Help needed in choosing a motherboard and a case for a gaming rig

K

Kikka

New Member
Hi ya'll fellow geeks (though I don't believe I qualify as one),

I'm building my first gaming PC and assembling it from "second best" components in the market to attain quality/price efficiency. After extensive research, I've come up with the following configuration:

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX560 Ti AMP 1 GB
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K 3,3 GHz LGA1155
Power Supply: Corsair TX850W V2 Enthusiast
RAM: Kingston HyperX Genesis KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX 8GB (2x4GB) 1600MHz DDR3 CL9 XMP
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222AB
Motherboard: ???
Case: ???

I'm at loss trying to choose the motherboard and the case and invite you to give your suggestions. Make sure to explain your reasons too.

I'm also happy to receive critique for the components already in that list.

Thanks in advance!

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Additional information

Peripherals:
Mouse: Logitech G700
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard
Speakers: Logitech Z523 2.1
Monitor: ???

-My total budget including monitor, mouse, keyboard and speakers is 1500 euros. That means that about 1000 euros is left for the PC components themselves. That leaves about 250 euros for case+motherboard.
-I'm going to use Windows 7 64-bit.
-I live in Finland.
 
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Mobo - Z68 mobo, something support x8/x8 dual video card
I would say go for mid-range like Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P/ Asus P8Z68-V

I am not sure which part of europe you are coming from, They are around £130. Probably 150 euro

case - with £85, you can have a look at these
HAF 922
Corsair Carbide Series 400R
Xigmatek Pantheon

If you want something with clean finish, Fractal Design R3
 
daisymtc said:
Mobo - Z68 mobo, something support x8/x8 dual video card
I would say go for mid-range like Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P/ Asus P8Z68-V

I am not sure which part of europe you are coming from, They are around £130. Probably 150 euro

case - with £85, you can have a look at these
HAF 922
Corsair Carbide Series 400R
Xigmatek Pantheon

If you want something with clean finish, Fractal Design R3
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Asus P8Z68-V also supports i7. Is that overkill if I'm using the said i5 processor?

What do you think about CM 690 II Advanced?

Thanks for your answer!
 
all p67 and z68's support the i7, that doesn't matter thow, costs the same anyways but you will want one of those 2 chipsets, no h's, and as for your list, unless getting 2 of the 560ti then that psu is a complete waste, get a corsair cx600 is prob the best bet, also a samsung f3 1tb, barely slower and good chunk cheaper, if it is carried wherever you are buying from. and i agree with their choices for the mobo and case, although i would like to suggest spending the extra few bucks for the coolermaster haf 932, it is an atx full tower where the 922 is a mid tower, meaning the 932 is larger meaning better airflow, more room, better looks in my opinion, and it will be a little easier to setup eveything in there. and you can also look at some of the rosewill scouts i think, they are pretty good too, but all these we have said are great looking and have great cable management too.
 
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also you probably shouldnt get a razer keyboard, i have heard anything razer breaks fast and they have the worst customer support ever, sometimes waiting weeks for even a reply. as for case, its more personal preference, but imo get a full tower with good cable managment and your good, and i see you have already been recommended a good mobo, and also i see you put '???' next to monitor, if you havent chose that yet, just grab an lcd 1920×1080 resolution
 
jonnyp11 said:
all p67 and z68's support the i7, that doesn't matter thow, costs the same anyways but you will want one of those 2 chipsets, no h's, and as for your list, unless getting 2 of the 560ti then that psu is a complete waste, get a corsair cx600 is prob the best bet, also a samsung f3 1tb, barely slower and good chunk cheaper, if it is carried wherever you are buying from. and i agree with their choices for the mobo and case, although i would like to suggest spending the extra few bucks for the coolermaster haf 932, it is an atx full tower where the 922 is a mid tower, meaning the 932 is larger meaning better airflow, more room, better looks in my opinion, and it will be a little easier to setup eveything in there. and you can also look at some of the rosewill scouts i think, they are pretty good too, but all these we have said are great looking and have great cable management too.
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Thanks jonny for the advice! What do you mean by "no h's"? Actually I was planning to add another 560ti after couple of years if it indeed doubles the efficiency. Does it?

Would you really suggest HAF 922 over CM 690 II advanced?

ixiboneheadixi said:
also you probably shouldnt get a razer keyboard, i have heard anything razer breaks fast and they have the worst customer support ever, sometimes waiting weeks for even a reply. as for case, its more personal preference, but imo get a full tower with good cable managment and your good, and i see you have already been recommended a good mobo, and also i see you put '???' next to monitor, if you havent chose that yet, just grab an lcd 1920×1080 resolution
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Thanks bonehead for the tip! I've also heard such things about razer lycosa but apparently the blackwidow is better. I'm using this page for reference. What keyboard would you suggest?

To be honest, a full tower is just too big to fit my students apartment, unless its considerably better than a medium size. Is it?

If I bought a 1920×1080 wouldn't it be waste to have a graphic card as good as 560ti (or HD6850/HD6870)?

What you guys think about changing the 560ti to HD6850 or HD6870?
 
i guess the 690 is fine, just not too fond of the look compard to the haf's.

and i don't get what you mean by "If I bought a 1920×1080 wouldn't it be waste to have a graphic card as good as 560ti (or HD6850/HD6870)?" that res would take more out of the 560ti, as in if you ran a game at like 1600x1200 v 1920x1080 or something like that, the 1920x1080 will have lower fps than the other because it is more information to process
 
jonnyp11 said:
i guess the 690 is fine, just not too fond of the look compard to the haf's.

and i don't get what you mean by "If I bought a 1920×1080 wouldn't it be waste to have a graphic card as good as 560ti (or HD6850/HD6870)?" that res would take more out of the 560ti, as in if you ran a game at like 1600x1200 v 1920x1080 or something like that, the 1920x1080 will have lower fps than the other because it is more information to process
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You're right. I somehow thought than when the GPU supports 2560 x 1600, its a waste to not reach that. Now I realize that there are few monitors that are over 1920x1080 .
 
and not to mention the price of the monitors that hit that res, but ev the 560ti prob wouldn't have a chance trying to play games like bf3 or skyrim and such on that res. but the cheapest newegg caries is 840 (+15shipping) for a 27" monitor, that's a rip off as far as i'm concerned.
 
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Kikka said:
That leaves about 250 euros for case+motherboard.
-I'm going to use Windows 7 64-bit.
-I live in Finland.
Click to expand...

What is that, about 350 bucks US?

GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 or GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P

and

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 or LIAN LI Lancool PC-K63 or NZXT TEMPEST EVO
 
ixiboneheadixi said:
also you probably shouldnt get a razer keyboard, i have heard anything razer breaks fast and they have the worst customer support ever, sometimes waiting weeks for even a reply. as for case, its more personal preference, but imo get a full tower with good cable managment and your good, and i see you have already been recommended a good mobo, and also i see you put '???' next to monitor, if you havent chose that yet, just grab an lcd 1920×1080 resolution
Click to expand...

I have had a Razer Tarantula that I got at best buy in the clearance section, and it has lasted me 2 years with no problems.

And get a 650w PSU with one card, and would go with a 750w if using dual cards. Anything more is overkill and would waste energy.
 
here's the mobo

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-336-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=1990

and for the case, i'm not a fan of the lian li's (do lovethe nzxt he said and almost all their other cases) so i'd say more something like this (also for the little extra would say to at least look at the haf x, amazing case)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-237-CM&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-185-CM&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-043-CS&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat= (there's also a black one, so if you don't want to clean it every once and a while get that one, but god you know that white looks amazing on this case)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-023-NX&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=

and the black corsair one has a combo with several of their psus and a water cooler if you want to look at those

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=701&catid=7&page=5#prodlist
 
i know they are great quality and functionality, but i don't really like their styling, just not my style, and you know you'd take a corsair 600t white over an equal one of theirs any day, and maybe a cooler master haf x too
 
jonnyp11 said:
and you know you'd take a corsair 600t white over an equal one of theirs any day, and maybe a cooler master haf x too
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Are your saying (you'd) as in me? If so, no way. The white 600T is a dirt/dust show up trap, and dont realy like cooler master cases, about equal to their power supplies. Pretty much so so. How many of each brand have you used?
 
i think you know the answer to that question, and fine then, the 600t non special edition, but you know other than the dirt the 600t white is one of the best looking cases out there, both classy and cool.
 
So your saying you have never had/bought/installed a Corsair or Cooler master case and your judging by a (photo).
 
No, i'm going by what i have seen on this forum where many of the main people on here recomend those 2 brands along with your fav lian li saying they have good cable management and looks too, well not so much looks on the lian li :P, i was just giving him some other options too, i never said there was anything wrong with the brand, i just said i was not a fan of their looks, and that to me these look better, and from everything i've heard these seem to be some of the best cases sense none of the other like mihir and others normally will put something like these and have never said to me hey, those aren't good brands or they have horrid cable management.

and what's up with your random parentheses around photo and something in our other argument was odd too
 
jonnyp11 said:
those aren't good brands or they have horrid cable management.
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Never said either of those statements. But some cooler masters do suck at cable management. As far as the Corsair. If someone wants to wipe there case off three times a day to keep it from looking like it was drug down a dirt road, thats up to them.
 
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jonnyp11 said:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-043-CS&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat= (there's also a black one, so if you don't want to clean it every once and a while get that one, but god you know that white looks amazing on this case)[/url]
Click to expand...

maybe someone should read more carefully :P

and for the other part, i know every brand has duds, but everyone seams to love the haf series, and they look great too, and the way your were speaking made it seem like you almost hated both, but upon rereading seems more like the hate/dislike/aggrevation was meant for something else :rolleyes:, hey, that's rude :P
 
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