Advice on my configuration

Budget:
$2,500 +-

Expectations:
I want a system that will perform now, with enough power that it shouldn't need significant upgrades in the near future. I tend to keep computers for years and like to get the most use out of them I can. I haven't bought a new system in years so if some of the answers to my questions are obvious please forgive me.

Usage:
Mostly high performance gaming (ArmA 2, etc.). I will also want to use some older games that only run well on XP, so I have chosen Windows 7 Pro and will get the XP mode download.

Special Needs:
I have a basic configuration planned but I need some advice on the following:

Will my build have adequate USB ports for a gaming system, considering mouse, keyboard, audio, flight stick, etc?

Should I get two smaller HDDs (500GB) and have them set to Raid 1 for a backup? I have had some bad crashes in the past so this is always in the back of my mind.

I want to make sure my build has full SLI, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi capability.

Any thoughts on my display choice?

Finally, I need a recommendation for a good gaming keyboard and mouse (mid price range).

Thanks!

Saved Ticket #: 699324

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard)
Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W Corsair TX850 V2 (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x) <b></b>
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: Asus 24 inch VE248H (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks <b></b>
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Extra Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 4 Year Limited Warranty

Check out this one:
699358
Cost: $2402

I replaced the turbo boost 3770 with a stage 1 overclocked 3570. You should see better performance, but it costs $160 less. I then used about $100 dollars of that to upgrade you to the 4GB 670 from the 2GB 670.

Also, the HAF X case is great for air cooling, so I replaced the H20 cooling with the stage two air cooling, because the Noctuas are the best fans that you are going to get.

Hope this helps.

Edited by Orange7 - 15 Jun 2012 at 2:49pm

Thanks for the quick response bprat22 and Orange7!

Great suggestions and a lot of food for thought. I am thinking about keeping the Sabertooth but just getting a Wi-Fi adaptor (a TP-Link TL-WiN722N). I'd rather go tough on the mobo with the thermal features and 5 year warranty, as it is more of a priority than the Wi-Fi.

I like the idea of switching to the Noctua as I'd prefer an air cooled system, which is also why I'd feel better sticking with the Sabertooth. If I ran the I7 3770k without over clocking could the Noctura still handle the cooling? I was thinking the I7 would be more of a long term investment. Call me old fashioned but I have never gotten comfortable with the idea of over clocking.

I'll check out the Dell monitor, it sounds great. I had picked the Asus because it has speakers and I didn't really want to fool with external speakers. Not sure if the Dell has them or not, or if Dell offers something nice with speakers.

I hadn't thought about the 4GB 670. How much difference would I see with the 4GB versus the 2GB? Would I get more results in the future running two 670s at 2GB or one at 4GB?

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

I'm with bprat. The Noctuas in the Haf X could handle 3 overclocked GTX 680's and an overclocked 3960 with ease. They should have no trouble cooling any single graphics card or any CPU.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Kaldoot, I did some checking and most agree with you on the i5 - i7 question. In the long run games may use HT but it doesn't look like anytime soon, unless I'm missing something.  This system will need to last a long, long time though.

Good question about the graphics card cooling. Bprat22 or Orange7, any thoughts?

I made some changes based the advice I've gotten from all of you here.  I still need to make a decision on the Dell vs Asus monitor and the OC. Does OC void any warranties or cause excess heat that might cause damage?

Here's the new config:

$2,152

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard) <b></b>
Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W Corsair TX850 V2 (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance <b></b>
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: Asus 24 inch VE248H (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Extra Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty <b></b>

Any thoughts? 

How about the two drives with Raid 1 setup?

Any good keyboard and mouse recommendations?

Is there a case that would be more suitable for this than the HAF X?  I know it is  big heavy case and I'm not sure I need that much.  I do not want to compromise on cooling though, as I have switched to the Noctua NH-D14 air system.

Thanks!

Hi dbear......The 500R case is pretty decent with its side panel 200mm fan feeding fresh air to the card. The 600T and 650D are also good cases with their bigger fans.   Most of the better cases are within a couple of inches of each other in either direction, so your call, but the Hafx is the best and quiet. 

Edited by bprat22 - 16 Jun 2012 at 8:04am

You'l have no trouble with sli staying safe.  Air cooling ( D14)vs liquid (240mm stage 2), is for the cpu, unless you spend another $800 and go full water cooling for the gpu's which isn't needed.

Edited by bprat22 - 16 Jun 2012 at 9:07am

MOBO audio is perfectly fine unless you are an audiophile with high end hundreds of dollars speakers.

Not sure about the USB ports though. I have 2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 ports in the front and a couple of them on the back side. And that is plenty for me.

Thanks kaldoot and bprat22.

Guess I'm kind of confused on the USB ports, bprat22.  Do you mean I'll have a toal of 4 or a total of 12 USB ports available on the case (including front and back)? 

Thanks!

Thanks bprat22.  I believe 12 USB ports should be enough, so I won't need the extra USB card.

Thanks!