Alienware

[Lendryn]

Hey O-face, here's my thoughts on your build.

1 x Processor Intel® Core™ i7-3770K Processor (4x 3.50GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i7-3770K

This is a really beefy CPU (and expensive). If you're looking to cut a few bucks, drop down to the i7-3770 (no "K") which saves $50. The "K" essentially means that the bus/core multiplier (which is used to determine the CPU frequency) is unlocked. This allows the system to be more finely tuned when overclocking. Unless you're going to be doing some pretty extreme overclocking then the only appreciable difference between these processors is the 100 MHz core clock ratio. They both have the same max turbo frequency (Intel's built-in overclocking), however, which means that unless you're running all 4 physical cores to their limit then you will pretty much see absolutely no difference between the two CPUs.

To save another $60+ you may want to consider dropping down to the i5 also. The i7 has better shared cache (+2MB) which means that it will run a little faster in high-frequency repetetive memory access type tasks (like gaming ), but you will likely see little to no difference in your gaming experience. If you either run a lot of very multi-CPU intensive tasks, like multimedia encoding or encryption of large amounts of secretive data recovered during your moonlighting espionage missions, or if you plan to not upgrade again for a REALLY long time then it might be worthwhile to stick with the i7.

The i7 also supports their hyperthreading mechanism that allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, which does have a little benefit when doing a lot of heavy multi-tasking. Remember that it still only has 4 physical cores, which means if you're maxing out the CPU on all your cores you will not see much benefit from this. i.e. it has little effect on gaming.

Compare for yourself:
Intel® Core™ i7-3770 Processor
Intel® Core™ i7-3770K Processor

1 x Memory 16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand **Free Upgrade to DDR3-1866 G.SKILL RipjawsX**

You really don't need 16GB of memory unless you're going to be running a lot of high-memory usage tasks simultaneously. Most applications, especially games, are still 32-bit, which means they cannot even use more than 4GB per application on a 64-bit OS. Additionally there aren't many games that even come close to allocating 4GB of memory. You could save $66 by dropping down to 8 GB (2x4GB). You can always add more later if you need to, but I doubt you will need it anytime soon.

1 x Video Card AMD Radeon HD 7870 - 2GB - Single Card

I agree with Strife that AMD also makes good GPUs and the difference between them and nVidia is pretty thin nowadays. I assume that you're running a standard 1920x1080 resolution monitor. This card should be sufficient to run any current generation games at this resolution at nice smooth frame rates. If gaming is the main function of this box then the video card is generally #1 on your priority list. If you wanted to reallocate some of the above savings into a video card upgrade then a step up to the 660 Ti or 7950 would be a good alternative. Personally I would recommend saving your money and upgrade the video card (or buy a 2nd card for Xfire) in a couple years if your find your games running slow at that time.

1 x Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5 TH -- 3x PCI-E 3.0 x16, 7x USB 3.0, 1x eSATA, 2x Thunderbolt

Whoa! You probably don't need a $240 MB. I find that if you're paying over $150 for a MB then you're typically paying a lot extra for a few more bells and whistles. You could step down to the GA-Z77X-UP4 TH and save $73 unless you REALLY need those 3 extra USB 3.0 ports and the eSata port. The UP5 has a slightly better audio chipset, but I wouldn't worry about this unless you're also using your system as a multi-media box.

1 x Power Supply 500 Watt - Standard

Do not EVER purchase a power supply if you do not know the manufacturer! A good, quality and reliable PSU will maintain the life of your components and will also typically be more kind to your electric bill, as well. I had a motherboard actually IGNITE once because of a faulty PSU that was fluctuating power so badly it overloaded the voltage regulator on my MB and fried it--literally.

You typically want your PSU to be rated at twice the peak power demand. This ensures that it will be able to more reliably deliver power to the system and it will run more efficiently. I would guess this system running games will likely consume 300-400W of power at peak, which means you will want something around 700W. The 750W Corsair one looks sufficient.

Look at the efficiency rating of the PSU 80+ (Bronze) or better is good.
Corsair TX750 V2 750W

1 x Primary Hard Drive 180 GB Intel 330 SSD - Single Drive *FREE Upgrade from 60GB Intel 330 after MIR*

The Intel SSDs are quite nice, but rather expensive. If you're comfortable installing an SSD in your box and reinstalling windows (I assume they include an OEM windows installation DVD?) you might want to consider passing on the SSD from iBuyPower and pick one up from elsewhere--there are some good deals floating around right now.

1 x Optical Drive 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - *Thanksgiving Weekend Specials* FREE Upgrade to LG BLU-RAY Reader Combo Drive Black

Unless you plan on playing blu-ray movies on your computer (media-box stuff) or using blu-ray discs as a backup storage mechanism (blasphemy!) then you can cut out the $41 extra charge here. I don't see any mention about playback or recording software, which means you'll have to shell out extra $ to *ahem* legally make use of this functionality.

If you have any other specific questions let me know!