About to Purchase My New PC - Desperately Seeking Approval

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

Hey guys,

I'm about to start purchasing my new PC parts, and would really appreciate some approval and pointers. I'm not new to the PC building scene, but I can never bring myself to commit once I've got a build that I think will work well.

This is the build itself:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (?165.59 @ Aria PC)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (?104.99 @ Amazon UK)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (?56.99 @ Ebuyer)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (?129.99 @ Amazon UK)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (?47.03 @ CCL Computers)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (?269.72 @ Scan.co.uk)

Case: BitFenix Phenom Arctic White Mini ITX Tower Case (?69.95 @ Aria PC)

Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (?69.09 @ Amazon UK)

Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard (Purchased For ?0.00)

Mouse: Logitech G9x Wired Laser Mouse (Purchased For ?0.00)

Total: ?913.35

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-10 15:49 GMT+0000)

Couple of things:

I'm opting for the GTX770 because I'm a Linux user primarily, and AMD graphics chips have been nothing but a PITA in terms of Linux support. Am I limiting myself going for the 2GB version though? There's a good ?50 difference between the 2GB and 4GB versions of the GTX770...

What is the best CPU cooler I can get for ~?30? Normally I'd opt for the Cooler Master 212 EVO, but it won't fit in my chosen case, so I'd appreciate any alternative suggestions.

Any comments are welcome :)

Thanks.

[Phouchg]

Are you sure Hyper 212 won't fit? Specs on review sites say the case allows up to 160mm and 212 is 159mm, so, while toe-to-toe, but should fit. Where 212 doesn't want to go in, I usually take the easy way out and reach for Hyper T4, 212's little brother, saying it won't be much worse and it isn't (much). But perhaps it's not even necessary to compromise?

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

Hmm, according to Amazon.co.uk it was 180mm tall, but that might be the box size since the Cooler Master website agrees with you.

That being the case I'll risk it with the 212 EVO. Thanks!

Any other thoughts?

[Elliot B.]

If you won't be overclocking, the stock cooler will be just fine.

 

You can get a Zotac 770 for ?251 from Ebuyer, which is cheaper than your EVGA choice @ ?270.

 

Also, ?105 for a motherboard is very expensive. Make sure you really need the features. Motherboards don't change performance, they only add more ports, options for SLI etc. Check you need them before spending that much money.

[Noir Angel]

Motherboards do absolutely make a difference, for reference here's a review of the board I currently own

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

Hey KM,

I did see the Zotac 770, but opted for the EVGA one as it's clocked higher out of the box (Zotac is 1059MHz core and 1111MHz boost, and the EVGA is 1111MHz core and 1163MHz boost).

I agree with you about the Motherboard, but finding cheaper Z87 Mini-ITX motherboards is a pain. I do want to put a mild overclock on it, which basically leaves me with Z87 only, and I also want the integrated Wifi (Linux plays hell with most USB wifi dongles :(). I did have a quick look though and I did find an MSI motherboard that meets my needs for about a tenner less. Thanks! :D

[psionicinversion]

If you want 8 GB of ram get 2x 4GB sticks not 1x 8GB cus itll operate faster using dual channel. the 4GB 770 will come in handy if ya play battlefield 4 to