New IVB build - Need CPU fan, Motherboard, RAM, and a Case

[Nvidiaguy07]

Just ordered my IVB 3570 from tigerdirect, now i just need to pick the rest of the parts I need for my build.

Primary use is gaming, with light photoshop and other crap too. Will be trying to overclock to at LEAST 4.5ghz.

So i already have:
3570k IVB processor
560ti GPU
intel X-25M 80GB SSD
other "storage" drives
other random crap

So parts I need are:
motherboard - ~$200 - I will spend 200 if i have to, but im guessing id be fine with a 130 dollar board. Probably going to keep this system for a while, so id like to have a board that will be somewhat "future proof?

Memory ~$$ whatever - ill spend whatever on memory, just as long as it good for overlcoking. 8 or 16gb, doesnt matter to me. IF i need 16 ill get 16.

CPU cooler ~ 100? - I prefer the ease of air cooling so i was looking at a Noctua D14. I already have a H212+ sitting around, but i doubt i can hit 4.5 with it. Id prefer to spend ~50, but 100 on the Noctua might be worth it.

Case - ~ $150 - i was looking at a few, but it just sucks having to buy without seeing (i live in CT).

my priorities are:
easy to swap out parts/easy to work in. - dont mind if its kinda big (like the P180)
good performance - going for a high OC with IVB
somewhat silent - last priority, but if it can be kinda quiet, id obviously prefer that.

playing at 1080p @ 120hz for now. Hoping to order this week and build this weekend!

 

[CoDLolcopter]

Hey there,

Sorry in advance if I can't find good prices, I live in Australia so I don't really know the best deals overseas.

Motherboard: Haswell will most likely change sockets, so future-proofing isn't that ideal, but here's a commonly recommended one,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293

Memory: Light photoshop...Hmmm I suppose 8GB could do for now,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428
Not sure about overclocking though...Haven't looked into Ivy Bridge RAM overclocking

CPU Cooler: Haven't really looked into much Ivy Bridge overclocking (Sorry!)

Case: It's mostly personal preference,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811352007
I'm not sure about sound though,

 

[T_Yamamoto]

For a cooler get a phankrom (or whatever. Not at a PC so can't look it up)

 

[lehtv]

Do you mean Phanteks?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Do you mean Phanteks?

Yes

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Im assuming this is the one your talking about? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835709002

They make 2 different kinds according to their website. One that looks just like the Noctua, and one that pushes air up, and has only one portion of heatsink fins (opposed to two sections on the other one and the noctua).

Is this really better than the Noctua? which is the best from what ive been reading. Will either fit the haswell socket when it comes out?

Is there anything that is ~50 bucks that offers similar performance? I just want a pretty decent to high OC. Not the absolute highest i can possibly get on air.

Motherboard: Haswell will most likely change sockets, so future-proofing isn't that ideal, but here's a commonly recommended one,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293

Memory: Light photoshop...Hmmm I suppose 8GB could do for now,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428
Not sure about overclocking though...Haven't looked into Ivy Bridge RAM overclocking

How is that board with overclocking? Whats the difference between that board and ~200 dollar boards? I have owned MSI, Gigabyte and Asus in the past, but never ASRock. How are they as a company with support?

Even compared to the slightly more expensive AsRock, they seem nearly identical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...E13-157-293-TS

since almost every board looks identical, what features should i care about? UEFI?

Even more confusing is the RAM. Even the G-Skill line has 2 that are the same price and same specs...

I was thinking if 8gb is enough, to get these:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231445

Theyve got lower Cas latency, and have pretty good reviews.

 

[lehtv]

Is this really better than the Noctua? which is the best from what ive been reading.

Well, testing by Overclockersclub suggests Phanteks is noticeably better, but it's just one review. More reviews here. I browsed some of these and Phanteks seemed to be toe to toe with Thermalright Archon and NZXT Havik, another two high end coolers. In practice, these 140mm tower coolers are all in the same class. Havik isn't a bad deal at $60 by the way, it comes with 2x 140mm fans in push-pull.

Will either fit the haswell socket when it comes out?

Noctua has such excellent support that it will send you installation brackets for a new socket several years after purchase. I don't know anything about Phanteks' support, it's a newcomer to the market.

But honestly, there's no need to spend $100 on a cooler. A Hyper 612 and Scythe Mugen 3 are both quiet and support high overclocks on SB/IB (4.5 is most certainly achievable), and you don't need to worry about the size of the cooler. Whatever extra MHz you may get with a Phanteks or a Noctua isn't worth another $50 + extra power consumption.

motherboard - ~$200 - I will spend 200 if i have to, but im guessing id be fine with a 130 dollar board. Probably going to keep this system for a while, so id like to have a board that will be somewhat "future proof?

Apart from SLI/Crossfire compatibility, I would say Z77 boards are all in the same class in terms of 'future proofing'. THey all have USB3, SATA 6gb/s, PCIe 3.0 and four RAM slots. What else matters? Well, higher end boards boast more extensive and specialized connectivity, more efficient heatsinks and power delivery for extreme overclocking etc. such 'enthusiast' features, but a reasonably high OC (I'm talking <1.4V core) will be achieved with pretty much any Z77 board. I'd recommend taking a look at

Gigabyte Z77-D3H (3yr warranty)
Asrock Z77 Pro3
Asrock Z77 Pro4 (same as above but with DVI and two more SATA 6gb/s)
Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (sli/cf)
Asus P8Z77-V LK (sli/cf, 3yr warranty)
Gigabyte Z77X-D3H (sli/cf, 3yr warranty)

Memory ~$$ whatever - ill spend whatever on memory, just as long as it good for overlcoking. 8 or 16gb, doesnt matter to me. IF i need 16 ill get 16.

2x4GB is enough. Buy 1600mhz CL9 1.5v, e.g. G.Skill Ares

Case - ~ $150 - i was looking at a few, but it just sucks having to buy without seeing (i live in CT).

What do you need/want from a case? I'd say very few $150 cases are worth it over $100 cases like Corsair 400R, Fractal Design Arc Midi, CM HAF 922.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Well, testing by Overclockersclub suggests Phanteks is noticeably better, but it's just one review. More reviews here. I browsed some of these and Phanteks seemed to be toe to toe with Thermalright Archon and NZXT Havik, another two high end coolers. In practice, these 140mm tower coolers are all in the same class. Havik isn't a bad deal at $60 by the way, it comes with 2x 140mm fans in push-pull.

Noctua has such excellent support that it will send you installation brackets for a new socket several years after purchase. I don't know anything about Phanteks' support, it's a newcomer to the market.

But honestly, there's no need to spend $100 on a cooler. A Hyper 612 and Scythe Mugen 3 are both quiet and support high overclocks on SB/IB (4.5 is most certainly achievable), and you don't need to worry about the size of the cooler. Whatever extra MHz you may get with a Phanteks or a Noctua isn't worth another $50 + extra power consumption.

Apart from SLI/Crossfire compatibility, I would say Z77 boards are all in the same class in terms of 'future proofing'. THey all have USB3, SATA 6gb/s, PCIe 3.0 and four RAM slots. What else matters? Well, higher end boards boast more extensive and specialized connectivity, more efficient heatsinks and power delivery for extreme overclocking etc. such 'enthusiast' features, but a reasonably high OC (I'm talking <1.4V core) will be achieved with pretty much any Z77 board. I'd recommend taking a look at

Gigabyte Z77-D3H (3yr warranty)
Asrock Z77 Pro3
Asrock Z77 Pro4 (same as above but with DVI and two more SATA 6gb/s)
Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (sli/cf)
Asus P8Z77-V LK (sli/cf, 3yr warranty)
Gigabyte Z77X-D3H (sli/cf, 3yr warranty)

2x4GB is enough. Buy 1600mhz CL9 1.5v, e.g. G.Skill Ares

What do you need/want from a case? I'd say very few $150 cases are worth it over $100 cases like Corsair 400R, Fractal Design Arc Midi, CM HAF 922.

First off, thanks for all the info and links!

Cooler - I was thinking 100 is a lot to spend on a CPU cooler, but assuming its only going to last me one build, im not sure how i feel about it.

I bought the tuniq tower because it looked like the best by far, and i thought as far as air cooling goes, it doesnt get much better, and i would end up bringing it to my next build. Fast forward to now, and theres better air coolers out there, and its a hassle to get tools to get it to fit the new socket.

This is what im faced with when i think about the Noctua. Theyll support me in the future, but will i want something else anyway, and will it be $100 wasted since ill want a new one in 4 years or so. So the problem is: spend $100 for my next few builds, or spend 0-50 for something close that i might also be able to use in the future.

How much better is the hyper 612 than the 212+? Will i be able to hit 4.5 with the 212+? if thats the case then i might just use that since i already own it. If not i guess ill try out the 612, or maybe the havik.

Motherboard - Are they all the same in terms of overclocking as well? The more effective heatsinks might come in handy when overclocking right? I know you mentioned extreme overclocks, but would 4.5 be considered "extreme" for an IVB chip? Is that the only reason the super expensive boards sell for more? If thats the case, most peolpe could get away with spending less on their motherboard, am i right?

And how is Asrock? I see many of their boards with good reviews, and they are affordable. How much should i care about what brand motherboard im getting? I always just stuck with makers i knew, but i might give Asrock a shot this time. Theres definitely no feature, or ability thata lower Z77 board is missing that a higher one has that i would need? My budget is pretty high considering i won a pool a few weeks ago. 😀

Memory Why those G-Skill Ares? Memory is so cheap anyway, would i be better off buying the best/lowest CL/voltage etc that i can get? What did you think of the memory i linked before?

Case - I want performance and silence, and maybe most importantly, ease of use/transferring components. One reason i havent been upgrading my parts as much as id like is that i dont want to go in and have to move stuff around my case because its tight in there (P180 - hate how the hard drives are oriented too), so i need something that is nice to work in.

The P280 seemed to get many good reviews, and i really like the way it looks. Maybe i need something even bigger? D: I read the 280 is bigger than the 180, so it might be big enough.

Lemme know what you think, and thanks again!

EDIT: Also sort of considering a new Power Supply. Right now I've got the 750TX (first gen i believe), and its pretty decent. My problem with it is there are just TOO many cables, and im probably better off with something modular. That paired with the fact that Im a PSU short of having another full system for someone to use (50 bucks i woud have spent on a decent PSU can be used towards buying an awesome one for myself)

Ive heard seasonic are the best, and im checking out a X650 gold for $140. I think 650w is more than what i need (never SLI, no 690 in my future), and i need good stable power. (I had a problem with vdroop or vdrop in my last OC, and i think was the reason i was never really able to be fully stable at 3.6ghz.)

 

[azeem40]

IVB works well with RAM at 1.5v, no more, no less.

 

[lehtv]

How much better is the hyper 612 than the 212+? Will i be able to hit 4.5 with the 212+? if thats the case then i might just use that since i already own it. If not i guess ill try out the 612, or maybe the havik.

212+ should do 4.5 at OK temps. Since you already own it, try it out. If it gets too hot when OC'ing, feel free to dump it for a better cooler.

Motherboard - Are they all the same in terms of overclocking as well?

As long as you're not pushing extreme voltages, yes. They're all stable at least up to the point where you get very diminishing returns for extra MHz. All of those boards can do 4.5.

I know you mentioned extreme overclocks, but would 4.5 be considered "extreme" for an IVB chip?

No. Extreme overclock = requires extreme voltages. 4.5 requires only a slight to moderate voltage bump. Check the 3770K reviews, for example.

Theres definitely no feature, or ability thata lower Z77 board is missing that a higher one has that i would need?

That's true for the vast majority of users. The ones who it isn't true for can usually tell if a higher end board offers something they might need (these people are called enthusiasts or experts and that is also the target market of higher end boards).

Why those G-Skill Ares? Memory is so cheap anyway, would i be better off buying the best/lowest CL/voltage etc that i can get? What did you think of the memory i linked before?

G.Skill Ares is pretty much the cheapest 1600mhz CL9 RAM you can find. Lower CL would mean tighter timings -> nominally faster but in practice impossible to tell -> more expensive and not worth it. The clock speed and voltage are right for IB, and it's low profile.

The memory you linked earlier is $5 more expensive in exchange for CL8 timings, and not as low profile as Ares. You'd have to raise your 212+ fan a bit which isn't an issue, but Ripjaws might get in the way of the heatsink part of Hyper 612 or Scythe Mugen 3, not sure.

Case - I want performance and silence, and maybe most importantly, ease of use/transferring components. One reason i havent been upgrading my parts as much as id like is that i dont want to go in and have to move stuff around my case because its tight in there (P180 - hate how the hard drives are oriented too), so i need something that is nice to work in.

The P280 seemed to get many good reviews, and i really like the way it looks. Maybe i need something even bigger? D: I read the 280 is bigger than the 180, so it might be big enough

It does improve on all the aspects that you said you didn't like in the P180. It's more spacious, has better cable management, and sideways hard drive bays. It will definitely be big enough for a normal ATX form factor single GPU setup with a few hard drives.

Also sort of considering a new Power Supply. Right now I've got the 750TX (first gen i believe), and its pretty decent. My problem with it is there are just TOO many cables, and im probably better off with something modular.

Try it out in the new case, see how the cable management goes. I think you're just used to bad cable management with the P180.

IVB works well with RAM at 1.5v, no more, no less.

It works with RAM lower than 1.5V as well.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

212+ should do 4.5 at OK temps. Since you already own it, try it out. If it gets too hot when OC'ing, feel free to dump it for a better cooler.

Put it on CL last night, someone is apparently buying it tomorrow. Probably not gonna spend 100 on a cooler, too much of a chance of me abandoning it in my next build. Ill probably get the quietest out of the other listed. One thing i forgot about is how much a hated having to work around my tuniq tower, and the noctua is only gonna be worse.

As long as you're not pushing extreme voltages, yes. They're all stable at least up to the point where you get very diminishing returns for extra MHz. All of those boards can do 4.5.

Cool, 4.5 im sure is enough for me. when i first got this Q6600, i was hell bent on hitting 3.6, and getting as much as possible out of it. Now im fine with a modest OC, and i dont notice it having that much of a difference in games. (3.15 would have been fine from the start, especially considering older games)

That's true for the vast majority of users. The ones who it isn't true for can usually tell if a higher end board offers something they might need (these people are called enthusiasts or experts and that is also the target market of higher end boards).

Definitely wouldnt consider myself either one of those. The only thing i would want a more popular board for, is possible OSX compatibility. (last time the more popular/expensive version of my mobo had better hacktintosh support. I guess i really dont care now, because i own a MBA, and if i really wanted OSX on a desktop, id just buy a mac at this point.)

G.Skill Ares is pretty much the cheapest 1600mhz CL9 RAM you can find. Lower CL would mean tighter timings -> nominally faster but in practice impossible to tell -> more expensive and not worth it. The clock speed and voltage are right for IB, and it's low profile.

The memory you linked earlier is $5 more expensive in exchange for CL8 timings, and not as low profile as Ares. You'd have to raise your 212+ fan a bit which isn't an issue, but Ripjaws might get in the way of the heatsink part of Hyper 612 or Scythe Mugen 3, not sure.

Well since its so cheap, i just figued get more expensive/more stable ram. Since it doesnt seem to matter, ill probably just get those then. Is 8GB enough for gaming? or should i spend more and get 16GB since im saving money elsewhere?

It does improve on all the aspects that you said you didn't like in the P180. It's more spacious, has better cable management, and sideways hard drive bays. It will definitely be big enough for a normal ATX form factor single GPU setup with a few hard drives.

Exactly what im looking for then, and yes the cable management is terrible in it. That stupid dividing peice in the middle, and a super tiny hole thats supposed to fit huge thick cables through?

About the PSU: Im sure itll probably fit better in the new case, and i can just tuck away the other cables. How stable is that PSU as far as voltage spikes and drops? i know it was considered really good when i bought it.

The only real reason why i would consider a new one is i need to pick up one for an older system anyway, and i hate spending any money on my 2nd or 3rd PC, when i can put that in my best PC, and shuffle the parts down the line.

Thanks again for all the help! will probably be making an order tomorrow, pending any further changes.

 

[mfenn]

Well since its so cheap, i just figued get more expensive/more stable ram. Since it doesnt seem to matter, ill probably just get those then. Is 8GB enough for gaming? or should i spend more and get 16GB since im saving money elsewhere?

8GB is more than enough for gaming. Hell, most games don't even have 64-bit executables, which means they can't use more than 4GB of memory anyway.

Exactly what im looking for then, and yes the cable management is terrible in it. That stupid dividing peice in the middle, and a super tiny hole thats supposed to fit huge thick cables through?

About the PSU: Im sure itll probably fit better in the new case, and i can just tuck away the other cables. How stable is that PSU as far as voltage spikes and drops? i know it was considered really good when i bought it.

The only real reason why i would consider a new one is i need to pick up one for an older system anyway, and i hate spending any money on my 2nd or 3rd PC, when i can put that in my best PC, and shuffle the parts down the line.

A 750TX is still a very good PSU, and I see no reason to replace it. A secondary PC doesn't need anything more than a $35 430CX (unless it has a monster GPU for some reason).

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

A 750TX is still a very good PSU, and I see no reason to replace it. A secondary PC doesn't need anything more than a $35 430CX (unless it has a monster GPU for some reason).

It will probably be in with the x2 4200+ and a 7600GT. Hate MIR's by the way. One more reason i would want to buy a new one, is it would make the upgrade process a lot easier, as i would have to do less disassembling things.

But Ill probably keep the 750tx anyway, and just scour slickdeals/FSFT section for the next few weeks for a deal on a cheap PSU.

 

[azeem40]

212+ should do 4.5 at OK temps. Since you already own it, try it out. If it gets too hot when OC'ing, feel free to dump it for a better cooler.

As long as you're not pushing extreme voltages, yes. They're all stable at least up to the point where you get very diminishing returns for extra MHz. All of those boards can do 4.5.

No. Extreme overclock = requires extreme voltages. 4.5 requires only a slight to moderate voltage bump. Check the 3770K reviews, for example.

That's true for the vast majority of users. The ones who it isn't true for can usually tell if a higher end board offers something they might need (these people are called enthusiasts or experts and that is also the target market of higher end boards).

G.Skill Ares is pretty much the cheapest 1600mhz CL9 RAM you can find. Lower CL would mean tighter timings -> nominally faster but in practice impossible to tell -> more expensive and not worth it. The clock speed and voltage are right for IB, and it's low profile.

The memory you linked earlier is $5 more expensive in exchange for CL8 timings, and not as low profile as Ares. You'd have to raise your 212+ fan a bit which isn't an issue, but Ripjaws might get in the way of the heatsink part of Hyper 612 or Scythe Mugen 3, not sure.

It does improve on all the aspects that you said you didn't like in the P180. It's more spacious, has better cable management, and sideways hard drive bays. It will definitely be big enough for a normal ATX form factor single GPU setup with a few hard drives.

Try it out in the new case, see how the cable management goes. I think you're just used to bad cable management with the P180.



It works with RAM lower than 1.5V as well.

Not from what I heard on Tom's Hardware. 😱

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

though this might be overkill, tonymacx86 says this board will run pretty well with OSX in the future: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=4902415&amp;SID=

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2012/04/intels-new-ivy-bridge-socket-1155-cpus.html

worth spending extra $$$? I dont think i could ever leave windows full time, but i dont plan on buying windows 8, and i might get bored and want to play around in OSX a little, so i might spend the extra $55 bucks and get it.

If not, i was planning on getting this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293
memory is in cart, P280 is also in there.

Having a tough time deciding on a cooler. Yes im very indecisive lol.

 

[lehtv]

Not from what I heard on Tom's Hardware. 😱

Feel free to link

 

[mfenn]

though this might be overkill, tonymacx86 says this board will run pretty well with OSX in the future: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=4902415&amp;SID=

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2012/04/intels-new-ivy-bridge-socket-1155-cpus.html

worth spending extra $$$? I dont think i could ever leave windows full time, but i dont plan on buying windows 8, and i might get bored and want to play around in OSX a little, so i might spend the extra $55 bucks and get it.

If not, i was planning on getting this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293
memory is in cart, P280 is also in there.

Either mobo would be fine, but it sounds like the Gigabyte board plays nicer with OSX. If that is worth $55 to you, by all means go for it.

Having a tough time deciding on a cooler. Yes im very indecisive lol.

What's wrong with the Mugen 3?

 

[mfenn]

It will probably be in with the x2 4200+ and a 7600GT. Hate MIR's by the way. One more reason i would want to buy a new one, is it would make the upgrade process a lot easier, as i would have to do less disassembling things.

But Ill probably keep the 750tx anyway, and just scour slickdeals/FSFT section for the next few weeks for a deal on a cheap PSU.

$45 w/o MIR is still fine. A 430CX will have no trouble with an Athlon 64 X2 and a 7600GT.