Maximum PC

Its been so long since I built a PC it may as well be my first time. I've waited a long time to upgrade from my current desktop and want to future proof this build as much as possible. I'll be using it for more than just gaming: Photoshop CS5, Handbrake video encoding, watching HD streaming video and gaming such as Civ V and Shogun 2. I snagged the Ivy bridge i7-3770k when they went on sale last Monday so that purchase is a done deal. I intend to OC but am aware of the heat issues with IB and will keep the OC within recommended tolerances. Since I have not played around with overclocking before, I was leaning towards a mobo that makes that task as simple as possible.
I particularly am in need of help selecting a case (mid tower vs full), SSD (best brand and size), and need feedback on the Mobo I picked. Not sure if I should go with the ASUS P8Z77-deluxe or the Intel DZ77GA70k. If I overclock the CPU to 4.5 GHZ, should I get faster ram such as DDR3-1866 or above rather than the usual 1600? And last, whether I'd be better off getting a Radeon HD 7970 rather than the GTX 680 GPU given keplar performance boost vs added cost. I'll be using my current monitor, keyboard and mouse.
I don't want to waste money but price is not my primary concern. Instead I want value for my money and to future proof the build so this rig lasts several years.

My parts pick so far: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7Bob

CPU Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Motherboard Intel DZ77GA70K ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Hard Drive Corsair Force Series GT 180GB 2.5" SSD and
Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card
Case Fractal Design Define XL Titanium Grey ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)

I expect you gurus can help a newbie like me get the most bang for my buck and make sure the parts I've selected are compatible.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($354.48 @ eCost)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ CompUSA)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card ($507.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define XL Titanium Grey ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.23 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2078.17
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-05 09:12 EDT-0400)


So as you can see by this build I replace a few things of yours. #1 was the cooler. The Corsair H80 will cool overclocking much better than the hyper 212. #2 is the Intel motherboard. Complete waste of money. I swapped it out for the Asus Pro board and just look at all the additions you get for the same price as the Intel.......onboard wifi, easier overclocking, top quality parts, etc,etc. Now i don't suggest you upgrade and go for the Deluxe Asus board as I only really see it adding bluetooth capability but feel free to research deeper between those two boards before you pull the trigger.

I swapped the memory which I don't have much validation for other then they are quicker CAS8 modules and they are listed on Asus's website as being qualified to run on the Asus Pro board. Next I questioned the expensive SSD. You really only need about 15 GB to cover the Win7 OS and standard apps (such as microsoft office, flash, adobe reader, antivirus,java, itunes) which will leave you with another 40-45GB of space if you lower and get a 60GB SSD. I'd then store all my data and massive games on a secondary Data drive (non ssd) upwards of a 1TB size. I did drop you to a 120GB SSD though, instead of lowly 60GB (which i think you can still get away with) and this SSD is from Intel which is known to be the most reliable, long lasting SSDs in the business (with Samsung being the second most reliable) to show you the price differences compared to what you had but I'm not 100% familiar with your justifications for wanting such a big SSD and even a 3TB data drive.

The Case looks fine. I always worry about those silent cases and how good they truly are with airflow and keeping things cool but I'm not going to remove that just on my bias and worries with no true data to back it up so as long as you like the case. The power supply i upgraded you to the Gold Series for only 20 dollars more which i believe is worth it in terms of its efficiency and longevity.


Now others might have better suggestions for the CPU cooler and memory but I guarantee the other parts i choose for you are top notch to get you the future proofing you want and the easy overclocking especially the Asus Pro board, power supply, and Intel SSD.

Masterchi, Thanks for the feedback. That was exactly the help I was looking for. I have one question just as a matter of my own lack of experience in building desktops. Is there an advantage to filling all the memory slots by getting 4 sticks instead of 2 for the same 16GB of Ram? I just don't know enough about it to understand the choice. One more question I could use your help with. The GTX-680 selections are slim. Newegg is out of stock and at Amazon, they're prices are $600-$679 for the same card that Newegg is selling for $507 (but are unavailable). The Radeon 7970 can be had for $479- $200 less than the price for the 680's you can actually find and buy. If I could find a Evga 680 for $507 I'd jump on it but would it make more sense to go with the HD-7970 and forget about the added benefit of Keplar (not sure how significant it is over the 7970) or wait for the GTX 680 to show up in stock. I'm somewhat impatient and would like to move on the build but could wait for the 680 supply to improve if the performance boost warranted the wait.

680 is brand new and kind of like the 3770k processors.....if you wanted it you should have scooped it up on release date otherwise you'll have to wait for restocking. I would comfortably say that restocking should be completed and ready for you to pick up in June but it might be another quick sellout so.......

From looking at some reviews i see that the 7970 you mention is close to the benchmarks of the 680, and by close i mean no more than 20-30 FPS behind it. The 7970 is your best bet if you don't want to wait as i'd put it as the second best card out there now and that will last you many many years. Now either of these cards draw about 350-400 watts under full load so ensure you get the gold series 850watt power supply, anything less and i'd be worried of power fluctuations. The gold series is 90% efficient so it should run perfectly with that card and some decent overclocking (though i honestly don't think its necessary on the beast that is 3770K...i got one too )

As for your question about memory slots. Currently the max anyone needs (even for games) is 8GB as most games only can load a max of about 4GB into memory. With 16GB you should be well future proofed for 5-7 years if not longer. I would gladly say stick with all 4 slots filled. Also, the fastest 8 GB modules are CAS 9 or 10 and they are just as or more expensive then the CAS 8 sticks i recommended.

BTW.... Radeon 7970 suggested purchase as XFX is a good brand

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to wait and see if the GTX 680 becomes available in the next few weeks . If not, I'll pull the trigger and go with the 7970.