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New Gaming Rig/HTPC Build, Opinions?

post #1 of 9
1/27/13 at 12:24pm
Thread Starter 
Hey guys and gals. I've needed a new computer for years, and finally decided to build one. This isnt JUST going to be an HTPC, but a decent gaming rig as well. Gonna have it hooked up in the theater room, but dont really need to to be super small or compact. Here's what I have what I have so far with parts. Was wanting to get some opinions, or thoughts.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: A-Data S510 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card ($479.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 1250W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($236.82 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($135.63 @ Amazon)
Total: $1643.37

Anything I should add? Or change? as far as the HTPC option goes, I'm trying to run XMBC to play 1:1 bluray copies. Tired of dealing with changing discs, but I want to keep the full quality.
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post #2 of 9
1/27/13 at 12:36pm
Looks like a gaming rig that also plays DVDs. Way too much power consumption for a HTPC. Also a little lax on storage. As to wheter it can play BluRays I should think it could.
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post #3 of 9
1/27/13 at 2:26pm
Your Power Supply is way way over kill, according Newegg's power supply calculator you could get away with a 550W power supply, even if you decide to stuff 8 Hard Drives in there you could get away with a 650W Power supply.
http://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html

Also you motherboard is way over priced no need for that unless you looking for some sort of a feature that only that board has. Maybe take a look at something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

Also seams like Newegg currently has a Blu-ray Burner for $59
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?SID=fi1cCGjQEeKKSpLRDiclhQ0_qnVO3_0_0_0&AID=10440897&PID=1225267&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16827135252
If your patient and care enough you can find them as low as $45 on newegg

Also what is the point to wasting your cash on a after market cooler if you have no idea how well the stock one is going to perform. Try the stock one first and if for some reason your not satisfied than buy a new one.

And for video card if you don't mind AMD it seams like the Radeon HD 7970 is a very comparable card to GTX 680 and a bit cheaper
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/12/04/gtx_680_vs_radeon_hd_7970_multidisplay_showdown/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=-1&IsNodeId=1&Description=hd%207970&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

Hope this helps
Edited by im bored - 1/27/13 at 2:43pm
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post #4 of 9
1/27/13 at 2:44pm
The LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer is actually a pretty good choice. It's also available as an OEM drive for $20 less (LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer). I have the 'W' version and can confirm that it isn't rip-locked meaning it will rip at up to 10X or 12X. IDK about the 'B' variant though.
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post #5 of 9
1/27/13 at 9:31pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the feedback smile.gif

I've been told the power supply IS a tad much, so I'll probably change that.
I wanted to start off smaller when it comes to storage just to see how everything "works" before I drop more money on a lot of HDD space.
As far as the motherboard, I'm open to options, just not well versed on what does what.
I dont mind it not being whisper quite, as long as it does everything I need it too. I don't want it to just play blurays from a disc, I would love to be able to just pop in a bluray and rip it right then and there if possible.
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post #6 of 9
1/31/13 at 9:30pm
You could drop down to an i5-3570K or even a i5-3450 as they are still a very decent gaming CPU. CPU does not have as much impact on games as it used to. Also, if you won't be overclocking the you could go for a non-K processor and H77 chipset on the motherboard.

Grab a 2TB WD Green HDD as you will use up your storage particularly with 1:1 blu ray, plus it's quieter and more energy efficient than the Blue. For a storage drive you won't notice the drop in speed. Also consider a 256GB SSD if you like having a lot of games installed at the same time.

If you are only gaming at 1080P/60Hz then you could drop down to a GTX 660Ti, GTX670 or Radeon HD7950.

The GTX680 and alternative cards I've listed are very energy efficient. A 550W PSU will be more than ample even with a bunch of drives.
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post #7 of 9
1/31/13 at 10:28pm
I've always recommended people get a good PSU, but that thing is obscene. Way overkill. You should be spending less than half that on the PSU.

Extremely unlikely there will a difference between the i5-3570k and the i3770k for gaming, although that's a good price on the i7.

The 680 GTX is only marginally better than the 670 GTX. Definitely not worth the extra $100 IMO, although I understand the desire to get the fastest single card possible. Still, a 670 GTX averages greater than 60 fps on max settings in 1080p on Battlefield 3, which may be the most demanding game available. So I don't think you could possibly notice a difference between the two cards anytime in the near future.

I also think those $200+ mobos are a waste of money, but that's just me.

Overall, I thing this is a bit overkill. For a lot less money you could build a machine that performs almost identically. The ONE thing I would recommend upgrading is the SSD. Games will quickly eat up a 120 GB SSD. I would go with a 256.
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post #8 of 9
2/1/13 at 1:27am
GTX 680 is a waste. Get either a Radeon 7970 or a GTX 670. Save yourself $100+ and buy more content (games/movies).

Power supply is also ridiculous overkill. Any 700-800W PS will power that rig just fine, and probably more efficiently.
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post #9 of 9
2/1/13 at 1:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lockdown571 View Post

I've always recommended people get a good PSU, but that thing is obscene. Way overkill. You should be spending less than half that on the PSU.

Extremely unlikely there will a difference between the i5-3570k and the i3770k for gaming, although that's a good price on the i7.

The 680 GTX is only marginally better than the 670 GTX. Definitely not worth the extra $100 IMO, although I understand the desire to get the fastest single card possible. Still, a 670 GTX averages greater than 60 fps on max settings in 1080p on Battlefield 3, which may be the most demanding game available. So I don't think you could possibly notice a difference between the two cards anytime in the near future.

I also think those $200+ mobos are a waste of money, but that's just me.

Overall, I thing this is a bit overkill. For a lot less money you could build a machine that performs almost identically. The ONE thing I would recommend upgrading is the SSD. Games will quickly eat up a 120 GB SSD. I would go with a 256.

+1....what he said.
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