Gaming build (CDN Prices)

[Mpowers]

Hi all, finally ready to pull the trigger unless someone tells me I'm crazy somewhere.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mainly gaming, browsing, watching some videos.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
<$1250 (Less is better )

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Ontario, Canada

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word
CPU, GPU, motherboard, RAM, case, SSD, HD, cooling.


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Wifi card, cooling fans, mouse/keyboard.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
2560x1440 27" (Will be overclocking to 120hz depending on the frame rates I can manage)

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Buying tonight/tomorrow.

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.
SLI support, SATA 6Gb/s. Don't know if I need USB 3.0 to be honest.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Yes, 64bit.

Here's what I've come up with so far and am about to order the rest imminently:

CPU: Core i5-2550K - $173.00 (Already purchased)
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 OC 2GB - $425
Mobo: ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 - $160 (Already purchased)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600MHz - $40
SSD: Crucial M4 128 GB - $120
Case:
HD: Seagate 2TB Barracuda 7200rpm SATA III - $110
Cooling: Corsair H100 - $100
PSU: NXZT Hale 82 750W - $50 (Already purchased)

I've spent about $385 already for a CPU, mobo and PSU. $400-$425 for GPU, $230 on storage, and $140 on cooling/ram leaves me with ~$100 for a case. I'm also grabbing a sound card but left it out of this budget.

I have seen Danny Bui's case list several times, but I struggle to find something in my price range that can fit an H100 consistently in a push/pull configuration. I've checked the Corsair forums and OCN but people seem to get different results depending on motherboard size and layout. Any suggestions? I struggle justifying spending much more than $125 on a case but could be swayed either way.

 

[Dangman]

Motherboard wise, look at the MSI Z77A-G45 or Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H. Both of them support SLI

RAM wise, yes you do want RAM rated at 1.5V for SB. So I recommend this:
$39 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

HDD wise, go for this fast 1TB:
$110 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

 

[Mpowers]

Thanks Danny.

I'll be ordering from Memory Express so I'll have to look for similar options there as they don't carry some of those parts.

Will I see much of a higher overclock going with a more expensive motherboard?

 

[Dangman]

Will I see much of a higher overclock going with a more expensive motherboard?

A little.

 

[Mpowers]

I'll just stick with one of the two you picked out, I doubt I'll be CPU bottlenecked either way. SLI 670s shouldn't be a problem down the line right?

Is this Gskill RAM equally acceptable? They don't carry the model you recommended. 1.5V though.

 

[Dangman]

That will be fine

 

[Mpowers]

Edited OP, if someone could just pick a case for me that's not >$175 that would be awesome.

 

[Dangman]

Corsair Carbide 500R?

 

[Dev1ant]

Corsair 650D/600T?

EDIT: If you don't mind me asking, how'd you get that motherboard for $180?

 

[azeem40]

The 500R is a better choice because it has better thermals.

 

[Mpowers]

Thanks a lot guys, seems like the 500r will fit it at the very least in the bottom of the case. I'll be going that way and it's under $100.

@Dev1ant: From the FS forum here, was $160 not $180. Arrived Monday, haven't had a chance to test it out yet but hopefully all goes well.