Also looking for input on a new machine.

[Gab]

Thought I'd keep the threads seperate as that could be a bit confusing.

Looking for advice on a new machine. I have been thinking about building a new one for some time now. I used to build PCs for a small computer company when I first got out of high school it's been about 10 years but I'm sure it shouldn't be an issue. The PC wont be used for anything more intensive than gaming.

I am looking for any cheap performance increases, money saving alternatives, product compatability issues etc... Because I have been out of the "loop" for quite some time any insights are greatly appreciated.

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

CPU Fan - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

SSD - Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

HD - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

MoBo - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.791361.13-157-271

PSU - Antec BP550 Plus 550W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

GPU - EVGA 02G-P3-1568-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130683

I also found a Newegg "combo" that was very similar to what I have posted above but would save me $70.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.770956
The differences are failry subtle. The MoBo is a Gigabyte, a different case and the HD is a Seagate. So would it be worth the 70$ to go with this combo?

A few other questions. Will that particular CPU fan be good enough for some overclocking if I decide I want to OC? Will the on board audio/networking suffice or I should I think about getting seperate cards? Will that particular PSU (550W) be sufficient for my machine?

I was also curious about the performance difference in the 560ti 1 GB vs 2 GB and the performance difference in the 560ti vs the 6950 series since I had heard it mentioned in another thread.

Lastly will these come with everything I need or do I need to buy other chords, thermal grease etc... Thanks in advance.

Edit: Read Talaii's comment on the other active thread and that answers the CPU fan question.

[gibborim]

The fan you listed had its own thermal grease in the video for the product. I would avoid buying a regular HDD right now if possible. The extra 100% markup for ZOMGFLOODING is a little rough.

I might got with a 120GB SSD so there is room for your games too. If you are willing to pay the premium for a 7200rpm drive vs a 5400rpm drive, you should be more than willing to pay to put that stuff on an SSD.

[Gab]

Thanks Gibborim, I have an old 100GB external hard drive that I suppose I could use for awhile in anticipation of HDD prices dropping.

If I go with a 120GB SDD with games also stored on it would there be any real reason to use a 7200rpm over a 5400rpm HDD for all of my other data/applications? Like I said nothing intense just everyday stuff.

[gibborim]

That would really depend on what kind of applications you are running. Anything that is too monstrous (aside from media) to shove onto the SSD might benefit from a 7200rpm drive, but I don't really know what kinds of work applications even fit that bill.