Help picking a Mobo, case and cooling solution.

[DellMan]

I would like to leverage some of my existing build component (GPU:EVGA 690GTX, SSD:Samsung 840Pro, a OCX SSD, 3TB HDD and PSU:Seasonic 750W gold ) and of course the new i7-3770K my wife got me for Christmas .

My existing build is a i7-920 on GA-X58A-UD3R, 6Gb with a Noctua nh-d14 6 in a Cool master scout case.
What started me on this path is my existing problems:
1) My MB doesn’t fully support my 840Pro SATA III,
2) I am a bit of an amateur at OC but my 920 seems to be less and less tolerant of Overclocks
3)I had to mangle the case to fit the 690 in the scout
4) The system is sometimes too noisy.
5) My network seems a bit laggy at times.
6) It kills me that I'm still running a CPU that is 3 generations old (or is it 4?).

Here is what I am thinking:
Case: Corsair 600T White
Cool: Corsair H100i
Mobo: Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 (the 690 has green LEDs)
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 CMZ32GX3M4X1600C10

What do you think?
I plan to OC it, make it stable, and leave the system alone for several months or until I see another cool "must-have" item but I doubt I will buy a second 690 (never say never).

I use my home PC mostly for FPS gaming, other gaming, photography and software development (in that order). For display I use a Samsung 305T in 2560x1600 (old but I love it).

Thank you in advance!

p.s. Please ignore my userid...it's very old but I'm not sure how to change it.

 

[lehtv]

Case: That case is getting a bit old in my opinion. I'd suggest Fractal Design Define R4, Antec P280, Antec 1100, CM HAF XM

Cooler: Don't replace the Noctua D14, the H100i is a sidegrade and if you don't have brackets for LGA1155 you can get them from Noctua.

Mobo: Overly expensive. What you really need from a motherboard: basic Z77 chipset features, SLI/Crossfire compatibility, reliability and decent overclocking. Asrock Z77 Extreme4 or Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H.

RAM: 2x8GB should be more than enough. Also don't buy RAM with tall heatsinks, they interfere with the D14.

 

[DellMan]

Thank you! I really appreciate your suggestions. Here is more of my thinking and pondering.

For the Mobo: Besides the standard Z77 features (SATA III, USB 3.0, etc), I really want to get to a solid LAN chip (Intel or better), audio chip and of course ability to add another 690. I’m not sure if I needed the PLX PEX 8747 for the dual 690’s since they are 2 cards in one. Also, I do want to build a cosmetically consistent system.

Memory: Great point. My main concern was my photo editing as I used adobe CS6 and it gobbles memory when editing multiple 24Mb image files.

Cooler: I agree the Noctua is “as good or better” than the H100i and your right I had to remove my memory heat syncs to get it to fit in my existing build but, honestly, I just don’t like the way it looks (I know I sound shallow here). The thick rubber hoses of the 100i don’t sound nice either.

Case: I’ve had this black CM scout case for 5 years and I know the trend is minimalistic but I really wanted a more stylistic case. In addition to the standard stuff (cable management, rubber feet, etc) other key items on my wish list are dust filters, USB 3.0 front headers and a window. I love the idea of a sound reducing case and a modern case but the other considerations are important too. The CM HAF XM looked great but didn’t have a window or USB 3.0 headers. But…if I didn’t have a case with a window, I wouldn’t need to be cosmetically correct on the inside freeing up the Mobo choice and eliminating the H100i and saving some serious money…

 

[lehtv]

Asus P8Z77-V has Intel LAN. I have this board, it's great, it's just pricey. However I can't say if Intel LAN will provide you any benefit. It may be better, but is it so much better you'll actually notice a difference?

If you don't like the look of Noctua, just replace the fans with ones that are more aesthetically pleasing

HAF XM does have USB 3.0 headers. If you want a Window, Antec 1100 has one. Other windowed cases: Corsair 300R Windowed, Corsair C70, NZXT Phantom 410

 

[dmoney1980]

another nice case with a window, the R4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811352021

and pair it with one of these bad boys
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835709011
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118074

the second cooler that I linked shouldn't block your RAM in any way

 

[lehtv]

The R4 Titanium Grey Window is $90 shipped a the moment. No point getting the Black Pearl

 

[dmoney1980]

The R4 Titanium Grey Window is $90 shipped a the moment. No point getting the Black Pearl

nice catch

 

[sim 83]

Yeah the R4 is a great case. Don't bother getting the 600T, I just replaced mine with an R4 and it's much quieter and it feels stronger overall. Good temps for a silent case too.

 

[DellMan]

I just found out a HAF XM windowed version on the cooler master site. What is your opinion of this or the 690 advanced II nividia version for the green colors. I wish the EVGA 690 was a red neon. Love the R4 price, dark colors and the prospect of a quieter den but the case looks stark to me....no offense intended.

 

[dmoney1980]

I just found out a HAF XM windowed version on the cooler master site. What is your opinion of this or the 690 advanced II nividia version for the green colors. I wish the EVGA 690 was a red neon. Love the R4 price, dark colors and the prospect of a quieter den but the case looks stark to me....no offense intended.

Obviously your taste is different than mine. You see the R4 and say stark, I see the XM and say it's supposed to be a computer, not a lava lamp! Go with what you like looks wise, and the 690 does seem to offer good airflow. If I had to pick a cooler master case, I'd prefer the Haf XM or the Scout 2. You can always buy LED fans to match whatever color you like

 

[lehtv]

I somewhat dislike the HAF looks but all of the HAF lineup are awesome in terms of build quality, features and cooling. If I had to pick a reasonably priced CM case based on looks, it'd be the 690 II Advanced (blue led).

What about the Storm Sniper ($105 AR)? It's looks a bit similar to Corsair 600T but costs a lot less. No USB 3.0 though

 

[mfenn]

Overall I agree with lehtv's recommendations. If not having a window means that you can live with a non-color-matching interior, than I say to buy a case without a window! You can save a lot of money that way.

For the Mobo: Besides the standard Z77 features (SATA III, USB 3.0, etc), I really want to get to a solid LAN chip (Intel or better),

On a home network with standard consumer-grade switching and routing equipment, the NIC in your PC straight-up does not matter. Anything that's gigabit will be more than capable enough because your bottleneck lies elsewhere.

Also, I hate to break it to you, but a GTX 690 system is never going to be what I would call quiet at load. Well, "never" is a strong word, you could obviously replace the cooler completely and go full-custom water with a big radiator. Outside of that, the GTX 690 is going to be the loudest part of your system by far and a windowed case doesn't help (big hole for sound to escape).

 

[DellMan]

After much internal debate I've decided to go with the HAF XM and buy the optional windowed side panel. Also, after the recommendations here and reading about the problems people are having with the H100i's firmware and software in the corsair forums, I will also attempt to find the Noctua D14 backplates for the 1155 and perhaps changing the fugly fans later. I'm still struggling with the MB and memory selections. With the above changes my budget can afford the g1.sniper, Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe or the ASUS Maximus Formula (leaning towards the gigabyte card). That said I don't want to throw money away...heck I could save it towards a new monitor. Are there a potential problem with these cards or is it the extra money versus features? Do I need to worry about memory speeds above 1600 or just how well they overclock?

Still wide open to comments... Thank you!

 

[mfenn]

After much internal debate I've decided to go with the HAF XM and buy the optional windowed side panel. Also, after the recommendations here and reading about the problems people are having with the H100i's firmware and software in the corsair forums, I will also attempt to find the Noctua D14 backplates for the 1155 and perhaps changing the fugly fans later.

Who doesn't like Noctua beige? It's the blingiest of the bling to somebody who knows what they're looking at! :awe: Also, the 1155 and 1156 mounting holes are the same, so if your D14 came with an 1156, bracket, you can use those.

I'm still struggling with the MB and memory selections. With the above changes my budget can afford the g1.sniper, Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe or the ASUS Maximus Formula (leaning towards the gigabyte card). That said I don't want to throw money away...heck I could save it towards a new monitor.! Are there a potential problem with these cards or is it the extra money versus features?

If you don't want to throw money away, I would advise you not to buy any of the above. The Gigabyte is the least expensive at $250, but that's still a ludicrous sum of money to spend on an 1155 motherboard. Just get something reasonable like an ASRock Z77 Extreme3 for $100 AR and put the rest towards a component that matters (like the monitor).

Do I need to worry about memory speeds above 1600 or just how well they overclock?

You don't really need to do memory overclocking on an Intel platform with a discrete GPU. Anything above DDR3 1600 gives very minimal gains unless you run SuperPi for a living.