Anyone had any experience with the new XFX PSU's? I'm looking to put together a new system and found that SeaSonic (a PSU Mfg I trust) made the PSU's for XFX's foray into the Power Supply market.
Been looking at his one (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003) because it was rock solid in johnny guru's tests (
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=184)
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else had an XFX here with any good/bad experiance.
I've definitely heard good things about it Billy. Its XFX after all ;) It also seems to sport the 8pin setups the pesky newer cards need. What GPU will you be powering ?
The 5 year warranty on it should keep you covered long enough until we all start needing 1500W units to power the 2015 gen GPUs :p
mtfbwya
I'm looking at either a 5770 or a 5870 depending on what the cash situation is after i pickup an asus board, phenom ii 955 BE and some crucial ddr3. The board i'm looking at (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131633) has a 4290 onboard so I might just bum around with that for a month or two til I can spring for the nicer 5870. 700+ watts might be a bit overkill, but the thermaltake i have now has lasted since 2004, and would barely be enough according to some calculators i used, so i figured might as well spring for a new one that will future proof any new vid cards and i'm sure my capacitors have degraded a bit too.
This will be the first ATI card since I threw away my 2nd dead radeon 8500 several years back and switched to nvidia. hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass xD
What is your display's native rez Bill - that'd be the crucial factor for choosing between a 5870 and a 5770. The 5870 will better equip you for native HD gaming.
Also, did you see those Asus mainboards that have inbuilt 5770 that I reported on in tech thread - plus two extra PCIe slost if you wanted discrete cards on there.
edit: Ive just remembered youre an AMD phan so may not like those corei7 boards I mentioned ;)
mtfbwya
my native rez is anything up to 2048 x 1536 cause I'm using this older (and friggen heavy) badass 22" flat-CRT :) Second monitor is a 19" that goes to 1600x1200. The second monitor might get replaced with a widescreen LCD at some point, but that's a ways off.
The reason I'm leaning toward the 5870 is cause of it's 256 bit bus and 2x stream processors/transistors vs 57xx. though the 370-410 price point keeps me looking at that 5770 :p
One thing that the 5770 has going for it is that it can often be had for <$150. With its power consumption being as good as it is, it's a natural choice for Crossfire, and 2 5770s are faster and cheaper than a 5870.
I'd not really planned to go with crossfire as the board I'm looking at reverts to x8 lanes when the two pic-e 2.0 lanes are both in use. It'd be another 40-80 bucks to bump up to a board with the 890FX chipset (the board I'm looking at uses 890GX) to get 2 pcie 2.0 x16 lanes to use. Which puts 2 5770 and 1 5870 at pratically the same pricepoint.
my native rez is anything up to 2048 x 1536
Well if you want to game at anywhere near that you really don't want to skimp too much on a GPU - The 5770 should definitely be your minimum starting point.
Speaking of high rez outputs... almost exactly 6 months since my samsung 305T started playing up, the Dell 3008WFP arrived today. I love the connectivity support - 2 x DVI-D, HDMI, Display Port, plus the others. A friend bought over his PS3 and the 1080p scaling performed admirably with audio handled via monitor internal audio out which includes 5.1 support.
Fig.1. After Spending the last few months at 1024x768, Femshep and Kasumi can again strut around in glorious 1600p!
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc288/Astrotoy7/SHepOnDell.jpg)
If displays are your thing, and you don't mind paying a premium for it, this is one decent monitor ;) There are a few other more esoteric 1600P displays out there preferred by high end graphical professionals, but at $10K+ even I'm not that silly ;) :thmbup1:
mtfbwya
Dell sells quality monitors and backs them with a great warranty. :)
Anyone had any experience with the new XFX PSU's? I'm looking to put together a new system and found that SeaSonic (a PSU Mfg I trust) made the PSU's for XFX's foray into the Power Supply market.
Been looking at his one (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003) because it was rock solid in johnny guru's tests (
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=184)
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else had an XFX here with any good/bad experiance.
I missed this earlier. Seasonic makes quality PSUs for several brands such as Corsair and Antec, and it's very possible to get essentially the same unit, but wearing a different badge, for a lot less. Take the True Power New 750W (
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=140), for instance. Like that XFX, at heart it's a Seasonic M12D and it also sports a 5-year warranty, but I've seen Newegg sell the Antec for as low as $70.00 after rebate with free shipping, which is half of what they're selling that XFX model for, and it's the same PSU. I'm pretty sure that one of Corsair's 750W models is also the same unit, but I'm not sure which one. I'd just get whichever one you can find the best deal on whenever you're ready to buy it.
I'd not really planned to go with crossfire as the board I'm looking at reverts to x8 lanes when the two pic-e 2.0 lanes are both in use. It'd be another 40-80 bucks to bump up to a board with the 890FX chipset (the board I'm looking at uses 890GX) to get 2 pcie 2.0 x16 lanes to use. Which puts 2 5770 and 1 5870 at pratically the same pricepoint.
Single-GPU is usually preferable to multi-GPU, but in this case dual 5770s would be cheaper to get. While there is a loss of performance while running at x8, remember that PCIE 2.0 has twice the bandwidth of 1.0, so 2.0@x8 is like 1.0@x16 and is pushing nearly 4GBs/sec, so the loss in performance, while measurable, isn't that great like it was with 1.0 (note the difference between X48 @x16 and P45 @x8). (
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-pci-express,2095-7.html) In other words, you wouldn't have to spring for the better motherboard at all. Two 5770s would still be faster than a single 5870 on that same motherboard, even at x8. You could also get one 5770 at first and then wait for a killer deal on a second one. A couple of years ago I would've never recommended doing this, but support for SLI/Crossfire has improved so much lately that it's become a really attractive option, IMO, especially with a great bang/buck card like the 5770.
Finding the best deal on computer parts is sort of a(n) obsession hobby of mine, so, if you want, I could keep an eye out for deals on what you're looking for. You wouldn't believe some of the deals I've come across.
Indeed. Q is the LFNTech Indy Jones when it comes to discovering great deals for US users ;)
mtfbwya
good suggestion about the antec version of that seasonic psu. Never used them before, but the review seems to put it at pretty solid, and it's currently $20 bucks cheaper than the xfx on newegg.
I think I'm pretty much leaning toward 5770 atm, but I still might give it a few weeks to mull over. I'm thinking about ordering my cpu/mobo/psu/ram this week though. So I wouldn't be adverse to you keeping your ear to the ground for some 5770 deals :)
bah, screw ATI altogether. After reading stuff for the last week or so, I think i'll prob just save up and get a nvidia 470. Needed a pretty compelling reason to switch from nvidia and i'm just not feeling it
Needed a pretty compelling reason to switch from nvidia and i'm just not feeling it
The Catalyst Control Center is the most compelling reason to not go near AMD GPUs ever again. What a load of bloated junk.
If you ever do get that 470 Bill, we would be honoured if you could chip in some work units for teamLFN. :thmbup1:
mtfbwya
bah, screw ATI altogether. After reading stuff for the last week or so, I think i'll prob just save up and get a nvidia 470. Needed a pretty compelling reason to switch from nvidia and i'm just not feeling it
I agree with Astro. I'm certainly no fan of Nvidia, but their drivers have proven themselves (to me, at least) to be more trouble-free with the games that I play than ATI's and they're definitely a lot easier to use. Sure, they've had the occasional hiccup, and, as a matter of fact, there was one just recently, but that's why I usually hold off on updating my drivers for a week or so until I know that everything's cool.
It sucks that ATI's drivers are such a pain, because their hardware is actually very good. :(
It sucks that ATI's drivers are such a pain, because their hardware is actually very good. :(time out for a sec. since when did ATI have bad drivers all the sudden?? sure, their drivers were nothing to shout about several years ago, but i can't say the same about their current drivers. these drivers have been rock solid for me, and if you're talking about "bloatware", give me a break. yeah it uses more memory than Nvidia drivers, but if you're running 4GB+ of RAM, then what difference is 6-7MB really going to make??
the past couple of driver releases have been bang on, too. ATI has been doing a great job of keeping their drivers up to date in regards to the latest and greatest games coming out, and their support for other features like Eyefinity and Crossfire are consistently improving with each release.
and yes, i do have room to complain about Nvidia's drivers. on my old system, their drivers were the cause of my system's instability (as in BSOD instability). low and behold, switching to an ATI card fixed the issue.
as for your current predicament, acdcfanbill, i'd have to say that you should consider a 5850 instead of a 5870 or a GTX 470. its considerably lighter on the power draw, and the difference in performance really isn't all that bad. its also a shorter card, too, and that makes it more desirable if you're working in a more confined case. since its a slower part, you save some money, and you'll save money in the long run as well with the power savings.
just my two copper coins. ;)
cmon stinger, the CCC, even in lighter form is way too top heavy.
Nvidia is getting on the bloatier side too mind you, you should be able to opt out of the 3DVision stuff on installation if you don't need it.
At the end of the day, both sets of cards have demonstrated problems for different people across different setups. It comes down to budget + personal preference.
mtfbwya
Well, the reason I dumped ATI was KotOR, and that was years ago, so my view could be a narrow one. Perhaps they have improved since then, but even today, just about every second or third request for help in the Work Bench involves some poor bastard trying in vain to get KotOR to run on an ATI card, while, aside from having to use the Dantooine lag fix, I've never had any trouble getting it to run on Nvidia hardware.
I plan on building my own rig in a few months, and i was wondering where i can find a list of the most advanced stuff as of june 2011.
other guys might ahve other links, but i ususally just look up the recent reviews on toms hardware. they are sometimes behind on mobos/chipsets so you might look elsewhere for those. they have good cpu/gpu charts, and usually monthly best bang for buck per price brackets.
AMD is supposed to be releasing Bulldozer, which is the first major redesign of their CPU architecture since the Athlon 64, sometime in the near future. I'd wait and see how it compares to Intel's Sandy Bridge. Since it's a complete redesign, there's no way of telling until it's released and benchmarked.
After all of the setbacks that AMD has suffered in recent years I hope it's a beast.
I like TechReport's computer build lists they put together and as a matter of fact the TR guys just published their Summer 2011 System Guide (
http://techreport.com/articles.x/21164/1). Talk about great timing! ;)
But I'd recommend going with Q's advice and waiting to see what Bulldozer is all about.
Hi guys
I'd like to upgrade my PC and I'm having some trouble deciding. The main thing I'm aiming at is getting a better processor. The one I got now, is a Core 2 Duo with 2.13 Ghz. I'd like to use that one for another rig composed of spare parts. So I was first thinking of buying an i5, but then I'd need to buy another motherboard and new memory. Seeing as I've already bought a few motherboards, I'm not sure I want to change again for the foreseeable future. Besides, this would cost me quite much, considering I'm also going for a SSD drive.
So I was wondering if upgrading from a Core 2 Duo to a Core 2 Quad is still worth it. Will it be able to hold its own for the games of the next 2 years? Won't I miss the advantages of SATA III and DDR3 in the mean time?
I'm curious, any specific reason you're going with the Thermaltake Lvl 10 GT case? I'm asking because a CoolerMaster HAF 932 or HAF X would cost ~$100 and $80 less, respectively. I've been very happy with my 932 for the past 2 years, and from what I've been hearing, the only advantage the Level 10 has to a noticeable extent is looking nicer (Though IMO, the HAF looks fine, if not better; I'm not sure why some people hate the look so much).
Unless there's an advantage I haven't been made aware of (entirely possible, please tell me what it is), or you're rich enough that spending $100 more for a case you think looks a bit nicer (in which case, can I borrow some cash? And by borrow I mean take and never return), I would recommend looking at the X and 932 as cheaper options.
I was considering those till I found this one. I think it looks cooler, but the main thing is how it holds your harddrives. Since I constantly open up my computers to flop drives, having a convienient little hatch for each drive seems like a cool thing to have. It also comes with more USB slots, and it's a bit roomier.
1) Sign up for the Newegg newsletter.
2) Check deal forums like FatWallet and SlickDeals for sales.
3) Don't pay full price for anything.
4) If you're in the US, do you live near a Fry's and/or a MicroCenter?
5) Still messing around with KotOR? You'll need an Nvidia card.
6) You can get a 2TB HDD for less than half of what that 3TB will cost you.
1) Sign up for the Newegg newsletter.
Ok, Will do.
2) Check deal forums like FatWallet and SlickDeals for sales.
Ok.
3) Don't pay full price for anything.
Dont plan to
4) If you're in the US, do you live near a Fry's and/or a MicroCenter?
I do live near a Fry's
5) Still messing around with KotOR? You'll need an Nvidia card.
Ill look into one
6) You can get a 2TB HDD for less than half of what that 3TB will cost you.With the same rpm?
Hi guys
I'd like to upgrade my PC and I'm having some trouble deciding. The main thing I'm aiming at is getting a better processor. The one I got now, is a Core 2 Duo with 2.13 Ghz. I'd like to use that one for another rig composed of spare parts. So I was first thinking of buying an i5, but then I'd need to buy another motherboard and new memory. Seeing as I've already bought a few motherboards, I'm not sure I want to change again for the foreseeable future. Besides, this would cost me quite much, considering I'm also going for a SSD drive.
So I was wondering if upgrading from a Core 2 Duo to a Core 2 Quad is still worth it. Will it be able to hold its own for the games of the next 2 years? Won't I miss the advantages of SATA III and DDR3 in the mean time? My first question is what is the make and model of the current mainboard your Core 2 Duo is installed in? We need to determine what type of Intel processors it can support.
After a cursory search it looks like Core 2 Quads still cost a pretty penny. The Core 2 Quad Q9505 is listed for 180,11 euros at Microstar.be (
http://microstar.e-nitiative.be/product/details/INTEL/Cartes-m%C3%A8res-M%C3%A9moire-Processeurs/BX80580Q9505/27305549)
I'm not too concerned about the lack of DDR3 support your system would have. SATA III may be another matter but probably a minor concern. Without accounting for your graphics card, I do think upgrading to SSD and Core 2 Quad should keep you playing new games for another couple of years though.
Thanks for the reply, Char!
Motherboard is an Asus P5K-E/WiFi-AP. I think I bought the thing because of the chance I could upgrade to a Quad if I ever wanted to, and looking at the CPU Support list, it does support both older and newer versions of the Quad Core. Also, I might go for a Q8400, which is significantly cheaper and can hold its own against the Q9400, if hardware reviews are anything to go by.
The graphics card is another thing I'd wanted to upgrade, but all in good time. It's an 8800GT 512mb. It's getting a hard time when playing the heavier games, but in my opinion, getting more processor power is a priority right now.
At this point, you might want to look on the Euro version of Ebay, or the US version for sellers who ship internationally, and get a used C2Q from a reputable dealer. You could probably score a Q9550 for the same price as the cheaper CPUs, or get a Q9400 or Q8400 significantly cheaper than a new one.
Also, if you want to save some money, have you considered overclocking your C2D? If yours is an E6400, you could increase its clock speed by at least 1GHz.
EDIT: Even a Q6600 would be a good upgrade option for you, especially if you overclocked it.
The best deal in Nvidia cards, at least for the moment, is the GTX 460 768MB. I have no idea what sort of deals are going on in Europe, but I got a Galaxy model for $80 after a massive rebate last December. It's still a pretty competent card, and it's much faster than anything else in the $100 price range.
Q,
Any thoughts on how much L2 cache is required for gaming? I've always preferred 2MB per core. My concern about the Q8400 is it only has 1 MB per core, 4 MB total L2 cache.
Supposedly, when it comes to gaming, the more the better, but, according to Anandtech Bench (
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/89?vs=76), it doesn't seem to make much of a difference; at least not in the benchmarks that make up its testing suite.
Actually, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the Q8400 and the Q9450 (
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/89?vs=51), which has the full 12MB of L2.
Thanks guys. I think I am going for the Q8400. I'll see if I can get it somewhat cheap. A GTX 460 (or even 480) was the initial plan, but I'll wait a few months and see if there's even a better deal then. The only issue I can see is the graphics card not fitting into the case, which is an Antex Three Hundred and doesn't allow for a lot of room.
Good luck with finding a good deal on a Q8400 Miltiades! Will this be your b-day present to yourself? ;) Also, if you plan on overclocking then it's probably a good idea to invest in a good aftermarket cooler. Let us know if you're looking for any recommendations in that area.
Q,
Interesting how the Q8400 and the Q9450 are clocked at the same 2.66 GHz. But the Q9450 with its 12 MB L2 cache has a minimum 3 FPS advantage in all the tested games versus the Q8400. However L2 cache is expensive and IMHO 3 MB L2 cache per core is overkill for most uses.
The models with more cache do much better in software that takes advantage of it (like archiving and video editing), and they scale better at higher clock speeds, which makes them more desirable for overclockers.
I, too, would recommend an aftermarket heatsink, because the ones that Intel packs with their CPUs are woefully inadequate, even at stock speed.
I don't have any experience with coolers, I've always used the ones that came with the CPU. Recommendations would be welcome, yeah.
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065) is what I use.
I have no idea how much it would be in Europe, but it's available for $29.50 from Amazon, so don't let Newegg's ridiculous price-gouging fool you. I used their ad because it's got the best description and pics.
EDIT: That Antec 300 (which is a great case for the money, BTW) shouldn't have any problems fitting just about any modern video card. My GTX 460 is actually a good bit shorter than your 8800GT.
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065) is what I use. Me too and I second this recommendation. I've been quite satisfied with the Hyper 212 Plus's cooling performance. I'm not sure how much noise the fan produces but it supports PWM so the fan speed varies depending on how much the CPU is being used.
Alright, I think that settles things. Thanks for all the advice, guys! :)
My only other advice would be that, unless it now ships with vastly superior ThermalFusion 400, you should use a different thermal compound than what Cooler Master supplies with that 212 Plus. The plain Cooler Master stuff is terrible (
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup-2_7.html#sect0).
Here (
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup-1_12.html#sect0) is a fairly up-to-date list of some of the better thermal compounds.
Well, I noticed a good deal on a laptop for about $400. Though, I was wondering with most laptops having either a dual or quad core processor, would a single core processor be worth it to get or would it be better to look at one with a multi-core processor?
Since software is finally becoming more multi-threaded, I think that it's pretty pointless to have a single-core CPU in a machine that you'll be using a lot. That's probably why there are so few of them available now.
Anyone have a NAS here? I've have a htpc up and running now, ubuntu+xbmc samba thru my windows shares but I'd like to have a dedicated storage/media server. I plan on running 4-5 drives, raid1+0, linux etc. I'd like it to be pretty quiet and low powered, just sit around and serve media or accept backups. hot swapping drives would be nice, but not required.
My laptop's motherboard is failing so I've been forced to accelerate my plans for a new gaming computer build. I'm unsure on what processor/motherboard/power supply I should use. Google brings up many options but I trust you people here much more than a google search. Any suggestions?
Note: this is for gaming so I am looking for something good. I have a very nice graphics card picked out already. But I would still like to keep this at a reasonable price.
Thanks in advance!
Couple of questions:
Do you live near a Micro Center store?
How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.
Couple of questions:
Do you live near a Micro Center store?
How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.
Its been replaced once already and the amount of effort required to do so is immense. It took a trained repairman 2 hours. I needed a new computer sooner or later, i was just hoping for another year. I got this laptop in 2009. Its an alienware. The cd drive, the sound card, harddrive and motherboard are all failing.
Don't buy alienwares. They are not worth the hassle.
And no, there isn't one of those stores near me.
OK, so you probably are better off selling it for parts/repair on ebay and not sinking any more money into it, then.
Some more questions:
What type of video card do you have in mind? If you're still playing/modding KotOR, I'd suggest an Nvidia card.
What resolution will you be gaming at?
What's your budget?
For gaming, you're going to want to go with an Intel CPU. Since you don't live near a Micro Center, an Intel Core i5 3570K CPU and a decent motherboard together are going to run you about $300. 8GB of memory is going to cost another $40-$50.
Seasonic is generally regarded as the best overall power supply manufacturer. They make PSUs for several different companies, and they also sell them under their own brand. You shouldn't need one any bigger than 650W, with 54-55 amps on the 12-volt rail. The mid-grade (80Plus Bronze) ones go for around $60, while the ultra-high-end model (80Plus Platinum) is sometimes on sale for $90. If you want a bullet-proof PSU with a 7-year warranty, I'd go ahead and get the Platinum. It'll likely last you through several builds. If you don't want to shell out that much, there are definitely cheaper alternatives out there that will still serve you well.
This is the combo i had come up with:
Processor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504)
(as per your recommendation, is this correct?)
Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837)
(Price saving combo with the processor, ~300$)
Power Supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153158)
(Would this be good? It can be bundled with my shell for around 100$ less than buying them both separate.)
Graphics Card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768)
Sound Card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006&CMP=OTC-TechReport&ATT=29-132-006&nm_mc=OTC-TechReport&cm_mmc=OTC-TechReport-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA)
Also on my list is a solid state 256gb for the os and games, and a 2tb storage drive, 16(or 8, depending on final budget)gb of RAM, a CD drive & BluRay drive. I feel like i'm missing something else important too.
I don't really have a set budget, and my current resolution is 720p 1600X900, but i plan on getting a new monitor in the near future. 1080p.
Also i'm unsure of what speed of RAM i should use.
I am unsure if these all will fit together well and also, if i can save any cash that would be good, but i really don't want to lose out on much performance. I'd like this to last without too much upgrades through the next few years as I am starting college soon. And, because i'm a gaming nerd i'd like to be able to run games on highest settings for as long as i can push it.
As for kotor modding, i have a desktop i prefer to do that with.
Currently the price is stiing around 1600$
By the way, thanks so much for helping with this!
EDIT:
I was re-looking at SSD drives and i am unsure of what one i should get. I'm stuck on these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-443&SortField=2&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo)
The one is quite a bit more money than the other, but it seems to be higher rated. I'd be open to an entirely different one as well.
EDIT 2:
I'm starting to deem my graphics card, which was nvidia actually, as not worth the price. I'm looking for a card that can support HDMI, 3 monitor support, and powerful enough to last me a while playing the newest game on highest graphics with any enhancement mods for a while.
The card i had been considering was
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768) but i think that it's not worth the price to what i need it to do. Suggestions? I would like to keep it a nvidia too if possible.
Sorry I haven't answered this till now. :(
You haven't bought anything yet, have you?
If you haven't, and you can wait just a little while longer, Haswell, Intel's new CPU architecture, launches June 4. With an investment this big, it's always best to get the newest stuff that you can, and getting the newest Intel CPU is a big deal. It shouldn't be any more expensive than Ivy Bridge is now.
Motherboard: You pretty much can't go wrong with either ASUS or Gigabyte.
As far as a power supply is concerned, you really should get one that's made by Seasonic. Channel Well (CWT), who makes that Thermaltake, is certainly OK, but Seasonic is better. If you're going to spend $100 on a PSU, do yourself a favor get a Seasonic. 650 watts is plenty. Newegg has the Seasonic 660W 80Plus platinum on sale for $90 every once in a while, and I strongly recommend it. This database (
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page541.htm) will tell you who makes what.
Graphics card: Never buy a high-end graphics card. Not worth it, IMO. Get 2 mid-grade ones and SLI them together. The best ones to do this with are the GTX 660 and the new GTX 650 Ti BOOST. They are the best bang-for-the-buck option, and will save you as much as $200 over a GTX 680 and give similar performance. Just make sure they have at least a 2GB frame buffer per card. 1GB just doesn't cut it anymore. For reference, I'm still gaming on 2 GTX 460s that I bought new for about $62.50 apiece after rebate!
Sound card: Try using your motherboard's on-board sound chip before buying one. Chances are, it'll be good enough.
SSD: The Samsung 840 Pro is the best one on the market right now. It's on sale sometimes for $200, though this is really not a good time to be buying an SSD because prices are high right now.
RAM: At least DDR3 1600. 8GB should be plenty, unless you use software that requires more. Most people don't. Corsair, GSkill and Crucial are my usual go-to brands, though my latest has been Samsung.
EDIT: If you haven't yet, sign up for the Newegg newsletter to get their coupon codes. The AnandTech Bench (
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/2) is also extremely useful in cases such as yours.