I already have some money saved and want to build a high end pc. I already bought the MOBO, which is the P8Z77-M Pro, mATX. I don't know if I'm going to have problems dealing with the heatsink.

Please tell me what yout hink:

MOBO: P8Z77-M Pro
CPU: i7 3770k
CASE: CM 690 II Advanced
HEATSINK: Hyper 212 EVO
PSU: Coolermaster 700w
HDD: A 500GB WD and one 120Gb SDD
GPU: HD 7950


What do you think? Will the 212 EVO fit on my mobo without wasting my RAM Slots? The mobo 9.6" x 9.6" (24.4 cm x 24.4 cm).

As long as you pick standard sized RAM, you should have any problems with interfering of space.

Have you considered other cases? The 690 II Advanced is a bit outdated. Corsair, in particular, has made similar cases since then and they are superb according to numerous enthusiast webpages. You could also buy a case designed for silence, for example the Fractal Design Define R4. But it might not be ventilated enough to cool a GPU like the 7950.

And could you be more specific about the PSU?

+1 Lot of low profile RAM out there. Samsung 1.35V is a favorite of mine. There's also G. Skill Ares, etc...

If you are using a MicroATX board, why not use a MicroATX case also?

Because I need the extra space to upgrades and all. Also, for the heatsink.




Well, I wanted to buy that case because it's cheaper. I also thought of the HAF X M, it's a little more expensive, but not that much.What do you think about the HAF X M?

And about the PSU, i was thinking of this one: Corsair GS700 700w 56A

You think it will be enough? I don't plan on overclocking soon, maybe later, in 2 or 3 years maybe.

Buying something for futureproofing never works out as planned. You'll then end up with a MicroATX motherboard with no case to put it in and have to sell it. My advice would be to buy for now, not for 3-4 years down the line.


Most MicroATX cases are just as wide as ATX cases. They also have the same motherboard depth. MicroATX does not inherently reduce the space available for a heatsink.


Looking at the design I'm not sure silence is really a goal of it. The big side vent will also miss the point if you put a MicroATX motherboard in as the fans will not be blowing over much of the board. Looking at cooling performance in some reviews, it's not the best either:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/ ... m-review/3

It's a very 'gaming' orientated case which means big headline features and big dimensions. It's far, far bigger than the requirements of the components you are putting into it.


That's far more power than you will need. This system will draw perhaps 350W max at the wall even when overclocked. Save yourself some money and get something around the 500W mark.

Well then, I dont quite like the mATX cases, it feels like theres not that much room I dont know. And either way, you know an mATX board will fit on a mid tower.



Really? I mean, the 7950 is big enough. This is a PC mainly for gaming and 3d design/motion graphics.



I think the 7950 and that CPU will use a lot of wattage. And I think you're overseeing the fact that I will have a HDD and a SDD, an disc drive, and the other things, not only the CPU. And I think an overclock will requiere a bigger wattage. I don't think were getting into something.

fyi, stock power:

CPU TDP 77
mobo 30
gpu TDP 200
drives 15
misc 20
total stressed load 342W probable gaming load: <300W.

If you overclock the CPU without over-volting, it won't add much. You might get to a 25% OC at stock voltage, so that'll add ~20W to the total. If you overvolt, it'll start cranking up the power.

Same thing on the GPU side.

What exactly are you going to do that needs a bigger case? Climb into it? Cases like the Fractal Design Mini are just like their bigger brothers but shorter. Therefore you don't lose anything if you have nothing extra to fill that space.

Yes, a MicroATX board will fit in an ATX case but that's no reason to buy an ATX case when you have a MicroATX motherboard. The fullsize ATX case is bigger, heavier and so uses more natural resources to manufacture and distribute. Normally this will be reflected in a higher purchase price.

What I think about buying something bigger for futureproofing is this: when you learn to drive and buy your first car, why don't you buy a bus? After all you might have 50 children so you need a big enough vehicle to drive them all round in, just in case.

A 500W PSU will be more than enough.

Well, let's just say I intend to buy an ASUS Maximus V Gene board in a few months becuse I disliked the mATX, but anyway, you sure I just need 500w? Because this page says otherwise http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psuc ... orlite.jsp

This says I need at least a 700w PSU

This "tool" you linked is made by enermax. It's only purpose is to sell a bigger PSU. You have to decide yourself who you trust more, spcr or a manufacturer's tool.

That's a gaming motherboard and won't offer the combination of fan control and power options that you need for a silent system. They're largely about hyped features offering little of any benefit but at a much higher price and are quite inefficient. Sadly they are form over function but marketed as if function defines form.


Well really you just need 350W as an absolute maximum but PSUs of that wattage don't come with 2x PCI-E 6-pin connectors which would mean you'd have to resort to a convertor cable. To get a PSU that comes with 2x PCI-E 6-pin connectors you need to look at over 400W.

Reality and what mainstream enthusiasts think is required are vastly different. Have a read of this thread "How much will a 300w power supply run?" which has been running for close to a decade shwoing how multiple generations of equipment still use much less power than many would suggest:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3075


It is a tool... a marketing tool!

Well you've convinced me. You seem to know what you're talking about. I'll get a 500w PSU, will a 400w do it? Or is a 500w a must?



Well, gaming is one of the main reasons Im building this thing and motion graphics/3d modelling. I'm not into silence computing, maybe later, not yet.


Take a look at this up to date build:

Intel core i7 3770K
ATI Radeon HD7950
ASUS P8Z77-M PRO
G.Skill Ares 8GB x2
Corsair GS500 500w

CM Hyper 212 EVO
ADATA S510 120 GB SSD
Seagate 500 GB HDD

ASUS DVD-Rw 24x


Some fucking mouse and keybord and I dont know what case should I get. One that rather inclines for the a cool temperature than the silence computing.

Probably 500W would be sensible just so that you get the 2xPCI-E 6-pin power connectors needed for the graphics card thus avoiding adaptors and it gives you a bit of headroom.

Do you think it's worth it to buy the 3770k? Or should I stick with the regular 3770?

I dont think I'll be overclocking because first off I dont know how and It's more money for something I dont think it's worth if the processor is already powerful, isnt it?. Wht do you think.