Please review my $1,300 gaming build

[zvo002]

I am looking to build a new gaming PC. This will be my third ever build... last one was about 5 years ago.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Primarily gaming. Skyrim, BF3, MMOs, PlanetSide 2, etc.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Budget is around $1,300.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Just Intel for CPUs based on what I've been reading recently.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Nothing for the computer build itself. Already have peripherals such as monitors, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Not initially, though I will likely try overclocking once my system begins showing its age.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
Game at 1920x1200 on a 24" monitor.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
Would like to order parts within the next week or so.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Just the operating system.

My current thoughts for a build based on what I'm seeing in forums:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ttsk

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($190)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($110)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($50)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($91)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($185)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($390)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($70)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($91)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($55)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($85)
Total: $1341

I would appreciate any advice you can give. Thank you!

[crazymonkeyzero]

That actually looks like a very solid build. The only thing I can think of is the following subtle changes.

PSU:
switch to this 520W Seasonic M12II which will save you ~$12 and is more than enough to power your system. Also it's modular, which is great for cable management.

Cooler

The CM Hyper 212 Evo is slightly better/newer model is $25 AR.

[DSF]

There's also this Corsair HX650 which is built by Seasonic. As crazymonkey said though, it's more power than you need. You could save even more by getting this XFX 550W for $55 AR.

[lehtv]

At a budget of $1300 not including peripherals, I'd probably pay a bit extra for SLI/Crossfire compatibility. It's true that most people never end up doing it but it's not THAT much more to pay, and the power supply can last for several years. It won't need replacing if you get a 2560x1440 monitor and want to have a proper dual GPU setup to handle that resolution.

Looking at your parts choices you've got most of it down. Comments below

CPU Good

Cooler Planetside 2 is very CPU intensive and optimized for four cores, so the only thing you can do to alleviate bottlenecking is overclock it as far as it goes. I'm running my 3770K @ 4.7 with HT off in PS2. It's still CPU bottlenecked when lots of players are present, and framerate can dip as low as 35 at times. Increasing clock speed from 4.2 to 4.7 increased framerates in CPU heavy situations by about 5 fps, which means I'm seeing smooth framerates much more often (GPU: 7950 @ 1.1ghz). Get a cooler that will handle 4.7: Noctua D14 $81.

Mobo Good
Memory Two of these are better and cheaper
Storage Good
SSD Good
GPU Sapphire Dual-X is better cooled and cheaper
Case Such old design. HDD bays are lengthwise, you see that mostly in sub $50 cases. No toolless installation. No intake mesh for the PSU. No SSD installation slots. I'd recommend Antec Eleven Hundred $100
PSU Would get a 750W unit to comfortably support heavy overclocking of the CPU and two graphics cards. XFX 750W XXX $85 AR
Optical Good
OS Good

[Termie]

Agree on comments above, especially considering RAM and video card.

Assuming you don't actually want to spend more on the case, go for this Corsair 300R for $50AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139011

[lehtv]

+1 to the above case recommendation. I would get an additional 140mm fan to the top slot to improve exhaust from the CPU cooler, assuming a highly overclocked CPU

[zvo002]

Thank you all for your responses!

[mfenn]

Originally Posted by Termie

Agree on comments above, especially considering RAM and video card.

Assuming you don't actually want to spend more on the case, go for this Corsair 300R for $50AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139011

+1 Great deal on the 300R right now.