I'm going to go with an Intel chipset, but I'm not sure on the GPU.
Here is my current specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K
GPU: // Maybe a Nvidia GTX 660 TI or a 670.
PSU: // 600 - 750 watts should be enough.
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87X-OC
Case: Fractal Design Define R4
RAM: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB
HDD: Western Digital 1TB internal Hard Drive
I'm just a little worried about which motherboard to get.
I'll post when I've purchased the parts.
by current specs you mean you already own these? if so upgrading to an i7 from taht i5 would be a waste of a lot of money. or if its the one you are looking at, i would say its not a bad pick at all for the 200$ range.
That mobo is both a good over all brand, as well as having some neat features. however a few points to consider:
if your looking at some of the larger(length wise) CPU heatsinks you need to be carefull that it doesnt block out ram slots and clears the built in sink around the CPU. Most heatsinks wont be an issue, but a few you wont be able to use and if you plan on over clocking at all you HAVE to get a good after market heatsink. That aside id say it looks like a solid board, THAT being said 400$ for a motherboard? holy fuck. As stated earlier new gen mobos are just around the corner. meaning that 400$ mobo is a one off. so a few suggestions:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293pos/cons:
heatsink can not be super wide with this design. if the cards are large you may not get full use of slots. still good capacitors and features especially for the price. Ive never used this brand board nor do i know anyone who has. still rather decent reviews, so i would say from what i see the best bang for buck by a long shot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130642pros/cons:
about double the price of the other board i listed(and about half the price of the one you are looking at. 3x pci x16 slots, its major downfall is only 2 usb 3.0 ports. other upsides include WELL known manufacture, good over clocking features, quality parts/components. really to me a tough choice, that would come down to how soon you plan on upgrading your system. if you plan on at least 2-4 years i would probably go with this board. otherwise the other one is the way to go.
PSUs: well since you seem to be relatively lost here i will toss out a few to give you an idea of what im looking at and why.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817374051pro/cons:
Not a lot of reviews kicking around about this one yet, and its at the lower range (700w) power wise. but it has some AWESOME stats. destroys anything in its class and most stuff out of its class power consumption wise. High quality parts and looks nice too. Also passed a huge number of tests/has some great features. Obviously its a 4 rail.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152043pros/cons:
a good PSU, 850w with a decent brand name behind it. i honestly dont think this stacks up to the one i posted before despite the extra wattage available. posted more for you to compare to the first and last one i will post so you can see WHY it doesnt measure up.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371053pros/cons:
most expensive of the 3, and seems to have some DoA issues. Also sounds like the 20+4 pin isnt set up well. Aside from that the stats/parts going in are very nice, and its 850w, which should guarantee its never going to be stressed on your system. However between the price, the DoA issues, the cord issue, and the fact that it only has one extra "good" feature over the first one means that i dont think this is the best buy.
Some more general thoughts on this area: generally going over 4 rails increases price dramatically, and just isnt worth it. at the same time going 4 rails used to be SUPER expensive(and still worth it!) but now its at the point that even 4 rail PSU's compete decently with even single rail PSU's costs. So to me 4 rails is now a no brainer. its well worth the extra 15-40$ you will spend. On top of it you tend to get better parts/testing in a 4 rail PSU than a single or duel rail. Add in the energy savings from the first choice and it will over time pay for itself over anything else i can find.
GPU:
So basics, atm your paying a extraordinary amount extra for 670 vs a 660. by that i mean you can match all of its stats but its memory interface(192 vs 256) this over all is not worth what amounts to close to a 1/3rd price increase in the card.
near as i can tell this is the best price for the pound 660 card on the market:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121656ATI:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127722this is actually the closest ive seen the two competitors in a while. i would say that your real choice should come down to what games you plan on playing the most and what card they work with the best for a final decision. but the points on this card:
Its a little cheaper. the stats basically stack up against each other quite nicely the only real difference being the memory clock speed(slower on ATI 4800 vs 6008) and the memory interface(higher on ATI 256 vs 192) I would also say the manufacture/parts for the ATI card listed are better. but its really going to come down to in personal preference or what games you plan on playing the most. I would personally go with the ATI, but the nvidia is still a very solid option.
well hope that helps fur
Edit:holy balls i had like 80 enter lines below this. oops