 cards will run fine in 3.0 slots, so no need to worry about compatibility.

The Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 is a pretty good balance, because it has all of the new upgrade features but is about the same price as a current model board.

PROCESSOR + COOLING:
(Bundle)
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
1x CORSAIR CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.697255
=276.87
Click to expand...
The Hyper 212+ is an awesome cooler. It could get a lot of LGA 1366 CPUs to 4.5 GHz, and they were significantly hotter than the 1155 CPUs. Note that if you're just gaming, and OCed 2500K won't really do anything for you; it already games so well you won't really notice the difference (if at all).

HDD:
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
=59.99
Click to expand...
Best hard drive out there. WD is overpriced now and Seagate is trying to make a comeback in the reliability area. This is the fastest consumer platter drive out at the moment.

AUDIO CARD: (unsure about this)
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Audio Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013
=40.99
Click to expand...
Pass on this. Unless you're using an expensive set of 5.1/7.1 headphones or speakers, you won't hear a difference between this and the onboard audio. You can also add this on later, so no need to buy it now if you're strapped for cash.

THERMAL PASTE:
ARCTIC COOLING Arctic Cooling MX-4 AC-MX4 4 gram (g) All-Around Thermal Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038
=12.99
Click to expand...
One of the best pastes out there.

OS:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
Free Trend Micro software w/ purchase, limited offer (1 YR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116713
=$119
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that this is an upgrade version. If you don't plan on upgrading the mobo for a long time, get an OEM/System Builders copy of W7.

EXTRAS:

MONITOR:
Asus VE228H 21.5" Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor w/Speakers ASCR 10,000,000:1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236100
=154.99 -10 W/promo code
Click to expand...
You should be able to get a decent 23"-24" 1920x1080 monitor at that price. Anything below that seems a little small IMHO.

CASE FANS:
(2X)COOLER MASTER SickleFlow 120 R4-L2R-20AR-R1 120mm Silent operation Red LED case fan
=19.98
Click to expand...
Do you have a link for these? I'd like to know the noise levels (dBA) and airflow (CFM). Ideally you get high CFMs at low dBA.

ANTI VIBRATION FAN MOUNTS:
VIZO VIZO-AVK-120 Anti-Vibration Kit for 120mm Fan (x3)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998027
=20.97
Click to expand...
Depending on the fan, this might be irrelevant. As long as you get good fans you won't need these. You're better off buying dust filters for the fans.


The M4 SSD is a good drive and is one I'd recommend as well. Another good one is the Intel 320.
 
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Solution
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19 dBA is pretty quiet for a fan pushing 60-70 CFM: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

Those should be pretty good fans. I had the green LEDs on my first Hyper 212+ :)

The Hyper 212+ is a great cooler. I've had 2 of them, and you'll hear your case fans and GPU fan before you hear the CPU cooler. I'd recommend a push/pull set up exhausting either out the rear or the top of the case.

Here are some more 23" options that are cheaper. I'd personally go with the Samsung or one of the Asus models, but the Acers are pretty good too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009255
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236079
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001463

Use the SSD as your boot drive. Windows 7 64 bit takes about 25-30GB of space after updates, so you've got about 20 GB of healthy space (don't want to fill SSDs to the max) to install a few programs you use a lot. I put Office 2010 on mine since I use the suite a ton (college student as well), but you could easily fit games and the like on there. Games and other programs load quickly on my Hitachi drives, so you shouldn't have any speed issues with the F3 1TB.

It takes a little while to organize your secondary HDD, but having the SSD is worth it. My older WD SSD boots in ~30 seconds, and the M4 should be pretty darn fast thanks to SATA III.
 
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the ssd will drastically improve load times of applications and games and overall system responsiveness it is well worth the 115 bucks.

edit: also you do have the option to utilize smart response with that ssd on a z68 mobo. ive never had a build with it so i dont know first hand if that would be more usefull than manually picking what you want to go on the ssd. but reviews on its effectiveness are good and if you dont like the performance boost you can always go back an manually load what you think should be on the ssd.

basically it works by putting fequently used data on the ssd. it will pair the ssd with your mechanical drive so you'll only see one drive location on your computer.

also the hyper 212 plus is the best cpu cooler out that for anywhere near that price range, its quiet and efficient. to get anything better you have to literally double the cost and jump up to scythe mugen 3, which is huge! louder and completely unnecessary unless you plan to overclock past 4.5 ghz
 
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edit: also you do have the option to utilize smart response with that ssd on a z68 mobo. ive never had a build with it so i dont know first hand if that would be more usefull than manually picking what you want to go on the ssd. but reviews on its effectiveness are good and if you dont like the performance boost you can always go back an manually load what you think should be on the ssd.

basically it works by putting fequently used data on the ssd. it will pair the ssd with your mechanical drive so you'll only see one drive location on your computer.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't do this - the caching feature is great for smaller (~20-40GB) and somewhat slower SSDs, because it enhances the read speeds of your drives (SSD + HDD). However, it won't accelerate your write speeds at all.

Caching is also completely irrelevant for boot drives because you'll get a much better experience booting the OS from the SSD rather than booting it from the HDD and then just speeding up some load times here and there. It's a great feature for cheaper builds, but it can't beat a dedicated boot drive.
 
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