Help with new build.

[noob]

Hi all,

I'm up for a new build, to be purchased at the end of this month. I have the following components and need help with brands, alternatives, etc.

The following is ~$2k from PC Case Gear, some brand changes may require a downgrade in components as that is at the max I can go. In about 6 months or so I am looking at a second GPU, ~15 low noise fans, and after market coolers on everything, So that also need to be taken into account with the PSU. I won't be overclocking until I go on water, then it wont be much as I will be trying for quiet.

Case: Antec Lanboy Air - Blue
PSU: Corsair AX-750
MB: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
RAM: Corsair CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10
CPU: Intel Core i7 3770
HDD 1: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SSD
HDD 2: Seagate 2TB Barracuda SATAIII
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD7970
OS: Win 7 x64
Wifi: TP-LINK TL-WN881ND

The cost of CPU's is:
i5 3550: $225
i5 2500K: $225
i5 3570K: $249
i7 2600: $299
i7 2600K: $309
i7 2700K: $329
i7 3770: $339

Now the laptop I have has an i7 2670QM so I want it to be more powerful than that - the graphics will most definitely be.

I have a wifi modem, Billion BiPAC 7800N so the max speed of the wireless is 300Mbps.

If I need to go bigger on the PSU the AX-850 is $30 more, so I will have to look at downgrading something I do want a fully modular PSU and the Silverstone ST85F-G-E is $30 less than the AX-750

I don't know too much about ASRock, though with the i5 3550 I can go for a ASUS Sabertooth Z77 though with the limited overclocking I'm looking at, I'm not sure how useful the board would be.

RAM, I'm looking at 2x8GB to be able to upgrade later:
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL
G.Skill Ares F3-1600C10D-16GAO
Corsair Vengeance CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10

SSD's:
OCZ Agility 3 120GB SSD
Corsair Force Series 3 120GB

GPU:
Some of the brands available I don't know anything about - HIS. But the HIS Radeon HD7970 $10 less and the HIS Radeon HD7950 3GB IceQ Turbo is $86 less than the 7970 specc'd.

I'm also looking at dual booting this with Debian, maybe even Gentoo later, so *nix compatibility with the GPU and wifi are a must.


EDITED: Remove water cooling, too much hassle, maybe for a HTPC later on, change to air cooling.

[cloasters]

That's a rig to be envious about, it'll kick some adze!

[noob]

Thanks, I'm hoping it will last for a few years.
Hopefully I get one of the guys with a bit more recent up to date knowledge than mine to give me some help with brands, power consumption, etc.

[chrisbard]

I can recommend Windows 7 and soon Windows 8!

[noob]

Going for Win 7 x64 pro, I won't be going anywhere near win 8 with that ridiculous, rubbish Metro UI. It is for a similar reason that my in-laws no longer run Ubuntu with its stupid Unity UI, but Debian instead.

It is a desktop, with a mouse and keyboard, not a 10" tablet with touch screen. I don't want any filthy fingerprints on my monitor.

[robbie]

Yeah, I've heard and read Win 8 is all about touch screen, so I don't think that makes it a desktop OS.

[danrok]

What will you be using this rig for? Anything demanding?

[noob]

Web browsing is demanding isn't it, wont it make my internet faster?

Some gaming: Skrym, Deus EX: HR, C&C and the like
Some HD video encoding and transcoding
Folding@Home

It will also be used as an ssh server, DLNA server, and VLC server simultaneously.

If I can get away with an i5 3550 or 3570k, and a single GTX 560 ti going to dual 560 ti later, that means I can look at something like the ASUS Xonar Essence STX PCIe sound card and the AKG K 912 wireless headphones

[noob]

Well I have reevaluated what I will be using this for, and gone for the following:
Fractal Design Arc Mini
Corsair AX650
ASUS P8H77-M PRO
G.Skill F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL
Intel Core i7 3770
Noctua NH-L12
SanDisk Extreme 120GB x2
Western Digital Green 3TB
Win 7 x64 Pro
TP-Link TL-WN951N
ASUS Xonar Essence STX
NZXT Sentry 2
Noctua NF-P14 x2
Noctua NF-P12 x2

I'm looking into a decent set of headphones, not sure what I'll be getting yet.

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by robbie

Yeah, I've heard and read Win 8 is all about touch screen, so I don't think that makes it a desktop OS.

I have to say that few things seem dumber to me than touch screen as a desktop, it's like poking your self in the eye over and over again until your eyes are so smeared you can't see anything...don't they have mothers who make them jam sandwiches at MS?

[Daniel ~]

Looks like a dream machine!

One thing that sticks out to me....and I have to say we may be dealing with my bias ...

How sure are you about Sapphire Radeon HD7970?

Nvidia always seems to take the gold... or have things changed while I was sleeping....hey it was a long sleep! ":O}

[noob]

It is about the same price as the nVidia GTX 570, which it trounces.
Sure the best of the best at this point in time is the GTX 690 but at $1600, A little out of my budget.

Decided to ditch the card, as most of the games I will be playing at this time, the on die Intel HD 4000 graphics is enough.

I will be waiting for a few price drops in games and then may look into a discrete GPU for ~$500 then. Basically put the difference in what I actually needed into better cooling, sound card, more HDD capacity and a second SSD for RAID0.

I hate people touching my desktop screen there is no need, a touch screen as a desktop would drive me postal.

[Daniel ~]

I put aside, for the time being, PC gaming in favor of my PS3. Mostly due to Linux limitations in games. REALLY looking forward to Steam porting to Linux":O}

I hate people touching my desktop screen there is no need, a touch screen as a desktop would drive me postal.

That's because you had a mommy that made you jam sandwiches! I have bad dreams about jam on my keyboad and monitior....other than that jam doesn't play much of a part in my dream life...":O}

[cloasters]

There's something not right about touch screens, in my house at any rate. Ugh!