Compatible components?

[Drake Orunitia]

Hello,

I am completely new to the world of custom built pc and I am trying my luck. I did some research prior to putting together a list of components, but I have no idea if the parts are compatible.

I am looking to building a multitasking/gaming pc. I'm not a huge pc gamer but I like my pc to keep up in sync with cutscenes sound & video aspect, as well as frame rate & graphics. I want to be able to play blu ray movies as well.

Desktop case: Thermaltake armor revo full tower

Processor: Intel core i5-3570k

Power supply: Corsair 750w

Video card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V pro LGA 1155

Hard drive: WD Caviar green 3TB 3.5" internal

Ram: Corsair dominator GT 8GB DDR3 1866mhz

The desktop memory component I am the least sure of. I will add either an LG or Asus disc drive and blu ray reader. I want to add a solid state drive but I am unsure what I should be looking for in an SSD...nor do I know how good or bad this custom built pc would perform.

Would all these components even fit in the desktop case?

 

[Sakkura]

Would all these components even fit in the desktop case?

Yeah. Easily.

The whole build looks compatible. There are some issues, but none are critical.

Firstly, I'd recommend a third-party CPU cooler. The Intel cooler isn't much good for overclocking, and the Core i5-3570k is specifically meant for overclocking.

The hard drive is a "green" drive which ostensibly uses less power... but it usually does so by sacrificing performance. With your budget, you might consider an SSD combined with a regular hard drive. A Samsung 840 is a good balance between price, performance and reliability right now. Get at least 120/128 GB so you won't have to juggle stuff around all the time. 256 GB is nice, but pricey.

That RAM looks pretty expensive. You could probably get something cheaper and practically as good.

You might want to consider upgrading the graphics card. Not that the GTX 660 is poor, but your budget seems to have ample room for a better card. The graphics card is the most important factor when it comes to gaming framerates.

You could get a cheaper motherboard. Asrock Z77 Extreme4 comes to mind, though there are several other good options.

 

[Bejusek]

Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo for CPU cooling.

Seagate barracuda ST3000DM001 instead of WD for more performace and lower price.

Suggested Samsung 840 is a very good choice. I was about to recommend it myself.

RAM is too expensive. Buy Corsair Vengeance 8GB or G.Skill Ares Series 8GB. Same performance, $30 stays in your pocket.

Mainboard is ok, although Asrock mentioned above is also very good and cheaper.

PSU is an overkill. Your system would need about 400-450W. Go with SeaSonic S12II 520W or PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500W.

Saved money you can invest in better graphics card, but for occasional gaming GTX 660 is more than enough.

E:
By the way, this Thermaltake case is huge. I know that case is a matter of ones taste, but I would consider something smaller. Have a look at Fractal Design r4.

 

[garrettk4]

The armor revo has some bad reviews about the stock fans if you want to save some money get the Thermaltake Mk-1 chaser, or the Corsair 600t

The thermaltake mk-1 chaser is the exact same case but the revo is updated and worse imo.

 

[Drake Orunitia]

Very interesting, I will definitively look up all the components listed above.
Even though I wouldn't know the difference between the parts I posted and the ones you guys recommended.
Also since I could get a better video card, what could be my options?
I will play a lot of blu ray movies on my pc, not sure if a video card effects all that.
So far thank you everyone for the help.

 

[Drake Orunitia]

RAM is too expensive. Buy Corsair Vengeance 8GB or G.Skill Ares Series 8GB. Same performance, $30 stays in your pocket.

I searched on newegg.ca but there is a lot of results for the corsair vengeance 8GB. Also I don't understand the cas latency and the "9-9-9-24" numbers.

 

[Potdog]

Hey don't mean to hi-jack but after OP finds out if his are compatible could you tell me if all these parts are http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/cart/view.html/ref=gno_cart



thanks guys i just don't want to screw up my first build.

 

[Potdog]

Sorry i ment http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/3L467UJUOAWH4

 

[Bejusek]

@Drake Orunitia
Fill this up http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/261222-13-build-advice and we will suggest you some nice builds.

@Potdog
Please start your own topic.

 

[Sakkura]

I searched on newegg.ca but there is a lot of results for the corsair vengeance 8GB. Also I don't understand the cas latency and the "9-9-9-24" numbers.

CAS latency and those ~9-9-9-24 numbers kinda describe how quickly the RAM can react, whereas the 1600/1866 etc. describes how fast it runs, including how much data it can ideally throw at the CPU per second. Both matter, but with current hardware the 1600/1866 thing is generally more important.

As for actual kits to recommend, I took a look at newegg.ca and came up with these:

Mushkin enhanced silverline 2x4 GB DDR3-1600
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226217
This is quality memory at standard speed.

Patriot viper 2x4 GB DDR3-1866
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220737
Faster RAM if you want that extra little bit of performance. It's not going to make a big difference, but then again it's $7.

Very interesting, I will definitively look up all the components listed above.
Even though I wouldn't know the difference between the parts I posted and the ones you guys recommended.
Also since I could get a better video card, what could be my options?
I will play a lot of blu ray movies on my pc, not sure if a video card effects all that.
So far thank you everyone for the help.

Better graphics card could be a Radeon HD 7950, a Geforce GTX 670, or Radeon HD 7970. I'm not sure it's really necessary for you, it depends on your screen resolution and what games you expect to play (and what settings). The GTX 660 is already a pretty powerful graphics card.

 

[Drake Orunitia]

Better graphics card could be a Radeon HD 7950, a Geforce GTX 670, or Radeon HD 7970. I'm not sure it's really necessary for you, it depends on your screen resolution and what games you expect to play (and what settings). The GTX 660 is already a pretty powerful graphics card.

My screen resolution would be 1920 x 1080
RTS games are what I usually play and I would prefer playing them in the highest setting. Maybe Guild Wars 2 eventually.

By the way, thank you for explaining CAS latency and the numbers.

Maybe I should fill out the "how to build a pc" post, eh.

 

[Sakkura]

I think a GTX 660, or the approximately equivalent Radeon HD 7870, would be fine for you then.

 

[Drake Orunitia]

Best answer selected by Drake Orunitia.