Questions about a new build

[coolhandlukeboy]

Hey all, this is my first post. I've been reading as much as I can on these forums lately, there's a lot of good stuff.

Here is the build I'm looking at with a few questions after:

Windows 7
I5 3570k at $200.00 at MicroCenter
Asrock z77 Extreme6 at $159
Seasonic X650 PSU on sale at $100.00
Hafx 922 Case on sale at Newegg for $89
EVGA Superclocked GTX660 at $229
WD Black 1TB at $109
G-skill Ripjaws 8gbs Ram at $42
CM Hyper 212 at $30
Asus DVD Burner at $20
Artic Silver compound at $10
GPU fan for HAFX 922 for $20.00

I am just over $1000.00 on this one

I have a few questions for anyone who is willing to share their knowledge:
First, is it a good idea to buy the I5 3570k? I wonder with the talk of the new chips coming out in March or spring sometime if getting an I5 is a wise choice. How expensive will the I5 be around that time?

Second, is the motherboard I selected overkill? I'm just going to game on it. Or should I go with the Extreme4 for $30-40 less? I like longevity, so I'd rather just build a great comp and make it last a while. Eventually I want a great audio card since I'm an audiophile. That plays into considering a motherboard.

Third, I am not good at graphics cards these days. I have an idea of what I'm looking for, but there are soooo many different choices and minor differences in between all of them that I am at a loss for price to performance ratio. I can always upgrade later, or sli, I guess? I am accustomed to Radeon and updating drivers, so not an issue if Radeon seems better build.


I thank any and everyone in advance for help in considering this build. I am a father (thrice over!), teacher and husband so I don't have a ton of time to game, but want to maximize that time with a great gaming computer.

I love Bethesda games: Fallout, TES etc and have been playing them since Arena. My Dell XPS Gen5 can marginally run Skyrim but it's time for an upgrade! Bottlenecking sucks on a Dual core Pentium D 3ghz...

 

[djosbun]

As long as Microcenter still has the $50 off bundle when buying the CPU and mobo together, then you're fine. I think you might have clearance issues with that RAM and the cpu cooler. Those sticks have giant heat spreaders on them, and they might hit the cpu cooler, which will not allow you to use all 4 memory slots for future upgrades. Check out the G.skill Ares memory, which has a lower-profile heat spreader.

I feel that spending $100+ on a 1tb hard drive is too high. About $30 too high!

 

[coolhandlukeboy]

As long as Microcenter still has the $50 off bundle when buying the CPU and mobo together, then you're fine. I think you might have clearance issues with that RAM and the cpu cooler. Those sticks have giant heat spreaders on them, and they might hit the cpu cooler, which will not allow you to use all 4 memory slots for future upgrades. Check out the G.skill Ares memory, which has a lower-profile heat spreader.

I feel that spending $100+ on a 1tb hard drive is too high. About $30 too high!

Ah, thanks for the input. I didn't think about the ram being too high for the cooler. I personally have always used the non-flashy circuit board looking ram.

Is the I5 still a good cpu to get?

 

[J_E_D_70]

Still no need for an Extreme6 - the 4 has all the connectivity you need for a garden variety gaming rig.

What resolution are you going to have?

Assume you're overclocking given the Evo. If not, kill it and drop down to cheaper CPU and put the money into a better GPU.

 

[hwangchan]

I5 is a fine processor, and for gaming outshines the i7 for price/performance ratio.

Don't worry too much about future pricing, they all drop every 6 months, and the microcenter bundle discount will basically equal any price drop you do see.

for video cards, dont get confused by all the options, most of them are just a different manufacterer and most are pretty reliable. They key difference between brands are some offer software packages to assist in overclocking. If you dont OC, just look for good reviews.

It really comes down to price segment, and as tiebreaker you can use toms which this month recommends the Radeon 7870 at the ~230 price point. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-4.html

 

[coolhandlukeboy]

Still no need for an Extreme6 - the 4 has all the connectivity you need for a garden variety gaming rig.

What resolution are you going to have?

Assume you're overclocking given the Evo. If not, kill it and drop down to cheaper CPU and put the money into a better GPU.

I will overclock the CPU, at least eventually, if not right away.

I am considering 1920x1080 or the 8:5 at 1920x1200 as I'm not sold on a monitor just yet.

I am, however used to my old monitor at 1024x768 and will probably use that fow a bit until I see a good deal on a new monitor.

Thanks for the info, I'll probably go for the extreme4 for lower cost.

 

[coolhandlukeboy]

I5 is a fine processor, and for gaming outshines the i7 for price/performance ratio.

Don't worry too much about future pricing, they all drop every 6 months, and the microcenter bundle discount will basically equal any price drop you do see.

for video cards, dont get confused by all the options, most of them are just a different manufacterer and most are pretty reliable. They key difference between brands are some offer software packages to assist in overclocking. If you dont OC, just look for good reviews.

It really comes down to price segment, and as tiebreaker you can use toms which this month recommends the Radeon 7870 at the ~230 price point. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-4.html

I might go for the 7870 then. I can grab the xfx version then since I've always ran with them and without any issues over the years.

 

[coolhandlukeboy]

Best answer selected by coolhandlukeboy.