So I want to build a new desktop

[Karsten75]

I've been wanting to build a new desktop for a while now and I think the time is right.

I have some ideas, I'd just like to gut-check it with some knowledgeable people.

I thought the i7-2600K was at a great price point. I'd also like a Radeon 5770 (I think I'd like to run some of those programs that were written for APUs). Are those the top of what's currently available out there without totally breaking the bank? For maybe like 2-3 months before they're obsoleted with newer and faster stuff?

Then I have a question on motherboards. I believe Intel was working on some motherboard that would integrate a SSD in front of a normal harddrive? Are those available yet?

I know there are different flavors of either the Intel Motherboard or the Intel i7 that either let you overclock the processor or use the built-in graphics of the i7. Since I'd be getting a pretty good video card, I guess I'll not really be needing the built-in video. Are there any other trade-offs on motherboards?

I believe the Radeon is a power hog, so I may have to pay attention on the motherboard that it has the right power connectors and that the power supply has as well.

I hope this is not too generic, but I don't have a very good handle on other things that may crop up and bite me. I've built like two PCs before and each one was a success. One is my current desktop and the other was a server. But neither were really right at the top of the line, so I'm hoping that I can pull this one off as well. Any advice would be really most welcome.

 

[kajabla]

Well.
1-2500K. For sure. The 2600K is barely better (not noticeable except in many-threaded environments, i.e. not games) and pointlessly more expensive.
2-5770...sucks. I don't know what your overall budget is. Normally, if you could afford a K series you could get a really beastly card. For top-of-the-line without being ridiculous, a 6950 flashed to a 6970 or a gtx 570 would be the best choices, or GTX 460s in SLI for a slightly higher level.
3-By that mobo do you mean SSD caching? That is now available, yes.
4-Definitely no integrated video. A P67 chipset should do you right. Plenty of overclocking to do on that 2500K.

With any of those single cards, a good 650W power supply should cover it, and the SLI option would run around a good 750W.
What kind of money are you looking to spend?

 

[Emperus]

What would be the primary purpose for the PC? Component choices depend largely on that. For example, for a general day to day office PC or a home theatre setup, the built in video solution offered by the SB CPU's is plenty.

 

[Karsten75]

Well.
1-2500K. For sure. The 2600K is barely better (not noticeable except in many-threaded environments, i.e. not games) and pointlessly more expensive.

I really want the best multithreading PC I can get - the app I want to run can run both in the graphics card (as an APU) and on the PC.

2-5770...sucks. I don't know what your overall budget is. Normally, if you could afford a K series you could get a really beastly card. For top-of-the-line without being ridiculous, a 6950 flashed to a 6970 or a gtx 570 would be the best choices, or GTX 460s in SLI for a slightly higher level.

Hmm.. maybe I copied the wrong numbers. I was thinking about the dual-Radeon that was recently announced. I don't really know about flashing cards and I don't want to do it if it'll void the warranty on the card. Do you know if it will?

3-By that mobo do you mean SSD caching? That is now available, yes.

Cool, thanks! I'll go check on the Intel site if I can find that mobo again.

What kind of money are you looking to spend?

I don't really have a set budget, I was hoping to get away with about $1,500, but I can stretch that a bit, I have some money saved up... I know the graphics card I was looking at was in the $600 range and the i7-2600 was in the $300 range, so I thought I had some leeway still...

 

[Karsten75]

What would be the primary purpose for the PC? Component choices depend largely on that. For example, for a general day to day office PC or a home theatre setup, the built in video solution offered by the SB CPU's is plenty.

Sorry to post my reply in 2 messages. I can't quite yet get the hang of this forum and how to reply to multiple posts in one post.

I do a lot of stuff. I like a few games, one really cooks my current PC, so that is one thing. Then I do some development, debugging and I maintain a few websites. I also want to get involved in running this app that is very CPU intensive and there are versions written that will run on the graphics card APU. So the card is mostly for the engines on it, not for graphics.

I don't stream or watch much video or music per se.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[kajabla]

I really want the best multithreading PC I can get - the app I want to run can run both in the graphics card (as an APU) and on the PC.

Hmm.. maybe I copied the wrong numbers. I was thinking about the dual-Radeon that was recently announced. I don't really know about flashing cards and I don't want to do it if it'll void the warranty on the card. Do you know if it will?

Ok, then the 2600K could be reasonable.
You're thinking of the 6990, but it's a bad choice. See the Tom's review: it is technically the fastest GPU in the world, but it's enormously expensive, very hot and absurdly loud. It is the extreme end of top-of-the-line but breaking the bank that you mentioned.
Flashing would certainly void the warranty, and it's not that common. Do whatever you like.

Around that budget, roughly and without a monitor:
-$300 2600K
-$200 motherboard (they're all somewhere around there)
-$100 case of some kind
-$60 HDD
-$100 windows home (no reason to get a fancier version)

This leaves $800 to go between the SSD and GPU(s).
Tom's actually doesn't recommend caching, saying that its benefits are questionable compared to manual SSD use:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/intel-z68-express-smart-response-technology-ssd-caching,review-32185-9.html
No caching would keep you on a P67 mobo. A decent SSD for the OS and a couple of games, maybe, would probably be 60 or 64 gb. So:
-$130 SSD

And $600 for GPU(s).
This could be 2x 6950; that seems to be a pretty good price point. They'd be $500-$600.

Just so you know, this is going to be close to the best possible consumer PC
You'll certainly be safe for a couple of years.
Are you set up for monitor(s), keyboard/mouse, whatever?

 

[Karsten75]

You know, I think you put me onto something. The i7-2500k Is pretty good and about $100 cheaper. that's not too bad. I might actually go with that. I probably won't notice the difference.

 

[kajabla]

What is the app you've been talking about? Not much needs a 2600K, but it's possible.

 

[Karsten75]

Best answer selected by Karsten75.