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General discussion

First time custom PC builder, hardware compatibiltiy help

Mar 16, 2011 3:03PM PDT

Hi guys. I'm building my first Custom gaming rig and while I'm pretty sure the hardware is compatible with each other, I would like your opinions if anything isn't compatible.

My specs are:

Coolermaster HAF 922 Case
Intel i5 2500k CPU
Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4-B3 Motherboard
Corsair CMP4GX3M2A1600C8 4GB(2x2 GB) DDR3 RAM
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 570 1280MB Overclocked
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1002FAEX HDD
Samsung SH-B123A 12x Blu-ray DVD Combo Drive
Asus PCE-N13 802.11 Wireless N PCI-Express Adapter
Coolermaster GX 750W PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

As I said I'm sure they are compatible with each other but I just want to be sure before forking over that much money.
Thanks in advance.

Discussion is locked

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Nice components
Mar 18, 2011 11:18AM PDT

How are you cooling that I5? For your purposes, e.g., extended gaming, would not skimp on the fan. Might want to consider a drive fan, too.

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Using stock
Mar 18, 2011 11:58AM PDT

I was told that the stock fans for an i5 would be good enough even when playing for extended periods of time. Also what do mean exactly by drive fan? lol Excuse my ignorance

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Will the i5 stock cooler work....yes. Is there a better
Mar 19, 2011 8:40AM PDT

solution .... reduced CPU heat, for a gaming system .... yes !

Take a look at the link below for perspective....what I see is a minimum 10 degree C temp differential between a good HS FAN and the best Intel HS Fan listed up to as high as 30 plus degrees C for other Intel HS Fans.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2572&page=5

Bottom line, why would you not want to have a better, more efficient CPU HS fan solution for a gaming PC ????? No point spending all the $$ for a great system and not having a matching performance quality CPU HS Fan.

Re the PSU ... it's OK but my pref (and $$) goes to Corsair.

VAPCMD

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will work
Mar 19, 2011 12:36AM PDT

All the parts you have listed should work together just fine, but might I make a couple recommendations?

If you're going to be gaming I would suggest getting 8GB of RAM (2 sticks of 4GB each), you;ll need it trust me. Windows 7 eats RAM like mad and your game will too; plus by getting 2 sticks of 4GByou'll leave room for 2 more sticks if you ever need them in the future.

Get a wireless card that has a regular PCI connection, not PCI Express. The PCI Express has no benefits over the regular model, but if you ever want to add a 2nd video card for SLI you'll need the 2nd PCI-Express slot open.

Get a 64GB SSD hard drive plus a 500GB regular drive. Load Windows on the SSD drive to make Windows boot MUCH faster and dramatically increase speed and performance on every level. If you need a full 1TB space you can add another HD later.

Oh, and when Noctis171 said a drive fan I think he means a fan that fits in one of the slots for a hard drive. It pulls air in from outside and cools of the HD. Personally, I see no need for this though you might consider a PCI fan that takes a slot on your mobo and back of the case but gets a LOT of air for your videocard. Trust me, graphics gets things HOT real quick.

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Sounds good to me
Mar 19, 2011 4:42AM PDT

carrotsama is correct with the modifications presented.

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Thanks for the help guys. Just a few questions
Mar 19, 2011 2:13PM PDT

A guy above said I should get a better fan for my CPU, is that really necessary because I've heard that using fans that aren't stock can cause issues, with loud fans and reduced CPU performance being the worst.

Is my wattage and brand of PSU a good one or should I change? I have already gone slightly over my budget thanks to Windows 7 being overpriced here in australia and I don't want to/ can't, afford to go too much higher.

Also does the brand of RAM I buy matter, or is the difference between them small.
Last oneHappy Is it necessary to buy more fans and cooling? I chose my case because it is one of the highest rated chassis in keeping things cool.

Thanks again guys.

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For a thermally effiicient, inexpensive CPU HS Fan....
Mar 20, 2011 1:15AM PDT

here's one of many offerings from Xigmatek that rate highly ....and it's $29.99 with free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082

This site, FrostyTech.com, shows a long list of CPU HS Fan performance including the latest offerings reviewed.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2585&page=5

Here's another link that shows how inefficient the stock Socket 1156 HS Fan is compared to some of the aftermarket coolers. Note ...some of the ambient temps are really low so consider that as you review the results. I have an i860 with a Xigmatek CPU HS Fan and as I write this note....none of the cores are above 30 C and the ambient temp is 74 F or about 23 C.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-Hyper-101-CPU-Cooler-Review/1224/6

Re the PSU....as indicated I like Corsair and it's the brand I've elected to buy for my desktops. For the 750TX, it's currently $20 more than the CoolerMaster you've selected. Both are good choices ... fortunately I'm able to afford my preference and have experienced excellent results.

Hope this helps.

VAPCMD