New Build for Friend

[theattrox]

Ah why did you have to show me that EUFI Bios, is there any advantage of having that feature? I read a couple comments on the Asus p8z68-v LE saying the bios is really buggy. Would it be better to have pci 3.0 support and all that other stuff for the faster ssd technology? I was looking at the mATX Asus Maximus http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Maximus-I...0107282&sr=8-2 . I think i'm attracted to eye candy more then anything, should I just stop looking and be content with the gigabyte I have listed already? I just want to make sure I'm going to get the best performance out of my hardware without any regrets.

 

[mfenn]

Well strictly speaking since the 650W psu won't handle 570 SLI, you could save some $ with a single-GPU board. Asrock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 or Asus P8Z68-V LE. Neither is Gen3 but I dont think that matters much, upgrading from 2500K to ivy bridge would be a pretty bad idea anyway. If you want sli/xf just in case, that gigabyte is good (about the same price as z68 extreme3 gen3 with tax from newegg)

:thumbsup: A single GPU doesn't even touch the bandwidth of a PCIe x16 Gen1 slot, so PCIe Gen3 support is a complete marketing gimmick at this point.

 

[mfenn]

Ah why did you have to show me that EUFI Bios, is there any advantage of having that feature? I read a couple comments on the Asus p8z68-v LE saying the bios is really buggy. Would it be better to have pci 3.0 support and all that other stuff for the faster ssd technology? I was looking at the mATX Asus Maximus http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Maximus-I...0107282&sr=8-2 . I think i'm attracted to eye candy more then anything, should I just stop looking and be content with the gigabyte I have listed already? I just want to make sure I'm going to get the best performance out of my hardware without any regrets.

No, there is no real advantage to having a graphical UEFI interface other than the fact that it looks fancy. All Sandy Bridge CPUs require a UEFI implementation under the hood anyway.

The Gene-Z is not really a good deal compared to the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 though.

 

[mfenn]

So I've been doing some research on the 650d and there seems to be more negative reviews about the air flow and build quality. I really like the look, but I'm wondering if the other corsair cases would be a better option (500r/400r). I'm just not sure if there's enough room to fit my graphics card + a cooler such as the Noctua NH-D14, does anyone know?

The rule of thumb with Corsair cases is that the older designs are much worse than the newer designs. They started off at the high-end, so oddly enough, the 400R and 500R are their best designs to date even though they cost the least.

 

[theattrox]

The Gene-Z is not really a good deal compared to the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 though.

Besides price what advantage does the ASRock Z68 give over the other mobos?

 

[mfenn]

Besides price what advantage does the ASRock Z68 give over the other mobos?

Price is the advantage. The only thing that the other mobos like the GA-Z68XP-UD3 and P8Z68-V LE have over the Asrock is a USB 3.0 front panel header.

 

[theattrox]

meaning I can't use the usb 3 port on my case, only the back? I hope not :/

 

[lehtv]

Yes

@mfenn, probably should add 1 more year of warranty to that list. Probably explains part of the extra cost.

 

[mfenn]

Yes

@mfenn, probably should add 1 more year of warranty to that list. Probably explains part of the extra cost.

:thumbsup: Good point

 

[theattrox]

So it's between these 3, which will give me the best performance?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128498 ($10 more than the other gigabyte but if its more stable why not?)

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Z68XP.../ref=de_a_smtd

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20extreme%203

(I like having usb 3 in the front but its not important, I also really need firewire since all my externals use it. I'd have to buy a pci adapter so keep that in mind)

 

[lehtv]

Same performance and for all I know the same stability and overclockability. It's the features you should consider. Do you want 3 year warranty and front-panel USB3 and are those worth $20-30 over the Asrock board, and do you mind losing the graphical UEFI BIOS as a tradeoff? We can't answer that question for you. But since you need Firewire, it's obvious you should go with either of the Gigabytes.

 

[theattrox]

Ok, just a few more questions about these mobo's before I make my decision. Is the UEFI BIOS more accurate and advanced on the AsRock compared to the gigabyte? Also, does that only apply to the BIOS when you restart the computer or are there additional features the asrock gives that the gigabyte doesn't have on the actual desktop while running windows 7 to check temps and other settings? I'm just concerned because this is my first time oc'ing and I have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[lehtv]

Asrock has a nice graphical BIOS interface, Gigabyte uses a traditional BIOS. Both have essentially the same functions, the graphical BIOS just allows mouse input and it's better looking and more pleasant to use, that's about it. Overclocking should be just as easy with either. In addition, Gigabyte provides a desktop utility called Touch BIOS which includes many BIOS functions in an icon-based interface. With the Gigabyte board I'd still recommend overclocking via the actual BIOS, not via the utility. I'd probably not even install that utility, it's just not needed IMO. Temperatures and hardware info can be monitored with other programs like HWMonitor and CPU-Z.

 

[theattrox]

Alright, here is the final build before I order I just have to triple check!

http://i.imgur.com/B2VPH.png

http://i.imgur.com/dvfWb.png

Already ordered this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...4_SSD_2_5.html for $188 comes this friday!

 

[lehtv]

Looks great :>. Only missing the HDD now but can get by with the SSD until HDD prices normalize.

 

[theattrox]

Ordered. The grand total was $1253.95 and it should all be here by Friday. Thank you for all your help, expect me to come back with a billion questions when I set this thing up!

 

[theattrox]

I'm not sure if the NH-D14 comes with any Thermal Paste, if it's recommended which should I buy? Or does it come with it applied already?

 

[lehtv]

It comes with a tube of Noctua NT-H1, it's one of the best

 

[mfenn]

Ordered. The grand total was $1253.95 and it should all be here by Friday. Thank you for all your help, expect me to come back with a billion questions when I set this thing up!

No prob, we will be waiting.

 

[theattrox]

http://imgur.com/a/2fAyy

Finally finished building my computer today. Everything shipped on time and so far it all seems to be working. I did run into a few problems that I will list. The gigabyte mobo has this weird grinding sound when closing the lever on the cpu, but I applied more pressure and forced it to close but it works. The layout on the motherboard made it really tough to plug in a few cords with the TX650w so the wiring is a bit messy. Other than that the Corsair 500r case is awesome, the acoustics are mediocre but everything is quiet so far the only fan I can hear is the large fan on the side panel. Another thing I would like to point out is that the Noctua NH-D14 fits perfectly in this case, it is an inch away from the side panel fan, not to mention this cooler is silent. I haven't overclocked yet since I have no idea what I'm doing and I have yet to test out any games, but i'll make sure to comment once I do.

Note: The Crucial M4 128 GB from bhphoto does NOT come with a bracket. I had to put it at the bottom of my hard drive bay until I order one. Can you guys recommend a bracket for this ssd or should I just leave it where it is?

 

[lehtv]

Rosewill 2.5" adapter should work, it's cheap and made of plastic so it's not so sturdy... If you want a sturdier adapter try Silverstone. (You can just leave it unsecured, it won't matter much since there are no mechanical parts).

The setup looks fantastic on the outside :thumbsup:

Your build could use some serious cable management though ^^. Try taking ALL the cables behind the motherboard tray, arrange them so they don't form bulky clusters, then bring the connectors to the front through the holes closest to where they connect. Using zip ties helps with keeping the cables well arranged behind the motherboard. If some of the cables won't fit behind the motherboard, you can roll them up into a neat pile on the bottom of the case.

 

[theattrox]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BH3Z8E

I ordered it from here for $8 free shipping and no tax. I tried really hard to manage the cables there are tons going through the back holes and there's barely enough room to fit anymore since the psu is non modular. Not only that theres slots on the top left of the motherboard and the cords are too short to reach to go through the back and around. I have to really go back and Frankenstein everything to try and make it work.

 

[lehtv]

Not only that theres slots on the top left of the motherboard and the cords are too short to reach to go through the back and around.

The CPU cable of my Seasonic X650 is 58cm, just long enough to go around the motherboard. The 8-pin CPU cable of your Corsair TX650 V2 is 65cm, and the motherboard area is only perhaps 2-3cm taller than in my Fractal R3. Your cable should definitely be long enough. Just make sure you take the shortest route, of course.

 

[theattrox]

I'm such a dummy. There are screws and holes on the brackets in the corsair case, i'll have to try it out in a bit.

 

[mfenn]

I'm such a dummy. There are screws and holes on the brackets in the corsair case, i'll have to try it out in a bit.

Ha! I was just about to post that the bays on the 500R and 400R are compatible with 2.5" drives, but it looks like you beat me to it.

Your pics aren't loading for some reason, but it sounds like you've got everything up and running correctly. Don't sweat the LGA socket, having to apply some force is completely normal.