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[Beer Monkey]

Just ordered this from Micro Center for in-store pickup.

 $89.99 MSI P67A-GD65-B3 LGA 1155 P67 ATX Intel Motherboard
$179.99 Core i5 2500K LGA 1155 Boxed Processor
 $34.99 HyperX blu 8GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) (2x4GB)

 $19.82 Tax

$324.79 Total

Plus a $20 rebate on the motherboard.

I already have GTX 460 1GB, HDDs, Optical drives, Antec Solo Case, and 550W PSU.

Thoughts?

I have no idea why the motherboard price dropped so much when I put it in the cart.

 

[mkenyon]

Not to get into a BF3 discussion, but in your opinion would the settings needed for 60fps on a single 2GB 560 Ti (I'm assuming everything High with maybe Ultra textures) look significantly different than with everything maxed? And if I abandon all thoughts of a 580 then is a 2.5GB 570 $120 better than a 2GB 560 Ti?

Not certain, only played it during Beta/opening week then quickly reformatted to get that Trojan, er, I mean Origin off my system.

To again counter BoobPhysics, I *really* suggest getting the best single GPU card you can afford. Even a 570 pushed to the limits is still about 16% slower than a modestly OC'd 580.

If that happens to be a 570, and you're happy with that performance, it's a good choice. I don't think a 560Ti is a good bet for a 2+ year card though.

 

[Pein]

So I have $2500 for a new gaming pc, I need a beast. My current gaming pc has a 8800gt so its seen better days. Help me gaf I don't know crap about this stuff.

 

[mkenyon]

So I have $2500 for a new gaming pc, I need a beast. My current gaming pc has a 8800gt so its seen better days. Help me gaf I don't know crap about this stuff.

OP has what you need.

*edit*
Enthusiast build is what you want, unless you have specific applications in mind (fill out form in OP).

 

[Quadrophenic]

Here is the computer I am looking at:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DqL

Any thoughts?

I am planning on using my harddrive from my current PC (its about 2.5 years old 1tb wd, but I figure it can last me until prices go down and then I can replace it with a new one), and my current PSU (650w Corsair I believe. I am not at home so I can't verify).

I am mostly looking to use the pc for gaming, have a backlog of several 2011 games (Deus Ex, Arkham) and some upcoming ones like Guild Wars 2.

 

[LevityNYC]

So what does everyone think about CyberPowerPc as far as build quality, service, prices?

Read: I have 0 desire to put one together myself. Looking to spend $1500

 

[Branson]

Not certain, only played it during Beta/opening week then quickly reformatted to get that Trojan, er, I mean Origin off my system.

To again counter BoobPhysics, I *really* suggest getting the best single GPU card you can afford. Even a 570 pushed to the limits is still about 16% slower than a modestly OC'd 580.

If that happens to be a 570, and you're happy with that performance, it's a good choice. I don't think a 560Ti is a good bet for a 2+ year card though.

I love how the 580 is good/bad with different peoples opinions lol. So from my understanding if I get a 570 2.5gb it still would be slower even after over clocking to a 580? Why not spend $100 more and get a 580? I know the VRAM is a factor now with it being only 1.5 which is a bit disappointing. But since at this moment I only game at 1280x768 (tv resolution, low I know) would all of that extra VRAM still be worth it?

 

[dark10x]

So I'm still using an x58 i7-930 and a 5870. Looking to upgrade sometime this year, but things are there yet.

What is the road map looking like for 2012?

 

[mkenyon]

I love how the 580 is good/bad with different peoples opinions lol. So from my understanding if I get a 570 2.5gb it still would be slower even after over clocking to a 580? Why not spend $100 more and get a 580? I know the VRAM is a factor now with it being only 1.5 which is a bit disappointing. But since at this moment I only game at 1280x768 (tv resolution, low I know) would all of that extra VRAM still be worth it?

It is objectively verifiable that the 580 is an amazing performer, and outclasses the 570 in every aspect. The angle BoobPhysics is working is that compared $erformance, the 570 is better. That's also true. However, that last aspect is really subjective as to whether or not it matters to you. If you're looking to cut costs where you can, BoobPhysics offers good advice.

You're not going to run out of VRAM as that res.

 

[TheExodu5]

So I'm still using an x58 i7-930 and a 5870. Looking to upgrade sometime this year, but things are there yet.

What is the road map looking like for 2012?

I'd expect an NVidia release sometime later this year...maybe Q2 or Q3 at the latest.

Ivy Bridge will be coming out, but I'd stick with your 930...still plenty capable, especially if you have it overclocked.

It is objectively verifiable that the 580 is an amazing performer, and outclasses the 570 in every aspect. The angle BoobPhysics is working is that compared $erformance, the 570 is better. That's also true. However, that last aspect is really subjective as to whether or not it matters to you. If you're looking to cut costs where you can, BoobPhysics offers good advice.

You're not going to run out of VRAM as that res.

Price/performance is really an overused metric. If you're obsessed with price/performance, you shouldn't be going for anything more than a cheap 6850. There's no beating midrange cards when it comes to price/performance.

A more useful metric is price / performance gain, if you're upgrading. For example, if you're upgrading from a 5870, I certainly wouldn't go to anything but a GTX 580 or 7970. Why? Because you wouldn't be getting an appreciable increase moving up to anything less.

For example:

Moving to a GTX 580 versus a GTX 570, from a 5870, you'd actually be getting much greater bang for your buck. The GTX 570 simply isn't a very noticeable jump from the 5870.

If you're building a new system from scratch, then you need to just take your budget into account. Is the $200 increase in price worth the extra 15-20% performance? Only you can decide.

 

[Karak]

So what does everyone think about CyberPowerPc as far as build quality, service, prices?

Read: I have 0 desire to put one together myself. Looking to spend $1500

We use ibuypower but I have had to use Cypberpowerpc 1-2 times. They were ok. Ibuypower was cheaper for better stuff and in the maybe 35+ systems from them we only had 2 problems.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Not certain, only played it during Beta/opening week then quickly reformatted to get that Trojan, er, I mean Origin off my system.

To again counter BoobPhysics, I *really* suggest getting the best single GPU card you can afford. Even a 570 pushed to the limits is still about 16% slower than a modestly OC'd 580.

If that happens to be a 570, and you're happy with that performance, it's a good choice. I don't think a 560Ti is a good bet for a 2+ year card though.

Hey, screw you Kenyon, don't use my own GTX 570 score against me

The reason I say get the 560 Ti 2 GB for $120 less than a 2.5 GB GTX 570 is because that $120 price differential approaches the point where you could just spend a little bit more and get TWO 560 Ti 2 GB's. While I don't want SLI for myself, I know that others do, and that's why I think the $120 difference between the 570 2.5 GB and 560 Ti 2 GB is a bigger amount than the performance gain received from spending the extra $120.

Also, posting 3dmark11 scores is rather disingenuous considering that in the real world, those differences are like 5-7 FPS.

 

[border]

So what does everyone think about CyberPowerPc as far as build quality, service, prices?

Read: I have 0 desire to put one together myself. Looking to spend $1500

Neither of those companies offers an onsite service warranty. If anything is wrong with it you will have to mail the entire case back and lose the use of your computer for days and possibly weeks.

Don't let that stop you necessarily, but I feel like if you are going to pay some company to build a system for you then it's not worth it unless they will service it in a convenient manner.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Oh yeah, look what just showed up on my doorstep...

3 GTX 570 2.56 GB cards. Aw yeah. Already popped one in, OC'd it, and stress-tested it. Time for some Battlefield 3 to see if it performs any better than a 1.28 GB VRAM one (doubt it, since I didn't hit VRAM limits with the 1.28).

 

[Smokey]

So I have $2500 for a new gaming pc, I need a beast. My current gaming pc has a 8800gt so its seen better days. Help me gaf I don't know crap about this stuff.

If you don't know crap about this I'd suggest taking a few weeks - month to get up to speed on parts etc. You should really know and understand what you're getting if you drop 2.5k

 

[BoobPhysics101]

If you don't know crap about this I'd suggest taking a few weeks - month to get up to speed on parts etc. You should really know and understand what you're getting if you drop 2.5k

Especially because in this day and age, $1.5k alone will buy you more than you really ever need.

 

[Saren is Bad]

So I have $2500 for a new gaming pc, I need a beast. My current gaming pc has a 8800gt so its seen better days. Help me gaf I don't know crap about this stuff.

May want to wait to see how nVidia answers the 7xxx series and if/when Ivy Bridge is coming along.

 

[Deadly]

My RMA came back and I got a gtx260 core 216 superclocked too. Seems like this is the oldest card EVGA has on hand.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

My RMA came back and I got a gtx260 core 216 superclocked too. Seems like this is the oldest card EVGA has on hand.

That's pretty sweet. I wonder if I should send back my XFX 8800 GT and see if I get something better back.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Especially because in this day and age, $1.5k alone will buy you more than you really ever need.

I agree with this.

If you have $2500 now, spend $1500 and save $1000 for upgrades. That $1000 later will get you a lot more than $1000 now, and there will be games that can actually use it.

 

[Scuba Steve]

I have a Foxconn 8800GTS, I've had it for nearly 5 years. Games are starting to push it well past it's limits

I've thought since I've waited this long, maybe I should wait to see what Nvidia puts out for the keplers? Or is a 560ti or 6950 still a good buy as of now?

 

[Deadly]

That's pretty sweet. I wonder if I should send back my XFX 8800 GT and see if I get something better back.

Yeah it's a nice free upgrade. It'll delay my next purchase for a couple months at least.

I guess if it's just lying around, you've got nothing to lose. You can either get the same card back or something better. I do wonder if they test it out themselves to see if the video card was actually not functional before sending something back to you though.

 

[jayTOH]

I have extra money that didn't go into gifts/Steam sales during the holidays and was thinking about upgrading my rig. I'm currently on a Phenom II X4 955 and a 5850, but the thing is I won't have the funds to buy a new mobo+cpu+gpu in one go. Would it be wiser to just wait until I can, or would it be fine upgrading my mobo+cpu or gpu, then the other component(s) at a later date? I've been reading that the new cards won't go on sale in a long time anyway, so I thought it'd be fine to stagger-upgrade.

 

[·feist·]

NZXT Switch 810
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34168212&postcount=1503

CES 2012 - Day 1- NZXT 810 Full-tower Case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMBYOzBKUk4​

Corsair Obsidian 550D & Carbide 300R
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34164174&postcount=1485
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34190875&postcount=1536

CES 2012 - Day 1 - Corsair 550D Silent Case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JakPZCwTlCw

Corsair Obsidian 550D Case Overview - CES 2012 - PC Perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuDctjpENpI

Corsair gives us lowdown on new Carbide 300R and Obsidian 550D chassis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4Apq3FpKFk

Corsair® Obsidian Series® 550D Mid-Tower Quiet Case Walk-Through
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8eA7RR5q30

Corsair® Carbide Series™ 300R Compact PC Gaming Case Walk-Through
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjEAfqJVRyA​

300R

Cooler Master HAF XM

CES 2012: Day 1 - Cooler Master Cosmos II and HAF XM Cases
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgOuZcdt1I

Cooler Master shrinks the HAF X and introduces the HAF XM
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/22261...he_haf_x_and_introduces_the_haf_xm/index.html

Above video includes black, silver, and two-tone versions of theCooler Master Cosmos II

 

[·feist·]

Cooler Master really should have just taken the best of the newer HAF series features, and done either a HAF 922 Advanced, or an evolved "HAF 923/HAF 922 II." Even if it is just a working prototype, it still looks rough. Probably ~$120-140 ($150 on the high end). Should at least cool well if the three 200mm fans come stock (even though one is installed incorrectly in the prototype), but that styling...

I have extra money that didn't go into gifts/Steam sales during the holidays and was thinking about upgrading my rig. I'm currently on a Phenom II X4 955 and a 5850, but the thing is I won't have the funds to buy a new mobo+cpu+gpu in one go. Would it be wiser to just wait until I can, or would it be fine upgrading my mobo+cpu or gpu, then the other component(s) at a later date? I've been reading that the new cards won't go on sale in a long time anyway, so I thought it'd be fine to stagger-upgrade.

You can wait, or upgrade piecemeal. Whatever works best for you personally; there's no exact formula. 7970s are on sale now, 7950s in a few weeks. Nvidia later on. Look at the CPU, and GPU roadmaps/projections for Intel, Nvidia, and AMD to see how they fit your plans.

 

[EdgeTurn]

Hey guys! Building a pc for gaming and 3d modeling, and this thread has been immensely helpful. Sticking pretty much to Haz's Enthusiast build, but had a few questions and wanted to make sure everything was compatible with the case I've selected.

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K

Motherboard: Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 LGA 1155 Motherboards P8Z68-V/GEN3

RAM: Corsair 16 GB Vengeance Blue Low Profile 1600mhz PC3-12800 240-pin Dual Channel DDR3

Graphics: Sapphire Radeon 7970

Storage: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 850W ATX12V
--- Is 850 watts enough for everything?

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D

Optical Drive: Asus OEM DRW-24B1ST

Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

Sound Card: None?
--- Will the onboard sound of the motherboard and/or 9770 be decent enough? I'm not really an audiophile and will mostly use headphones.

SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2
--- Just noticed the warning in the OP - I'll probably wait til the 16th to see if the fix is released or go with the Intel 320 instead.

UPS: CyberPower CP1000PFCLCD UPS 1000VA 600W PFC Compatible Pure Sine Wave
--- Kinda paranoid about what sort of surge protector I should use; do i need to go for pure sine wave? Does it really matter?

Thanks for any help!

 

[TheExodu5]

Cooler Master really should have just taken the best of the newer HAF series features, and done either a HAF 922 Advanced, or an evolved "HAF 923/HAF 922 II." Even if it is just a working prototype, it still looks rough. Probably ~$120-140 ($150 on the high end). Should at least cool well if the three 200mm fans come stock (even though one is installed incorrectly in the prototype), but that styling...

I agree. The HAF 922 needs an updated version. Black interior. Rubber grommets. Big CPU cutout.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Hey guys! Building a pc for gaming and 3d modeling, and this thread has been immensely helpful. Sticking pretty much to Haz's Enthusiast build, but had a few questions and wanted to make sure everything was compatible with the case I've selected.

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K

Motherboard: Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 LGA 1155 Motherboards P8Z68-V/GEN3

RAM: Corsair 16 GB Vengeance Blue Low Profile 1600mhz PC3-12800 240-pin Dual Channel DDR3

Graphics: Sapphire Radeon 7970

Storage: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 850W ATX12V
--- Is 850 watts enough for everything?

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D

Optical Drive: Asus OEM DRW-24B1ST

Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

Sound Card: None?
--- Will the onboard sound of the motherboard and/or 9770 be decent enough? I'm not really an audiophile and will mostly use headphones.

SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2
--- Just noticed the warning in the OP - I'll probably wait til the 16th to see if the fix is released or go with the Intel 320 instead.

UPS: CyberPower CP1000PFCLCD UPS 1000VA 600W PFC Compatible Pure Sine Wave
--- Kinda paranoid about what sort of surge protector I should use; do i need to go for pure sine wave? Does it really matter?

Thanks for any help!

If you mostly use headphones, get an Asus Xonar DG. I believe it has an op-amp to power headphones. Plus it's dirt cheap.

 

[Slayer-33]

http://youtu.be/Y8eA7RR5q30

550D overview


GOD DAMMIT I WANT IT.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Update on 2.56GB GTX 570 vs 1.28 GTX 570: Battlefield 3 runs even smoother. The 2.5 GB GTX 570 is a better OC'er than my 1.28 one, and allows me to run 880 Mhz core with 2100 Mhz RAM on Battlefield 3.

Also, I am not sure if the smoothness can also be attributed to the extra VRAM. Battlefield 3 now uses up to 1.4-1.5 GB of VRAM, so it is definitely doing more texture caching as opposed to streaming.

I have always been a firm believer in the 'too much VRAM is better than too little' mantra, and this just reaffirms my belief.

 

[ProtoCents]

So I missed out on Black Friday deals but is there another time of the year where various parts are discounted? Or should I just constantly be checking for deals? I'm unfamiliar with the frequency of computer parts going on sale. I'm looking to build a new gaming PC in time for Guild Wars 2 so I can afford to be patient.

 

[mkenyon]

So I missed out on Black Friday deals but is there another time of the year where various parts are discounted? Or should I just constantly be checking for deals? I'm unfamiliar with the frequency of computer parts going on sale. I'm looking to build a new gaming PC in time for Guild Wars 2 so I can afford to be patient.

BF/CM were both pretty weak. NCIX US had the bulk of the good deals.

Just something you need to keep an eye on. I'm on mailing lists for Newegg, Tiger Direct, NCIX US, Frozen CPU, and Performance-PC's.

 

[jayTOH]

I'm currently on a Phenom II X4 955 and a 5850, but the thing is I won't have the funds to buy a new mobo+cpu+gpu in one go. Would it be wiser to just wait until I can, or would it be fine upgrading my mobo+cpu or gpu, then the other component(s) at a later date?

You can wait, or upgrade piecemeal. Whatever works best for you personally; there's no exact formula. 7970s are on sale now, 7950s in a few weeks. Nvidia later on. Look at the CPU, and GPU roadmaps/projections for Intel, Nvidia, and AMD to see how they fit your plans.

Cool, thanks! Forgot to ask in the first post - which would I see a bigger gain from? Say, a 7950 vs an i5/7. From the can you run it website, some games say my 5850 is below the recommended specs, but I've also read from the 7900-line card thread that my X4 955 is the bottleneck with better video cards.

 

[mkenyon]

Cool, thanks! Forgot to ask in the first post - which would I see a bigger gain from? Say, a 7950 vs an i5/7. From the can you run it website, some games say my 5850 is below the recommended specs, but I've also read from the 7900-line card thread that my X4 955 is the bottleneck with better video cards.

Check out post #48. You're going to want to do both. I'd suggest going with a 2500K + mobo now simply because there's going to be a lot of releases in the video card world over the next 4 months.

 

[Scuba Steve]

What is a fair price to sell my Foxconn 8800 GTS 640mb for to a friend?

 

[mkenyon]

$20?

 

[·feist·]

Need an mATX case?

Newegg has the black Lian Li PC-V354 for $110 with free shipping.

Limited time Shell Shocker deal
http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-11-112-300-_-01122012_4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112300

pics & info:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=23892570#post23892570
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=26228371#post26228371

I agree. The HAF 922 needs an updated version. Black interior. Rubber grommets. Big CPU cutout.

Looking at it, they could've just used the HAF XM frame, with a modified, and updated 922 shell. Hell, the CM Storm Sniper and 922 have the same frame. There's little reason they couldn't have implemented the Sniper's finished interior, and vented PCI brackets long ago.

http://youtu.be/Y8eA7RR5q30

550D overview


GOD DAMMIT I WANT IT.

*cough*

Spoiler

A few posts above you.

Cool, thanks! Forgot to ask in the first post - which would I see a bigger gain from? Say, a 7950 vs an i5/7. From the can you run it website, some games say my 5850 is below the recommended specs, but I've also read from the 7900-line card thread that my X4 955 is the bottleneck with better video cards.

It also depends on what types of games you play primarily. Your CPU will bottleneck games like Starcraft, Skyrim (somewhat), and emulators. Your GPU will be the primary bottleneck with titles like AVP, for instance, and most other games.

BTW, if it isn't already, your CPU really should be overclocked. Look here.

 

[border]

XPS8300 - $501 (after shipping and sales tax)
i5-2300 @ 2.8 Ghz
6GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333Mhz
1TB SATA II hard drive

I finally pulled the trigger on a Dell Refurbished System. It was about $30 more than I wanted to pay, but I was getting tired of having to constantly watch their Outlet Site because of how quickly inventory there revolves. I felt like a did a pretty good job, as compared to the $500 Standard PC build in the OP. It's got 2GB less RAM and doesn't come with a videocard like the OP's build. On the plus side though it's got an i5 instead of an i3, and comes with a warranty and Windows license (a savings of like $100 I believe).

Can someone recommend a decent videocard for me to drop in this? My only requirement is that is should be less than $150 and it should work with the XPS's 460W power supply. I have a preference for nVidia, but if ATI/AMD have much better bang for the buck then I have no problem going with them.

 

[Celcius]

Looks like newegg is selling the 3GB evga GTX 580 classified for $550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130751 (clocked at 900/4212)
Would you guys still recommend the 7970 over this?

 

[Smokey]

Looks like newegg is selling the 3GB evga GTX 580 classified for $550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130751 (clocked at 900/4212)
Would you guys still recommend the 7970 over this?

Yes.

 

[scogoth]

Looks like newegg is selling the 3GB evga GTX 580 classified for $550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130751 (clocked at 900/4212)
Would you guys still recommend the 7970 over this?

Performance wise yes. Price wise yes. I hate AMD cards drivers personally

Also SLI seems to perform much better than Crossfire with high end cards. Crossfire has some serious microstutter.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Worried about a fan and maybe some temps on a new Dell.

If I maximize and minimize World of Warcraft back and forth I can get a fan to start and stop and it sounds very loud. It's coming out of the smallest vent to the right of the touch pad.

CPUID Hardware Monitor says:

Dell Inc. 0FRk44
TZ00 75 C
TZ01 75 C

Core #0: 69C
Core #1: 67C

I have a i5-2430M and GeForce® GT 525M (128-bit) 1GB.

How can I look at RPM of each?

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Worried about a fan and maybe some temps on a new Dell.

If I maximize and minimize World of Warcraft back and forth I can get a fan to start and stop and it sounds very loud. It's coming out of the smallest vent to the right of the touch pad.

CPUID Hardware Monitor says:

Dell Inc. 0FRk44
TZ00 75 C
TZ01 75 C

Core #0: 69C
Core #1: 67C

I have a i5-2430M and GeForce® GT 525M (128-bit) 1GB.

How can I look at RPM of each?

SpeedFan should work.

 

[Hazaro]

Oh yeah, look what just showed up on my doorstep...

3 GTX 570 2.56 GB cards. Aw yeah. Already popped one in, OC'd it, and stress-tested it. Time for some Battlefield 3 to see if it performs any better than a 1.28 GB VRAM one (doubt it, since I didn't hit VRAM limits with the 1.28).

Wow that packaging is awful. The 260 I had was very nice from PNY.

I have extra money that didn't go into gifts/Steam sales during the holidays and was thinking about upgrading my rig. I'm currently on a Phenom II X4 955 and a 5850, but the thing is I won't have the funds to buy a new mobo+cpu+gpu in one go. Would it be wiser to just wait until I can, or would it be fine upgrading my mobo+cpu or gpu, then the other component(s) at a later date? I've been reading that the new cards won't go on sale in a long time anyway, so I thought it'd be fine to stagger-upgrade.

Just OC and wait it out.

Hey guys! Building a pc for gaming and 3d modeling, and this thread has been immensely helpful. Sticking pretty much to Haz's Enthusiast build, but had a few questions and wanted to make sure everything was compatible with the case I've selected.

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K

Motherboard: Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 LGA 1155 Motherboards P8Z68-V/GEN3

RAM: Corsair 16 GB Vengeance Blue Low Profile 1600mhz PC3-12800 240-pin Dual Channel DDR3

Graphics: Sapphire Radeon 7970

Storage: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB

Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 850W ATX12V
--- Is 850 watts enough for everything?

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D

Optical Drive: Asus OEM DRW-24B1ST

Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

Sound Card: None?
--- Will the onboard sound of the motherboard and/or 9770 be decent enough? I'm not really an audiophile and will mostly use headphones.

SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2
--- Just noticed the warning in the OP - I'll probably wait til the 16th to see if the fix is released or go with the Intel 320 instead.

UPS: CyberPower CP1000PFCLCD UPS 1000VA 600W PFC Compatible Pure Sine Wave
--- Kinda paranoid about what sort of surge protector I should use; do i need to go for pure sine wave? Does it really matter?

Thanks for any help!

Xonar DG. Looks good. M4 issue is a 5000 hour deal, should be fixed before you have problems. UPS no clue. Your system will draw 450W max load at stock. No problems. AX850 can be overdrawn and is a very good supply.

What is a fair price to sell my Foxconn 8800 GTS 640mb for to a friend?

Hmm. Friend? $20.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

SpeedFan should work.

None show up. Laptop thing?

 

[Hazaro]

Intel has some utility that should work iirc? I forget the name.
Laptop sensors and such are spotty for reading.

I wouldn't worry about temps in a laptop anyway. Just blow it out.
Replace thermal paste if you know what to do.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Wow that packaging is awful. The 260 I had was very nice from PNY.

Look again. They're EVGA's. My friend just sent them to me in PNY boxes, lol. I sold two of them today to a friend and kept one for myself... tested all three, found one that hits 962/2220 overclocks stable. Very, very nice.

None show up. Laptop thing?

Yeah, laptop thing. Can't remember what I used for my Asus + Alienware laptops. They all had Core i5's and i7's.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Intel has some utility that should work iirc? I forget the name.
Laptop sensors and such are spotty for reading.

I wouldn't worry about temps in a laptop anyway. Just blow it out.
Replace thermal paste if you know what to do.

Well that fan sound real loud and annoying.

Wanting to figure out what fan it is. It's the smallest vent on the bottom right next to a larger vent under the touch pad.

(Tho, the side vent cuts on eventually and drowns it out, so I guess I could ignore it.)

 

[Hazaro]

Look again. They're EVGA's. My friend just sent them to me in PNY boxes, lol. I sold two of them today to a friend and kept one for myself... tested all three, found one that hits 962/2220 overclocks stable. Very, very nice.

Cards looked like eVGA models to me, but I made out PNY on the boxes.
Oh well.

Well that fan sound real loud and annoying.

Wanting to figure out what fan it is. It's the smallest vent on the bottom right next to a larger vent under the touch pad.

(Tho, the side vent cuts on eventually and drowns it out, so I guess I could ignore it.)

Just get a duster and blow it out.

 

[Toma]

Want to ask something quite important which might be leading me to press charges against the company in question and inform several PC magazines/websites and consumer protection.

*pushes myself to next page*