Build Advice P8P67 & Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced

Hi All,

I'm planning an overhaul of my current PC - mostly from the 'Performance PC' shopping list out of CPC - and I'm planning to use the 'Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced' CPU cooler with the Asus P8P67 or P8P67 Pro.

My question is this: the CPC review states that the P8P67 heatsinks are very close to the CPU socket, and could get in the way of a cooler. From what I've managed to find out online, I should be ok, but has anyone installed these two together? Is it a problem, or do they fit together ok?

Many thanks

 

PS: Despite my user title, I do know what a Dremel is lol

I still don't want to have to cut up the board just to install a cooler.

 

It will be fine. What you have to worry about though is the heatsinks on the ram.

If you are buying ram get stuff like the Corsair Xms3

 

You can fit 2 modules of ram with heatisinks such as corsair vengeance, but if u intend to run 4 modules - therefore requiring the ram slot closest to cooler - you will need standard sized ram which will fit under the heatsink.

I have 2x4gb corsair vengeance on a p8p67 with dark rock advanced cooler, and there is room to spare with this setup.

 

Thanks for your help
This is the setup I'm planning to build:


CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
Mobo: P8P67 or P8P67 PRO
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB (2x2GB)
Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced
G.C.: MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti TWIN FROZR II 1GB
PSU: Enermax ELT500AWT 500W (from previous build)
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
DVD: Samsung SH-S223

The Dark Rock Advanced is only 95mm deep and I'd be angling it horizontally. Looking at the images of the P8P67, it looks like there's more clearance out towards the RAM than there is towards the motherboard heatsinks, so the cooler should fit... is this not the case?

 

I have a similar set up, as per my sig. I've not tried to mount a cooler the way you're suggesting, but you only need populate Dimm Slots A2 and B2 on the P8P67, so this gives you a bit more room to play with.

 

Yeah, it looks like you've got a sweet rig there, crosshair. I'm especially jealous of your Dell monitor

When I say "horizontally" I mean so that the exhaust is pointing towards the backplate (I hope that was clear). My PSU is mounted above the motherboard in the case, so the nearest vent is beside the back panel I/O ports.

Anyway, in that case it sounds like I should be ok - thanks

 

Just out of interest why the Dark Rock Advanced? as opposed to a H70/H60/H20 620?

 

Wish Be Quiet! would sell in the US...

You should be good with standard sized modules, something like Corsairs Dominator series would have trouble

 

Looks like there's only about 5mm in it...
In the unlikely event that I decide to add another 4GB to the system, I think I'll just borrow a Dremel and trim the plastic casing on the 4th module - it's not like it's vital for function

 

Why not just save the money, the dremel, hacking a stick of ram and the bother and get something like XMS3 ram?

 

Honestly? I've made some very poor hardware choices in the past (I started reading CustomPC AFTER my last build, 5 years ago) so this time I'm trying to play it safe and follow CPC's recommendations, more or less. I can't conceive of why I'd want to upgrade to 8GB RAM... but I suppose it's stupid, really, to limit my upgrade options like that

Ok, well, XMS3 is certainly very good RAM. What would you suggest? I'm eyeing up:

CMX4GX3M2B1600C9, 4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 PC3-12800, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, 1.5V

 

don't listen to Murray, he's crazy!

welcome to bit-tech Jev finally decided to get a new computer? (but happen to be while im on holiday across the world? )

 

Smaller ram is usually more compatible w/ Dark Rock

 

Hey Wuyan turns out I joined last year, but for some reason forgot about it.

Yeah, I decided to finally go for it. I'd been promising myself an overhaul for the last year or so of uni, so reckoned it was about time, now I'm actually earning!

As for the being-halfway-round-the-world thing, that was your bad timing along with ash clouds lol

 

Hey, that ram looks fine, just make sure when you do buy you get the one you listed, i.e. the 1.5v ram, sandybridge overclock better with it.

Friend of mine had this ram and it caused instability in his overclock so he traded it out for some Ocz ram, and problem solved, but generally reviews on it are fine so I think its a relatively safe bet!

Go pro on the mobo as then can sli at a later date if need be, non-pro is only 16x or 4x4 pci lanes.

Why the 560? specially the Frozr? Its not taht hot a card to be worth the extra for a cooler in my opinion, but I'm sure plenty will disagree! for about £20 more you can grad a frozr HD6950? overclocks way more and the third version can technically flash to hd 6970...although its not certain.

How old is the PSU? might be worth grabbing new as well, don't want it to blow and take all your nice new shiny stuff with it!

 

Which RAM are you talking about? The Vengeance?

I have no intention to ever use SLI/Crossfire... is that the only reason to go PRO? I've been wondering about this - the only other benefit seems to be swapping a PCI slot for a PCI-e.

CPC recommended it, and I haven't got large enough monitors to warrant a more powerful card (1280x1024) - I just want it to play a few of my newer games at full settings for a change lol A new monitor's a long time away.

It's a 5 year old Enermax ELT500AWT 500W, but it's never been stressed that much. I don't really want to spend money on a new one... this kit shouldn't exceed around 400W?

 

Hey, stop frighting them away from me!

 

I meant this one - CMX4GX3M2B1600C9, 4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 PC3-12800, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, 1.5V make sure you get this one as there is a 1.65v version, i wouldnt recommend

Bluetooth on the pro as well, which is pointless I find but there u go.

I'd still recommend the HD6950 just because yes the 560 can overclock like crazy but its a lottery as to whether your card can, whereas a bios flash is pretty much guaranteed (granted some fail) but your right at that res you wont need it, but to be honest the 560 is almost overkill for that to, specially the frozr version which is pretty much for overclocking, which you wont need??

 

If you haven't got your board yet this is worth a read
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2011/05/26/msi-p67a-gd53-b3-review/1