New Build - Some Installation Questions

[zeusthunder]

Build Link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ufA5 (Edit: I'm getting the Green series HDD to reduce noise since it's just for storing pictures and possibly music. I don't play to use it much).
Primary Use: Gaming
Budget: Up to $3000

Hi Everyone,
I just have some random questions regarding my upcoming build. I've built PCs before but I don't do it often (not a pro) and I'm working with some new hardware I haven't used before.

1) Is the best fan setup the following?:
- Front fan: Intake
- Side fan: Intake
- Rear fan: Exhaust
- Top fans: Intake, cooling the 240mm CPU cooler radiator. (This is the part I'm not sure on. The other option I was considering would be exhaust, with the fans blowing air from the case into the radiator, and out the top. I figured this would be warm air though)

2) - Is it best to use the SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports for the SSDs in RAID0?
- This is my first time using an Asus board; does it have an Intel or a Marvell controller like the Gigabyte boards? If so, is Intel still the best one to use?

3) Should the front audio cable be plugged into the sound card or the MOBO?

4) The fan controller I'm getting has 4 heat sensors. I'm assuming 3 go to the CPU, GPU, and a SSD. Where does the 4th heat sensor go?

5) For the 2 LED kits, I'd like to have both strips go into a 2 to 1 splitter and then the splitter would go into the PCI controller.
- Will this cause any issues?
- It isn't specified, but the cables look like 3 pin fan cables from the picture. Can anyone confirm?

6) Would you suggest getting thermal compound like Arctic Silver, or just using the compound that comes with the CPU cooler? I'm not planning on overlocking the CPU.


Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[butremor]

Drop sound card unless you're musician of some kind.
Drop PSU to 750w, it's max you will need.
Mobo that expensive is absolutely unnecessary, something ~ 200$ will do.
Greean are just awful quality, go for black it's best there is( also 5 year warranty)
Not recommending intel ssds, choose something from here http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html

 

[aebome]

1) Is the best fan setup the following?:
- Front fan: Intake
- Side fan: Intake
- Rear fan: Exhaust
- Top fans: Intake, cooling the 240mm CPU cooler radiator. (This is the part I'm not sure on. The other option I was considering would be exhaust, with the fans blowing air from the case into the radiator, and out the top. I figured this would be warm air though)

Yes, with the exception of the radiator fans. Those should be exhaust, otherwise you will be disrupting the natural air flow of your case. Warm air rises, and the setup you have uses this to exhaust hot air effectively, unless you start blowing air down from the radiators.

2) - Is it best to use the SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports for the SSDs in RAID0?
- This is my first time using an Asus board; does it have an Intel or a Marvell controller like the Gigabyte boards? If so, is Intel still the best one to use?

Yes, use Sata 6.0 gb/s, as Sata 3.0 gb/s will be easily saturated by the SSDs. You'll only be artificially capping your drive performance using something slower than Sata 6.0gb/s. I am not sure about the Asus use of Marvel controllers, but use the intel ones first to have the best performance.

3) Should the front audio cable be plugged into the sound card or the MOBO?

Mobo, usually. But your sound card, and the one I recommended, have a plug for the front audio header so go ahead and use it to use the sound card output. But, switch to this sound card (which also has front port plugs). Techreport gave it an editors choice and said the more expensive ones weren't any better.
http://techreport.com/review/23358/asus-budget-xonar-dgx-and-dsx-sound-cards-reviewed/11

4) The fan controller I'm getting has 4 heat sensors. I'm assuming 3 go to the CPU, GPU, and a SSD. Where does the 4th heat sensor go? /quotemsg]

Wherever you want! You could put it as case exhaust for an overall picture of the temperature of your case.

5) For the 2 LED kits, I'd like to have both strips go into a 2 to 1 splitter and then the splitter would go into the PCI controller.
- Will this cause any issues?
- It isn't specified, but the cables look like 3 pin fan cables from the picture. Can anyone confirm?

To be totally honest, I have no idea on this one.

6) Would you suggest getting thermal compound like Arctic Silver, or just using the compound that comes with the CPU cooler? I'm not planning on overlocking the CPU.

If not going with the provided stuff, I would suggest Tuniq TX-2 or TX-4, which has done very well in comparisons. (Hardware Secrets maybe?).

But if you are not overclocking, an H100i is total and compete overkill. Even a H80i would be overkill, as it actually performs BETTER than the H100i ( http://www.anandtech.com/show/6530/closing-the-loop-contained-liquidcoolers-from-corsair-and-nzxt-compared/6 ). If you want a closed loop system go with the H55 or the H80i, but I would just save my money and use a Thermaltake Frio ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150 ).


EDIT:

Drop PSU to 750w, it's max you will need.

I absolutely agree, 1200W is WAY too much. 750W is more than enough, and this Gold level Corsair is fantastic.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

 

[zeusthunder]

Best answer selected by ZeusThunder.