New Build - Coming from Core 2 Duo E6700

[CookieFactory]

Right now my system consists of an Antec P180, Asus P5W DH Deluxe, Intel E6700, Intel X25-M 80 GB, and Radeon HD5870, however I am starting to notice FPS lag in several newer games (ME3, BF3, Witcher 2, Deus Ex: HR, etc).


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

General purpose. Web browsing and gaming would probably be the top 2 activities. The games I'm planning on playing are Guild Wars 2, BF3, League of Legends, etc.


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

No hard budget per se, but ideally under 2k USD.


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

Ohio, and a Micro-Center is less than 20 minutes away.


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.

Case
Motherboard
CPU
CPU heatsink
CPU fan
GPU
OS Drive
PSU
RAM


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

I will be re-using a 1 TB WD Black HDD for media / non-OS



6) Will you be overclocking?

Perhaps a modest overclock. My current system is running at stock speeds although I have run at 3.4 GHz on and off.


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

2 x 24" 1920 x 1080


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

Really up in the air. If I can get away with using my current PC, then perhaps not until Haswell. Otherwise within the next month or so.


9) What features do you need in a motherboard?

USB 3.0, eSATA, and I'd like to have built-in Bluetooth as I have had poor luck with USB bluetooth adapters (planning on using a Bluetooth mic, headset, etc).


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


Yes, Windows 7 Professional x64.


Here is what I've tentatively picked out:

Case: Silverstone FT02B-W - $239
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE - $283.49
CPU: Intel 3770K - $309.56
CPU heatsink: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev C - $76.55
CPU fan: ??
GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 - $399.99
OS Drive: Intel 520 240 GB - $330.99
PSU: SeaSonic Platinum Platinum-860 - $219.99
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB x 2 - $93.98

Total Cost: $1953.55

What do you think of this build? Are there any components you would recommend instead? I would like to keep power consumption, heat, and noise as low as possible without them becoming primary drivers. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Dangman]

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE - $283.49

IMO, this mobo is really ovepriced. Good quality probably but really overpriced. Not to mention that Asus' customer support has really gone down the drain lately.

CPU: Intel 3770K - $309.56

You didn't mention doing any sort of extensive 3D, video, or audio editing/rendering or a lot virtualization work. As such, the 3770K is not worth it in this case. You would be fine with the Core i5 3570K

Since you live near a Microcenter, you can take advantage of their CPU + mobo deals. Right now you can get the i5 3570K for $190 from MC. In addition, they'll knock off $50 if you purchase a Z77 motherboard with the i5 3570K. So grab the i5 2570K and the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB. Note the WB at the end: thats the version you want as it has integrated blu-tooth. Yes they don't list that mobo in their flyer but it is MC so sometimes their flyers are outdated:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/95f7a97d#/95f7a97d/27

GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 - $399.99

I'd spend the extra $8 for a longer warranty and better customer support:
$408 - Gigabyte GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB PCI-E Video Card

OS Drive: Intel 520 240 GB - $330.99

Good SSD. But at tad overpriced since you can get the slightly lesser quality Crucial m4 256GB for $250:
$250 - Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SSD

PSU: SeaSonic Platinum Platinum-860 - $219.99

Really overkill for your needs. You would be fine with a solid 650W PSU even if you were planning on Crossfire. Unless you're planning on triple Crossfire, you'll be fine with this Seasonic:
$150 - Seasonic X750 Gold 750W Modular PSU

The Seasonic X650 was only $7 cheaper so might as well go for the larger 750W at that point.

With all of the money saved, go for the GTX 680 if it is available when you're buying the parts.

 

[CookieFactory]

IMO, this mobo is really ovepriced. Good quality probably but really overpriced. Not to mention that Asus' customer support has really gone down the drain lately.


You didn't mention doing any sort of extensive 3D, video, or audio editing/rendering or a lot virtualization work. As such, the 3770K is not worth it in this case. You would be fine with the Core i5 3570K

Since you live near a Microcenter, you can take advantage of their CPU + mobo deals. Right now you can get the i5 3570K for $190 from MC. In addition, they'll knock off $50 if you purchase a Z77 motherboard with the i5 3570K. So grab the i5 2570K and the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB. Note the WB at the end: thats the version you want as it has integrated blu-tooth. Yes they don't list that mobo in their flyer but it is MC so sometimes their flyers are outdated:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/95f7a97d#/95f7a97d/27



I'd spend the extra $8 for a longer warranty and better customer support:
$408 - Gigabyte GV-R795WF3-3GD Radeon HD 7950 3GB PCI-E Video Card


Good SSD. But at tad overpriced since you can get the slightly lesser quality Crucial m4 256GB for $250:
$250 - Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SSD


Really overkill for your needs. You would be fine with a solid 650W PSU even if you were planning on Crossfire. Unless you're planning on triple Crossfire, you'll be fine with this Seasonic:
$150 - Seasonic X750 Gold 750W Modular PSU

The Seasonic X650 was only $7 cheaper so might as well go for the larger 750W at that point.

With all of the money saved, go for the GTX 680 if it is available when you're buying the parts.

Col thanks for the feedback. What do you think about the heat sink choice? I have been out of the loop so are there any higher regarded heat sinks available?

 

[E4g1e]

Col thanks for the feedback. What do you think about the heat sink choice? I have been out of the loop so are there any higher regarded heat sinks available?

The Megahalems is a good choice if you're aiming for an overclock to 4.8GHz on that Ivy Bridge CPU. Otherwise, it's overkill.