$550 build check.

[quilciri]

Building this machine for a friend. Looking for any tweaks or better deals you guys can come up with. Thanks!

Approximate Purchase Date: within a month.

Budget Range: $550 hard cap including shipping & tax; before rebates. Don't want to depend on rebates to come in under budget.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, watching movies, surfing the internet.

Parts Not Required: monitor, speakers, mouse, HDD.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: any reputable.

Country: U.S.

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Design needs to last as long as possible (4-5 years). She won't be opening the case at all so no internal upgrades later. Case needs to be pretty (e.g. rosewill challenger, while functionally awesome, probably won't pass the beauty check). Prefer blue LED's if the case has any.

Here's the current build:

~$60
Case: (sent her this list, waiting to find out which she thinks looks best)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108194
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811322036
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235027
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0386580
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5250568&CatId=1520
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7097608&CatId=1509

Edit:
She likes the Z9 best
$71
Case
ZALMAN Z9 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235027&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=4176827&SID=5yg6jbrhft6j

$50
PSU
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

$130
CPU + mobo
965 black + Asrock 970DE3 bundle
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/0c732362#/0c732362/28
individual links
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388180
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0325874

$15
Cooler
Rosewill RCX-ZAIO-92 92mm Sleeve Bearing Fan CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200056

$40
RAM
Crucial Ballistix 8 gb(2x4) 1333
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0382099

$16
Optical
LG 22x DVDRW
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0372836

$210
Video
EVGA GTX 480
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130759

$18.60 tax on the parts from microcenter

total with shipping & tax: $549.60

Thanks again, all!

 

[GI_JONES]

Looks good, except I dont know about that cpu cooler on a PhenomII. It doesnt look beefy enough to cool well

 

[quilciri]

Thanks! I agree it's probably not fantastic cooling. I was just looking for something cooler and quieter than the stock jet engine. The overclocking will all be done without voltage increase (maybe a *slight* bump, if the system is just barely unstable at a particlur speed), since the system needs to last 4-5 years.

 

[GI_JONES]

Thanks! I agree it's probably not fantastic cooling. I was just looking for something cooler and quieter than the stock jet engine. The overclocking will all be done without voltage increase (maybe a *slight* bump, if the system is just barely unstable at a particlur speed), since the system needs to last 4-5 years.

I have the Zalman Z9 plus case that is on your list. I just got it about 2 months ago, and I have to say, I am really impressed with it. The included fans keep my system really cool, and they are very quiet. I moved the one from the door to the rear position and put the one with no led that was in the rear into the bottom spot. The quality of the case is great, with plenty of wire management space behind the motherboard. In fact I just got my rebate check for it yesterday. (managed to catch it on sale and with a rebate, and free shipping. Got it for $39.99 after rebate)
Also, for an extra $5 or so this would be a better cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103064

 

[quilciri]

I have the Zalman Z9 plus case that is on your list. I just got it about 2 months ago, and I have to say, I am really impressed with it. The included fans keep my system really cool, and they are very quiet. I moved the one from the door to the rear position and put the one with no led that was in the rear into the bottom spot. The quality of the case is great, with plenty of wire management space behind the motherboard. In fact I just got my rebate check for it yesterday. (managed to catch it on sale and with a rebate, and free shipping. Got it for $39.99 after rebate)
Also, for an extra $5 or so this would be a better cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103064

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yeah, I built a Machine using that case a while back, and I like it, too. Even did the same thing with the side fan. The non-replaceable punch-outs on the rear panel and 5.25" bays bothered me a bit, esp. since my $40 gear x3 had replaceable back plates. Doesn't matter on a box that won't be modified after the initial build, and way better looking than my box, for sure, though.

I looked at that coolermaster as well. No one really does roundup review on cheap heatsinks, so specs were all I had to go on. Direct contact heat pipes vs. normal CPU contact area seemed to be a wash, though the last time I read about that was 2 or 3 years ago. I went with the Rosewill because it's the same size fan and same CFM airflow as the coolermaster, but the rosewill has a bigger heatsink and is of course, cheaper. Is the coolermaster actually better?

 

[mazchazo]

do you have your OS?

 

[quilciri]

do you have your OS?

yes, thanks.

 

[quilciri]

Best answer selected by quilciri.