A 2000$ Core i7 Build

[Fendulon]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Mid September

BUDGET RANGE: $2000.00

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Downloading, Movies, Internet, Email

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Case, Hard Drives, DVD Drive, OS, Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor, Speakers

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: www.newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: Well.... Intel and more than likely Nvidia

OVERCLOCKING: Definitely

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I will be watercooling the entire setup as I get paychecks while working during college.

My current configuration is as follows.

Motherboard: EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED "Overclocker's Pick" 3-Way SLI (x8) + PhysX 1366 Intel X58 EATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188048

Graphics Card: 2x EVGA 02G-P3-1185-AR GeForce GTX 285 2GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130486

Power Supply: IN WIN COMMANDER IRP-COM1200 1200W ATX 12V 2.3 / EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817374014 (I chose this because it uses the same type of modular cables as my current 750w from Thermaltake and I have some custom wiring done and don't want to lose that.

Processor: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

RAM: OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3X1600LV6GK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227388

Sound Card: HT | OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001 (I am using this to output sound to a receiver)

Anyone have any suggestions or things they would change? This is a build that I want to last for a very long time.

Also just to make sure, it is possible to SLI on the top PCI-E x16 2.0 slot and the 3rd PCI-E x16 2.0 slot correct? I need to skip the second in order to make room for my PCI sound card. I couldn't find a PCI-E sound card to meet my needs. I see EVGA has some long SLI bridges but I just want to make sure it would be possible.

 

[Yoosty]

Build looks good, but check out these items below that can save you some money and you might also upgrade a bit and still be under your original costs.

Combo #1 Mobo/Graphic card
1. EVGA 141-BL-E760-A1: $409.99
2. EVGA 02G-P3-1185-AR: $402.99

Combo Discount: -$45.00
Combo Price: $767.98
$30.00 Mail-In Rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.209608

With this Combo you save $45.00 that you can take off for 2nd Grahic card or use it to buy other items you will need.

Combo #2 CPU/Ram
1. OCZ Technology, Inc. OCZ3X1600LV6GK: $134.99
Timing 8-8-8-24
2. Intel BX80601920: $279.99 Free Shipping

Combo Discount: -$12.00
Combo Price: $402.98
$10.00 Mail-In Rebate Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.205453

or this Combo
1. OCZ Technology, Inc. OCZ3P1600LV6GK: $114.99 Free Shipping
Timing 7-7-7-24
2. Intel BX80601920: $279.99 Free Shipping

Combo Discount: -$12.00
Combo Price: $382.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.205452

Here are the other items you will need for this build.
Either of these CPU HSF Cooler should work, if you want to OC. For not knowing what Brand of Case you have.
Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail $36.99 Free Shipping*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093

XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail $44.98 Free Shipping*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

Thermal Compound and Compound Remover.
Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound - Retail $9.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608008

Tuniq TR-1 High Performance Thermal Material Remover - Retail $6.99 ($1.99 after $5.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154006

If you have a Case that has the PSU mount in the Bottom you will need this cable, unless you want the cable to run across the length of the Mobo.


1ST PC CORP. 12" 8-pin EPS extension cable Model CB-8M-8F - Retail $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812706004

Hope this helped you out some, good luck on your upcoming build.

 

[Fendulon]

Well my plan was to get a Xigmatek Dark Knight already with 2 120mm fans so I'm good to go there. Also I already have an 8-pin extension because of my wiring in the Antec 900 I did need the extension for my current rig. I have a note on my wish list at newegg to check for combos on my motherboard, graphics cards, ram and power supply. I wish I had the money now to get those nice combos but I don't. I'm sure there will be some nice ones once I order as well.

Sorry I did not mention my case, but I did in the above paragraph. It is the Antec 900 with a bunch of dremel holes for wire management and all my hard drives are flipped around so the wires are routed through the bottom of the cages and inbetween the fan and the hard drives, looks very clean.

I am a pretty experienced (17 year old) builder. I am just entering college and am receiving free tuition so some of my college money is making me a very nice computer. I figure this is a good build to last a long time. Depending on what waterblocks I use I may even have the space to do tri-sli and still keep a sound card. That is something that I would pick up closer to Christmas.

My watercooling is coming out to about 1000$ It's going to be a VERY nice setup that is futureproof and will keep this all cool when I overclock it.

 

[Yoosty]

Well the Combo's I posted were taken from the specs you posted, with another added for the OCZ Platinum ram, along with the OCZ XMP's. Plus some Items that you might of missed.

Good Luck on your Build.

 

[one-shot]

There isn't any point to 2 120MM fans on a Xiggy 1283. I placed a Scythe Ultra Kaze 3000RPM fan on my Xiggy and it cools much better while staying quieter. I run the fan at 1650RPM with my fan controller. One fan is fine and other reviews have stated the same. I have the regular Xigmatek HDT-S1283 as it cools a little better than the Dark Knight cooler. I purchase the bracket seperately on Newegg.

 

[gkay09]

The 2GB on the GTX 285 is no better than the 1GB GTX 285 @ that resolution...You are paying excess money for virtually zero performance increase...
And that too 2x GTX 285 2GB...A total overkill...

If I were you, instead of the GTX 285 2GBs, I would get 3x GTX 275s and SLI them (Even 2 of them can max out @ that resolution)...they would max out the current games @ that resolution...And invest in something, that would really boost the overall performance - SSDs...

I would suggest you get the latest intel 34NM SSDs with the money saved on the graphics card (An 80GB SSD costs sub $300)...IT would overall improve the performance significantly...

 

[Fendulon]

I thought about doing something like SSDs but I already have so much hard drive space that I can't justify spending 300$ on.... 80gb. As I said this is all about futureproofing. I know with the 2gb on the graphics cards I've seen improved performance when there is a ton of hi-res textures as well as with maxed out AA and AF at the higher resolutions which would allow me to run future games at max for quite some time. Not even factoring in as much overclocking as I can choke out of it all on watercooling when needed. I may invest in some SSDs later when I can justify it to myself. I may pickup a 2560x1600 monitor before I pick up a SSD though.

 

[Helloworld_98]

^ $225 on 80GB, an it would beat any dual HDD RAID 0 system out there.

 

[Fendulon]

But still... 225$ I can get another monitor for that or 2 tb of storage or a crap ton of other things. I can't justify a solid state drive just for some faster loading times and better I/O and copy paste speeds. When they are a lot more main stream I will get one but now just doesn't seem the right time. If I have some money to throw around some time this year I will perhaps get one but it's out of the question for me right now.

 

[gkay09]

^ Lolz not to criticize your view...But how do you justify the 2x 2GB GTX285s (~$800), that too with newer cards not even 1 year away and the Performance gains/ Price that those cards offer...
You are am sure not aware of the performance gains of the SSDs and the performance gains going with 2x GTX285s...

 

[Fendulon]

I justify two cards of such price and unusefullness by knowing after this year I might very well be a poor college student and I don't plan to upgrade for quite some time. I am sure I am aware of the performance gains of SLI and SSDs. I have looked at both extensively. I feel that if I have the money now a SLI setup is going to give me a larger benefit in gaming down the road than some SSDs will, especially if I'm not going to have the money to upgrade for a couple of years.