Advice needed on $1000 build

[PRXVII]

Hey guys, I'm planning to build a PC soon and I need some advice. I watch movies, occasionally use Solidworks, and I'm a casual gamer. I do like my games to look nice, but I don't need super HD crystal clear graphics. I've made a rough wishlist on Newegg: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25309927
It might be a bit overkill but I'm not entirely sure. I set my budget at $1000, I've gone a bit over which is fine but I would prefer to lower the total cost without sacrificing too much quality if possible.
I was really unsure when picking the MB and Video Card. There were many similar choices. For example a few of the cards I was looking at:

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
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2653-KR GeForce GTX 650 2GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130831
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826
EVGA 02G-P4-3660-KR GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130809
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-3662-KR GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130810
ASUS GTX660-DC2O-2GD5 GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121660


Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime in October
Budget Range: ~$1000
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Movies, Games, Solidworks
Parts Not Required: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com
Country: US
Parts Preferences: Intel
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1366x768

 

[excella1221]

I'm guessing you prefer Nvidia cards then, but are you open to AMD?
Also, with that monitor resolution, any of the cards I could/would suggest for your budget would probably be overkill. Are you sure you don't want a new one?

 

[manofchalk]

Drop the H80 and get a Hyper 212 EVO. Not much point for water cooling until you get to the H100 or a custom loop.
Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO. $35 ($5 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Get a Z77 motherboard, is more suited for your Ivy Bridge CPU (which is a good pick).

Lower profile RAM will be needed.
Corsair Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) 1600Mhz CL9 1.5v. $42
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

750W is a bit overkill, 650W would be sufficient. Keep it if Crossfire/SLI is a consideration though.

Different SSD, cheaper and faster.
OCZ Vertex 4 128GB. $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

Of all the cards you show, I would go for the 660Ti. But not EVGA, reference design cooling.
Would get this MSI model instead.
MSI GTX660Ti. $310 ($10 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127696

Though IMO, at the $300 price point the HD7950 is a better card.
Sapphire Vapor-X HD7950. $330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202003

Though to really take advantage of these cards you need a better monitor. That one has quite a low resolution, I suspect even a low end card like a HD7770 or 550ti could max out games at that resolution.

This is the monitor I suggest you go with if you upgrade it.
ASUS VS248H-P Black 24". $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236153

 

[Why_Me]

I know you said "no" to SLI but the price difference is maybe $20. This build gives you that option just in case you feel the need to add another one of those cards later on in SLI.


http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Three-Hundred-Two-Gaming/dp/B006TVQTHW/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348911460&sr=1-5 $59.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Antec Three Hundred Two Gaming Case, Black

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-ATX12V-CrossFire-Certified-CP-9020015-NA/dp/B008RJZQSW/ref=sr_1_16?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348893800&sr=1-16 $75.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair CX Series CX750 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply CP-9020015-NA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1066148 $336.98 save: $13.00
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
ASRock Z77 Extreme3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-120mm-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348898432&sr=1-3&keywords=CPU%2Bcooler $27.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544 $38.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAO

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SH-222BB-BEBE-Internal-Software/dp/B006B7R9PU/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348898517&sr=1-2 $20.33 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE 22X SATA DVDRW Internal Drive (Black), Bulk without Software

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_9?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348901218&sr=1-9 $81.02 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171646 $79.99 FREE SHIPPING
SanDisk SDSSDP-128G-G25 2.5" 128GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-PCI-Express-Displayport-Graphics-GV-N660OC-2GD/dp/B00942TK8I/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1348900476&sr=1-2&keywords=gigabyte+gtx+660 $229.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-Express 3.0 DVI-I/DVI-D/HDMI/Displayport SLI Ready Graphics Card GV-N660OC-2GD
Core Clock 1032MHz
Boost Clock 1344

Total: $953.27 *not including shipping & rebates


http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Tricool-Speed-120mm-Case/dp/B00314W992/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348911692&sr=1-3&keywords=Case%2BFan <----- additional case fans for that Antec case up above.


http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-WINDFORCE-PCI-Express-Graphics-GV-N66TOC-2GD/dp/B008UG2W20/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1348900276&sr=1-1&keywords=gigabyte+gtx+660+ti $299.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 660 Ti WINDFORCE 2X OC Edition 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express 3.0 2x DVI / HDMI / DP SLI Ready Graphics Card Graphics Cards GV-N66TOC-2GD
Core Clock 1032MHz
Boost Clock 1344

 

[PRXVII]

I'm guessing you prefer Nvidia cards then, but are you open to AMD?
Also, with that monitor resolution, any of the cards I could/would suggest for your budget would probably be overkill. Are you sure you don't want a new one?

I went with AMD on my last build so I wanted to try something different. But I am open to AMD if there's better performance for the price.
True, I could up my budget to ~$1200 to account for a monitor then.

Get a Z77 motherboard, is more suited for your Ivy Bridge CPU (which is a good pick).

Any one in particular? I was looking around and found these:

MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130643

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128544

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP4 TH LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128558

But don't limit yourself with these, if there's something better please let me know.

I know you said "no" to SLI but the price difference is maybe $20. This build gives you that option just in case you feel the need to add another one of those cards later on in SLI.

I'm not completely opposed to SLI or Crossfire I just thought that it might be too expensive and overkill.

Edit: I've revised my wishlist - http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25312547

 

[manofchalk]

The AsRock Z77 Extreme4 is a great budget board that has most of the features of much more expensive units. I have one personally and dont regret it.

SLI/Crossfire is fairly pointless unless you are using a 120hz monitor or a multi-monitor setup. I think he was referencing that the price difference between a PSU that can and cant support it is $20.

 

[g-unit1111]

There's no point in purchasing a 570, you don't get what you pay for with the 650, and the 660Ti isn't worth the money compared to the Radeon 7950. For mid-range cards NVIDIA is no longer a value leader in this area - if you want a good one, be prepared to fork over some major cash.

For that kind of budget I'd suggest this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ 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 ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $975.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[excella1221]

+1 on the ASRock z77 Extreme4.
+1 on manofchalk's monitor. If you want another alternative, here
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236102
You get a $15 rebate too.

The PSU on your wishlist is a bit expensive, consider the one g-unit suggested.
Everything else checks out. You could probably find better casings at that price, but it's good. Cases are usually a matter of preference.

 

[PRXVII]

Alright, I finished the revised list: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25312547

I'm still open to suggestions.
It's a little over my budget but it's okay. And it bugs me that the Video Card and MB don't match.

The 400r case only comes with 3 fans and has the space for 5 more. So I plan on buying some. These fans that Why_Me posted look alright, are they legit though? They seem too cheap.
And are there any better fans for around the same price?

 

[g-unit1111]

Alright, I finished the revised list: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=25312547

I'm still open to suggestions.
It's a little over my budget but it's okay. And it bugs me that the Video Card and MB don't match.

The 400r case only comes with 3 fans and has the space for 5 more. So I plan on buying some. These fans that Why_Me posted look alright, are they legit though? They seem too cheap.
And are there any better fans for around the same price?

Don't spend money on fans until you get your system up and running. You can only get as many fans as your case has mounts for and the size and position of them do matter - and these things you won't know until your system is completed.

That all looks pretty good but I wouldn't get an SSD unless you have some sort of secondary storage to go with it. 128G won't get you very far these days.

 

[PRXVII]

Don't spend money on fans until you get your system up and running. You can only get as many fans as your case has mounts for and the size and position of them do matter - and these things you won't know until your system is completed.

That all looks pretty good but I wouldn't get an SSD unless you have some sort of secondary storage to go with it. 128G won't get you very far these days.

You think the the 3 fans it comes with is enough though? (2 front intakes, 1 rear exhaust)
And I do have other HDDs for storage.

 

[excella1221]

It's a little over my budget but it's okay. And it bugs me that the Video Card and MB don't match.

I don't get this.

3 fans should be enough for good airflow.

 

[PRXVII]

I don't get this.

3 fans should be enough for good airflow.

I was referring to the colors, they don't match. I would prefer a uniform color scheme.

 

[manofchalk]

Inside a case, you dont notice the color difference between the graphics card PCB and the Mobo. I have the Extreme4 and a Sapphire 7870 with red LED lighting inside, looks black to me.

If you had white or blue LED lighting you may notice though.

 

[Chiuy]

This is my build I just bought like 6 hours ago.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j27E

Cost: $1140 after tax/shipping/etc.
You could probably get a better motherboard if you plan on crossfire.
- Remove keyboard
- Can change casing if you don't like it
Pretty sure this comp can run almost anything at max setting.

 

[g-unit1111]

You think the the 3 fans it comes with is enough though? (2 front intakes, 1 rear exhaust)
And I do have other HDDs for storage.

Should be plenty to start with, if you want to start overclocking - that's when you get the better fans.

This is my build I just bought like 6 hours ago.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j27E

Two things about that build - Ultra PSUs are incredibly awful, among the worst I've ever used. And I think Intel SSDs are overrated - pretty much most Sandforce-based drives are. Otherwise that's not a bad build.

 

[james_44]

I thought the point was to get the most performance from an SSD, so why not get the highest performance available?

 

[manofchalk]

I thought the point was to get the most performance from an SSD, so why not get the highest performance available?

Because of something called price to performance, which the Intel SSD's are not very good at.

And the Intel 330 isnt even their fastest SSD, nor does it really compete against the competition.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5817/the-intel-ssd-330-review-60gb-120gb-180gb/5

You can get a 128GB Vertex 4 for $5 more on Newegg, and it will blow the 330 out of the water.

 

[PRXVII]

Best answer selected by PRXVII.