looking for some pro-opinions on a rig I'm about to start on

[Little Monster]

Hello computer people!

I have been playing around with a new build for the past few days and I think that I have finally put something together that fits in my budget with $65 to spare! (total cost is about $935). I just wanted to run the specs past the pros here on MMO-Champion to see if the system is up to spec.

CPU: i5 2500k
GPU: (Galaxy) 560 ti
MoBo: Gigabyte Z68
RAM: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB 1600MHz
HS: Cooler Master Hyper 212
PSU: Corsair ES 650w
DVD: Sony Optiarc 24x
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 rpm 32 mb cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912
OS: Windows 7 Premium (OEM)

I suppose my big concern is if there is any glaring issues of weakness or incompatibility that you guys see. I will be using this system to play the following: WoW, SW:TOR, and DIII.

[vesseblah]

Should be fine, missing the exact model of motherboard though but it shouldn't make it incompatible.

Also I recommend picking up low profile versions of the RAM if available. Standard ones come with really large decoration heatsinks that can cause issues when putting the computer together.

[Dirgon]

Looks mostly good.

If you don't need the hard drive space right now, I'd recommend waiting about a year and reusing an old drive. Flooding in Thailand has destroyed the HDD supply chain and jacked prices up over 150%.

Hell in a year SSDs might drop in price enough to make them an attractive option, unless you need gob-loads of storage space.


A little bit more seriously, though.....

I can't find much info on that motherboard, as Z68 is a "series". Got a link to it?

It needs:

LGA 1155 socket
DDR3 RAM Support
SATA6
PCI-Express x16 slot

Edit: You're using your own HS/Fan. A quick newegg search showed me it's a small one, which is good. Bigger ones = harder to fit.

BE VERY CAREFUL when applying thermal grease. You only need a very small amount, applied directly on the CPU (AND ONLY on the metal parts)

It's very easy to over-apply thermal grease, and not every Heatsink/Fan combo comes pre-greased.

Edit edit: If you need to remove thermal grease for whatever reason, 90% isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel works wonders.

[Little Monster]

Thanks for the replies.

I am not really sure if I know how to clear off my current HDD which is a 640gb 7200rpm 3.0Gb/s drive. Last time I cleared a HD was when you simply went to dos and reformatted. Now with partitions and what not I am not entirely up to date. I am sure it's not that difficult assuming I use a good guide when building my computer... sound advice which may save me some cash.

The link to the MoBo is http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128523

[Dirgon]

If all you're doing is wiping the drive, Windows gives you that option when you install it. Just delete the partition, make a new one (at max size) and format. Done and done. Windows will then install on the now-clean drive.

Windows Vista and 7 installers make it a much easier task, because everything is in a nice simple GUI. In XP you were in a DOS-Like environment.

Mobo: It's fully compatible with everything you've posted (as far as I can tell) but the only thing I can see that would drive me nuts is that it's a micro-ATX board.

Micro-ATX boards are a bit smaller. While not a huge deal, it drives me nuts because I have big hands, and cable connectors are less spread out on them.

Also, your board has built in graphics. Boards like this are usually for low-end PCs or people building HTPCs. While having a backup in case your card blows is great, it can make building the system tricky if it's your first time. (That's not to say this board won't work for your purposes, you won't be using the on-board graphics)

SOME (read: not all) will not allow you to use a graphics card to display output until you've changed a setting in the BIOS. So if you turn it on the first time, it beeps once and everything's fine, but there's no display, just plug your monitor into the graphics adapter on the motherboard and search through BIOS.

It also goes without saying that if you are plugged into the graphics adapters on the motherboard you aren't using your graphics card, so make sure you're plugged into one of the two DVI ports on the graphics card.

[Little Monster]

Thanks for the great advice! You have been a big help in putting together a nice rig

I did swap the micro-atx for an atx for the same price. This new board also gets rid of that on-board graphics.

I think that I am going to take your advice and skip the HDD for now. I will attempt to use my 640Gb unit if I can figure out how to clean it. I am not planning on doing anything until 12/10 anyways (graduation), so I have plenty of time to change my mind and prices will only likely go down.

[Alistairr]

Edit edit: If you need to remove thermal grease for whatever reason, 90% isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel works wonders.

Those coffee filters leave nothing behind, some paper towels might. Just saying. I am not 100% sure on this.

[Adsertif]

I'd suggest a better brand for the GPU, one like eVGA, ASUS, or MSi, the quality is definitely worth the price.

Otherwise it looks pretty streamline.