Advice needed for a new gaming computer build

[ElderOrb]

Hi,

I need some help for figuring out a new gaming computer build. I built computers years ago, but in recent years I have mostly been gaming with my laptop. My need:

Budget: around US$1,200~1,300
Resolution: I plan to re-use a HDTV, which has 1920×1080
Games / Settings Desired: The main goal of this build is to allow me to play Skyrim with Ultra quality, ENB (a demanding graphic modification pack) and tons of mods with a high FPS
Country: California, USA
Parts that can be reused: I have a HDTV, and a DisplayPort cable that I used for my laptop. I planned to use the TV as both monitor and speaker.
Do you need an OS? Nope, got a Win 7 Pro 64-bit already
Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)? I will need a mouse and a keyboard. Nothing fancy though.

Below is my first attempt in coming up with a build. Things I want to particularly verify:

1) Is there any obvious problem and/or conflict? Haven't built a computer for years...
2) Is my re-use plan of my TV reasonable? Things seems to work fine with my laptop, but I am open to get a separate monitor if necessary.
3) I do hope that the computer will be relatively quiet, cool and stable. Do I need to bump up anything to higher quality?

Thanks a lot!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N600UBE 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Lite-On SK-1788/BS Wired Standard Keyboard ($12.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech M100 Wired Optical Mouse ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1243.86

[Deleted]

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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LE PLUS ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.20 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.38 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($159.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N600UBE 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($28.24 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Lenovo 73P2620 Wired Standard Keyboard ($39.00 @ Mac Mall)
Mouse: SteelSeries Sensei RAW Wired Laser Mouse ($48.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1241.49
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-03 04:05 EDT-0400)

Shuffled a few parts around, and should give you similar performance. EDIT: changed board slightly and the keyboard.

[ElderOrb]

Thanks for the reply. I have a few questions regarding the shuffles:

1) Is the MSI motherboard you suggested better? I don't know much myself, but I read on this subforum that I should not use a Micro ATX motherboard if possible.

2) I assume that you suggested a 250GB solid disk because 120GB is probably not enough? I think I'll bump it up as you suggested then. Thanks!

3) I see that you have suggested 7950. I do prefer GTX 670, as I read on some Skyrim forum that nVidia cards tend to work better with Skyrim, and a Skyrim working with ENB could be quite more demanding than the regular Skyrim, so I am a bit concerned if 7950 would be enough. To be on the safe side, I would rather overkill a little bit than having a lower FPS.

4) I see that you have suggested some substantially better keyboard and mouses. I have mostly played games using crappy keyboard and mouse without noticing much problem, so I am a little skeptical. Are they really much much better?

[chazus]

I read on this subforum that I should not use a Micro ATX motherboard if possible.

Honestly? Hogwash. Some people claim that mATX boards have smaller/less VRMs... Which, technically, sometimes is true, however big fat VRM's are only of great use if you're pushing 4.5ghz OC... which.... almost nobody does.

The only REAL consideration is if you want to go SLI later, and many mATX boards only have one video card slot.

I have mostly played games using crappy keyboard and mouse without noticing much problem, so I am a little skeptical. Are they really much much better?

I prefer Logitech, which is usually on the cheaper side. I've never found a good mouse or keyboard that was actually WORTH $100-150. Those ones actually aren't all that expensive, but I also think people should get whatever keyboard/mouse they LIKE. They are not performance products. They won't make your game go faster. They will, however, determine how comfortable you are.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the reply. I have a few questions regarding the shuffles:

1) Is the MSI motherboard you suggested better? I don't know much myself, but I read on this subforum that I should not use a Micro ATX motherboard if possible.

2) I assume that you suggested a 250GB solid disk because 120GB is probably not enough? I think I'll bump it up as you suggested then. Thanks!

3) I see that you have suggested 7950. I do prefer GTX 670, as I read on some Skyrim forum that nVidia cards tend to work better with Skyrim, and a Skyrim working with ENB could be quite more demanding than the regular Skyrim, so I am a bit concerned if 7950 would be enough. To be on the safe side, I would rather overkill a little bit than having a lower FPS.

4) I see that you have suggested some substantially better keyboard and mouses. I have mostly played games using crappy keyboard and mouse without noticing much problem, so I am a little skeptical. Are they really much much better?

1) I updated the listing to have, y'know, an ATX board.

2) Pretty much this - with the expanding sixe of games, this should be a much better buy medium-term.

3) and 4) With the shuffling about, I thought that a better mouse and keyboard would be a long-term investment in a similar way to the GPU. And yes, the nVidia cards do a better job in Skyrim, but the updates to the optimisation for AMD mean that it's pretty competitive. In addition, the 7950 should be at a similar performance point for nearly a 25% discount. However, the choice is entirely yours - I'm only making a recommendation.

[ElderOrb]

Thanks for the explanations from both of you guys! I will take the motherboard, the keyboard and the mouse as well.

Regarding the video card, I will probably pay the 25% extra for a GTX 670 just for the peace of mind though, since I have already planned to pay that much for the whole thing.

Just want to confirm before I finalize: with a GTX 670 and all the other recommendations, will I be fine with the original questions I asked, i.e. 1) conflict-free, 2) use HDTV for display, and 3) quiet, stable and cool?

I assume a no-mention is a pass, but I would like to get an explicit confirmation.

Thanks again!

[Deleted]

Thanks for the explanations from both of you guys! I will take the motherboard, the keyboard and the mouse as well.

Regarding the video card, I will probably pay the 25% extra for a GTX 670 just for the peace of mind though, since I have already planned to pay that much for the whole thing.

Just want to confirm before I finalize: with a GTX 670 and all the other recommendations, will I be fine with the original questions I asked, i.e. 1) conflict-free, 2) use HDTV for display, and 3) quiet, stable and cool?

I assume a no-mention is a pass, but I would like to get an explicit confirmation.

Thanks again!

Provided you get no DOA parts, yes. MY rig (an Athlon X3 440 with 4GB RAM and a HD5770) can play most modern games at low-medium settings passably at 1080p, and that's a good few years old.