New build/first post

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1

Well, hello everyone!

I will be spending a lot of time here over the next few years and eventually I'll get up to speed. But at the moment, after 6 years away from IT, I'm more than a little bit behind. I'm also building my first gaming rig in 9 years and my first ITX ever.

So questions. My first is this, and I cringe as I ask it... "How are people installing OS now?"

Most build lists don't seem to include any optical drive and I simply don't know how to install an operating system without that. I feel like there's a trick I'm missing.

Anyway, here is my build list. I am limited to:

  • pccasegear.com 
  • MSY (they only have a list of parts: http://msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf ) or 
  • scorptec.com.au 

(all of these places I can pick up in person, shipping from anywhere to Australia is rarely worth it)

  • CPU - Intel 4670K
  • Cooler - Noctua NH-D14
  • Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z87N (although will possibly hold out for the ROG Impact)
  • RAM - Corsair Dominator 2 x 4GB @ 1866MHz
  • Storage  - Corsair Force Series 240GB SSD and WD Caviar Black 2TB
  • Video Card - EVGA 670 FTW
  • Case - BitFenix Prodigy
  • Power Supply - Corsair TX 650
  • OS - Probably Windows 8 but I'll buy that at the time.
  • Display - already have a display I'll be using to save costs. Max res is 1080p
  • Keyboard - Leopold FC500R Cherry MX Red (I just liked the look of it. Plus I'm a student so will also be typing a lot on this)
  • Mouse - Mionix 8200
  • Headset - Corsair Vengeance 2000

As for other information, I'm not really stuck on any part of this list other than I think it'd be fun to build an ITX machine for something different. The headset choice was because I hate leatherette earpieces with a passion, much prefer cloth, if there's another option for that I'm open to it.

This will primarily be a gaming machine. I would like to be able to max most games out, playing at 1080p. 

I'm using this build as a way of jumping myself back into IT. I've lost a lot of what I used to know about computers and networking after a bad working situation and the following travel (it's a long story) but I'm here to regain what I've lost.

So I've just started my first degree in IT, I'd like to have the flexibility of also using this as a learning tool (learning about overclocking, adding to my studies by also doing some programming at home, web dev etc)

This system costs out at just over $2000 at pccasegear.com  Any suggestions for where I should spend less? Spend more?

Thanks for everyone's help. I look forward to getting to know some of you.

2

I gotta go to bed so I'll do this quickly.

Beware of MSY.  They are right fuckwits when it comes to warranties.

Say for instance your GPU turns bad........

MSY - "It's not covered because you installed it yourself" crap.

This actually happend to a fellow clan member and I've heard complaints from 2 others.  So don't let them screw you around and don't take no shit from them.

Anyway a few points.

- Noctua NH-D14 is big and expensive.  Dominator ram won't fit under it unless you remove the heat spreader off one of them.  Xigmatek Dark Knight Hawk is one of the best options for good cooling with a slim profile as the fan won't interfere with ram slots.  If you can get one in Oz that is.  Can't get Xigmatek in NZ anymore which sucks.  Ebay is the best alternative since Amazon won't ship'em to this part of the world.

I don't know what you're planning to have on your SSD, 120GB should be more than sufficient.  Samsung 840 Pro SSDs are nice.

Get a Blu-ray drive, why not.  Use that to install the OS or you can download a copy Win8 and make a bootable usb do it that way.  Though I have not seen any legit DL links.

I got Win7 ISO from here : http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/604187-legal-download-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages.html

Anyway you can save a bit of coin on the Xigmatek vs The Noctua and save on the SSD by going with a 120GB.  And perhaps get a 1TB as internal storage for backing up your User folder, game saves, Images, Music, Mods and Downloads as you really want to minimize the amout of writes to the SSD.

http://thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/optimization-guides/the-ssd-optimization-guide-2/

http://lifehacker.com/5837769/make-sure-your-partitions-are-correctly-aligned-for-optimal-solid-state-drive-performance.

The Rog Motherboard should be pretty epic.  I'd be going with that for epic audio quality.

PSU is a real stand up unit I have one, running SSD and 3 HDDs, i7, Soundcard, 7 fans etc no problems.

GTX 670 FTW is a great card.  I have one.  They don't run hot and they aren't loud in comparison to previous gen reference coolers.  Though I do advise using a custom fan profile.

That's all from me for now.

 

3

Nice part list.  Noctua NH-D14 is the cooler I have, and I love it.  46-47c with a i5 Ivy Bridge OC to 4.2ghz.

Case isn't my taste, but who am I to tell you what case looks better.  

I'd opt for the ROG MOBO, looks bomb.

Take it from a fellow student, typing is a lot nicer on Cherry MX Blues (if you like the sound) / Browns (if you don't like the sound). However, tactile feedback is also personal taste.  Maybe go type on a few different mechanical keyboards before buying one to see what keys you like best.  

As far as OS goes, I'd go with Windows 7 if you can find it.  I installed mine by making a bootable windows 7 USB drive. 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bootable+windows+7+usb&l=1

4

Is the ram Voltage 1.5v? if not you may need to look around for different ram and while you are looking the CPU Cooler might be to big look for a smaller or water cooler. The Graphics card is great card if you can maybe look at the hd 7970 or gtx 770 only if you have some pair cash other than that good build :)

5

I agree with Bogan stay away from msy they are rip offs. I was going to order a $3 fan and it would cost me $15 to ship it 10-20kms.

6

+1 for checking to see if it'll fit first --things huge

-1 on a water cooler, unless it is self built

You'll get better temps with the Noctua than you will with any of the "ready to install out of the box" water coolers than you'll find.

7

Ok, so look into the xigmatek

And Cherry MX Blue or Brown for the keyboard.  Any other suggestions for the build or peripherals?

Is there a preferred keyboard manufacturer/mouse manufacturer?

Also, I'll be replacing the case fans with aftermarket ones, currently I'll be putting in 3 12ommm and 1 140mm Noctua fans just because I'd heard they have a good reputation. But they're ugly as sin. Any ideas on fans?

8

How to install an OS with a USB > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFJwiILbsdo 

 

9

If you want some advice. Do not go miniITX. Ever. You cant upgrade anything. The bitfenix prodigy really is nothing special at all. I would move to microATX, for a case maybe the corsair 350D. Just do not go miniITX. 

Anyway thats my opinion. 

10

Case: Corsair 350D 

GPU: EVGA GTX 760 Superclocked 

PSU: XFX 750W Modular. 

Mobo: AsRock 787M OC Formula

Same storage 

Same RAM 

Same CPU

I would advise getting a Closed Circuit liquid coooler for that case otherwise the airflow gets messed up.

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Agreed Noctua fans are ugly as sin.... wish they made different colors.  However, they're the best fans I've ever seen as far as pushing air and being quiet goes.

12

No way, 670 FTW is a better card than the 760

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-760-vs-GeForce-GTX-670

The 670 FTW is better than a regular 670 as it has near 680 performance.

If it were the 760ti that would be a different story.

660ti > 760 GK 104

670 > 760ti GK 104

680 > 770 GK 104

780 GK 110

 

13

The point of my build was to add another 760 for SLI in the future. The 700 series fixes most issues with SLI so I reallly wouldnt have chosen a 670 over it. Thats the reasoning behind the 750W PSU and  going Micro ATX because you can run SLI and Crossfire with it whereas with mITX you're limited to one expansion slot.

14

You weren't very clear in your post, there was no point to it you just listed some stuff. 

I'm pretty sure he realizes that going mATX means no SLI.  So to me it wasn't even in the plan.  His choice at the end of the day.

That PSU the XFX 750 modular.  Is that the Bronze or Silver your're recommending?  Because the Bronze is Multi-Rail.  Only the Bronze (Wired), Silver and Gold have Single Rail.

As for this 700 series fixes SLi issues, have you got a link to an article?  I'm not a big fan of hear say.

 

15

Yes I'm aware I wasn't clear hence why I commented back to elaborate. 

I was just advising against against mITX becuase I know people who regret going that way. 

The PSU is this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207029 

I checked watts and amps and there fine. Plus single rail. 

The 700 SLI fixes can be seen in there latest driver updates for 700 series cards. As for how much difference it makes stability wise, I will find out shortly as I'm going from 2 660ti's ( I've had so many problems running SLI with) To 2 760's which will arive soon I hope. But from the driver updates and what I've heard from people it sounds a lot better.  

Anyway I was in a rush hence why it was 3 posts not just the 1 lol. I missed out a lot of what I wanted to add. My fault. 

16

Ah right, yeah there were some leaked drivers I read about today.  No doubt they will cross over to 600 series.

It always has been a driver/game related problem.  I don't think it will ever be an architectual thing that provides dual gpu stablility alone.  After all the 760/770s are the same GK104 chip as the 600 series.

To be honest I've always been a heavy advocate for single GPU setups because of the issues with SLI/Crossfire.  You yourself would be better off with an upgrade to a 780.

17

Yeah I know lol.. Sadly I'm a rare fruit of OCD and I have to use up all the expansion slots lmao.. Try not to have this wear off on my builds however I'm not always sucessful. I was actually considering cancelling the order and just getting a ASUS DCUII Radeon 7950 instead lol not quite sure. 

18

Something else I read a while ago about SLI, someone mentioned disabling the High Precision Event Timer in bios to smooth things out.  Don't know how valid it is but worth a try.

Kinda going off topic a bit here.

19

Oh, another place to get parts from in AU is www.mwave.com.au