Coming over from laptop gaming, need advice!

[SemiGamer]

I would stay away from Asus Z77 boards. A lot of mixed reviews with their Bios Look at the MSI Z77 GD55 od MSI Z77 GD65. They both overclock great and I tested both boards plus Tested the P8Z77 boards. Go with MSI and save a few bucks. The MSI GD65 overclocked my 2600K to 5,2GHz and Asus boards wouldn't get that high.

This one?
MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U...
Whats everyone elses take on this?

To be honest I can't answer that one too well. As a college student, $370 is a bit above my usual GPU budget

I would actually consider the HD7970 if you're thinking of adding a second GPU later--apparently Crossfire scaling w/ two HD7970s is supposed to be a good bit better than SLI scaling w/ two GTX670s/GTX680s (see W1zzard's reviews).

Ah I see, and yeah I'm never going back to Crossfire again lol. My m18xR2 was bought with two 7970m's and after all the bullcrap from AMD drivers and compatibility with the games I play I just sold off one of the cards and stuck with single 7970m since I was running corssfire off most of the time anyway. Decided when I go dual cards it'll always be nVidia now. Lol

 

[[Ion]]

Fair enough. I've been quite happy with two GTX470s in SLI--while I could try Crossfiring my HD7930 and HD7950, I haven't gotten around to it because quite frankly I don't see a need to do so. In that case, I think a GTX670 is a very solid choice

 

[MxPhenom 216]

To be honest I can't answer that one too well. As a college student, $370 is a bit above my usual GPU budget

I would actually consider the HD7970 if you're thinking of adding a second GPU later--apparently Crossfire scaling w/ two HD7970s is supposed to be a good bit better than SLI scaling w/ two GTX670s/GTX680s (see W1zzard's reviews).

Well right now crossfire is broken. Doesn't really scale at all.

 

[SemiGamer]

So I guess everythings pretty set in stone except the Mobo, Should I with that MSI that was mentioned or stick with the gigabyte?
Heres the two in comparison to save you guys some trouble:
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...

I'm thinkin' maybe go with the MSI and use the $40 to go with the 3770k instead of 3770?
Sound smart or bad choice?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

So I guess everythings pretty set in stone except the Mobo, Should I with that MSI that was mentioned or stick with the gigabyte?

MSi makes pretty decent boards now-a-days. My neighbor has the P67 GD65 and its been very solid. Honestly you cant go wrong with either board. Gigabyte or MSi. Which ever one is cheaper I guess?

So I guess everythings pretty set in stone except the Mobo, Should I with that MSI that was mentioned or stick with the gigabyte?
Heres the two in comparison to save you guys some trouble:
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...

I'm thinkin' maybe go with the MSI and use the $40 to go with the 3770k instead of 3770?
Sound smart or bad choice?

Good choice. I was actually thinking that as well.

 

[SemiGamer]

MSi makes pretty decent boards now-a-days. My neighbor has the P67 GD65 and its been very solid. Honestly you cant go wrong with either board. Gigabyte or MSi. Which ever one is cheaper I guess?



Good choice. I was actually thinking that as well.

Alright, final shopping cart on newegg

Now a lot of times I see people saying they got some free stuff from newegg for building their PC through them, how do I do that?

 

[[Ion]]

Occasionally they have promotions--last week, they had one where if you bought a motherboard from a certain list you got 8GB of RAM free. Not so bad

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Alright, final shopping cart on newegg
http://i49.tinypic.com/2zdr708.png

Now a lot of times I see people saying they got some free stuff from newegg for building their PC through them, how do I do that?

Good build. Order now!

 

[SemiGamer]

Good build. Order now!

Workin on it

You guys never did give me an answer on the case I chose over at xocide though lol
http://www.xoxide.com/aerocool-strike-xgtblackedition-midtowercase.html
Is it good enough for the components I'm getting?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Workin on it

You guys never did give me an answer on the case I chose over at xocide though lol
http://www.xoxide.com/aerocool-strike-xgtblackedition-midtowercase.html
Is it good enough for the components I'm getting?

Its decent, im not a fan of the looks of it, buts a cases are personal preference. Are you set on that case, because there are a lot of other good options that fit the whole gamer look on newegg.

EDIT: Such as this guy.

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS ...

 

[SemiGamer]

Its decent, im not a fan of the looks of it, buts a cases are personal preference. Are you set on that case, because there are a lot of other good options that fit the whole gamer look on newegg.

Nah I'm not set on the case at all.
What caught my eye was the low price of it for the decent looks it has.
If you know of a better one around the price, by all means do show me.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Nah I'm not set on the case at all.
What caught my eye was the low price of it for the decent looks it has.
If you know of a better one around the price, by all means do show me.

posted a link above ^^^

but here it is again

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS ...

And if you want a more subtle case.

Bitfenix makes a good one.

BitFenix Shinobi Window Black Steel / Plastic ATX ...

And this is a popular case but a bit more expensive.

NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-G1 Gunmetal Steel / Plas...

 

[SemiGamer]

posted a link above ^^^

but here it is again

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS ...

And if you want a more subtle case.

Bitfenix makes a good one.

BitFenix Shinobi Window Black Steel / Plastic ATX ...

And this is a popular case but a bit more expensive.

NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-G1 Gunmetal Steel / Plas...

Hmmm the price of the first one interests me.
I am kinda looking for some flashy lights though.. (Laptop is an alienware, love my lights LOL)
Any recommendations with nice lighting?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Hmmm the price of the first one interests me.
I am kinda looking for some flashy lights though.. (Laptop is an alienware, love my lights LOL)
Any recommendations with nice lighting?

Im pretty sure the 912 has front fan that's LED lit with red LEDs.

 

[SemiGamer]

Im pretty sure the 912 has front fan that's LED lit with red LEDs.

Ah, I was searching some of the brands you listed and came across this one from NZXT:
NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel...
Its got some style to it but not overly lit, and the price is decent.
But what about the internals? Is it as good as the others at all?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Ah, I was searching some of the brands you listed and came across this one from NZXT:
NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel...
Its got some style to it but not overly lit, and the price is decent.
But what about the internals? Is it as good as the others at all?

That looks good. Not much of a fan of cases with lights, ive grown out of that phase haha, but like I said. Cases are personal preference. Reason I said check newegg for cases is so you can buy your stuff all in one order install of having to waste paying shipping for 2 orders from 2 separate places haha.

 

[boogerlad]

I dunno, but if I were you I would wait until the next generation of graphic cards. By getting a 7970 or a 680, you get a 30% boost at most.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

I dunno, but if I were you I would wait until the next generation of graphic cards. By getting a 7970 or a 680, you get a 30% boost at most.

Depends on if he wants to wait. What he has listed is better then his laptop, which is what he was worried about originally.

Next gen from AMD and Nvidia wont be here till Q4 this year, and then at the latest Q1 2014.

EDIT: 30% boost? This rig will crush his laptop. Even if it is a 30% boost its no slouch. These days we feel lucky to even get a 30% boost generation to generation when it comes to GPUs.

 

[drdeathx]

Workin on it

You guys never did give me an answer on the case I chose over at xocide though lol
http://www.xoxide.com/aerocool-strike-xgtblackedition-midtowercase.html
Is it good enough for the components I'm getting?

You will love the MSI Z77 GD65 BTW

 

[Huddo93]

Ah, I was searching some of the brands you listed and came across this one from NZXT:
NZXT Guardian 921 RB 921RB-001-BL Black SECC steel...
Its got some style to it but not overly lit, and the price is decent.
But what about the internals? Is it as good as the others at all?

I'm not to sure how long your looking to keep your case, but if your looking for a case to keep for the long haul, possibly look at something a little more pricey. I bought a cheap case, coolermaster storm scout, it was okay for a while but I soon became very annoyed with it, as it had basically no room for cable management, or space to add additional graphics cards or large coolers. If your looking to get your computer looking clean and crisp on the inside maybe look for something around the $150-170 price point. NZXT (Phantom/Switch Series), Corsair (D Series) and Fractal Design (If your into a clean/sleek design) have some really good cases around that price point. With the difference in build quality and the features (cable managment, internal space, room for radiators for water coolers and metal instead of plastic) that come with the more expensive cases it is most definitely worth it if your looking to keep your case for the long haul. I bought a Corsair 650D (around $200 when I bought it) and it has been worth every dollar so far! and if your looking at lighting, LED strips are great and easy to use for lighting up the inside of any case if your looking to show off your internals!

Edit:
Added a few links to cases

NZXT Examples:
http://www.xoxide.com/nzxt-phantom-630-modular-ultra-full-tower-case-white.html
http://www.xoxide.com/nzxt-810ftcase-white.html

Corsair Examples:
Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1) Black Ste...
Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White Steel AT...

Fractal Design Examples:
Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey...
Fractal Design Define XL R2 FD-CA-DEF-XL-R2-TI Tit...

If you are strictly buying a case from Xoxide, then definitly look at the NZXT cases I linked, they are personally my favourites for looks and features out of there series for that price range. If anyone has a different opinion please let me know! but these cases are my personal favorites when it comes to build quality and internal and external features.

 

[SemiGamer]

I'm not to sure how long your looking to keep your case, but if your looking for a case to keep for the long haul, possibly look at something a little more pricey. I bought a cheap case, coolermaster storm scout, it was okay for a while but I soon became very annoyed with it, as it had basically no room for cable management, or space to add additional graphics cards or large coolers. If your looking to get your computer looking clean and crisp on the inside maybe look for something around the $150-170 price point. NZXT (Phantom/Switch Series), Corsair (D Series) and Fractal Design (If your into a clean/sleek design) have some really good cases around that price point. With the difference in build quality and the features (cable managment, internal space, room for radiators for water coolers and metal instead of plastic) that come with the more expensive cases it is most definitely worth it if your looking to keep your case for the long haul. I bought a Corsair 650D (around $200 when I bought it) and it has been worth every dollar so far! and if your looking at lighting, LED strips are great and easy to use for lighting up the inside of any case if your looking to show off your internals!

Edit:
Added a few links to cases

NZXT Examples:
http://www.xoxide.com/nzxt-phantom-630-modular-ultra-full-tower-case-white.html
http://www.xoxide.com/nzxt-810ftcase-white.html

Corsair Examples:
Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1) Black Ste...
Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White Steel AT...

Fractal Design Examples:
Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey...
Fractal Design Define XL R2 FD-CA-DEF-XL-R2-TI Tit...

If you are strictly buying a case from Xoxide, then definitly look at the NZXT cases I linked, they are personally my favourites for looks and features out of there series for that price range. If anyone has a different opinion please let me know! but these cases are my personal favorites when it comes to build quality and internal and external features.

Thank you a bunch for all the time you took for that post!
Unfortunately I hate white

I was looking at reviews for the 912 that Phenom posted and the 922 lored me in
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN3-GP Black Steel ...
If you look at the reviews, the bubbled side panel is for wire management and such, I think its a pretty solid choice for a few years?
Review here: Cooler Master HAF 922 Case Unboxing & First Look L...

EDIT: Grrr you guys lol
Would this one be worth the extra $30? I rather just get a decent case now instead of regretting skimping on $30 later if its a lot better.
COOLER MASTER HAF XM RC-922XM-KKN1 Latch Side Pane...
I also like the all black paint job, the silver on the instead of the 922 just looks bad to me..

 

[Huddo93]

Thank you a bunch for all the time you took for that post!
Unfortunately I hate white

I was looking at reviews for the 912 that Phenom posted and the 922 lored me in
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN3-GP Black Steel ...
If you look at the reviews, the bubbled side panel is for wire management and such, I think its a pretty solid choice for a few years?
Review here: Cooler Master HAF 922 Case Unboxing & First Look L...

Most of the cases I linked come in a variety of colours the HAF series is okay, I just find them a bit to plasticy (my problem when it comes to build quality). But for a starting case I am sure it will be fine. In a year or two I think you'll probably want a upgrade, the tech cravings will get you! I get an urge to buy something new every 2-4 months Next on my list is a mechanical keyboard!.. Anyways, goodluck with your build! and Happy gaming!

 

[[Ion]]

I was going to suggest the Cooler Master RC-692, but in the three weeks since I purchased it, apparently Newegg has decided to discontinue it. A great shame IMO--it looks great and has a good deal of space inside. Cable management and airflow are both very solid

 

[SemiGamer]

Lol dammit I didn't think case choosing would be so hard!
Currently I'm standing on this one:
COOLER MASTER CM Storm Series Trooper (SGC-5000-KK...
But I've still got a few more days to wait (waiting for tax check to come!) so I'm sure my mind will change by than <.<
Any thoughts on that case ?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Lol dammit I didn't think case choosing would be so hard!
Currently I'm standing on this one:
COOLER MASTER CM Storm Series Trooper (SGC-5000-KK...
But I've still got a few more days to wait (waiting for tax check to come!) so I'm sure my mind will change by than <.<
Any thoughts on that case ?

Its a good case. Really big though. You might be surprised haha.

I like this case a bit more.

COOLER MASTER HAF XM RC-922XM-KKN1 Latch Side Pane...