GPU Selection for my high end gaming rig

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: December 2009

BUDGET RANGE: 5000-6000 usd maybe more if I need to. including everything , monitors keyboard mouse and the tower.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming,Video editing,Music Encoding, multitasking, Web browsing.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I am not reusing any thing from my present computer, I need everything

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel CPU I7/ I9 if its out. Antec 1200 and matching power supply

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 2560x1600

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would prefer to run on air no WC, I want to be able to Fraps my games at the highest quality, I am planing on a multi monitor setup: Center for gaming 24" or larger, two more monitors on the sides for multi tasking and browsing 22" for both. (My biggest need is playable frame rates in my games with the highest settings possible.)





Hello I have been a long time lurker here and I have been building my own computers for about 5 years. But I have a family and I have always had to compromise on system specs to fit into my budget. I am about to get a substantial raise and promotion at work and I will now be able to treat myself to a High end Gaming Rig.

Unfortunately I do not have a lot of experience gaming at my planned resolutions and I can not plan effectively for this build with out some of your help.

I am looking for what kind of performance to expect and how to meet or exceed my goals.

My main concern is to be able to play my games at very playable frame rates with all the settings turned on max, textures, AA, AF. At the highest possible resolution.

If I must compromise there I would rather drop down to 2048 x 1152 or 1920 x 1200 if I had to. Rather than turn off any of the eye candy.

I would also like to be able to Fraps my games at the same time with as minimal loss to fps as possible.

Games I play: FPS's, MMORPG's, All the BF's, COD, Crysis, Flight Sims, ARMA 2, GTA4, Far Cry, SWTOR.

My Main question is what kind of GPU set up am I going to need to meet all of my needs?

Here is what I have planned so far:

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

Antec CP-850 850W Continuous Power

EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED "Overclocker's Pick" 3-Way SLI + PhysX 1366 Intel X58 EATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMG6GX3M3A1600C7 - Retail ((X2))

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (bare drive) - OEM ((x2 raid 0 for OS))

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - OEM ((x2 for Storage))

Logitech G19 Black USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard - Retail

Logitech G9 Black 5 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse - Retail

HP LP3065 Black-Silver 30" 12ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ USB2.0 & Height Adjustment 300 cd/m2 1000:1 - Retail

Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail ((x2))


Now I just need some help on the Graphics solution.

Thanks

You could even just start with a single 5870 and see if you really need a second one. The 5870 is basically as fast as any dual core GPU currently available and will run 3 monitors itself.

oh another thing is if you have thought about buying a aftermarket heatsink and if you have considered getting the new ddr3 2000mhz ram

A single 5870 or 5850 will run 3 monitors. Because of the crossfire capability it would not make sense to put two different models in a computer. These new 5800 series GPU are as fast as two of the prior generation. You may only need a single 5870 to get the performance you want.

The GTX300 series is vaporware right now. There is no reliable info on when they will be released or what their performance will be.

i dont know how the new nvidia cards will benchmark but if you go to the articles on the right side, you will see the benches for the 5870's compared to most of the high end cards on the market right now