Component Compatibility Check

[Michael41000]

Ok so I just want to make sure that all of these things are compatible. I did research on it all but for some stuff I could not figure out if it was compatible or not.

Motherboard:
ASUS M5A97 AMD 9 Series AM3+ Motherboard - ATX, Socket AM3+, AMD 970 Chipset, 2133MHz DDR3 (O.C.), SATA 6.0 Gb/s, 8-CH Audio, Gigabit LAN, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, CrossFireX Ready


CPU
AMD FD8150FRGUBOX FX-8150 Processor - Eight Core, 8MB L3 Cache, 8MB L2 Cache, 3.60GHz (4.20GHz Max Turbo), Socket AM3+, 125W, Fan, Unlocked, Retail


RAM
Corsair Vengeance Blue 16GB (4x 4GB) DDR3-1600MHz Desktop Memory Kit


Video Card
XFX HD-685X-ZCFC Radeon HD 6850 Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.1 (x16), 2x DVI, 2x Mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, Eyefinity, CrossFireX Ready


Hard Drive
Seagate ST1000DM003 Barracuda 1TB Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gb/s


Optical Drive
Lite-On IHAS124-04 Internal DVD Writer - DVD+R 24X, DVD-R 24X, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6X, DVD+R DL 8X, SATA (OEM)


Case
Cooler Master HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Mid-Tower Computer Case - ATX, mATX


Power Supply
Ultra LSP650 650-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, SLI-Ready, 135mm Fan, Lifetime Warranty w/ Registration


Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64BIT Operating System Software - OEM DVD, English


Keyboard
Kensington Keyboard For Life Spillproof Keyboard (Black)


Monitor
ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ Speakers 300 cd/m2 20000 :1 (ASCR)


1. My main concern is about the power supply. I tried using a power supply calculator and I really could not figure it out. So I really don't know if its the right amount of wattage. I am pretty sure it has the right cables needed but still not sure. Also I heard something about 12V rails on the power supply. I have no clue what that means and if it is important.

2. My second concern is the video card and the case. The video card is 9.25 inches long while I think the case can only hold a 12 inch card at max. Also I know that the hard drive bay can be removed to get more space for the video card. I do not want to do this because I want my hard drive to be placed in the case securely. So if someone could inform me if the length of the video card would be a problem with putting other hardware in it, the video card would not fit at all, or if the hard drive could be placed somewhere else securely if the hard drive bay were removed.

3. My third concern is the optical drive. I know what OEM means for the operating system but what does it mean for optical drives? Is it worse than a regular optical drive?

4. All of these items can be found Tigerdirect except the monitor which can be found at Newegg.

5. And lastly I would just like to know if all these components would be compatible with each other.

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: My intended use is gaming.

EDIT: I was also wondering if I should get a aftermarket fan or if my CPU's original fan would be good enough. The reason I would get an aftermarket fan is that the CPU's original fan is too loud or doesn't cool the processor adequately. I know you can't have both a silent fan and a good cooling fan so somewhere in between there would be a good thing if its recommended I get an aftermarket fan.

EDIT: My budget is like $1200-$1300 but the cheaper, while still getting quality components, the better.

 

[azeem40]

What is your intended use?

 

[Michael41000]

My intended use is gaming

 

[azeem40]

What is your budget?

 

[Michael41000]

My budget is like $1200-$1300, but the cheaper, while still getting quality components, the better.

 

[azeem40]

If you want quality, ditch the AMD build. The i5-2500k is much better for gaming.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120-10.html

 

[Michael41000]

If I were to ditch the AMD build and got the i5-2500k @ 4ghz, how much would that cost around? Also how many other components would I have to change about my build? Where do I find the i5-2500k @ 4ghz to buy?

 

[azeem40]

The i5-2500k costs the same as the 8150, but if you're near a microcenter (check www.microcenter.com ), you get it at $180+tax and $50 off a Z68/Z77 Motherboard (which means you'd only need to change one more thing: the board).

 

[Michael41000]

I am not near a microcenter at all. Also would i have to overclock the processor to get 4 ghz?

 

[azeem40]

But of course.

 

[Michael41000]

Ok well I do not know how to overclock a processor. Also the list of processors you gave me on the link, it does not compare the AMD FX-8150, so how do you know the intel one is better?

 

[azeem40]

SB has better core to core performance.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/AMD-FX-8150-vs-Core-i5-2500K-and-Core-i7-2600K-CPU-Review/1402/18

 

[Michael41000]

What do you mean by "core to core performance". I have never heard this term.

 

[azeem40]

Its cores are optimized a lot better than AMD. Check out the review I linked.

 

[Michael41000]

Ok thanks. So all i have to do is change the the mother to Z68/Z77 motherboard, or do I still need to check if the other components are compatible?

 

[azeem40]

No. Nothing else is related to compatibility except for the CPU and MOBO.