Hey all, as I've recently relied on my console and laptop for gaming so I will be starting from scratch and will require everything except speakers, keyboard and mouse, but I'm making the jump across to (proper) PC gaming at least, now that I've got some spare money. I'm looking for advice, opinions and critique so I can optimize my build for the system I'd like and incase I've overlooked or forgotten anything in the process. I've tried to make this 'future proof' within reason, giving me options for easy upgrades and expansion in the future while reducing overall cost.
Budget: <$1000, but I think it will be higher due to needing a monitor and OS. If an extra $100 is going to make a huge difference (GPU) it's fine.
Location: Australia (Melbourne, Victoria)
Retailer: Prefer pick up, but online stores are fine if the cost is justified. Currently, MSY seem to have the best prices that I've been able to find (http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf). I've been using www.staticice.com to quickly search online stores for competitors' prices.
Uses: Mainly gaming and don't plan on BTC mining.
Overclocking: Never overclocked but will definitely be doing so here; I'm all about efficiency and getting the most out of what I got. It's the mix-maxer in me.
Cooling: Don't see myself watercooling as I think fans would be sufficient.
Gaming Info: I would like to at least be running at 30FPS, although 60FPS would be ideal, and probably be playing at 1920x1080. I'm fine with lowering or disabling some settings to achieve frame rates. Playing at Ultra would be preferred (for a change) but isn't absolutely required. I play all kinds of games - RTS, RPG, FPS. As a reference, my recently played games are: Dark Souls, Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Diablo III and Borderlands 2, but since I'll be on PC I'll enjoy some more graphics intensive games.
Build (and justification of parts aka wall of text):
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670k @ 3.4GHz Quad Core Processor ($269) [K-series for OCing; decided to go Haswell since the cost difference from the 3570k was very minor. As I understand it, i7 is overkill unless rendering/editing or other major multitasking. Not against AMD, but just much more familiar with Intel. I wouldn't mind seeing some AMD builds but I figured Intel would be better in the long run.]
MB: AsRock Z87-PRO4 ($145) [SATA3 ports, HDMI, USB3.0, Haswell comparability, ability to OC, enough/correct PCIe slot for GPU, etc (?)]
MEM: Kingston 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3-1600MHz Memory ($73) [1 stick is better (right?), cheaper and is better if more is required. Improvements are marginal past 1600MHz (correct?)]
STO: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal HDD SATA3 ($69) [Might upgrade to 2TB for $99, or a WD Blue for the same price if that is more highly recommended. Will like to add a SSD in the future - can I make my OS run from the SSD at a later date? Also plan on utilizing RAID when I add a second HD.]
GPU: My choices were between: MSI 7870 2GB OC ($229), MSI-TwinForzer GTX 760 2GB ($329) or MSI-TwinForzer 7950 3GB ($347). [I was originally going to go with the 7870, but recently been grappling with the 760 vs 7950 for an extra ~$100. From reviews/benchmarks, I assume the 760 is better at stock and the 7950 overclocks better and scales better with newer drivers? It was a bit hard, given that every benchmark is done at Ultra (settings below are given very little show, so I can't see what I can achieve if I turn it down a notch) and the brand isn't always specified. Will I be seeing a big enough increase to justify either over the 7870? Another thing, brands. Is the MSI-TF OC the better of them for these cards?]
CASE: Corsair Carbide 200r ($72) [I was considering the Thermaltake Versa-II ($72) with 500W PSU bundle for cost saving but is that PSU low quality and should be avoided?
PSU: Corsair VS450 ($49) [Is the VS series fine? Or should I definitely opt for the CX430 ($64)? My estimated wattage was under 400W.]
OS: Laptop is currently running W7 64bit. Was wondering if I should go W8, but last I heard it had comparability issues with some games. Would like some opinions/advice for this one. ($109 either way)
SOUND: Will any sound card do or does it have integrated sound? A few sources have said it does but I couldn't see it mentioned elsewhere. Just need it for my headset, chatting and speakers - was going to get speakers inbuilt to the monitor but it seemed cheaper this way.
NETWORK: Just confirming: do I need a network card or something for my Ethernet cable to function properly?
MONITOR: Not really sure with this one or brands, but I wanted a 1920x1080, 16:9, playing at 1080p if GPU is capable (now or in the future). I have a few in mind, such as the ViewSonic VA2251m-LED ($139) or the Asus VE228h ($144).
Lastly, thanks in advance and for putting up with my wall of text. Really appreciate any feedback as I've been very excited about this throughout the week.