About to pull the trigger on $700 build - Need some advice

[aum110]

Thanks guys for all the advice so far. I just have two more questions before I finally pull the trigger.

1.) I am thinking about getting the G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL, does anyone know what makes this RAM different from the F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL model? Is there better RAM for the price that I should consider instead?

2.) I was considering the XFX 650W PRO650W Core Edition, but I don't have much experience with XFX. Is this a good power supply? Would it make sense to get the CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2. They are roughly the same price (~$70).

CPU: Intel i5-3570k - $190

Motherboard: ASRock Extreme 4 ($90 with i5-3570k combo deal at microcenter)

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL - $47

GPU: Plan on using onboard graphics for the time being

HDD : SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM - $110

SDD Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - $100

PSU: XFX 650W PRO650W Core Edition - $65

Case: Antec Three Hundred Two - $70

DVD Burner: ASUS 24X DVD Burner Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - $18

Total (before Taxes and Shipping) - $690

Approximate Purchase Date: This week
Max budget: $900
System Usage: Photo editing and multi-media center
Parts Not Required: OS (running windows 7), Keyboard, monitor, mouse and speakers
Current Monitor: Dell 2408 with 1920x1200 pixels resolution
Overclocking: Possibly
SLI or Crossfire: No
Country: USA
Vendor: Newegg, Micocenter, Amazon

 

[Ken g6]

1. RAM is RAM is RAM more or less, as long as it's the same speeds and 1.5V. You might want to get a second set for photo editing.

2. Yes, the XFX should be a good PSU.

 

[lehtv]

1. Well, there's this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147094. Rated 1600 @ CL11 @ 1.35V, but apparently they OC very nicely, newegg reviews report:
1866 @ 9-9-9-24 @ 1.35v
1866 @ 9-9-9-24 @ 1.45v
2130 @ 10-10-10-28 1T @ 1.5V
2133 @ 9-10-10-24 @ 1.525v

Two of these for $1 more than the Ripjaws.

2. XFX 650W is overkill for this PC. You could add a discrete GPU later even if you settled for 500W-550W. At that wattage you still get the two PCIe connectors required to run any single GPU card. The XFX PSU does have a nice $65 price tag after rebate but rebates don't always get through and if they do it'll be months from purchase. -> Seasonic M12II 520W $60 no rebate

About the HDD... I'd rather get a WD Caviar Black with 5 year warranty for $10 more, or a faster, single-platter Seagate for $10 less.

EDIT: I'd also sway you towards Asrock Z77 Pro3, $60 combo'd with i5-3570K. You won't be needing SLI/Crossfire or four SATA 6gb/s ports

 

[mfenn]

Agree with lehtv's suggestions all the way. If you want to shave a few more bucks off, you can go with DDR3 1333 like the $40 GEIL kit. You're not going to notice a difference between DDR3 1333 and DDR3 1600.