Build Advice on this setup

[caschbre]

I'm getting ready to put together a new gaming rig and I was hoping I could get some feedback from some more recent builders around here. Below is a list of parts so far...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($200.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($132.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card ($350.38 @ Newegg)
Monitor: BenQ XL2420T 120Hz 24.0" Monitor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1612.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-05 13:52 EDT-0400)

Budget

None really... I just want good value for the price. I use this machine for my daily job as well so I run multiple VMs, etc.

Questions

What am I losing out on by going with the Hero vs Formula?

I don't plan to do any OCing but don't want to eliminate that as a possibility down the road. Are there features in the Formula that are must haves?

What mid tower case would be recommended for this system?

Existing Case: SILVERSTONE KUBLAI Series KL03-B Black ATX Full Tower Computer Case

I was planning to re-purpose my existing full tower case but I would like something a bit smaller with USB3 ports. Ideally something that assists with keeping it cool / quiet. I'm looking for something more functional than flashy.

What cooling options (fan / water) would be recommended?

Existing CPU Fan: Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Cooler
Existing Case Fans: Noctua NF-P12-1300 120mm Case Fan (x4)

If I go with a mid tower case (based on the previous question), what would be the better air cooling options? Water cooling options?

Video card recommendations?

I mostly play FPS (BF3, upcoming BF4, ArmaII) and Skyrim. Is the GTX 670 4GB card sufficient? Is one of the 7xx series worth the additional money?

Any other feedback?

[HiVizMan]

You would be better served with the 4670K board, there are next to zero games that use the HT feature which is the only difference between the too, oh other than the $100 that is.

The Hero would be my board of choice based on your usage and has all the features you want.

I would re-think that graphic card, use the money you saved on the CPU to go with a 770 or 760.

Cases I am not qualified to comment on.

[Myk_SilentShado]

Like Viz said above, ditch the 4770K and get a 4670K and with that money saved get 32GB RAM...I can't imagine 16GB goes far with multiple VMs

[caschbre]

Ok... I wasn't sure if the 4770k would be beneficial for multiple VMs and such. So I can drop that down to a 4670k and either get a better gpu or more memory.

Good feedback... thanks!

[HiVizMan]

Indeed - 4670K for the win.

[chrisnyc75]

re: mid tower cases, try the Corsair 600T, I'm very happy with it. I was also very happy with the Cooler Master CM690 in my previous build. Of the two, the 600T wins for its cable management features, easy access panels, and surprisingly efficient airflow design)

Both are very solid mid-towers at a reasonable price point.

With a midtower you're somewhat limited when it comes to water cooling. In my experience, single 120MM radiators work best in mid-towers, although you can google lots of examples of modified 600T cases with full wc setups. I don't think you could fit wc in the CM690 at all, but it has great airflow design if you're going with air.

[caschbre]

I forgot... here's the PSU I have...

Thermaltake 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA Power Supply

I'm assuming that should work with the new setup? And in a new case with the psu at the bottom?

[chrisnyc75]

Yes, that's the same PSU I have, it will easily power your build even if you were to add another graphics card for SLI.

[caschbre]

Ok, so I've modified my parts a bit based on everyone's feedback.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($200.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($132.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($222.21 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: BenQ XL2420T 120Hz 24.0" Monitor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1595.27
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-08 09:31 EDT-0400)

After reading more threads I'm more interested in water cooling (for beginners, lol) than I am with the CPU fan. While minor OCing may come down the road, my goal is to really keep noise down.

Any recommendations for a simple water cooling option that would fit in this case?

From the description of the case... "Top fan positions now allow slim 240/280mm radiators to be mounted". Should I go this route, and if so any specific brands? Or should I find a single 120mm option?

And when it comes to AIO water cooling solutions... is it really as simple as attaching it where the cpu fan would go and the fans to the case? Or do I need to purchase additional parts, coolant, etc.? I've seen reference to reservoirs and the like but wasn't sure if that is for custom water cooling or not.

[chrisnyc75]

caschbre wrote:

After reading more threads I'm more interested in water cooling (for beginners, lol) than I am with the CPU fan. While minor OCing may come down the road, my goal is to really keep noise down.

Any recommendations for a simple water cooling option that would fit in this case?

From the description of the case... "Top fan positions now allow slim 240/280mm radiators to be mounted". Should I go this route, and if so any specific brands? Or should I find a single 120mm option?

These days you have 2 options:

1 - custom watercooling. Design & assemble your own system from scratch. This can be very effective, but also very expensive. Do your homework before you go this route, you'll need a lot of parts & pieces to work together.

2 - AIO (All-in-one) watercooling. Several retailers have pre-built closed loop watercoolers that are pretty effective. Check out the Corsair H100i or NZXT Kraken x60. This option won't give you quite the cooling power of a custom wv build, but is very efficient from a cost/performance perspective and a good place to start if you've never watercooled before. If you go this route, all you need is the unit itself and to make sure the radiator & fans will fit in your case.

p.s. in a mid-tower case, you might find a 240mm radiator a tight fit. Or, like in my case, you might find that with a 240mm radiator, you can fit only the radiator inside the case (due to height restiction) and would have to put the fans in pull config through the top mesh). Check out the Corsair H80i, it performs virtually the same as the H100i but fits better in smaller/tighter cases.