Last check before I order ($1400 gaming build)

[funkhouser]

Hello!

I would love some feedback on my build before I order. I can spend at most another $50-$100 if it's necessary. I have no interest in SLI and I won't do any extensive overclocking, at most I'd like to get the CPU up to ~4.2ghz so please keep that in mind.

I want a stable and low maintenance build with decent temperatures and long lifespan (ideally 3+ years).

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LX
HDD: 1TB WD Caviar Blue
SSD: Samsung SSD Pro 840-Series 256GB
CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K 3,4Ghz (Ivy Bridge)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
RAM: Corsair 8GB (2x4096MB) CL9 1600Mhz VENGEANCE LP
Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 670 2048MB DirectCUII
PSU: Fractal Design Newton R3, 600W 80+ Platinum, Modular
Case: Fractal Design Define R4
Optical Drive: DVD±RW Samsung 24X DL

Appreciate any feedback!

[Welos]

TLC NAND endurance really isn't worth considering under most circumstances. Users who write 10 gigs per day can expect to get about 10 years out of a SSD utilizing TLC NAND before it's worn out, assuming other complications don't arise (which is more of a concern in my opinion).

[funkhouser]

I have decided to get the Samsung SSD Pro 840-Series 256GB instead. It's a bit more expensive but it comes with a 5 year warranty and excellent reviews so I reckon it's worth it.

Any other suggestions?

[Deleted]

change HDD to a WD green.
ssd, no reason to not get a MLC one. (OCZ vertex 4/crucial M4/corsair neutron for example)
gpu, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162109. (same gpu/cooler saves $40 and galaxy is same level as asus for gpu's brand wise)

[funkhouser]

change HDD to a WD green.
ssd, no reason to not get a MLC one. (OCZ vertex 4/crucial M4/corsair neutron for example)
gpu, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162109. (same gpu/cooler saves $40 and galaxy is same level as asus for gpu's brand wise)

Thanks for your feedback! I'm getting a Samsung Pro 840 256GB instead which is with MLC.

What is the difference between WD Green and WD Caviar Blue?

[phenix]

What is the difference between WD Green and WD Caviar Blue?

green is low power (lower rpm sometimes) and good for storage (ie. youll be using your SSD not the HDD)
blue is good for a HDD as your main drive. current usage
black is for higher performance needed/faster seek times


******
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/librar...178-701024.pdf

[WD Caviar®Blue™
With SATA and PATA interfaces, and cache sizes
ranging from 2 MB to 16 MB, these drives offer a
full range of performance features.

WD Caviar Green™
These drives make it possible for energyconscious customers to build systems with
higher capacitiesand the right balance of
system performance,ensured reliability, and
energy conservation.

WD Caviar Black™
These high-performance SATA drives combine
7200 RPM spin speed, up to 64 MB cache,
SATA 3 Gb/s interface, and an integrated dual
processor for lightning-fast performance in
demanding desktop, workstation, and
multi-drive systems.

WD Scorpio® Blue™
With available SATA or PATA interfaces, these
drives offer high-performance, low power
consumption, and cool operation, perfect for
notebooks and other portable devices.

WD Scorpio Black™
Designed for top-of-the-line notebook
computers, these high-performance drives
deliver the capacity and speed needed
to supercharge a notebook PC without
compromising battery life or quiet acoustics]

[Deleted]

Thanks for your feedback! I'm getting a Samsung Pro 840 256GB instead which is with MLC.

What is the difference between WD Green and WD Caviar Blue?

also makes less sound since it is a variable RPM drive. (whereas blue's run at the same high rpm all the time)
speeds are pretty much equal. (WD green 100mb/s read and writes and blue is likely the same)
also meh no fan of samsung ssd's but thats personal choice.

[chazus]

TLC NAND endurance really isn't worth considering under most circumstances. Users who write 10 gigs per day can expect to get about 10 years out of a SSD utilizing TLC NAND before it's worn out, assuming other complications don't arise (which is more of a concern in my opinion).

This is not only false, but also misleading.

There is no real world use limitation on TLC. I wish people would stop posting this junk.

[Faithh]

Thanks for your feedback! I'm getting a Samsung Pro 840 256GB instead which is with MLC.

What is the difference between WD Green and WD Caviar Blue?

Don't listen to any of them. The WD10EZEX blue is a single 1TB platter which means it's faster & very quiet due to that 1 platter being used. There's absolutely no reason to take a green drive over the WD10EZEX. This is just currently the only 1TB platter version from WD @ 7200rpm. Just go with WD10EZEX.

[funkhouser]

Don't listen to any of them. The WD10EZEX blue is a single 1TB platter which means it's faster & very quiet due to that 1 platter being used. There's absolutely no reason to take a green drive over the WD10EZEX. This is just currently the only 1TB platter version from WD @ 7200rpm. Just go with WD10EZEX.

Thanks for your input, I will go for the Blue one

[Idrinkwhiterussians]

I would probably skip the Fractal PSU. They are not made by the best manufacturer. Not saying they are terrible, I am just saying that you could get something a bit better for just a few $ more. I would instead go with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Power Supply: SeaSonic 660W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($144.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $144.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-17 01:35 EDT-0400)


Edit: I should also mention that the SeaSonic is FULLY modular as compared to the partially modular Fractal.

[glo]

Or just skip Platinum PSUs altogether. They don't really have a place in a $1,400 budget, it's money best spent elsewhere. Just get a reputable bronze unit such as:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151106

Save $70 and get yourself a better CPU cooler. That 212 evo is way out of place compared to the rest of your build.

Also, the selected motherboard is of very poor reliability. I'd definitely check out an Extreme4 from ASRock instead for the same price.

[Deleted]

Don't listen to any of them. The WD10EZEX blue is a single 1TB platter which means it's faster & very quiet due to that 1 platter being used. There's absolutely no reason to take a green drive over the WD10EZEX. This is just currently the only 1TB platter version from WD @ 7200rpm. Just go with WD10EZEX.

care to explain that?
last time i checked lowest rpm is the quieter drive.

[vindicatorx]

Looks good I just don't like the case I think Fractal cases look cheap and plain I would get a different PSU as well.

[jholdaway]

I would get a get a different cooler, maybe an all in one water cooler like the h801 or maybe even the h100i. You could save some cash on the psu and go with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3938566&SID=

As for the case, that's all personal opinion. For my new build I decided to go with something completely different that what I was used to. I got tired of just a plain black case and went with the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139014

Here's a build I put together with some of the changes I would make
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($88.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.49 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($386.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 600T White Graphite ATX Mid Tower Case ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1376.36
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-17 07:55 EDT-0400)

[inux94]

Why would you need a H80i if you're just going to 4.2 GHz?

Go for the Hyper212 instead.

[Faithh]

care to explain that?
last time i checked lowest rpm is the quieter drive.

There is only like 2-3 dBa between a 5400 rpm with a single 1TB platter and a Single 1tb platter 7200 rpm so it isn't worth it to get the green drive.

---------- Post added 2013-03-17 at 08:51 PM ----------

Also, the selected motherboard is of very poor reliability. I'd definitely check out an Extreme4 from ASRock instead for the same price.

Why lol? Because it doesn't have heatsinks on the vrm so it gets hot?

If this board is meant for normal use or soft overclocks with Vcores around 1.20-1.25V this board will do its job more than fine so would the ASRock do.

[Punisher]

There is only like 2-3 dBa between a 5400 rpm with a single 1TB platter and a Single 1tb platter 7200 rpm so it isn't worth it to get the green drive.

3 dBa = 2x sound

103 dBa = 2 times bigger than 100 dBa (example, those disc are not 100 dBa =D )

But okay, the sound difference isn't THAT big because those disk are quiet but the cavier green is less power-consuming. If it is only for storage and not main os I would go for the green, but honestly I don't think they are so different


For your mobo, review on newegg seems to say that it have few problems but I don't think it's alarmous

[funkhouser]

A lot of great feedback, really appreciate it.

Unfortunately I'm not able to order from newegg, I just used it as it is in english so you could read about the components that I picked. I'm ordering from the swedish website www.inet.se. If you want to take a look and give some advice on a good PSU and motherboard from there that would be awesome since those two are the things I'm not 100% sure about right now.

Thanks!

[Faithh]

3 dBa = 2x sound

103 dBa = 2 times bigger than 100 dBa (example, those disc are not 100 dBa =D )

But okay, the sound difference isn't THAT big because those disk are quiet but the cavier green is less power-consuming. If it is only for storage and not main os I would go for the green, but honestly I don't think they are so different


For your mobo, review on newegg seems to say that it have few problems but I don't think it's alarmous

10W vs 7.5W. 50x more power?