Ivy bridge Gaming Comp Build $750.00+(revised)

[Hucklecat]

Hi, I am kind of new to the whole building a computer from scratch, so I have enlisted my friends and family to help me build a new gaming computer.

Approximate Purchase Date: anywhere this week to next week. Preferably before May 15th

Budget Range: 750$ give or take.

System Usage: Gaming and Browsing (Skyrim, Diablo 3, Natural Selection 2, DOTA 2, APB, Total War Games.)

Parts Not Required: Hard drive (raptor 10k rpm), Mouse, Monitor, Keyboard, Power supply 620w

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: Well known brands

Overclocking:Maybe

SLI or Crossfire:Maybe

Monitor Resolution:1680x1050

Additional Comments: I'm concerned about the i5 3750k ivy bridge getting full benefit from the motherboard Iv selected.

Old Build

Spoiler

CPU: i5 3750k 225$
I am thinking about overclocking it, but I never did it before on my other rigs so I am a bit hesitant.

GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130738
EVGA 012-P3-2066-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 448 Cores FTW 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
289.99$
30.00 rebate
259.99$
I originally was just gonna go for the 560ti but my budget allowed me to go to the next level, so I figured why not go for the 448 cores. I did a benchmark test between the equivalent radeon and for my resolution and pretty much across the board, the 560ti 448core trumped it, but I welcome criticisms.

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
46.99$

I'm an uber noob at picking out RAM, but I was told I should go with the faster RAM and get the 1600, and that It didn't really matter the brand as long as if it would work with the motherboard. Some advice with this would be very helpful.

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
179.99$
I originally was not going to get the GEN 3 and I was gonna go for something like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128538
GIGABYTE GA-Z68AP-D3(R2.0) LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Since its around 100 dollars cheaper, but then I realized that it wasn't a GEN3 which wouldn't be ivy bridge compatible? I am completely unsure about this, because I have no qualms with going for the cheaper motherboard since it would free up some cash for a small SSD, but if I have to get the GEN3 to take full advantage of the ivy bridge, then I might as well just get the GEN3. I hope I am being clear.

The total is around 740ish$, which is right in the sweet spot for me and about all my wallet can handle, I could maybe squeeze in a tad more, but that's about it.

Revised Build

Spoiler

MOBO - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131837
ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$144.99

GPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130593
EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$299.99

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231428
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
$46.99

Aftermarket HSF - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103099
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+
$34.99
$29.99 after mail-in rebate

CPU - Core i5-3750K Ivy Bridge
$225.00

Total: $751.96
After Rebate: $746.96
Budget: $750.00

Revised Build 2.0

GPU - I settled with the MSI R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Video Card. With the rebate and the 5% off coupon, along with free shipping, no tax, and a free game, this specific card was the best price for this GPU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127662
promo code MSI425, ends 4/30
The total price came to around $330.00
(Side note - anyone interested in this deal better do this quickly because a lot of the coupon deals newegg has are going out of stock fast.)

MoBo - I went with the ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS. This board comes with a 10% off coupon, along with that its one of the cheapest z77's out there. If you don't want a MoBo with tons of different ports and you also don't want a mATX, I say this is the perfect choice. It allows for the opportunity for me to someday be able to crossfire my 7870's (probably is going to be a super tight fit though) This board will also allow me to get a SATA III ssd down the road as well, along with be compatible and taking full advantage of the CPU I picked out (i5-3750k IB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131837
promo code EMCNFHF38, ends 4/30
The total price came to around $133.00

RAM - I'm going to be sticking with G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL, instead of going with the 2133 that are currently on sale with a coupon for 15% off. I think if you really need to be OCed past the potential of the 1600's then go for the others, but as a gamer, I don't think its necessary for me to. So i'll save myself the hassle and 4 dollars and stick with the 1600's
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231428
Price $46.99

CPU - I'v been reading a lot about how IB is probably not going to be as good as the current SB's but I think I'm going to stick with what I set out to get, and try the IB. I'm going to be getting the Core i5-3750K IB which is the current i5-2500K. My intentions are to eventually Overclock the 3750k, but not right out of the box.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/I [...] 14325.html
Price - $215-230.00

Headset - I settled on the KOSS SB49 Stereo Headset, mostly because I go through headsets every 6 months, give or take, so I wanted something cheap around 30 dollars and settled on these and I love them! I'm a gamer constantly on ventrilo, and I wanted a headset with great voice clarity that was comfy, and these delivered.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6826263048
You can get them through newegg, but they charge shipping on these, however if you get them through Amazon Prime, the tax is cheaper than the newegg shipping, saving you a few dollars. I am someone who likes to save as much as possible so I went with amazon.
Price $31.00

Parts I'll be reusing.

Mid-Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129025

PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139002

HDD - Raptor 10k RPM

Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824116096

Mouse - Logitech MX518 Optical Gaming Mouse

Keyboard - saitek eclipse keyboard

 

[Hucklecat]

Thanks for the heads up on that newegg code!!

I am really thinking about going to a 7850, if i do, and I decide to OC it, would I need to also apply an aftermarket heatsink and fan to it? Or are the 7850's able to be overclocked with stock fans?

Also I can't seem to find a place where an ASUS 7850 is sold, they are out of stock at newegg, and i am really hesitant with getting one of these other brands, unless you can vouch for one of these other brands in stock at newegg.

 

[dudewitbow]

People tend to like Sapphire, MSI, Gigabyte and Asus for more quality(company really depends on which card it is). XFX for warranty(since they encourage tampering and overclocking their product)

 

[Hucklecat]

People tend to like Sapphire, MSI, Gigabyte and Asus for more quality(company really depends on which card it is). XFX for warranty(since they encourage tampering and overclocking their product)

I heard the gigabyte 7850 has faulty fans that rattle. These other companies, powercoloer, visiontek, HIS, and Diamond, I know absolutely nothing about and haven't heard of any of them.

How often does Newegg, get ASUS and XFX in stock? I'd prefer these, and I'd prefer gigabyte over these other companies I named but the faulty rattling fans have me paranoid.

 

[greyphox]

Thanks for the heads up on that newegg code!!

I am really thinking about going to a 7850, if i do, and I decide to OC it, would I need to also apply an aftermarket heatsink and fan to it? Or are the 7850's able to be overclocked with stock fans?

Also I can't seem to find a place where an ASUS 7850 is sold, they are out of stock at newegg, and i am really hesitant with getting one of these other brands, unless you can vouch for one of these other brands in stock at newegg.

Stock cooling solutions are adequate for all but the highest OCs on video cards. I would advise you to go for a non-reference solution, however. I personally can't vouch for any of those brands, as I've never used any of their cards before. Based on reviews, I would probably stay away from the Gigabyte model, as apparently the fans are crap. I run an MSI Hawk 5770 at 950/1300 24/7 for 2 years now, but am probably going to upgrade when the 8xxx series rolls out, or in a few months if I get the itch.

The Asus 7850 can be found on Amazon for $250 (have to go to the other sellers page).

 

[greyphox]

I heard the gigabyte 7850 has faulty fans that rattle. These other companies, powercoloer, visiontek, HIS, and Diamond, I know absolutely nothing about and haven't heard of any of them.

How often does Newegg, get ASUS and XFX in stock? I'd prefer these, and I'd prefer gigabyte over these other companies I named but the faulty rattling fans have me paranoid.

Never mind the Amazon one for $250. It's Out of stock, with 2-4 weeks delivery. So Newegg will probably have about the same time frame.

 

[Hucklecat]

Stock cooling solutions are adequate for all but the highest OCs on video cards. I would advise you to go for a non-reference solution, however. I personally can't vouch for any of those brands, as I've never used any of their cards before. Based on reviews, I would probably stay away from the Gigabyte model, as apparently the fans are crap. I run an MSI Hawk 5770 at 950/1300 24/7 for 2 years now, but am probably going to upgrade when the 8xxx series rolls out, or in a few months if I get the itch.

The Asus 7850 can be found on Amazon for $250 (have to go to the other sellers page).

I think im just going to up the ante and go for the ASUS 7870 and not get a heatsink and fan for the processor and just use the stock, with the coupon code you gave me it brings my total to 751.97, which is right on the money for me.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14313809

Here the revised build, with a i5-2500k sandybridge as a placeholder for the i5-3750k ivybridge.

 

[greyphox]

I think im just going to up the ante and go for the ASUS 7870 and not get a heatsink and fan for the processor and just use the stock, with the coupon code you gave me it brings my total to 751.97, which is right on the money for me.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14313809

Here the revised build, with a i5-2500k sandybridge as a placeholder for the i5-3750k ivybridge.

If you are upping to a 7870, take a look at the MSI Twin Frozr http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662
Same price after mail in rebate and clocked higher from the factory. You'll want to check the reviews on both and see which one you like more. Both should overclock well, and if you push them a bit, you'll be in the 7950/580 territory for FPS.

 

[Hucklecat]

For me it was a toss up between the ASUS and Sapphire 7870's, I went with the ASUS for a few reasons
-The clock speed is slightly higher than the Sapphire, but this really isn't a big deal especially since its just by 10MHZ
-It comes with this feature that the others didn't "DirectCU thermal utilizes direct-contact GPU heatpipes for 20% cooler and significantly quieter performance than reference."
-The mobo I picked out is also an ASUS, so I might as well stick with the same manufacturer to avoid any unseen problems.

But as a side question, why does the MSI Twin Frozr start at 370? What's special about it? The spec details are very minimal with this one.

Here is a link comparing the two on newegg

 

[greyphox]

For me it was a toss up between the ASUS and Sapphire 7870's, I went with the ASUS for a few reasons
-The clock speed is slightly higher than the Sapphire, but this really isn't a big deal especially since its just by 10MHZ
-It comes with this feature that the others didn't "DirectCU thermal utilizes direct-contact GPU heatpipes for 20% cooler and significantly quieter performance than reference."
-The mobo I picked out is also an ASUS, so I might as well stick with the same manufacturer to avoid any unseen problems.

But as a side question, why does the MSI Twin Frozr start at 370? What's special about it? The spec details are very minimal with this one.

Newegg doesn't show the clock speeds in the details for some reason, but if you look at reviews for the MSI, the clocks are 1050/1200 on Core/RAM, vs. the Asus at 1010/1210. So the MSI gives you an extra 40MHz Core (but -10 RAM) from the factory. The extra up front comes partly from increased clocks, and the chips could be a higher bin (ensuring that OC). MSI also has the Afterburner software for OC their card. Its pretty useful and you can set up custom fan curves. I believe Asus has something similar, but I've only used Afterburner.

The whole 20% cooler than reference is marketing. The MSI also runs cooler than reference, they claim 15 degrees.
http://us.msi.com/product/vga/R7870-Twin-Frozr-2GD5-OC.html#?div=Overview

Here are some reviews of overclocking on the 2 cards from the same source. The Asus barely edges out the MSI, but this is Max OC, and YMMV on any given card. The MSI has lower temperatures under load (both stock and OC'd). Noise levels are identical.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/HD_7870_Direct_Cu_II/29.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/HD_7870_Twin_Frozr/29.html

Either card is a great option. An advantage to the Asus is you don't have to worry about a rebate.

 

[Hucklecat]

I was wondering 2 things.

1) Are these two heat sinks that much different that the evo is 5 dollars more? Would the 30 dollar one work just as well on a i5-3750k ivybridge?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006519%2050001333%2040000574&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=574%7C35-103-065%5E35-103-065-TS%2C35-103-099%5E35-103-099-TS

2) Could you recommend headset with a microphone that is 30 dollars? My price line for headsets are extremely low because mine get beat up really fast, so I figure the cheaper the better since I replace them 6-12months.

 

[greyphox]

I was wondering 2 things.

1) Are these two heat sinks that much different that the evo is 5 dollars more? Would the 30 dollar one work just as well on a i5-3750k ivybridge?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006519%2050001333%2040000574&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=574%7C35-103-065%5E35-103-065-TS%2C35-103-099%5E35-103-099-TS

2) Could you recommend headset with a microphone that is 30 dollars? My price line for headsets are extremely low because mine get beat up really fast, so I figure the cheaper the better since I replace them 6-12months.

1) When I suggested the Evo, it was the same price as the 212+. The difference is the contact surface is smoother on the Evo, which should theoretically lead to better heat transfer, and it is supposed to have a slightly better fan. The Evo will run a few degrees cooler, but nothing drastic. Either one will be better than stock, whether you want to pay the extra $5 is up to you. The stock HSF can probably handle some mild overclocking on stock voltage, probably 4.0Ghz or so, but you'd want to monitor your temps to make sure its adequate.

2) No idea about headsets as I don't use them. Someone else can chime in to help you there.

 

[greyphox]

Just wanted to give you an update if you haven't ordered parts yet. The MSI 7870 Twin Frozr is now on sale at newegg, 5% off with code MSI425, also free shipping, and still includes Dirt 3. This makes it about $26 cheaper than the Asus 7870 after rebates ($6 cheaper before rebates).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662

 

[Hucklecat]

Just wanted to give you an update if you haven't ordered parts yet. The MSI 7870 Twin Frozr is now on sale at newegg, 5% off with code MSI425, also free shipping, and still includes Dirt 3. This makes it about $26 cheaper than the Asus 7870 after rebates ($6 cheaper before rebates).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662

This is fantastic! I'm gonna order it in a few days, the offer ends 4/30 so I have some time. Just wondering though, will the dimensions of that graphics card fit with all the stuff i'll be getting?

Also what site do you check for these codes?

 

[greyphox]

This is fantastic! I'm gonna order it in a few days, the offer ends 4/30 so I have some time. Just wondering though, will the dimensions of that graphics card fit with all the stuff i'll be getting?

Also what site do you check for these codes?

http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/latest/index-landing.aspx?cm_sp=emailsub-_-homepage-_-promo Sign up for their daily emails. They have some pretty good deals in them. The link is at the top of the page to subscribe.

As far as checking for the codes, I kind of stumbled across the MSI today browsing newegg. Promotions change all the time, so you have to be on the lookout for price changes.

Edit: The MSI 7870 is ~10.6 inches long. Based on some reviews of the case you linked, things will be tight, but you will be fine as long as you don't put a HDD in the top HDD bay.

 

[Hucklecat]

http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/latest/index-landing.aspx?cm_sp=emailsub-_-homepage-_-promo Sign up for their daily emails. They have some pretty good deals in them. The link is at the top of the page to subscribe.

As far as checking for the codes, I kind of stumbled across the MSI today browsing newegg. Promotions change all the time, so you have to be on the lookout for price changes.

Edit: The MSI 7870 is ~10.6 inches long. Based on some reviews of the case you linked, things will be tight, but you will be fine as long as you don't put a HDD in the top HDD bay.

Would there be room for a SSD in the top bay when I decide to get one when I get some more money?

Also for you and other who have been reading this thread and interested in MSi - http://consumerist.com/2010/03/dont-count-on-that-rebate-from-msi.html

I never counted on rebates and from a company I know so little about this doesn't surprise me that I won't be seeing that 20 dollars ever, however for the price with that code, its still cheaper and I think but I'm not positive that Newegg might fulfill the rebate obligations. Would you know anything about that?

 

[Hucklecat]

Quick question:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231468

This ram, with the coupon, runs 3 dollars more, but is a 2133 that I believe runs at 1.55v's will my Mobo, I picked out or the IB be able to handle this? If so, should I just go with that?

 

[greyphox]

Quick question:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231468

This ram, with the coupon, runs 3 dollars more, but is a 2133 that I believe runs at 1.55v's will my Mobo, I picked out or the IB be able to handle this? If so, should I just go with that?

Yes it will work, but I would try to make sure they run at 1.5V. 1.55V isn't bad, but for Sandy Bridge, it was recommended to avoid the 1.65V RAM, and the same probably holds true for IB as well. Those sticks are all around faster, even though the CAS Latency is higher. Just make sure the voltage is on the lower end of that 1.5V - 1.6V range they list. I think I saw somewhere that Intel recommends 1.575V as the max for RAM, but can't remember where.

2133 @ CL 11:
Max Bandwidth: 2133 * 8 = 17066 MB/s
Latency: 11 / (2133/2) = 10.31 ns

1600 @ CL 9:
Max Bandwidth: 1600 * 8 = 12800 MB/s
Latency: 9 / (1600/2) = 11.25 ns

Tom's has a good write up on IB memory scaling in their review http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ivy-bridge-benchmark-core-i7-3770k,3181-10.html
1600 seems to be the sweet spot, with diminishing returns in real world applications after that. But for $3, why not upgrade? 😉

 

[Hucklecat]

Yes it will work, but I would try to make sure they run at 1.5V. 1.55V isn't bad, but for Sandy Bridge, it was recommended to avoid the 1.65V RAM, and the same probably holds true for IB as well. Those sticks are all around faster, even though the CAS Latency is higher. Just make sure the voltage is on the lower end of that 1.5V - 1.6V range they list. I think I saw somewhere that Intel recommends 1.575V as the max for RAM, but can't remember where.

2133 @ CL 11:
Max Bandwidth: 2133 * 8 = 17066 MB/s
Latency: 11 / (2133/2) = 10.31 ns

1600 @ CL 9:
Max Bandwidth: 1600 * 8 = 12800 MB/s
Latency: 9 / (1600/2) = 11.25 ns

Tom's has a good write up on IB memory scaling in their review http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ivy-bridge-benchmark-core-i7-3770k,3181-10.html
1600 seems to be the sweet spot, with diminishing returns in real world applications after that. But for $3, why not upgrade? 😉

If I were to just pop them in and not even touch them to OC them to 2133, because I believe they come as 1866, would there be any problems with that? Would I have to go into the bios for anything or would just simply putting them in do the trick without any tinkering? I am extremely paranoid about damaging the new hardware. So id rather not tinker with the ram.

 

[greyphox]

If I were to just pop them in and not even touch them to OC them to 2133, because I believe they come as 1866, would there be any problems with that? Would I have to go into the bios for anything or would just simply putting them in do the trick without any tinkering? I am extremely paranoid about damaging the new hardware. So id rather not tinker with the ram.

I would almost guarantee you would have to do some tinkering in the bios. They will probably default to 1600 @ 9-9-9-27 or something similar. I'm not familiar with the Intel bios settings, but you would probably just set it to its XMP profile and call it a day. If not, OCing them should be fairly easy. Just set them to their rated settings and you should be fine.

You won't damage anything unless you overvolt, which I wouldn't recommned. On stock volts, worse that will happen is you fail to post on an OC, and have to clear the CMOS and redo the settings a little lower until you get it stable. There are tons of overclocking guides floating around the internet, so check a few out, specifically SB/IB ones to get a feel for what to do. Mild OCing is very easy on unlocked CPUs, it is only on the high end of pushing things to the limit do you need to know what every little setting in the bios does.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?280517-Ivy-Bridge-Overclocking-Guide-(Extreme-LN2-Section-Guide-Included)&p=5090812

 

[Hucklecat]

For the people interested in the finish product of my build.

GPU - I settled with the MSI R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Video Card. With the rebate and the 5% off coupon, along with free shipping, no tax, and a free game, this specific card was the best price for this GPU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662
promo code MSI425, ends 4/30
The total price came to around $330.00
(Side note - anyone interested in this deal better do this quickly because a lot of the coupon deals newegg has are going out of stock fast.)

MoBo - I went with the ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS. This board comes with a 10% off coupon, along with that its one of the cheapest z77's out there. If you don't want a MoBo with tons of different ports and you also don't want a mATX, I say this is the perfect choice. It allows for the opportunity for me to someday be able to crossfire my 7870's (probably is going to be a super tight fit though) This board will also allow me to get a SATA III ssd down the road as well, along with be compatible and taking full advantage of the CPU I picked out (i5-3750k IB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
promo code EMCNFHF38, ends 4/30
The total price came to around $133.00

RAM - I'm going to be sticking with G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL, instead of going with the 2133 that are currently on sale with a coupon for 15% off. I think if you really need to be OCed past the potential of the 1600's then go for the others, but as a gamer, I don't think its necessary for me to. So i'll save myself the hassle and 4 dollars and stick with the 1600's
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428
Price $46.99

CPU - I'v been reading a lot about how IB is probably not going to be as good as the current SB's but I think I'm going to stick with what I set out to get, and try the IB. I'm going to be getting the Core i5-3750K IB which is the current i5-2500K. My intentions are to eventually Overclock the 3750k, but not right out of the box.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Intel-Ivy-Bridge-CPU-LGA1155,14325.html
Price - $215-230.00

Headset - I settled on the KOSS SB49 Stereo Headset, mostly because I go through headsets every 6 months, give or take, so I wanted something cheap around 30 dollars and settled on these and I love them! I'm a gamer constantly on ventrilo, and I wanted a headset with great voice clarity that was comfy, and these delivered.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826263048
You can get them through newegg, but they charge shipping on these, however if you get them through Amazon Prime, the tax is cheaper than the newegg shipping, saving you a few dollars. I am someone who likes to save as much as possible so I went with amazon.
Price $31.00

Before, I forget, Greyphox you have been awesome! Thank you!

 

[greyphox]

Before, I forget, Greyphox you have been awesome! Thank you!

You're welcome Enjoy the new rig!

 

[Hucklecat]

Best answer selected by Hucklecat.