New gaming build...

[haggard21]

Well first off, I want to take the time to thank everyone who helped me build my first computer back in 2007 (for those of you who are still active at least.) That build is still going strong with no upgrades besides a new case since the clip for the power button would no longer hold on to the case. I gave that computer to my parents when I left for the military a couple years ago and now it is time to build a new rig.

Budget will be between $2000-$2400 if worth the extra expense. I will be only using this for games since I have a Macbook Air (I know, SIN!!! lol) for everyday tasks. I do plan to overclock the CPU and maybe the video card slightly.

Here is what I came up with, feedback is appreciated:

Case:
Newegg.com - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1) Black Steel structure with black brushed aluminum faceplate ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

CPU:
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

MOBO:
Newegg.com - ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard

Memory: I know it's overkill but its so cheap so why not?
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B

Video Card:
Newegg.com - EVGA DS Superclocked 015-P3-1587-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

PSU:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

SSD: Going to pretty much only use this until HDD $ drop.
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Aftermarket Cooler: I could probably get by with the H70.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

DVD Burner:
Newegg.com - LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - CD / DVD Burners

Monitor:
Newegg.com - Asus VE248H Black 24" 1920X1080 2ms Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 10,000,000:1

Total comes to $2,220 after Win 7 and shipping.

Suggestions?

Edit: I will be playing games such as Skyrim, BF3, Mass Effect 3 etc...
I will also be purchasing the keyboard, mouse, and speakers locally.

Would there be any reason to get a sound card? I'm all for it but I don't know too much about them so any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Sourtop]

Everything looks good, but I would recommend an Intel 510 120 GB SSD because you'll be using this as a primary drive and the Intel series are the most reliable SSD's on the market.

If you're looking to cut costs you don't need a 850 W PSU. The Corsair TX650 would be enough for what you want and you don't need that expensive of a MOBO. An Asus P8Z68-V Pro would be more than enough.

As for the cooler, are you set on liquid cooling? If not, you can get the same or better cooling for less expensive coolers. The Hyper 212+ is $30 and is amazing, but if you want even lower temps you could get the Noctua NH-D14 for ~$80 which will outperform the H100.

Sound card isn't needed.

I can play Skyrim on near max with my GTX 460. You'll be able to fully max it without a problem with that system.

You should also reuse your old hard drive for data until prices drop. OS and games on the SSD.

[jdeb]

I would change the SSD to an Intel 510 series. May not be the fastest but it is the most reliable.

That is a premium Z68 board. You could trim some cost by going with the...

Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

If you are overclocking heavily, that cooler is what you need... it is the best closed loop system available.

try it without the sound card first, you may be surprised at the quality.

[haggard21]

Thanks for the prompt feedback. The Asus board you both recommend does look good and I can either pocket the extra cash or upgrade something else. The PSU I'll probably keep in case I ever decide to upgrade my video card into one that will use more power (or SLI). I am not set on liquid cooling and spent like 2 hours going back and forth between the H100, the Noctua, or the Hyper 212 when I was first making this list and decided on the Corsair. That will probably be a last minute decision lol.

And Sourtop: My old HDD is in still in the old system that I gave my parents so they are using it unfortunately.

[Sourtop]

With the money you save on the MOBO and cooler you could get one of the EVGA GTX 580 Classified's.

Honestly, if you want amazing cooling I would go with the D14. You'll save yourself around $40 with the only drawback being that the H100 would "clean" your case up a bit with less clutter.

Maybe a blu-ray player if you really want?

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Sourtop With the money you save on the MOBO and cooler you could get one of the EVGA GTX 580 Classified's. Honestly, if you want amazing cooling I would go with the D14. You'll save yourself around $40 with the only drawback being that the H100 would "clean" your case up a bit with less clutter. Maybe a blu-ray player if you really want?

From the tests I have run using prime 95 and POV-Ray the H100 is 49 and 44 idle around 26. The Hyper 212 Evo is 73 and 72. Idle around 40. I have not tested the D14 because of the size of the thing irritates me to no end. Roughly 4 instances at 10 minutes a piece. Idle temps were 30 minutes at stock. RealTemp for readings.

GTX 580, 16gb Corsair Vengeance

[Sourtop]

Oh, I didn't mean that the Hyper 212+ would compete with the temps of the H100. I just meant that it would allow you to overclock to just about any safe amount that the H100 could without having to spend an extra $90.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Sourtop Oh, I didn't mean that the Hyper 212+ would compete with the temps of the H100. I just meant that it would allow you to overclock to just about any safe amount that the H100 could without having to spend an extra $90.

Oh o.k. He said he was going to be overclocking and I assumed with that original board selection, he was an enthusiast. If he wants the max amount of overclocking, tuning features, the original board he selected will deliver.

[haggard21]

Originally Posted by jdeb Oh o.k. He said he was going to be overclocking and I assumed with that original board selection, he was an enthusiast. If he wants the max amount of overclocking, tuning features, the original board he selected will deliver.

Well I wouldn't call myself an enthusiast. I've done some slight overclocking in the past with my old Core 2 Duo E6600 but nothing too extreme. I just think with it being such a common and more easily done process I'll give it a go.

[Sourtop]

That's true! I took it as a gaming PC where he would fiddle around with overclocking features. That's essentially what I did with my PC. It all comes down to how much you're willing to throw at the PC.

[haggard21]

Well I just found out that I am going to Guam for 4 months on Thursday. So this build will not be happening. Thanks to everyone for the advice and I'll be sure to come back for some suggestions after I come back for my next build. Ivy Bridge maybe?