Build check

[cyberslag5k]

Would you guys mind taking a look at this build (updated), and let me know if you see any red flags, missed opportunities, etc.?

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming and coding.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
About $1,000.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Cincinnati, Ohio
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.
CPU
GPU
Mobo
RAM
PSU
Case
Optical Drive

I already have an SSD, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and onboard sound is fine.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Intel 330 240GB SSD.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not really. I might dabble a bit, but I'm not much of an OC'er.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
40" 1080p LCD TV.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
1-3 days or so.
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.
Just standard use. I don't plan on RAIDing or SLI'ing. They're nice features, because you never know, but I'm not big into multiple GPUs (I Crossfired on my last build when I scored the second GPU cheap, meh), and I don't have much of a need to stripe thanks to the speed of SSD. Mirroring isn't necessary for this box.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yup. Windows 7 64 bit.

I think it's a pretty straightforward build. I'm open to a GTX 670, but I'd want it closer to $300. The only thing I've found was a PNY with a $40 mail-in rebate for $300, which just looked a bit shady. I couldn't find any reviews on it, either.

I agonized over the 3470 vs a 3570k. The 200MHz didn't really seem worth $40 (I'll be getting it at $150, I live 2 miles from a Microcenter), but I can probably be pursuaded if the performance is really there.

Normally I'm all about the ASUS mobo, but for the price and the rave reviews the Extreme4 is getting, I thought I'd give it a shot. I've also had an ASRock Mobo in the past, and it was fine.

And I know the case is expensive, but I really like it. It's full sized (a strong preference, though not a requirement), and it's got personality. I'd consider a cheaper full or mid, as long as it's not boring (e.g. black, beige, or grey).

I picked the PSU because of its gold efficiency rating and modular capabilities. Other than that, I'm not married to it.

I also wasn't sure what to do about RAM speed. I'm okay upping it if there's a significant performance increase, like if it will pair better with the CPU for non-OC'ing considerations.

Thanks for the help!

Update:
Updated just about everything.

 

[Dangman]

Actually since you live near a Microcenter, it makes more sense for you to get the Core i5 3570K instead since MC knocks off $40 off any compatible mobo when purchased with the Core i5 3570K. So get the mobo and CPU at the same time from Microcenter and you'll end getting a slightly faster CPU and the ability to OC for the same price as that Core i5 3470 setup.

PSU wise, that Seasonic is a tad overpriced IMO. FYI, Gold Efficiency rating doesn't matter that much:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/

Anyway, I recommend this PSU instead:
$90 - SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W Modular PSU

That RAM is ridiculously overpriced. Not to mention the tall heat sinks on it will interfere with any future HSF upgrade you may get. I recommend this RAM instead:
$35 - Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM

Video card wise, I say just pony up for the GTX 670. You certainly have room in your budget for it.

 

[cyberslag5k]

Actually since you live near a Microcenter, it makes more sense for you to get the Core i5 3570K instead since MC knocks off $40 off any compatible mobo when purchased with the Core i5 3570K. So get the mobo and CPU at the same time from Microcenter and you'll end getting a slightly faster CPU and the ability to OC for the same price as that Core i5 3470 setup.

Great tip. Would I not save that $40 with the 3470 as well?

PSU wise, that Seasonic is a tad overpriced IMO. FYI, Gold Efficiency rating doesn't matter that much:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/

Anyway, I recommend this PSU instead:
$90 - SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W Modular PSU

That's actually $20 more than the one I have selected. Do you recommend it for the extra power? Would 450W not be enough?

That RAM is ridiculously overpriced. Not to mention the tall heat sinks on it will interfere with any future HSF upgrade you may get. I recommend this RAM instead:
$35 - Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1600C11 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM

Great catch. I just saw $50 for 2x4GB and thought that sounded good.

Video card wise, I say just pony up for the GTX 670. You certainly have room in your budget for it.

Is there a 670 you'd recommend? Asus would be my first choice, but $400 is more than I'd want to pay for a video card. I may be able to afford it, but I'd like to come in under if I can.

Thanks for the excellent response!

 

[Dangman]

Great tip. Would I not save that $40 with the 3470 as well?

No. The MC $40 off deal only applies to the Core i5 3570K and Core i3 3225.

That's actually $20 more than the one I have selected. Do you recommend it for the extra power? Would 450W not be enough?

$20 more? How is that possible? If thats with a MIR, I don't factor those in until you recieve them. Since you haven't recieved that rebate, I'd judging it by the price you're paying which is ~$90. While a 450W PSU like that Seasonic would be enough, I'd rather get more power for the same cost just in case.

Is there a 670 you'd recommend? Asus would be my first choice, but $400 is more than I'd want to pay for a video card. I may be able to afford it, but I'd like to come in under if I can.!

If bang for the buck is truly what matters to you, then you should be looking at the HD 7950 3GB then. For either card, I recommend the cheapest one from Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI.

 

[E4g1e]

Great tip. Would I not save that $40 with the 3470 as well?

No. You will be paying the full regular price for both the CPU and mobo if you get the 3470 from MC. Besides, the $40 discount for the Z77 mobo generally only applies if you purchase an i5-3570K or an i3-3225 CPU (as Danny noted).

That's actually $20 more than the one I have selected. Do you recommend it for the extra power? Would 450W not be enough?

With a GTX 670, just enough. The problem is that you might have included a mail-in rebate as part of the total cost (which I, like Danny, do not unless I actually have the check or prepaid debit card in my hands). At its actual street price of $90 (which is the price that you'll be paying upfront), it is overpriced for such low wattage output. (Remember, a rebate is NOT an instant discount - and will NEVER be.) EDIT: There is an instant $10 discount for that 450W PSU. That still makes that PSU a tad overpriced at $80 shipped - which is only $10 less than the 620W Seasonic PSU Danny recommended.

 

[cyberslag5k]

Sounds good on the CPU.

For the PSU, Newegg has it for $80, with a $10 rebate bringing it to $70. I'm with you, though, on not counting on rebates. They're a factor, but they carry only about half their weight in value for me.

Anyway, if power is going to be a concern, what about this one at 550W for $85:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm

It's also got the gold standard, which I recognize doesn't mean much having looked at that link, but it would still be nice to have (I believe in voting with your dollar and efficiency means something to me, so even an empty standard is better than nothing). Or is 650W really where I want to be? It seems excessive to me, but if it's conceivably useful then so be it.

 

[E4g1e]

Sounds good on the CPU.

For the PSU, Newegg has it for $80, with a $10 rebate bringing it to $70. I'm with you, though, on not counting on rebates. They're a factor, but they carry only about half their weight in value for me.

Anyway, if power is going to be a concern, what about this one at 550W for $85:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm

It's also got the gold standard, which I recognize doesn't mean much having looked at that link, but it would still be nice to have (I believe in voting with your dollar and efficiency means something to me, so even an empty standard is better than nothing). Or is 650W really where I want to be? It seems excessive to me, but if it's conceivably useful then so be it.

It's $86 shipped (you are off by $1) only if you order it from Amazon (they are currently out of stock; the third party reseller that the Amazon link directed to for that PSU charges more than $110 for it). Newegg, on the other hand, charges a whopping $10 for shipping with that PSU, making the total cost $96 shipped.

 

[cyberslag5k]

Yeah, I'd be getting it from Amazon.

Also, where do you guys see that Microcenter deal? I don't see it on their website anywhere, and I'd like to be able to reference it in the store.

 

[Dangman]

For the PSU, Newegg has it for $80, with a $10 rebate bringing it to $70.

There's no free shipping on that Seasonic 450W from Newegg whereas the Seasonic 620W I recommended has free shipping. So that 450W really costs you $90.

Anyway, if power is going to be a concern, what about this one at 550W for $85:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm

Again, no free shipping from Newegg and that Amazon.com price is out of date. More than likely it won't be coming back into stock at that $85 price at Amazon for a few weeks. As such, that particular PSU comes out to $96 shipped as it stands now.. Still a bit too much IMO. With that said, you honestly don't need a 600W+ PSU. If a meaningless standard matters that much to you, then go for that Seasonic you just linked. Otherwise, I'd go for the Seasonic M12II.

EDIT: Here's the MC advert:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/cc7faafd#/cc7faafd/33

You have to get it in-store.

 

[E4g1e]

Also, where do you guys see that Microcenter deal? I don't see it on their website anywhere, and I'd like to be able to reference it in the store.

Sorry, but all of Micro Center's CPU deals are in-store only (you'll need to look at the bi-monthly ad, not the CPU section of the Web site, for the deals). MC does not ship CPUs at all even if you place the order online (which means that you'll still have to drive to the store to pick it up).

 

[cyberslag5k]

Ah, you're right, I didn't notice that the Amazon price was out of date. The standard was just a plus, not a big deal, and certainly not worth $20+, since it doesn't carry much weight. I think I'm going to go with the M12II Bronze at 520W. That should be enough, right? Saves $10 ($80 from NewEgg with free shipping).

As for the GPU, I won't go AMD again (I really regretted doing it this time). This MSI card at ~$360 looks pretty good:

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n670gtxpm2d2gd5oc

Looks like it's getting good reviews, and MSI is a brand I trust (they're no Asus, but at $40 less it'll do).

Thanks for the link to the Microcenter deal.

Here's what I ended up with:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/y29E

Upgraded CPU, GPU, and Power, coming in at ~$880 considering the deal from Microcenter.

Look good?

Thank you both very much for your help. I'm quite pleased with how this has ended up.

 

[Dangman]

I think I'm going to go with the M12II Bronze at 520W. That should be enough, right? Saves $10 ($80 from NewEgg with free shipping)..

Yes.

As for the GPU, I won't go AMD again (I really regretted doing it this time). This MSI card at ~$360 looks pretty good:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n670gtxpm2d2gd5oc
Looks like it's getting good reviews, and MSI is a brand I trust (they're no Asus, but at $40 less it'll do).

That'll be ok.

Look good?

Mostly yes.

 

[cyberslag5k]

What would get an "entirely yes"?

 

[Dangman]

This is more of a personal preference bit but I don't trust AsRock all that much. I'd recommend the Asus P8Z77-V LK instead. Don't go with the P8Z77-V LX.

 

[cyberslag5k]

I'm good with that. Asus is the brand that I trust more than anyone else. I mostly choses the Extreme4 because I wasn't sure about the lower end Asus boards (and I read a review that preferenced the Asrock above similarly priced Asus boards), but having a target Asus board to look into it seems that at the same price point, the P8Z77-V LK is the way to go. I'm much more comfortable with an Asus board, myself.

Thanks again.

 

[cyberslag5k]

Someone has pointed out that the motherboard can handle much faster RAM. The prices tend to go up, and the module sizes go down, once you get above 1866. Is it worth it? If not, should I at least consider going up to 1866, perhaps one of these two?

 

[E4g1e]

Someone has pointed out that the motherboard can handle much faster RAM. The prices tend to go up, and the module sizes go down, once you get above 1866. Is it worth it? If not, should I at least consider going up to 1866, perhaps one of these two?

Not worth the higher cost due to the fact that Ivy Bridge CPUs do not exhibit any appreciable performance increase with any RAM higher than DDR3-1600. In other words, percentage wise you'd be paying a far greater monetary cost than you'd gain in performance.

 

[Dangman]

As E4g1e has said, you won't notice a large enough difference to justify the costs. The cheapest 1.5V DDR3 1333 or DDR3 1600 RAM you can find will do the job just fine.