So, I haven't built a PC for myself in quite a while and I haven't really been keeping up to date on CPUs and GPUs. Unfortunately, because of that, I feel a little bit uneasy committing to a build without getting some recommendations (or "OKs") from people who are likely to know better than me. That's where you come in Computer Build / Upgrade Help board.
The first build is going to be the PC I build for myself. The specs are below:
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Video Card: EVGA GTX 670 Superclocked+ w/ Backplate 4GB
CPU: i5 3570k
PSU: Corsair HX750
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866
Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
SDD: Samsung 830 256GB
HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB
From the research I've done, most of these parts seem to be pretty common, with the exception of the GPU. However, I looked into the reviews of the card and I can't seem to find anything wrong with it. Still, I'd feel better if you guys could look over that build and point out any glaring flaws.
The second build is supposed to be a PC that's designed to replace a PC that my parents use. Since they don't use it often, use it only for simple tasks, and don't like huge towers, I tried to go on the smaller side with this build. The specs are below:
Case: Thermaltake Element Q w/ 200W PSU
Motherboard: ASRock H77M-ITX
CPU: i5 3570k
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Heatsink: Thermaltake Frio Overclocking-Ready
HDD: Western Digital Blue 500GB
The main "worry" I have with this build is that I have absolutely 0 experience going small. You can clearly see that from the fact that I decided to go with an i5 3570k and 8GB of RAM, even though most of that power will probably end up not being used. I know many of you have experience building HTPCs and since I'm pretty much shooting for the same specs as an HTPC (maybe a little bit better), I would like your input.
Any helpful recommendations or advice, whether upgrades or downgrades, would be great. Please help me out MMO-Champion!