Best Gaming Rig - July 2013 - (Under $3k)

lensar

Honorable
Jul 4, 2013
3
0
10,510
If you could build your dream PC gaming rig right now, (July 2013) and money was more or less no object, what would you build?

If the money is no object part makes it too open ended, assume a limit of $3k to $4k.

 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160
If we don't include monitor, OS, keyboard, mouse, etc., here it is:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($499.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme11 EATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($595.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($239.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (4-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (4-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (4-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (4-Way CrossFire) ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($249.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Performance Edition (2-Pack) 63.5 CFM 120mm Fans ($26.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 High Performance Edition (2-Pack) 62.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA Classified 1500W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($420.74 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($58.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller ($22.00)
Total: $3992.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-04 13:51 EDT-0400)
For more expensive but less TDP and size, those 7970s could be replaced by two 7990s.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


4 7970s? I don't think there's a driver out there that would support that. :??:

This is what I would get if I had the money:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($150.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($70.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1074.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1074.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($134.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($154.78 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $3306.64
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-04 14:14 EDT-0400)
 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160


No!! Haha, dual 7990s or 690s would destroy the Titans in any sort of gameplay, in terms of raw power. However, at this price range, you won't really see any difference unless you've decided to run nine HD/XD monitors, as a single good 780 will be perfect for anything 1080p-1440p.
And yes, you are probably correct about the faulty quad-SLI drivers (especially from AMD). However, it can't hurt to dream (both about the system, and about AMD having effective drivers). ;)
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


If I had unlimited funds you can bet I'd be getting at least 1440p, 1080 simply wouldn't cut it. :lol:

But yeah it's not the hardware I would be worried about - it's the software.
 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160


Precisely. Setups like these are so uncommon that you'd practically have to write out your own drivers :p
 

lensar

Honorable
Jul 4, 2013
3
0
10,510
So coming back down to reality a little bit, I decided to go with an i5 and an NVidia 770. I looked at a couple of custom built systems that came in around $2500 each:

http://build.falcon-nw.com/staging/configurator/?q=127852&s=14&pt=None&pc=ffffff,0&h=F7938066FECCFFFC05068BF6960AE442F4E1D1E3

http://www.pugetsystems.com/nav/deluge/A2/customize.php

So I specced out the price of the major components and they came to $1135. Will Case, Power Suppler, labor, etc add up to another $1300+ or are these prices a bit off?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Motherboard: Asus Z87-DELUXE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Predator 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($111.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($188.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1135.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-05 13:09 EDT-0400)


 

SamGriffiths

Honorable
Dec 12, 2012
568
0
11,010
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z87 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 480GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($469.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($145.27 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($484.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($484.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Fractal Design Newton R3 800W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($185.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VG278HE 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($409.48 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG278HE 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($409.48 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG278HE 144Hz 27.0" Monitor ($409.48 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K95 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($137.98 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $4021.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-05 13:33 EDT-0400)
 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160


The CPU, Case, and PSU will cost you somewhere in the range of $500-$600. Also, what is going on with those SSDs? Could you explain why they're configured like that please?
 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160


None of the builds have included monitors, so take $1200 off the list and add it back into the actual computer. ;)
 

dannyboy2233

Honorable
May 24, 2013
1,599
0
12,160


But those aren't included in the actual price of the PC. Take a look at the previously posted builds; unless OP has specified monitor/accessories, generally don't include them. OP was asking for computer only.
 

SamGriffiths

Honorable
Dec 12, 2012
568
0
11,010
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z87 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.74 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 480GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($469.00 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($145.27 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1023.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1023.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.79 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($197.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K95 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($137.98 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $3883.25
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-05 13:43 EDT-0400)
 

lensar

Honorable
Jul 4, 2013
3
0
10,510


My thought was to have one SSD for the OS and another for data, but I'm guessing it's really a moot point and there's no real advantage there over having a single larger SSD?

 

maddog-3001

Honorable
Jun 29, 2013
113
0
10,690
here's mine, 2 gtx 780s are enough, i7-4770k delivers the best per core perfomance, need the best cooling solution (obviously) and 1tb of solid state storage

Total: $3622.84

CPU Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core $334.97
CPU Cooler Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid $150.98
Thermal Compound Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g $5.98
Motherboard Asus Maximus VI Extreme ATX LGA1150 $369.99
Memory Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 $140.98
Storage Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" SSD $439.99
Samsung 840 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" SSD $439.99
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB $649.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB $649.99
Case Corsair Air 540 ATX Full Tower $139.99
Power Supply Corsair 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V $299.99