$5000 Budget for Gaming Rig - Need Help

Wait for Haswell!

It's only going to be a 10% increase over what's out now - not that big of a difference.

Honestly $5K for a gaming rig is ridiculous. Buy a $2K rig, one or more high quality 1440P displays, a nice set of speakers, and call it a day. Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP4 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($184.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1907.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-24 16:12 EDT-0400)

Since you have 5k for it, do you mean you want to run a multi-monitor setup ? and do you want to include the monitors and peripherals in the rig ?

If he wants to spend 5k now...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme6 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($199.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($178.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($454.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($281.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1006.13 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1006.13 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 900D ATX Full Tower Case ($332.16 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($207.33 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $4906.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I've been arguing this all day: X79 is not worth it for gaming. You will not, nor probably ever use the extra cores. If you want to blow $5K on a gaming rig that depreciates quickly while not performing any better than a $2K rig then that's your call.

That isn't my call, that is his call. I personally wouldn't spend more than $1250 on a rig these days. I would rather build a system and then upgrade the GPU down the line or build another system in a few years.

I am more inclined to build something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9900MAX-R CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.20 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.62 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($187.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($187.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB (Black) ATX Desktop Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($85.00 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1624.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/SR3l
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/SR3l/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/SR3l/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 EATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($367.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.94 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.94 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($229.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($496.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($496.48 @ SuperBiiz)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($273.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($150.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional Full (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($299.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($299.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($299.95 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K90 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Speakers: Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $4159.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-24 20:21 EDT-0400)

Really? 2.1 speakers and you need a $200 sound card?

You're getting a some wise advice - for $2.0 K you can build something that will run great and you won't get significantly more performance by spending a lot more money - simply save your money for an upgrade in 3-4 years if you fee it is necessary.

You don't state specifically what you want to use it for but for gaming I would echo most of the advice by g-unit1111 and go with core i5 3570K. If you use photoshop or do a lot of media editing go for a core i7 3770K. The only things I would change would be to install 256GB SSD vs 128 GB. OCZ Vector or Samsung 840Pro are good. I would go for 2 x 2TB HDD's set up in a mirror. I have extensive water cooling in own my rig with a triple 'extreme' radiator but it adds a lot of cost for minimal performance gain compared with good air cooling. I would go with an Asus Maximus Formula motherboard instead of a Gigabyte and a Seasonic 750W (or even 850W) Platinum PSU instead of a PC Power & Cooling (I have PC Power & Cooling in my own rig and I have no complaints but I would buy Seasonic next time around). I would go for a blu-ray optical drive so you can play BR movies, last but not least Windows 7 OS. I like the 2 x GTX670's in SLI and the case is a matter of personal preference - I like Lian Li's offerings but the Corsair 900D is a very nice case also. Buy your cases and PSU well as they will last you a long long time and can be re-used even when other stuff is being upgraded.

I second this use up that budget

Thank you! Some sanity in this thread.

However I will disagree that BD-R on a PC is a waste of money. The hassles far outweigh the conveniences. The software is an extra $100 a license and is very picky with displays (and I pretty much watch only the iTunes files included with the BD-Rs anyways). Backup media is ridiculously overpriced. The 900D is sweet but I've been reading the review and unless you've got a zoning variance you don't need the space that this tower requires. :lol:

I just bought a Seasonic X750 for my work rig about a month ago and it is a very excellent power supply, probably the best I have ever used.

The guy wants to spend 5K. It's his money....

How is a 2K rig helping him???

This rig would rock....

Well Multi-monitor setups is not ideal for everyone, I know I don't like the bezels being in the way, I'd rather get 1 larger higher resolution monitor then multimonitor. Let me play fantasy right now and dream up a rig I'd build for myself with that budget :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($275.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($229.50 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1025.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1025.91 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Matte Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($207.33 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.42 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($93.61 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($639.99 @ NCIX US)
Keyboard: ROCCAT Isku FX Wired Gaming Keyboard ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: ROCCAT Kone[+] Wired Laser Mouse ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $4723.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-25 10:51 EDT-0400)

Build from g-unit is the best so far. Gtx670 sli for tripple monitor setup will be enough. Spending the whole budget isn't a must...
Malcolm its your desicion whether you want to spend 1-3k more for the extra performance, but i don't suggest it because its ohufhjfnnncnc

That wouldn't be any better than a 2k rig in the real world. Dual GTX 670's are easily going to play everything at max settings anyway, even at 2560x1600. Whats the point in spending 3k just to go from 100FPS to 200FPS for example? Over double the cost and you wouldn't even notice the difference. The problem with spending this too is that you will most likely want it to last 5+ years and by that time we will most likely have DX12/DDR4/SATA4/USB4/PCI-e 4.0 etc.

I think people are just trying to point out that all that extra cash is only going to buy you bragging rights, your games won't actually look or feel any better by spending 5k instead of 2k. If you can afford it and you're happy to spend that on bragging rights, go for it.

Personally I'd spend 1.5-2k on the system itself and spend the rest on peripherals. My personal preference would be a single ultra high resolution monitor and some sexy audio equipment

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260028

http://www.amazon.com/A5-Premium-Bookshelf-Speakers-Black/dp/B005OA3BSY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366925380&sr=8-2&keywords=audioengine
http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-D1-Premium-24-Bit-DAC/dp/B006IPH5H2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1366925380&sr=8-5&keywords=audioengine


I have those speakers myself with a different DAC and they're fantastic, especially if you like the minimalist look. Most gamers do prefer surround sound though so that's another option.

This is the best point anyone has made so far. It's better to upgrade in increments by far. I know I was only entertaining the idea of a 5k machine just for kicks and giggles. Really though, I probably wouldn't spend anything above 2.5k , and that's leaving extra for aesthetics and peripherals.

I just built the following rig (really! ..with the following noted temp exceptions)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter) - overclocked to 4.8GHz
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Rampage IV Extreme EATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($304.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($454.00 @ Adorama) Both SSDs in RAID 0
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($454.00 @ Adorama) Both SSDs in RAID 0
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($142.19 @ Amazon) All 4 HDDs in RAID 10
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($142.19 @ Amazon) All 4 HDDs in RAID 10
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($142.19 @ Amazon) All 4 HDDs in RAID 10
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($142.19 @ Amazon) All 4 HDDs in RAID 10
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card ($1025.91 @ Newegg) (this is a to-be add; currently reusing an older Sapphire Toxic OC 2GB 5850 until I can get this card).
Power Supply: Corsair 1200W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($263.49 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($76.80 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG BH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($76.80 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($184.97 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Dell U3014 60Hz 30.0" Monitor ($1499.99 @ Dell)
Keyboard: Logitech K800 Wireless Slim Keyboard ($73.91 @ Amazon)
Other: Case: CoolerMaster Storm Trooper ($159.99)
Other: Microsoft HD Lifecam Studio Edition ($64.99)
Other: Internal USB 3.0 Multi-card reader ($30.00)

Total: $6543.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-25 23:21 EDT-0400)

OK, so its a tad over $5K . Someone that is only a gamer could drop one of the SSDs, 32G of the RAM and 3 of the 4 Barracudas and be very close to $5K.

This isn't just a gaming rig; I need and use the 64GB of RAM fully for my kind of usage such (gigapixel images (10x30 feet printed images @ 300ppi) made from over 100-200 36MP RAW NEF images each, video editing, running multiple virtual machines and over 100 other applications); 64GB is way overkill for people who are just gamers as are the dual SSDs in RAID 0, but if you are like me and utilize it all for more than just gaming, this rig screams. The AX1200i is extremely stable and efficient and uses only the wattage it needs to draw; the fan doesn't even come on until it draws over 400W and there is more than ample headroom for that Titan and more. A small item I haven't added yet is a Corsair Link internal bay module - I may add that yet for interactive control over the Corsair 1200AXi and H100i. I might even create a RAM disk out of a portion of that 64GB of CL9 RAM which I haven't even overclocked yet.

For speakers I am reusing a Bose Companion 5 system - incredible sound and not that typical computer speaker junk.

As far as printers go, I have an Epson 24" 7880 - nice for those little family snapshots

The Dell U3014 60Hz 30.0" Monitor is on reorder; I returned it unopened when I leaned the first batch all have a manufacturing flaw, so until its replacement arrives I am having to suffer with my current 24" HD monitor.

Six cores ripping at 4.8GHz that are fully utilized for CS6 - and running cool at 77c peak under maximum Prime95 blended stress (Speedstep enabled under normal use) - it doesn't get much better. Oh, and Haswell? The MOB is LGA 2011 compatible with Haswell but it won't be worth upgrading to Haswell until they issue the 6-core editions (maybe Intel will abandon Ivy 6-core and go straight to Haswell six core given their market losses lately). Either way, I am ready to drop one of those babies into this CPU socket when it finally does.

Regards,
Mike

It's crazy but to some, bragging rights seem to be more important than common sense...(No, not me)...