A new Extreme Gaming Build with HIGH budget

tisello · May 16, 2011

Hello everyone! A friend of mine is about to buy a brand new, super awesome mega ultra computer.

Yeah that is what i'm thinking too!

He told me his budget would be no more then, listen up, 4700$

that is alot! He probably doesnt want it under the price of 3700$ either so :na:

He also told me that he wanted help since he is not very experienced with custom built computers and since i , somewhat, am he asked me for help. Only problem i have is choosing matching parts which will deliver the most high-end result working together. He already have a ATI 5870 or somthing similar, not exactly sure, but i told him to either go Crossfire mode or ditch it totally (give it to me!!!!!! :kaola:

). I myself am a fan of ATI cards since my first ever card was a ATI and i have always bought them since then. But if you really think that a GeForce card would preform better i see no problem buying that for his build.

The computer is going to be used for alot of gaming, and also for recording video and audio when gaming without suffering too much (if any) from doing so.

My thoughts of the build is to get

CPU: i7 980X Extreme
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115223
GPU: Either Crossfire with another of his cards or get a ATI HD 6990 or 6970
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150529&cm_re=ati_hd_6990-_-14-150-529-_-Product
PSU: Some 1000W PSU, preferably one with removable wires but i say the quieter and cooler the better!

HDD: Preferably Samsung or Hitachi, atleast 2TB but i will aim for 2.5TB of space, multiple HDDs preferred over 1 (altho max 3) and one SSD HDD with 120gb or space atleast

Motherboard: I'm not very good at mobos but i'm thinking one which can support alot of ram, have good cooling on the bridges (not sure if this part is right but i'm going with it, i think the mobo have a northern brigde atleast since i had trouble with my last mobo since it got too hot and i saw in SpeedFan that my northern brigde was way hot). Since i'm going with a i7 there is no doubt that i must have a LGA-1366 socket

RAM: 16GB (yeah it's overkill, he wants it to be) i'm thinking the best i can find, preferably a 4x6GB set. 1600Mhz is a must, i'm not good at timings but i think that the lower values on all 4 is best and the first 3 ones matters more then the last. For example:
A 9-9-9-27 is slower then a 8-8-8-24, but please correct me if i'm wrong

Case: I'm going to reccomend him an Antec twelve hundred. I am! It's hands down the most awesome looking case ever made
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100&cm_re=Antec_Twelve_Hundred-_-11-129-100-_-Product

Also i want to put in a X-Fi sound card in here, i do not know anything about soundcards so feel free to give me reccomendations.

I will also add a aftermarket cooler for his CPU, i'm thinking a nice quiet Zalman fan. I do not want WC because i have no experience of it and dont wanna mess up his 4500$ build with water :S

Leave comments below. I really need some reccomendations on HDDs, PSUs, Soundcards, Aftermarketcooling on CPU and maybe on PSU/RAM aswell, RAM, MOBO. I could also use some comments about my choices that i've maid and some response on the GPU i'm thinking about, also feel free to add something if you feel i'm missing out on something that i really should know about. Keep in mind that i'm just a humble newb helping his friend

I wish you the best of luck and thank you in advance for helping me out!

tisello · May 16, 2011

i would also like to add that with 4700$ that is 30,000kr SEK (swedish currency)

striker410 · May 16, 2011

With that money, wait a few weeks and get Bulldozer!
If not, go Sandy Bridge i7-2600k and ASRock Fatal1ty mobo.
Get 8GB (or 16, lol) of some good 1866 or 2133 ram.
Then get an Antec 1200 or HAF X.
and lastly, why the hell $4500? He better go Eyefinity or 3D, or 3 screen 3D Surround

mdd1963 · May 16, 2011

The 980X is overpriced by at least $750, IMO, given that the 2500k/2600k and a P67 based MB will defeat it in most apps, and, especially games.

A 2nd 5870 (pair of 5870's) would be pretty nice and very cost effective.

gametstr · May 16, 2011

I sure would like to know what exactly is he going to do with this. What is his resoultion? Multi monitor setup? Knowing them would help to best recommend parts.
Does he also need monitors in that budget? If so howmany and what size? Should they support 3D gaming?

Its wiser to build a 2000$ system now which is more than enough for anything. and save the money for getting another 2000$ system two years from now which would kill the now 4000$ one.

If he changes his mind
heres the build he needs.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-computer-high-end-gaming-pc,2904.html
(get any case of ur choice and get the asus mobo(for the NF200 bridge) )

anyway if I have that kind of money this is what I 'd get

CPU
The i7 2600K would KILL any CPU in GAMING. Even the 750$ pricier i7980X.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070&cm_re=2600K-_-19-115-070-_-Product

Its almost June so wait for what Bulldozer has to offer.

GPU
Go with 2 X 6970s. Over kill for anything u throw at it at w/e resolution even with 6 screens eyefinity.

XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150517&cm_re=6970-_-14-150-517-_-Product

or even 3 or 4X 6970s
or 2x geforce 580s
or 2X Geforce 590s

Mobo
ASUS P8P67 WS REVOLUTION LGA 1155 Intel P67 / NVIDIA NF200 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131714&cm_re=NF200-_-13-131-714-_-Product
or
ASUS MAXIMUS IV EXTREME (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131700&cm_re=asus_maximus_4_extreme-_-13-131-700-_-Product

RAM
2 XG.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455

PSU
SILVERSTONE Strider Gold ST1200-G 1200W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified 100% Modular, Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256069

SSD
1 or 2X Corsair Performance 3 Series CSSD-P3128GB2-BRKT 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233154

HDD
as many as needed
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4EG HD155UI 1.5TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152287

CPU cooler
COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055
or
Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

Case
Antec Twelve Hundred indeed is an awesome case.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100&cm_re=antec_twelve_hundred-_-11-129-100-_-Product
couple other good options
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196&cm_re=storm_scout-_-11-119-196-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225&cm_re=haf_x-_-11-119-225-_-Product

Good Luck

raptorjesus · May 16, 2011

Tri SLI 580s would murder any game for the next 3 years garaunteed. I second the fact that he should lower his budget to stay on the bleeding edge, instead of splurging on soon outdated hardware. When the new Kepler cards come out, you will look like an asshole for spending 1400 bucks on Dual 590s that will be smoked by a newer fancier top end die shrink card.

Wisecracker · May 16, 2011

Buy three nice HD projectors --- the Optima HD20 High Definition 1080p will set him back around 3x$944US.

For a month or so use his current rig (and HD5870 Eyefinity) to fine tune his 'infrastructure' --- you'll need to set up the projectors, pull in some extra electrical circuits (need at least one 14-AMP for the projectors alone), set up the sound system, build the screens (should be easy - not very expensive but you need to do your homework), etc.

Here is a little inspiration

I would not buy a separate sound card ... but I would certainly pass his on-board audio to a SS receiver. Should not be a really major investment for excellent results, including speakers.

I would not 'splurge' on a new graphics subsystem (even as you badly want that HD5870 on the cheap). He can add a 5850 if he wants a frame boost when he builds the new rig.

In a month or so you will know where Bulldozer stands and can make a better decision. And by the end of the year we should an idea what the HD 7xxx series will be all about ...

and an HD6970 CF might be looking really good from a price standpoint

tisello · May 17, 2011

well.. tbh if he wants to blow 4700$ on a new gaming pc... he aint exactly poor so for him it doesnt really matter if he can save 1000$ and havung a comp which will be almost as good. His income for a year is way over normal here in sweden, i would guess it lands around 700 000kronor (111,131$) a year or perhaps more. I dont really want opinions like "this is way cheaper" "spending that much us dumb" the reason i made this post wasnt to get these answers. I wanted to get tips on what mobo/ram/ssd and such to get for a really kick ass computer. The best of the best.

As of now i'm telling him to SLI 2x 590's or 3x 580's. Any thoughts?

brpeden82 · May 17, 2011

you dont get that much use out of the second 590 it a waste of money. two 580 is plenty

tisello · May 17, 2011

^ -.- read whole messege before you post a reply k thx

brpeden82 · May 17, 2011

sure i would go with three 580 then

mjmjpfaff · May 17, 2011

4700$ sh*t. what the hell is he supposed to do in 3 years when his pc gets killed by a 1500$ dollar one. i think i would just cry. my thoughts are only use 2500$ at most and put the rest of that money safe. then in 3 years pull it out and build a computer that kills your last one. he will feel better about how he spent his money in the end.

tisello · May 17, 2011

well since he makes double that 4700$ *** a month i dont really thinks he care too much

aaron88_7 · May 17, 2011

gametstr :

It doesn't sound like either the guy with a new credit card or his friend know what the PC's purpose is, but honestly if you want the best of the best now is the absolutely worst time to be building a super high end PC.

Wait for Ivy Bridge or your just throwing money down the drain. Sandy Bridge chips, as powerful as they are compared to 1st gen Intel chips, still are only midrange compared to what Intel has in store towards the end of this year.

So tell your pal to settle down and wait until the end of the year when the high end stuff is going to be released.

aaron88_7 · May 17, 2011

tisello :

Is that supposed to be a lot of money? :lol:

tisello · May 17, 2011

I did actually write in the OP that his purpose was high end gaming and frapsing/video editing. I can be more specific if you want.

As of now he have a 50" monitor which he have hooked up to his computer. I dont know his exact resolution but i would say it is pretty high (1920x1080? perhaps bigger? no?). How ever it sounds like he is planning to buy a 3d gaming screen (which i know nothing about).

The games he will be playing is like

Crysis 2
Battlefield 3 (on release)
Battlefield Bad Company 2
Starcraft 2
Perhaps some COD
Other high end FPS games

And ofc he wants them all to be running on highest settings with no lag what so ever....

And as of "wait now is a dumb time to buy new stuff, if you just wait X amount of months it will be much better!!!!!"

is it not always like that? either there is a new CPU or GPU that is coming out soon so we better wait. I mean if i tell him to wait until the winter, wouldnt GeForce send out their next gen GPU's or maybe AMD will release a kick-ass CPU.

Maybe it is especially dumb to be buying now and please tell me if it is and why. I dont think he feels like waiting until winter because that would mean he would miss out on BF3, Crysis 2 and alot of other games which his current rig cant really handle. (Sure he gots a 5870, but rest in it is total *** and it is running on a PCI-E x4 or 8 speed)

As of the bulldozer, will it be better then the 2600k or just more bang for the buck?

tisello · May 17, 2011

aaron88_7 :

well yeah kinda much. It doesnt mean he is rich but since in sweden we make like.. a third of that as normal income. It is pretty darn high here. And since he is only 20 and still lives with his mom (lol) he doenst really have any money beeing spent except for beer and pizza. It makes saving up a load of money quite easy

aaron88_7 · May 17, 2011

tisello :

It's dumb to spend almost 5k on a midrange computer when the high end stuff will be out shortly. It's better to spend say $2500 on a nice but modest midrange PC and hold off on the retarded splurges until Intel's high end chips are released.

I have a single GTX 580, that easily handles all games I throw at it at full 1080p resolution and the highest settings. One thing about larger screens is that they are not made for gaming and some have really bad lag issues. This is why smaller 23" monitors are still so expensive, the good ones have a 2 millisecond response time. Ever go to Best Buy and watch how all the TVs show the same video signal but some change screens a fraction of a second faster than others? That's the lag I'm talking about.

If he really needs to spend so much money I'd do this: Buy 3 42-50" 3D LED sets. LEDs have the best picture and usually less lag (still not as less as a smaller monitor, but hey that's too cheap right?) So to power those get this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131700
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
Then get 3 of these to power those LEDs:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590

Then get 8Gb of ram, and one big expensive SSD for the OS and storage (most people do regular HDs for storage but if money isn't an issue Id go all SSD and partition it to keep things separate.

This way you can move the GTX 580s and SSD to the new PC when Ivy Bridge is released and not waste so much. Spend the savings on the monitors and a killer surround sound system. I mean really, a high end sound system is going to cost most than most of this crap anyway, so put the money where it matters because this is one of the most often overlooked aspects of gaming. Trust me, if you get a really nice sound system you'll never want to go back to those crappy little coke cans we call PC speakers!

By the way, if your wondering why not just get 3 GTX 590's that's because a single 590 is already considered to be in SLI so the most you could do is have 2, but 3 580's perform better which is why I'd just do that.

gametstr · May 17, 2011

@op
I pretty much gave u what u 'd need in my post above. as for the GPU its up to u (or ur friend) See how much u want throw away. Personally I 'd probably go with tri / quad 6970s.
U mentioned he is going to get a 3D monitor. So its his choice to go with Nvidias 3D vision / AMDs HD3D.
I 'd go with amd coz then I 'd also have a 3D tv.
heres a list of supported 3D tvs
http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-hd3d/Pages/supported-hardware.aspx

tisello · May 17, 2011

thanks for some great answers gametstr and aaron88_7, this is the response i was looking for. As for his 50" screen it's just an old LCD TV screen which he have hooked up (dont ask me why, it sux :S) and i'm currently trying to get him to buy smaller screens for a better experience/less lag when you play.

raptorjesus · May 17, 2011

For this budget Tri SLI 580s and an i7-2600k would be perfect. Pair it with 3 30" 2560x1600 screens and you will reach very close to that budget. Its about 1500 for the graphics cards, and 3000 for the screens. Otherwise you can go 3 wide with 1920x1200 screens for about 500 for IPS screens which would be $3k in total for cards and screens. That leaves the other 1700 to outfit the rest of the computer in top spec gear. Might as well splurge on 16GB of 2133 RAM, a Rampage MOBO, big Noctua D14 Cooler, i7-2600k, and a Thermaltake Level 10 case, and 1500W Silverstone PSU.

tisello · May 18, 2011

)

The total cost landed on 33 718kr or exactly 5101,06 USD as of may 17th 2011 currency differential.

Altho he skipped the headset is his original budget and w/o it it would land on about 1500kr cheaper or 226 USD

Yeah everything is *** expensive in sweden compared to newegg

However thanks everyone for their replies and comments on the build! Leave some replies on what you think about his current build. However no "that is too expensive dood!" or "you should have waited X months". Just leave feedback on the parts we used to build his computer like this "i would rather see you go with a X mobo instead of your Y mobo, this means that Z would preform better"

Again thanks in advance and have a good evening as i am going to bed!

striker410 · May 18, 2011

That kinda sucks, since the motherboard only supports 3 way sli.... He should cancel the order on that 4th 580.

tisello · May 18, 2011

how can it only supply 3 way SLI if it has 4x PCI-E slots? :S

striker410 · May 18, 2011

It says right there in green writing "supports 3 way SLI".
Also says this: (single @x16, dual @x8, triple @x8, x16, x16 )
And, if you look at the board, do you really think you can fit 4 dual slot GPU's on there? no. You can't. Maybe if they were watercooled, but even then the mobo doesn't support 4.

A new Extreme Gaming Build with HIGH budget

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Titan

Distinguished

Distinguished

Splendid

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page