$2000 build final thoughts!

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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Mar 13, 2013
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Video Card: Sapphire Vapor-X 7970 GHz Edition----$439.99 (After $20 Rebate)
PSU: Corsair HX650 ------------------------------------$99.99 (After $20 Rebate)
Sleeved Cables:
NZXT 24 Pin----------------------------------------------$14.16
NZXT 8 Pin x2--------------------------------------------$24.99
NZXT 6 Pin------------------------------------------------$7.99
NZXT Sata------------------------------------------------$5.98
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K-------------------------------$189.99
CPU Cooler: XSPC Raystorm 750 RS240-------------$144.99
Tubing: Feser One Clear UV---------------------------$2.59/Ft. $25.25 est. price
Fittings: Free Center Compression Fitting------------$44.99
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD65-----------------------$139.99 (After $10 Rebate / 15% off)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB--------------------$59.98
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1 TB--------------------$74.99
Samsung 840 Pro Series 248 GB SSD-----------------$243.99
Case: Storm Stryker-----------------------------------$154.99 (After $15 rebate)
Operating System: MS Win 7 (OEM) (64-bit)-------$99.99
Fans: Corsair SP120 Twin Pack-----------------------$29.99
Corsair AF140 x3----------------------------------------$56.97
Fan Splitter: Silverstone------------------------------$3.99
Fan Controller: Lamptron FC4-----------------------$37.45
Thermal Paste: IC Diamond 7-----------------------$6.99
Lighting: Phobya LED - 60cm – UV x2---------------$49.98
Drive: External USB CD Drive------------------------$14.99
-----------
$1972.08, leaving $28 for S&H

I have around $2000 for the build, little less for S&H. This build has gone through many, MANY revisions for the past few months and this is what I came up with in the end. I plan on ordering my Case, Mobo, PSU and GPU this weekend while the rebates are going on, and the rest in about a 1 1/2 months. Obviously this is primarily a gaming build. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments!!!!
 
Solution
manofchalk


Yes, you will get more performance by using dual cards, however you wont see most of it (not even taking into account Frametime issues here).
Your standard monitor only has a refresh rate of 60hz, that's how fast the image can change per second. Your FPS is how many frames your card can generate per second. A single 7970 is enough to max out your big titles like Crysis 3 at 1080p and get a fairly solid 50-60FPS, especially if you overclock. So if you throw another 7970 on and get a doubling of performance (not exactly due to driver and scaling issues, but anyway), your going to be at something like...
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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Oct 30, 2004
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It's a bit unbalanced.

Case - Corsair 500R scores tiny bit better in reviews, same size and air flow as Stryker but is way cheaper at $120 ($115 in black) ... saved $35
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&Itemid=61&limit=1&limitstart=5
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=960&Itemid=61&limit=1&limitstart=7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010

PSU - SeaSonic M12II 850 SS-850AM 850W CF / SLI capable - $103 .... extra $4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151108

And now for the unbalanced part .... $220 cooling system on a $140 MoBo ? I think you will get more performance out of a solid overclocking MoBo than this cooling system. Unfortunately there's no newegg combo deals that interest me at the moment so gonna hold back here for the time being (see next paragraph). I like having the cost premium for a better MoBo wiped out by the combo discount :).

The thing is ya talking about buying the meat of the system in 1.5 months....by then the entire landscape changes..... Haswell expected June 3rd 760's will be here which are reported to be same performance as 670's but $100 less

GFX - 2 x MSI N670 PE 2GD5/OC $780 .... $340 extra
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127685
But again, with the 760's being of equivalent performance for $100 less each, we talking an extra $140 ... exactly what ya recover if ya switch coolers as below.

Or....two 650 TI Boosts beat the 7970 Ghz edition for $340, that's $100 less than ya 7970 Ghz Ed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_650_Ti_Boost_SLI/21.html

As for CF alternatives .... I wouldn't go near CF right now
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6857/amd-stuttering-issues-driver-roadmap-fraps/6
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-card-benchmarking-frame-rate,3466.html
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Frame-Rating-Part-3-First-Results-New-GPU-Performance-Tools?page=2#comments

RAM - 1.35 volt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233199

I see no reason for anything beyond a Phanteks in the cooling department unless ya just get a lick outta air cooling which is certainly reason enough.....$140 saved
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709011

Shin Etsu tops IC Diamond
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080

As for the bling .... hey that's your choice, don't be swayed by other people's opinions. If thatz what you enjoy, spend the money on what makes you happy. If a guy invests thousands of dollars pimping his ride, it's not going to get you to work any faster, but if it gives you enjoyment, go for it.

BTW, I sleeve all my own boxes though wont do it on builds for others..... doesn't cost me much as I do all the sleeving myself and I buy in bulk at frozencpu.com

On the storage, HD manufacturer's play games ....

Seagate Barracuda XT - excellent drive w/ 5 year warranty
Seagate Barracuda - so so drive w/ 2 year warranty

WD Black - excellent drive w/ 5 year warranty
WD Blue - so so drive w/ 2 year warranty
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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I just love how large the Stryker is, great airflow, great cable management, but also, how is it unbalanced, case aside?
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Well I was just playing around with the idea of two 7970s or a 7990, and after working it out I could do it, but I would have to do quite a few things, such as downgrade to a smaller case, downgrade to the 128 non pro version ssd, no lighting/water cooling or sleeved cables (those arent a big deal), downgrade case fans, no fan controller, compression fittings or external cd drive. After doing all of that, and upgrading psu to HX850 (minimum for 7990), it worked out that I could fit duel 7970's or a single 7990.

Do you think it would be worth it for the performance I would gain for having another 7970 or a single 7990?
 
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B

boulbox

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Make the build with $1500 then save up for some of the extras.

For fans, try to stay on the quiet side for WC. The Point of most WC is so the build is quiet and while running the system with good temps and OC.

 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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No, I don't believe so, but that's what I'm saying, I have saved up $2000 that I'm now able to spend on a gaming rig. Sure, I could save it for future upgrades, but I'll make it all back. I'm just looking to spend my $2000 and get the most performance out of it, and if there's some left over for aesthetics, so be it! Following that logic, would spending the money on on another 7970 or a single 7990 be worth it, or should I stick to the build I have now?
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Sleeved cables? Fan splitters? Thermal compound? Lighting? Tubing? Fittings? You're throwing your money away on a lot of worthless crap. And the extra fans. You could save a ton of money on all the extra crap you're planning to buy and put that into getting a much better video card.

Try this:

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 ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP4 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 1050W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($186.08 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1941.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-11 04:22 EDT-0400)

That is how you spend $2K on a rig. You can add all the worthless junk as needed.
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Right, and I do agree, as I was asking ksham, will I see much of a performance increase from a 7970 to duel 7970s, if playing on a single 1920 x 1080p monitor? If so I will def. go for that, I've just read soooo many things on the topic of CF, not too sure what to believe.
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Right, I think I've read too much about how it's a hit and miss type of situation, I definitely don't want any kinds of complications, I also don't hate the idea of all of the down grades I made to get a more expensive card now that I think about how silly it would be, as you suggested. I'll do some more reading, but I'm thinking maybe the 7990 so I'll be set for quite some time until it's time to grab another and upgrade the psu again.
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Well if there's anything more powerful than the 7990, I know I won't need that haha, been lookin forward to this build for some time now, getting it built before summer, and now highly considering my other revised version of my build where I downgrade all the aesthetics and beef up my gpu.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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Yes, you will get more performance by using dual cards, however you wont see most of it (not even taking into account Frametime issues here).
Your standard monitor only has a refresh rate of 60hz, that's how fast the image can change per second. Your FPS is how many frames your card can generate per second. A single 7970 is enough to max out your big titles like Crysis 3 at 1080p and get a fairly solid 50-60FPS, especially if you overclock. So if you throw another 7970 on and get a doubling of performance (not exactly due to driver and scaling issues, but anyway), your going to be at something like 100-120FPS.

Your monitor literally cannot keep up with that, it can only display a max FPS of 60. So you will get better performance, but the vast majority of it will be wasted until you upgrade your display setup. You could get a 120hz/3D monitor, a HD+ resolution or multiple monitors.
Crossfire/SLI at the high end isnt worth doing until you have a display setup that can use it.

 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Thank you for your insight. I think I will stick with a single 7970 Vapor X, even though the build won't be complete until 1.5 months from now, I won't be spending any more on any of the new cards, since my 7970 should still preform fine. and after looking at my case twice, get a smaller more practical one, hah.
 
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GMPoisoN

GMPoisoN

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Also, which mobo would you recommend? I do agree with you on the cooling, if I cut WC and the accessories, I could get a very nice motherboard. Somewhere in the $200-$300 range from savings from WC
 
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