Sandy-Bridge Build: Feedback?

[mushin1989]

Here's the build:

Case : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119160
Power Supply : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139010
Processor : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-072-_-Product
Cooling : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065
Motherboard : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131701
RAM : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236
HD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533
SSD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148357
*OR*
SSD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148348 *
Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106346
Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-349-_-Product

* Matter of expense, that money could be used elsewhere. Note that I would like to load Win7 with the SSD.

The rationale for Intel i5 2500K (over anything else): http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

Rationale for i5 2500K over i7 2600K: The i5 offers essentially the same gaming performance cooler and more cost efficiently.

Question: RAM compatible with mobo?

Any feedback appreciated. This is my first custom build, and it's intended for gaming/overclocking.


"It wasn't until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say 'I don't know.'" - W. Somerset Maugham

 

[zi0n.]

You should get an Z68 MB instead and that memory is triple channel, SB uses dual channel.

Whats your budged?

 

[mushin1989]

For those who don't care for all the links,

System Case : Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Full Tower = $160
Power Supply : Corsair HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 = $140
Intel CPU : Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz = $220
Cooling : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 = $50
Intel Motherboard : ASUS P8P67 DELUXE = $225
Memory : CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) = $77
Hard Drive : Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA (Bare Drive) = $90
SSD : Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB = $123
*OR*
SSD : Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB = $232
Optical Drive : LITE-ON iHBS112 12x BDR 2x BD-RE SATA (OEM) = $120
Video Card : HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 = $190

Also, budget is $1500 or so, if suggestions are much over please justify, but otherwise consider that the $1600 range is getting ugly.

Thanks. If SB is dual channel, then recommendations on the RAM?

 

[mnewsham]

Yes get dual channel memory and a Z68 motherboard.

 

[mushin1989]

Thanks, though could you provide the rationale for Z68 over P67? I'm new to this so I don't know a lot about the hardware yet.

 

[mnewsham]

Z68 is P67 with H67 rolled into 1.

 

[mushin1989]

Thanks, specific Z68/Dual-Channel RAM recommendations then anyone? Anything else?

 

[StrangerGuy]

Get a cheaper board that is $100 cheaper and spend the same $100 on a better video card...Add another $20 is enough for a GTX 570

The difference between a 570 and a 6870 is huge...A $220 mobo vs a $120 mobo? Not at all.

 

[mnewsham]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128520

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231424

 

[mushin1989]

Thanks for your recommendations, I considered your choices but all the same here's the current build:

System Case : Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Full Tower = $160
Power Supply : Corsair HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 = $140
Intel CPU : Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz = $220
Cooling : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 = $50
Intel Motherboard : Asus P8Z68-V PRO = $210
Memory : CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) = $75
Hard Drive : Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA (Bare Drive) = $90
SSD : Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB = $123
Optical Drive : LITE-ON iHBS112 12x BDR 2x BD-RE SATA (OEM) = $120
Graphics Card : HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 = $190

 

[mnewsham]

explain your build and i will drop my recommendations currently however yours is pretty dumb.
Also the Samsung F3 1TB costs ~60 bucks and has the same performance as the WD black.

 

[Patrese]

Thanks for your recommendations, I considered your choices but all the same here's the current build:

System Case : Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Full Tower = $160
Power Supply : Corsair HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 = $140
Intel CPU : Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz = $220
Cooling : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 = $50
Intel Motherboard : Asus P8Z68-V PRO = $210
Memory : CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) = $75
Hard Drive : Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA (Bare Drive) = $90
SSD : Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB = $123
Optical Drive : LITE-ON iHBS112 12x BDR 2x BD-RE SATA (OEM) = $120
Graphics Card : HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 = $190

Unless you're planning to crossfire/SLI high end cards, the power supply is overkill. A 650W one will have power to spare, and even a good 550W one will do perfectly. The one below is a great choice IMO:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139012

Take care about what Corsair Vengeance you're getting. The one you want is in the link below. The others, with big heatspreaders, are near impossible to fit with the Hyper 212+ (the thing is huge, trust me) and bring no advantages.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233196

I agree with StrangerGuy about the cheaper motherboard. If you don't want to go "super cheap", get the AsRock Z68 Extreme 4, the Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P (190 bucks) or the Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 (160 bucks). Use the money you saved on the power supply and motherboard to get a 6950 like the one below.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125385

Take the mnewsham advice for the harddrive as well and you'll be saving even more money with no performance penalty whatsoever...

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Here's the build:

Case : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119160
Power Supply : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139010
Processor : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-072-_-Product
Cooling : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065
Motherboard : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131701
RAM : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145236
HD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533
SSD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148357
*OR*
SSD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148348 *
Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106346
Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-349-_-Product

* Matter of expense, that money could be used elsewhere. Note that I would like to load Win7 with the SSD.

The rationale for Intel i5 2500K (over anything else): http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

Rationale for i5 2500K over i7 2600K: The i5 offers essentially the same gaming performance cooler and more cost efficiently.

Question: RAM compatible with mobo?

Any feedback appreciated. This is my first custom build, and it's intended for gaming/overclocking.


"It wasn't until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say 'I don't know.'" - W. Somerset Maugham

It's... pretty horrible, most of it. But it's your first build, so I can understand why.

First, the PSU:

The HX750 is a good choice if you need something that's modular and highly efficient. If you're willing to lose the modularity and 2-3% efficiency, take a look at the Corsair TX750 V2. It's $110, so $30 cheaper.

The case:

The HAF 932 Advanced has tons of features, room, and good build quality, but (IMO) it's hideous. If you like how it looks, then it's not a problem given the features it comes with. If you want something better made, lighter, and more elegant with good features, you could look at the Lian Li PC-9F.

The cooler:

The Hyper 212+ is a good choice... at $20. The Corsair A50 costs $25 and beats it in heat dissipation and noise.

The motherboard:

Hugely overpriced and isn't even Z68. Get an AsRock Z68 Extreme4 or ASUS P8P68-V PRO instead.


Hard Drive:

Again, hugely overpriced. The Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB is just as reliable, costs less, is faster, and quieter. If you need the extra warranty and RAID support, there's also the Spinpoint F3R 1TB.

The RAM:

Triple-channel RAM for a dual-channel platform? You'll be well served by getting some Kingston HyperX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz now that they're so cheap.

The SSD

Good choice on the Crucial/Micron RealSSD C300. They're very reliable and extremely fast, not to mention they're decently priced.

Optical Drive:

Sure you need a Blu-Ray burner? If not, you can save some money by getting a normal DVD Burner or a Blu-Ray reader.

Graphics card:

Good choice. Only thing that worries me about reference 6870s is that they're a bit loud and the cooler isn't that great for over-clocking. Apart from that, a good card for a good price. Don't go for the GTX 560 Ti, though. It's only 5-10% faster than the 6870 and it's slower than the 6950 1GBs.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

This is a multi forum post, saw it on Tom's Hardware. Just a heads up

 

[mushin1989]

It's... pretty horrible, most of it. But it's your first build, so I can understand why.

First, the PSU:

The HX750 is a good choice if you need something that's modular and highly efficient. If you're willing to lose the modularity and 2-3% efficiency, take a look at the Corsair TX750 V2. It's $110, so $30 cheaper.

The case:

The HAF 932 Advanced has tons of features, room, and good build quality, but (IMO) it's hideous. If you like how it looks, then it's not a problem given the features it comes with. If you want something better made, lighter, and more elegant with good features, you could look at the Lian Li PC-9F.

The cooler:

The Hyper 212+ is a good choice... at $20. The Corsair A50 costs $25 and beats it in heat dissipation and noise.

The motherboard:

Hugely overpriced and isn't even Z68. Get an AsRock Z68 Extreme4 or ASUS P8P68-V PRO instead.


Hard Drive:

Again, hugely overpriced. The Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB is just as reliable, costs less, is faster, and quieter. If you need the extra warranty and RAID support, there's also the Spinpoint F3R 1TB.

The RAM:

Triple-channel RAM for a dual-channel platform? You'll be well served by getting some Kingston HyperX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz now that they're so cheap.

The SSD

Good choice on the Crucial/Micron RealSSD C300. They're very reliable and extremely fast, not to mention they're decently priced.

Optical Drive:

Sure you need a Blu-Ray burner? If not, you can save some money by getting a normal DVD Burner or a Blu-Ray reader.

Graphics card:

Good choice. Only thing that worries me about reference 6870s is that they're a bit loud and the cooler isn't that great for over-clocking. Apart from that, a good card for a good price. Don't go for the GTX 560 Ti, though. It's only 5-10% faster than the 6870 and it's slower than the 6950 1GBs.

Thanks for the help, though the mobo and ram choices have changed since the first post. Thanks also to Patrese. mnewsham, if you want me to be convinced by your recommendations you should more thoroughly provide your rationales. Also, it's nothing to take offense by if you give advice and someone doesn't take it.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for your recommendations, I considered your choices but all the same here's the current build:

System Case : Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Full Tower = $160
Power Supply : Corsair HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 = $140
Intel CPU : Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz = $220
Cooling : COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 = $50
Intel Motherboard : Asus P8Z68-V PRO = $210
Memory : CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) = $75
Hard Drive : Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA (Bare Drive) = $90
SSD : Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB = $123
Optical Drive : LITE-ON iHBS112 12x BDR 2x BD-RE SATA (OEM) = $120
Graphics Card : HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 = $190

This build is pretty terrible to be honest. Basically, you're spending a ton of money in places that don't affect performance and thus really hurting yourself in places that do affect performance. I'll go part by part:

- Case: Overpriced at $160. The 922 is basically the same thing but $60 cheaper. No, the 3.5" USB 3.0 bay is not worth $60.
- PSU: Incredible overkill for a 6870. The XFX Core 550W is plenty for any single GPU and is only $50 AR.
- CPU: Good
- HSF: Overpriced at $50. The CAFA50 works just as well and is $23 AR.
- Mobo: There is no reason to pay $210 for a Z68 mobo. The GA-Z68X-UD3 will do just as well and can be had in combo with 8GB of G.Skill memory for $175 total
- RAM: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Vengeance is overpriced for what it is. You can get memory that performs the same and has shorter heatspreaders for 1/2 the cost.
- HDD: More expensive than and the same speed as a Samsung F3 1TB.
- SSD: 64GB is too small IMHO. Luckily, you've saved enough money above to get able to get the 128GB version.
- ODD: I really question the need that a "gaming/overclocking" PC has for a BD-RW. You can easily save $100 here by going with a normal DVD-RW.
- GPU: And now for the doozy. I initially read this as 6970 and was thinking "ok, that's fine". However, a 6870 is just pitiful for a gaming machine of this overall cost. Get something more powerful like a 6950 2GB instead.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Thanks for the help, though the mobo and ram choices have changed since the first post. Thanks also to Patrese. mnewsham, if you want me to be convinced by your recommendations you should more thoroughly provide your rationales. Also, it's nothing to take offense by if you give advice and someone doesn't take it.

Well, for the Hard Drive, it couldn't be more clear cut. Like I said, the Spinpoint F3 1TB is faster than the Caviar Black 1TB, quieter, cheaper, and just as reliable. That's why it's so much more popular.

As for the Memory, it has the same timings and frequency as the Vengeance, but costs $10 less and OCs more. It's rated for 1.65V, but it'll run fine at 1.6V as a recent article by Tom's Hardware found.

The Hyper 212+ was never that good of a performer, even less at its current price. Again, there's many reviews to be found on the Corsair A50. It's more effective at cooling, is quieter, and costs less.

If you want more info, you can take a look at the reviews. I'm just telling you the conclusions of them so as not to make TL;DR paragraphs. Everything I've said can be easily corroborated by reading them.

 

[mushin1989]

Re-prioritized build based on advice here and elsewhere:

System Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior = $160

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply = $140

Intel CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K = $220

Cooling: XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler bracket included I7 i5 775 1155 AMD and dual fan push pull compatible = $30

Intel Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard = $190

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL = $70

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive = $65

Optical Drive: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Super Multi WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM = $80

Video Card: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (in crossfire) = $540

I'm getting a blu-ray burner because I want one. I get it doesn't have to do with gaming.

The reason for the power supply was always in case of crossfire in the future. Of course, now it's necessary from the start.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, though as a side note I feel its general etiquette that you shouldn't bother saying someone's ideas are "terrible, horrible, dumb" or etc., regardless of how you might feel. That is rude and unnecessary given someone who is asking politely. As forums like these are places for gathering information, there's no reason they can't be polite.

 

[sygyzy]

Wow you got some amazing advice here for your build. I would be thankful.

 

[mnewsham]

If you had read the sticky then you would have seen:

PLEASE when you POST threads asking for input on system builds tell us...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.




Sorry if you don't want to hear our honest opinions BUT that is WHY we are here, and it is what we do.

 

[mushin1989]

It isn't that I'm thin skinned or take it personally, it's that it's rude. I wouldn't talk to anyone that way looking for advice no matter how little they know. I haven't had any issues with people's attitudes on other tech forums, just this one. I actually didn't anticipate you getting something as basic as "it's rude". It really is basic too, so if you're struggling with the concept, then good luck.

I don't need anything else here, thanks to those who gave advice, I appreciate the time taken to do so. Take care.

 

[mnewsham]

So if you are an idiot, i should hold your hand and let you do stupid [redacted]? Well that is stupid... I am going to tell you that you are an idiot and stop you.

We do not allow profanity in our technical forums, and we will not tolerate personal attacks. Please keep it clean.
-ViRGE

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Re-prioritized build based on advice here and elsewhere:

System Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior = $160

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply = $140

Intel CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K = $220

Cooling: XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler bracket included I7 i5 775 1155 AMD and dual fan push pull compatible = $30

Intel Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard = $190

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL = $70

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive = $65

Optical Drive: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Super Multi WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM = $80

Video Card: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (in crossfire) = $540

I'm getting a blu-ray burner because I want one. I get it doesn't have to do with gaming.

The reason for the power supply was always in case of crossfire in the future. Of course, now it's necessary from the start.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, though as a side note I feel its general etiquette that you shouldn't bother saying someone's ideas are "terrible, horrible, dumb" or etc., regardless of how you might feel. That is rude and unnecessary given someone who is asking politely. As forums like these are places for gathering information, there's no reason they can't be polite.

Well, if you want advice, you also need to learn when something's wrong. If something is severely wrong, I usually just call it "terrible" or "bad". I don't think saying "it's okay" or "it could be better" when there's clearly a lot that could be improved would be honest, nor do I understand how pointing out that something is very bad is "impolite".

Anyway, the new build with the revisions is a lot better, though something should still be changed: the cooler. The Xigmatek Gaia isn't a good option at $30. The Corsair A50 is much better in all aspects and can be had on Amazon for $25.

As far as the Radeon HD 6950 2GB goes, unfortunately most of the cards now seem to be using custom PCBs. You should be able to unlock the shaders if you so desire, but there's more risk involved since most of them don't have the dual BIOS. If you don't wish to unlock them, though, the HIS Turbo card is a fine choice.

If you want to save $10, I'd advise you buy the Spinpoint F3 1TB on Amazon instead.

If as of now you haven't chosen anything from Amazon because you'll be using Newegg exclusively, change out the Xigmatek Gaia for the Corsair A70. There's around a 10C difference between both and the price difference is only $16.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

WOOOOW. dude, we are all family here, we have our own opinions.

ITS OKAY TO BE RUDE WHEN ITS A DISCUSSION.
I YOU DONT LIKE IT HERE, GO BACK TO TOMS HARDWARE AND TALK TO THEM

what is up with this guy?

 

[mfenn]

Re-prioritized build based on advice here and elsewhere:

System Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior = $160

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply = $140

Intel CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K = $220

Cooling: XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler bracket included I7 i5 775 1155 AMD and dual fan push pull compatible = $30

Intel Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard = $190

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL = $70

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive = $65

Optical Drive: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Super Multi WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM = $80

Video Card: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (in crossfire) = $540

I'm getting a blu-ray burner because I want one. I get it doesn't have to do with gaming.

The reason for the power supply was always in case of crossfire in the future. Of course, now it's necessary from the start.

So, this is a lot better, but you could still get an SSD into the same budget if you make some smart changes:
- Case: Like I said before, save $60 and get the 922 (-$60)
- PSU: You don't need 750W for 6950 CF. The 650TX is $75 AR. (-$65 AR)
- Mobo: You really don't need the the 932 since the Extreme4 comes with a USB 3.0 front bay. Also, $19 for a mobo is still exorbitant IMHO. You'd be better off with the combo I linked above.
- RAM: Swap it to some that doesn't have tall heatspreaders like this G.Skill kit. (-$12)
- SSD: Even with out the mobo+RAM combo, that leaves you $137 for an SSD. That amount buys you a Force 3

Thanks to everyone for their advice, though as a side note I feel its general etiquette that you shouldn't bother saying someone's ideas are "terrible, horrible, dumb" or etc., regardless of how you might feel. That is rude and unnecessary given someone who is asking politely. As forums like these are places for gathering information, there's no reason they can't be polite.

Aww, did we hurt your feelings? :wub: Nobody said that you were "terrible, horrible, dumb", we said that your build was. It's a collection of PC parts, it doesn't have feelings.