~$2000 New Build! Mobo/GPU/CPU Expert Opinions Needed!

[blinkdagger]

Hey Guys,

Long time lurker, just wanted to ask for your opinion on which mobo I should go for my next build. I'm aiming for a silent build, so for now I'll keep OCing out of the picture.

My current setup includes:

Silverstone FT-02B
OCZ Vertex 3 120gb
Noctua NH-D14
Corsair AX750
8GB DDR3 (Mushkin or G.Skill...? 1333 vs. 1600? Opinions?)
Intel Core i7 2600K (perhaps I should opt to get the 2500K instead?)

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Z68 OR ASUS Sabertooth P67 B3? (Could someone explain the major diff between the two?)

GPU (Single): In terms of GPU, I'm looking at the nVidia cards... but I'm not too sure which ones are actually on the quieter side? I hear the MSI Twin Frozr cards are a good choice.. or perhaps I should look into the 590?

Any additional input is appreciated! I'm looking to order the stuff when the stupid strike is over! Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks!

[BrutalGreen]

if you are only gaming get the 2500k as only difference with the i7 is hyperthreading which is absolutely useless in games.

z68 offers onboard graphics and SRT over p67 otherwise they are prettymuch the same...since u have a 120gb new gen sandforce drive for ur OS and a dedicated GPU both these features are once again absolutely useless in ur case so just go with the sabertooth which offers the longer 5year warranty and just much higher build quality.

As for GPUs I always thought dual gpu cards a retarded concept...if you want 2 gpus, u might as well go SLI, in a case like the FT02 any of the cards with good coolers, even in sli, will be less loud/hot than a 590! the ASUS GTX 580 DirectCU II and MSI Lightning (or even twin frozr models if you don't want to mad OC into the 1ghz range) are great single card options for some1 with your budget. As a matter of fact if you force urself you could even fit 2 such cards in your budget or go for the 570 DCII (however note that 2 triple slot cards on the sabertooth will require a case with 8 expansion slots...if you choose to go this route u could change the mobo to something like the ASRock Extreme 4 which is pretty much just as good but cheaper or change the case to the RV02 non Evo which features 8 expansion slots with the same cooling and which is also cheaper).

[Luay79]

Originally Posted by BrutalGreen

if you are only gaming get the 2500k as only difference with the i7 is hyperthreading which is absolutely useless in games.

z68 offers onboard graphics and SRT over p67 otherwise they are prettymuch the same...since u have a 120gb new gen sandforce drive for ur OS and a dedicated GPU both these features are once again absolutely useless in ur case so just go with the sabertooth which offers the longer 5year warranty and just much higher build quality.

As for GPUs I always thought dual gpu cards a retarded concept...if you want 2 gpus, u might as well go SLI, in a case like the FT02 any of the cards with good coolers, even in sli, will be less loud/hot than a 590! the ASUS GTX 580 DirectCU II and MSI Lightning (or even twin frozr models if you don't want to mad OC into the 1ghz range) are great single card options for some1 with your budget. As a matter of fact if you force urself you could even fit 2 such cards in your budget or go for the 570 DCII (however note that 2 triple slot cards on the sabertooth will require a case with 8 expansion slots...if you choose to go this route u could change the mobo to something like the ASRock Extreme 4 which is pretty much just as good but cheaper or change the case to the RV02 non Evo which features 8 expansion slots with the same cooling and which is also cheaper).

:) Brutal perfection

Although memory prices are going down, there is no need to go higher than 1,600hz. Buy Kingston HyperX, Gskill Ripjaws or sniper series. Just make sure the heatspreaders on the memory kits isn't stretched into NHD14 territory. Find your choice here and see if it fits:
Noctua.at - sound-optimised premium components "Designed in Austria"!

I don't know what your display resolution is, but I'm guessing 1920 x 1080 or 1200, with which a GTX 580 will eat up 95% of the games out there. Asus Matrix or Direct CUII, MSI TFIII and EVGA are all worthy brands.

[blinkdagger]

Thanks a lot for your opinions! So I'm guessing what I currently have is a solid build??

Also, does anyone have any experience with the FT-02 since everything is rotated 90 degrees, did anyone have any issues putting the components together and cable management?

[Dzzope]

If your not overclocking or planning to overclock at all then drop the k model CPU.

Thats only if your never planning to OC it..

[fishingfanatic]

Good choice of components!

Get the Asus P68. look at this board, not bad: Intel Z68: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO. As 4 memory, I like my Mushkins. The 1600mhz are pretty good.

If ur any good at ocing, then get the 2500k and work those cores!

If u want a silent build, look in the reviews 4 the nvidia cards, u should find noise results in those reviews. Stay away from the 590. If you really want that kind of gpu muscle, look in the BST. There

are some good deals, including a pr of 580 3GB cards. Reviews show 2 580s in sli outperform both flagship cards, the 590 and 6990 most of the time.

Looks 2 b a solid build!

Oh, and welcome 2 HWC!

[Eldonko]

I actually reviewed both of the boards in question if you would like to have a look.

ASUS Sabertooth P67 B3 Sandy Bridge Motherboard Review

and

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Z68 Sandy Bridge Motherboard Review

Both boards have advantages. The P8Z68 has z68 chipset so you can use Virtu to save some power with gpu switching (not a huge amount but some). You probably wont be using hd caching with a 120gb ssd so that feature would be wasted. The Sabertooth uses better components and has an extra 2 years warranty so should be more durable in the long run. In your case I would probably just go with whichever the two is cheaper. Both will do the job and then some. That or save yourself $70 and go with a P8P67 LE.

Regarding GPU, I would go with GTX 580 personally. Same reasons as brutalgreen mentioned.