Building a new PC; what do you think of my upgrades?

[Setz]

Currently I have:

i5-760 with Coolermaster V6 HSF
EVGA P55 Classified 200 motherboard
8gb G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1333
2x MSI 1gb GTX460 Hawk
Corsair HX750 PSU
HAF932BE chassis

Going to upgrade to:

i5-3570k with Noctua NH-D14
MSI Z77A-GD65 motherboard
8gb G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1333 (going to buy a 2nd kit so I can have 16gb)
2x Gigabyte 2gb GTX670 'OC Edition'
XFX PRO750W PSU
Silverstone FT02B-W chassis

Recycling my old hard-drive and SSD since they're more than enough space. I'd re-use my Corsair PSU but it began to develop heavy cap whine, so I'll just replace it. How much of a performance boost should I expect? I know one GTX670 is about 30% better than two GTX460s, so two 670s should give me pleasant results. I've only ever used MSI and EVGA motherboards, so I'm not too sure how ASUS fares. If you guys could comment on anything, maybe suggest something better. Total so far is just under 1,600$ after pricematching. I plan to buy this build in September so I should see a decline in price, surely.

A big part of why I'm upgrading everything instead of doing incremental upgrades is because my PC has a lot of problems. My mobo is dying (top PCIe x16 slot doesn't work at all now), cap whine on my PSU, fans don't work that well on my GPUs anymore, etc. Even after reapplying thermal compound to my current setup, my temps are still outrageous. I used to idle 25C when I first built my PC, but now I idle 45C, and I can't play games for long before I get graphical artifacts and my motherboard sounds it's inbuilt alarm to warn of high temps. Money isn't an issue, so I'm just going to replace it all rather than troubleshooting. My main concern is noise + temperatures, which is why I'm opting for what lots of people consider the best PC case you can get (FT02).

[george__]

I can vouch for ASUS. I own a ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 and the motherboard has been very reliable with overclocking and the motherboard has a wacko load of features. Awesome board.

[Coz4k]

2x 670 is overkill.

[george__]

@OP, do you own a UPS?

[Setz]

@OP, do you own a UPS?

No. At least I don't think so. I didn't know what this was until a couple of minutes ago, so I guess not.


2x 670 is overkill.

Maybe, but I tire of not being able to max games. 2x 460 was great for a year or so, but now a lot of games I can no longer get the best performance in. I'd much rather get 'overkill' than what I would typically use if just to ensure for the foreseeable future I won't run into problems.

[george__]

Get a UPS! I don't believe you don't own a UPS with your system specs!

[Setz]

Get a UPS! I don't believe you don't own a UPS with your system specs!

What, will just any old surge protector work?

[george__]

What, will just any old surge protector work?

NO! Surge protectors are utter crap now. <-- I'm biased (I gave up on surge protector after getting into UPS ~6 years ago. Started after futureshop and bestbuy tried to sell me these expensive surge protector power bars then I learned about UPS and never looked back.)

Here's some reading about the differences Read me! (http://www.amnetblog.com/sections/tech-tips/108-the-difference-between-a-surge-protector-and-an-uninterruptible-power-supply.html)

APC Belkin and other companies make good UPS.

Me personally. I'm using a APC server UPS for my Server, Belkin server UPS for my main system + laptop and a CyberPower UPS for other equipment.

[Jimboski]

Damn, Never heard of UPS'. They're expensive!

[george__]

What the heck!? NOBODY heard of UPS.

:|... How can this be...

edit: It's like getting rust proofing for your car.

[Setz]

What the heck!? NOBODY heard of UPS.

:|... How can this be...

edit: It's like getting rust proofing for your car.

I've heard of surge protectors, but I thought they were like snake oil. I didn't know they were legit.

They're also ridiculously expensive. 200$ for a fancy plug? Surely there's a <50$ solution.

[george__]

I've heard of surge protectors, but I thought they were like snake oil. I didn't know they were legit.

They're also ridiculously expensive. 200$ for a fancy plug? Surely there's a <50$ solution.

Yeah take a look at CyberPower UPS... You could, technically, get away with a this (http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_438&item_id=028027) but due to your psu, it might not be very effective... This (http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_438&item_id=027583)might be a better bet.

for me - I don't really care about keeping the system running if power goes out or fluctuating too much I always turn off my systems. BUT a working ups will prevent blown caps and blown parts so your not going to lose your ~$1200 pc. Point being, usually more expensive UPS should have a bigger battery which means you could keep your computer running using the battery longer or power more items connected to it longer.

If you are really hardcore, you can buy generator which you install into your home or power using gasoline... I was personally thinking about buying one because I was going to buy a 4U server bay but decided against it.

[Setz]

Yeah take a look at CyberPower UPS... You could, technically, get away with a this (http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_438&item_id=028027) but due to your psu, it might not be very effective... This (http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_438&item_id=027583)might be a better bet.

for me - I don't really care about keeping the system running if power goes out or fluctuating too much I always turn off my systems. BUT a working ups will prevent blown caps and blown parts so your not going to lose your ~$1200 pc. Point being, usually more expensive UPS should have a bigger battery which means you could keep your computer running using the battery longer or power more items connected to it longer.

If you are really hardcore, you can buy generator which you install into your home or power using gasoline... I was personally thinking about buying one because I was going to buy a 4U server bay but decided against it.

Well, money isn't really an issue; I just didn't want to pick up something I'd never use or see the benefit of. I like to spend money, just not foolishly. :)

Would this (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=36273&vpn=CP1000AVRLCD&manufacture=CyberPower) be a good buy? I'm not experienced with generators/surge protectors/etc. If the power goes out for a split second, my PC would remain on and functioning? If the power goes out, about how long do I have until the UPS goes out?

[george__]

Well, money isn't really an issue; I just didn't want to pick up something I'd never use or see the benefit of. I like to spend money, just not foolishly. :)

Would this (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=36273&vpn=CP1000AVRLCD&manufacture=CyberPower) be a good buy? I'm not experienced with generators/surge protectors/etc. If the power goes out for a split second, my PC would remain on and functioning? If the power goes out, about how long do I have until the UPS goes out?

The point of the UPS is to provide a steady stream of power constantly because if the power goes out for a split second you could have a blown caps, Lightning Strike Symptom etc... So the UPS has a battery that kicks in when it detects that the power fluctuated.

I have no experience with any Cyberpower unit aside from the cheaper ones I posted before. Sorry :(
But to be honest, my main experience is with business grade stuff so I won't be much help.

I do have one horror story though... I bought a cheap no name brand UPS (not cyber power) about 2 years ago and when I was moving furniture, a switch power adapter had melted / blown up because the UPS (for whatever reason) kept providing way to much power to adapters... I tested the UPS again with a Linksys Router and the adapter also became crazy ***** hot... I was amazed the melted / blown up adapter still worked though.

The estimated time the computer stays on depends on the model and the parts your computer is using :).

[Setz]

The point of the UPS is to provide a steady stream of power constantly because if the power goes out for a split second you could have a blown caps... So yeah the computer keeps running because the UPS battery kicks in and starts providing the power.

I have no experience with any Cyberpower unit aside from the cheaper ones I posted before. Sorry :(

If money isn't a issue, a APC would be a better bet. The battery lasts longer on APC units for some reason.

The estimated time the computer stays on depends on the model and the parts your computer is using :).

Does a UPS require lots of power to function? A concern I have is that my current office area is on the same breaker as my furnace (whoever did the wiring for this house had no clue in his head), so constantly flipping the breaker would be a problem. Right now my 750W PSU works fine even under load without causing too much stress on the breaker.

[mysticalinfluence]

Damn, Never heard of UPS'. They're expensive!

Not really 850-1000 watt UPS's go on sale at NCIX for $100-150 all the time. One thing you need know about UPS is make sure you buy a brand that works with PFC PSU's. UPS,PFC can be a bad combo and put alot stress on PFC PSU's. Avoid Simulated Sine Wave UPS's, Cyberpower makes a line that uses Pure Sine Wave which is more complatible with PFC PSU.

[george__]

@mysticalinfluence - do you have any idea if a UPS requires a lot of power?

[george__]

@mysticalinfluence - do you have any idea if a UPS requires a lot of power?
:P Don't plug your TV and Printer into a UPS

[zatnaf]

i would get faster RAM. 1333mhz is a little slow imo.

[Techgeek32]

Your new upgrades are looking great. You won't have problem playing any game. However until September you may find something better. About the UPS, it's very useful because you will protect your PC from unstable power. The UPS you are linking is good to buy but I am not sure if you will face any problem with your electricity cause of your bad wiring.

[beuh_dave]

i5-3570k with Noctua NH-D14
ASUS P8Z77-V Lk motherboard
8gb G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1333 (going to buy a 2nd kit so I can have 16gb)
2x Gigabyte 2gb GTX670 'OC Edition'
XFX PRO750W PSU
Silverstone FT02B-W chassis


I know that Noctua NH-D14 is one of the best air coolers on the market, but it's kinda of expensive. You can almost upgrade to the Intel Core i7-3770K instead. I guess you should ask yourself if you'd rather use the i5-3570k with an aftermarket cooler or would you rather have a Intel Core i7-3770K with a stock cooler (prices would be similar).

You should buy DDR3-1600 at 1.5 volt to allow for more overclocking headroom.

If you're going to get 2x GTX 670, you should consider getting a 2560x1440 IPS monitor (if you don't have one already). Check out the following threads for cheap $290 korean made IPS monitors w/ free shipping. Lots of happy owners. Thread 1 (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/merged-various-korean-branded-27-2560x1440-s-ips-lcds-280-450-us-shipped-ebay-1146004/), Thread 2 (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/korea-achieva-27-led-2560x1440-wqhd-s-ips-monitor-qh270-ipsb-290-325-usd-s-h-1183236/)

If you're going to be spending that much, you may want to try to get a modular or semi-modular PSU? You'll have a beautiful case and it'll be a shame to have a non modular PSU messing it up. That case is beautiful, it's just really expensive. If you bought a $50 case (like the CM 690 Basic), for the same amount of money, you can have an i7 and a 128GB Crucial M4 SSD. It's up to you, but I always pick performance over looks. Best of luck to you!

[Setz]

I know that Noctua NH-D14 is one of the best air coolers on the market, but it's kinda of expensive. You can almost upgrade to the Intel Core i7-3770K instead. I guess you should ask yourself if you'd rather use the i5-3570k with an aftermarket cooler or would you rather have a Intel Core i7-3770K with a stock cooler (prices would be similar).

You should buy DDR3-1600 at 1.5 volt to allow for more overclocking headroom.

If you're going to get 2x GTX 670, you should consider getting a 2560x1440 IPS monitor (if you don't have one already). Check out the following threads for cheap $290 korean made IPS monitors w/ free shipping. Lots of happy owners. Thread 1 (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/merged-various-korean-branded-27-2560x1440-s-ips-lcds-280-450-us-shipped-ebay-1146004/), Thread 2 (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/korea-achieva-27-led-2560x1440-wqhd-s-ips-monitor-qh270-ipsb-290-325-usd-s-h-1183236/)

If you're going to be spending that much, you may want to try to get a modular or semi-modular PSU? You'll have a beautiful case and it'll be a shame to have a non modular PSU messing it up. That case is beautiful, it's just really expensive. If you bought a $50 case (like the CM 690 Basic), for the same amount of money, you can have an i7 and a 128GB Crucial M4 SSD. It's up to you, but I always pick performance over looks. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the comment! I have a 60gb OCZ Agility 2 SSD I'm going to use from my old system for my operating system. I don't necessarily need fast r/w speeds otherwise, just for my OS. As for the PSU, it's modular or nothing. I've gone many years with an active PSU and when I switched to my modular HX750, it changed everything. It got to the point where I could have great cable management which helped with airflow and temps (and made things a lot easier to replace/upgrade). I'll never use a giant octopus-like active PSU again.

A stock cooler is really out of the question; for starters, even installing those darn turn-pin coolers is a nightmare (I burnt out a prior CPU with sloppy installation), and they don't provide adequate airflow for overclocking. I have the budget, so going for the best cooler I can isn't an issue. I'd go for the better processor, but I've been told by many people that the i5-3570k is the best bang-for-buck performance wise. I don't really want diminishing returns despite my budget.

I know next to nothing about monitors, but I do plan to play using nVidia Surround. The only question is how. A lot of games I play I could make great use of three portrait screens, and some would benefit with 1x landscape, 2x portrait, and many more with three landscape screens. I want screens that can change orientation if anything, at definitely 16:10. It's either that, or one big 27" 2560x1600 screen, with a smaller secondary screen in portrait for temp recording, messaging, etc. But as I said, I know nothing about monitors, so I don't even know where to begin hunting for a good one. My previous endeavor in buying monitors (three ASUS VH236H screens) was uninformed and in the end I regretted the purchase. They're fine monitors alone, but the awkward bezel and monitor shape made triple-screen gaming nigh-on impossible. Worst case scenario I can reuse them, but I'd still like a fancier screen.

My budget when all is said and done is at the maximum 2,500$, but I'd like to keep it as close to 2,000$ as possible. The PC itself will cost about 1700$ pending revisions, and for a monitor I'd spend at most 400$~ for one 27". I can make due with three sub-24" monitors if they are affordable enough and can change orientation.

Scratch that, the more I think about it, the more appealing one large monitor at 2560x1600 becomes. If you can suggest a specific monitor, I'm all for it. My only per-requisites are non-glossy screen, small panel/bezel, and ideally a 60hz screen. Despite dual 670s being fully capable of 120hz and 3D gaming, I'm blind in one eye, so the benefits don't really aide me.

[spena]

Scratch that, the more I think about it, the more appealing one large monitor at 2560x1600 becomes. If you can suggest a specific monitor, I'm all for it. My only per-requisites are non-glossy screen, small panel/bezel, and ideally a 60hz screen. Despite dual 670s being fully capable of 120hz and 3D gaming, I'm blind in one eye, so the benefits don't really aide me.

Dell U3011 and HP ZR30W are both pretty good options in the $1200-1400 range tho.

[Setz]

Dell U3011 and HP ZR30W are both pretty good options in the $1200-1400 range tho.

Yeah, that vastly overgoes my budget.

[george__]

@Setz, depending on how close you are to the monitor, buying a huge monitor can make you really dizzy and give you a headache... I once used a 26" monitor on a normal office desk and I gave up and went with 2 x 23" which was much easier on my head for long term viewing.

Also a CM Hyper 212+ or the Evo model is also a very good model and much cheaper than a Noctua

EDIT:

The Dell U2412M is on sale today. Get two of those with the coupon codes and get a monitor mount. :D
The monitor (http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors_Flat_Panel_Widescreen/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-2676&dgc=AF&cid=3881&lid=77903&acd=CAqD7bLWUPI-0VBspRNgowdPkoqO8UVGBg)

[Setz]

@Setz, depending on how close you are to the monitor, buying a huge monitor can make you really dizzy and give you a headache... I once used a 26" monitor on a normal office desk and I gave up and went with 2 x 23" which was much easier on my head for long term viewing.

Also a CM Hyper 212+ or the Evo model is also a very good model and much cheaper than a Noctua

EDIT:

The Dell U2412M is on sale today. Get two of those with the coupon codes and get a monitor mount. :D
The monitor (http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors_Flat_Panel_Widescreen/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-2676&dgc=AF&cid=3881&lid=77903&acd=CAqD7bLWUPI-0VBspRNgowdPkoqO8UVGBg)

Ah, didn't catch your edit until now. I like the Dell U~ series of monitors, especially their small profile and very small bezel, but I can't make any purchases until September when I can afford the time and money to build my new PC. Really nice monitors, though.

[george__]

Ah, didn't catch your edit until now. I like the Dell U~ series of monitors, especially their small profile and very small bezel, but I can't make any purchases until September when I can afford the time and money to build my new PC. Really nice monitors, though.

Yeah. I like my U2312HMs :D.

[balance]

2x 670 is overkill.

Oh really, depends how you use it

[ijustgotadeal]

With all the issues you have OP, it sounds like you have a dirty electrical issue or their may be an issue with the grounding.


I'd re-use my Corsair PSU but it began to develop heavy cap whine, so I'll just replace it.

Contact Corsair and they'll take care of you, some of the best support in the business. For example, here (http://www.overclock.net/t/848080/corsair-750tx-cap-whine) is a guy that had the same issue and people are saying: "its normal cap while. corsair accepts rma's for the stupidist reasons so give it a try" and "Corsair is known for top of the line customer service. They'd be glad to accept the RMA."

[Setz]

I'm just doing a little monitor scouting right now just to see the various models in preparation for when I decide to purchase my new PC. NCIX doesn't have too many 2560x1600 or 2560x1440 monitors, and all of them are in the 1000-2500$ range, vastly overshooting my budget. I guess I'll have to make due for 1920x1200. I got a pretty good handling on what I'm looking for in a primary monitor, but for secondary monitors I'm not so sure. It's also troubling that NCIX' selection on 1920x1200 monitors is pretty slim as well, I can only find one that is more than 25 inches, and it's 1000$, still over my budget. I really don't want to stick to 1920x1080.

What are the monitors called that can change their orientation? I found this one (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69432&vpn=PA238QR&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1254) and it looks pretty good and specs from what I can understand is not bad. I'd need two monitors that can go portrait-mode, but the third one (primary monitor) doesn't need to, although it would be nice so I can play flying sims and racing games the way they were intended to be played. This is assuming I can budget properly. I think my absolute budget is 2,500$ when all is said and done, for both monitor(s) and hardware. I don't NEED three monitors, but I need at least two; a very good primary monitor, and a decent secondary monitor that can shift into portrait orientation.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[ijustgotadeal]

I'm just doing a little monitor scouting right now just to see the various models in preparation for when I decide to purchase my new PC. NCIX doesn't have too many 2560x1600 or 2560x1440 monitors, and all of them are in the 1000-2500$ range, vastly overshooting my budget. I guess I'll have to make due for 1920x1200. I got a pretty good handling on what I'm looking for in a primary monitor, but for secondary monitors I'm not so sure. It's also troubling that NCIX' selection on 1920x1200 monitors is pretty slim as well, I can only find one that is more than 25 inches, and it's 1000$, still over my budget. I really don't want to stick to 1920x1080.

What are the monitors called that can change their orientation? I found this one (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69432&vpn=PA238QR&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1254) and it looks pretty good and specs from what I can understand is not bad. I'd need two monitors that can go portrait-mode, but the third one (primary monitor) doesn't need to, although it would be nice so I can play flying sims and racing games the way they were intended to be played. This is assuming I can budget properly. I think my absolute budget is 2,500$ when all is said and done, for both monitor(s) and hardware. I don't NEED three monitors, but I need at least two; a very good primary monitor, and a decent secondary monitor that can shift into portrait orientation.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Dell makes really good IPS displays that:

* Go on sale A LOT
* Do portrait
* Have free shipping
* Insane warranty

[george__]

Dell makes really good IPS displays that:

* Go on sale A LOT
* Do portrait
* Have free shipping
* Insane warranty

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1.
But I still hate their desktops and laptops and printers

edit: I'm bored so I took a picture for you with my Bold 9900. It's 300 Bluray version side by side with IPS on left and the LED on right.
Here's the picture (http://imageshack.us/f/201/img2012072800013.jpg/)
As you can see, the IPS looks much nicer, the LED just looks super ***** bright (I've tried to change the settings, but not much success). With really dark scenes, the LED fails really bad (everything just blends).
Also in that picture is a Das Keyboard and Logitech G9 mouse :D. Good mechanical keyboard (I prefer cherry mx blue switches, kinda noisy though) is sound investment.

[Setz]

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1.
But I still hate their desktops and laptops and printers

edit: I'm bored so I took a picture for you with my Bold 9900. It's 300 Bluray version side by side with IPS on left and the LED on right.
Here's the picture (http://imageshack.us/f/201/img2012072800013.jpg/)
As you can see, the IPS looks much nicer, the LED just looks super ***** bright (I've tried to change the settings, but not much success). With really dark scenes, the LED fails really bad (everything just blends).
Also in that picture is a Das Keyboard and Logitech G9 mouse :D. Good mechanical keyboard (I prefer cherry mx blue switches, kinda noisy though) is sound investment.

The monitor I linked earlier (which would be a secondary monitor that can pivot) is an LED IPS screen... I'm kind of confused now lol. IPS does look a lot nicer, so I'll be going with that type of monitor. The monitor I linked has a 6ms latency; I'm not sure how big of a difference this will be.

As for the primary monitor, I'm still looking around. A friend of mine has a 24" Samsung Syncmaster, and I was looking at the 27" version earlier. His monitor looks nice, and the PQ is great, but it's an LED LCD screen. Here's (http://ncix.com/products/?sku=72918&vpn=LC27A650XS%2FZA&manufacture=Samsung&promoid=1254) the link to the monitor.

There's also a Dell U2410, but it's only 24". NCIX' selection is really limiting, but it's the only place I'll buy electronics and computer hardware.

[Setz]

Bump, getting close to my purchase date.

[Jimboski]

Bump, getting close to my purchase date.

Lol, Never knew building a rig was so hard.
I built my rig In like a day or two!

[Setz]

Lol, Never knew building a rig was so hard.
I built my rig In like a day or two!

I'm spending close to 2,500$ on this PC, and it takes a while to pick the best parts for my price range. I got a pretty good idea of my final build (pic related (http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7712/pcpcpcpcpc.png)), just checking to see if there are better and/or cheaper alternatives. It's not really a hard process, I just don't want to make a bad purchase; this PC will be with me for years to come, so it would suck having to rebuy hardware from bad choices I previously made.

A PC I made in 2010, I ended up building it all in a day or two, ordering it, paying for it, and then only had problems from then on because I skimped on quality. I ended up returning most of the hardware for other things, paying restocking fees, etc etc; my 1,500$ PC probably cost closer to 2,000-2,500$ when all things were said and done. I don't want the same scenario to happen this time.

[lostintransit]

Why aren't you listening to these guys on buying the dell IPS monitors? Your buying 2 monitors and they are 2 different sizes?
You could always just start with one monitor and one video card, and add the 2nd of each later to prevent your chances of making bad decisions.

What game will you playing on this?



I'm spending close to 2,500$ on this PC, and it takes a while to pick the best parts for my price range. I got a pretty good idea of my final build (pic related (http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7712/pcpcpcpcpc.png)), just checking to see if there are better and/or cheaper alternatives. It's not really a hard process, I just don't want to make a bad purchase; this PC will be with me for years to come, so it would suck having to rebuy hardware from bad choices I previously made.

A PC I made in 2010, I ended up building it all in a day or two, ordering it, paying for it, and then only had problems from then on because I skimped on quality. I ended up returning most of the hardware for other things, paying restocking fees, etc etc; my 1,500$ PC probably cost closer to 2,000-2,500$ when all things were said and done. I don't want the same scenario to happen this time.

[Setz]

Why aren't you listening to these guys on buying the dell IPS monitors? Your buying 2 monitors and they are 2 different sizes?
You could always just start with one monitor and one video card, and add the 2nd of each later to prevent your chances of making bad decisions.

What game will you playing on this?

One monitor will remain in portrait mode for easier web-viewing; the primary monitor is the only one for games. I've considered the U2410, but my budget won't allow it. By all means if a 1920x1200 Ultrasharp does drop at least a hundred bucks down to 300-400$, then I would grab one. Regardless, my monitor choices are tentative; my PC build itselfi s pretty set in stone, however.

[bunshichi]

One monitor will remain in portrait mode for easier web-viewing; the primary monitor is the only one for games. I've considered the U2410, but my budget won't allow it. By all means if a 1920x1200 Ultrasharp does drop at least a hundred bucks down to 300-400$, then I would grab one. Regardless, my monitor choices are tentative; my PC build itselfi s pretty set in stone, however.

Not sure if you made the purchase yet, only curious item is the 22" Benq monitor @ 1680x1050 for 189.99. You can get the 23" Dell/ASUS IPS @ 1920x1080 for ~$199.99, which isn't all that uncommon and both of these panels can go portrait mode.

The gold PSU is nice but not sure if it's necessary if you are running a single GPU setup. I'm running a similar monitor setup as what you have in mind, except with one of the Korean 27" and the U2311 in portrait mode, it's awesome. As with the D14, one of the best if not the best air coolers available.

[Setz]

^Yeah, that BenQ is gonna be the one I picked up for portrait mode. I don't think I'll get another monitor besides that one, my 23" ASUS screens will do just fine for now. 750W is suggested minimum for two 670s, so I hope 850W is enough.

[thilly]

whatchu buy so far?

[bunshichi]

^Yeah, that BenQ is gonna be the one I picked up for portrait mode. I don't think I'll get another monitor besides that one, my 23" ASUS screens will do just fine for now. 750W is suggested minimum for two 670s, so I hope 850W is enough.

What I meant to share was that, IMO the Dell/ASUS 23" IPS @ $200 would be a better option for the 'portrait mode' monitor you intend to use than the 22" Benq @ $190 since they are 1) bigger 2) more pixel real estate for $10 difference. Unless there is some functionality specific to your need on the Benq which I am unaware of.

Ah, yeah 850W PSU is good since you are going SLI - I'm not sure if the Gold efficiency is worth the premium on it though. Anyways if you are interested this is def a good read for PSU ratings. http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129456

[thilly]

a 650w gold cert psu would be enough to support sli/crossfire

[george__]

^
Good models to look out for are

XFX and Corsair HX TX or AX series

[balance]

the only thing I hate about gigabyte 670 is its PCB color COME ON gigabyte you make excellent motherboard and GPU. Hire a designer or something....

I would either look for asus 670 CU II (with nice aluminium backplate only asus and EVGA offer it I believe) or MSI 670 twin frozer IV

http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image//skymtl/GPU/GTX-670-TOP/LARGE/GTX-670-TOP-9.jpg

Silverstone FT02 awesome design, your GPU will love you, no more GPU bending due to heavy heat sink,

also you can fit like a quad 120 rad or 3x180 rad and another 120 on top

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/4633/ft022.jpg

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/6858100/1024/Anonymous/IMG-2857.jpg

You might not want to do water cooling atm but just leaving you with an option!

The only silverstone case I would personally buy is TJ07, FT02, FT03 or FT03 mini. The TJ07 curve front unibody is excellent!

As for PSU my dream PSU would be a seasonic 860 or corsair AX1200I :D (if OP has the cash :P)

Since your getting a window version, might as well have it looking good

you can do with 750w PSU at max my system with DUAL 670 only pulls like 585Watts

[george__]

^

That is going to cost the OP a arm and a leg

PSU alone is like $260

[balance]

i said if OP had cash LOL, he's getting an expensive case, SLI, go a bit more :P

CC has seasonic 860 for 200 Lowest I have seen it

corsair ax1200i is another story 300+ the best of the best

[Keas]

Balance that is some purty cable management. wish my case looked half as clean as that one does.

[bunshichi]

If you're still shopping:
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors_Flat_Panel_Widescreen/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-2807 - U2312HM $179.00

[Setz]

I've paid for the upgrades earlier today. It should arrive in a week or so. I'll definitely post pictures of the end product.

http://imageshack.us/a/img14/4264/newpcg.png

[Setz]

Also: regarding monitors, I've opted to wait on a primary monitor and will just use my current ASUS VH236H 1080p screen. When I have my bearings straight, I'll pick up another primary monitor. I did pick up the ASUS pivot screen, however.

[thilly]

nice looks good

[Jimboski]

the only thing I hate about gigabyte 670 is its PCB color COME ON gigabyte you make excellent motherboard and GPU. Hire a designer or something....

I would either look for asus 670 CU II (with nice aluminium backplate only asus and EVGA offer it I believe) or MSI 670 twin frozer IV

http://images.hardwarecanucks.com/image//skymtl/GPU/GTX-670-TOP/LARGE/GTX-670-TOP-9.jpg

Silverstone FT02 awesome design, your GPU will love you, no more GPU bending due to heavy heat sink,

also you can fit like a quad 120 rad or 3x180 rad and another 120 on top

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/4633/ft022.jpg

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/6858100/1024/Anonymous/IMG-2857.jpg

You might not want to do water cooling atm but just leaving you with an option!

The only silverstone case I would personally buy is TJ07, FT02, FT03 or FT03 mini. The TJ07 curve front unibody is excellent!

As for PSU my dream PSU would be a seasonic 860 or corsair AX1200I :D (if OP has the cash :P)

Since your getting a window version, might as well have it looking good

you can do with 750w PSU at max my system with DUAL 670 only pulls like 585Watts

Damn, Those are nuts!

[Setz]

I built the PC yesterday and just now got everything set up. Since I'm having a little problem with Windows (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/bsod-installation-64-bit-windows-7-no-bsod-32-bit-1238911/), I only have 32-bit W7 installed at the moment. Benchmarks so far are good with Furmark and Tessmark, but haven't actually tried a game yet. WEI score 7.9 across the board save for SSD.

The IPS screen is super nice, I absolutely love it. I think instead of buying a large main monitor, I might just buy 2 more of these pivot displays and have them in nVidia Surround. It's really large in portrait mode, so I think two more will yield a larger screen than a prospective 27", a much better resolution, and will be cheaper.

Pictures coming soon.

[Jimboski]

What monitor did you get?

[Setz]

What monitor did you get?

ASUS PA238QR. Really nice IPS panel.

[Setz]

http://imageshack.us/a/img809/2574/dscf1417g.jpg

I'm just waiting for my new RAM to arrive on Tuesday. Currently I'm using my old memory.

[Jimboski]

ASUS PA238QR. Really nice IPS panel.

That's the one I got, $194.99. You?

[Setz]

That's the one I got, $194.99. You?

219.98$. It's a spectacular monitor.

[Jimboski]

219.98$. It's a spectacular monitor.

Definitely for the price It's good. I have a question.. When you turn off your monitor do you "sometimes" see a white line go across the monitor before turning off? Not sure If It's like that or not.

[Setz]

Definitely for the price It's good. I have a question.. When you turn off your monitor do you "sometimes" see a white line go across the monitor before turning off? Not sure If It's like that or not.

Yes.

[Jimboski]

Yes.

Also another question.. When the monitor has been off for a long time (When you just woke up or got home from work) and turn It on, Does It turn on right away on the first press? I "sometimes" have to press my power on button like 1-3 times to get It to turn on, Thanks! LOL.

[Setz]

Also another question.. When the monitor has been off for a long time (When you just woke up or got home from work) and turn It on, Does It turn on right away on the first press? I "sometimes" have to press my power on button like 1-3 times to get It to turn on, Thanks! LOL.

I've had the monitor for <3 hours. I'll let you know in a few days lol

[Jimboski]

I've had the monitor for <3 hours. I'll let you know in a few days lol

Haha alright.

[Setz]

Haha alright.

I don't have this issue, although the button is a little finicky; requires a little effort to push.

I did some benchmarking earlier, and so far I am very impressed. Even under 32-bit W7 and the memory limitation, I'm getting stellar performance and temps. BF3 ultra everything, max MSAA at 1920x1080 = solid 60fps. It doesn't even dip to 59fps, ever. And all on a nice cool 45C CPU and 50C GPU (idle around 30C each).