Extreme Gaming PC Build

[omalljd]

I am sure this has been asked before, but I want to build a gaming system for my son for his Birthday. I have a limited knowledge of computers but I do know the components and what they do. I know that what my son wants is not available from the main computer companies. I will buy all of the components and then my I.T. guys will put it together for me. They know servers and workstations but they aren't up to date on the gaming stuff.

I will mention what he wants in the system and I hope someone can help me put this together. He is looking for the fastest system possible in all respects. I'm not sure if he will overclock the system but that is a possibility. He does want the system liquid cooled and he mentioned a system from Zalman that is external. He also mentioned a new video card that is coming out soon. I think he said something about 290 or 295. His current system has 2 video cards so I assume he wants multiple cards in this as well.

Basically, I want to spec the ultimate gaming pc in all respects. I don't have a set budget for this system and I have a good idea what it may cost.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Jeff

 

[oicwutudidthar]

well

core i7 965
3x gtx 285 with waterblock sli
Gigabyte x58 extreme
3x Zalman Reserator
6gb corsair dominator 1866 mhz
1200w pc power and cooling
abs canyon
2x intel 32gb slc ssd drive in raid 0
2x 1tb cavier black in raid 0
abs canyon case
Asus Xonar Sound Card

have fun

 

[NuclearShadow]

oicwutudidthar's basically has it right if $ isn't a issue to you except your son is wanting the GeForce GTX 295 so make sure you don't make that error otherwise I am sure your son will throw a fit and tell you how much he hates you and wishes he was dead. Certainly you don't want him to suffer such embarrassment in front of his friends.

I hope your very spoiled son enjoys his new PC while a child starves to death every six seconds. Hell the electricity used to power that monster could probably equal to feeding one of those kids. But hey your kids gotta have the best right?

 

[megamanx00]

Well, the 295 is going to officially come out at the end of this week. It's a little faster than the current king the 4870X2. Just so you know the 295 is going to cost $499 a card so you're looking at 1k for two of them. As for the rest of the system an i7 based system would be the fastest so you will need a good X58 board and you also have to make sure that is supports SLI as a few of the "cheaper" ones don't and by cheaper I mean less than $250. You should take a look at something like this Gigabyte board

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374

You will need DDR3 RAM for it and I would recommend the following 6GB kit from mushkin (although you can get two kits for a total of 12GB)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226040

The best i7 CPU would be the 965 EE

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115200

as for the Hard Drive you could get 4 of these Cavalier 1TB Black

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

and run them in Raid 5. That would give you a 3TB partition with the other 1TB being the parity bits should one of the drives fail thus giving you amazing speed, capacity, and reliability. As for the case I think your son was refering to the Zalman Z-Machine LQ1000. They don't seem to have it at newegg right now so you can google it or look it up on price watch to see who has it. Just so you know the case alone is $800.

You're going to need one heck of a power supply to run all those high end components so you should get something like a FSP Group Everest 1010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104041

Or a CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007

If you get any other PSU make sure you research it to be sure that it is in the top PSU tier. You're going to spend alot of money on this system and you don't want to risk ruining the whole thing just because you got a cheap Power Supply. Since you are also going to need an optical drive, I suppose you will want an excellent blu ray burner to complement your monster system such as

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827248014



For the operating system you will need to get windows Vista 64-bit and since you're spending all this money you may as well get the retail version

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116473

 

[megamanx00]

I'd just like to add that I salute you for keeping the economy going and I'd go with the FSP Power supply, but yeah I can see nuclear's point there. If you dislike wasteful spending and you didn't vote for Nader then shame on you . Anyway after looking at the links I gave you I hope you understand that this setup is going to cost you some serious bucks.

 

[omalljd]

Thanks for all the replies. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Has anyone run across DigitalStorm computers? It appears they make high-end custom gaming computers with liquid cooling.

NuclearShadow, I understand your concerns and I appreciate your concern for our humans. Even though I may spend an excessive amount of money for a computer to support our economy, I also do my philanthropic part to help our fellow humans.

 

[grieve]

Basically, I want to spec the ultimate gaming pc in all respects. I don't have a set budget for this system and I have a good idea what it may cost.

Is there a budget? A fantastic machine can be built for 3k but a killer rig could be more like 6-8k. There must be some type of money limit?

Looking to adopt a 34 yr old Caucasian male? I don’t need much, perhaps a new PC every 2 years?!

 

[kubes]

I don't know if i'd choose the gigabyte boards for this build. I think your better off going with asus or evga since they deal with building the highest end boards out there. gigabyte targets the high preformance area but not the eutheists area.

EVGA board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188039

Asus board: (if you plan on doing heavey overclocking)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131352

I would also suggest you go with a abs 1200w power supply or a pc power and cooling 1200w supply. This may be a bit overkill but the entire rig is overkill really. I'd just rather have a good solid overkill psu instead of something that is just good enough to push everything in your pc.

If you go with the abs power supply pick up the abs case as well. the abs case is probally the best case out there but just its a hefty price. unreasonbly priced for most.

I would highly reccomend one of the top end monitors for this build as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005115

 

[leo2kp]

NuclearShadow doesn't seem to realize that the time he spent typing out that response could have been used to submit a one-time payment to CMN. Way to go...

 

[Winly]

WOW i would love to have a father like you!!!!. if i want something i have to do it by myself and work hard to get the money.

 

[Winly]

anyway, i think that setup is good but wow way too expensive. hope you have some money to buy all that. by the way, how old is your son, if you dont mind.

 

[oicwutudidthar]

actually the best motherboard to date is the foxconn blood rage. only 3 memory dim slots and can support up to 2500mhz memory plus. Someone has gotten there dominator modules with fan to 3000mhz on 1.65. but the bloodrage on has room for 2, 2 slot vid cards. so 295 in quad sli or 4870x2 in quadfire is the way to go. Although even the 295 might be a bit better then the 4870x2 in the long run the 4870x2 is still better. most games can't take advantage of that quad pumped gddr5. 4870x2 is a monster and is a year ahead of its time.

 

[geofelt]

For gaming, the most important component is the vga system.
Once you get beyond two vga cards, there is diminishing returns on performance. I would suggest that you modify the requirement from fastest possible to just outstanding.
You might want to read this article on what is realistic with different configurations, and what you need for best possible game play.
http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?page=vga_charts

The resolution of the display plays a big part in the requirements. For top end games, look at a 2560x1200 30" display. The Samsung 305T is a good one. They are pricey, but the look is stunning.

This week, we should see the announcement of the 55nm GTX285 and GTX295. A pair of either of these will give you the best possible gameplay. Anything else is just for bragging rights.

Currently the best possible cpu is the i7 965. It costs $1000. The i7 920 costs $300, and a mild overclock will make it perform like a 965. Take your pick. Either one will drive the best vga system well.

I am not much in favor of liquid cooling. First, it seems unnecessary today. A well ventilated case, and a good cpu cooler will keep the temperatures under control. Second, there is some care and maintenance involved. Last, there is a risk of damage if there should be a fluid leak. Only if your hobby is record level overclocks would liquid cooling be appropriate.

The top X58 motherboards from asus, gigabyte, or evga will do the job for dual vga cards. Look carefully at the layout if for some reason, you want to try three vga cards.

6gb of DDR3-1600 ram should be fine. I have not tried 12gb, but you might consider it. Vista-64 bit superfetch will use extra ram to cache frequently used programs and files for instant access.

For the OS, look at the Intel 80gb SSD. No other brand does not currently have a random write problem. Better yet, use two of them in raid-0. The SSD does not have an access penalty which hurts a hard drive raid-0 system.
For storage, there is nothing better than the WD velociraptor 300gb. If you need more than 300gb, then look at a 1tb drive instead.

---good luck---

 

[omalljd]

Geofelt, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm glad you mentioned diminishing returns and what is completely overkill. I am not building this system so he can have bragging rights, but rather to have the best system possible for his gaming.

I know that he wanted liquid cooling but maybe it doesn't really make sense since I don't think he is going to do extreme overclocking. One question I have is will the liquid cooling help the processor last longer by keeping the heat down? The computer will be used primarily for gaming and my understanding is that these newer games really heat up the processor.

I saw another question about budget. I hesitate to even answer that due to some of the negative comments but I am prepared to spend 10K if it makes sense. My son is 18 years old and has a job working for me. I am buying this computer because it is his Birthday but more importantly he will be using it to promote his private foundation. The focus of his foundation is to mentor and provide direction to underprivileged kids. I saw another comment about someone having to work hard to pay for it themselves. My son has worked hard for everything he has achieved and he wants his Birthday present to be used with his foundation.

Enough of that...back to the system. Any other thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[NuclearShadow]

Thanks for all the replies. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Has anyone run across DigitalStorm computers? It appears they make high-end custom gaming computers with liquid cooling.

NuclearShadow, I understand your concerns and I appreciate your concern for our humans. Even though I may spend an excessive amount of money for a computer to support our economy, I also do my philanthropic part to help our fellow humans.

I love how you put that "our humans" as if I am on the outside and not one too. Also your being dishonest your goal isn't to support the economy if you were buying massive amounts of these PCs and then simply giving them away that would be helping but your only buying one and for your son on his birthday so don't give me your supporting the economy crap. I'm sure your many acts of philanthropy that makes Mother Teresa look like a cold hearted bitch and us small peons thank you would you like us to build a altar of you? Perhaps we can make it a sculpture of you and your reaction depicting the scene of a future birthday of your son when he throws a fit and smashs his new Ferrari because its not venetian red like he wanted. Or how about his first drug arrest that will have the charges mysteriously disappear? (if that hasn't already happened) Because you know rich spoiled brats always dive right into them. Hell your probably doing a line of coke off a high class hookers ass once in a while yourself.

Anyways I hope your son loves his new PC and don't forget he wants the GeForce GTX 295 and you should get at least three of them otherwise he will will surely be the laughing stock of the gated community.

 

[kubes]

Ya I also agree that ssd drives are probally the way to go. get Two 80 drives and raid 0 them. Use those as your primary drives. Then pick up another or two 1tb drives depending on the amount of space it would require. I am with geofelt that two gtx 295's would be plenty. If your nervious about ussing ssd's then try the wd raptor 300gb verison. Its slightly slower than the ssd's noted above but will still be a force when dealing with preformance.

I would consider myself a newbie when it comes to water systems. I in general stick with air because I'm always affaird water will leak or something will go wrong with it. If your doing tripple sli, I think this would warrent the liquid cooling due to heat. If its just two then you should be ok, given that you get a good case with maxium air flow.

 

[omalljd]

I love how you put that "our humans" as if I am on the outside and not one too. Also your being dishonest your goal isn't to support the economy if you were buying massive amounts of these PCs and then simply giving them away that would be helping but your only buying one and for your son on his birthday so don't give me your supporting the economy crap. I'm sure your many acts of philanthropy that makes Mother Teresa look like a cold hearted bitch and us small peons thank you would you like us to build a altar of you? Perhaps we can make it a sculpture of you and your reaction depicting the scene of a future birthday of your son when he throws a fit and smashs his new Ferrari because its not venetian red like he wanted. Or how about his first drug arrest that will have the charges mysteriously disappear? (if that hasn't already happened) Because you know rich spoiled brats always dive right into them. Hell your probably doing a line of coke off a high class hookers ass once in a while yourself.

Anyways I hope your son loves his new PC and don't forget he wants the GeForce GTX 295 and you should get at least three of them otherwise he will will surely be the laughing stock of the gated community.

NuclearShadow...why does it bother you so much that I am having this computer made for my son? The "our humans" comment I meant to say "other humans". I won't comment on the rest of your post but I am sorry you feel this way.

 

[kubes]

Ya know I have no problem with someone putting together a rig like this as long as they arn't waisting my time and not really gonna build it.

@nuclear
Life just isn't fair sometimes. Learn to accept that. Yes he's probally waisting some money on this computer, but what's nice about it is that he can. I mean you do you ever go buy tickets to the movies? Could have spent that money on some starving kid. Its the same deal just with a different issue. I mean this is nothing more than a form of entertainment/business. Leave it at that.

 

[megamanx00]

I'd waste money on a computer like that if I could. O.k well no I wouldn't even if I was rich, but the idea is nice . Anyway I think some of you guys missed the part where his IT guys will be putting it together. That's going to rule out Asus since even though I love Asus boards, I wouldn't recommend them to someone who didn't really know what they are doing because sometimes they can be a real pain in the @$$. EVGA boards are usually just reference, and as for Foxconn even though they can make good products their support is just not there. That pretty much just leaves MSI and Gigabyte, and I think the Gigabyte boards are a little easier to deal with.

 

[kubes]

@megamanx
In general i full heartly agree with what you just said. But if his IT guys are putting it together(meaning they have some ideas) then they should be comfortable working with asus and evga. Gigabyte does make a pretty good board don't get me wrong, its just that for extreme pc's i'd feel more confortable reccomending a asus or evga board.

edit: PS foxconn also makes a great extreme board but I've had less luck with there tech support when compairing it to evga and asus. Plus i think evga and asus Quality control is a little bit better than foxconn. (think foxconn preforms better in benchmarks however? need to read some reviews on the new boards)

 

[grieve]

core i7 965
Dual 4870X2'S on a water loop to keep the noise down.
6GB DDR3, 1600MHZ+ idealy.
Dual SSD's for the 64bit OS in Raid0
A single 1tara Hdd for storage.

 

[robert27]

The diminishing returns comment is something that ought to be weighed very heavily. I'm sure that your son appreciates that you're willing to spend $10k for the best of the best for him, but there's a few things to consider:

- The performance increase you gain for spending $10k on a system over spending $5k will not be 100%, in fact it'll likely be around %10 or less. Even the $5k system will likely perform only slightly better than a $3k system. I understand that you want him to have a really great computer for his gaming fun, but take these diminishing returns into consideration.

- If you spend $10k now, in two years that system will likely be equivalent to a $2k-3k system. I suggest building something that will by all accounts still be considered top of the line today, in the $5k range, and then build another for him two or three years down the line for another $5k. Sure it'll diminish the value of his 18th birthday present, but the overall value will be increased in the long term. Or perhaps build the $5k system for him now and give him another $5k to go spend on something else that he really wants.

From performance increase and economic perspectives, it is exceptionally difficult to justify spending $10k on a system. Happy birthday to your son! I hope he enjoys his gift

 

[grieve]

below is a killer water cooling loop for dual 4870x2's --> CND $'s and a canadian store as i dont know where in USA to get this stuff.

$139.99
You want a fesser one rad or a Thermochill they are the best, no comparisons.
Feser One X-360 TFC Xchanger Triple 120MM Water Cooling Radiator
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=28901&vpn=4260119641020&manufacture=Feser%20One


$6.49
Need barbs for the rad
Swiftech 1/2IN OD Chrome Plated G1/4
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=22451&vpn=BSPP-250-500-CP&manufacture=Swiftech

$102.43
a good industrial pump
Swiftech MCP655 12V
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19862&vpn=MCP655&manufacture=Swiftech

$30.73
If you want a res, this is the best one. Swifteck microres, but a T line is fine.
Swiftech MCRES-MICRO REV2
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34401&vpn=MCRES-Micro%20Rev2&manufacture=Swiftech

$14.23
This tubing is cheaper and is more flexible then Tygon. The 7/16 inside diameter makes a tight fit on ½ OD barbs, perfect for your/our needs
Masterkleer Pvc Tubing 7/16IN ID 5/9IN OD 10 Feet http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=21318&vpn=TUB%2D7101%2DC&manufacture=Danger%20Den

$366.68 --> for two
TWO - Danger Den DD-4870-X2 Full Cover X-FIRE Ready Video Card Water Block for Radeon 4870 X2 1/2IN Barbs
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33184&vpn=GPU-6892&manufacture=Danger%20Den

$19.99
Swiftech MCB-120 Radbox Revision 2 Black
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] e=Swiftech

$10 go to your local hardware store and get some Metal hose-clamps, these will never leak there like a buck 50 each.

TOTAL: $ 690.18 cnd = $4.30 AMERICAN j/k

 

[geofelt]

Heat does have an effect on cpu longevity, but the time frame is decades. The cpu will slow down to protect itself if it gets too hot. The i7 is particularly good at this.
Overclocking to high levels can reduce the lifespan of a cpu, but the cpu will be obsolete in five years, long before it fails.
With your budget, and without the need for overclocking, look at the i7-965. It will run anything out there, and it can be overclocked easier and to higher levels if it is ever needed.

The biggest heat generator will be the vga cards. They are designed to run hot, and they do. It would be good to put this in a case with very good airflow.
The best case I think would be the Antec 1200.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043

The onboard HD sound is very good these days, so I would not bother with a sound card. The cpu savings would be insignificant. Some sound cards seem to have driver problems.
For sound, add a good quality 5.1 speaker system. My criteria would be to look at the size of the subwoofer speaker. That determines how low the sound can go. Any good system will have enough power to shake the building. No doubt there are many here who can offer some good suggestions on speakers.

 

[grieve]

If i were you... a "non" builder... i would purchase a top-end Falcon Northwest system.
http://www.falcon-nw.com/

I looked they have the newest extreme i7 with dual 4870x2 water cooled systems.

**edit**
or even an alienware(dell)...
http://www.alienware.com/