Gaming PC build please advise

Hi, this is my first time attempting to build my own gaming PC from scratch with a budget hopefully falling within a total of USD$1200-$1500. After researching a few of the parts for the past few days, I've come up with a rough idea of what I want in the PC as listed below.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22bzk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22bzk/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/22bzk/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($35.98 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($316.13 @ Newegg)

Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N180UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($17.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1283.00 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

COMMENTS ON PART LISTNG
CPU
I chose the 3570K as I am open to overclocking. However, still deciding if I should just go with the new Haswell 4670 since I've read that overclocking doesn't really show results for a gaming rig + not sure if I'm confident enough of overclocking.

Motherboard
Many builds I've seen that use the 3570K utilize this motherboard so I guess it goes pretty well with the Ivy Bridge.

Storage
SSD for installing of the Windows 7 OS and the HDD for installation of games and the like.

Video Card
My 2nd choice as of the moment. Open to possible SLI/Crossfire configurations but unsure of which graphic cards are worth dual-pairing right now. VERY open to suggestions and opinions on this. Main choice is the new SAPPHIRE R9 280X 3GB TOXIC Edition but currently not available in my country. Hopefully it'll be released over the course of this month.

Case
Read good reviews about this case. Ideally a Mid Tower, other considerations are :
-NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($105.98 @ Newegg)
-Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply
Enough for possible overclocking?

Any feedback and suggestions greatly appreciated. Like I've said I'm new to building a gaming rig so I am willing to put careful thought into any opinions put forward.
 
Normally, people come this forum with all sorts of stuff put together for their first build. And, it usually takes some doing for us to help them get something solid. However, I can't say I'd change much to your particular build. I like all the choices you picked.

Just to touch on some of the questions of yours.

CPU: Usually, I'd recommend people if their budget supports it to buy the most recent tech. Most of the time its worth it for the updated features. That's if they're starting from scratch and not upgrading from anything. But, I can't say that your choice of the IB chip is a bad one either. That platform is still very relevant and it's even cheaper than haswell.

Power Supply: The PSU you picked will be more then enough for your build + Overlocking. And, tbh in most cases I'd even say its a little overkill. But, I noticed the price and it's actually a pretty good value for what you're getting. So, I'd say job well done in terms of picking your PSU as well.

I think you have a pretty good set up there.
 
+1 to an awesome first post and awesome build.

Note that the R9 280X is equal to a HD7970. So if you can pick up a 7970 GHz Ed. for cheaper, do that.

It's probably worth it to get Haswell, because considering prices it'd only be $50 or so increase for both the CPU and mobo.
 
Thumbs up from me also. (y)
Even though this is your first build, I would have never guessed by the well thought out post. :)
 
Normally, people come this forum with all sorts of stuff put together for their first build. And, it usually takes some doing for us to help them get something solid. However, I can't say I'd change much to your particular build. I like all the choices you picked.

Just to touch on some of the questions of yours.

CPU: Usually, I'd recommend people if their budget supports it to buy the most recent tech. Most of the time its worth it for the updated features. That's if they're starting from scratch and not upgrading from anything. But, I can't say that your choice of the IB chip is a bad one either. That platform is still very relevant and it's even cheaper than haswell.

Power Supply: The PSU you picked will be more then enough for your build + Overlocking. And, tbh in most cases I'd even say its a little overkill. But, I noticed the price and it's actually a pretty good value for what you're getting. So, I'd say job well done in terms of picking your PSU as well.

I think you have a pretty good set up there.

CPU: Yup, I've read other forums that share your opinion on getting a better processor if I'm building the rig from scratch. Because I may be considering a possible SLI/Crossfire configuration in the future if prices of the current high-end GPUs e.g. HD7970, R9 280X, GTX770 fall, I was thinking that it may be better that I get a 4670K for the added features + the ability to overclock as well.
Offsets would be the price increase for both CPU+Motherboard. And not sure if hyperthreading actually results in an observable improvement in graphics performance.

Power Supply: Chose 750W for possible future dual GPU configurations. Hope it's enough to sustain any SLI/Crossfire setups.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad my first build is a good one.. :)

+1 to an awesome first post and awesome build.

Note that the R9 280X is equal to a HD7970. So if you can pick up a 7970 GHz Ed. for cheaper, do that.

It's probably worth it to get Haswell, because considering prices it'd only be $50 or so increase for both the CPU and mobo.

Okay, thanks for the feedback! Thankful my considerations and planning for my first build went well. Worth it to get 2 x HD7970 Crossfire if I'm connecting to a HDMI TV?

Thumbs up from me also. (y)
Even though this is your first build, I would have never guessed by the well thought out post. :)
Thanks! Lots of thought went into this build. Pretty enjoyable process and I'm sure the satisfaction from actually building the rig will be even better. :)
 
Thanks! Lots of thought went into this build. Pretty enjoyable process and I'm sure the satisfaction from actually building the rig will be even better. :)

Thought id throw my input in as well based off your updated specs etc.

For your motherboard and CPU, based off what im understanding this should be a better option in your price bracket while offering better performance and expandability options:
MSI Gaming Z87 & i5-4670k Bundle on newegg $371 plus 10 buck rebate
Will be worth overall the around 20 buck difference because the 4670k even if you dont intend to overclock immediatly will offer better out of the box performance. The MSI motherboard I suggested is a better alternative to the Asrock and will have many more features for you.

Cooler, just fine for some overclocking, though if you want to go all the way, an all in one Liquid cooler might be a better option.

R9 280X by Gigabyte 1100mhz boost 1000 regular $299
I would suggest this one over the Asus options especially if you intend to CFX another later, the windforce cooler and the higher boost clock plus your saving some bucks on it will just make for a better deal in the long run.

PSU: Good call for that price

Ram: Excellent choice, but the vengeance version might be a bit cheaper and offer same performance.

Case: Its a good case in my book, though with your budget you might want to check out something a bit more sleeker that will give you a better bargain in my book. Ive seen loads of people get the NZXT Phantom series and have nothing but good things to say. They are great cases that come ready for most gaming setups and have built in fan controllers!

NZXT Phantom $89, all your case options are great, just thought id throw one more in to ponder on because of the sleekness and functionality of these.

On your SSD, 120gb will be blown through if you intend to install any games onto it to get that speed bump. You might want to grab a 240gb by samsung instead, but thats just food for thought.

Thats my suggestion, good luck!
 
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