$2000 to $2500 gaming/video transcoding build

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

seraphynx

Distinguished
May 5, 2011
22
0
18,510
It's been a few years so decided to turn my opteron 165 system into my home server and looking to put together a new system. Any suggestions would be great:)

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP probably going to put in purchase order tuesday

Budget Range: $2000- $2500

System Usage: gaming(MMO's mostly) and video transcoding... also I run several VM's

Parts Not Required: mouse, motherboard(already got the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO

Preferred Websites for Parts: newegg.com or tigerdirect or amazon

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: I'll consider all suggestions.

Overclocking: YES, YES AND YES

SLI or Crossfire: Probably will after 6 months

Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080



---------------

This is what I've been considering:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

GPU: Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti or PowerColor AX6950 2GBD5-2DH Radeon HD 6950 2GB

PSU: ZXT HALE90-850-M 850W ATX 12V v2.2, EPS 12V v2.91 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

HDD: 128GB SSD(haven't decided yet leaning toward the M4) with a Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s

CASE: NZXT Phantom PHAN-001RD Red White Finish w/Red

Optical Drive: LITE-ON Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Internal Blu-ray Burner 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D

Speaker: Logitech Z523 40 Watts RMS 2.1 Speaker System

Monitors: Asus VE248H Black 24" 1920X1080 2ms Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 10,000,000:1
Also will need a second 20"-22" monitor whatever I can find around $100

Keyboard: Logitech K800

EXTRAS: Logitech C910 USB 2.0 1080p HD Pro Webcam
Rosewill RCR-AK-IM5002 USB2.0 75 in 1 internal Card Reader
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
K

Kreeker

Distinguished
Oct 31, 2008
33
0
18,530
Everything looks pretty good.

*EDIT* JUST READ THE DETAILS!!!!! You already have a ASUS P8Z68-V PRO. Good choice :)

DISREGARD BELOW:

However I don't see a mobo. The title of your thread leads me to believe a z68 board would benefit you very much. I'm personally going with the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO. It seems to have gotten very good reviews and overclocks good if better than its p67 brother.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

Titan
BANNED
Oct 30, 2004
32,255
14
99,960
Case / PSU - NZXT not on most PSU lists but the Hale scores perty well (9.5 performance rating) at jonnyguru.com .... but at $180 ? .... .... the CP-850 gets a 10.0 performanc erating at $120 ..... Also look at Corsair AX / HX series and XFX Black Edition

Other Case / Combos to consider are HAF-X and Antec 902 V3 for the flashy stuff, Antec 1200 V3 (also fits CP-850) for something sedate.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=199
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=142

Cooler / TIM - The Scythe SCMG 2100 betas the Noctua by 1C at half the price

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=432&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=19

Scythe Mugen-2 SCMG-2000 29.00°C over ambient
Zalman CNPS10X-Performa 29.71°C over ambient
Titan FENRIR TTC-NK85TZ 29.80°C over ambient
Thermolab BARAM 29.84°C over ambient
Noctual NH-D14 (2x 140) 30.09°C over ambient
Click to expand...

RAM - CAS 9 for video editing will hold ya back. I'd start w/ 2 x 4GB of CAS 7's and only add more if ya find ya need it.

GFX - For video editing, CUDA capable holds the edge, that means nVidia.....unlock it here:
http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/PremiereCS5.htm

gave ya SLI now rather than later .... hey budget allowed :)

HD - Seagate 2 TB Barracuda XT

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=708&Itemid=60&limit=1&limitstart=10

For a hard drive, the Barracuda XT series offers the best performance available from a 7200 RPM mechanical storage device
Click to expand...

SSD - Corsair Force 3 supposed to be released next week. Should drive down OCZ's price to same $220

MoBo / CPU - Since budget allows, why not get the 2600k ? Use HT for video editing at say 4.5 GHz in one bIOS profile, 4.8GHz w/ HT off for 2nd profile. MoBo equipped with NF200 for x16 x16 performance.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p67-gaming-3-way-sli-three-card-crossfire,2910.html

Mouse / KB - I'd suggest skipping the wireless stuff......I flew to wireless when it became available, novelty wears off, all systems in office / home now wired again.

Monitor - Went w/ 120Hz model

Total $2470

Case - $155 - Antec DF-85 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129087
Case Fans - $15 - Antec Red 120 mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209013
PSU - $120 - Antec CP-850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371024
MoBo - $465 - ASUS P8P67 WS Revolution http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.642533
CPU - incl - Intel Core i5-2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
Cooler - $40 - Scythe SCMG 2100 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142
TIM - $5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $130 - (2 x 4GB) Mushkin CAS 7 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226178
GFX - $220 - EVGA GTX 560 (900MHz) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130651
GFX - $220 - Same
HD - $160 - Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148506
SSD - $310 - OCZ Vertex 3 2.5" 120GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227714
DVD Writer - $70 - Asus 24X DRW-24B3L w/ LS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247
Card Reader $50 55 in 1 Card Reader http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820314001
Monitor - $350 - ASUS VG236HE Black 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236104
Keyboard - $100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100
Mouse - $60 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

seraphynx

Distinguished
May 5, 2011
22
0
18,510
so couple things.. I wanted to go with the NZXT Phantom for a couple reasons. One is i wanted a white case all my others have been black so wanted a change. I also need a cover over the drive bays like the phantom has so my kids dont play with the dvd drive. Then I mainly went with the nzxt psu since it got good reviews and matched the color...

I also have been debating over the 120hz monitor but i need two monitors and i would think having one 60hz one and one 120hz one would get sort of annoying and two 120hz ones is a lot of money.

oh and that 55 in 1 Card I heard it doesnt work with the new 16gb+ sd cards any merit to that claim?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2011
3,051
0
20,960
stay with 2 60hz monitors 120hz are not worth it unless you are going 3d
that mobo jack posted is over priced just go with the asrock p67 extreme4 since 560ti's in sli arent bottlenecked by x8/x8
ssd- go with the ocz agility 3 or the corsair force 3 and jack they are out right now look on newegg
hdd get 2 samsung spinpoint f3 1 tb and put them in raid 0 they will be faster and oh ya cheaper at 130$
get this card reader- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820223109&cm_re=card_reader_internal-_-20-223-109-_-Product
go with that scythe cpu cooler that jack posted
psu- corsair hx750- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010&Tpk=hx%20750
get this dvd drive- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204&cm_re=asus_dvd_burner-_-27-135-204-_-Product
get this ram- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145324&cm_re=corsair_1600_ddr3_8gb-_-20-145-324-_-Product
i agree with the mouse but for your keyboard go g110 at tiger direct it has the best price for it i think it is 50$
also the gpu is only 1 mir per costomer so you cant get them both for 220$ but you can by buying one at newegg and one at amazon
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310



Thank you for posting the Scythe Mugen review comparison with several coolers. It actually astounds me how different reviewers can have such different results.

In this review for example, the Noctua NH-D14 beats the Scythe Mugen by 5 degrees C - which is considerable.

http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2525

I have several discrepancies among different reviews and I can only explain them by the seeming difficulty to get the right amount of thermal compound and apply the right amount of pressure when installing a CPU cooler. It appears that even the pros get it wrong sometimes.

I agree with you that the scythe mugen is a great cooler at a great price, but in most of the reviews that I have read it does not beat the Noctua NH-D14. For those on a budget, I think that the mugen is the best cooler available. For those who can afford it, the D14 appears to be superior (at least in the majority of the reviews I have read)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310


Hello :),

I would like to offer a suggestion for your 2.1 speaker system. About a month ago I purchased a the Corsair sp 2500 2.1 speaker system for my step-father. He just wanted a cheaper system so he could watch movies on his laptop but I suggested the Corsair system to him because of the great reviews.

Well we paid twice our budget ($179) for the SP 2500 and waited for their delivery. When they arrived I could only hook up the system to the laptop's earphone jack. I knew from the reviews that to get the best out of the system a sound card is needed. What happened?

We were BLOWN AWAY with the amazing sound from this speaker system from an earphone jack. We watched the new Harry Potter and heard every nuance of the movie track.

I played some music with delicate high-end flute and violin music and again I was just simply amazed. I played some rock music with heavy bass and the sub-woofer never clipped or distorted.

Curious, I turned the volume all the way up (the sound was painfully loud) and the speakers would not clip or distort - I was floored. They sounded cleaner and more true and they picked up more detail than my $2000 5.1 Harmon Kardon surround sound system. I am truly bummed now. All this from a $179 2.1 speaker system.

Anyway - consider these speakers if you can afford them. It is easily the best computer speaker system I have ever heard. It is much cleaner than any of the Logitech systems I have listened to including the Z5500 and their 5.1 system.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310


One review of the Phantom said that the front cover was weak because it broke during the review. If you have kids consider this.

The Corsair 650D and the Silverstone FT02 Fortress are very good cases.

There is a review of the 650D here: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1596/
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310


At Frosty Tech, they list the noise of the two units as nearly equal with high fans (46 DB). However, the D14 is running two fans and the mugen just one. If you take this into account the D14 is quieter.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2011
3,051
0
20,960

he needs a case covering the dvd drives flong and can you please post that review on how the nzxt phantom is weak
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310


It was a review that I read a long time ago, but I will search for it. I was really interested in the Phantom until I read that article. The article also mentioned that the case can only use NZXT fans.

Also on Newegg a bunch of people mention having problems with the fan controller.

I don't own the case and so I have no first hand experience with it. I just researched it because it looked like an interesting case.

I have seen a lot of owners of the case make very positive comments about it
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2011
3,051
0
20,960
i found this in it "Magnetic latch isn’t strong enough to hold the front door and during our review one of the hinges of the front door broke (we reviewed a pre-production sample and NZXT may address this problem)" -did they adress the problem?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310




Honestly mjmjpfaff, you must be just rushing though these posts and not taking time to really read them. Go back and re-read both the article and my previous post.

They say the hinge broke - it is not just a problem with the magnetic holder. And my previous post already told you that I don't know if NZXT corrected the isse.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310
BTW to everyone, I still think the Phantom is an excellent case and should be considered. It cools well, has lots of room, has fan controllers and remains very quiet when in use. My only concern was to point out that with children that the above review had reported that the hinge system on the front cover broke on the pre-production model. If children were not in the picture this would not even have been worth mentioning.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2011
3,051
0
20,960


oh sorry bout that.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Nihilis

Nihilis

Distinguished
May 18, 2011
329
0
18,810
Just throwing it out there, the BitFenix Colossus case has all it's drives behind a door, and also has a lockable compartment at the front which holds the front USB Ports, and can also hold any valuables or USB devices. Very child proof in this respect. I'm not sure how it compares technically to the Phantom though.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom