New gaming PC list

[zeppelin04]

I have decided to start a parts list for a new gaming pc. I noted in an other thread that my hopes as of now are to play morrowind with graphics mods as well as skyrim and BF3. My hope is to play these on high settings. If I am spending a considerable amount to build would rather reach this goal than save $100 and not.

Here is what I have so far. Was hoping to get opinions on the parts and make sure it is all compatable.

Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H

CPU:
Intel Core i5-3570

GPU:
Radeon HD 7870 (not sure on brand yet)

SSD:
Crucial M4 128 GB SSD

HDD:
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HHD 64mb Cache

RAM:
Kingston HyperX XMP Blu Red Series 8GB (2x4gb)

Case:
Corsair 400R

Still need to add a PSU and DVD drive.

Couple of questions as I put this together.

How many watts do I need from a PSU to run this? Any recommendations?

I like what I read about the 7870, but wouldn't mind saving a few dollars. Would dropping down to the 7850 affect graphics much?

Does anyone see any spots I could shave a few dollars from without affecting quality and performance?

 

[Kirtus]

you could go with the i5 2500k and go to the 7850 and sacrifice a small amount of performance at stock, and you would probably want arounda 600-650w psu

you could also save another $20 getting a different gigabyte board that doesn't have PCI Express 3.0, you will only lose like a couple fps from your graphics card if anything

and some more money getting a cheaper case like this if you want corsair but theres lots of other cheaper ones, without usb 3.0 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139018

idk though you still don't save much... but you would still be able to run them both on high

 

[spirit]

Everything you got looks pretty good. Don't go for a 2500K and a PCI Express 2.0 board now, you're getting a 7870, may as well make use of PCI Express 3.0.

The 2500K is yesterday's news, you may as well get an i5 3570K now, just in case you want to overclock in the future.

Power supply wise, a Corsair CX 600 will be fine for a 7870.

 

[iEvo]

The 2500K is yesterday's news, you may as well get an i5 3570K now, just in case you want to overclock in the future.

If he wants to overclock, he's going to be better with the i5-2500k, it has more overclocking potential. Also, overclocking an i5-2500k can eliminate the small performance advantage the i5-3570k has.

I don't understand why everyone always picks the i5-3570k. It has a slight better performance than the i5-2500k, but the i5-2500k is not only cheaper, but can be overclocked to easily outperform the i5-3570k.

Cheaper, and in my opinion, better. I don't see why you wouldn't get it.

 

[wolfeking]

Cheaper, and in my opinion, better. I don't see why you wouldn't get it.

Your opinion does not take into account IPC performance. a 3570k @ 4.5GHZ is performance wise the same as a 4.7GHz 2500k. The 3570k also performs better than the 2500k in multithreading applications, and has USB3 and PCIe 3.0 enabled natively.

And the price difference is little to none. $10 is well worth the extra tech and IPC performance.

 

[spirit]

I have a 2500K, awesome processor, but you may as well just get a 3570K now. 3570K works better with the Z77 boards and allows for features such as PCI Express 3.0 and native USB 3.0 support.

The 3570K is a good overclocker too. It just runs a tiny bit hotter than a 2500K.

 

[zeppelin04]

Thanks for the input. Ended up getting the parts listed. Added a corsair TX Series 650 W PSU. Picked up a wireless adapter, thermal paste, and some extra SATA cables. Also added skyrim, an LCD monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Didn't like seeing the ending bill, but am sure to enjoy it once it is set up.

 

[iEvo]

Your opinion does not take into account IPC performance. a 3570k @ 4.5GHZ is performance wise the same as a 4.7GHz 2500k. The 3570k also performs better than the 2500k in multithreading applications, and has USB3 and PCIe 3.0 enabled natively.

And the price difference is little to none. $10 is well worth the extra tech and IPC performance.

The price difference is not always $10, I've seen a lot being sold for $40 a difference from some places. That's exactly why I've not got one.

I didn't only get the i5-2500k because it was cheaper, it was also because I wanted to overclock, which the i5-2500k is much better for. It can overclock higher and it runs much cooler than the Ivy Bridge.

Anyway, I was just saying that the i5-2500k is better at overclocking than the 3570k.

 

[wolfeking]

The price difference is not always $10, I've seen a lot being sold for $40 a difference from some places. That's exactly why I've not got one.

Buy from reputable sources and you will get a better deal. At release the 3570k was $20 more, and for the last few months it has been constant on $10 more.

It can overclock higher and it runs much cooler than the Ivy Bridge.

You are putting all of your argument on the pure GHz speed, which is retarded. The 3570k can regularly hit 4.5GHz with mediocre cooling (like the 212+/evo). That is the power of a 4.7GHz 2500k, which is common also.

Get some half decent cooling and both can hot upwards of 4.8 to 5GHz, and GHz for GHz the 3570k will trounce the 2500k each time, while having a better memory controller, allowing for USB3 native, and having native PCIe 3.0.

Anyway, I was just saying that the i5-2500k is better at overclocking than the 3570k.

Quite simply incorrect. With the same cooling, on average you are looking at 3-5* difference. It is also easier to hit the same speeds resulting in more power. The 2500k is old news, and has no place in todays computers. No more than anyone should build now with a i7-920 or a Q9550, or a Pentium D. Tech moves forward, and you should too.

 

[spirit]

I don't get why you'd get a 2500K now when you can get the 3570K. As said above, the 3570K is still a great overclocker and it introduces a few nice features. PCI Express 3.0 is great for the newer cards (Kepler and Southern Islands) and the newer boards released for Ivy-Bridge.

Anyway, this argument is dead now, the OP has said he has already bought everything.