New gaming rig

[AngelR]

Hey all, stumbled on this site while searching for information on hardware and tips on choosing pc parts. This isn't my first rig, but it's my first machine that i'm able to spend a decent amount of money on to make it good. First off, the list:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
This is going to be a gaming PC. I plan to play games like Skyrim and Fallout with mods, D3, starcraft 2, and newer games as they come out. I also want to watch HD video.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
My budget is around $2000 after tax and shipping, +/- a couple hundred.

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

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.
I'll need case, ram, proc, mobo, ssd, storage hdd, psu, gpu, bluray drive and a cooler for the proc. Probably need extra fans too. I also wanted to try to squeeze in a monitor, keyboard and mouse at the price if possible. If not I do have some play room with the budget.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
This will be a full new build. No parts reused from old builds.

6) Will you be overclocking?
I don't plan to. I will if i can do so safely, but I try to not risk it.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
23" 1920x1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Hopefully within the next few weeks.

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.
I'm interested in UEFI, high speed sata, and sli support.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I plan to purchase Win7 pro or ultimate 64bit.



Now I do have a few ideas for my build. I was looking at the sabertooth z77 board for it's extended life and sturdy parts. The gtx 680 for its stock performance over the hd 7970. I dont plan on getting a huge ssd, a 64 gig is fine with me, enough for the os and some games. I was also thinking the i5-3570k, so if I planned to go SLI with the gtx 680 I can get double the bandwidth with the cards in x8/x8. I was looking at thermaltake chaser mk-I for the case but everything i've mentioned above i'm opened to change for better bang for my buck. Also, i'm a little concerned about the sabertooth z77 since i was thinking of using 4 4gig sticks of ram but the aftermarket cooler i'm looking at (noctua nh-d14) looks like it'll block the first ram port. I'd like to avoid water cooling if possible. I've never used it before and i'm not really comfortable with the idea of doing it myself yet.

 

[FM_Fixxxer]

Can I strongly suggest a 120gb SSD? I just recently made the jump to a 120GB SSD, and I'll be honest with you, I was really disappointed with the lack of space. I have Windows 7 Ultimate, BF3, WoW, and Diablo 3 installed, and I have roughly 10gb free. I know that's a big 3 games, WoW is a big chunk, but still. 64GB will fill up fast.

 

[Dangman]

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I plan to purchase Win7 pro or ultimate 64bit.

Two questions:
1) Is the cost of OS part of that $2000 budget?
2) Why not Windows 7 Home Premium?

EDIT: Are you sure you're not overclocking? Three of the parts you mentioned (Sabertooth Z77, i5-3570K, and Noctua NH-D14 HSF) are really meant for overclockers, not people who run their systems at stock. In other words, you might be spending more than you need to.

 

[DirtyB]

Can I strongly suggest a 120gb SSD? I just recently made the jump to a 120GB SSD, and I'll be honest with you, I was really disappointed with the lack of space. I have Windows 7 Ultimate, BF3, WoW, and Diablo 3 installed, and I have roughly 10gb free. I know that's a big 3 games, WoW is a big chunk, but still. 64GB will fill up fast.

I 100% agree with this, 128gb bare minimum at this point with how cheap SSD's are getting. I'd probably go 256 if I had to do it all over again.

The sabertooth is definitely overkill you can shave some money there to get the larger ssd.

 

[AngelR]

OS included in price, and i actually meant premium, not professional. Was a mistype, but yea, i'll take the advice and get a 128 gig, are the crucial M4s decent for the price?

edit: I'm not opposed to the idea of overclocking, it's just never worked right for me in the past, but i've never had a rig as good as the one i'm planning

 

[Dangman]

Here's a prelim build:

$390 - Intel Core i5-3570K CPU + Corsair AX750 750W Modular PSU Combo
$307 - MSI Z77A-GD65 Intel Z77 ATX Motherboard + Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SSD w/ USB to SATA Adapter and Drive Cloning software Combo
$95 - G.Skill Sniper F3-12800CL9Q-16GBSR 4 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$500 - GTX 680
$110 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$58 - Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-ray Drive
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156
$305 - Acer GD235HZbid 23.6" 120Hz LCD Monitor
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
---
Total: $1895 shipped

Notes:
- I didn't go with the Asus Sabertooth since I don't see how it's worth the extra $50 over the above MSI. Hell the above MSI is probably a tad overkill for your needs but at least it's not overpriced overkill like the Asus Sabertooth. Here's the HardOCP review of the above MSI mobo:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/05/15/msi_z77agd65_lga1155_motherboard_review/1

- The combo deals expire at the end of the month. If you can't buy the combo deal parts by the end of the month, please come back on June 6th for an updated build list as by then we'll know what Newegg's June combo deals will be.

- The big issue with the above build is that the GTX 680 is virtually hard to find. So you're gonna have to keep an eye out for any available GTX 680 card.

- Case wise, I do not recommend that Thermaltake case since it's a tad cramped and looks gawdawful. I recommend any of these cases instead:
$76 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver Arrow ATX Case
$125 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$140 - Antec Performance One Series P183 V3 ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$150 - Silverstone TJ04B-EW ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$164 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$178 - Silverstone RV02B-EW ATX case
$162 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$220 - Silverstone FT02S-W ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

 

[AngelR]

thanks, looks great! the phantom was my original choice for a case, but i was seeing mixed reviews. Since i now have a recommendation towards it i think i'll trust ya and my gut and go with it, less i like one of your other suggestions better. Thanks for part list

 

[slh28]

I'm not opposed to the idea of overclocking, it's just never worked right for me in the past, but i've never had a rig as good as the one i'm planning

Overclocking on Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge is easier than ever before and reading a few OC guides should sort you out.

If the GTX 680 isn't available then get a GTX 670, should easily run all your games at max settings at 1080p.

 

[Jason_CL]

I recommend Asrock's Intel boards, they're pretty sexy and have a ton of features. Also, go for a newer SSD, at least 120GB for the boot drive, and followup with a HDD for storage/games/apps that don't require 64-bit/SSD

 

[AngelR]

my big thing is expandability. While i want a great setup now, down the line i might add another monitor or 2, and i'm gonna want a card or 2 that can handle that. I might just go for the 670 given the shortages of the 680, and how good the 670 still is. I've decided to give OCing a go. I'll read up on what I can expect with the new ivy bridge line as far as getting it working, safe voltages, speed, etc. given that, will the cooler master hyper 212 cpu cooler still be the cooler to get?

 

[Dangman]

I've decided to give OCing a go. I'll read up on what I can expect with the new ivy bridge line as far as getting it working, safe voltages, speed, etc. given that, will the cooler master hyper 212 cpu cooler still be the cooler to get?

If you're going for a light to moderate OC of 4.2Ghz to 4.5Ghz, the Hyper 212 is a fine choice. But if you want go past 4.5Ghz or want lower temperatures at 4.2Ghz to 4.5Ghz, you're gonna need a beefier HSF like this:
$43 - Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120 120mm HSF

Though if you really want lower temperatures (and considering how hot the IB CPUs run when OC'd), I'd recommend this HSF:
$98 - Corsair Hydro H100 Liquid Cooling System