I've waited a long time to upgrade from my current desktop and want to future proof this build as much as possible. I'll be using it for more than just gaming: Photoshop CS5, video encoding, watching HD streaming video and some gaming. I snagged the Ivy bridge i7-3770k when they went on sale last week so that purchase is a done deal but I need almost everything else except monitor, mouse, speakers and keyboard.
I intend to OC but am aware of the heat issues with IB and will keep the OC within recommended tolerances. Since I have not played around with overclocking before, I was leaning towards a mobo that makes that task as simple as possible.
I particularly am in need of help selecting a case (mid tower vs full), choosing the best SSD around 180-240 GB, and I could use feedback on the Mobo I picked. Not sure if I should go with the ASUS P8Z77-deluxe or the Intel DZ77GA70k. If I overclock the CPU to 4.5 GHZ, should I get faster ram such as DDR3-1866 or above rather than the usual 1600? And last, whether I'd be better off getting a Radeon HD 7970 rather than the GTX 680 GPU given Keplar performance boost vs added cost.
I don't want to waste money but staying within a fixed budget is not my primary concern. Instead I want value for my money and to future proof the build so this rig lasts several years.
My parts pick so far: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7Bob
Any suggestions on better choices and matching parts is much appreciated.
I intend to OC but am aware of the heat issues with IB and will keep the OC within recommended tolerances. Since I have not played around with overclocking before, I was leaning towards a mobo that makes that task as simple as possible.
I particularly am in need of help selecting a case (mid tower vs full), choosing the best SSD around 180-240 GB, and I could use feedback on the Mobo I picked. Not sure if I should go with the ASUS P8Z77-deluxe or the Intel DZ77GA70k. If I overclock the CPU to 4.5 GHZ, should I get faster ram such as DDR3-1866 or above rather than the usual 1600? And last, whether I'd be better off getting a Radeon HD 7970 rather than the GTX 680 GPU given Keplar performance boost vs added cost.
I don't want to waste money but staying within a fixed budget is not my primary concern. Instead I want value for my money and to future proof the build so this rig lasts several years.
My parts pick so far: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7Bob
Any suggestions on better choices and matching parts is much appreciated.