$2k First-Time Gaming PC Build: Compatibility Check and Last-Minute Questions

Nightspectre

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After multiple visits to the TH forums and some tweaking, I think I've decided on the parts for my first-time gaming PC build. I plan to order the parts within a week, but I wanted to run the components by you guys one more time to sort out any possible compatibility issues that I overlooked:

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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QFjs
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QFjs/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QFjs/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($81.12 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($116.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($162.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($127.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card ($426.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($160.98 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On ihes112-04 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K90 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1958.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-18 13:46 EDT-0400)

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I went with an i7 to take advantage of HT for non-gaming tasks that the PC will also be used for, so I'm set on that. However, I'm not too sure about the 4GB 670. I know that the vRAM will be useful for modding games like Skyrim, but for someone who wants consistent 50-60 FPS on high graphics settings at 1920 x 1080 resolution, is 4GB necessary? If not, I may just use the money on a 2GB 680 instead.

Other than that, are there any glaring issues with this build? I've heard reviews about the motherboard that claim that it's too flimsy to work with (so if there's a better alternative to the Z77, I'd like to hear it), but other than that, the parts seem pretty solid to me.

If you guys have any last-minute suggestions to improve the build, then I'd like to hear those as well. Again, this is primarily going to be a gaming PC (single monitor, 1920 x 1080), but it will also serve other secondary functions (workstation, some video editing, etc.).
 

iyzik

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For the video card at the moment it really depends on what kind of games you will mostly be playing. I'd take a 7950 over a GTX 670 because the AMD cards generally overclock a little better and it has 3GB of VRAM (which is occasionally necessary with a crapload of Skyrim mods, I have seen it running above 2gb on each of my 7970s).
But then again I would probably take a GTX 680 over either of those because of how well it runs BF3. The HD 7970 and GTX 680 trade blows in a pretty equal amount of games so its really personal preference at that point.
 

masterman467

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On ihes112-04 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS248H-P 24.0" Monitor ($187.58 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($83.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $2041.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-18 14:16 EDT-0400)

>You waste money on that case
>Waste money on the PSU and don't even get the best brand
>This cooler 1/4th the price and will be a few C higher in temp. Unless your trying for 5ghz, the difference is minimal. Even then water cooling would be better suited.
>The difference in rendering times from i5 to i7 is minimal, and not worth it unless you are rendering 12 hours a day 8 days a week.
>I put 2 GPU's in this list, i suggest you get one right now and save for another and 2 more screens.
>GPU's can be switched for 2gb 670's

Are you going to use 3 screens at any time in the foreseeable future?
Also, the 680 is 100 bucks more but gives less then 2% more fps. Easily achieved with OC'ing. 4gb is useable in SLI, running 3 screens with a lot of AA sucks DDR5 like a hummer sucks gasoline. I put in the 7970's, which have 3gb of VRAM and are 50 bucks a peace less. AMD has more microstutter in Crossfire then GTX in SLI, so do your own research and look at benchmarks, pick what you like more. As a side note, why not just pirate bluerays like everyone else?
 

Nightspectre

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Besides Skyrim modding (or really any modding), is there a consistent need for 3-4GB vRAM in many modern games at 1080p? If not, I can probably cut back on texture mods for Skyrim and just stick with a 2GB option, since I'd guess that I'd need to replace my GPU before most games require >2GB on a routine basis.



-I don't ever really plan to go triple-monitor. But SLI/Crossfire is something I'd like to explore in the future nonetheless. That's why I'm balking at the 4GB I currently have.
-I've heard that about the 680. Guess I'll stick with either a 670 or 7970, depending on additional research.
-Meh. I could. But I want an optical drive in this setup; might as well make it a BluRay reader.

Also, regarding the case, when exactly is a full-tower necessary vs a mid-tower case?
 

masterman467

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iyzik

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Full tower much more effective at cooling dual video cards as well as making it easier to organize all those gpus and internal drives you might need.

I also second the crossfire 7970s, seems most price effective if you have that much money. That's what I have and it's absolutely beast, runs Battlefield 3 on ultra like its nothing. 40% load. AND you get the extra VRAM if you really need it.
 

masterman467

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Post a few times, don't just edit.
bigger is always better. If you have the space (And money), go bigger. More airflow, more room to install, general space is always good.
 

Gammyduck

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I prefer the Vector SSDs
sigtoco.jpg
 

Nightspectre

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My apologies; double/triple-posting was often frowned upon in other forum communities, so that was why I abused the edit button.

So, after making the appropriate adjustments to cut wasteful spending, it seems that 2 7970s are the way to go. But what about if I start off with a single card? Does the 7970 outperform the 670 in single-card performance as well?
 

masterman467

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Yes, however slightly. SLI 670's will be better then CXF 7970's, CXF stutters more because of the borderline idiotic programmers making there drivers. You cannot forget that AMD is about to go bankrupt, and the GPU business is keeping the CPU side afloat. They do not have the devs that GTX does, and thats not deniable. For 2 cards the 4gb 670's would be better but might break the bank.
 

masterman467

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Yes. Thats one of the best for the price.
 

iyzik

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I don't like picking sides AMD vs NVIDIA.

I can't deny that AMD is not doing as well financially, nor can I deny that they are much slower about optimizing their cards.
But I have had zero problems with driver quality (tho it is late) and zero problems with stutter/micro stutter.

I do prefer NVIDIA though just because o the games I play. Unfortunately this time round I chose AMD just to try them out. They both have their + and -.

 

Nightspectre

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Ok... All things considered I think I'm going to go for a single 670 for now, and do SLI later if my games demand it at 1080p.

One question I forgot to ask; SeaSonic was suggested earlier as opposed to Corsair as a PSU brand. Is Seasonic a generally better brand? Furthermore, is there a minimum certification (bronze, silver, etc.) that I should shoot for for a good-quality PSU?
 

Nightspectre

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Sorry for the double-post, but I noticed another issue regarding my motherboard while doing additional research. Apparently the size of the Extreme 4 is a little smaller than most ATX form-factor boards, and the PCB is somewhat thin. Is there an alternative, sturdier board that I should look into, or is the Extreme4 still good for this build (and if it is, do I need to buy extension cords or the like to accommodate connecting components to it?)?
 

masterman467

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Sorry for long reply,
Seasonic is the best, they are a little pricey but they use solid parts and they will not fail on you. Not saying corsair will burst into flames like some that come with cases, but why take the chance when 2k worth of parts could be overvolted and fry?
The Extreme4 is still good, but if you insist, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128551 Will do everything an extreme 4 will, but costs much more. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128583 would be about the same and cheaper, but its out of stock.
 
G

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"Optical Drive: Lite-On ihes112-04 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.98 @ Outlet PC)"

I recently saw an Asus Blu-Ray burner on newegg for $59 after a rebate. Also, I have the 3770k. You are using this PC primarily for gaming according to the title. You should really consider the i5 3570K. That extra $100+ could go towards something better like a bigger SSD. But, I do use my PC for other things and hyper-threading does come in handy more than I thought it would. But, just for gaming, the i5 is a better deal.

Also, the keyboard is a bit overpriced in my opinion. $130 for a nice metal frame, backlit keys and an extra key pad on the left sounds like a rip off to me. Are you playing mostly massive multiplayer online games like Star Wars the Old Republic, or console ports? That keyboard is for MMO players. And, even then, any regular backlit keyboard will do since you can always program the keys.

Also, I can't believe how much RAM has gone up since last fall. I bought the same exact 16GB Vengeance RAM for $40 per stick. Also, I bought a pair of 4GB Samsung RAM for a Mackbook Pro around the same time for $45 for the set on Amazon. Now, on the same exact Amazon page I got them from, the same set is going for $70. That tsunami and earthquake must have really caused a major supply shortage. I remember in the 90's there was a huge fire in a RAM factory and RAM prices nearly tripled after that.
 

Nightspectre

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-Given that this'll be my central computer, I figure I'll be doing many other things besides gaming on it, though gaming is the primary goal. I may ultimately pick the i5 as my purchase date swings closer (I've decided to delay a few days), but I'm still deciding.

-I play a range of game genres. I do play MMOs occasionally (Guild Wars 2 at present, since the no-sub model caters to the "occasionally" bit), but I also play RTSs, single-player RPGs, turn-based strategy games, and simulations. The keyboard appears to be a high-quality build, and it's mechanical (which is something I want to try for this build). Honestly, though, aesthetics are big for me, so if I could find a keyboard similar in style to the K90, but for far cheaper, I'd probably go for it. (Not to mention I'm also a sucker for backlighting. I don't know why.)

-Yeah, the RAM prices surprised me as well. Not much I can do except drop to 8 GB if I really need the extra cash.
 
G

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This one is a decent price, although it lacks the extra key pad on the left that the K90 has. It is nearly $100 less and is switchable between red and blue back light:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1KT0ND8723

Also, this LG blu-ray burner has just been marked down 25% to $59. I'm actually thinking about this myself now that BD-R media prices have dropped to the point that it is cheaper to burn BD-Rs than it is to buy an external HDD and about the same price per disc as a dual layer DVD+R. This particular drive can also burn BDXL discs which are 100 to 128 GB discs; a feature many burners much more expensive lack. BDXL might come in handy in the future when the price of blanks fall. Right now on Amazon, ONE DISC costs $45!! Like I said, maybe one day...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=27-136-250&ParentOnly=1&IsVirtualParent=1
 

Nightspectre

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Okay. I'm going to make the following adjustments:

-Switching to the i5.
-Switching the motherboard to this (I didn't like the form factor of the ASRock one): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LTB3KS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
-Switching to a cheaper keyboard (maybe the one mentioned above, not sure yet) and optical drive mentioned above.
-Sticking with GTX 670, but getting the 2GB EVGA FTW Sig 2 edition with the intent to do SLI later.
-Sticking with my current PSU; research turned up some good reviews and comments that the AX850 is close in design to SeaSonic PSUs. Plus I'd like the option to expand my hardware without pushing the PSU to max load.
-Sticking with an ATX full tower case for ease of part installation and for future expansion (plus better airflow).

Does that all sound compatible, all things considered? If there are no issues present, I will be making my orders tomorrow!
 
G

Guest

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Yes, sounds good. You are going to have a similar experience as you would with a 3770k and K90 keyboard only you will have extra cash to spend on games or other parts (such as the more expensive motherboard you picked). You still aren't going to get the Blu Ray burner? There is an LG BDR for $60 right now on newegg and amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Internal-Rewriter-WH14NS40/dp/B007YWMCA8/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367341590&sr=1-2&keywords=lg+blu+ray+burner

For $3 more, it does everything the Lite On does plus burn 25GB, 50GB DL, 100GB BDXL & 120GB BDXL blu ray discs. The Lite on can't even read BDXL discs.
 

Nightspectre

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I'm going with that LG optical drive; I just forgot to mention that.

Also, will I need any extra SATA data cables for the OD/HDD/SSD? I believe the mobo comes with some, but in case it doesn't come with 3 SATA cables, should I pick up another one to be safe?
 
G

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I recently bought 5 SATA cables off of ebay for like $3 shipped. Despite what the motherboard company might tell you, there is no high speed SATA cable. They are all the same. My Asus board came with black and white cables. The white ones are supposed to be SATA 6.0 GB/s and the black 3.0 GB/s. I used the cheap one from ebay on both slots and they are all the same. You could always order these (flat):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Pack-7-Pin-SATA-to-SATA-Serial-ATA-Data-Cable-for-HDD-/300471261718?pt=US_Drive_Cables_dapters&hash=item45f57b9a16

or these (L-shaped):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Pack-Lot-18-SATA-Right-Angle-to-Straight-DATA-HDD-Hard-Drive-Cable-C-619-5PK-/380624340049?pt=US_Drive_Cables_dapters&hash=item589efa8451

But, most boards come with at least 3 or 4. Personally, I like the flat ones since they fit into the larger drive bays easier and are better when stacking HDDs close together on top of each other. The L-shaped ones are supposed to save room, but I think they do the opposite.
 

Nightspectre

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Well, the parts are ordered! Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this build; the TH community has been incredibly helpful in every thread I've made here thus far.

Now it's off to hoping everything ships well and nothing goes wrong with the building process!
 

Nightspectre

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Apr 1, 2013
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The parts came in, the build's been assembled, and everything works! Words cannot express how happy I am with the results; all of my games feel so different now that they're running at maximum settings and 1920x1080 resolution (and at a smooth framerate, too!). Not to mention that the build process was a lot less nervewracking and a lot more fun than I anticipated; so much more satisfying than prebuilt!

Thanks again to everyone who helped me across multiple threads in this forum; I wouldn't have been able to do this without your help and advice.