last minute questions

[Starik]

You guys helped me pick the parts for my first build. I ordered everything last night. Here they are:

Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D Full Tower
CPU: i5-3570K
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
Video Card: GIGABYTE GTX 670
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8 GB (2x4GB)
SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M - 1000W
DVD Burner: Asus 24xDVD-RW
Monitor: Asus VW246H 24-Inch LCD
Mouse: Logitech G9X
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

I still have a few questions (mostly about the case) that I hope to get answered before my parts arrive.

First, cables. With this case, the front USB ports are not 3.0. Is this important? If it is, what kind of adapter(s) will I need? Also, on "Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build" (on youtube) around the 37:00 minute mark, Paul mentions needing a Molex to SATA adapter. Am I going to need one of those? And my monitor doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Will I be needing of of those, or should I use a DVI connection? Are there any other cables or adapters that I haven't mentioned that I will need to order?


Second, cooling. After reading some reviews of Corsair case, it sounds like it was meant more for water cooling, but I want to do it with fans for now. I'm willing to buy more fans and even replace all of the ones that come with the case, if it will help. How many and what sizes will I need? Should I connect them to the motherboard, the fan controller on the case, or directly to the PSU? Also, how should I orient them? I assume the air should go in through the front and PSU, and out the top and back.


Lastly, what security software should I get? Will Microsoft Security Essentials suffice? Do I need anti-virus and anti-malware?


I know that's more than a few questions. Thanks in advance to anyone who answers any of them and/or makes other suggestions.

 

[Cyalume]

I'd like to recommend Avira Antivir Personal; Its a great free antivirus program. Personally, I would use a DVI connection. If you already have the means to connect via DVI, it isn't worth going out of the way to get HDMI, and dual-link DVI surpasses HDMI from my understanding.

Orienting the fans: Use front fans and side fans for air intake, back fan and top fans for air exhaust.


Your case should specify what types of fans are accepted into its slots. 120mm and 140mm are the most common varieties.

 

[johnb35]

I can answer most of your questions.

Usb 3.0 really isn't needed. Many usb devices aren't even 3.0 compatible. You'll find 3.0 flash drives, external drives but thats about it.

You went way overkill on the power supply. The only time you need a molex to sata adapter is when you run out of sata power cables. You shouldn't have that issue.

Use the DVI cable for your monitor.

You can use either AVAST or MSE for your virus protection but I would also download and install the free version of Malwarebytes and scan your system every few days to make sure your system is clean of malware. Some cases are water cooling compatible but doesn't mean you have to use it. My coolermaster 912 is water cooling compatible but I use fans only.