Hey guys i'm going to be building a gaming rig in the near future and this is what i've got so far
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1zgGN
I'd really appreciate any suggestions and advice.
This is my first build and i would like to get into overclocking; I plan on using this build mainly for gaming.
Thanks for any advice, you guys are EPIC
Well, I like your choice of GPU; fantastic performance and amazing looks.
However, you may want to consider 7950 CF; being so cheap, right now, you can get 7950 CF (2-way) for less than $400, and still have amazing performance, but, the option to mine LTC, and such, for profit. If you will be Folding, for the love of god, get the 780 (170k PPD, yes please), but if not, the 7950s are the way to go.
Cheaper cooler; the H100i is pointless, when you have options like the Phanteks PH-TC14PE, Noctua NH-D14, and Silverarrow Extreme, which beat the H100i in performance, for less money.
Consider mATX; small and powerful is the way to go. Do you need 3 or 4-way SLI/CF? Most likely, no, so why get a huge motherboard and case? Small, and powerful, man. It's the bomb :) Were you to go mATX, I'd get a Silverstone TJ08B-E instead of the Phantom; amazing case, for a great price.
More SSD; with that budget, you can get a 256GB at least, 512GB, or even the 1TB SSDs that Samsung and Crucial have out, now.
I wouldn't get that PSU. It has 4 12V rails. Generally, a single 12V rail is recommended for stability. Also, EVGA isn't well-known for their PSUs. I would get something like this...
http://goo.gl/tKzazt
Which aftermarket 7950 would you recommend?
Thanks i'll be going for that
Multiple rails doesn't matter all that much. It is a safety measure. If one rail overloads it shuts down the pc. Onto the build:
just going to give you my 2 cents here.
you are overspending on the motherboard. It is better to choose a 100-120 dollar Z87 board. no performance difference, and especially since you are a beginner in overclocking. if you got enough money, why not, but if you are trying to keep it reasonable..
The cooler.. I am not a fan of closed water cooling kits. Sure they give respectable performance, but at a price. They are generally louder than an air cooler for same cooling performance. And you always have the chance of a leak. These things aren't the best quality, you never know what happens in three years. The rubber might degrade, liquid evaporates through the tubes etcetera. Air cooler is set and forget, no worries.
The GPU is a beast but is very bad perforamce per dollar. Consider on picking up a 770/7970 now for a great bang for your buck. Next year or in a year or 2 you buy another 300 dollar card that might double the performanceof the 770/7970. 780 is only 25-35 % faster at best. So for the same money you get way better performance next year(when 20nm comes).
as said above, I think ATX case is a waste. It is so big. consider a mITX. Node 304 will fit any single card setup and looks good and so easy to move around. it's your call but buying these huge towers today is a waste I feel.
So then how is this http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1A2DG
Much better, but why the 7950 crossfire? I say get a cheap 7950 now and when you really feel like you need more performance add one then. The 9000 series are also coming out mid october. So it would be quite...weird to buy 2 7950s right now. Will they even fit on that board without heating each other up? I generally advice against dual GPU setups.
Maybe change the noctua to the newest model U14S? Smaller, a bit cheaper but about the same performance. Gives you a bit more space in that case.
Do you really need the i7 too? If not rendering and editing vids it is a bit wasted 100 dollars.
The ssd is also overkill. You don't need the 840 pro. Bad gb/dollar and you won't notice the speed difference vs cheaper ssds. Get the normal 840 or the new samsung EVO and make it 250gb. Should run you 150 dollar.
This is what I should buy: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1AdHm
Much cheaper and better 7950. And lower wattage power supply but platinum efficiency; fully modular; semi passive and still enough juice to run crossfire of you so desire in the future.
As an owner of an old phantom case, I would recommend you get one of the newer ones. Also the 780, as pretty and powerful as it is, is also overpriced right now. Here is what I would get.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1AeCE
EDIT: Man its been a while since I've posted in here.