Some time in the upcoming future, I am going to build a PC and I have a few questions about a some components. This is my list of what I plan on getting.
Fractal design define r4
seagate hybrid st1000DX001
samsung 840 pro MZ-7PD128Bw
i7-4770K
EVGA superclocked 02G-P4-2765-KR gtx 760
Asus Maximus VI hero
crucial Ballistix sport 4gb x2
I do plan on getting a second or a third gtx 760 after I build it. My questions are, is a 850 watt power supply to much? And this motherboard can have 3 graphic cards, right? I am not new to the tech side of computers, just new to the actual building and how everything fits together. Oh, and any suggestions on a CPU heat sink?
In the future use pcpartpicker.com. Makes it a bit easier to see your build and recommend changes.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2SUz1
That's your build. I made a few changes. I found cheaper memory (memory is memory just go with the cheapest), I went with an EVO series drive (a tiny bit slower but much cheaper), and I added an ASUS DCUII 760 which are excellent and it was cheaper than the EVGA.
As for a cooler, are you going to be OCing and by how much?
850W is overkill for even two 760s. But onto the subject of SLI I recommend against it. Especially triple SLI. The 760 seems to SLI better than some cards, but you won't see double the performance. No where close. It is usually a pain in the ass. You can go with two cards but I'd recommend against it. Just grab a single 780 or R9 290.
Don't run triple SLI. The law of diminishing returns comes down very hard with SLI. SLI can give you benefits and triple SLI will make things a bit faster but it won't be triple the performance. Adding that third card may give you anywhere from 10% to 25% percent better performance. All the while adding more heat, noise and power consumption.
primary for gaming, but it will also be my everyday computer. I would also like to spend around 1,500, but I can go up to about $2,000. Cheaper the better:) I know an i5 will be fine for gaming, but my laptop has a i7 and I love it. I also do a some video rendering as well.
For cooling, I don't see myself overclocking the CPU for a while, so do you think a air cooler will be fine?
For the power supply, what is not not overkill? 500W?
If you are going to be video rendering/editing/streaming then you should go with an i7. It's just better suited for those kinds of tasks.
As for CPU cooling almost anything is better than the stock cooler. If you aren't heavily overclocking I recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO as it's dirt cheap and it does a great job. You should be able to get up to 4.0GHz easily maybe even 4.1GHz or 4.2 Ghz but don't quote me on that. Every CPU is different. It's a silicon lottery. If you want something more extreme for overclocking check out the Noctua NH-D14 (Fans are UGLY lol) or the Corsair H100i.
If you want to run an SLI configuration in the future then you need a power supply with more wattage. If not, then a 500w is enough but there won't be much headroom for overclocking. You can get away with a 750w PSU for dual 780s as well but again you won't have much headroom and your PSU will run at full load alot. So I have to recommend a 600w PSU for a single GPU setup or a 850w PSU for a dual GPU setup, but it isn't mandatory. I've read that SeaSonic make great PSUs as well as Corsair to name a couple. Never owned a SeaSonic PSU though.
My rig - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2SgE9 It cost me about $1400 with all of the savings not including windows (Haven't built yet parts are on the way)