Double Check, Midrange Gaming/multimedia rig at 2560x1600

[Reimu]

I would like to get some assessment about whether or not if this build is ok. (Canada will always pay moar than US... anyways). I am wondering if this build is realistic. I tend to multitask with several browser windows left open and so forth... putting things on the 24" as a secondary screen often.

My current system is an AM2+ BE x2 5000+, so it's time for a new rig.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Browsing, movie and music listening, some productivity with Photoshop, light media encoding, with gaming such as Skyrim. Not expecting miracle for 2560x1600, but playable resolution at 24 fps or so. Possibility of running 1 virtual machine if need be (just in case).
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around $1500 pretax.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

Vancouver, BC, Canada
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
i5 3570k, $230
ASUS Sabertooth Z77, $220
Crucial M4 256GB SSD, $200,
Corsair Professional HX750W, $120
Kingston KHX1600C10D3B1K2/16G 2x8GB, $100
Corsair H100, $100
GTX 670, $400
AuzenTech Forte 7.1 Sound Card, $100
Antec P280 XL, $100.


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
3x 1TB 7200rpm HDDs, DVD burner, 7.1 surround sound speakers, HD 5850?
6) Will you be overclocking?
yes, @4GHz.
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
2560x1600 3008WFP, 1920x1200 2408WFP

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within this month.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
eSATA, SATA 6Gbs, USB 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, onboard as backup, UEFI
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Ultimate x64


I don't really intend to play BF3 right away. Part of me wonder if I should wait it out, use the HD 5850 at 1920x1200 for a bit until the 670/680 price come down... as I don't game on FPS competitively, I've no need for anything beyond 30fps framerate... (I think the only multiplayer I will play should be D3, GW2 and WoT)

Anything that I should think about? Or am I over-provisioning? Another thing is that I am wondering if I should consider picking up a preowned 2500k rig instead... as I don't need PCI-e 3.0 and I won't rely on integrated.

Thank you.

 

[Dangman]

You are going a tad overkill on a handful of the parts:
- You can save some money with a cheaper Asus P8Z77-V mobo with similar spec and almost as reliable.

- You're negating the low noise capability of the Antec P280 xL with the relatively noisy pump included with the Corsair H100. So are you aiming for low noise or good cooling? Also, does is the room where the PC is stored hot during the summer or any other period?

If your HD 5850 is meeting your needs now, then keep using it. However, it'll be awhile before we see the prices of the GTX 670/680 dropping

I would not recommend used parts since they don't come with warranty sometimes.

 

[Reimu]

Ok. I was thinking of P8Z77-V pro vs the Sabertooth originally tbh. Thanks for the tip. One thing that I DO need is plenty of USB 2.0 and 3.0...

Ambient is about 70F/20c in summer, stored in basement.
Case wise, it was due to pricing at $100... quality of construction and ease of access are important to me most.
I am somewhat noise averse for general productivity and browsing, but during gaming it's not an issue. What might be realistic for a 4GHz OC cooling wise then?

On VGA, with my existing setup, the problem that the CPU is the real bottleneck, (equally suck at anything beyond 720p if I want eye candy). If I do use the 5850, it'd be interim no matter what. I don't know if it will be satisfactory, but it is better than integrated...

 

[doug_7506]

For case I am a big antec fan since I have a modded 180; however, the hard-drive compartment is not removable in the front of the 280. I have been looking at case for a while and the Corsair 650D is really nice.

Also, If you are only going to a 4GHz OC, than you could get by with an H60. I dont know how loud the pump is on an h100 but the h60 pump is not loud at all.

EDIT

Also, I was also worried about noise on my computer. I probably went a little overboard, but my computer is not virtually silent even when gaming/benchmarking. Make sure all of your fans are either PWM controlled or have a fan controller. This will make sure than while you are browsing/typing a word document you dont have excess noise.

 

[Dangman]

What might be realistic for a 4GHz OC cooling wise then?

I'd recommend the Corsair 400R or 500R cases.