Advice on Build - System 1

[1Wolf]

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping to get some good build advice, advice selecting components, etc. etc. I consider myself a "novice" builder. This will be my third build. My last build was 5ish years ago. Every few years I get a new rig. Once upon a time I'd purchase them...first a Falcon Northwest back in '97...then later an Alienware in '03...then in '07 I started trying my hand at building my own and one for my wife. Those two were my last builds.

I will actually be building 2 systems (again, one for me and one for the wife) but I'll be posting a separate thread for the build advice for the wife's PC as her requirements are a bit different than my own.

I don't think I will be re-using any parts from my previous builds. I'm just ready to start from scratch I think.

Please forgive the wall of text below. I wanted to include as complete answers as I could and figured that was the best way to get some good help and advice.

So...on to the questions....

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

"High End" Gaming - What I mean by "High End" is that the games I often choose are often really demanding. Flight Simulators…both civilian and military. Some of those flight sims that I've enjoyed in the past have just seemed crazy demanding - especially when loaded up with aftermarket graphics packages, weather packages, A.I. traffic, and all sorts of goodies.

In addition, I play a lot of different games from MMORPG's to the latest greatest FPS's, Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Crysis, etc. etc.

With regards to MMORPG's, I will most likely be running multiple instances.

At the moment, I only have one 1920x1200 24" monitor but down the road, I might try and run a 3-monitor setup for flight sims. I'm not planning for that NOW as it would be very expensive to pick up all those monitors (Much less fit them on my desk!).

However, even if I don't go with 3 panels...one way or the other...I'll end up with at least one extra monitor to run applications on while I game.

Just like many here...My goal is to be able to play whatever game…crank the detail to max, turn all the options on, and play with a silky smooth frame rate. I realize that I won't be able to do that with new games forever, but I'd like to be able to future-proof it as much as possible. So I won't need to upgrade for a while and be able to enjoy just maxing things out for a while....without having to tinker with my system and upgrade a bunch of parts each time a new game comes out...at least for a while.

In addition to gaming…

Virtual Machines (I'll be running 2 or 3 Virtual Machines from time to time)
Programming (Visual Studio/SQL Server running in a VM)
Some Sony Vegas video editing. Often I take large FRAPS captured AVI's of games, edit them, compress them down with Divx, etc.)
Possibly watching movies…sort of a once in a while thing. But that would probably be rare as I have a home theater for that.
Photoshop.
Web browsing

Another note I'll make with regards to gaming. Sound and Crystal Clear microphone communications is really important to me. I do some flight-sim formation flying and online combat and such (In addition to FPS's and what not)...and so detailed, exciting, positional audio...and the clarity of my voice is very important.

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

Budget is between $2000-$3000 (give or take - Shipping NOT included).

If I can keep the price down….thats always a good thing and price is important but my criteria is primarily Performance and Stability before Price.

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

West Chicago, IL

Usually I order most everything from Newegg (sometimes Amazon)...depends on who is the most reliable and easy going with regards to return policy. There is also a TigerDirect within 45 minutes of me. I grab stuff there sometimes....but the service is just so horribly bad...sometimes I'd rather slam my head in a sliding glass door over and over then deal with them. Alot of times I just go ahead and eat the shipping cost just to not have to go there. But if I need something large that will cost alot to ship and they happen to have it...or its an emergency and I need a part right now...then I just grin and bear it.


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'd really like to be able to just say "everything" but, as mentioned above, thats not a valid answer so I'll list out each category and enter my thoughts on each. Please forgive the wall of text.

CASE - I'm looking for something that is big enough to be easy to work in but not so huge that I have trouble making cables reach where they need to reach. Good cable management, good airflow so that I can overclock the CPU and keep things cool, isn't loaded with sharp edges that will cut me to ribbons. I'm looking for something with a bit of character to it instead of just a plain ole black or silver box. I like a window on the side so that I can highlight the parts with an LED.

Some of the cases reviewed on [H], Maximum PC, PC Gamer, or other places that I've seen that I at least like the 'appearance' of are...

I really like the Thermaltake Level 10 GT Full Tower. They make an OD Green "Battle" one that looks nifty and would be a great addition to my office (Its hard to find though...seems the egg doesn't have it in stock). I really like the look of it in Black as well. I realize opinions will vary greatly on that one as far as appearance goes...but I happen to think it looks neat. I've read mixed reviews on it though (including a review on [H]) so I'm not sure if I'd be getting myself into trouble with it.

I also like....

NZXT Phantom Full Tower
NZXT Phantom 410 Mid Tower
Corsair Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower
Corsair White Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower
Thermaltake Level 10 GT Full Tower

If you guys think all of the above is awful....then as a secondary...I like..

Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Full Tower (That one is borderline too much for me. I don't like it nearly as much as the Level 10 GT...and can't really decide if I like it..or not).
Corsair Obsidian 650D Mid Tower
Antec 1100 Mid Tower

I also liked the Coolermaster Cosmos II but I've read alot of bad reviews and it looks like it might be TOO big.

PSU - Definitely not sure where to go with this. It really depends on whether you guys recommend I go SLI...single card....2 GPU's on one card like the 690...etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one...but I tend to really go overkill here. I'd just like to make sure that, whatever I choose, I'll have enough power to run. I'd really hate to get something that was just too small....and run into problems in the future.

I wasn't sure whether I'd want to go as high as 1000W (Or even higher?), or as low as 750. So I've read some reviews and I've listed some below that seemed like good or popular choices.

XFX Pro Series 1000W Modular
Seasonic Platinum 1000 Modular
Corsair Professional Series AX750
Corsair TX750 V2

CPU
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5Ghz (3.9Ghz Turbo) LGA1155 77W Quad-Core

CPU COOLER - I'm not really sure whether I should go with air cooling or water cooling. My current PC is an overclocked Q6600 with a TRUE and its worked terrific. At the time, I was a bit afraid of messing with water cooling. However now, reading the reviews on [H]...it seems there are all sorts of wonderful "all in one" enclosed solutions that seem perfect for someone like me. On the other hand....reading the reviews...it looks like the air coolers have just gotten better and better. Maybe thats the better choice for someone like me? Below is what looked good to me...maybe after you guys read the "Overclock" section of this you'll be able to point me in the right direction.

Air
Thermalright True Spirit 140 or Thermalright True Spirit 120
Thermalright HR-02 Macho
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO
Noctua DH-14

Water
Corsair H80
Corsair H100

MOBO
ASUS P8Z77-V
ASUS P8Z77-V Pro

RAM
16 GB (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600 Mhz DDR3
16 GB (2x8GB) G.Skill 1600 Mhz DDR3

HD - I think I'd like to get a 512GB or 256GB SSD as my OS/Programs drive. I really just want to make sure I have plenty of extra space for Windows and Programs. On my last build...I didn't plan enough space for my OS/Programs partitions and always wished I'd gone bigger. For storage....I'm thinking a 2 or 3TB drive. I'm thinking just one drive should do it....they are easy enough to add another at a future date.

Do larger SSD's (512 vs. 256) perform better or worse? I've never used one before...do they require any special care? Do they wear out early or anything?

SSD
Crucial M4 512GB
Crucial M4 256GB
Samsung 830 512GB
Samsung 830 256GB
Corsair Performance Pro 256GB

HD
Seagate Barracuda 2TB
Seagate Barracuda 3TB

SOUND CARD - I've never had a machine without a sound card before. My understanding is that onboard sound has come a long way. Should I get a sound card? I'm certainly no audiophile...however....sound effects are very important to me. Sound has always been an important part of my gaming. I've always had full 5.1 speaker setups, 5.1 headphones for when I need to keep quiet, soundcards, etc. Being able to discern the "position" of sounds in a game...as well as a microphone/sound solution that transmits my voice crystal clear is important to me.

On the flipside, my last build used a Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer...It sounded alright I suppose...but it gave me alot of grief. I never did figure out how to use all of the zillions of applications and software packages it came with. It seemed really bloated me....and I'm fairly certain that some of the crashes I'd experienced in various games over time were due, at least in part, to all of the "stuff" it loads each time.

The reviews were good for the X-Fi Titanium HD though...so maybe things have gotten better.

I've read great reviews here on [H] of the following...

Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium HD
Asus Xonar DSX
Asus Xonar ROG Phoebus (Although, according to the review, maybe I should rule this out)

OPTICAL DRIVE - I'm not sure on this one whether I should just go with a DVD Burner or I should go with a Blu-Ray burner. I've got a DVD Burner on this machine now...and I REALLY like the lightscribe feature. I've never had a Blu-Ray burner before, and no experience with them...so I'm sure if this would be awesome or a waste.

OS - Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit

KEYBOARD - I've used both versions of the Logitech G15 and have gotten alot of use out of the little LCD. Its been great for games that display some nifty tidbit to it. And its been nice to use to display coretemps and things like that. So I tend to want to migrate right to the new G510.

Logitech G510

MOUSE - For the past few years I've been using a Logitech MX518...its about shot....so I'm open to suggestions for a good gaming mouse. I've read good things about the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 & Cyborg M.M.O. 7.

SPEAKERS - I'm currently using a set of Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 that I bought back in 2002. They've served me well and I've loved them....but they are 10 years old now and starting to croak. I'm looking for a good, top shelf, 5.1 set to replace them. Maybe the Logitech Z5500 or Z906?

MONITOR - I'm not sure yet whether I'll get one or not....so please do not include the price of a monitor in any ideas. I consider that extra....and I may investigate a new monitor as a separate purchase. I'm currently using a Dell Ultrasharp 24" 1920x1200 that I bought in 2007. It seems to be working fine.


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

I don't think so. My current machine has a Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W which is really overkill for that PC. I suppose I "could" re-use my current PSU and then get a new, cheaper one, for my current PC to replace it. However, on the other hand, that PSU is 5 years old now and this PC just plain hard locks-up once in a while. I've always wondered if maybe the PSU was quirky or had issues but just didn't have the time or energy to swap around PSU's to see if it was more stable. So maybe its best just to start with all new parts in an all new machine.

6) Will you be overclocking?

Yes. I would consider myself only a novice, if that, at overclocking. I overclocked both of my builds so far and I actually enjoyed it. I was rather proud when I got a stable overclock that has lasted me. It was really nothing to write home about and certainly nothing hardcore....but it was a big step for me and I learned alot. If its relatively simple to overclock the new machine...I'd certainly like to. Based on the reviews I've been reading here on [H] about the Asus boards and i7-3770K....I'm thinking I'd like to OC somewhere between 4.4 and 4.7 or 4.8 if possible. Maybe thats not realistic and pushing that too far for a novice. If so, I'm sure you guys will set me straight.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
My current monitor is a Dell Ultrasharp 24" 1920x1200 that I bought in 2007. It still seems to work fairly well but I'm also interested in investigating other options and I'm open to suggestions.

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

Sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. As soon as I can get a good parts list nailed down, make my build decisions, and place my order. In addition, as mentioned previously, I'm actually building 2 systems at the same time (One for me and one for my wife). I'll be starting a separate advice thread for the one I'm working on for my wife.


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 not sure if I should be looking into an SLI solution now or whether a single card solution will meet the needs I specified above. Whatever the case, I'm sure that I want the board to at least support SLI. USB 3.0. PCIe 3.0. The features and descriptions that I've read about on [H] for the ASUS P8Z77 series looks like what I'd want and seems to have the reputation, reliability, and relative ease of overclocking that would be the ticket for me. The question is…which board?

I'm a novice at building so I'm quite frankly not sure of the options I should be looking for or might use. The Thunderbolt connection looks interesting.

I use a lot of USB ports so both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports are a must. For example...for flight sim controllers I use a Thrustmaster Warthog, a separate supplementary CH Products 6-Throttle setup, a TrackIR, etc. Its alot of USB stuff.

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

No.


That should about cover it.

Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

You're missing question 3.

Also what's the likelihood of you being able to buy before August 1st?

 

[1Wolf]

Oh geez...I'm sorry Danny. Guess I can't count

I'll update my original post with the rogue question #3.

August 1st is 2 and a half weeks away...so I'd say its 80% likely I order before then. I'm looking to order as soon as I can get my parts list straight and solid....and as soon as I can put up a similar thread for my wife's build...and get the parts list together for her system (Which will be really similar to my own).

 

[Dangman]

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

West Chicago, IL

Usually I order most everything from Newegg (sometimes Amazon)...depends on who is the most reliable and easy going with regards to return policy. There is also a TigerDirect within 45 minutes of me. I grab stuff there sometimes....but the service is just so horribly bad...sometimes I'd rather slam my head in a sliding glass door over and over then deal with them. Alot of times I just go ahead and eat the shipping cost just to not have to go there. But if I need something large that will cost alot to ship and they happen to have it...or its an emergency and I need a part right now...then I just grin and bear it.

How far are you from these Microcenter locations:
http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/chicago.html
http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/westmont.html

Case: With the exception of the Level 10 GT, Cosmos II, and the Phantom 410 case, every one of your case choices are really solid. It pretty much comes down to looks to be honest when deciding among those cases as those solid cases have decent amount of space, plenty of cable management options, and offer really solid cooling. With that said, if you're planning on a multiple GPU setup, make sure that the case has or has an option for a side-fan as that'll cool the GPUs far more effective

PSU: With the current generation of cards and CPUs, even with heavy overclocking and a SLI or CFX setup, a solid 750W PSU is all that you need. So the Corsair AX750 is more than enough for your needs.

HSF: Since it's been so long since your last build, I say kick it up a notch and go for the Corsair H100.

Mobo: Both mobos are virtually the same quality wise. It pretty much comes down to whether or not you will be taking advantage of the extra features of the -V Pro.

RAM: Can you please list out the exact models of those RAM?

SSD: Larger SSDs do tend to perform a tad better than their smaller counterparts. Any one of the SSDs you listed (including both the 512GB and 256GB versions) are solid choices.

HDD: Which Seagate 2TB drive are you talking about?

SOUND CARD: Try out the onboard sound first and then decide whether or not you need a dedicated sound card.

ODD: If you're gonna be burning blu-ray discs right away and have another blu-ray player in the home, then go ahead and grab a blu-ray burner. If not, just go with a regular DVD drive and wait till blu-ray burners and discs drop in price.

SPEAKERS: Best ask that in the Computer Audio subforum we have.

 

[1Wolf]

How far are you from these Microcenter locations:
http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/chicago.html
http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/westmont.html

I'm about 45 minutes from the Westmont one. The Chicago one I'm well over an hour from.

Case: With the exception of the Level 10 GT, Cosmos II, and the Phantom 410 case, every one of your case choices are really solid. It pretty much comes down to looks to be honest when deciding among those cases as those solid cases have decent amount of space, plenty of cable management options, and offer really solid cooling. With that said, if you're planning on a multiple GPU setup, make sure that the case has or has an option for a side-fan as that'll cool the GPUs far more effective

I'd read alot of "less than stellar" reviews of the Cosmos II so I was sort of expecting to rule that one out. The Level 10 GT received a Silver Award in its [H] review though...since that review...has more been discovered with the case that would make it a poor choice? Am I likely to get myself into trouble with that case and the components we are discussing? Are there alot of "gotcha's" with that case? I ask because I was leaning towards my "top choices" being the Level 10GT, the Graphite Series 600T, and the NZXT Phantom...but I don't want to make a choice that will shoot me in the foot.

Is there a significant difference between the NZXT Phantom and the Phantom 410 or is the Phantom just larger? What is it that makes the Phantom 410 a lesser choice? Or is it just too small?

In addition, that brings up another point that I forgot to bring up in my initial post....

GPU - Based on my requirements in the initial post, what do you recommend as far as a GPU solution goes? I'm not exactly sure where to go with this one. I'd like to stick with NVidia. Should I be looking at a single-card solution, SLI Solution, or 2 GPU's on one card solution? I've read several reviews here at [H] and in Maximum PC and I've read good things about the GTX 680, 680 DirectCU II TOP, 670 DirectCU II Top, and even the new 690.

I'd rather not take the "try it and see" approach of try one card, and then if I need to....order and add a second card right away. I'd rather try to get everything I need in one go, and plan my purchasing up front. However, on the flipside, if a single-card solution is going to more than meet my requirements above...and will handle everything I can throw at it for at least a year or two...I'm guessing maybe I could buy an identical card down the road and SLI then. For now though...I'd certainly rather "overkill" than "underwhelm".

With regards to SLI...I'm guessing SLI has come a ways in the past few years? Back in 2008 when I built my last system...it ran 2 GeForce 8800 Ultra's in SLI. That gave me all sorts of trouble. Some games just didn't use the SLI and one of those expensive cards was wasted....some games just didn't handle it "well"...some locked up alot. Some locked up so much it was downright frustrating. Eventually...I ended up ditching the 2 8800 Ultra's and replaced them with a single GTX 295. I wasn't sure whether the 2 GPU's on one card would be a good or bad thing...but it worked out great for me. No complaints.

So I guess I'm looking at either a single card solution? SLI solution? Or 690?

I'm pretty sure I'll never end up wanting 3 way or 4 way SLI or anything like that. That level of "stuff" is probably way over my head.

PSU: With the current generation of cards and CPUs, even with heavy overclocking and a SLI or CFX setup, a solid 750W PSU is all that you need. So the Corsair AX750 is more than enough for your needs.

Does the above PSU advice still apply for whatever GPU recommendation you might make in the question above?

HSF: Since it's been so long since your last build, I say kick it up a notch and go for the Corsair H100.

Sounds like a great plan! I just have a couple additional questions to make sure I don't get in over my head. I've never experimented with watercooling before, as a novice, am I likely to get myself into trouble with the H100? Or is it pretty safe, reliable, and foolproof? Or...should I sitck to Air?

If I understand it correctly, the H100 has a "double" fan..side-by-side. Will I end up having any problems mounting that in any of the case choices we discussed? I see that the H80 is a bit smaller...would I be better offf with that because its the size of one fan? Or would I lose too much performance and I'm better off sticking with the H100? Am I going to have any problems fitting it in my case?

RAM: Can you please list out the exact models of those RAM?

Based on my searches in the forums here, it seems that the popular choice is 1600 Mhz for RAM. I'm not sure if thats a correct assumption though so I've included some 1600 Mhz and some 1866 choices below. I've tried to select memory that will match or go well with the ASUS motherboard color scheme.

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) 9-9-9-9
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) 10-10-10-27
G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1866 (PC3 14900) 10-11-10-10

Or perhaps there are better choices?

HDD: Which Seagate 2TB drive are you talking about?

I chose that HD because I read about it in PC Gamer, however it just meantioned "Seagate Barracuda 2TB". I'm not sure, but I think the model is this one...

Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s

However....I'm open to whatever is best with regards to reliability, performance, and bang for buck...Seagate, Western Digital, Hitachi...2 TB, 3 TB...whatever is the best play. I've read that the best price-point bang-for-buck is 2 TB.

SOUND CARD: Try out the onboard sound first and then decide whether or not you need a dedicated sound card.

Just out of curiousity...what do you prefer for your gaming machine? What are your thoughts on dedicated sound card vs. onboard sound?

 

[Dangman]

I'm about 45 minutes from the Westmont one. The Chicago one I'm well over an hour from.

Hmm, so a savings of $90 is probably not worth the 2 1/2 hours or gas you're gonna spend driving to and shopping at the Westmont one minus local sales tax then.

The Level 10 GT received a Silver Award in its [H] review though...since that review...has more been discovered with the case that would make it a poor choice? Am I likely to get myself into trouble with that case and the components we are discussing? Are there alot of "gotcha's" with that case?

It just seems like an overpriced case IMO. I've seen it in person and I'm not sure how exactly it's worth its price. It's a good case no doubt but just way overpriced IMO since other cases are more transperant on where those costs are going.

Is there a significant difference between the NZXT Phantom and the Phantom 410 or is the Phantom just larger? What is it that makes the Phantom 410 a lesser choice? Or is it just too small?

The Phantom is definitely larger. The Phantom 410 is a lesser choice since it's fairly cramped compared to other cases in the that price range (Corsair 400R and 500R cases). So no real reason to go with the Phantom 410 when roomier cases exists around that price point.

So I guess I'm looking at either a single card solution? SLI solution? Or 690?

Well your monitor's resolution isn't that high in the current scheme of things. As such, a single GPU like the GTX 680 2GB or GTX 680 4GB if wanting more overkill is more than enough for that resolution. Also SLI has improved a lot in the past few years with driver support and such. However it's simply overkill for your resolution. It becomes necessary once you're get into the triple monitor gaming.

Does the above PSU advice still apply for whatever GPU recommendation you might make in the question above?

Yup.

Sounds like a great plan! I just have a couple additional questions to make sure I don't get in over my head. I've never experimented with watercooling before, as a novice, am I likely to get myself into trouble with the H100? Or is it pretty safe, reliable, and foolproof? Or...should I sitck to Air?

It's not really a true water cooling kit but a self-contained liquid cooling kit. As such it's actually safe and relatively foolproof. Just a tad hard to fit the radiator though.

If I understand it correctly, the H100 has a "double" fan..side-by-side. Will I end up having any problems mounting that in any of the case choices we discussed? I see that the H80 is a bit smaller...would I be better offf with that because its the size of one fan? Or would I lose too much performance and I'm better off sticking with the H100? Am I going to have any problems fitting it in my case?

AFAIK no.

Based on my searches in the forums here, it seems that the popular choice is 1600 Mhz for RAM. I'm not sure if thats a correct assumption though so I've included some 1600 Mhz and some 1866 choices below. I've tried to select memory that will match or go well with the ASUS motherboard color scheme.

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) 9-9-9-9
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) 10-10-10-27
G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1866 (PC3 14900) 10-11-10-10

Or perhaps there are better choices?

You do not need DDR3 1866 RAM at all. Out of those three RAM, I'd go with the first G.Skill set due to its lower timings and lower profile heatsinks.

I chose that HD because I read about it in PC Gamer, however it just meantioned "Seagate Barracuda 2TB". I'm not sure, but I think the model is this one...

Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s

Yeah that's not a good drive.

However....I'm open to whatever is best with regards to reliability, performance, and bang for buck...Seagate, Western Digital, Hitachi...2 TB, 3 TB...whatever is the best play. I've read that the best price-point bang-for-buck is 2 TB.[/QUOTE]
Your best bet would be this:
$145 - Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 HDS723020BLA642 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Just out of curiousity...what do you prefer for your gaming machine? What are your thoughts on dedicated sound card vs. onboard sound?

I'm a little hard of hearing and not really an audiophile so I generally prefer onboard. If your hearing isn't bad, you have great/excellent speakers, and if you're basically an audiophile, then a dedicated card makes sense.

 

[J Macker]

SPEAKERS - I'm currently using a set of Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 that I bought back in 2002. They've served me well and I've loved them....but they are 10 years old now and starting to croak. I'm looking for a good, top shelf, 5.1 set to replace them. Maybe the Logitech Z5500 or Z906?

Please no. Consider a T-amp and passive bookshelf speakers instead or a pair of studio monitors such as Mackie or KRK Rokit.

Entry level T-amp & bookshelf speakers can be done for $100. Decent setup will be about $250 (same as z5500) and will have 10x better sound quality.

A nice entry level setup will be $400-$500 and will knock the socks off the z5500s.

There's a whole Audio forum for us to convince you. Step on over!

 

[E4g1e]

SPEAKERS - I'm currently using a set of Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 that I bought back in 2002. They've served me well and I've loved them....but they are 10 years old now and starting to croak. I'm looking for a good, top shelf, 5.1 set to replace them. Maybe the Logitech Z5500 or Z906?

Like J Macker stated, there is no good 5.1 kit that's suitable for a computer system (at least not without needing you to spend much more money than for the rest of your build combined). The speakers that he suggested are 2-channel stereo-only, and with no subwoofer included. And those two Logitechs are a sizable downgrade from your dying Klipsches (fidelity-wise).

 

[Xonim]

I used the White 600T case in both my wife's build and my build, and would recommend it to anyone. It's the most expensive case I've used by about $50, but it's VERY clear where the extra money went. The cable management is excellent, airflow is excellent, and the dust filters are easily removable without having to twist/turn/flip the case every which way. Neither case had sharp edges inside, and they were excellent to work in. They fit a Corsair A70 HSF with about 1" to spare.

If you like the way it looks, functionally, I can recommend it without hesitation.

 

[1Wolf]

Thanks Danny! I certainly appreciate all the help and advice...my list is coming along nicely. I only have a few questions left...and perhaps a bit more research.

So I guess I'm looking at either a single card solution? SLI solution? Or 690?

Well your monitor's resolution isn't that high in the current scheme of things. As such, a single GPU like the GTX 680 2GB or GTX 680 4GB if wanting more overkill is more than enough for that resolution. Also SLI has improved a lot in the past few years with driver support and such. However it's simply overkill for your resolution. It becomes necessary once you're get into the triple monitor gaming.

One further question with regards to GPU: In the other thread I posted, for my wife's build, you had mentioned that I should investigate a monitor that was being discussed in another thread (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1704777)....

If we decide to end up going that route, we might just end up getting two...one for each PC. So if for my build here...if I were to do that....would your advice for GPU change for the increased resolution in order to meet the requirements in the initial post?

Does the above PSU advice still apply for whatever GPU recommendation you might make in the question above?

Yup.

Same question again...for any recommended GPU changes based on the higher resolution monitor?

Sounds like a great plan! I just have a couple additional questions to make sure I don't get in over my head. I've never experimented with watercooling before, as a novice, am I likely to get myself into trouble with the H100? Or is it pretty safe, reliable, and foolproof? Or...should I sitck to Air?

If I understand it correctly, the H100 has a "double" fan..side-by-side. Will I end up having any problems mounting that in any of the case choices we discussed? I see that the H80 is a bit smaller...would I be better offf with that because its the size of one fan? Or would I lose too much performance and I'm better off sticking with the H100? Am I going to have any problems fitting it in my case?

It's not really a true water cooling kit but a self-contained liquid cooling kit. As such it's actually safe and relatively foolproof. Just a tad hard to fit the radiator though.

One more question with regards to water cooling. In my other thread, we had briefly discussed the Kuhler 920 as well. From a standpoint of ease of installation, performance, and reliability....which do you think is the better choice for this build: The H100 or the Kuhler 920?

Maybe I'll throw a post up in the Water Cooling forum as well and get some opinions...I'm on the fence between the two after reading both reviews. Having never used a Watercooling Kit before...and not quite sure what I'm in for...I have no frame of reference so it makes the decision a bit more difficult. Hopefully I can borrow on your experience.

Please no. Consider a T-amp and passive bookshelf speakers instead or a pair of studio monitors such as Mackie or KRK Rokit.

Entry level T-amp & bookshelf speakers can be done for $100. Decent setup will be about $250 (same as z5500) and will have 10x better sound quality.

A nice entry level setup will be $400-$500 and will knock the socks off the z5500s.

There's a whole Audio forum for us to convince you. Step on over!

Like J Macker stated, there is no good 5.1 kit that's suitable for a computer system (at least not without needing you to spend much more money than for the rest of your build combined). The speakers that he suggested are 2-channel stereo-only, and with no subwoofer included. And those two Logitechs are a sizable downgrade from your dying Klipsches (fidelity-wise).

JMacker & E4g1e,

Thanks guys...for saving me from picking up something inferior to what I already have and helping me out. I'm certainly no audiophile, but after reading your responses I'm quite sure I would have been disappointed with my choice. My current Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 still has some life left in it...so maybe I'd even be better off sticking with it. Regardless....I'll definitely take you up on the invite and hop over to the other forum...hopefully I can get some good advice there.

Also, on a side note, JMacker...Danny had given me a link to the thread where you were discussing that Korean panel with another fellow. Great info! Thankyou! I'll be looking into that for myself and my wife as well!

I used the White 600T case in both my wife's build and my build, and would recommend it to anyone. It's the most expensive case I've used by about $50, but it's VERY clear where the extra money went. The cable management is excellent, airflow is excellent, and the dust filters are easily removable without having to twist/turn/flip the case every which way. Neither case had sharp edges inside, and they were excellent to work in. They fit a Corsair A70 HSF with about 1" to spare.

If you like the way it looks, functionally, I can recommend it without hesitation.

Thanks Xonim! That helps. For my own build...I've got the case choice narrowed down to the 600T or the Thermaltake Level 10 GT (Black or Battle edition if I can find one). For my wife, the NZXT Phantom in Pink.

Is the 600T actually "white" or is it more of a silver aluminum color like the old Coolermaster Cosmos was? Its really difficult to tell from photos (Although my eyes aren't the greatest either). Sometimes it looks like its actually "White" and sometimes it looks like its a silver brushed aluminum. Sometimes people refer to "bare metal" as "White". So its difficult to tell.

 

[Dangman]

One further question with regards to GPU: In the other thread I posted, for my wife's build, you had mentioned that I should investigate a monitor that was being discussed in another thread (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1704777)....

If we decide to end up going that route, we might just end up getting two...one for each PC. So if for my build here...if I were to do that....would your advice for GPU change for the increased resolution in order to meet the requirements in the initial post?

Nope. I still recommend the GTX 680 2GB or GTX 680 4GB for your needs. Same PSU recommendation as well.

One more question with regards to water cooling. In my other thread, we had briefly discussed the Kuhler 920 as well. From a standpoint of ease of installation, performance, and reliability....which do you think is the better choice for this build: The H100 or the Kuhler 920?

They're gonna be effectively the same actually as they're built by the same manufacturer, Asetek. The Kuhler does slightly better and it does come with more features. So from a bang for the buck perspective, the Antec Kuhler edges out the H100.

Is the 600T actually "white" or is it more of a silver aluminum color like the old Coolermaster Cosmos was? Its really difficult to tell from photos (Although my eyes aren't the greatest either). Sometimes it looks like its actually "White" and sometimes it looks like its a silver brushed aluminum. Sometimes people refer to "bare metal" as "White". So its difficult to tell.

There's two 600T case versions: The Corsair Graphite Series 600T which has a graphite grey and black color and the Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T which is pretty much white and black. It's really white, not base metal or what have you.

 

[1Wolf]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone again, and to say thanks to Danny for reading through all my 'wall of text' posts in both of these threads to help me out and give advice.

Thanks

 

[Dangman]

No prob. Did you already buy the builds?

 

[1Wolf]

Not yet. I'm still researching, learning, asking people's opinions...etc.

I'll probably look to continue to cram my noggin' full of all the info, advice, reviews, and opinions I can this week, and then order late this week or early next.

 

[eric335]

OP, Ive been using your parts list/recommendations for my own build as well. Just wanted to say thanks! I cant afford everything your suggesting, but its helping me solidify my choices. Goodluck with both builds!!!!