Help! Choosing Mobo, Cabinet and PSU

I am looking to build a gaming rig myself and have zeroed in on or already procured the following components:
1. Processor - Intel Core i5-2400
2. Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
3. VideoCard - GIGABYTE GV-R687OC-1GD Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
4. SSD - Performance 3 Series P3-64 Solid-State Hard Drive
I have procured all of the components mentioned above except the processor itself and am open to suggestions to change the same.

Other requirements:
1. Usage - I plan on using this desktop for gaming and watching HD movies.
2. Future Upgrades - I also plan to include a second HD6870 card in a Crossfire setup 6-9 months down the line. Might also include an additional 8gb of memory after a year. Need at least 2 SATA 6.0 Gbps connectors.
3. Overclocks - Might overclock the memory. Will definitely not be overclocking the processor. Gigabyte gfx card is already overclocked. I might be overclocking the memory at around the same time.
4. Procurement - Motherboard can be got for me from a friend returning from the US. However, I have to get the cabinet and psu myself from Chennai or Bangalore.
5. Timeframe - Am looking to get the PC running as soon as possible.
6. Budget - Cheapest possible route given that it satisfies the above requirements. :smile:

So, need help in choosing a suitable motherboard, a cabinet and a psu. Need sufficient space and airflow in the cabinet (for 2 rather big gfx cards) and a sufficient overhead in the PSU for the planned upgrades. Must support the 3 or so fans that I plan to install.

The Intel Smart Response and the Lucid Virtu will mostly be unnecessary. Do you think the smart response option might be a viable alternative?

Another concern I had was whether I would need 2 PCIEx16 slots in my motherboard for the CrossfireX support or is it enough to have 1 PCIEx16 and 1 PCIEx8 (so that the crossfire setup would run at x8, x8)?

Would appreciate help as soon as possible (at least regarding the mobo as the aforementioned friend is leaving US within 7-10 days). I guess that about covers most of my requirements. Thanks for taking the time to go thru the rather long message.

fill this:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/pc-components-configurations/128247-pc-build-questionnaire-template.html

1. What is the purpose of the computer? (Note: If you are planning to say multimedia, you will have to be more specific as all types of systems are capable of doing that)
A: I plan on using this desktop for gaming and watching HD movies
2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: Yes.
3. What is your MAX budget?
A: N/A. Cheapest available option that fulfills all requirements whatever the price might be.
4. Planning to overclock?
A: No
5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: Windows 7
6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: None other than the capacity of the SSD mentioned in the above post
7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want? If you already want have one and want to use it, mention its resolution and size.
A: Not decided yet. Planning on a 22-24” 16:9 screen. Atleast 1600x900. Most likely higher.
8. How would you rate your hardware knowledge from the count of 1-10? (1 being the lowest, 5 being you are somewhat in sync with the current performers and 10 being the highest)
A: 7.5
9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Yes. 5 years ago. So predictably out of touch.
10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: Within 7-14 days
11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Planning on including another 6870 card in crossfire setup. And to include 2x4gb memory later.

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: N/A
13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Chennai. Can buy from other states. A couple of components can be procured by a friend returning from US (not something like the cabinet though).
14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: I am looking to build a gaming rig myself and have zeroed in on or already procured the following components:
1. Processor - Intel Core i5-2400
2. Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
3. VideoCard - GIGABYTE GV-R687OC-1GD Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
4. SSD - Performance 3 Series P3-64 Solid-State Hard Drive
I have procured all of the components mentioned above except the processor itself and am open to suggestions to change the same. Need help choosing the motherboard, cabinet and psu. Other queries and more information present in the original post. Hope this helps Piyush.

give us a brief idea about the budget
+/- 10k is acceptable

Piyush said:
give us a brief idea about the budget
+/- 10k is acceptable

Most of the components have been gotten already. No constraints as regards budget as long as it would meet the requirements.

But, let us say less than 180-200 USD (newegg prices) for the motherboard. And, less than 8K INR for the cabinet. PSU whichever works is fine whatever the price. But then again, these are the max budgets, lower is better.

Sice you arent planning to overclock and locking for chapest option-

PSU- FSP Saga II 500w @Rs.2000
Cabinet- Cooler Master 310@Rs.1500
Mobo-Intel DH67BL @Rs.5200

NOTE: Cheap necessarily mean bad :wink:

thetechfreak said:
Sice you arent planning to overclock and locking for chapest option-

PSU- FSP Saga II 500w @Rs.2000
Cabinet- Cooler Master 310@Rs.1500
Mobo-Intel DH67BL @Rs.5200

NOTE: Cheap necessarily mean bad

he said he would be cross firing later
FSP 500W will be blown off

mOCHU said:
Most of the components have been gotten already. No constraints as regards budget as long as it would meet the requirements.

But, let us say less than 180-200 USD (newegg prices) for the motherboard. And, less than 8K INR for the cabinet. PSU whichever works is fine whatever the price. But then again, these are the max budgets, lower is better.

you mean you already purchased the rest of the parts?

Piyush said:
he said he would be cross firing later
FSP 500W will be blown off

you mean you already purchased the rest of the parts?

Yes. The gfx card, ssd and the memory have already been purchased.
Mobo, processor, cabinet, psu remain.
Am kinda set on the i5-2400 processor too.

thetechfreak said:
Sice you arent planning to overclock and locking for chapest option-

PSU- FSP Saga II 500w @Rs.2000
Cabinet- Cooler Master 310@Rs.1500
Mobo-Intel DH67BL @Rs.5200

NOTE: Cheap necessarily mean bad

The mobo would not support a crossfire setup. Also, the power supply wont cover the current wattage needs itself, leave alone a crossfire (since the 6870 card i have mentioned is overclocked and needs higher than normal wattage). The cabinet recommended would also support only 2 fan positions. I would need a minimum of 3 fans installed into the cabinet.

OK here goes-
PSU:Corsair TX750v2

Cabinet:Haf 912

Mobo: I am still searching one to fit you're needs

mOCHU said:
Yes. The gfx card, ssd and the memory have already been purchased.
Mobo, processor, cabinet, psu remain.
Am kinda set on the i5-2400 processor too.

for MOBO look out for newly launched Z68 mobos by Gigabyte....will cost you around 10k

for cabinet get HAF 912 eyes closed

PSU should be Corsair TX 750W

and you have already chosen your processor

thetechfreak said:
OK here goes-
PSU:Corsair TX750v2

Cabinet:NZXT Tempest EVO

Mobo: I am still searching one to fit you're needs

The PSU and cabinet would fit the bill perfectly i guess. Any idea where i can get them frm in india?

smcinternational.in
itwares.com
itdepot.com

Thanks. But the motherboard? Yes.. was looking at the new gigabyte and asrock z68 ones. Which is were I had the concern regarding whether I would need 2 PCIEx16 slots in my motherboard for the CrossfireX support or is it enough to have 1 PCIEx16 and 1 PCIEx8 (so that the crossfire setup would run at x8, x8)?

yes both will run at 8x

Hey. The HAF 912 looks awesome and would fit my needs. But the description says "Graphics card dimensions supported 280mm with drive caddy, 410mm without". The dimensions of my gfx care are H=38 mm, L=290 mm, W=126 mm. Now, as u can c there is a slight disparity in the one of the dimensions. Is it gonna be a problem?

no
nothing at all
you can set up bigger cards than 6870 too
my friend has one i'm totally satisfied with it

Thanks for the help. Down to the motherboards now. Went through the latest z68 motherboards. Last couple of options include
1. Gigabyte's GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 (145 USD)
2. ASRock's Z68 Extreme4 (190 USD)

ASRock Z68 Pro3 (120 USD !!) was an option but it does not support cross-fire setups. And most sites seem to indicate that an x8,x8 setup has only a 5-6% perf drop compared to a x16,x16 Xfire setup. So, which amongst the 2 mobos do u think I shud go wid? The Extreme4 provides a lot of OC functionalities which I am not sure if i would need (as I might or might not OC my memory and processor.. as i am not sure if it is worth ur while to do so).. What do u guys think?

Doing OCing is like a fever these days
its main motive is to take out more juice from your processor and nothing else
if you want to do OCing , then you should better get a k series processor i.e. 2500k

and if you dont want to do so, then go for above gigabyte mobo

T

IMO get GA-Z68X-UD3H(you can buy from eBay) with 2500K. You'll get VFM with that combo.

shayem said:
IMO get GA-Z68X-UD3H(you can buy from eBay) with 2500K. You'll get VFM with that combo.

Hey, wat is tis H suffix for in GA-Z68X-UD3H and wat is VFM?

more features in UD3H
VFM-->value for money

IMO get a NZXT Phantom - 8.4k at Prime instead of HAF 912.

otherwise HAF 932 also sounds cheap these days, locally it will be available at 8.5k without any issues.

PSU - Corsair TX 750 v2 - 6k

Mobo - Gigabyte's GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 - 145 USD

d3p5kor said:
IMO get a NZXT Phantom - 8.4k at Prime instead of HAF 912.

otherwise HAF 932 also sounds cheap these days, locally it will be available at 8.5k without any issues.

PSU - Corsair TX 750 v2 - 6k

Mobo - Gigabyte's GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 - 145 USD

wat advantages for the NZXT Phantom over the haf 912?
and.. yes.. i think ill finalize on the corsair tx 750 v2 psu.. already placed order for the mobo (Gigabyte's GA-Z68X-UD3-B3)

HAF 912 is a mid tower, but Phantom is a Full tower.

Dimensions : W x H x D

HAF 912 - 230 x 480 x 496 mm - 5.5k max

*www.coolermaster.com/upload/product_feature/HAF912Adv-web-feature-01-600.jpg

HAF 922 - 253 x 502 x 563 mm - 6.5k max [Get this atleast.]

*www.coolermaster.com/upload/product_feature/haf-922-Black-web_mat.jpg

HAF 932 - 243 x 560 x 564 mm - 8.5k max

*www.coolermaster.com/upload/product_feature/HAF-932-web_mat_03.jpg

Phantom - 222 x 540 X 623 mm - 8.4k at Prime.

*www.nzxt.com/new/images/_upload/product_gallery/_MG_8937.jpg

The only advantage you have with HAF912 is USB 3.0 support, but the cables provided along with it has to be connected to the Back Panel of Motherboard & thats a headache.

Otherwise Phantom will rule by the looks & finish. Next HAF 932 with Space & futureproof options followed with HAF 922.

Thanks for the info dude!!

Im leaning towards the HAF 922 now that i have taken a look at the other models too. I kinda prefer the HAF looks over phantom and i dont really need a full atx cabinet.. and.. i need to save money somewhr

Thanks a lot for the help guys. I think I have finalized on most of the components.

Intel Core i5-2400
Gigabyte's GA-Z68X-UD3-B3
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
GIGABYTE GV-R687OC-1GD Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
Performance 3 Series P3-64GB Solid-State Hard Drive
Cabinet+PSU - HAF 922+Corsair TX750v2

I intend to overclock the memory (should be possible comfortably as the current CAS is 8-8-8-24 at 1.5V). Gfx card is overclocked already. Upgrades after a year perhaps - Get another 6870 card in a crossfirex setup and get 8 more gb of ram. I expect this config to last me for 3 years. It is costing me arnd 50K INR (without the monitor, keyboards, UPS etc.) What do you guys think?

P.S. How do you close the thread?

Since its costing 50k, have a look at these. Its a bit better than mentioned one-

Rest will be same. WHat do you think?

^^ ASUS Z68 is also good

T

@mOCHU why Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3 man?? It's without on board video out. If you still didn't buy it then go for Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 or Asus Maximus IV gene z.

thetechfreak said:
Since its costing 50k, have a look at these. Its a bit better than mentioned one-

Component | Make | Price Processor |Intel Core i5 2500k|11000
Motherboard |Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3|11500
RAM |G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-4GBXL|5200
Graphic Card |Sapphire HD6870|11200
| Total |38900

Rest will be same. WHat do you think?

Hi dude,
1. Chose the XM instead of the XL cuz i cud overclock it.
2. Dint get the UD3H since i hav a discrete gfx card and cuz the non-H version is a bit cheaper

3. Got the gigabyte card cuz it comes overclocked and has well-reviewed design features as opposed to sapphire or his 6870 cards. Price is only marginally higher. Will spend here using the money saved in (2)

4. Finally, using a i5 2400 as i had to save money somewhr else too :O

yea.. and the whole of the above config cost me arnd 50k. had to beg friends to gift me some of the parts when returning frm US

shayem said:
@mOCHU why Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3 man?? It's without on board video out. If you still didn't buy it then go for Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 or Asus Maximus IV gene z.

The onboard video out is the only diff rite? i intend to use only the gfx card out. and dont want to be switching manually nyway.. so as long as no lucid vertu, saw no point in getting the ud3h.. make sense or did i misunderstand something?

(yes.. got the z68 only cuz of the smart response tech which i intend to use somewhr dwn the line)

T

mOCHU said:
The onboard video out is the only diff rite? i intend to use only the gfx card out. and dont want to be switching manually nyway.. so as long as no lucid vertu, saw no point in getting the ud3h.. make sense or did i misunderstand something?

(yes.. got the z68 only cuz of the smart response tech which i intend to use somewhr dwn the line)

Dude that's not for Virtue. If your GPU go kaput(hope it'll not :))

or need RMA any time what would you do. With onboard you can still use the rig atleast.

^^ +1

i guess that makes sense too, but.. here is wat i thot, failure rate for my card is like 1% in the first 9 months. I am considering a time period of only 9 months cuz i am gonna be using a crossfirex system latest by then. Now, RMA takes arnd 20 days i guess. So the question is 'is it worth 1200 INR for a 1% chance of 20days of idle time for my pc?' I thot it wasnt, especially when u got another laptop as a back up.

However, i did pause to think abt it cuz of the lucid virtu setup.. that might make the 1200 bucks worth it. But then, did some research and turns out tat such a setup wud be beneficial only if i did a lot of video encoding or live hd/blu-ray streaming.. things which i do not ever intend to do on a regular enuf basis. And am only getting a 2400 wid the 2000HD not a K processor wid the 3000HD nyway.. so there goes, no UD3H

Also, the load balancing/switching overhead is not entirely acceptable if ur main purpose is gaming, and who wants to set up multiple profiles and keep switching virtu on and off depending on applications u are using nyway?

Thanks for pointing out the alternatives tho mate..

Hi,
Finally finished my build.
Intel i5-2500K
Gigabyte Z68X-UD3-B3
Gigabyte 687OC (Factory Overclocked)
GSkill 8GB (CAS 8-8-8-24) @ 1600
Corsair Performance 3 SSD 64GB
Coolermaster HAF 922
HP DVD Writer Combo
Antec EA750
BenQ G2220
APC 1.1KVA
Mouse + Keyboard

Cost me just less than 65K (Including VAT etc.) all together

Thanks for all the help guys

congrats buddy..
But post d prices and pics too..