Case Recommendations

[FMod]

Then I could suggest a few things, as one old-school overclocker to hopefully another:

 

Switch 2600K for 2500K. Cheaper and just as good. It even overclocks better. Hyperthreading is bad for games anyway.

GTX570 is getting obsolete: HD7950 is out very soon, and it's fast.

Don't pay extra for "cool" RAM. It has no effect on performance. Get Samsung DDR3-1333 4GB - it's high quality, affordable, and it overclocks very well, to 2133 MHz in 2-stick and 1600-1833 in 4-stick configs. Not that there is a difference.

 

Monitor... 23"? Today the top pick is 40" displays, but you can use 32". Anything smaller just doesn't quite cut it immersion-wise.

Seagate Momentus XT is weak. It's been tested, you can google it. The results are unimpressive, it's not even as fast as best laptop HDD, much less desktop units. Better to get a normal HDD and a SSD for the OS and most demanding games.

 

You can easily get away with a cheaper mobo. Asrock P67 Pro3 or Extreme4 is made by the same company (Pegatron designs and makes both Asus and Asrock boards in fact they used to be known as Pegasus before they split), it's pretty much just as good, and will save you money for a better display.

 

Rather than buy Hyper 212 and replace the fans, you can just buy Scythe Mugen 2 and keep its stock fan. Better still, get Thermalright Macho, the new one that comes with a fan, is you can find it. That heatsink blows almost everything out of the water, for just $70.

Arctic Silver 5 is very old, and it's really obsolete. Today's choice is Arctic MX-4, which is as easy to apply, while being 6 degrees better than Arctic Silver 5, and just 4 degrees behind liquid metal. It's not really expensive, either, buy the smallest package, it's still enough for ~10 installs.

[hoofhearted4]

i really appreciate all that input, but:

 

as far as the i5 and i7 go, yes i realize all that, and actually i didnt realize i hadnt changed the 2600k back to the 2500k. ive been planning on the 2500k for a while now.

 

the RAM is meh. its like an $10 difference between the 1866 and the 1333 version. im good on that. ill keep what i got picked out. i like it cause its low profile. could go for the 1600 version, thats like $8 cheaper.... the RAM you mention is like $15 more.

 

no way in hell am i going any bigger then a 23" monitor. the monitors you listed are bigger then my TV. i dont want a TV, i want a monitor. im not entirely sure what you classify as immersed. i game on my laptop as of now, which has like a 15" or 17" monitor, i forget, and ive never had an issue with it. ive even thought about going smaller then that, was thinking about a 21.5" for a while, but 23" for that price is good imo. a monitor bigger then my TC sitting that close is not only unhealthy for your eyes, but also is a waste, since its bigger then your field of view.

 

everything ive seen on the momentous has been good. faster then most HDDs. ive heard personal recommendations as well. i have a friend who has it and loves it. 500GB will be plenty for me anyways, and ill enjoy the speed increase. i wold like to eventually get an SSD (128gb or maybe 256gb, depending on the prices at the time) to put my OS on and some games on though.

 

the mobo is one thing i will look into. ive always been trying to find a cheaper mobo. i had found a nice ASRock Z68 for $125, but i wasnt sure on how good ASRock was. it just needs to have the features i want and i want it to look nice however that Z68 didnt have a USB 3.0 header on the board. the ASUS board does. i hate the Blue that every MSI, Asus and Gigabyte has! i dont mind paying a little extra to get a non blue board lol. but i have no issues going cheaper lol. so you say ASRock is a good brand then? P67 or Z68, doesnt matter to me either.

 

and im pleased the the Hyper 212. reviews dont lie, and it sure has a lot of them. if i was going to spend $70+ on a heatsink id get the NH-D14. but thats just it, i dont need to spend that much money on it. the Hyper 212 will do me just fine at stock and if i ever OC it will hold up just fine on the minor stuff i would do.

 

lastly, AC5 is fine. it may or may not be the best on the market, but its better then the stock stuff that comes with the heatsink. but considering they are the same price, ill take your word on it. either way itll be better then stock stuff. ill go witht he MX-4

 

oh and since i wont even be building this till Spring, the 600 series could be out by then, as well as Ivy Bridge, and if so, i will most likely be building with those instead. it says 570 right now, but thats even a recent change, i was considering a 2GB 560 Ti for the longest time.

 

 

honestly, this build is more powerful then i would ever need it already. but you have been an amazing help! i love hearing ppls recommendations cause in most cases, it allows me to look at a product or something that i hadnt seen or considered before!

Edited December 22, 2011 by hoofhearted4

[FMod]

could go for the 1600 version, thats like $8 cheaper.... the RAM you mention is like $15 more.

Well, if it's cheaper, then yeah. I don't track the prices, they change every week. I see Newegg doesn't even seem to stock the RAM I had in mind. But just to know, RAM clock rate means very little.

 

no way in hell am i going any bigger then a 23" monitor. the monitors you listed are bigger then my TV. i dont want a TV, i want a monitor. im not entirely sure what you classify as immersed.

Personal choice I guess. In my time, I've gone from 11.5" CRT, to 14" CRT, to 15" Trinitron, to 21" CRT, to 24" Trinitron, to 30" LCD monitor, to 40" LCD TV, to 72" projector screen, to that and a 55" 3D LED TV. Each time felt like I had to watch all my favorite movies all over... the last time I was divided though (and 3D is pretty lousy yet).

For me, it really made a difference in immersion. First I was just playing around, then on the outside looking in, and finally on the inside looking out. For the feel of being there it will take a few more generations of hardware, but I hope to get there someday. That's what I mean by immersion, just how deep I am in the world.

 

For your preferences it might not be a good thing, but just in case, check out some friend's system that has a 40"+ TV, hi-fi surround sound, and lights turned off - you just might get hooked. Or not. But if there is a field where size matters, it's displays.

 

 

everything ive seen on the momentous has been good. faster then most HDDs. ive heard personal recommendations as well.

OK... I guess you did, but just for this, make sure before you buy, because it's not as great as it sounds. Just check some reviews - it's fast for a laptop HDD, but not as fast as desktop HDD. And you don't need it at all if you buy a Z68 board and a SSD - they can use SSD cache on their own.

 

This review puts it in comparison: http://www.storagereview.com/seagate_momentus_xt_review

You can see it's pretty fast, but only competing with the best laptop HDD, not ripping them apart, falls well behind Velociraptor, and far behind SSD. It's just not that fast, and it costs a premium. Better invest more into your SSD.

 

 

the mobo is one thing i will look into. ive always been trying to find a cheaper mobo. i had found a nice ASRock Z68 for $125, but i wasnt sure on how good ASRock was. it just needs to have the features i want and i want it to look nice however that Z68 didnt have a USB 3.0 header on the board.

AsRock is very good in terms of build quality. It's not the best overclocking-wise, but really you're talking 4700 MHz vs 4800 MHz, tiny difference. I think you can find boards with USB 3.0. $125 is a good price.

 

Z68 has the advantage of SSD caching, which lets you use your SSD to speed up the HDD. And it can work without a GPU. And it's guaranteed to work with Ivy Bridge. Not much difference, but that's it.

However they'll have Z77 (probably) when Ivy Bridge is out, that's a new chipset all around.

 

 

and im pleased the the Hyper 212. reviews dont lie, and it sure has a lot of them. if i was going to spend $70+ on a heatsink id get the NH-D14. but thats just it, i dont need to spend that much money on it. the Hyper 212 will do me just fine at stock and if i ever OC it will hold up just fine on the minor stuff i would do.

i5-2500K overclock very well and easy. Stock is 3300->3400->3700 MHz (stock->turbo->max turbo); you can get 3300->4000->4300 (stock->turbo->max turbo) no problem at all. I've tested mine at 3300->4600->5200 MHz, although 99% of the time I cut it down to 3300->4400->4700 to save power.

 

So a good heatsink is a worthy investment. Mugen 3 is less than $50 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185168 - and it's worth the extra. Hyper 212 is good, but it's not as good as Mugen. Besides the stock fan on Mugen is pretty good and you don't need to replace it, so there's almost no extra cost at all.

[hoofhearted4]

i guess i just dont see games the way you do. i know its just a game. i can very much enjoy a game, such as FO3 or MGS4 (Ps3) but it wasnt the display i was playing it on (though funny story, i did buy a new TV to play MGS4 on. before i was on an old Tube tv and i couldnt make out many of the smaller numbers) it was the story. its the world itself that will suck me in. not how big of a screen i have.....also i dont have any friends with 40" TVs. AFAIK, my 36" is the biggest of all my friends...well besides one that also has a 36" not only could i not afford a big monitor, i couldnt fit it in my room....and of those friends, i only have like one personal friend who is a PC gamer (the rest are console) and he has a normal size monitor.

 

the hybrid isnt faster then an HDD right out. its only faster then another drive at applications you use often, thanks to the NAND Flash Memory it has. and while i know the Z68 chipset wouldnt help it out any, i could consider an SSD and a 1TB drive or something. though atm, a 1TB drive costs just as much or more then the hybrid because of something going on with HDDs (like a natural disaster or something)

 

and please, if you have any recommendations on a good cheap mobo id love to hear it! only a few things it needs. USB 3.0 header, at least 2 PCI-e slots for SLI, preferably 2 four pin fan headers for two PWM fans on my heatsink. and as little blue as possible lol. i guess it doesnt matter what color the slots all are since they will be covers, but the chipset and VRM id really like if they werent blue :P

 

i havent done a ton of research into heatsinks. i was gunna get an H80, then after some research realized thats a waste. i only wanted them for the clean look they give vs a bulky heatsink.....so i will look into the Mugens a little more. i have a little, but yea......also, i like the fans i will be swaping with them. they are extremely quite from what i hear, while still pushing plenty of air. of course id get the PWM version as well

 

thank you FMod youve been an amazing help!

Edited December 22, 2011 by hoofhearted4

[FMod]

i guess i just dont see games the way you do. i know its just a game.

It really depends. There are people surprised at why would anyone need a 40"+ display and 6"+ speakers - and then there are people puzzled why doesn't everyone run a 100"+ projection screen. If you have the space, don't write it off, playing on a big screen just adds an extra dimension to the game, like how you would install Qarl's texture pack, even if visuals aren't the reason you're playing. If not, well. But TVs today are cheap enough to seriously consider, so price shouldn't be what stops you.

 

 

the hybrid isnt faster then an HDD right out. its only faster then another drive at applications you use often, thanks to the NAND Flash Memory it has.

Well, it's not clear if it is faster or significantly faster even there. Momentus XT has very little flash memory, it's not very fast, and the controller isn't good either. It only just gets on par with good laptop drives.

Compare it to this: http://www.storagereview.com/samsung_spinpoint_m8_review

Desktop drives are often faster. WD Caviar Black, the latest model, will probably be faster about everywhere.

 

There was a disaster, the floods in Thailand that damaged most HDD makers and specifically Nidec, the main hard drive motor maker. So HDD will stay expensive for a while. The prices are also very haphazard, you can get good deals and terrible deals, without any relation to the price.

 

 

and please, if you have any recommendations on a good cheap mobo id love to hear it! only a few things it needs. USB 3.0 header, at least 2 PCI-e slots for SLI, and it cant be friggen blue. preferably black or red. lol.

Well, what about this one?

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme3%20Gen3

 

It's got USB 3.0, two on the rear and two optional extras, it's got two max-speed PCI-E 3.0 (which will matter), it's their top series with all the features, it's black with gold detail, and it's very attractively priced, Newegg has them starting at $115. Asrock probably figures people will go for Extreme4 - no need to, Extreme3 has everything you need.

[hoofhearted4]

as far as the monitor/speaker set up goes. i dont have room to have another TV in my room. and since i still live with my parents, no reason to have surround sound since i couldnt have it loud anyways. not even getting speakers, just a headset.....idk what the Qarl's pack is?...guessing something for Oblivion or Skyrim (neither of which i play lol) and price does stop me. im already planning on going like $3-400 over budget :P

 

about the whole SSD/HDD thing. i know Z68 only works for up to 64GB....does the SSD have to be 64GB or can it be bigger, and the chipset can only use 64GB of it? cause if i get an SSD i plan on a 128gb at least...and the WD Black is just pure expensive. $250+

 

and that would be the Z68 ASRock i was considering before hand!!!...but no USB 3.0 header. which means i have to route the cables out the back (in the case of the 650D which you have to do anyways) or find an adapter first to route them out the back (in the case of the HAF series which has an actual USB plus for the motherboard)

 

also, a couple of the reviews said that the board was slightly smaller, and that with a bigger heatsink (ie Hyper 212+) it could cover some of the RAM slots....the Scythe Mugen is bigger then the hyper, so i dont think its a good idea to go even bigger

 

 

EDIT:

after looking at some of the ASRock boards, so far the Extreme4 Gen3 is the best. its got the USB 3.0 header, is black. good reviews. but i dont think it has two 4pin connectors unfortunately. but slightly cheaper then the Asus board and i like that, even if its only $15 :P

Edited December 23, 2011 by hoofhearted4

[Illiad86]

I drool for this case, I want it so bad.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147047&Tpk=rosewill%20armor

 

I just love how its nearly all mesh and comes with a ton of fans. Only thing I wish is the fans were blue :P

[FMod]

about the whole SSD/HDD thing. i know Z68 only works for up to 64GB....does the SSD have to be 64GB or can it be bigger, and the chipset can only use 64GB of it? cause if i get an SSD i plan on a 128gb at least...and the WD Black is just pure expensive.

It's up to 64GB for SSD cache. The way to use a SSD is to have your OS on it, some games (you'll really have to start changing the install directory to something other than C:\...), and with Z68 some space for SSD caching of the HDD. You don't need to spend the whole 64GB, just 16GB or so works fine. Or you could spend more space while you don't need it, then cut down the cache as you need more pure SSD space.

 

 

and that would be the Z68 ASRock i was considering before hand!!!...but no USB 3.0 header. which means i have to route the cables out the back (in the case of the 650D which you have to do anyways) or find an adapter first to route them out the back (in the case of the HAF series which has an actual USB plus for the motherboard)

That is a concern. How many USB 3.0 devices do you plan on having though? It might not be a big problem really. The only devices that use USB 3.0 are newest external hard drives, and you need a USB->miniUSB cable for them already. Pretty much everything else is USB 2.0, or even 1.0 (keyboards, mice, game controllers).

 

 

after looking at some of the ASRock boards, so far the Extreme4 Gen3 is the best. its got the USB 3.0 header, is black. good reviews. but i dont think it has two 4pin connectors unfortunately. but slightly cheaper then the Asus board and i like that, even if its only $15 :P

Not sure if two 4-pin connectors matter at all. Most Asrock boards have a 4-pin Molex for power delivery, but it's not necessary, it just lowers the load on the cables or allows some late-2000s era PSU that have separate 12V lines to supply more power.

 

Extreme4 Gen3 is good, but if you want to save some money, Extreme3 is very similar for a good bit less. If you buy the Elysium case, a 2xUSB 3.0 header is integrated with it already.

Edited December 23, 2011 by FMod

[hoofhearted4]

that is a very sweet case no doubt, and for my taste im glad they arent blue lol.

 

however, as nice looking and cheap as it is it doesnt have a nice side window do view all my beautiful hardware, no front USB ports (which isnt bad, since the mobo i plan on comes a front USB adapter) and there is a useless fan on the back, that is in the way of a CPU back plate. not even sure if taking it off would help, looks like the hole would be in the wrong place anyways.

 

its honestly not that bad, considering the price, cant expect a super case at that price! maybe i should start looking at some cheaper cases and see what i can find! thanks a lot!

[Illiad86]

Yeah, I really like that case for the fact that it's 80% mesh. Nice cooling and easy to clean, IMO...especially with all the cat hair haha, I just prefer blue because if I ever did get that case, it wouldn't match my fan controller which I have to use :P (although red and blue would look pretty cool) I think it's pretty godly for the price...wish I caught it when it was on sale for $50 :( I really don't need a new case, my components stay very cool, but the case itself is very loud. Sounds like a small jet engine lol..especially when Skyrim makes my CPU fan go to full speed.

 

Depends on what you want to spend, there's some other very nice cases. I just like the overall design of that case. I'm not a fan of the clear side panels...as they will stain yellow in about a month (don't smoke mmkay?) LOL. Plus, my stuff isn't all that epic looking. It looks like any other normal system...but it's godly ;)