My First PC Build

[CStingerGhost1]

Hey guys, just found this awesome forum! Before I talk about the build, I need to add some background here:
And before I do that, I need to clear the air real quick. I'm 16. Why am I saying this? Because it has a large influence on exactly what I build (price and lifestyle factor in here).

Now that that's over, I can tell the story. Several years ago, I got an HP laptop before going into high school. It went belly-up about four months ago. That same week, I bought a new HP ENVY dv6t-7200 with a GeForce GT 650M (pretty good). Well, the GPU was defective. HP sent me a new notebook. Four days after I got it, it had the same issue. :mad: At that point, I knew HP had an epidemic problem. Called them up and they set some special group of people to investigate and figure whether it would be best to replace my laptop again or refund it.
This is where we are now. If they choose to replace it, I'm going to demand a refund anyways. I still have until next Tuesday to do so. I'm done with HP (next laptop will be an ASUS). In fact, I'm done with laptops for now. I've chosen to go with custom-building a nice desktop. This will be a high-performance computer (for gaming, video editing, photo editing, and CAD/3D-design). I have some pretty good experience with computers (repairs, upgrading, etc.) but have never built one. I know what to do when putting it together, but I want some opinions on what exactly to get. I have composed a list of components, which will be stated below. My budget is near $1,200 (yes, I know it's pretty big for someone my age, and you might think I'm spoiled, but my parents are NOT paying for this).

Operating System: Windows 8 64-bit (I've used it before, and contrary to many people's opinions, I like it) - $100 from Newegg
CPU: Third-Gen Intel Core i5-3570K - Bundled with my RAM and motherboard for $375 from Tiger Direct
MB: ASUS Intel Z77 Motherboard - Bundled with my CPU and motherboard for $375 from Tiger Direct
RAM: Corsair CMX4GX3M1A1333C9 XMS3 4GB DDR3 RAM (I will likely upgrade to 8 gigs and 1600 Mhz sometime after getting the PC)
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 660 Ti - $280 from Tiger Direct
System Drive: Corsair Neutron Series CSSD-N120GB3-BK 120GB SSD (for Windows, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, some games, and other programs) - $120 from Tiger Direct
Hard Drive: 2 TB Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 (I'm open to better suggestions on this, however I want a minimum 1 TB and 7200 RPM) - $110 from Amazon.com
PSU: Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply - $65 from Tiger Direct
Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Edition - $30 from Tiger Direct

I want to know if this stuff is all compatible. Feel free to suggest other components. I also plan on getting two more case fans, as that case comes only with one, but has space for four.
Another thing about the fans: Anyone have any suggestions on the best placement?

[CStingerGhost1]

Chino wrote:
A-ok. Don't forget to post pics of your build. 😉

I will.
Actually, I'm probably going to make unboxing videos for each part and upload them to my YouTube channel (CStingerGhost1).
I don't think I'll do any installation videos though.

[CStingerGhost1]

Sorry for the double-post but I have an update:
HP is refunding me in-full for my defective laptop.
When I ordered the stuff on Newegg, the credit card company blocked the order (since it was so large). Since I was going to go to Microcenter to get the CPU, I decided to see if I could get all of the stuff there. As soon as I stepped into the "PC-Building" section, a Microcenter guy was right on me asking what I wanted, price range, etc. He helped me pick everything out. I cancelled the Newegg order over my phone and ended up getting the entire build from Microcenter. Some of the stuff is different, so here's the new specifications:

Case- MSI Interceptor Series Barricade
Operating System- Windows 8 64-bit
Motherboard- MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt
CPU- Intel Core i7-3770K
RAM- Eight-gigabytes of 1600-megahertz Crucial BallistiX Sport Series memory (2x4 GB)
GPU- ASUS NVidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti DC2O-2GD5
PSU- Cooler Master CX-Series CX750 750-watt
System Data Drive- Samsung 840 Pro Series 2.5" 128-gigabyte SATA III Internal Solid State Drive
Storage Data Drive- Western Digital Caviar Black one-terabyte 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Optical Drive- LG 24X DVD Burner - OEM

The price after rebates comes out to just about the same.
The build has been...well...built already. :rolleyes: Everything runs fine. I'm downloading the first test-game now (Deus Ex: Human Revolution). It should definitely be done by the time I get home.
Also, the SSD is freaking amazing. I have a three-second period of time from when I push the power button until when I can log into Windows. :cool:
Thanks for all of the help. Pictures will follow

[Chino]

The only downside to MicroCenter is their lack of variety but they usually have better prices than other stores- Good to see you enjoying your PC already. 😉

[CStingerGhost1]

Chino wrote:
The only downside to MicroCenter is their lack of variety but they usually have better prices than other stores- Good to see you enjoying your PC already. 😉

Well as long as they have what I want, I don't care about their variety.
But I get what you mean. They only stock certain manufacturers. And they are always out of stock on popular products.
For example, the GTX 690s are gone in less than a day when they get restocked. At least, according to the guy who was helping me out.

[CStingerGhost1]

Hey guys! Everything runs great.
I did have a question though. Which drivers should I be running for my 660 Ti? NVidia says I should use the 310.9 drivers. My card shipped with 304.xx and I'm currently running 306.97. Everything runs fine, so it's not like I expect any issues to be fixed by upgrading. Maybe better performance???
I'm just looking for advice.
Also, if I do get drivers, I should get them directly from NVidia...right?

[kkn]

CStingerGhost1 wrote:
Hey guys! Everything runs great.
I did have a question though. Which drivers should I be running for my 660 Ti? NVidia says I should use the 310.9 drivers. My card shipped with 304.xx and I'm currently running 306.97. Everything runs fine, so it's not like I expect any issues to be fixed by upgrading. Maybe better performance???
I'm just looking for advice.
Also, if I do get drivers, I should get them directly from NVidia...right?

never use Beta drivers, they are buggy, you can end up whit BSOD's or you could be fine.
thats my recomendation.

[CStingerGhost1]

kkn wrote:
never use Beta drivers, they are buggy, you can end up whit BSOD's or you could be fine.
thats my recomendation.

I know not to use beta drivers...but 310.9 is no longer beta. It's been out of beta for quite a while now.
Anyways, it's been working great for about four weeks now so I think the 310.9 drivers are fine for me.

[Chino]

Even though the 310.9 drivers address certain issues with certain cards, there are quite a few updates for NVIDIA cards in general. It is up to you whether you want to update or not. And yes, you should always get them directly from NVIDIA. 😉

[CStingerGhost1]

Chino wrote:
Even though the 310.9 drivers address certain issues with certain cards, there are quite a few updates for NVIDIA cards in general. It is up to you whether you want to update or not. And yes, you should always get them directly from NVIDIA. 😉

Alright, I installed the 310.9 drivers. Everything works fine. I'm not sure if it's giving me any benefits at all though...

[Chino]

It's like going to the doctor. You have no idea if taking what he prescribe are going to make you feel better. But might as well, take it and see what happens lol.