Compatibility ?'s for High End Parts

[Jakester408]

I have done one successful computer build in my life. It was last year and with a $1300 budget. But i have recently ran into some $$$ that will allow me to upgrade pretty much everything. I am just a PC gamer. But I know this is the best place to ask ?'s before buying.

So far this is what I am thinking of getting:

MOTHERBOARD: Asus Maximus V Formula LGA 1155

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131854

CPU: 3rd Generation i7 3770k

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501

MEMORY: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16gb (2x8gb) 2400mhz

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233347

GPU: EVGA Geforce GTX 680 Classified 4gb

This brings me to my first set of questions, like will this RAM be compatible with these parts? I was reading the Maximus V Formula User's Manual and I didn't see it under the QVL, which worried me.

Secondly, will 3-pin fan connectors fit onto the 4-pin connectors that are on this motherboard? Or would it be wiser to just plug them into the PSU instead?

For a new CASE I would like a big, full tower with lots of room and good airflow. So with that being said, I have narrowed my choices down to these three candidates:

1.COOLER MASTER HAF X Blue Edition RC-942-KKN3

2. Corsair Obsidian Series 800D

3. NZXT Phantom 820

Please help a very indecisive buyer make the best decision. If there happens to be an even better case out there than these, I am open to your suggestions.

Now lastly, I come down to my final question(s) concerning a CPU COOLER.
I have read that the i7 3770k runs at hot temps. If i do end up overclocking i will most likely never exceed 4.3ghz. But i will be playing games for very long sessions at a time.

So this is what i was planning on buying because I read it was one of the best:

Noctua NH-D14

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

It is HUGE! I don't think i will need something that enormous considering that i will not be doing any extreme overclocking with the i7-3770k. If this COOLER is unnecessary, what would you suggest as an efficient, smaller alternative to the Noctua? ***Keeping in mind that the i7 3770k does run hot according to the reviews i have read.

I am looking forward to your always helpful advice Thank You

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

You won't need that board unless you will do 3way cfx or sli
this one will be perfectly fine for 2-way if you ever want to
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
I would only get an i5 3570k, that is all you need for great gaming.
You only need 8gb ram for a gaming rig
Don't get the 4gb 680, it will begin getting bottlenecked because its bus is only 256. bit, plus no game I have seen uses more than 1.5gb vram. I would get a 7970ghz edition.
If the 3pin fans are the same type, then that would be fine. I have heard the evo one is really good. Get the one with a 120mm fan and for copper pipes, that will keep it really cool and is a much cheaper alternative.

 

[Jakester408]

What if i got a GTX 690 that has a 512 bit bus? Would that avoid the bottlenecking issue and thus be a better investment? And if so would you still recommend that mobo? I should have stated that i want to be future proofed for at least a year and a half. So if i had to get a 690 in order to do that that's okay with me.

 

[Hazle]

if you're willing to spend on it, they're fine. unnecessary, but fine. just double check with Asus' website that the ram is compatible with the board.

however, if you wanna spend sensibly, according to your needs, then read on:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131820

bundled with free RAM. add another kit if you want 16gb. since you're not OCing a lot, not much point in grabbing a Maximus. 8gb is plenty for gaming, and going from 1600mhz to 2400mhz isn't going to benefit you much in gaming, not for that price.

if you're not doing any sort of rendering, getting an i7 will only give you a small boost in gaming. an i5-3570K will be plenty for the next few years.

grab a 7970 ghz edition performs better than the 680 once you OC

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Catalyst_12.11_Performance/

maybe grab a 660 as a dedicated physx card if you're willing?

http://physxinfo.com/wiki/Hybrid_PhysX#Driver_compatibility

the case is your choice, but me? Corsair

a CM Hyper 212 EVO will be more than enough for a decent OC.

 

[Jakester408]

Call me crazy, but i think i am just gonna have to go with the 690. I have the money to get it so there is really nothing from hindering me. I took your motherboard suggestions into consideration, but I decided maybe the Asus Sabertooth z77 board would be better because of the thermal armor. And if i understand correctly, it will not be bottlenecked, correct?

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

Call me crazy, but i think i am just gonna have to go with the 690. I have the money to get it so there is really nothing from hindering me. I took your motherboard suggestions into consideration, but I decided maybe the Asus Sabertooth z77 board would be better because of the thermal armor. And if i understand correctly, it will not be bottlenecked, correct?

The 690 isn't a bad option, it is probably the best dual card out there. But I have to adress what you said. THe 690 doesn't have 4gb ram and 512bit bus. It has 2x2gb ram and 256x2bus. All a 690 is, is two underclocked 680's sli'ed together really efficiently. So if you get a 690 you won't have 4gb ram. I think that a 7970 is the best option for now. It will play most games on 60fps anyways, and you can cfx it later.

 

[Jakester408]

Oh i see. It's just that i have heard a lot of bad stuff about AMD cards, but what you are saying makes sense, and it is a lot cheaper than the 690. I am really gonna have to sit down and think about this decision. Although, if i do end up deciding on a 690 will my PSU be sufficient with the new CPU and MOBO?

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

Your psu will work fine for any gpu, if you ever want to cfx/sli you will probably want a 750-850w psu. When did you hear bad things about those cards? If it was when it was ati, that's because ati was a cluster, and the 500 series was better than the 6000 series. This year, amd won hands down. Almost everyone on these forums is going to be telling you to get an amd card.

 

[Jakester408]

It was awhile ago. I want to say last year because that was when i was looking for parts to build the computer i am currently using. Something about bad drivers with some of their cards. So i just assumed Nvidia was superior. haha Though looking at those benchmarks hazle posted, it seems that the 7970 is almost on par with the 690 for less than half the price.

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

Now, the 7970ghz isn't on par with the 690 by any means. I don't want to get your hopes up, but the 7970 is the strongest single card on the market. From what I hear the 690 is comparable to 670's in sli, and the 7970 is a little bit stronger than that. So, in some benchmarks they do get pretty close, but it doesn't matter because you are also spending less than half the amount.

 

[Jakester408]

Yeah maybe almost on par was a bad choice of words haha but according to the benchmarks its coming in second to the 690, which is fantastic. Well i got a big decision to make. Thank you very much for your help. You wouldn't know anything about gaming headsets would you?

 

[lt_dan_zsu]

No, not really. I don't play with chat on my pc very much, and when I do I use this cheap POS mic from 1998 I think lol.

 

[Jakester408]

Okay well thank you anyways!