$3,000 gaming PC!

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WestCoastRain

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Feb 27, 2013
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Approximate Purchase Date: This month sometime.

Budget Range: $3,000 after shipping & rebates. Less is preferable if there's a more efficient way of achieving the same results.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, watching downloaded films and streaming HD videos/surfing the internet. I've never really used anything else.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes - Windows 8

Preferred Websites for Parts: Newegg.com, or Partpicker

Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Parts Preferences: One solid state drive for memory (I use external ones for everything non-gaming), and no CD/DVD drive.

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I'll only be using a single monitor, but ideally I'd like to be able to run Skyrim on maxed out graphics settings, with graphics enhancing mods on top of it all.

Similiarly, I'd like to be able to do that with Minecraft running the GLSL Shaders mod, although I'm wondering if there's limitations to the programming itself, and not just hardware.
 
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marshallbradley

marshallbradley

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Sep 24, 2012
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You don't need a $3000 build to run a single 1080p monitor, no matter what games you play or settings you use. It would be much more wise to save $1000-$1500 that you can put into upgrades to keep your system fresh later on down the line. The absolute max I would consider spending on a 1080p gaming machine would be $1750 or so, and even that would be with all the bells and whistles.

M
 
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WestCoastRain

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Feb 27, 2013
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Thanks. It's my first time really on the site I admittedly haven't checked the articles, I've just been flitting through forum threads thinking that would be the best way to see multiple viewpoints on things. That was my bad, I should've searched more before posting. ^^;;
 
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SHORYUKEN

SHORYUKEN

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Jan 3, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($135.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1731.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 22:05 EDT-0400)
 
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SHORYUKEN

SHORYUKEN

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Jan 3, 2013
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Oh, if you're on single monitor, this will do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($135.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 4GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1439.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 22:07 EDT-0400)

AMD variant:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($135.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($389.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1409.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 22:08 EDT-0400)
 
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CarolKarine

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Aug 29, 2012
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no reason to get multiple gpus at that resolution. so get a very good GPU - but not one where you're throwing money away (like the Titan) cause when you upgrade, you're losing a ton of cash.

I'd say: i7 3770k, HD 7970 GHz edition, one of asus's top end mobos, a top-end CPU cooler, a really nice case, and a 512gb SSD for the storage as you said. here's a build I slapped together to show you what the very top end of your budget should look like: here.

anyways, as I said in the notes, you could put together something much cheaper that'll perform almost exactly the same.

I would alter SHORYUKEN's AMD variant build by dropping the hard drive, use the samsung 840 pro 512 gb I suggested in my link, and switching out the HD 7970 for a HD 7970 ghz edition. this will cost about another 200 USD, but you're paying mostly for the additional SSD space that's no longer on a HDD. the ghz edition of the 7970 is faster than the 670 or 680, and is priced slightly lower than the GTX 680.
 
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WestCoastRain

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Feb 27, 2013
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Would I be able to overclock a HD 7970 GHz edition? I really like Shoryuken's setup, but the one thing that has me wondering is cooling - after overclocking the processor and GPU, would that be enough or would I have to add in some water-based cooling?

Or is there even a point to overclocking?
 
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ikes9711

ikes9711

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Nov 15, 2012
494
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10,860
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JLYL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JLYL/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JLYL/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Big Bang - XPower II XL ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($346.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($100.55 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($229.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill THOR V2 ATX Full Tower Case ($121.84 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2599.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 22:35 EDT-0400)
 
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SHORYUKEN

SHORYUKEN

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Jan 3, 2013
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He's gaming, not conjuring up a demon. He doesn't need that kind of MoBo, nor the CPU, nor the 16GBs of RAM. Also, why 2 cards? He's on a single 1920x1080 screen.
 
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SHORYUKEN

SHORYUKEN

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Jan 3, 2013
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You can overclock the GHz edition, and all other cards. You don't need to add water, as this is an air cooled system.

Here's a better system, but it's more expensive. Personally, I don't use my 128 GB SSD, primarily my 2 TB. My SSD is just for Windows. If you want to do the same, this is fine.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($135.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1465.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 22:50 EDT-0400)
 
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ikes9711

ikes9711

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Nov 15, 2012
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He asked for a $3000 build I gave him a $3000 build
 
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SHORYUKEN

SHORYUKEN

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Jan 3, 2013
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Why let someone waste money on more than they need? That is rather uncaring :lol:

 
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WestCoastRain

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Feb 27, 2013
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Shoryuken, you sir are a gentleman and a scholar! Seriously, you've been a lot of help. I'm going to look into getting that Sapphire Radeon setup ordered and built, so I have you to thank. =)
 
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