$5000 PC help, third build, first watercooled

[guzami77]

first of all.. no hate. I could only afford mid range pcs for years but I finished college and got my first good job .. and saved

See below for background info

Computer (~$3600 on 02NOV10)
CPU - i7-980X- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115223
Motherboard - ASUS Rampage III Extreme - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131642
Memory - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6 GB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224
Graphics - GeForce GTX 480 (2)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130551
Hard Drive - Crucial RealSSD C300 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148349
Storage Drive - large external USB 3.0 at later date
PSU - Antec TPQ-1200 1200W - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371032
Case - Corsair 800D- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001
Optical drive - LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136181

Watercooling (Koolance everything ~$1400 on 02NOV10)
System - ERM-2K3UCU - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=1030
CPU block - CPU-360 - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=978
GPU block - VID-NX480 (2) - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=1017
Nozzles - need 8? - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?products_id=399
Quick Disconnects - 2 female - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=1080
Quick Disconnects - 2 male - http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=1082
+tubing
+coolant

My background and needs-
First PC built in 2002, second in 2007
Never built a watercooled PC
Crysis my favorite FPS/game of all time.. until the retarded aliens showed up and ruined it. Im hoping Crytek has fixed the aliens for Crysis 2, and consider the MAX deadline for this build to be March 22 (buy late February).
Crysis 1 gameplay at native 2560x1440 and high settings while never falling below 30 fps a must. hence 480 sli
My first PC sounded like a jet engine, and second sounded like a small jet engine... so id like a quieter PC for once. hence watercooled
Other games.. portal 2, bulletstorm, duke nukem forever, rage, diablo 3, bioshock 1/2/infinite, everquest

Some justification for picks above-
1400 bucks on water cooling may seem a bit retarded, but im most comfortable with koolance for my first attempt plus its sexy for my first dream pc. Water cooling kinda must have so I can run 480s without crazy noise
i7-980x because I might want a third 480 eventually and anything under an i7965 will bottleneck them.. also im new to overclocking and the 980x with rampage 3 will allow me the most leg room to fiddle with

Unsure picks-
Im expecting the OCZ RevoDrive X2 or Intel X-25M G3 to be my SSD of choice... but when will we see benchmarks?
When will we see a single gpu card with more power and less noise than the 480x?
When will we see a processor overtake the 980x in performance?

Please let you know what you think.. and let me know if I need to buy anything else from koolance. Thanks.

 

[wortwortwort]

The Revodrive is ridiculous, but if you really want to spend the money, who am I to stop you.

With that kind of budget, I would get a discret soundcard (If you have decent speakers)

 

[Atotalnoob]

Hey dude, 5000 =ooooo I'd wait fro the 69xx series, but there was a guy who said "go wild" on the budget, apparently he bought what I built, it was fun to build.... Here is what I put together.

CPU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115223 ~ 999.99

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128413 ~339.99

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145318 ~ 249.99

GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product ~649.99 X2 so, 1299.98 (***Note*** if you WANT to go 3d, I'd get GTX 480's at LEAST two http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814500166 ~ 519.99 X2, so 1039.98)

SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820148348 ~259.99

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136544 ~ 69.99

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811163135 ~ 219.99

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817153054 ~319.99

CPU cooler(**note** I stink at telling good coolers, so someone fill this spot in... I chose one I've heard is good.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835181013 ~ 109.99

Blue ray: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827136181 ~109.99

DVD/CD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827249051 ~ 39.99


Ok now I will explain everything. Mobo is a nice one by Gigabyte, they have solid mobos, and good everything, basically. Ram I am a little choosy, all I have bought is for customers, and a-data (was on sale)... so I can't speak for G.skill other then I've heard good things about 'em... eventually you will need to buy another set. (unless you want to). 5970s are the best todate GPUs, I've seen a few reviews saying that they have bad scaling, so maybe something else? The SSD I googled the mentioned one from the other forumer. The HDD is sata-3 and 600 gigs, not the biggest, but it is 64 MB cache too. The case, I have no clue, I've heard about this case, and had nice reviews... expensive though.... you can get better for cheaper, I am certain, I use a Coolermaster Elite 310, it'd be fine for you if you want... I can get the link. The blu-ray I just chose the best lookin' one, same with the CD/DVD.... sorry, I am "specialised" into certain areas... =/....


The total price is *drum roll* 4239.87. =o!!!!!! I went a little overboard, but it was fun(isn't that what it is all about??)... you can certainly get this down to at least 2500$ if you sacrifice a little.

Hope that helps! it is a little bit outa date, I'd change the GPUs to 480s. Diffferent HDD too, SSD I wasn't sure of, and said so....


PS. I never said it was good, I said HE liked it.

 

[guzami77]

It is very tempting to wait for Sandy bridge and new graphics cards...

BUT wont it be summer/fall 2011 before we see sandy bridge CPUs out performing the 980x?

AND due to scaling in SLI id prolly just be as happy buying two 480s at ~$480 in the winter and picking up another for prolly ~300 in the summer for equivalent performance at 2560x1440 as the same price put into the 68xx cards.. right?

Anyways.. more help on the parts needed for liquid cooling be nice.. i got everything i need?

 

[Atotalnoob]

You don't want 3 cards, SLI scaling at 3 cards drops to like nothing......


Don't get LC if you don't know anything about it.......
Edit: Not saying don't do it, just BE CAREFUL!!!!!! this is 5k we are talking about!!

 

[guzami77]

nah in toms scaling article 3 cards was still a good improvement at 2560x1440.. the fourth card didnt help much tho

 

[Atotalnoob]

ahhhh didn't see res.

 

[aznshinobi]

OK, well here's my opinion.

No, SB is expected in Q1 of 2011, that is, it's expected to launch in Jan or Feb. It'll launch soon because motherboards are already being leaked, like the mobo design from Gigabyte. Even the chips have been leaked already, the i5 2400S at least.

Preview of SB (the i5 2400S is on par with the 980X in some benchs, that's something to be said): http://www.anandtech.com/show/3871/the-sandy-bridge-preview-three-wins-in-a-row/8

The launch of the 69xx should be your best option, we've seen the improvement in scaling from CF from the 68xx, and I would expect the 69xx to do the same. Plus if the 69xx follows the AMD charts like the 68xx did, the 69xx would have a 20% improvement from the 480 GTX's with probably less power draw. Also they should run cooler, a lot cooler imo.

@wortwortwort Revodrive is great, I don't even know what your talking about. Granted it is expensive, but he really has a large budget, so really... It doesn't matter, the Revodrive is a beast of a PCI SSD! Revodrive X2 should be just updates in problems the X1 had. So, IMO I'd just go with the Revodrive. The C300 just doesn't even compare to the Revodrive.

I personally don't have experience with Corsair, but Lian-Li is really a good quality brand as well. And this possibly could be a better case for your water cooling. Sadly not in stock but just some suggestions of Lian-Li cases. Down below.

Lian-Li P80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112159

Lian-Li A77F
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112261

Cheapest but still a good case, Lian-Li P70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112224

Other brands:

Silverstone Raven 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154

Cooler Master ACTS 840
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119187

 

[guzami77]

Yea I really dont mind having a small hard drive.. so ill go with the revodrive 100 gig i think (unless I see bad reviews).

Thanks for your heads up on the SB in Jan/Feb and info on the i52400S.. thats the type of info ive been looking for

Ive been saving and eyeing hardware since May 2010.. so im a bit antsy, but right now im definitely on hold until more info leaks regarding SB, revodrive benches, and the 69xx... wouldnt make sense to burn 5k two months before a bunch of stellar releases, just want proof that they'll be stallar

 

[aznshinobi]

Exactly, good thinking.

 

[computernewb]

very nice rig

 

[Atotalnoob]

You could, if you need a computer, get a budget 400$ one... I dunno if you are pressed for one