First Build. 2k Gaming Ivy Bridge

[viper0hr]

I will be placing my order for my first computer build from scratch when the Ivy Bridge CPU gets released hopefully in the next few days.
Most used for gaming also for programming and development with unreal and kinect.
Being my first build, and also a 2k+ build, I am trying to get as much help as possible to be sure everything will work together, well, and possible be great for overclocking after I have gotten the hang of the new build haha.
I will be buying everything from Newegg atm, and already have a HAF coolmaster Full Tower Case. I will be using just fan and heatsink cooling and my fan has like 3 or 4 pre installed huge fans.
Currently at $1800 without CPU and any price cuts items swaps or any thoughts, ideas, concerns, or criticism is fully welcome! (Also and preferred benchmarking and testing tools would be gladly accepted as well)
Motherboard
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821
RAM
AVEXIR Standard DDR3-1600 32GB (8GB X4) CL10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ST08P6242
GPU
XFX Double D FX-797A-TDBC Radeon HD 7970 Black Edition 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150586
PSU
KINGWIN Lazer LZ-1000 1000W Modular 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC W/ 3-Way LED Switch and Universal Modular Connector Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121068
OS and Main use HDD
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236
Misc HDD
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
Disk Drive
LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support WH12LS39 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136241

CPU
Ivy Bridge i7
cpu cooler ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118003
OS
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Misc
Rosewill RCR-IC001 40-in-1 USB 2.0 3.5" Internal Card Reader w/ USB Port / Extra Silver Face Plate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223103

AeroCool Touch 2000 Controller, Panel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999198

Tt eSPORTS CHALLENGER Pro Gaming Keyboard Fan Cooler Black KB-CHP001US
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823162012

Cyborg CCB437080002/04/1 Black USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102062

 

[hellfire24]

you made some good choices but needs some improvements-
1-32gb is an insane overkill for gaming.8gb is more than enough!for $46,crucial ballistix sports 8gb 1600mhz 1.5v dual channel kit-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
2-gtx 680 beats 7970 handsdown.they are currently out of stock but i hope them to get restocked soon.go with MSi twinfrozer iii version,it's quieter,cooler and overclocks better.
3-that psu is definitely not the best choice and 1kw is overkill.all you need is a quality 850w for 680 SLi and overlclocks.some thing like this-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028
4-hyper 212 EVo for $30 is a better choice-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
5-touch fan controllers are usually crap.better go with something decent.this is my suggestion-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998077
6-spending $140+ on keyboard and mouse is complete waste.go with sidewinder x4 and g500-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

 

[viper0hr]

you made some good choices but needs some improvements-
1-32gb is an insane overkill for gaming.8gb is more than enough!for $46,crucial ballistix sports 8gb 1600mhz 1.5v dual channel kit-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
2-gtx 680 beats 7970 handsdown.they are currently out of stock but i hope them to get restocked soon.go with MSi twinfrozer iii version,it's quieter,cooler and overclocks better.
3-that psu is definitely not the best choice and 1kw is overkill.all you need is a quality 850w for 680 SLi and overlclocks.some thing like this-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028
4-hyper 212 EVo for $30 is a better choice-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
5-touch fan controllers are usually crap.better go with something decent.this is my suggestion-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811998077
6-spending $140+ on keyboard and mouse is complete waste.go with sidewinder x4 and g500-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

Thanks for the feedback hellfire. i've seen you quite a bit since joining. Just some thoughts on your post and some reasons for my choices.
I will be using mainly for gaming but will also be using for programming and development with unreal and some kinect use. I like the idea of having more ram than needed but will take the overkill into mind. I may just go with 2x8g 1600 or 1866 sticks for start and see how that works for a while.
The GTX 680s are hard as hell to find and from what I've seen they are not going to be available for a while unless your willing to pay big(and 2 is way out of my budget). I've been reading alot on the GPUS out atm and am seeing a lot of both sides with the GPUS and availability and price puts me at this gpu atm plus free bf3 which i would have to buy anyways.
with my psu i used alot of calcs for what i would need now vs what i would need down the road when I add on and fill my case, and they all say 800-1000 for suggested.
Fan thing was just added today and isnt final more of a perk to have for further cooling
i like the mouse and that stays keyboard is not solid choice atm.
Thanks for the feedback though, and fast too.

 

[hellfire24]

Thanks for the feedback hellfire. i've seen you quite a bit since joining. Just some thoughts on your post and some reasons for my choices.
I will be using mainly for gaming but will also be using for programming and development with unreal and some kinect use. I like the idea of having more ram than needed but will take the overkill into mind. I may just go with 2x8g 1600 or 1866 sticks for start and see how that works for a while.
The GTX 680s are hard as hell to find and from what I've seen they are not going to be available for a while unless your willing to pay big(and 2 is way out of my budget). I've been reading alot on the GPUS out atm and am seeing a lot of both sides with the GPUS and availability and price puts me at this gpu atm plus free bf3 which i would have to buy anyways.
with my psu i used alot of calcs for what i would need now vs what i would need down the road when I add on and fill my case, and they all say 800-1000 for suggested.
Fan thing was just added today and isnt final more of a perk to have for further cooling
i like the mouse and that stays keyboard is not solid choice atm.
Thanks for the feedback though, and fast too.

for programming and other multi threaded stuff,your i7 IB and 16gb 1600mhz will do fine.i would suggest this low profile kit-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
nvidia has stopped the production of gtx 580 and other 5xx cards.they are working on 6xx cards.they will get restocked soon enough(i guess 3~4 weeks).i prefer 680 because it's an overall better card then 7970.but if you can't wait then good luck with 7970.
most of the power calculators are inaccurate IMO.22nm cpu and 28nm gpus are very efficient.let's have a look at the power requirements of a highly overclocked 7970-
http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-radeon-hd-7970-lightning-review/10
note-they run tests on a 1366 system and IB is definitely more efficient then 1366 cpus.so,a quality 850w is more than enough for a 7970 CF+overclocks setup.
there are many things that we like but they are not 'worth' the high price tag,same rule applies for 'gaming key board and mouse',they don't add extra performance,so it's not a wise decision to spend so much on them.
i hope you got my point.

 

[viper0hr]

for programming and other multi threaded stuff,your i7 IB and 16gb 1600mhz will do fine.i would suggest this low profile kit-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
nvidia has stopped the production of gtx 580 and other 5xx cards.they are working on 6xx cards.they will get restocked soon enough(i guess 3~4 weeks).i prefer 680 because it's an overall better card then 7970.but if you can't wait then good luck with 7970.
most of the power calculators are inaccurate IMO.22nm cpu and 28nm gpus are very efficient.let's have a look at the power requirements of a highly overclocked 7970-
http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-radeon-hd-7970-lightning-review/10
note-they run tests on a 1366 system and IB is definitely more efficient then 1366 cpus.so,a quality 850w is more than enough for a 7970 CF+overclocks setup.
there are many things that we like but they are not 'worth' the high price tag,same rule applies for 'gaming key board and mouse',they don't add extra performance,so it's not a wise decision to spend so much on them.
i hope you got my point.

I like the ram listed and it has lifetime warranty and beer latency.
Thanks for the psu info because I'm not gona lie I was having a really hard time choosing one and how much i needed.
I like the mouse and will be keeping it but I do understand where your coming from and trust me there were things i looked at during my build that i didn't get because didn't need for crazy prices lol.

Now main problem, If it really makes a difference and I can get one before May 14th I may do the GTX 680 but I'm stuck atm with availability and price. From all my research both gpus look great though none of the gtxs have less than 5 and some hd9790s do... what would be best for not Xfire or sli for a while but still great for use?

 

[hellfire24]

keep the mouse if you want.wait till 14th may,if 680 is available then grab one otherwise 7970!i prefer nvidia(not being a fanboy)not amd because of their buggy drivers.
nvidia SLi is slightly better-
http://www.overclock.net/t/1239058/gtx-680-sli-vs-7970-crossfire-overclocked-tweaktown-comparison

 

[viper0hr]

Yeah the main problem I have been seeing with the 7970s looking through reviews is some DOA issues and overall bad drivers lol. I do appreciate the input though hellfire.

 

[hellfire24]

it is always good do some research(as you did ).

 

[viper0hr]

Yeah lol...Funny fact btw that link you put on last had replies saying that the main reason people are not getting the 680 is availability and jacked up prices due to lack or said availability hahaha. I think I'm gona look into 680 models and just order everything but gpu when ivy comers out and get the gpu when I can...

 

[hellfire24]

smart decision LOL

 

[viper0hr]

Also, last thing I swear lol...Just was looking and had noticed this before, do any of the 680s have 3g ram and 1600+ stream and/or does it really matter lol. with 500 cards ill have to get one now and another in like 6 months unless it would be a dramatic increase in use to xfire or sli...Also hellfire you deserve like general status or something...

 

[hellfire24]

Also, last thing I swear lol...Just was looking and had noticed this before, do any of the 680s have 3g ram and 1600+ stream and/or does it really matter lol. with 500 cards ill have to get one now and another in like 6 months unless it would be a dramatic increase in use to xfire or sli...

no,3gb is a big overkill unless you are running eyfinity or multi monitor setup.2gb is enough to max out all settings and AA stuff.

Also hellfire you deserve like general status or something...

what and why?

 

[viper0hr]

I am hoping to use 2+ monitors I have a 32 in tv to use and a 26 mounted on my wall for a side monitor...so i may need extra lol.
and because your a veteran you should be a general lol. a joke.

 

[hellfire24]

heavy weight dual gpus like 6990 have 2gb of usable VRAM and they perform well on eyefinity setup.and no matter how big your tv is,it's 1080p

 

[viper0hr]

Awesome then lol. I have been stuck using a Toshiba laptop for the past 4 years and some use of a descent dell desktop...lol descent dell...oxymoron. So I'm new as can be to building lol.

 

[hellfire24]

you will see huge performance boost!

 

[licktheenvelope]

Very similar to my build. I'm just waiting on an IB i7 3770k to finish:

Case:
NZXT Phantom 410
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146087

PSU:
Corsair 800GS, 800W Gaming (NOT MODULAR! :\ )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139025&Tpk=Corsair%20800w

Motherboard:
Asus P8Z77-V Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

Heatsink:
Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Optical Drive:
LG Black 12X BD-R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136241

Solid State:
Intel 520, 120 GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167093

Mech Drive:
Western Digital Caviar Blue - 1 TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136767

GPU:
Galaxy Geforce GTX 680 - 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162095

Memory:
Corsair Vengeance- LP 16 GB (4x4)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233198

Also:

- Windows 7 Home Prem. 64bit
- +2 Bitfenix Spectre Pro 140mm Blue LED Fans

 

[JackNaylorPE]

MoBo / PSU - Great start .... i7-3770k w/ HT I presume given your stated uses.

Case / PSU - PSU oversized and for the price, I'd want more than a 9.5 performance rating. Not sure what HAF ya have but if t doesn't have front USB ports, I'd upgrade.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=271

I'd opt for a HX850, more than enuff power and 10.0 performance

SSD / HD - Mushkin makes a rockin SSD with premium Toshiba flash for extremely long life and outstanding performance but it's not in the SSD you listed. You'll wanna step up to the Deluxe for $20 more. This Seagate model has twice the cache (64 MB), 1TB platter and is $10 cheaper

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
$10 off w/ promo code EMCNFJA22, ends 4/25


RAM - I'd opt for 2 x 8GB low profile and see if ya need to buy 2 more
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226314

Optical - $75 after $20 MIR an a better drive IMO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252

Controller / Card Reader - Suggest this controller / card reader combo as an alternate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820314001

CPU cooler - The Zalman cooler really stands out as the one thing that "doesn't belong" in a $2k build:

@ $80-ish the Phanteks PH-TC14PE or Thermalright Silver Arrow top the charts
http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/phanteks_ph_tc14pe_cpu_cooler_review,14.html
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709002
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=674&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=4

Shin Etsu for the TIM .... all of AS5's performance w/o the curing hassles
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080

GFX - Ain't no touching the 680 .... even w/ the 7970's reduced price it can't compete on a cost per frame basis.

In Guru3D's game test suite the 680 score 989 fps w/ a cost per frame of $0.51
In Guru3D's game test suite the 7970 score 872 fps w/ a cost per frame of $0.55

For $20, ya get a 117 fps increase....a 13% increase. Saw some available for store pickup at best buy last week (no mail order) so check your local stores

 

[J_E_D_70]

Anyone ever heard of that RAM the OP listed? No reviews at Newegg and none from the usual suspect tech sites.

 

[seanmcd91]

Never heard of the ram, looks like a bit of over kill. Just get 2x4gb corsair vengeance. Also, you can lower your build by getting a smaller psu like a 750w(don't need a 1000), asrock z77 extreme 4(saber tooth seems like overkill), and a 500gb misc hdd.. That would be about $360 left in your pocket.. Thats just my thought, but if you want to max your budget go for it. I'm kind of new and learn from these topics too..

 

[viper0hr]

Never heard of the ram, looks like a bit of over kill. Just get 2x4gb corsair vengeance. Also, you can lower your build by getting a smaller psu like a 750w(don't need a 1000), asrock z77 extreme 4(saber tooth seems like overkill), and a 500gb misc hdd.. That would be about $360 left in your pocket.. Thats just my thought, but if you want to max your budget go for it. I'm kind of new and learn from these topics too..

I looked all over for info on the ram I listed and couldn't find anything haha.
We established that the 1000w is overkill and that psu calculators suck. another hahahaha
The hdds good for me and is a good deal imo, as is the sabertooth imo. I like the cooling effects of the board, and all its features and perks go perfect with my case. Plus, 5 year warranty.

 

[viper0hr]

Best answer selected by viper0hr.

 

[Asus RoG Dylan]

They curently have 2 versions of the gtx 680 memory wise, they have the 2gb and the 4gb. I believe the 4gb is about $600.
additional VRAM is good for gaming in a multi monitor setup because at high resolutions with 3+1 monitors (yes the 680 supports 4 out of the box) It will easily eat through 2gb of memory, maybe past 3. So think about what your useing it for so you dont waste your money