Hello OcC,
first time poster and this will be my first complete build. I'm looking for some advice on my parts list from the builders here please.
My goal for this build is to completely make the move from console gaming to full time PC gaming. In the past I have only used my PCs for MMORPGs and PC only games but I will be skipping the next gen consoles and playing primarily on PC. I would like to get about 4-5 yrs of solid use out of this rig. Besides gaming I will be using it as my daily driver for general internet use (web surfing, email, forums, youtube etc.) I will not be doing any video/audio editing or encoding.
Performance goals: I would like to see at least a framerate of 60 at high visual settings, I'm not expecting highest or ultra video settings on newer games but I do want to have a min of 60 framerate. I have 3 monitors I will be recycling from older systems that will be put to use with this rig for an eyefinity set up and then upgraded later (more below)
I will be overclocking the cpu to 4.2 min. or 4.5 (if stable)
Budget: I would like to keep the cost of parts below $1,700 $1,800. I had to up it a bit for the change in GPU.
Parts:
I chose these parts with the mindset of staying under my budget, reaching my performance goals and expandability for the next 4-5 yrs.
While I have done some research keep in mind I am a rookie so If anyone sees a possible bottle neck or compatibility issue please let me know as this is the advice I am most interested in.
The links below are all to newegg mainly for part specs and I have used the site a lot in the past so I trust the customer service but buying from there isn't set in stone if anyone knows of another quality site to buy from that might save me some $$ and they wouldn't mind posting a link it would be much appreciated.
MoBo:
ASUS sabertooth Z77 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821
I wanted a board that had pci 3.0 slots for 2 GPUs if needed later and was usb 3.0 ready.
CPU:
i7 3770k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501
I went with this chip over the 2700k sandy because I read that sandy can't do pci 3.0 and this one should last me 4-5 years as I upgrade around it.
Cooler:
Corsair H100i http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032
I chose this cooler because I used the older H100 in 2 other machines that I OC'd to 4 and 4.2 with good results. I like having water cooling without having to do a full custom loop.
Ram:
G.Skill trident X 16 gb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231589
I picked this kit for DDR3 2400 speed and I figured 16 gb would give me enough ram in case any current or next gen games used more than 8 gb.
GPU:
Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3 gb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202008
I'm going with only 1 of these cards for now because it supports Eyefinity, hopefully it will give me the performance I'm looking for with 3 monitors. I'm not expecting to get 5 yrs out of this card alone as performance demands increase (and prices drop) I will probably add in another later in crossfireX or upgrade to a newer card to stay up with newer games.
Update - MSI gtx 770 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127747
decided to change to nvidia for physx support based on suggestion by Stonerboy779 below. I was looking at a couple of SLI set ups but for now I'd rather stick to a powerful single card and the 4 gb of vram should do the trick for the surround set up I want to run.
Monitors:
3x LG L226w (already own) http://www.lg.com/uk/monitors/lg-L226WTQ-PF-lcd-monitor
I know these are dated and can not reach 5760 x 1080 res that I want to get to but I do plan to upgrade them in the near future. I listed them mainly for anyone looking over my build to be able to see the whole package. Also I figured I'd test out eyefinity and before buying 3 new monitors I can make sure enough of the games I will be playing support it.
Storage:
Samsung 840 pro 128 gig SSD (already own) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192
I wanted an SSD for fast boots and to not have to look at loading screens in games. I have other 500 gig 7200 rpm HDDs to use for storage and back up for now but I will be adding more SSDs to this system when the price drops a bit more on the larger capacity models.
PSU:
Corsair HX750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010
I picked this PSU because I have used Corsair PSUs in the past with no trouble and this item is currently priced at $79.99 (after instant -41% and $20 rebate)
Chasis:
Cooler Master HAF X http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225
I like this case because I wanted a full tower so I can add more SSDs as needed, have room for the H100i and possibly another GPU. The option to have the cables tucked away is a nice feature as well and since I'm only water cooling the CPU I figured the more room for better air flow would be good to have to set up push pull.
OS:
Windows 7 64 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116997
It doesn't have to be ultimate, I have a home disc I can use but if Ultimate helps in anyway with my build speed wise, ease of use or expandability for the future I would pick up the upgrade but I'll wait to hear some input on that from posts here.
Rom drive:
I will be recycling an LG DVD/CD drive from my current machine.
Sound Card:
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE (already own) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102003
I was thinking about recycling this from my current machine but I was wondering if its even better than the integrated Realtek chip on the MoBo and will it save me any resources over the Realtek. I'm not sure about this so any advice on this would be much appriciated.
My audio set up consists of basic 2.1 desktop speakers & sub and a
Logitech G35 7.1 headset http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA30R10R3969
If I forgot to list anything or anyone has questions please let me know as I said this is my first post and build so I hope I added all the nessecary info and to anyone who responds thank you in advace.
last edit to show change of GPU.
