Help with my new computer build

[BigGuy]

Hi everyone. I have put together a proposed list of parts for my new build and would like you all to make comments or suggestions on it.

Thank you, BigGuy

1) Coolermaster HAF 912 mid tower case.
2) Intel i5-2500K CPU.
3) Coolermaster Hyper 212 CPU cooling fan.
4) Asus P8Z68-V ATX motherboard.
5) 8 GB of Corsair or Kingston DDR3/1600 Mhz dual channel memory.
6) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti GPU.
7) 850 Watt CoolerMaster PSU.
8) Crucial M4 64 GB SATA III SSD

[Raymond]

Looks good to me. I'd suggest a secondary hard drive so you can store more stuff on the computer.

[Bearcat]

Hey Buddy that looks good to me also. Like Raymond mentioned, you will need a HDD to store stuff on, but don't worry about that because I have a couple of spares and you can have one. With the cost of HDD's lately, that will save you a few bucks. I am really looking forward to helping you put your new build together!

[A Guy]

That looks like a killer build! Be sure the Ram you choose is on the Qualified Vendor List ( [url=http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68V/#MSL]QVL list ). Also, the HAF 912 only comes with 2 low speed 120mm fans, so you might find the need to add more for good cooling. The good news is there are spaces for more fans, and you can get some good quality fans of your choice should you see the need. The case will be very quiet as purchased, but as I say, with less cooling potential. Your GTX 550 Ti should fit fine, although it may be necessary to remove the hard drive bays for installation (not a big deal, as it is removable). That card isn't that long, so this may not be an issue. The M4 is amongst the best out right now, you will be happy with that. That MB has all kinds of features, and will have everything you can possibly want. Overall, looks like a very good build, and will put Uncle Bears PC to the test

A Guy

[hellnoire]

Hi everyone. I have put together a proposed list of parts for my new build and would like you all to make comments or suggestions on it.

Thank you, BigGuy

1) Coolermaster HAF 912 mid tower case.
2) Intel i5-2500K CPU.
3) Coolermaster Hyper 212 CPU cooling fan.
4) Asus P8Z68-V ATX motherboard.
5) 8 GB of Corsair or Kingston DDR3/1600 Mhz dual channel memory.
6) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti GPU.
7) 850 Watt CoolerMaster PSU.
8) Crucial M4 64 GB SATA III SSD

Newegg regularly has DDR3 ram on sale, if you watch for that, you can save major bucks, and if your mobo supports it, you can get 16 gigs if you want. G.Skill is another good name.

Any ideas on the OS?

[BigGuy]

Thank you guys for your replies!

@ Uncle Bear Thanks for the offer of the hard drive!

@ A Guy Thanks for the tips! I will keep them in mind. If I can afford it, I might try to upgrade my case to a full tower. I really like Uncle Bear's Coolermaster HAF X.

@ hellnoire I am going to buy 2 - 4 GB sticks of RAM so I can add more later if I need too. I already have a copy of Windows 7 Home Edition 64 bit to install, but want to experiment with some Linux distros in the future.

[hellnoire]

@ hellnoire I am going to buy 2 - 4 GB sticks of RAM so I can add more later if I need too. I already have a copy of Windows 7 Home Edition 64 bit to install, but want to experiment with some Linux distros in the future.

Good choice I know I'm very happy with with 16 gigs myself.

[Bearcat]

Uncle Bear Thanks for the offer of the hard drive!

You are welcome Buddy! I was thinking you could have that WD SATA III 750 GB HDD, so you can utilize the SATA III capability of your Asus MB.

Lets see what we can work out on the HAF X case. I think that would be a good idea to upgrade. The cooling capacity is awesome and it will give you lots of space for any hardware you want to install. I'm betting we can get your Grandma to help out!

[hal9000]

I'd perhaps recommend you consider an alternative to the GTX Ti 550 if you're a gamer. Not a bad card, but the Radeon 6850/6870's can be had for only a bit extra and are superior cards. If you're gaming at 1920x1080, and your budget will stretch, perhaps even a GTX Ti 560 should be looked at.

If you're on a tight budget, you could drop the PSU to something like a 650w Corsair which will save some cash and still leave loads of spare power should you need it. Unless you plan to SLI/crossfire in the future or add loads of xtra drives etc. you really don't need anywhere near 850w, whereas a better gfx card or bigger ssd would be of bigger benefit.

Also, even though 64Gb sounds like a lot, it really isn't when you consider that it's not recommended to fill the ssd to more than about 70-75% full so things like TRIM have enough space to spread the wear across the drive more evenly. If you're only using it for the o/s and a few apps / games 64Gb will be fine.

If you have some prices to hand maybe you could post them as well so we could try and offer alternatives for a similar price.

[BigGuy]

That 750 GB HDD would be great Uncle Bear, thanks! I was trying to save some money going with HAF 912, but if I could afford the HAF X that would be even better!

@ HAL9000 Thank you for your reply. I was thinking about your suggestion of a better GPU and was wondering what you thought about the EVGA GTX 460. It isn't as powerful and/or expensive as the GTX 560 Ti, but should out perform the GTX 550 Ti and still be in my budget. I only plan to run the OS and my programs from the SSD so I shouldn't have a problem space. The most space I could see using would 35 to 40 GB and that would be under 70% full. But if I can afford a larger SSD, I will try to do that. I can cut back on the size of the PSU, but I was looking to future hardware upgrades and wanted to be sure I had plenty of available power.