First Build, need input

Well, just checked this morning, that Asrock is back in stock. I will post the other, higher priced build as soon as it is complete.
 
OK, Z77 build spec is complete:

CPU: i5-3570K IVB @ 3.4 GHz, will be OCing $229.99
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX $149.99
Memory: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) $58.99
GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 $199.99
PSU: XCLIO STABLEPOWER GOLD 750W $99.99
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB SSD for Boot Drive, WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM HDD for File System $109.99/109.99
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Mid Tower $139.99
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler $52.99
Optical Drive: Same as in cheaper spec $49.99
Monitor: ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI 1080P LCD $179.99
Keyboard: Logitech G110 Black USB Wired LED Backlighting $69.99
Total price (including shipping): $1,460.31

Essentially, I took every major component of the other spec and went up one notch. This is mainly to prevent issues with end of life. And also a bit of future proofing. Which spec I end up going with depends on my funds and what is available from each. I may mix and match, or start from scratch. One thing I will probably get no matter what will be the 500r case, because it is sexy ;P. I'll leave this up a couple of days, and then "close" the thread again.
 
The one thing that really may be hard to get as they are already in limited quantity is the 6950. That is because the new 7xxx series has been released. A 7850 is probably the price you would be looking at and is slightly better performance, uses less power, and is a tiny card.

The cpu is a good call since it is the newer version of the 2500k. You should hopefully be able to find the 2500k still, but if not, the 3570k is close in price and should be good. A cheaper mobo similar to your 2500k one is the asrock z77 extreme4. It actually comes with more goodies than the z68 variant which is nice since it is a similar price.

Beyond that, not much else has changed which is fine since most stuff should still be around. However, the cpu cooler and ram are okay upgrades at best. There are definitely better products for the price. For cpu cooler, the next step up imo would be the thermalright true spirit 120 or 140:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-100700529-True-Spirit-120/dp/B005MSOH7C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1343588783&sr=8-5&keywords=thermalright+archon[/ame]


[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-passed-Intels-testing-officially/dp/B00629G1PG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343588783&sr=8-4&keywords=thermalright+archon[/ame]

I don't suggest wasting money on the v8. It is a decent cooler for the price, but it is overrated.

And for ram, no reason to upgrade to 1866. Stick with the 8gb ddr3 1600 1.5V Cas9. If you did upgrade, get the samsung ram that runo had mentioned:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096

Or upgrade to it anyways as it is great ram using low voltage and doesn't require any heatsinks due to the smaller manufacturing size.
 
I haven't actually checked this thread in a couple of days, but incidentally I have already done some of what you suggested. I put the 6950 in the z68 build, and chose this 7850 (actually I had gone with a Sapphire initially, but its unavailable at the moment, so...). Also, changed both the PSUs to this. And I'm probably gonna change the Z68 mobo to the Extreme 4.

Didn't change RAM purely for aesthetic reasons. And those CPU coolers are not in stock at Newegg. I'd like to buy everything from Newegg, so that eGO gets maximum benefits. The only reason I upped my cooler anyways was out of concerns the CM Hyper 212+ would go out of stock. Otherwise I would have stayed with that one.
 
Changed the Z77 rig's RAM down to the 1600 variety. I think that may be everything. I'll leave this sit for another day, and then "close" it again.
 
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