My first PC build!

[mpthegeneral]

Hey everyone,
I'm new here and I just wanted to get advice on the PC I am planning to build. I've done quite a bit of research and planning and have decided to build a generally good computer that can do anything from watching movies to gaming to editing videos.
My budget is currently $900 to $1100; however, I would like to keep it around $1000 as much as possible (this will include the OS and an LCD monitor). I will be ordering all of my parts from Newegg with the exception of the aftermarket cooler (getting the Hyper 212+ which is $20 cheaper on Amazon where I have a gift certificate so this is already covered).
I am open to any brand since this is my first build, but i want the CPU to be Intel. I plan to overclock this system to as far as the Hyper 212+ will allow me to go (somewhere between 4.6 GHz and 5.0 GHz). I will also overclock the memory and the GPU.
I'll probably use 1920 x 1080 for my resolution. I plan to build this as soon as I'm sure I am getting the best parts.

Here is a list of my current setup:
Case (~$90)
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

HDD (~$60)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

LCD Monitor (~$160)
Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design

PSU (~$65)
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Memory (~$45)
PNY XLR8 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MD4096KD3-1600-X8

Motherboard (~$125)
MSI P67A-G43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU (~$220)
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

OS (~$100)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

Graphics Card (~$175)
ASUS EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5/V2 Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...

TOTAL W/ SHIPPING (~$1050)
[~$990 w/ rebates]

Thank you very much!

 

[mnewsham]

The samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200RPM drive is 5 bucks more offers the same performance and doubles your capacity. Also You are only getting 4GB of RAM? then spend $32.99 instead of $45. Also the RAM you linked is 1.65v (bad for sandy bridge) you need 1.5v RAM. And honestly 1600mhz RAM is more or less a waste for sandy bridge as well as you wont get any OC headroom and you wont notice the difference between 1600mhz and 1333mhz. Also i would not get a P67 motherboard with Z68 already out, get this board instead. If you have a MicroCenter near you then you can get the i5-2500k for $179.99 (in store only). Finally if you can do with a cheaper case then you can get the cooler master HAF 912. Very nice case IMHO. (though SOME people

Spoiler

*cough* mfenn *cough*

dont like the way they look)


EDIT:

Also if you can deal with refurb monitors here is a nice HP panel LCD.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824228030

 

[eUK-host]

The only suggestion I would give is to choose a configuration which will be compatible with future technologies. Since, most of the latest applications released are compatible with latest technologies. Always look for futuristic technologies that secures your future.

 

[mpthegeneral]

The samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200RPM drive is 5 bucks more offers the same performance and doubles your capacity. Also You are only getting 4GB of RAM? then spend $32.99 instead of $45. Also the RAM you linked is 1.65v (bad for sandy bridge) you need 1.5v RAM. And honestly 1600mhz RAM is more or less a waste for sandy bridge as well as you wont get any OC headroom and you wont notice the difference between 1600mhz and 1333mhz. Also i would not get a P67 motherboard with Z68 already out, get this board instead. If you have a MicroCenter near you then you can get the i5-2500k for $179.99 (in store only). Finally if you can do with a cheaper case then you can get the cooler master HAF 912. Very nice case IMHO. (though SOME people

Spoiler

*cough* mfenn *cough*

dont like the way they look)


EDIT:

Also if you can deal with refurb monitors here is a nice HP panel LCD.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824228030

Thanks for the input!
I don't really need 1TB of space but will I notice a difference between 32MB cache and 64MB cache? If it is faster then I'd rather get the 500GB.
Didn't know that about the RAM, thanks!
Will I be able to OC the 2500K using the Z68 chipset? From what I've read, its very easy to overclock with the P67.
The Microcenter near me is currently out of stock on the 2500K :/
Should I wait?
One last thing, what are the risks of getting a re-certified/refurbished monitor? Is it more likely that I will have to return it?

EDIT: Also, the HAF 912 was my first choice but the longer it sat in my shopping cart the uglier it got. I really don't mind spending $30 for the Scout which looks a lot better.

The only suggestion I would give is to choose a configuration which will be compatible with future technologies. Since, most of the latest applications released are compatible with latest technologies. Always look for futuristic technologies that secures your future.

What would you consider the most future-proof components out today?

 

[Red Dawn]

Thanks for the input!
The Microcenter near me is currently out of stock on the 2500K :/
Should I wait?

I would if you want to save some money, in addition they also have a sale when you buy a combo of a Sandy Bridge and a Motherboard where you get $40 off the Motherboard

 

[mnewsham]

All tests i have seen of the Western digital blacks vs. the Samsung F3 show little to no noticeable difference (a noticeable difference is more then 10% anything less then that and your mind can't tell) the cache wont really matter. Z68 is H67 and P67 mixed together, it is honestly what Intel SHOULD have released originally instead of two separate chipsets, Z68 allows for overclocking, use of integrated graphics (on some motherboards), use of quicksync, SSD caching. You could get away with using P67, but I dont see why when Z68 is the more flexible of the chipsets. I would call (or go in) your microcenter and see when they expect a shipment of 2500k's a savings of 40 bucks plus another savings if they have a reasonably priced (dont pick a 200 dollar motherboard just because you save 40 bucks) Z68 motherboard you can combo it with. (another 40 bucks saved) And finally, I have never had to return a refurbished monitor (luck?) in my opinion almost all goods that are refurbished are the same as the new product besides a blemish or two on the out side, but nothing that would effect performance.

 

[owensdj]

You could save about $40 by going with the Cooler Master Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW case, unless you just like the looks of that one better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068

 

[mnewsham]

You could save about $40 by going with the Cooler Master Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW case, unless you just like the looks of that one better.

I really don't mind spending $30 for the Scout which looks a lot better.

I think he found what he likes.

 

[mfenn]

The only suggestion I would give is to choose a configuration which will be compatible with future technologies. Since, most of the latest applications released are compatible with latest technologies. Always look for futuristic technologies that secures your future.

Ummm, what? This is (a) so generic to as to be counterproductive, and (b) spending extra money to be "future-proof" rarely works out in this industry.

Very nice case IMHO. (though SOME people

Spoiler

*cough* mfenn *cough*

dont like the way they look)

You rang? :awe:

Anyway, the OP should definitely take Mnewsham's advice because it is solid as always.

About the only thing that I would add is that if the savings from buying the CPU and mobo at MC allow you, you should step up to the 6870 for $20 more. It's good for a pretty decent boost in framerates.