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Need Help With First Build

D

DarkStar_WNY

2[H]4U
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
2,363
I am about to order the parts for my first modern build, the last system I built involved bags of chips and a soldering iron (guess I'm showing my age there) and after years of lurking and reading in these forums I decided I should step up and ask for opinions on this before I do.

First let me get the stickied questions answered.

I'm building the computer for my son so it will mainly be for gaming, although occasionally he does some very minor editing of game videos to post up for his friends, and of course I'll be setting up the folding client on it as well.

My budget is about roughly $1500-2000 USD, although I'd prefer to keep it as close to the low end of that range as possible, and mainly I just want the best bang for the buck, even if that means going over that budget.

Monitor wise I'll be buying him a 23 or 24 inch monitor locally and am aiming for a 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution.
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As for Mobo features, I'd like the option of adding a second card in SLI in the future, and wi-fi is a plus since it will save my having to add that ability seperately. Other then that I simply want something upto date so that means USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, and eSATA, none of which are absolute requirements but I'd rather have them and not need them as kick myself later because I didn't get them.

I will likely experiment some with overclocking but nothing extreme.

The only parts for this rig that I already own is the WD 1TB HD and will be purchasing an OEM copy of 64 bit Win 7.

Finally I plan to order the parts this week (yeah I know I should have posted this message a couple weeks ago, but I forgot. lol!)

Now on to my actual post and questions. :D

1) CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 40
2) Mobo: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
3) GPU: GIGABYTE GV-N66TOC-2GD GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
4) RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory
5) HDD 1 OS/Games: OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-256G 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive
6) HDD Data: 1TB WD Cavier Black (already own)
7) Heat Sink: Unknown, I could use some help with this (see below)
8) PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
9) Case: NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Newegg Exclusive Black Finish w/Orange Trim Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case (my son picked it out)

I could use some help selecting a HSF for this rig, I would like something better then stock but don't want 3 lbs of copper hanging off the CPU/mobo as the system will be moved occasionally in the house and the thought of doing that with only of the monster HSFs bolted to the mobo sort of scares me.

Is that something to be concern about moving a case from one room to another or am I being overly paranoid? Either way I would love to know what you would suggest for a HSF for this rig, I had considered using one of the Corsair H100 liquid coolers but I'm not sure it it's really something I should use on my first rig.

Also, would it be worth $100 to move up to a GTX 670 from the 660 Ti or wouldn't the performance difference justify it?

Along those same lines, for a gaming rig would the performance justify spending the extra $80 to move up to an i7-3770 or even $110 for the i7-3770k?
 
The RAM you picked out is rated at 1.65v, which can harm your CPU/Mobo. Pick out a kit that is 1.5v + DDR3 1600, it'll save you some money there.

H100 might an overkill if you're not into extreme overclocking. If you're not populating all 4 DIMM slots or have high profile heatsink on the RAM, check out the Coolmaster Hyper 212+ or if you want custom liquid cooling, the Corsair H60 or Antec 620.

For a gaming rig, I would stick with the 3570K, you won't see much improvement going with a 3770/K. Maybe Folding would benefit, not 100% sure.

Since you did not list the games that your son plays and you're only gaming on a single 1080/1200, I would go with the 660Ti. Good 660Ti reviews on the Video card forum that can set your mind at ease.

I wish my dad was as cool as you (tech-wise)....:D
 
He mostly players shooters, RPGs minecraft and a couple strategy games, although the system he uses is an old iXPS laptop (6800 go ultra graphics) so it's very limited which newer games he can play so who knows what else he'll play once he gets a system capable or running new games.

Okay thanks for the info on the RAM, I simply selected it as it was a Newegg suggestion, and several of the reviews I saw for the mobo used the same stuff so I figured why not, I guess now I know why, thanks! lol!
 
Unless you intend to overclock beyond 4Ghz, no need for the "K" series of that processor. Just get the i5 3470 and you'll be good. It can overclock up to 3.9Ghz, YMMV. (Though this seems to be the norm) Do note that if you are serious about Folding on this rig, you'll see a huge increase in PPD with an i7 processor on account of it's HT features. Though this is the ONLY thing that will benefit from it, except the occasional video your son edits, but it depends on what program he is using. If he's editing videos though Youtube's site, it wont help. If he's using one of Adobe's programs to edit, you'll notice a small speed increase but from the sound of it, it's not worth it to move up to an i7 so stick with the i5. If anything stick with the 3570K and aim for a 4.5Ghz overclock (Just bumping the multiplier to 45x should be enough, might have to add a volt or two)

No need at all for that motherboard with the features you require. At $280, you can save $130 by going with the $150 - ASUS P8Z77-V LK board instead. It meets all your requirements except the wireless NIC, which you can buy separately for $30 - ASUS PCE-N15 thus saving you a total of $100.

GPU is a good choice. Not really worth moving up to the 670, the 660 Ti is nicely priced.

RAM is not a good choice on account of Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs operating at DDR3 1333 by default. To get to the higher RAM speeds you'll have to overclock which nets almost ZERO performance benefits and it rather difficult to achieve. Therefore, save some money and get two of these kits $42 - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 for twice the amount of RAM which will show the most improvement on the system. (Well, not right now as 8GB is plenty but you'll be able to grow into 16GB) Also as BugginOuT, RAM rated at 1.65v or higher could potentially damage Intel CPUs.

Do not under any circumstances buy anything from OCZ. There customer support is crappy at best. Not to mention I'm still not comfortable with recommending their drives because it's based on the Sandforce controller which in the past has been known to have random stability issues. Supposedly that was fixed, but I'm still skeptical. So stick with reliable drives. Either a 256GB Samsung 830 or 256GB Crucial M4. Can't go wrong with either one. The Samsung is slightly faster, so if it doesn't cost much more grab it.

You already own the WD Black, but if you was buying it I'd recommend the Hitachi 7k1000.d drive as it's as fast as if not faster while costing a good bit less.

Grab the Coolermaster 212+ CPU cooler. It's like $30, if you intend to do any kind of extreme overlocking (Like 4.5Ghz on the "K" series processor) then that cooler will fit the bill. It's a tower style cooler, but as long as you don't throw the case around it'll be fine. It fits securely to the motherboard with a back plate and it rather secure.

Good PSU. Check the Seasonic 750W, might be cheaper. It's a quality unit as well.

Meh, it's an okay case. Not one I'd personally use but it will at least get the job done as far as keeping everything nice and cool as well as allowing descent cable management.


For the record, we prefer that you make a topic a few days before actually ordering. We tend to stay on top of hardware on a daily basis, therefore we don't generally need weeks to plan out a good budgeted build. Though sometimes we ask that you wait till the beginning of the month if you start the thread towards the end so we can check out the next months combo deals which we sometimes use.

Also do make a note that if you intend to use more than 16GB of RAM, you'll need at least Windows 7 Professional. Windows 7 Home has an artificial 16GB limit on memory.
 
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Okay, the Samsung drive was not only cheaper then the M4, by $16 USD, but also even then the OCZ, by $11, so I changed my order to it.

I also got the Asus P8Z77-V board for only $20 more then the P8Z77-V LK so that saves me $30 on the wi-fi card so basically you saved me $110 on the motherboard alone.

I also went with your RAM suggestion, although in blue to go with the mobo, and I only order 8GB for now since it will be very easy to upgrade later if we need to.

I realized the PS wasn't module so after reading reviews and thoughts in other threads I went with a Corsair Professional Series Gold AX750 modular PS, it cost a little more but reviews for it are better then any PS I've seen, even here on [H]

I stayed with the i5-3570K but I got a deal on an Asus GTX 670 DirectCUII videocard that I couldn't refuse, it was only $45 more then a 660Ti so I snapped it up.

For the HSF I went with the Coolermaster 212 Evo, based on your suggestion and at the price, and considering the stellar reviews I figured I couldn't go wrong.

All told the price was just barely over $1500, including shipping and a few odds and ends I added to the order.

Thanks to everyone who responded, once again I'm sorry for the short notice, I'm not sure where my head was as I'm always browsing the forums here but for some reason the whole "Hey, post a thread here idiot" never popped into my head. lol!

I'll make sure that I make a post on how my build goes, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Look forward to seeing the finished product when everything comes in. Now it's just a waiting game. I hate waiting. LOL
 
Skillz said:
Look forward to seeing the finished product when everything comes in. Now it's just a waiting game. I hate waiting. LOL
Click to expand...

It's not even going to be my computer and I'm going to hate the wait, although not nearly as much as my son. LOL!

Everything showed as being in stock so we hope to get everything before next weekend so we can build it before he goes back to School on Tuesday, but then of course tearing him away from it to send him to school wont be easy.
 
Yeah, I mean shipped, all the shopping ended last night.

...... well not all of it, I've been spending so much time on Newegg's website that I headed right back there today, and also been watching all sorts of system building videos.

Thanks again for all your help!

The suggestions I got here in half a day allowed me to build a better system then I had originally planned, and actually spend less then I would have originally as well.
 
Oh crap, I was just reading the manual for the mobo and it appears that I may have screwed up by ordering the wrong RAM.

What I ordered was the G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-8GBXH

But I must have looked at the wrong list, or misread it as the RAM above doesn't show on the "Asus P8Z77-V Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists."

Is this going to be a problem?
 
Nope. You'll be fine. That RAM is recommended/used a lot on various ASUS motherboards, even the P8Z77-V.
 
Skillz said:
Nope. You'll be fine. That RAM is recommended/used a lot on various ASUS motherboards, even the P8Z77-V.
Click to expand...

You just took a load off my mind, I was about to order a different RAM just to be safe.

So, once again I owe you my thanks (so I'll even buy you top shelf drinks if your ever in the area. :D
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
You just took a load off my mind, I was about to order a different RAM just to be safe.

So, once again I owe you my thanks (so I'll even buy you top shelf drinks if your ever in the area. :D
Click to expand...

No problem. Though I don't think I'll be in NY anytime soon. Gotta have a job before I can take a vacation. :(
 
I spend some time digging around this weekend and on the G.Skill site if you bring up the RAM I bought it lists almost every Asus Z77 motherboard, including all the - V boards except the regular -V, in it's list of compatible mobos.

But when I went used their Ram Configurator and searched by motherboard>>>manufacturer>>P8Z77-V the RAM is actually listed in the results (although the list it generates is a PITA to sort through.)

Picked up my son an 27" LG E2742V monitor yesterday from Best Buy, we went to look at 23/24" ones but this 27" was the best looking one there, and setting each monitor to look it's best only made this LG look even better. Better yet it was an open item special so they knocked $120 off and we got it for only $230.
 
Check back on some of the builds we've done here. We've recommended that RAM with that motherboard frequently. They'll work fine together.
 
Wow, I feel like I missed quite a party!

Literally everything I was going to say was said on this thread. I was going to comment on the SSD (I have the Vertex 4 and wish I'd waited for the Samsung 830 prices to go down some) and also on the HSF. Got one for my roommates build and we love it!

Great choices on everything else, and congrats on the cheap monitor purchase! You got a pretty good deal there!

I'll also have to make a mental note to keep Skillz in mind when I want suggestion on parts!

Cheers!
 
The case showed up yesterday and and everything else showed up today so I'm on for doing the build this weekend.

I've been reading and watching every video I can on doing the actual build, anyone have any sites they would suggest?
 
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