Can someone look over this setup? Plus other stuff. :)

T

TheJollyRoger

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Hey techies of eGO:

If you were regulars in the CS:S forums, you would know that my laptop's mobo fried two months ago. So ever since then, I have been researching for a replacement and have decided against using Cyberpower and iBuypower in favor of building my own computer.

I just need someto take a look at this.

Some necessary background:

1. I have my monitor already. (1900X1200 IPS)

2. My school offers Windows 7 for free. No need for that. I also have a cheapo mouse and will get a cheapo keyboard. I'm saving money for the good headset and will wait until Christmas to get a decent mechanical keyboard.

3. My budget is around 1100-1250 USD

4. I do live by a Microcenter

5. I plan on getting a nice headset for music as well as gaming, possibly a Sennheiser. What are your recomendations?

6. This build will be used for school as well as games from CS:S and Doom to Mech Warrior Online and Arma 3.

Here is my possible build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($96.39 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($105.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech K100 Wired Slim Keyboard ($7.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1124.29
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-13 01:44 EDT-0400)

Is this a good setup?
 
Whoops, I forgot to mention that my house does not have that many cable outlets, so I do need a wireless adapter card or stick. Any recommendations there?
 
Everything looks good on my end. It seems that you did your homework well and searched multiple sites for everything, including keeping Microcenter in mind. As for a wireless adapter, i'm not too up to date on what's good, so I'm not too much help :(
 
Looking good, would say you have nice selection going on there. Only 2 things I would personally look at changing. 1st is processor while an i5 is nice but I find the i7's to be better. Doubt you will be able to find the 3.4ghz quad for the same price so it's quite possible that sticking with the i5 will be better. 2nd is the Power supply I always recommend getting a 700w-750w PSU at least. This gives you the option to SLI if you decide to later on. Regardless your build still looks very solid.

As for wireless adapter it really comes down to if your broadcasting G or N signal. I will always prefer linksys over other brands here. Cisco made the standard on networking products and think they still make the best products when it comes to networking.
 
I believe microcenter also has (or at least has in the past) had a $50 discount on the cpu+mobo combo, so definitely look into that. Beyond that, quite impressed with the components. i5 is definitely a better option than the i7 unless you do some rendering or video encoding where hyperthreading can be utilized. But for most people who use basic programs and game, the additional threads is not worth the extra $100. For gaming, you are definitely better off putting a little more in your gpu as the i5 cpu is already a monster.

I would also look at changing the case to a newer one. Some good options would be the corsair 400r or even the newer antec 1100. These will make the build a much easier process with actual cable management options.

Also, at least at the moment, the tx750m is only $5 more, but it has a $5 larger rebate so the two are the same price AR. Obviously, pricing will depend on when you purchase, but if you are looking to purchase soon, I would definitely upgrade to the 750w version for the ability to add a second card or additional components in the future if necessary given the current pricing. At the moment, the xfx xxx 650w modular unit is cheaper than the tx650m and is thus a better buy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207022

Also, if you don't think you ever will add a second card, you could actually move down to a smaller unit like this seasonic 520w:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Finally, if modularity is not a huge concern, you could go for the cheaper non modular corsair tx units.
 
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Thanks for the help guys.

I'm your huckleberry said:
I would also look at changing the case to a newer one. Some good options would be the corsair 400r or even the newer antec 1100. These will make the build a much easier process with actual cable management options.
Click to expand...

I was planning on using the 400r, I don't why I changed my mind. I'll use that instead.

I'm your huckleberry said:
Also, at least at the moment, the tx750m is only $5 more, but it has a $5 larger rebate so the two are the same price AR. Obviously, pricing will depend on when you purchase, but if you are looking to purchase soon, I would definitely upgrade to the 750w version for the ability to add a second card or additional components in the future if necessary given the current pricing. At the moment, the xfx xxx 650w modular unit is cheaper than the tx650m and is thus a better buy.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207022

Also, if you don't think you ever will add a second card, you could actually move down to a smaller unit like this seasonic 520w:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Finally, if modularity is not a huge concern, you could go for the cheaper non modular corsair tx units.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what I will do in the future in terms of upgrades, so I want to be sure I have enough head room. I'll look into those PSUs. As for modular, this will be my first ever build, so it goes without saying I need something uncomplicated. :P

Again, thanks for the help. :)
 
Well modular means that all the cables are not hardwired to the psu. Thus, if the psu has 4 pci-e connectors which are used on the graphics cards and you only have 1 gpu that uses 2 of those, then you can leave the other 2 pci-e connectors disconnected from the psu. It is great if you have a case that really lacks room to store unused cables, but with these newer cases, usually spare room is not a problem. One thing to note, the corsair tx modular power supplies are only partially modular. This is usually not a problem as you will likely only need the cables that are hardwired. Then, you can leave off the additional pci-e cables and maybe a sata and peripheral cable until you possibly upgrade in the future when you would then need to install them. Thus it is still useful, though some people who don't research it expect every cable to be optional. I personally have a psu that is fully modular, and it is nice. However, I actually use almost of the cables, so it ended up not being extremely useful. Partially modular should be just as good assuming the cables that are optional are chosen by the manufacturer using some common sense.
 
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Huck basically just said everything I was gonna say.

Only other thing I would say is if you intend on playing big open games (ARMA 3, Borderlands, any single player game that has large maps) it may be wise to invest in an SSD. SSDs are, by their very nature, many times faster than mechanical drives. So, in the case of a game like ARMA 3, using an SSD would decrease the time it takes to load levels into RAM. Which results in faster loading times and smoother gameplay.

Usually you would install your OS to it, and then (at a minimum) whatever your most used programs are (i.e. a small Steam library for gamers, design/modeling programs for engineers, etc.). And then use your larger HDD for all your other programs/storage.

I would say if you're willing to drop an extra $100 or so (though prices are constantly in flux), get a 120 GB SSD. I would recommend a Crucial M4 or Samsung 830. In general though, avoid Sandforce memory controllers, and make sure to get one that is SATA III (SATA 6Gb/s) so that you can get the most speed from the drive. If you want to read more about SSDs, this is a great thread to read.

Besides that, the spec looks awesome. Wish I had a Microcenter near me...
 
Looks solid. (I build people PCs as a hobby). Should be a MASSIVE upgrade if you were attempting to game on a laptop before.
 
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