How does my PC build look...

[BSDMan]

Hello Forum

I have been a laptop user now for 10 years and very much miss the performance of a desktop. So I have decided that now is the time to change that and custom build a new PC. I would appreciate some feedback on the parts I have chosen:

Case: Corsair Obsidian 550D Black Mid-Tower
CPU Intel CPU Core i7 3770K Quad Core IvyBridge Processor OEM
Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 Socket 1155 Ivybridge Ready
RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 (1600)
Boot drive: Samsung SSD 830
Data drive: Not sure yet (see below)
PSU: BeQuiet BN203 DARK POWER PRO 10 850W Power Supply
Monitor: Dell 27" IPS Monitor A12 U2711 IPS Monitor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 Dual Radiator and Fan Quiet CPU Cooler
Case fans: Be Quiet BL063 SilentWings 2 120mm (2 of these for the front)
Case fans: Be Quiet BL027 Shadow Wings 140mm PWM (one for the rear of the case)
Keyboard: Logitech Illuminated Multimedia Keyboard
Mouse: Logitech Corded Mouse M500
UPS: APC Back UPS ES8 Power Saving Outlet 700VA

Some further info:

1) What will you be doing with this PC?

Browsing the web, email, watching 1080p BluRay movies and 1080p YouTube videos and running multiple VMs at the same time. No games in the short term.

2) 2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

£1750. I don't pay VAT where I live

3) Which country do you live in?

Channel Islands UK

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?

See above

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?

Not reusing anything

6) Will you be overclocking?

No.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

27" and 2560x1440

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

In the next 3 months

9) What features do you need in a motherboard?

USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, Onboard video, i7 Ivy Bridge, RAID1 (possibly)

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?

Yes. Windows 7 Professional 64bit

Some additional info:

1) No video card has been included in this build as I won't be playing games on this new machine. I may change my mind later on. For now I think the onboard video is good enough to drive the 27" monitor (using the Displayport connector) and to play 1080p BluRay movies. I would like to have 3 monitors in the future so will be adding a dedicated video card for this so I can run three 27" monitors in the maximum resolution (2560x1440)

2) I can't make up my mind regarding a 3TB drive to store my data/movies on. Look forward to some input here. I'm not keen on 5400RPM/Green drives but would like a suggestion for the quietest 7200RPM drive. I like the Western Digital Black drive but I think it'll be too noisy? Will the 550D case help "hide" the noise of the WD Black drive? If it wasn't for the noise I'd buy the Black drive.

3) Everything about this build must be quiet. I'm willing to slightly bend the rules for the 3TB data drive but everything else (case fans, CPU cooler, PSU etc) must be as quiet as possible

4) This PC is being built with the future in mind. Some parts may seem overkill *now* (like the PSU) but this is so I can add dedicated video cards, more hard drives etc and not have to replace parts. I like quality

5) I'm not sure if I should be considering a fan controller for this setup to control the noise levels of the fans?

 

[Dangman]

CPU Intel CPU Core i7 3770K Quad Core IvyBridge Processor OEM

Since you're not overclocking, you don't need the 3770K. You'll be fine with the regular 3770.

Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 Socket 1155 Ivybridge Ready

IMO, this is fairly overpriced especially since you're not overclocking. If you want stability and reliability, I highly recommend the Asus Sabertooth Z77 instead.

RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 (1600)

Which set are you talking about?

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In the next 3 months

You're planning a tad too early. So when you're 2-3 weeks away from buying this PC, bump up this thread with your updated build list to make sure that the PC is still a good choice.

1) No video card has been included in this build as I won't be playing games on this new machine. I may change my mind later on. For now I think the onboard video is good enough to drive the 27" monitor (using the Displayport connector) and to play 1080p BluRay movies. I would like to have 3 monitors in the future so will be adding a dedicated video card for this so I can run three 27" monitors in the maximum resolution (2560x1440)

Actually the Ivy Bridge CPUs supports three monitors out of the box. You just need to find a mobo with three display outputs. However if you only need two display outputs, I'd still recommend the above Sabertooth Z77 mobo.

2) I can't make up my mind regarding a 3TB drive to store my data/movies on. Look forward to some input here. I'm not keen on 5400RPM/Green drives but would like a suggestion for the quietest 7200RPM drive. I like the Western Digital Black drive but I think it'll be too noisy? Will the 550D case help "hide" the noise of the WD Black drive? If it wasn't for the noise I'd buy the Black drive.

Last I checked, WD didn't have 3TB Black drive. If you're talking about smaller sized Black drives, yeah those are a tad noisy. The 550D case might not hide/dampen the noise of the WD Black drives due to how loose the plastic HDD caddies are in that case. The Samsung F3 1TB was one of the quietest 7200RPM drives I know of but not sure about it now and it's a bit too small for your needs apparently.

4) This PC is being built with the future in mind. Some parts may seem overkill *now* (like the PSU) but this is so I can add dedicated video cards, more hard drives etc and not have to replace parts. I like quality
..
PSU: BeQuiet BN203 DARK POWER PRO 10 850W Power Supply

Unless you're planning on becoming a hard-core gamer (read triple high-end GPU SLI/CFX) and mad overclocker (5GHZ+) in the next 5 years, you don't need a 850W PSU. Even if you add 20 hard drives to the PC, you would still be fine with a solid 650W PSU. More than likely any dedicated GPU you add will be fairly low powered judging from the current GPU trend of ever lowering power usage. From what I know about that beQuiet PSU line, it's fairly expensive but not all that much better than the considerably cheaper and just as quiet Seasonic X650. So I recommend the Seasonic instead.

5) I'm not sure if I should be considering a fan controller for this setup to control the noise levels of the fans?

N/A.

 

[BSDMan]

I am now ready to place an order for building a new desktop. It has changed but here is what I have:

Fractal Design Define R4 Black Chassis
Intel CPU Core i7 3770 Quad Core IvyBridge Processor Retail
Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 Socket 1155 Ivybridge Ready Motherboard
32GB (4x8GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 (1600)
Samsung 830 SERIES SSD 256GB
Western Digital 3TB Red WD30EFRX Hard Drive for 24x7 & NAS
Seasonic SS-460FL 460W Fanless Power Supply
Dell UltraSharp U2713HM 27" Widescreen LED Monitor
Noctua NH-D14 Dual Radiator and Fan Quiet CPU Cooler
Be Quiet BL063 SilentWings 2 (2 fans)
Logitech Illuminated Multimedia Keyboard
Logitech Corded Mouse M500
APC Back UPS ES8 Power Saving Outlet 700VA

How does all this look? I know the RAM looks like overkill for now but its so cheap so why not? I just want to make sure all this hardware works together fine and then I can place the order in a couple weeks time.

Thanks for any input.

 

[eric335]

I am now ready to place an order for building a new desktop. It has changed but here is what I have:

Fractal Design Define R4 Black Chassis
Intel CPU Core i7 3770 Quad Core IvyBridge Processor Retail
Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 Socket 1155 Ivybridge Ready Motherboard
32GB (4x8GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 (1600)
Samsung 830 SERIES SSD 256GB
Western Digital 3TB Red WD30EFRX Hard Drive for 24x7 & NAS
Seasonic SS-460FL 460W Fanless Power Supply
Dell UltraSharp U2713HM 27" Widescreen LED Monitor
Noctua NH-D14 Dual Radiator and Fan Quiet CPU Cooler
Be Quiet BL063 SilentWings 2 (2 fans)
Logitech Illuminated Multimedia Keyboard
Logitech Corded Mouse M500
APC Back UPS ES8 Power Saving Outlet 700VA

How does all this look? I know the RAM looks like overkill for now but its so cheap so why not? I just want to make sure all this hardware works together fine and then I can place the order in a couple weeks time.

Thanks for any input.

Other than not having a GPU, this looks like a great build. The only thing id be worried about is the power supply. I am definitely overkill with my 900W set-up, but if i were you, a good-quality 750W PSU could last you through SLI, OC, and into the future. Reputable companies that the forum would recommend would be Seasonic, Corsair, and Antec.

Other than that, looks good. Havent read up on those fans, but im sure they are fine.

My $0.02, for whatever its worth

 

[Dangman]

Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 Socket 1155 Ivybridge Ready Motherboard

Total overkill for your needs. You're not overclocking so there's no reason whatsoever for you to get this mobo. From what you've said so far, you will be fine with the Asus P8Z77-V LK motherboard or even the MSI Z77A-G43 motherboard.

32GB (4x8GB) Corsair DDR3 XMS3 (1600)

Which set is that? Specific model number please.

As for the PSU, that Seasonic will fit your current needs just fine. As long as you don't plan on adding 3rd party video card and not more than 10+ HDDs, you should be fine with that PSU. With that said, personally I'd get the Seasonic X-650 Gold 650W since I'd rather have a fan on my PSU for that just in case scenario.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

I'd suggest you drop down to the P8Z77-V and save yourself the $100, unless of course you need dual NICs or one of the other features the -v doesn't have.

 

[BSDMan]

I chose that specicific PSU as its quiet...I want this sytem to be quiet! I don't plan on adding a GPU later and if I do I am happy to replace the PSU with something more powerful.

The exact model of RAM can be found here:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/16gb...00mhz)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-11-11-11-30-15v

I doubt I'll be adding more than 10 drives.

I'm going to stick to the Asus Deluxe mobo as I have read lots of reviews and they are all good! It may be overkill *now* but I know I will grow into it....

 

[Deleted member 88227]

The fans in a PSU generally aren't that loudest part of the system. The fans on that radiator will be louder. With that being said, the PSU you chose and Danny recommended would be fine.

That RAM is alright. Only reason we ask for specific model numbers is to ensure it's rated at 1.5v or less as anything higher could damage the CPU.

There is nothing to "grow into" on a motherboard. Either you use the features it's capable of or you don't.

 

[BSDMan]

The fans in a PSU generally aren't that loudest part of the system. The fans on that radiator will be louder. With that being said, the PSU you chose and Danny recommended would be fine.

That RAM is alright. Only reason we ask for specific model numbers is to ensure it's rated at 1.5v or less as anything higher could damage the CPU.

There is nothing to "grow into" on a motherboard. Either you use the features it's capable of or you don't.

After watching some video reviews about the Noctua CPU cooler, they all seem to say its very quiet but I get what you saying.

Thanks for double checking the RAM. I do want to make sure all of this hardware is correct and works together so I don't have any issues when building it.

I don't mind paying a bit extra for the Deluxe mobo. This machine has to last me for 4-5 years so I think its a great foundation for the machine. I haven't had a new machine in 4 years now so I'm willing to spend a bit extra now.

Everything else ok then?

 

[Dangman]

No the motherboard is still an issue since you are not using all of the features nor are you actually getting that much longevity out of that system to justify the costs.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

I just installed a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo today and even at full speed the fan is virtually silent.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

No the motherboard is still an issue since you are not using all of the features nor are you actually getting that much longevity out of that system to justify the costs.

This.

Just because it's more expensive and has features you don't intend to use right now, doesn't mean it's going to last you years from now.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

True, once Skillz suggested suggested I save money and not get the deluxe I gave the specs a closer look and realized he was right, the only features the deluxe had that the -v didn't were things I would never use even if I used the board for the next 10 years.