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Building A Sandy Bridge Z68 PC; Builing a new PC give me some feedback.
Topic Started: Sep 15 2011, 02:01 AM (3,694 Views)
majinpowers
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Sega Does What Nintendon't

Here is what I ended up getting for my Z68 Sandy Bridge gaming rig!
Total cost of this build was $2024 plus shipping. Built September 29th 2011

Motherboard $350
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD7-B3
CPU $315
Intel Core i7-2600K
Memory $150
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3 1866 memory
Heatsink $120
CORSAIR H100
SSD $220
OCZ Vertex 3
HDD $160 [$80 each]
Western Digital Caviar Black WD7502AAEX 750GB [x2 in Raid 0]
Video Cards $400 [$200 each]
GIGABYTE GV-R687OC-1GD Radeon HD 6870 [X2 for CrossFire setup!]
DVD Drive $19
Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 24X w/ LightScribe
Case $150
AZZA Hurrican 2000R
PSU $140
COUGAR-SX850 850W

Updated parts to reflect what I ended up getting and what the total price of my build was.
Edited by majinpowers, Nov 23 2011, 04:32 AM.
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n8great321
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You could probably go for a P67 mobo instead of the z68 one. The only real advantage the z68 has is the smart response tech, letting you use a small dedicated SSD (sold separately) as a cache to help improve performance. Since you have two dedicated SSDs, there isn't really any advantage to z68.

A 1000w power supply is WAY more than you'll need, even if you add another video card down the road. 750 or 850 will be more than enough.

Depending on what you plan on using the system for, you could save some $$ and go with an i5 2500k instead of the i7. The only advantage the i7 has is in regards to video editing/processing (hyperthreading), so if you're only gaming then the performance difference between the i5 and i7 is negligible. If you are doing video editing however, the i7 is probably the way to go.

16 gigs of ram is a bit much. I'd go with 8 for now and you can always upgrade to 16 if you really need to down the road. RAM is dirt cheap and will only get cheaper. Also, is there a specific reason why you chose the low voltage RAM?

With the money you saved on those features, you could opt for a 6900 series AMD card instead of the 6870. The card you have is still a good one, but you can always do better :P

Those are just some small suggestions. What you have pieced together already is a killer system. It all depends on how much money you want to spend really. I want to get an H100 cooler but I don't think it will fit in my case (HAF 912) so I may opt for something like the Antec Kuhler 620 or 920 instead.

Edited by n8great321, Sep 19 2011, 03:30 PM.
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majinpowers
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I did change my PSU to the COUGAR-SX850 850W. 1000W PSU was too much so I dropped it down to a 850W.

I am going with the z68 because it offers 16X PCI-e slots when in crossfire or SLI and not 8x plus of its overclocking abilities.

I do want the i7 2600k because of the hyperthreading.

Ram is so cheap right now its only 64 more dollars to go with 16 gigs of ram so I thought why not.

I went with the low voltage ram because I have been reading its got more headroom for overclocking.

I would love to get a better video card but if your planning on running OS X like I am then its about the best video card you can get that's compatible. when the new Mac Pros come out I may upgrade to a bigger video card and move the 6870 into my old rig.

The SSD reviews on NewEgg are very scary no matter what brand you look at, so I hope all goes well with them as I haven't used a SSD before.

I am going to order the parts this Thursday.

Thanks for the feedback Nate!

Edited by majinpowers, Sep 19 2011, 10:45 PM.
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n8great321
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That power supply looks like a good choice. The difference between x16 and x8 performance isn't huge, but I can't argue with future-proofing your system like you are lol. You should be pretty happy with this system for quite a while.

I personally have a 120gb OCZ Vertex 3 and I did have blue screen issues when I started but then I updated the firmware and I haven't had a single issue since *knock on wood*. The problem isn't necessarily inherent to one brand or another, it's a problem with the Sandforce controller that all the current SSDs use. OCZ has an exclusive firmware agreement with Sandforce so typically they get firmware upgrades more quickly than other brands. You can't update firmware on your operating system boot drive (which 99% of the time is the case) but they have instructions on their forums on how to set it up to run the firmware off a flash drive (sounds intimidating but it's not really difficult).

From what I've heard, the Crucial M4 SSDs are the best right now, but I am satisfied with my Vertex 3.
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MN12BIRD
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For reliability I don't think you can go wrong with the mircon powered Intel or Crucial SSDs. The 2nd gen Sand Force ones might be a little faster but they are the ones I see too many horror stories about. Look up the OCZ Vertex 3 or Vertex 2 drives for that matter on newegg and it seems like everyone is having firmware issues with them causing BSOD or drives that just stop working. Reliability comes first. I've had zero issues with my Crucial C300 with is based on the same micron controller as the M4 IIRC.

Great build otherwise. It's true the difference from PCI-e x8 and x16 is virtually unnoticeable even on high end GPU's but if you can get a board that does full x16 lanes on both slots why not. But Z68 is definitely the way to go IMHO.

That PSU looks really nice. 80+ Silver is impressive. Really impressive for that price. I've never heard of Cougar they seemed to pop out of nowhere but I'm willing to guess they're made by one of the high end OEM's like some of the more recognizable name brands.

Generally you can't really go wrong with Sandy Bridge. The Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K are smokin' fast CPU's and I've used a few Z68 boards with the Intel SRT and an SSD as a cache drive. I know you said you wont use that feature but it's nice to have the simplicity of one drive and the speed of an SSD! It's really easy to setup on the Gigabyte boards too even if you decide to try it later on.
Edited by MN12BIRD, Sep 20 2011, 11:20 PM.
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majinpowers
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I picked out that Cougar PSU because of the great reviews, 80silver rating and the price. I too haven't heard of Cougar before so I hope its as good as the reviews say.
Edited by majinpowers, Sep 22 2011, 01:08 PM.
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majinpowers
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just ordered all my parts today from NewEgg! I can't wait to get it all put together!
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n8great321
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Hope all goes well for you dude!

In my opinion, it's more rewarding building your own computer because you're more personally invested in it. It was such a great feeling running that first POST test and seeing the mobo light up, the fans spin and the bios screen show up. The only problem is that once you build it, you start to think of even more ways to upgrade/improve things and run your wallet dry. Damn fast-moving technology!!
Edited by n8great321, Sep 22 2011, 03:13 PM.
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metcar
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I'm going to Build a new PC as well I'm going with a AMD vision A8-3850 APU instead.
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MN12BIRD
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The AMD APU's are great for media PC's and even moderate gaming. They can easily handle multi-displays and Full-HD video. But of course if you do any heavy gaming you'll want to pop in a dedicated GPU. The nice thing is they do hybrid-crossfire with some of the current mid range cards. But as far as the IGP goes on those they're pretty remarkable. The integrated Radeon HD6550 in those A8 APU's holds the world record for fastest onboard graphics and supports all the latest features.
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metcar
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MN12BIRD
Sep 22 2011, 07:25 PM
The AMD APU's are great for media PC's and even moderate gaming. They can easily handle multi-displays and Full-HD video. But of course if you do any heavy gaming you'll want to pop in a dedicated GPU. The nice thing is they do hybrid-crossfire with some of the current mid range cards. But as far as the IGP goes on those they're pretty remarkable. The integrated Radeon HD6550 in those A8 APU's holds the world record for fastest onboard graphics and supports all the latest features.
Yeah i know i plan to get a radeon hd 6670 1gb ddr5 video card to crossfire with the built in 6550 gpu to make a 6690d2. also plan to get 8gb of ddr 3 so the games will have room to breathe.
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kuroi
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Do the new APU interface with the 5xxx series AMD cards or just thew new 6xxx series?
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metcar
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kuroi
Sep 23 2011, 08:33 AM
Do the new APU interface with the 5xxx series AMD cards or just thew new 6xxx series?
only the 6xxx series and specifically the HD 6450, HD 6570,and the HD 6670. anything higher automatically cancels out the graphics half of the APU in favor of the more powerful discrete video card.When in Dual Graphics Mode the combined GPUs' form one new GPU example a A8-3850 APU with Radeon HD 6550 graphics when Combined with a Radeon HD 6670 discrete video card combines to form Radeon HD 6690d2.

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majinpowers
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Got most of my Stuff in today but still waiting on one more package to get here. It has the heat sink so I cant really start building it yet until it gets here.

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I need to get a new gaming keyboard and mouse next week when I get payed and so far I was looking at......

Keyboards

RAZER Blackwidow Ultimate - Dragon Age II

RAZER Anansi (I wanded this one but its got poor reviews on Newegg has anyone used one before?)

Tt eSPORTS CHALLENGER Pro

Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4

Logitech G110

Mouse

RAZER Naga Molten

RAZER Dragon Age II DeathAdder

Logitech G700

Any advise is welcomed! I am looking for Red LED themed Keyboard and mouse to match my build.

I have been using a Razer Tarantula and a Razer DeathAdder for about three years on my current build and I really love there products so I am leaning toward the RAZER Blackwidow Ultimate - Dragon Age II keyboard and the RAZER Naga Molten mouse but am open to recommendations.
Edited by majinpowers, Sep 27 2011, 06:27 PM.
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MN12BIRD
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Fun! Be sure to post pics of the build ;)
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n8great321
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Just in time for the Battlefield 3 beta this week!

I personally have the Logitech G500 mouse and love it so far. I've heard great things about the Razer mice too, especially the Death Adder.
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MN12BIRD
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Death Adder. LOL sounds like Golden Axe to me. Okay I'm kidding I've heard of the mouse too.

I see your case has a front USB3.0 port. That could come in handy at some point. Feel free to show more pics of the case. I always like to see different cases.
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majinpowers
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MN12BIRD
Sep 27 2011, 11:57 PM
I see your case has a front USB3.0 port. That could come in handy at some point. Feel free to show more pics of the case. I always like to see different cases.
I am really impressed so far with this case I like it better than the Antec 1200 I have
Here are the pics of the Azza 2000R Hurrican....

Azza 2000R Hurrican
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Inside of case and back side for cable management.
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Side Doors Large intake fans on front door and back door has 120mm CPU bottom fan.
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Back of case and Front inputs.
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Front Bottom.
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Front Fans with dust screens opens for easy cleaning and for drive bay quick release.
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Quick release drive bays and hookup panel!
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Bottom of Case [Fan opening for PSU and extra fan with dust screens]
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I will post more of the build later today or tomorrow when the rest of my stuff get here as I build it. I am hoping it gets here today.
Edited by majinpowers, Sep 28 2011, 08:01 AM.
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MN12BIRD
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Oh wow. Decent wire management, external hot swap SATA bays and a full array of filters. Honestly didn't expect any of that! That case is surprising. I've seen a few AzzA cases in the past but none that nice. My only real complaint with that case is the way the front intake grill looks. But other than that I like it. The red interior might not be for everyone but for a gaming case why not!
Edited by MN12BIRD, Sep 28 2011, 09:48 AM.
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majinpowers
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I got everything put together. I flashed that OCZ drive using there Linux live CD first thing and haven't had any issues with it. Win 7 is running great on it and booting lighting fast thanks to the SSD. I got a lot of pics of the build and I will post them later tonight while I am at work.

everything got 7.9s and 7.8s on the windows score but the CPU, I kind of thought the 2600k would get better than a 7.6 but I will overclock her after my tim sets in a few days and I make sure everything is working like it should.
Edited by majinpowers, Oct 11 2011, 04:20 AM.
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majinpowers
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I had bad luck with the ram I got it either was bad or incompatible with my board so I had to RMA it and am waiting on a 16gig G-Skill RipJaw X 1866 DDR3 set to get here.

I had some DDR3 1066 in another PC I have here and its running fine in this build so I don't think it is a issue with the dimm slots on the board. Whats funny is this 1066 ram gets a 7.8 Windows score just like the faster 1600 does.

I got my CPU overclocked to 4.4 (100x44) stable with max temps of 61. I also overclocked the GPU on my 6870 to 980 (was 915 stock) and have ran 3DMark 11 like 50 times with no artifacts. Temps on the GPU under load are around 71 with these setting. I got a 3DMark score of P4561.

My 2nd 6870 and new ram kit will be here Monday or Tuesday and I cant to Cross Fire them to see what I get.


CPU 4.4 Stable ran OCCT stress test for 1hr and Prime95 for 4 Hrs with 0 errors. Max Temp 61
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Here is the Real Temp Max Heat test and it didn't go over 62
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Here is a screen of GPU-Z screen of my card OCed to 980MHZ
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And here is the 3D Mark Pictures.
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All testing was done with the cheap 1066 ram so dont know if the DDR3 1866 ram will increase my scores or not. Let me know what you think...
Edited by majinpowers, Oct 7 2011, 09:54 AM.
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majinpowers
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Here are the build Pictures I promised sorry it took me so long.

First I installed the MB

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Installing the CPU

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Installing the H100 Heat Sink and the Ram

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SSD and HDD - OCZ SSD hooked into Intel Sata III port and HDD (6gbs) into the Marvel.

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PSU Installed - Power / Reset / HDD hooked up.

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6870 GPU Installed

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DVD Burner Installed Case cleaned up and ready for first boot!

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Edited by majinpowers, Oct 7 2011, 11:08 AM.
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n8great321
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Three fans on the GPU! That thing's a beast. Nice build, you will be very satisfied with it once you start playing some games.
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MN12BIRD
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Yeah nice build! I didn't realize there was an H100 now. I've used the H60 and I think H70 IIRC and I heard the H80 wasn't much better than the H70. Well maybe not enough to justify the price I guess. The rad on the 100 is much bigger though. I really hated installing the waterblock/pump onto the CPU bracket it had these two clips you had to screw down and the one was really stripped I thought I was going to break it the thing had to be cranked on so hard to get it to tighten. That would have sucked if it broke 'cause where else you gonna find that clip? Would have had to beg Corsair to send me another one! Just a fluke bad threads on the one.
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majinpowers
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Got my memory in today and my 2nd 6870 and man does Crossfire make a huge difference on these cards.

Also my CPU score went up in 3DMark 11 with the new ram I guess it was bottlenecking with the cheap 1066 stuff.

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The top card is running a lot hotter now when under full load in 3DMark 11 it gets in the upper 80's you guys think this is too hot?
Edited by majinpowers, Oct 10 2011, 05:23 PM.
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