My Little Ninja

[CoolHandLuke]

Okay, I am a first time builder and I need help putting together the rest of my build. I have most of my components already. Just a few more to go. So far this is what I got.



Mobo - ASUS Sabertooth Z77 - $200
CPU - i5 2500k - $160
GPU - EVGA 660Ti 3GB SC+ - $290
PSU - Seasonic X-Series 750 W Gold - $110
SSD - Samsung 830 128GB - $100
HDD - WD Black 1TB - $100
OD - LITE ON DVD burner w/ Lightscribe - $20
Memory - G. Skill Sniper 8GB 1866 - $30
Case - Corsair C70 Vengeance - $90



I think it's a pretty solid build so far.

Now, I have a couple of questions.

1. Should I trade in and upgrade to the i5 3570k? I'd like everything to be future proof as much as possible. Am I going to notice a difference with everything being PCI 3.0 compatible? Everything is still in original packaging so I can just return whatever I need to.

2. What kind of cooling does everybody recommend for this build? Do I even need any unless I plan on overclocking? For the CPU I was thinking an EVO 212, but then I was thinking why not just go with a corsair liquid cooler? Are they worth it? If so, which one gives me the best bang for my buck? What about GPU cooling? And HDD? Should I just buy additional fans to mount in the case? My case offers like 10 spots for fans. I was looking at the BitFenix Spectre Pro fans. Are these any good?

3. I am thinking about getting a keyboard and mouse down the road when I become a "super geek" and don't leave my basement anymore. I was looking at the Saitek/MadCatz Cyborg keyboard and R.A.T. 7 mouse. Any thoughts on these?

4. I included pricing on what I paid for everything for a reason. As you can see I got everything on sale. I'm not made of money like my wife thinks. If you recommend me switching something in my build I am all ears. Just make it reasonable. I am big on appearance as well. If I pay a fair amount for it I want it to look snazzy too.

5. Anything else I forgot?

P.S. I am mainly building this for SWTOR. I do plan on playing other games eventually though.

P.S.S. I am new to building. So don't use any tech talk. Dumb it down for me.

Thanks for all the help guys!

CoolHandLuke

 

[TheBigTroll]

ok here are somethings you could have done better on

-sabertooth is a scam. it offers about the same features as a asus z77-v pro + a heatshield that traps dust (fans included to keep the motherboard insides cool) and increases motherboard temperatures
-evga cards are no better than others + its well above all the other 660tis that can perform better. 3gb vram is also useless at 1080p
-the seasonic gold is awesome but it is generally unecessary. id only get it if you actually bought it at 110 dollars
-for 50 bucks more, i can get a 240gb SSD
-black drives are no better than the blue drives. its just costs 30 bucks more
-for only 30 bucks, then the snipers are worth it. otherwise, get something else
-the c70 has crappy airflow. its as hot as a silent case such as the corsair 550D. a case like a fractal Define R4 would have beat them both in cabling space, temps, and silence


ok to your questions

-for 160, a 2500k is good. pci-e 3 isnt useful yet. stick with it, but then please return the sabertooth, the GPU, hard drive (keep it if you really want the 5 year warranty. i dont think its worth it but you might), SSD (if you want to keep it, its fine but just putting a option out there), and the case

-a hyper 212 evo performs the same if not better than a h60. dont bother. if you want a good heatsink, get this instead
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=42819&vpn=NH-U12P%20SE2&manufacture=Noctua&promoid=1033

- no need for extra fans, stock fans are good enough. but id still suggest the change to a Define R4 case

-for a keyboard, id suggest this when it comes back into stock. its built by filco btw.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201044&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

and if you want some degree of backlighting, get this instead. also built by filco
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823129008&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[BreadWhistle]

Where did you hear that it actually INCREASES the temperature of the motherboard? According to all of the benchmarks (?) I've seen point to it does almost absolutely nothing to help or hinder the the system temps at all. Just costs an extra $100 for a gimmick that you think is revolutionary, but is literally nothing but a hunk of plastic, similar to those that make up that 99¢ toy that you saw a Dollar Tree

 

[TheBigTroll]

well, the thermal armour is like putting a case around your motherboard. if you put a rig on a open test bench vs a case, the open rig would be cooler. same goes for a open motherboardd