Contemplating a new build. A few ramblings.

Associate
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I've had my Q9650 for over 4 years now and it's servered (still serving) me will but I've getting itchy fingers for awhile and feel it's time to build a new system.

It's been awhile since I last did a new build so thought I'd check a few things first. I'm looking to use the Intel 3770K on release and don't plan on overclocking it. I'm also going to replace my PSU with a modular PSU as I'm not happy with the cables I've got bundled around the rear of my case. I was also planning on replacing my sound card with either a Xonar or one of the Recon3D cards, but think I will now stick with the onboard card, atleast until Win8 is released and I can see what that brings.

I don't have a budget for this at the moment, it's purely what I decide to spend without going to silly. The part's I'm planning to get are;

Asus Z77 Maximus V Gene
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-516-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2261

Kingston HyperX RED Limited Edition 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (Damn you Corsair, why no red PC3-12800!)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-114-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1517

Corsair Professional Series AX750 High Performance 750W Modular '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-027-CS&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1084

The CPU I am going to cool with a Corsair H60 which I already have but wouldn't fit my current motherboard. I was also going to replace the two 200mm fans on my Corsair Obsidian 650D with BitFenix Spectre to get a little more air flow and see if I can get my PC a little quieter.

I already have an EVGA GTX570SC GFX card which I plan to keep until the next Nvidia release after the 600 series.

I'm also planning on getting some BitFenix Alchemy braided cables to keep the case looking good inside. Which ones do I need for the 12vATX, is it the 8pin EPS Extension?

So what do you think, have I missed anything?

Thanks, AStaley.
 
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Associate
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I'm fine with the mATX board, does SLI if I decide to go that route and has a PCIEx2 slot for a sound card when I decide to get one. The only thing that is a pain is the number of native SATA3 ports. Can I use a SATA3 drive on a SATA6 port?

AStaley.
 
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I'd have thought even with 2 GFX cards in SLI the bottom PCIE slot would still be free? Even still not really a problem, I'll most likely stick to a single card solution as I don't play anything beyond 1680x1020.

If not I can always look at the Asus P8Z77V-Pro board.
 
Caporegime
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I'd have thought even with 2 GFX cards in SLI the bottom PCIE slot would still be free?

Unfortunately not.

And being packed close together will increase the temperatures.

And the second card may block access to the connectors along the edge of the motherboard.

If you're never going SLI then nothing to worry about.

If it's a possibility a full ATX size board would be better.

 
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Thanks for the the reply. For some strange reason I had it in my mind that the GFX cards faced the other way, for the life of me I can't think why now.

If I'm dropping the thought of going SLI, but may go with a slight overclock on the CPU down the line what rating PSU should I go for, could I drop it to 650W, or should I stick with the 750W for future proofing? Prefer to stick with Corsair.

Thanks again peeps.
 
Soldato
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I did find it strange that you were looking at an enthusiast minded mobo for overclockers when you didn't intend to OC at all :/

Like many others here, i prefer the full sized ATX mobos so you have room and space for expansion. There are still some nice overclocking mobos for less cash which still have a nice style to them....the Asrock Z77 extreme 4 for example and that is ATX size.

I did notice you matched the RAM to the mobo colour....nice touch btw :)
 
Associate
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I did find it strange that you were looking at an enthusiast minded mobo for overclockers when you didn't intend to OC at all :/

Like many others here, i prefer the full sized ATX mobos so you have room and space for expansion. There are still some nice overclocking mobos for less cash which still have a nice style to them....the Asrock Z77 extreme 4 for example and that is ATX size.

I did notice you matched the RAM to the mobo colour....nice touch btw :)

Overclocking is something I want to try, maybe not straight away but 6 months down the line or something.

All of my previous boards have been full ATX, but looking at what I use I think I can get away with mATX. Besides I really like the look of the board and the UEFI.

If I'm doing a new build then I like to make sure that it does atleast look good, so getting RAM to match the colour of the board is good. just a shame the OC don't stock the Red Corsair Vengence as I think that would look good inside my case. I'll check again around IB's release.
 
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