Help with my new build

[Boojak]

I had built my PC about 5 years ago and it's old now. Now is a good time to build a new one!

Here's my new build so far (except HDDs, monitor and sound system. I already have these):

Intel Core i7 2600K Unlocked, Socket 1155, Sandy Bridge, Quad Core, 3.4 GHz, 8MB Cache, 95W, OEM
Asus P8P67 Pro, Intel P67 Express, S 1155, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), DDR3 2200(OC), SATA 6Gb/s, SATA RAID
16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600mHZ each)
Coolermaster Advanced 690 II Nvidia Limited Edition Mid-Tower
1GB Asus GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II, 40nm, 4000MHz GDDR5, GPU 830MHz, Shader 1660MHz, 384 Cores
850W Corsair Enthusiast 850TXV2UK TX V2 Series

Is this good? Anything I should change? What else should I add? Anybody can recommend me the best Air coolers? I want a lot of air. I don't care if the whole system will be loud.

I will overclock the system.

What I want:
Run 24/7 stable. Also temp should be always stable.
Excellence at Multi-tasking (e.g. running more than 16 instances of a 2D game.)
Stable FPS in high-end games.

 

[Dangman]

Please answer the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!" so that we can help you better.

 

[Boojak]

Please answer the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!" so that we can help you better.

Um, I just did.........

Let me quote:

(except HDDs, monitor and sound system. I already have these)

Is this good? Anything I should change? What else should I add? Anybody can recommend me the best Air coolers? I want a lot of air. I don't care if the whole system will be loud.

I will overclock the system.

What I want:
Run 24/7 stable. Also temp should be always stable.
Excellence at Multi-tasking (e.g. running more than 16 instances of a 2D game.)
Stable FPS in high-end games.

There's always a reason why I didn't specify my budget.
There's always a reason why I didn't specify my location (highly irrelevant too).
There's always a reason why I didn't specify my Windows - I already have it.
There's always a reason why I didn't specify the other releavant things

If I didn't know what parts I wanted or was more clueless about PC parts, this thread would of have been in a different format. I just want to know if the build is decent for running 24/7 OC'd stable, excellence at multi-tasking, and stable FPS in high end games. Also want to know which air coolers to use....

 

[tiraides]

Don't give him a hard time. Many people who ask for our help don't know which parts to choose from. The reason why he asked those questions you ignored are:

- By knowing your budget, we can offer recommendations for better parts without going over your limit.

- Your location is important if you live near a brick-and-mortar Fry's or Micro Center store, as you can take advantage of store-only specials that are sometimes better than what you could find online. (Micro Center also sells processors that are often cheaper, even with sales tax, than NewEgg's prices.)

If you live outside the US, that's doubly important as most of the people who would help you, myself included, live in the US. We only have a limited knowledge about the "good" online retailers from other countries.

- If you already have Windows, you should at least specify that you already have Windows. That question comes up because many people need the OS but omit it from their build lists.

- If nothing else, we definitely need to know of your monitor and its resolution. That GTX 560 may or may not be enough for your stated end goal, which is stable frame rates in high-end games. (Do you also like a lot of eye candy? That alone may necessitate a better video card.)

We would also be curious as to which hard drives you're reusing as well as their age. With the parts that you're considering, you should also consider buying an SSD for your OS and primary games at some point in the future (if not now, and that's assuming that you don't have one already).

To answer your question about the "best" fan-based CPU coolers, virtually any tower-based CPU cooler that can support two 120mm or 140mm case fans will work for your needs. I haven't researched "the best" in a while, but a few coolers that I've seen recommended often here are:

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (one of the best available for the cost; comes with one 120mm fan but can support a second fan)
Cooler Master V8
Corsair A70 (comes with two 120mm case fans)
Noctua NH-D14 (comes with one 120mm and one 140mm fan)
Thermalright Venomous X - RT (a variation of Thermalright's longstanding Ultra 120 Extreme -- aka TRUE -- design; comes with one 120mm fan but can support a second fan)

If you want a better-tailored recommendation on the "best" available CPU cooler, I recommend heading over to the Overclocking & Cooling forum for your answer.

 

[Dangman]

There's always a reason why I didn't specify my budget.

And that would be?

There's always a reason why I didn't specify my location (highly irrelevant too).

Actually that is relevant: We get a ton of people asking for advice from countries other than the U.S. That's gonna dictate what hardware you should get. It also lets us know which retailers you have nearby and therefore whether or not the parts you chose have the right price for them. We can't assume that the OP is from the U.S. I can tell you right off the bat that if you were buying those parts in the U.S, the RAM, case, and video card that you chose are extremely poor choices for the money. But again, that may be different in other countries.

In addition, it also tells us if you're located near Microcenter and therefore let you know that you can take advantage of Microcenter's heavily discounted CPUs. Finally, it also lets us know if you're in New Jersey, California, or Tennessee, the three states where Newegg charges tax for. As such, we'll recommend that you buy the parts from Amazon.com.

There's always a reason why I didn't specify my Windows - I already have it.

We get a ton of people here in the forum that thinks that they can reuse their old OS key from a prebuilt PC. Or some illegal Windows key. As such, we have to make sure that the OP has a legit OS key or plans to get one.

There's always a reason why I didn't specify the other releavant things

Well excuse us for trying to make sure that the mobo you're choosing is the correct mobo for you. Or trying to make sure that you're not planning this build WAAY too soon. Or trying to make sure that card is the right card for your resolution. Or making sure that whether or not your current hard drives or SSDs is suitable for your multi-tasking needs.

It's not like we're asking that much from you: We need as much information as possible to make an informed recommendation.

EDIT: Man I type slow.

 

[tiraides]

EDIT: Man I type slow.

No you don't. You clarified quite a few things that, in hindsight, I should have explained better.

 

[Dangman]

No you don't. You clarified quite a few things that, in hindsight, I should have explained better.

Ahh true.

 

[E4g1e]

There's always a reason why I didn't specify my budget.
There's always a reason why I didn't specify my location (highly irrelevant too).
There's always a reason why I didn't specify my Windows - I already have it.
There's always a reason why I didn't specify the other releavant things

All of those reasons above are a giveaway that you're likely to have obtained your copy of Windows illegally (or illegitimately). In that case, then you will likely not receive any assistance whatsoever. Discussion of <insert 7-letter p-word here> copies of Windows is expressly prohibited in these forums; otherwise, the user may be banned from the forums.

 

[Cmustang87]

OP got burned. Come in here asking for help then be blatantly rude when trying to get the information to make the proper recommendations.

 

[Boojak]

Fine.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Literally everything, but multi-tasking is the top priority. I intend to run the rig 24/7 while running heavy load applications. In other words, I plan to run more than 20 instances of a 2D game (I think each instance consumes 200 to 400 mb of RAM) all the time.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Don't know. But I expect to pay less than £1,400 (2,107.50 USD) in total. Our taxes are higher (20% VAT), though
3) Where do you live?
UK, Europe.
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.
Here's my updated build now:
Intel Core i7 2600K Unlocked, Socket 1155, Sandy Bridge, Quad Core, 3.4 GHz, 8MB Cache, 95W, OEM
Corsair Hydro Series H70 High-performance CPU Cooler, LGA775/1155/1156/1366, AM2/AM3+
12GB (3x4GB) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT, PC3-16000 (2000mHZ), Unbuffered, 9-10-9-27, DHX, XMP, DF, 1.65V
Corsair CMXAF2 Airflow Fan for up to 6 x modules cooling - DDR1/2/3
1280MB Gigabyte GTX 570 OC, 40nm, 3800MHz GDDR5, GPU 780MHz, Shader 1560MHz, 480 Cores, DVI-I/ mHDMI
Asus P8P67 Pro, Intel P67 Express, S 1155, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), DDR3 2200(OC), SATA 6Gb/s, SATA RAID
Coolermaster HAF X, Black, Full Gaming Tower Case inc Side Window/USB3, w/o PSU
650W Corsair Enthusiast 650TXV2UK TX V2 Series, 85% Eff', SLi, EPS 12V, 80 Plus Bronze, 140mm Fan
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be re-using my current monitor and HDD:
23 inch Samsung PX2370
1tb Samsung HDD (cba to find how much speed)
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
23 inch Samsung PX2370
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
Due to the Sandy Bridget chipsets bug, obviously... I'll be using the SATA 6G/bs ports and the 1/0 ports for HDDs and media drives. The mobo that I listed has 4 SATA 6G/bs ports. So, that's ok. And I don't think I'll get a second GPU now (possbily in the future)
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

Since my first post in this thread, I have replaced 16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600mHZ each) with 12GB (3x4GB) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT, PC3-16000 (2000mHZ), Unbuffered, 9-10-9-27, DHX, XMP, DF, 1.65V.

One reason why I removed these Vengeance sticks:
I found the Air cooler that I wanted (Noctua D-14). But after checking the compability list, I've found out that Noctua D-14 won't fit Vengeance sticks (Space conflict).

^ So I've decided to get a Corsair H70 Hydro Series CPU Cooler and now that should fit
But I have also found out that the Vengeance sticks were Dual channel. A friend of mine told me that Triple channel were better and work better with an i7 processor. Dunno if that's true, so I followed his advice and went for 12gb (3x4gb) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT, PC3-16000 (2000mHZ) and added a cooler for it.

But after checking the Noctua D-14 compability list again, it states that the D-14 will fit Corsair Dominator sticks ONLY if the headspreaders are removed.

I honestly don't know. H70 or Noctua D-14? Which one is better? I heard that Noctua D-14 also cools the sticks... IDK.
And no, I don't wanna go for water cooling. Too risky and more expensive.

 

[jeffrosproto]

A friend of mine told me that Triple channel were better and work better with an i7 processor. Dunno if that's true, so I followed his advice and went for 12gb (3x4gb) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT, PC3-16000 (2000mHZ) and added a cooler for it.

It was true for the LGA1366 generation of i7's, but with the newer Sandy Bridge processors, you want dual channel.

 

[Dangman]

Fine.

Thank you.

1280MB Gigabyte GTX 570 OC, 40nm, 3800MHz GDDR5, GPU 780MHz, Shader 1560MHz, 480 Cores, DVI-I/ mHDMI

Considering your usage scenario and your resolution, the GTX 570 is not a good choice at all. You really should be looking at the HD 6950 2GB or HD 6970 2GB cards. Not only do they have a better price to performance ratio, they also have the extra VRAM needed to run all those instances of that game.

Coolermaster HAF X, Black, Full Gaming Tower Case inc Side Window/USB3, w/o PSU

Unless you're planning on a Quad-SLI or Quad-Crossfire setup or something, that case is not a good choice for the money. There are better quality and equally cooling cases out there (Don't have time to dig up Scan.Co.UK links):
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$200 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Lian Li PC-B25F ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-A71F Black ATX Case
$300 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

A friend of mine told me that Triple channel were better and work better with an i7 processor. Dunno if that's true, so I followed his advice and went for 12gb (3x4gb) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT, PC3-16000 (2000mHZ) and added a cooler for it.

Unfortunately your friend's info is out of date: That was somewhat true of the Core i7 9xx series CPUs. However with the Core i7 2xxx series CPUs, triple channel RAM isn't even supported per se. So you'll be fine with dual channel RAM.

Also want to point out: When overclocking the Core i7 2xxxK CPUs, the RAM isn't actually touched. So unlike the Core i7 8xx/9xx or Core i5 series CPUs, with the Core i7 2500K or 2600K CPUs, you'll reach the same OC with DDR3 1333 RAM as you would with DDR3 2200 RAM. Not to mention that you would not notice the difference between DDR3 1333 RAM and DDR3 2200 in most real world sitatuons, apps, and games. So in other words: Zero need for DDR3 1600 or DDR3 2000 RAM. You could go with the cheapest DDR3 1333 RAM out there with the highest timings possible and the system would still perform the same as high speed and low latency RAM.

Also, at 1.65V, the RAM you chose are at the very limit of the max RAM voltage for Core i series CPUs. You want to aim for 1.6V and below. So all in all, you're looking at new RAM there.

I honestly don't know. H70 or Noctua D-14? Which one is better? I heard that Noctua D-14 also cools the sticks... IDK.

Out of those two choices I'd go with the H70 simply for the novelty of it. Performance is roughly the same IIRC.

 

[Cmustang87]

Also want to point out: When overclocking the Core i7 2xxxK CPUs, the RAM isn't actually touched.

The reason for this is because you will be overclocking with the multiplier, not the bus speed.

 

[Boojak]

Thank you.

Sorry if I was a douche earlier. No excuses I know, but thank you guys for helping me.

Considering your usage scenario and your resolution, the GTX 570 is not a good choice at all. You really should be looking at the HD 6950 2GB or HD 6970 2GB cards. Not only do they have a better price to performance ratio, they also have the extra VRAM needed to run all those instances of that game.

Actually, that's very true. I'll go for the 6970 one then. The extra VRAM will definitely help in my situtation. I forgot to mention that I also plan to use my HDTV sometimes (for watching movies)

I may be paranoid, but I heard Intel processors work better with GFX?

What reliable brand should I choose, though? At the moment, I'm thinking XFX.
2GB XFX HD 6970 Black, PCI-E 2.1 (x16), 5700MHz GDDR5, GPU 925MHz, 1536Cores, 2x DVI / 2x mDP/ HDMI

Unless you're planning on a Quad-SLI or Quad-Crossfire setup or something, that case is not a good choice for the money. There are better quality and equally cooling cases out there (Don't have time to dig up Scan.Co.UK links):
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$200 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Lian Li PC-B25F ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-A71F Black ATX Case
$300 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

Thanks for the links, but I'm sticking with the case that I've chosen. I love the case design. I plan to use a second GPU in the future (not now anyways). And wouldn't a full case help if I plan to add a number of coolers?

Hmm, I don't know if I will overclock the HD 5970. But even if I do, I think I'd need to add an external cooler for it, yes?

Unfortunately your friend's info is out of date: That was somewhat true of the Core i7 9xx series CPUs. However with the Core i7 2xxx series CPUs, triple channel RAM isn't even supported per se. So you'll be fine with dual channel RAM.

Ok, thanks. I've removed the 12GB (3x4GB) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT Triple from my build
and went back to 16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600), Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24, XMP, 1.50V

Is that okay?

Also want to point out: When overclocking the Core i7 2xxxK CPUs, the RAM isn't actually touched. So unlike the Core i7 8xx/9xx or Core i5 series CPUs, with the Core i7 2500K or 2600K CPUs, you'll reach the same OC with DDR3 1333 RAM as you would with DDR3 2200 RAM. Not to mention that you would not notice the difference between DDR3 1333 RAM and DDR3 2200 in most real world sitatuons, apps, and games. So in other words: Zero need for DDR3 1600 or DDR3 2000 RAM. You could go with the cheapest DDR3 1333 RAM out there with the highest timings possible and the system would still perform the same as high speed and low latency RAM.

Thanks for the info. I've checked the 1332 mHZ ones, and the prices seem to be close to the 16GB 4x4gb (1600mhz) Vengeance set for some reason. So, I think I'll be sticking with the Vengeance set.

Out of those two choices I'd go with the H70 simply for the novelty of it. Performance is roughly the same IIRC.

Ok, I'll be sticking with the H70.

One more question:
I might add a number of coolers - e.g. the RAMs cooler and GPU cooler (I wouldn't mind the sound) and Miscellaneous stuff (extra lights, eye candy stuff), add a second GPU in the future, wouldn't I need a bigger PSU? Or is 650W psu still enough?

Again, thank you, guys for all of the help!

 

[Dangman]

I may be paranoid, but I heard Intel processors work better with GFX?

Nah.

What reliable brand should I choose, though? At the moment, I'm thinking XFX.

XFX is a good brand. So is Asus and Gigabyte.

Thanks for the links, but I'm sticking with the case that I've chosen. I love the case design. I plan to use a second GPU in the future (not now anyways). And wouldn't a full case help if I plan to add a number of coolers?

Well if you're referring to GPU coolers or RAM coolers as you said below, not really. RAM coolers don't take up that much space inside of a case itself. Not to mention that additional RAM cooling is completely unnecessary since you're not overclocking the RAM. As for GPU coolers, again, they don't take that much space to make a difference between a full or mid-tower case. If you take a look a lot of the cases I recommended, all of them can easily fit in 3rd party RAM coolers and almost all of the GPU coolers out there. Some of them may have issues with water cooling setups though. Not to mention that many mid-tower cases sometimes have similar internal volume or cooling capability as their full tower brethren.

Regarding the second GPU: A lot of the cases I recomended can easily handle two cards just fine. The only major advantage the HAF X case has over other cases in terms of GPU support is that it can fit three triple slot video cards or four dual-slot video cards just fine. Are you really gonna be putting in that much GPU power?

As for the case design, look at the HAF 932 and compare it to the HAF X 942. Very similar design and interior space, and cooling capability to the HAF X 942. Really compare the two: Does the HAF X 942 offer enough actually usable perks/advantages for you to justify the extra costs over the HAF 932?

Hmm, I don't know if I will overclock the HD 5970. But even if I do, I think I'd need to add an external cooler for it, yes?

Not really.

Ok, thanks. I've removed the 12GB (3x4GB) Corsair DDR3 Dominator GT Triple from my build
and went back to 16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600), Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24, XMP, 1.50V

Is that okay?

Thanks for the info. I've checked the 1332 mHZ ones, and the prices seem to be close to the 16GB 4x4gb (1600mhz) Vengeance set for some reason. So, I think I'll be sticking with the Vengeance set.

While that Corsair Vengence RAM is a better choice than the Dominators, still not quite there.

Checking on Scan.co.uk, the price for that Corsair Vengence set is £171. The price for getting four Corsair Memory 4GB DDR3 1333 sticks is about £140. That's a big difference IMO. Especially since the difference can be used to cover the costs of a Crucial C300 SSD. Or used to add additional/faster storage to your PC. With that said, if the looks of the Corsair Vengence RAM is worth £31 for you (that's really what you're paying for in terms of usage), then go for it

One more question:
I might add a number of coolers - e.g. the RAMs cooler and GPU cooler (I wouldn't mind the sound) and Miscellaneous stuff (extra lights, eye candy stuff), add a second GPU in the future, wouldn't I need a bigger PSU? Or is 650W psu still enough?

You're gonna need a bigger PSU if you go with the HD 6950 or HD 6970 Crossfire. Aim for a Antec (not their Quattro series), Corsair, or Seasonic 850W PSU. RAM, lights, and GPU coolers don't really use up that much power. Very negligible actually.

 

[Boojak]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated! I'm done with the important components. Now I'm into the the case / coolers...

You sure I don't need to add an external cooler for the video card, even if I overclock it?

Instead of adding a cooler for the RAM sticks, would it be more reasonable to add a cooler for the Northbridge? Antec SpotCools comes to mind, but it's blue LED. I'd prefer if it was yellow. Hmm.

I was also looking into the case today. Now, I've changed my mind about the case and went for the HAF 932. I like the clear-rear panel better (bigger view than the HAF X). Also, the 932 would suit the 120mm red/white LED fans + red nano sticks quite nicely, if not much nicer than the HAF X.

One disadvantage with the 932 is that it doesn't have any USB 3.0 slot - only HAF X does. Hmm.. If I wanted to use USB 3.0, I'd have to use the back. I guess the only time I'd use USB 3.0 is when I have an external HDD that supports USB 3.0.

Another disadvantage (I think) is that the 932 has only one 230mm fan at the top. I've checked the website's page, and it says: Top: 230 x 30 mm standard fan x 1, 700 RPM, 110 CFM, 19 dBA (support 120 mm fan x 3 or 120 mm x 1 + 230 x 30 mm x 1).

Whereas the HAF X has two 200mm fans at the top. I guess I could replace the 230mm fan with 3 x 120mm LED fans at the top of the 932, but I'm not sure if these 3 x 120mm fans would match the speed/air of two 200mm fans.

 

[Dangman]

You sure I don't need to add an external cooler for the video card, even if I overclock it?

Probably shouldn't have answered with "Not really". You may need a 3rd party HSF depending on which HSF (some manufacturers have stock or their own HSF desings) your card already has and the temperatures you're getting. Many people are getting decent temps and decent OCs just with the normal reference cooler due to their locations, case layout, etc. In addition, changing out your GPU HSF will often void the warranty on the GPU with many GPU manufacturers out there.

Instead of adding a cooler for the RAM sticks, would it be more reasonable to add a cooler for the Northbridge? Antec SpotCools comes to mind, but it's blue LED. I'd prefer if it was yellow. Hmm.

Well there's no northbridge to speak of with the Sandy Bridge CPUs: Most if not all of the functions of a northbridge have been migrated directly to the CPU. Nor does the south bridge really need additional cooling either. So you can't cool a northbridge that doesn't exist.

Another disadvantage (I think) is that the 932 has only one 230mm fan at the top. I've checked the website's page, and it says: Top: 230 x 30 mm standard fan x 1, 700 RPM, 110 CFM, 19 dBA (support 120 mm fan x 3 or 120 mm x 1 + 230 x 30 mm x 1).

Whereas the HAF X has two 200mm fans at the top. I guess I could replace the 230mm fan with 3 x 120mm LED fans at the top of the 932, but I'm not sure if these 3 x 120mm fans would match the speed/air of two 200mm fans.

Not a big disadvantage at all. 3 x 120mm fans will provide the same if not more cooling as 2 x 200mm fans assuming similar noise profiles.

 

[Boojak]

Thanks, looks like I'll be delaying the purchases for extra 2 days.

Yesterday, I was paying more attention to the reviews regarding CPU coolers. H70 is a good one, but most of the reviews claim that Noctua NH-D14 outperforms the H70 by a bit; plus the D-14 is cheaper; and that the H70 has a higher risk of failure.

While knowing that the D-14 won't fit RAM sticks that have unremovable heatspreaders, for example the Vengeance RAM sticks, so I was looking at these cheap 1333mHZ sticks (Corsair Memory 4GB DDR3 1333 Mhz CAS 9 Dual Channel). Now, these sticks don't have heatspreaders, meaning the D-14 should fit.

So, wouldn't it be more reasonable to go for the D-14 with these sticks, instead of the H70 and the Vengeance sticks? Cheaper, yet perform the same speeds too?

I'm confused about the RAM timings, though. Setting them at highest timings would achieve higher speeds? Isn't that considered as overclocking? If so, would it be a good idea to add two coolers (Antec Spot Cool) on them?

I love a certain fan (Xigmatek XLF-F1253 - 120mm LED Fan - 12V). I have decided to get 8 of these for everything (120mm x 3 for the top, 120mm x 4 for the side panel and 1 x 140mm for the rear. The case also has the front 200m fan red LED, so I'll leave that alone. So, in total there will be 13 fans (including the D-14 fans and 2 Antec Spot Cool).

(I won't mind if the whole system will be noisy)

For some reason, I'm still skeptical about my 650w PSU along with these fans. It's still enough? I hope so, lol.

Thanks again.

 

[tiraides]

If you stick with one video card, then a 650 watt power supply will be enough. If you believe that CrossFire, SLI, or a dual-GPU card is in your near future (like, within six months from now), I recommend grabbing an 850 watt or a 1000 watt power supply now.

With Sandy Bridge and the P67/H67 chipset, the rules have changed somewhat in regards to RAM. Many people now overclock their 2xxxK processors via the processors' unlocked multiplier, so they no longer touch their RAM (much, if at all). So you can go with the "cheap" Corsair sticks with no heatspreaders, especially since you'll have the D-14 and all of those fans in your case. You won't need a dedicated RAM cooler.

 

[Boojak]

Thanks for all of your help, guys. Appericate it. I just hope that the 1333mhz ram sticks will be stable since I plan to run heavy applications 24/7

 

[Dangman]

Thanks for all of your help, guys. Appericate it. I just hope that the 1333mhz ram sticks will be stable since I plan to run heavy applications 24/7

Yeah there's no inherent quality difference between DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1333 when it comes to stability. If anything DDR3 1333 would have the higher chance of stability since it's running at the CPU's max rated RAM speed whereas the DDR3 1600 is an unsupported RAM speed.

 

[Boojak]

I have recieved the parts, including 13 cooling fans, today. But I have realised that I may be missing something else. Do I actually need an adapter PCI card that can split a number of power connectors (e.g. 13) into one? I don't know if my new motherboard or power supply have enough power connectors to support 13 cooling fans. I haven't found out yet coz am assembling the D-14 ATM

 

[Dangman]

I have recieved the parts, including 13 cooling fans, today. But I have realised that I may be missing something else. Do I actually need an adapter PCI card that can split a number of power connectors (e.g. 13) into one? I don't know if my new motherboard or power supply have enough power connectors to support 13 cooling fans. I haven't found out yet coz am assembling the D-14 ATM

Adapter PCI card? No you don't need one.

 

[Boojak]

Guys, I have just built my new PC today and booted without any beep for the first time , however I have one problem.

I always get the "CPU Fan Error!" message on screen at every boot. I have to load the BIOS and exit out just to run the Windows environment.

No, no. Hang on! My CPU fan (Noctua D-14) is actually spinning just fine. When I was installing the fan, the fan connector has 3 pins, whereas the CPU_FAN socket has 4 pins. So, I connected the fan connector with PWR_FAN because that socket has 3 pins.

So, how do I get rid of the CPU fan error? I've checked through the BIOS to disable the check, but nothing.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Boojak]

Oh, just read that I can use the 4 pins socket with a 3 pins. But never mind, the "ignore" function from BIOS did the trick. It seems strange that the "disable" function didn't work.

Anyways, here are the pictures what do you think?

 

[hossdaddy]

thanks for posting pics Congrats man, now go clean up that room its a pig stye!!!!

 

[Dangman]

Looking good!

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

I'd be curious to see a non cell phone quality picture of your cable management. Looks badass.

 

[hossdaddy]

on second viewing those uber bright led's look like they will pollute the viewing of the monitor.