Input on this home build please =D

[buce15]

Long-time reader, first time poster! Self-admitted super-noob =)

I've built a bunch of custom computers in the past - nothing fancy - just very basic budget builds to run a new game on high(ish) settings, and everything always worked out just fine. This time around, I'm building to run several copies of a game (and associated bots) for monetary purposes, but I'd also like something all-around solid for when the dust settles and I'll be running one game (I'm casual, don't need anything crazy) or applications or both. Just all around "good". I came up with this build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Kevr
First off: Thoughts? Good/bad/other?
It's being shipped now, so I hope all's gravy =)
I've got a few questions, each probably deserves it's own thread in it's respective sub-forum, but I'm gonna throw them all here.

As far as fans go - I read that I want my bottom fan blowing in (on a hard surface), but won't this conflict with airflow from the GPU fan blowing down? My 2x120 fans on the side blow out, right? (Built in front fan blowing in, back fan and top fan blowing out. I know they got that part right!)

Will my PSU be sufficient?

I've never overclocked before but I want to try it this time around, to get the most out of this rig as I can while maintaining stability and BEING SAFE. So I've been doing some research (on the chip, board, and overclocking in general) and just want some input before I pull the trigger. I know this belongs in a different forum sub-section, but I figured I'd ask here:
According to: http://www.overclock.net/t/1048912/official-gigabyte-ga-990xa-970a-series-owners-club-help-thread-fx-8350-support-added
it seems as though certain revisions of the MOBO need a BIOS update before I install the CPU, does this sound right? In the case that my BIOS is not F7 or newer (see http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=3907 ) I'll need to make a bootable USB drive with the updated BIOS on there and run that before I install the CPU? This doesn't seem right to me.
As a first time OC'er, should I just stick to AMD's Overdrive, or should I adjust modifiers/voltage in BIOS? Given the case/fans/liquid cooler, should I even bother with an overclock? I don't think I want to mess with ref-clock. Should I or would you try to OC GPU/RAM? I'm not trying to max this thing out, would just like an extra boost in performance. The last thing I want to do is fry something.
So, does anyone have any input, experience with these combinations (overclocking and/or stock), or any other pointers that can help ease my nerves and make me sleep easier? Thanks in advance! (sorry for wall of text)

 

[AMD Radeon]

okay, i see some parts are inappropriate....

is it for gaming purpose? how much is your budget?

 

[realchaos]

You already bought it...o-o Your ram is overkill. 8gb would've sufficed. Not sure on that SSD, as no one really uses Kingston SSD much. Your psu isn't even rated 80+ and it's an unreliable manufacturer. You could've cut down to a ~$50-70 case. Using the saved money from the ram and case, you could've gotten a Radeon HD 7870 XT. But oh well, it's already shipping. I would be careful on the psu though. For overclocking, follow this guide : http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274820-29-black-edition-overclock-raising-multiplier-guide

 

[buce15]

okay, i see some parts are inappropriate....

is it for gaming purpose? how much is your budget?

uh oh... primarily gaming, yes, though I do some pretty basic web design stuff as well. Budget is about $800. I got some pieces from different places, so I got it for a little cheaper than pcpartpicker is showing. FYI I don't buy Intel, not sure why. Same reason I don't buy Pepsi, I guess =) I'm guessing you don't like the GPU and/or Mobo?

 

[Proximon]

Yes, this is wrong and we need more info. Firstly, how many instances of which game? What software is involved? Are you intending to run these on separate monitors?

Yes I'm a moderator, and I'm not here to enforce some game companies policy. I don't care what you are doing so long as it doesn't involve illegal activity.

You cannot update a BIOS without a CPU that will work as-is in the MB.

 

[AMD Radeon]

edit, wrong post enjoy your build

 

[realchaos]

This would've been better for gaming:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($92.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($248.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Tempest 410 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $814.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-17 03:52 EDT-0400)
A good cpu cooler for decent overclocking, 8gb of ram is still plenty, I would kill the SSD for a HDD for storage purposes. Cut down the case a bit, still a great case the NZXT Tempest 410. Get a more reliable psu. Grabbed a 7870 XT, 7950 performance for 7870 price-ish.

 

[buce15]

I'll be running 10-12 copies of Diablo 3, according to other forums the 16 GB RAM is a must. I know each copy is about 1-1.1 GB, so it makes sense. I knew that PSU would be trouble. I had to buy it for another system, but I'll be migrating it to this new build, unless of course you guys think I should just replace it. Not the end of the world, I guess. Appreciate the input!

Edit: The Kingston SSD got some pretty good reviews, which is why I went with it. Life's a gamble =)

Edit 2: I have a HDD I'll be adding to the system. For now, SSD will only be Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit and Diablo 3.

 

[Proximon]

Well, you are going to want to assign cores to processes, so perhaps that CPU will work out.

As for the motherboard, if it doesn't boot you aren't going to have many options.

The TR-700P got at least one good review
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermaltake-TR2-700-W-Power-Supply-Review/1422
It's made by FSP. As a brand, no one around here is going to recommend Tt PSUs, but that one is safe enough.

 

[buce15]

If the motherboard doesn't boot, should I take the CPU (AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX) from my other computer, put it in this Mobo to update the BIOS, then try again?

 

[realchaos]

If the motherboard doesn't boot, should I take the CPU (AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX) from my other computer, put it in this Mobo to update the BIOS, then try again?

Yes, that's the best way to do it. Unless you have a motherboard that supports usb bios flashback, the best way is to just use your phenom processor.

 

[Proximon]

[strike]That's the only way to do it. You cannot update any BIOS without a working processor. [/strike]

Well, seems I'm wrong. Asus must have created some special chip for this
http://event.asus.com/2012/mb/USB_BIOS_Flashback_GUIDE/

 

[buce15]

[strike]That's the only way to do it. You cannot update any BIOS without a working processor. [/strike]

Well, seems I'm wrong. Asus must have created some special chip for this
http://event.asus.com/2012/mb/USB_BIOS_Flashback_GUIDE/

Unfortunately that's only useful if you have that board though =P
Assuming I get this system up and running (I'm pretty damn confident I will) I'm still real nervous about OC'ing. I've read several guides (thanks realchaos!) over and over but I'm still pretty confused. Might just find someone on craigslist to do it for me, and watch what/how he does it.

 

[realchaos]

Lots of asus motherboards have usb bios flashback now.
For overclocking, it's not as hard as it looks. I just did my first overclocking today with stock cooler (lol I know right?)
I went for a simple 4ghz, from 3.5. I just manually set my ram timings and then raised the multiplier. Temps under load went up to 70c, so I just turned it back down to stock speed, but everything was stable.

 

[buce15]

A basic overclock seems pretty simple - I guess I just don't quite understand how all the parts work together. The "increase multiplier then voltage then decrease each to find stability" seems fairly simple. Inputting RAM timings seems simple. But do I want to OC CPU via multiplier, HTT, do I touch RAM, GPU, all sorts of clocks and timings. Starts to get confusing. I guess I just need to do some more reading. Your guide, though simple and to the point is still kinda confusing, even after a few read-throughs =)

 

[realchaos]

You got the basics of it. Input ram speed, easy. Increase multiplier and watch out for temps/voltage. If you want the best you can get, you have to keep raising multiplier/voltage little by little until you find the perfect combination. If you're looking for decent oc like 500mhz, you could just set ram speed then raise your multiplier without touching voltages much, if at all.

 

[buce15]

realchaos, I appreciate you a lot =). I'm looking to get a decent but most of all safe overclock - Probably shooting for a 500-600mhz OC. I'm going to adjust multiplier, then prob boost Vcore by a notch or two. I don't need to max this thing out, but I would like to get the most out of it without sacrificing long-term damage. As this will be a 24/7/365 rig, I'm going to run Prime95 for a good 12 hours before I settle on anything. I need to do some more research on monitoring voltages I guess - I thought it was all pretty manually much set in stone.