Computer setup thoughts, ideas, suggestions, comments

[TheBlazed]

First of all let me apologize if this is the wrong area or place to post this i did use the search funtion for
Computer Setup
PC Setup ideas
Hardware setup.

Figured this would be the most appropriate area to post i also thought about random question thread but i
think this deserves a thread if not im sorry.


Just finished building a PC and wondering if (shopped online) (Havn't bought yet until weekend)
1. Does my case fit all of the components, Inexpensive case better or the More expensive one? I.E See Case below
A. What i have is compatible with everything
B. If any better options are available
C. If Graphic's card (2 GTS 450) vs (1 GTS 470) which would perform better or recommended card setup
D. If the Performance/Cost ratio is adequate (What i'm getting vs the cost of product)
E. Upgradable in future
F. Overall thoughts (Low?, Middle-High?, Low-High?, High End setup)
- Looking to get a Middle-high/Low-High/High end Setup (Budget - $1000)
G. Suggestions for Overclocking? Water cooling system?
Max recommended OC clock with just fans? (Please let me know what GPU you choose)
Max recommended OC with Water cooled + Fans (^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)

Middle Tower case - Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - 39.99
Not really needing a Super omg display case... just a simply hold my shit please, is this big enough for my GPU's if i get 1 or 2. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811133094

or

Full Tower case - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
(139.99) - A Bit Pricey but intrigued by water cooling, look + modding capability.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146067

P.S - Willing to go with cheaper option if applicable to all my components
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Motherboard/CPU - (Dual Core i7 950)(ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA) 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - The i7 cpu is upgradable yes? for future?
$187.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131665
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GPU - Asus ENGTS450 DIRECTCU/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTS 450 DirectCU Video Card - 1024MB GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0, DVI, HDMI, VGA, SLI, DirectX 11, Fermi
109.00 (Really shocked on price and seeking thoughts on this card this is the base of this entire post here for thoughts on this card/price and if anything is better or would 2 of these be better than 1 470 etc,)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&Sku=A455-0450
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Memory - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMP6GX3M3A1600C8 - $118.99
Pretty sure these are ok. are these ok for the price?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145295
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HDD - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$39.99, Is this compatible? Not really sure would like conformation. Was offered 1 TB but i feel thats way too much for me, thoughts on 500 GB should be enough?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136795
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PSU (power supply) RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply
$59.99
Is price ok? is this the correct type for my setup? i believe i have enough Watts, thoughts?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-036-_-Product
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DVD Drive - ASUS Black 24X........
$17.99, Pretty straight forward, just wondering if both cases will fit/accept this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135204
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Moniter - ASUS VE Series VE208T Black 20" 1600x900 5ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 ASCR 10,000,000:1
$129.99, Pricey but willing to spend what ill be looking at alot, i want one with speakers... thoughts? ideas? suggestions?... MS = 5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236106

or
Black Hanns.G HZ194APB 19in WXGA+ Computer LCD Monitor, 5 ms, 250 cd/m2, 1000:1, Built-in Speakers and D-SUB.
$99.99, More my price range but like i said willing to spend more if needed, once again would like one with speakers thoughts? ideas? suggestions?
http://www.directron.com/hz194apb.html
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Last - What OS system would you recommend and how do i acquire it, noob question i know but this is my first pc i'm building and always had OS Pre -installed.

Is there anything else im missing (besides mouse and keyboard/desk... im pretty sure ive covered all basses just seeking a review and 2nd opinion...

Thanks for the long read i really appreciate you taking the time to help me.
Sincerily,
The Blazed

[Isiolia]

Either case should be fine - you might also consider a HAF series case, CM690, or something like an Antec 300 for another lower cost option. I've heard good things about the NZXT, and was considering one when I built my system.

I personally own the exact motherboard/CPU/RAM that you've spec'ed out. On the one hand, I've been happy with the setup, and think it's a solid config. On the other, aside from the issues with the SATA controller chip, Sandy Bridge has generally been the recommended direction. The X58/socket 1366 platform is something of a dead end - it hasn't been replaced yet, but it should be this coming fall. I would maybe look at an i5 2500k or i7 2600k instead (the k at the end indicates an unlocked multiplier, which is to say, it's overclockable), which would also mean a different motherboard, and dual channel rather than triple channel RAM.
You aren't necessarily looking at vastly different gaming performance (ie, here), but there aren't many big reasons to go with the X58 platform right now, save very high end GPU setups or the like.

Go with a single, more powerful GPU to start with. Performance is more consistent, you're less likely to run into driver issues, and you leave yourself the option to get a second card as an upgrade down the line.

HDD is a pretty standard one - could go for a WD Black or something for a few bucks more. The optical drive is also fine. Monitors...eh...I'd go a little larger, wouldn't worry about speakers. If you're really worried about quality, you'll need to spend a fair bit more and buy an IPS panel. PSU is fine unless you plan to run dual 470s or something down the line.

Overclocking...you will want an aftermarket cooler if you plan to do much of it. Water cooling is a large jump, and isn't necessary for most common stuff. If you mean the closed-system liquid coolers like the Corsair H50, then those really aren't outside of the realm of what a good air cooler will do (though the size/noise may be better). You can always start small and progress.

What OS system would you recommend and how do i acquire it, noob question i know but this is my first pc i'm building and always had OS Pre -installed.

I'd go with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. You can buy an OEM license from Newegg or wherever. It differs from the retail version in that you technically can't transfer the license to another computer...but it's also a lot cheaper. Home Premium is about $45 cheaper, and you may or may not notice a difference - it does hide some settings unless you reboot to safe mode, doesn't include access to the XP virtual machine, and so on.

[Adajer]

You'd do better with a 560 than a 470. Averages about $10 cheaper than the 470, gives the same if not better performance than the 470, draws less power than the 470, lower temps and less noise. The gtx 400 series are pretty much pointless to purchase anymore besides the 460 for a low budget.

[Amastacia]

Go Sandy Bridge 2500K + P67 board, like Isiolia said.

The 4 core, non-hyperthreaded $220 i5 is nearly on par with the $330 i7 2600K and $999 i7 980X in most all real world applications.

There are specific cases when larger core/thread counts yield a performance benefit, but the difference 95% of the time is almost nil, and the i5 is dirt cheap.

The replacements for the defective B-stepping P67-based motherboards will be shipping within the next few weeks, and it's definitely worth being patient rather than pulling the trigger now and going with an older generation i7.

For case, check out the Lian Li PC-9F. It's a done deal my new Sandy Bridge build will be in one. Provantage has them listed as special order at the moment (got launched in December, everyone's out of stock, availability expected ~March 4, right around when the respin of P67 will be available), but their price is under $125. Compared to $140 at Newegg.

RAM - You don't need a triple channel kit if you go Sandy Bridge. Get the Kingston Hyper-X DDR3-1600, it uses the best DDR3 ICs on the market (Elpida Hypers). Corsair Dominator is good RAM and all handpicked ICs, but it doesn't use the Hyper ICs anymore because the first generation had high failure rates. Elpida has re-released new versions (which is what the Kingston RAM uses) which have not had the same problems.

HDD - Go 1TB, it gives you more flexibility. Plenty of space for games, music, movies, etc. if you're not a heavy duty downloader. Also, consider going for the WD Black series over Blue. They're a little more expensive, but they're also better drives.

PSU - Cheap out somewhere else, not here. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend the Seasonic X650. It's significantly more expensive, it's also 80+ Gold, and so incredibly rock solid that the odds on accidentally frying anything is just about nil. Buy a $40 case and a $120 PSU rather than the other way around if you need to stick to a budget. Cheap PSUs are much more likely to fail, and much less likely to adequately regulate voltage, which means you're much more likely to fry something significantly expensive.

DVD - Standard 5.25". Everything will accept it.

Overclocking - You can take a Sandy Bridge chip to 4.0 or higher on stock cooling, but I would recommend looking aftermarket if you really care about overclocking. Unless you intend to water block your GPU(s) as well as your CPU, don't even fucking bother with water cooling, and look at high-end air cooling. Any decent water system is going to be more expensive than even something really nice like a Thermalright Archon, and you'll be spending hundreds to decisively better the Archon's performance.