This Ivy Bridge build replaced a single core Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop and a single core Athlon 3000+ custom build that I used throughout college and had begun to show their ages about two years ago. I originally built TK-421 in May 2013 before Haswell was released and have been slowly adding to it piece by piece as funds have allowed. I primarily use TK-421 as a gaming machine, but also run BOINC@Home for several projects in the background during non-gaming computing sessions and when it is not in use.

CPU: I ended up buying an i7-3770K from my local Microcenter because it was cheaper than buying a locked i7-3770 from an internet retailer at the time.

Motherboard: The ASUS P8Z77-V is very well laid out, but I would have preferred to see the Sata 3G ports replaced by Sata 6G and the legacy PCI slots dropped.

Case: The NZXT Phantom 630 is extremely roomy to build within and is easily the best case I've ever bought. I especially like the fact that it has a built-in fan controller and can accommodate both of my Galaxy Geforce GTX 660 Ti 3 GB in SLI with plenty of space to spare.

Graphics Cards: The Galaxy Geforce GTX 660 Ti is an awesome card and can take whatever you throw at it on Ultra settings. Gameplay is very smooth and the cards never go over 60 c in SLI.

Cooling: I ended up replacing the stock fans of the NZXT Phantom 630 because I wanted white LED fans that were quieter. During the installation process of the BitFenix Spectre Pro LED 200mm fans, I discovered that the inset mounting locations made it impossible to mount the fans without the longer case screws provided with my NZXT Phantom 630. The provided screws by BitFenix with the Spectre Pro LED 200mm fans were utterly useless. Additionally, the top 200mm fan mounted next to the USB ports and fan controller proved difficult to install correctly. Both issues were caused by the additional mounting brackets that BitFenix provided.

Operating System: Previously had Kubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail installed as the operating system and but have since acquired a full copy of Windows 7 Home Premium due to growing tired of using wine and the linux version of steam due to various compatibility issues.

Keyboard: Despite being an ergonomic keyboard, the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is really great to game on.

Mouse: The Logitech G700s is a very good mouse to game with. I like the build quality of the mouse and the wealth of buttons provided. However, while I'm not a big fan of the rough texture on the sides of the mouse itself, it does help cut down on the "sweaty palm issue" of other mice I've used after extended gaming sessions. The battery life of the provided battery that comes with the G700s is terrible and barely lasts more than a few hours with even moderate use during gaming.

Speakers: The Logitech Z623 200W 2.1ch speakers are great speakers for music and gaming. I use the auxiliary input on the right speaker frequently to listen to my iPod as well.

UPDATE 3/30/2014: 1. Bought a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. 2. Purchased Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for keyboard, Logitech G700s Wireless Laser for mouse, and Logitech Z623 200W 2.1ch for speakers. 3. Purchased Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" SSD. 4. Bought Asus Xonar DSX.

Update 5/7/2014: 5. Bought a second stick of ram and added NZXT CB-LED20-WT 2-Metres Light Sensitivity Sleeved LED Kit (White).

Update 1/21/2015: 1. Purchased a TrackIr 5 Optical Head Tracking System Bundle + Track Clip PRO, a Saitek X52 Pro Joystick, 4 x ASUS PA248Q (over the course of the last year), an Ergotech Freedom Quad Desk Stand (Provantage.com, part # 100-D28-B13), an various other cables used to connect the monitors listed below.

The Ergotech Freedom Quad Desk Stand is quite possibly the best investment I have made in reclaiming desk space in regards to having multiple monitors. If you are planning to have multiple monitors, I suggest heading over to wsgf.org and taking a look at the stands there.