Help Finalizing $1100 Gaming PC

[Marton]

Hey guys. I'm currently making a build for a gaming station. I have one ready, and I'm in the process of double checking it before I order. I have about $1100 to spend, and I'm right on the mark on that.

I have two monitors, a 24"in and a 19". Obviously I play on the 24" and at a 1080p resolution. I plan to overclock the processor.

|PART LIST|
CASE: Zalman Z11 Plus Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

PSU: CORSAIR HX series HX650 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

GPU: GIGABYTE GV-N770OC-2GD GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54670K

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/FM2/AM3+

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11D-8GBSR

HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Newegg Cart:
http://puu.sh/3LIsS.png + http://puu.sh/3LIty.png

Questions:

Is everything compatible?
When I get all the items, will I be able to install them all in the case, everything fit fine, run it and install Win7, then play games without any issues?
Will it all fit together?
Is everything a suitable choice?

I really need to know if it's all compatible, I'll have lots of trouble if something isn't due to difficulties refunding items. Thanks for help, let me know if you need to know anything else.

 

[DSF]

It sounds like Windows doesn't need to fit into the $1100? If that's the case it feels like you ought to be able to fit an SSD in here. For example, take a look at mfenn's $1010 build which has just about the same performance as yours and fits an SSD for less money:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841

Edit: But yes, the parts you chose are compatible. You're just overspending in some places like the RAM, GPU, motherboard and PSU.

 

[Marton]

No Windows, and I'd rather not have a SSD. I don't think that would have close to my performance on games, especially not with that GPU. Are you sure I'd still be able to max out on Crysis 3?

 

[RayTheKing]

Your build can easily max it with AA and V-sync. mfenn's build can max it out as well.

 

[mfenn]

No Windows, and I'd rather not have a SSD.

Wait, what? Why wouldn't you want to have an SSD? It's the only part that you can get that's 10x faster than what you have now (HDD). It makes your entire computer experience much more snappy.

I don't think that would have close to my performance on games, especially not with that GPU. Are you sure I'd still be able to max out on Crysis 3?

The only part that's different in terms of gaming performance is the GPU.

The GTX 770 is a rebranded GTX 680, which is roughly equivalent to a 7970. The GTX 770 is faster in some games and the GTX 770 is faster in others. The GTX 770 has a slight edge overall, but a game that is playable on one card won't become unplayable on the other.

The biggest difference between the two cards is that they are $100 apart in price. At equal pricing, the choice is debatable, but there's no contest when the 7970 is 25% less expensive.

 

[DSF]

No Windows, and I'd rather not have a SSD. I don't think that would have close to my performance on games, especially not with that GPU. Are you sure I'd still be able to max out on Crysis 3?

I guess it depends on what you mean by max out. According to the benchmarks mfenn posted, neither card is going to maintain 60FPS with everything cranked in Crysis 3. That's just the way CryEngine games always have been. They're made to push hardware.

Will Crysis 3 look beautiful on either card? Yes.

That said, there are a few points that deserve to be made to frame the decision and only you can make the final call.

- The 770 is somewhat faster in Crysis 3.
- The 770 is somewhat slower in some other games.
- The 7970 is known to be quite overclockable if that interests you.
- The 770 is more expensive, leaving no room for an SSD.
- An SSD will make the entirety of your Windows experience feel snappier. Things like documents load literally instantly.
- An SSD will not help with gaming performance in any real way.