First build, need your thoughts

[Deleted]

Hey guys !

So lately, I've been working on building my first computer in order to replace my laptop. This is what I've been suggested so far and though I'm pretty sure it would work just fine, I'd rather have more than one source of informations about it :

Processor : INTEL i7-4770
Cooler : COOLER MASTER Hyper 412S (couldn't find it on newegg)
Motherboard : ASROCK B85 Pro4
Memory : G.SKILL 2*8 Sniper (PC3-14900/Case9)
GPU : GIBABYTE GeForce 760 OC
HDD 1 : SANDISK Ultra Plus 256Go
HDD 2 : SEAGATE Barracuda 500Go
PSU : BE QUIET! Pure Power L8 530CM (couldn't find it on newegg)
Case : XIGMATEK Midgard II
Monitor : ASUS ProArt PA238Q (pointing to the 24,8" one)
Keyboard : LOGITECH Illuminated Keyboard
OS : Windows 8 64 bits OEM

Settings : Games/Image editing/Video encoding/3D modeling
- Games : I'd like to play current and incoming games (let's say for the next 3 years) on high/ultra settings without troubles. Not necessarily the highest resolution (details tend to fade away when focused on the game) but for once, I'd like to feel immersed into the world and go beyond the average graphics, if you know what I mean. Games I play for now are WoW, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2. I'm going to buy Guild Wars 2 and I'd like to try the fps genre, my first thought being Battlefield 3.
- Image editing : I'm a drawer and I need to scan/edit my work on Photoshop and maybe use a graphics tablet at some point. Though it's not intensive/professional, I might need to do it on a regular basis with an economic interested behind, kinda like a freelance drawer if you will.
- Video encoding : I'm probably gonna need to create tutorial videos for a website project. Nothing intensive but I'd like to do it without real issues.
- 3D modeling : Solely for curiosity, I might do that to help me visualize the stuff I need to draw.
Resolution : 1920*1080
Country : France

Now, I'm also interested in overclocking but I'm confused between those who think it's not that useful and the aficionados. For what I want to do, would it be worthwhile ?
Also, Windows 8 seems to have a bad review but I read that it would be better for games given that DirectX 11 might not be available on Windows 7. Is it that bad that I should consider choosing 7 or can we expect an improvement for Windows 8 in the incoming months ?

And I think that's it for now. Thanks in advance !

[Ripox]

You cant overclock effectively on that CPU.

Little to no computer rigs today can play a game 3 years from now on max settings with no issues. (Unless future games are less graphically demanding)

Change that CPU to the 4770k to overclock
Change cooler to Hyper 212 EVO
Change motherboard to a Z87 board, try the Extreme 4
GPU is alright (might want to hit a 770 or 780 if you want to play games 3 years from now though)
Change SSD to 250GB Samsung 840 Series Pro version (more expensive for pro but apparently its better, may help in professional work)
change HDD to 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue
Change PSU to XFX 500w
Case is your preference although I like white cases like the white NZXT Phantom / Phantom 410 and the Cooler Master Storm Stryker
I hate Windows 8, I think 7 is better for gaming
That monitor is 1920x1200 not 1920x1080, by the way. I would get a 1920x1080 IPS one from ASUS/LG
I would get a mechanical keyboard (look into Cherry MX Reds/Blues rather than Blacks if you are going to be doing some typing)

[Deleted]

That monitor is 1920x1200 not 1920x1080, by the way. I would get a 1920x1080 IPS one from ASUS/LG

OP will be using it for drawing etc. I would get a 1920x1200 one, those extra pixel will/might come in handy.

[potis]

Do not get a cheap ass cooler like the Evo for ocing a 4770K.

If you really want to OC that thing look for high-end cooling, H80i and Noctua/Thermalight and UP, up means go for the damn H100i or Dual fans on Noctua/Thermalight.

Haswell isnt Ivy or Sandy, and 4770K runs really hot, and pretty much requires water cooling or the top of the line air cooling for anything above ~4.3GHz and thats if you are lucky enough to have a good chip.

It doesnt take much to google and check, when it reaches 75-80C at only 4.2GHz with water cooling solutions and half of the overclockers are deliding or want to delide their CPU's, is more than enough to know not to cheap out if you are gonna OC.

[arel00]

For your SSD I'd rather spend $10 more and get a ADATA XPG SX900 . Read/write at 550/530 vs 490/350 of the Sandisk. I'm using one myself and so far I've been more than satisfied with it.

[chazus]

Go with the 4670K. You aren't really doing anything that an i7 would help. 8gb is fine. You don't need a Samsung Pro, or the others ones above. Write speed won't really help. A Samsung 840 will do just fine.

[glo]

I'd like to play current and incoming games (let's say for the next 3 years) on high/ultra settings without troubles.

Your only option is the GTX 780 in that case, and no guarantees. Go back 3 years from now, and the majority of high end users had a GTX 280 or 4870. No way in hell they can run new games now at anything really above low settings.

It's unfortunate, but also how it has always been with PC gaming.

[chazus]

Go back 3 years from now, and the majority of high end users had a GTX 280 or 4870. No way in hell they can run new games now at anything really above low settings.

My brother recently sold his most recent previous system that had a 295 in it, and it could barely run new stuff, even though it technically is a beast of a card.

[Deleted]

You cant overclock effectively on that CPU.

change HDD to 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue

Case is your preference although I like white cases like the white NZXT Phantom / Phantom 410 and the Cooler Master Storm Stryker

I would get a mechanical keyboard (look into Cherry MX Reds/Blues rather than Blacks if you are going to be doing some typing)

I know, that's why I asked if it would be worthwhile to overclock first, in order to know if I had to invest in more expensive components

The HDD I mentioned will be for swap/work in progress, I'll add a 2nd HDD for data (WESTERN DIGITAL Cavier Green 2To).

I totally dig what Tamari did with his rig here so I wouldn't mind choosing a white case as well.

Heard about the mechanical keyboards, I'm gonna check that out, thanks !

OP will be using it for drawing etc. I would get a 1920x1200 one, those extra pixel will/might come in handy.

The original choice was the 23,8" so 1920*1080 (couldn't find that monitor on newegg) but since you point it out, I'll probably go for the 24,8"

No way in hell they can run new games now at anything really above low settings.

Yeah, I didn't express myself clearly on that one. Actually I don't mind having to lower the settings for the incoming games (if I ever play some) as long as I can still play correctly to them. If I really need the ultra settings, I'll probably change the GPU.

Go with the 4670K. You aren't really doing anything that an i7 would help. 8gb is fine.

Are you sure about that ? Because so far, everytime I checked for builds including settings like picture/video editing, people recommend to go with an i7 :/
I mean, don't get me wrong, it would be a far better option for me to go with an oc'ed i5 since the i7 is more expensive and like potis said, an oc'ed i7 might require to invest in a watercooling system so another additional fee.
And plus, it would suck to realize that the build isn't good enough once everything is assembled

[Deleted]

Bumping this as it is falling into the archives of the forum.

So after reading some threads, I came up with this new build, based on a i5-3570k since I read that, on average, it had a better OC potential than the i5-4670k :

Processor : INTEL i5-3570k
CPU cooler : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard : MSI Z77A-GD55
Memory : Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600
SSD : SAMSUNG 840 Series 250GB
HDD 1 (work in progress) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Black 500GB
HDD 2 (storage) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Green 2TB
Video card : GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 760
PSU : BE QUIET! Straight Power E9-CM 580W
Case : NZXT Phantom
Optical drive : LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer
OS : Windows 7 64 bits OEM
Monitor : ASUS PA238Q

I couldn't find the XFX 550W power supply on french websites, I had to improvise. Is this one still good though ?

I wanted to add links and maybe a longer list including peripherals but right now, I'm trying not to throw my netbook out of the window for being so slow (I bought it in a Walmart 4 years ago, that's how bad it is).

[Xuvial]

Bumping this as it is falling into the archives of the forum.

So after reading some threads, I came up with this new build, based on a i5-3570k since I read that, on average, it had a better OC potential than the i5-4670k :

Processor : INTEL i5-3570k
CPU cooler : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard : MSI Z77A-GD55
Memory : Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600
SSD : SAMSUNG 840 Series 250GB
HDD 1 (work in progress) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Black 500GB
HDD 2 (storage) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Green 2TB
Video card : GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 760
PSU : BE QUIET! Straight Power E9-CM 580W
Case : NZXT Phantom
Optical drive : LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer
OS : Windows 7 64 bits OEM
Monitor : ASUS PA238Q

Excellent well-rounded build. Beautiful monitor choice. I'm not a fan of that case though, too much plastic in the Phantom and proprietary fan mounts which only accept NZXT fans (last I checked). Care to dig around for something from Corsair (300R, 400R, 500R), Fractal Design (Arc Midi, Define R4) or Cooler Master (HAF912)?

I couldn't find the XFX 550W power supply on french websites, I had to improvise. Is this one still good though ?

Definitely, Be Quiet! makes very good power supplies, I would actually rank them higher than XFX. But sometimes I want to walk over to whoever named that company and hit him in the face with one of their own power supplies, seriously, "Be Quiet!"?

I wanted to add links and maybe a longer list including peripherals but right now, I'm trying not to throw my netbook out of the window for being so slow (I bought it in a Walmart 4 years ago, that's how bad it is).

Don't worry about links, brand/model names are enough for us to tell at a glance. If it's from outside US/Canada then links won't really do us much good because it's really hard to dig-around for the best deals on each product on foreign websites, you'll have to do that part I'm afraid

Do tell us about what peripherals you're picking though, just wanna make sure it's not anything...weird :P

[Ripox]

Great picks. I think its ready to order.

[chazus]

HDD 1 (work in progress) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Black 500GB
HDD 2 (storage) : WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Green 2TB

What does "Work in progress" mean, exactly?

I would skip the black, and just get a 3TB Blue/Green, if 2TB is not enough. You already have an SSD from what I'm reading.

[Deleted]

Excellent well-rounded build. Beautiful monitor choice. I'm not a fan of that case though, too much plastic in the Phantom and proprietary fan mounts which only accept NZXT fans (last I checked). Care to dig around for something from Corsair (300R, 400R, 500R), Fractal Design (Arc Midi, Define R4) or Cooler Master (HAF912)?

Ah, too bad, I really like the NZXT Phantom. The CM Storm Trooper seems to be great too but I believe it is a little heavier and probably too big for what I'll be doing with it. Or am I wrong ?
Since I really want a white case, I think I'll go with the Corsair 500R then.

Definitely, Be Quiet! makes very good power supplies, I would actually rank them higher than XFX. But sometimes I want to walk over to whoever named that company and hit him in the face with one of their own power supplies, seriously, "Be Quiet!"?

Ah, glad I'm not the only one disturbed with that company name !

Don't worry about links, brand/model names are enough for us to tell at a glance. If it's from outside US/Canada then links won't really do us much good because it's really hard to dig-around for the best deals on each product on foreign websites, you'll have to do that part I'm afraid

I believe the hard part was to choose between the thousands components available and their compatibility when I wasn't sure of which ones would be the best for my use. Now that it's all about money, it shouldn't be a problem, I believe I saved up more than enough for what I need

Do tell us about what peripherals you're picking though, just wanna make sure it's not anything...weird :P

Okay so for the rest, I think I'm gonna go with the following :

Keyboard : RAZER Blackwidow Stealth
I took a look at the mechanical keyboards' thread. As I tend to type a lot, I went with the Cherry MX brown switches and choose the RAZER Blackwidow Stealth since it seems very popular. I would have been pleased with backlit keys but I don't think I'll be a fan of the green backlit of the ultimate version (would rather have white or even blue backlit).
Mouse : CYBORG R.A.T. 7
Offered by a friend last year, used it as a simple mouse until now since I couldn't run the software on Windows XP. I read that it was a good mouse so maybe this time, I'll have a chance to use its full potential. Plus, I'm sentimental, I would feel bad not to use it :P
Speakers : CREATIVE Inspire T10
When it comes to sound, I tend to use my headset but I still need speakers just in case. Nothing fancy, just something that works good without being too expensive.
Webcam : LOGITECH C252
Same use than the speakers, nothing expensive but that works good for video conversations.

What does "Work in progress" mean, exactly?

I would skip the black, and just get a 3TB Blue/Green, if 2TB is not enough. You already have an SSD from what I'm reading.

I mean for SWAP and softwares that won't run on SSD. As I'm also interested in recording stuff with Fraps, I believe the black version is the best for that kind of use, but maybe the blue version will work just as fine ?

[Xuvial]

Ah, too bad, I really like the NZXT Phantom. The CM Storm Trooper seems to be great too but I believe it is a little heavier and probably too big for what I'll be doing with it. Or am I wrong ?
Since I really want a white case, I think I'll go with the Corsair 500R then.

Oh there's a white version of Fractal Design Define R4 and even with a window option, check if it's available for you...

Okay so for the rest, I think I'm gonna go with the following :
Keyboard : RAZER Blackwidow Stealth
I took a look at the mechanical keyboards' thread. As I tend to type a lot, I went with the Cherry MX brown switches and choose the RAZER Blackwidow Stealth since it seems very popular. I would have been pleased with backlit keys but I don't think I'll be a fan of the green backlit of the ultimate version (would rather have white or even blue backlit).

Not a bad choice, I guess. There are other keyboards out there like Corsair's K series (K60, K70, etc) and CM Storm Quickfire series (Rapid, TK, etc). Not a huge fan of Razer products due to their quality control issues, but whatever floats your boat. FYI it's Cherry MX Blues that are considered the best for typing.

Mouse : CYBORG R.A.T. 7
Offered by a friend last year, used it as a simple mouse until now since I couldn't run the software on Windows XP. I read that it was a good mouse so maybe this time, I'll have a chance to use its full potential. Plus, I'm sentimental, I would feel bad not to use it :P

It's a good mouse, pretty awesome you got it from a friend

Speakers : CREATIVE Inspire T10
When it comes to sound, I tend to use my headset but I still need speakers just in case. Nothing fancy, just something that works good without being too expensive.

I have these on my old build, they do the job for the price.

I mean for SWAP and softwares that won't run on SSD. As I'm also interested in recording stuff with Fraps, I believe the black version is the best for that kind of use, but maybe the blue version will work just as fine ?

As long as you're running your game (or whatever you're recording) from one drive and FRAPS'ing to a different drive, it doesn't really matter because FRAPS records far slower than the typical HDD write rate.
My FRAPS drive is a Caviar Green lol (5400rpm), it's not bottlenecked in any way.

[Deleted]

Oh there's a white version of Fractal Design Define R4 and even with a window option, check if it's available for you...

After thinking about it, I give up the white color for now and I'll stick with the HAF 912. Thanks for the research though :)

Not a bad choice, I guess. There are other keyboards out there like Corsair's K series (K60, K70, etc) and CM Storm Quickfire series (Rapid, TK, etc). Not a huge fan of Razer products due to their quality control issues, but whatever floats your boat. FYI it's Cherry MX Blues that are considered the best for typing.

That TK with the brown switches got my attention. Just to confirm, brown switches are blue-like switches but more silent, aren't they ?

It's a good mouse, pretty awesome you got it from a friend :)

And he barely is a gamer !

As long as you're running your game (or whatever you're recording) from one drive and FRAPS'ing to a different drive, it doesn't really matter because FRAPS records far slower than the typical HDD write rate.
My FRAPS drive is a Caviar Green lol (5400rpm), it's not bottlenecked in any way.

Ah, good, I'll stick to the green version then. I can still add another HDD later if needed anyway.

I think its ready to order.

Indeed :)

Thanks for the help guys, it has been very useful !
I'll submit pictures of the build once it's done...if I don't forget ><