My $2,000 Build with 3 Monitors!

[steelbeast]

The "Steelbeast"!
This rig will tear apart Battlefield 3 WITH EYEFINITY on 3x 25in. monitors! For those that don't know, you can see WAY MORE stuff happening on the battlefield with 3 screens instead of one. The rig is also Ivy Bridge / PCI 3.0 ready so it's future proof too! This actually includes all the required accessories to run Eyefinity on Displayport (the future standard, sorry HDMI) for the lowest possible price. The GPU must be strictly chosen. The build also includes full-size tower with 3x 230mm fans for superior cooling and flexibility.


MUST-READ Articles / Information:

HowTo: Arctic Silver's "Thermal Compound Application Guide"
http://www.arcticsilver.com/methods.html

ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX Installation Video
http://www.zalman.com/eng/product/Product_Setup.asp?Idx=416

HowTo: OCZ's SSD Firmware Update Information
http://www.ocztechnology.com/ssd_tools/OCZ_Vertex_3,_Vertex_3_Max_IOPS,_Agility_3,_Solid_3,_RevoDrive_3_and_RevoDrive_3_X2/

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Driver List
http://www.asrock.com/mb/download.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme4%20Gen3

HowTo: Overclock.net's "6950 shader unlock with voltage control"
http://www.overclock.net/amd-ati/915716-6950-shader-unlock-voltage-control.html

HowTo: Tom's Hardware "Alternate Sandy Bridge K Series OCing Guide"
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/266189-29-alternate-sandy-bridge-series-ocing-guide


"SteelBeast" Components:

Display: 3x ASUS 25in DisplayPort Monitors (Eyefinity) $230 ea/$689 (Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236123

GPU: (Crossfire) 2x XFX HD-695X-CNFC Radeon HD 6950 $480 (TigerDirect- Allows 2x rebates!)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=93094&CatId=7005

CPU: Intel i5 2500k $220 (newegg)
You can OC this to 4.5Ghz easily. Going above 1.4v NOT RECOMMENDED!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

MB: ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 $180/AR (Newegg)
This MoBo is Ivy Bridge / PCI 3.0 ready = future-proof! ENABLE AHCI!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 120GB $120 (My Discount) (Newegg) Install latest firmware BEFORE installing OS! MoBo has a spare SATA cable included.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706

HDD: Seagate Barracuda XT 3 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache $155 ($25 off w/mobo combo discount)
Mind as well get a huge HDD since my mobo supports 3+TB, plus it's got 7200rpm, 64mb cache AND 5yr warranty! MoBo has a spare SATA cable included.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148736

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600 $38 (Newegg $15 off with CPU Combo)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144

PSU: 1000W COOLER MASTER Silent Pro $130/AR (Newegg) 80A on a single 12V rail. Do NOT skimp on this! Remember, PSU's run most efficient at 80% or less, Buying one with "enough" watts will stress it too much.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049

DVD: LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer (Newegg free w/HDD) MoBo has a spare SATA cable included.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106334

CASE: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower Case with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 $142 (Prime Eligible- 30lbs. LoL!)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Advanced-Tower-SuperSpeed/dp/B001EPUQAE

HSF: ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-R 135mm Red LED $58/AR (Newegg) Comes with high-grade thermal paste for free.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118075
This is also the QUIETEST HSF with low temps, only next to the Noctua NH-D14 which is $85.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2567&page=5

3x 10ft. Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort Cables $36 (Amazon) You can get 6ft., but I wouldn't.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TSTDHQ


Total: $2,248/AR with monitors
Total: $1,559/AR w/o monitors

Gaming peripherals: (currently own and love)

Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Mouse $80 (for FPS games and everyday) Hands down the most comfortable mouse ever made, looks are deceiving.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CP0BHM

Razer Naga $65 (for MMO games) It's a classic, 'nuff said.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153054

Logitech G110 Gaming Keyboard $50 (good cheap backlit keyboard with macros and media controls)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126087

Logitech G35 7.1 Surround Headphones $90 You can take all my peripherals away except this! Truly a game changer.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104281

(2) Razer Goliathus Alpha L - Control (Fragged) $20 ea.Yes, 2 of them, because its alot softer than a tabletop for marathon gaming, along with ample room for the mouse. Your forearms will love you for this.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R0DX0U

 

[steelbeast]

So you guys like my crazy OC/CrossFire/Eyefinity build for barely $2K?

 

[steelbeast]

This should be able to run BF3 w/ EyeFinity just fine eh?

 

[steelbeast]

BTW, if you OC these 6950's to max stable, they equal to a single HD 6990 which retails for ~$800. How about that for Price/Performance ratio! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it

 

[cgleckman]

Nice build, looks good all around. Should do everything you could need for a long long time... Enjoy

 

[mortonww]

Looks pretty good except for the case. The GPUs may fit, but that case is pretty small and the Cooler Master Hyper 212 might be too tall. For the performance of this system, getting a better case is worth it. You don't want to have all your components cramped in a tight space with restricted airflow for no reason. Check out the Cooler Master HAF 922

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

 

[steelbeast]

This case is pretty much a HAF 922 knock off for less $$$ and with more fans!

Here's a link that has some great info about the case from benchmarkreviews.com

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=409&Itemid=61

 

[steelbeast]

Looks pretty good except for the case. The GPUs may fit, but that case is pretty small and the Cooler Master Hyper 212 might be too tall. For the performance of this system, getting a better case is worth it. You don't want to have all your components cramped in a tight space with restricted airflow for no reason. Check out the Cooler Master HAF 922

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

This case is pretty much a HAF 922 knock off for less $$$ and with more fans!

Here's a link that has some great info about the case from benchmarkreviews.com

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=409&Itemid=61

This owns the HAF 922 in all aspects, ESPECIALLY AIRFLOW, except for looks.

 

[steelbeast]

Nice build, looks good all around. Should do everything you could need for a long long time... Enjoy

Awesome, thanks I just wanted to share this with everyone that may be in the same price range and expectations that i want out of a rig. She may not be pretty, but it'll kick some serious butt!

 

[cgleckman]

Theres no real reason to suggest this but what about this case:

Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, front mounted dual USB 3.0 $59.99

and then you could go with this mobo:

GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128512

which has the usb 3.0 support (and the case has usb 3.0)

Totoal cost would only be $50 more and youd have the usb 3.0 for the future.. just a suggestion

 

[steelbeast]

Theres no real reason to suggest this but what about this case:

Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, front mounted dual USB 3.0 $59.99

and then you could go with this mobo:

GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128512

which has the usb 3.0 support (and the case has usb 3.0)

Totoal cost would only be $50 more and youd have the usb 3.0 for the future.. just a suggestion

I thought about the USB 3.0 issue. If I really need more than 2 USB 3.0 ports (ALREADY INCLUDED IN MoBo), then I will just get a hub. Which will be like $20 by the time USB 3.0 is that prevalent. Spending $50 for a front panel USB 3.0 isn't worth it IMO.

 

[steelbeast]

Did I mention this rig is Ivy Bridge / PCI 3.0 ready? Now that's futureproof!

 

[cgleckman]

I thought about the USB 3.0 issue. If I really need more than 2 USB 3.0 ports (ALREADY INCLUDED IN MoBo), then I will just get a hub. Which will be like $20 by the time USB 3.0 is that prevalent. Spending $50 for a front panel USB 3.0 isn't worth it IMO.

Like I said it was just a few suggestions.

I still dont know if I like that case but you are buying alot of fans to fix the heating issue so that should be fine.

 

[steelbeast]

I know, the case is hard to believe, but it's THAT good! Kinda like the i5 2500k

 

[cgleckman]

haha i feel like your spending more money on the fans then it would be to just buy a case with them but i saved that case for future reference because I do like it if you guy the fans to increase the cooling..

I hope you dont mind

 

[steelbeast]

haha i feel like your spending more money on the fans then it would be to just buy a case with them but i saved that case for future reference because I do like it if you guy the fans to increase the cooling..

I hope you dont mind

Yes it is funny! But if you compare apples to apples with the total cost, its still cheaper than the HAF 922 and it has like 2-3 more fans

$35 for the case
$18 for 2 x 140mm fans
$21 for 3x 120mm fans
= $74

The case comes with 1x 120mm fan
Total 6 FANS!!!

HAF 922 only has 3 fans, but 2 of them are 200mm, but it still costs $100

Just my 2c

There's no way the HAF 922 can come close to the airflow the GAMMA case can push. I'd rather have a MUCH more cool case than eye candy any day. Plus, you get $25 to spend on a better GPU...that's the name of the game after all

 

[cgleckman]

Check out the antec 900 just for shits and grins, but I understand what your saying. there are other cases that arent $99 and have great airflow such as the antec 300 illusion.. Good flow and is less then $74.. you also have the u3 challenger for around 60. Just saying its possible.

However your setup will work great and is still really good case and airflow wise.

 

[steelbeast]

Check out the antec 900 just for shits and grins, but I understand what your saying. there are other cases that arent $99 and have great airflow such as the antec 300 illusion.. Good flow and is less then $74.. you also have the u3 challenger for around 60. Just saying its possible.

However your setup will work great and is still really good case and airflow wise.

Those cases look like they have decent airflow, but there's one GLARING ISSUE....the GPU's will NOT fit in that case
A mid-tower basically NEEDS to have the HDD bays turned 90 degrees in order to make it happen. The HD 6950'S are 10.2 in. in length.

 

[cgleckman]

I am pretty sure the GPU would fit in the Antec 900 I didnt really put much thought into it since they were just price examples form the top of my head.

 

[cgleckman]

According to a forum post on overclock.net http://www.overclock.net/amd-ati/942724-6950-antec-900-scout-m59.html

The 6950 would fit in the antec 900

 

[cgleckman]

Infact it looks like it would even fit into the 300 it would just be very tight ( i dont really think its worth the risk to find out lol)

 

[bearracuda]

This case is pretty much a HAF 922 knock off for less $$$ and with more fans!

Here's a link that has some great info about the case from benchmarkreviews.com

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=409&Itemid=61

This owns the HAF 922 in all aspects, ESPECIALLY AIRFLOW, except for looks.

Yeah, I love NZXT. In my opinion they're one of the most underestimated brands in the computer industry as a whole. I nabbed the Rosewill Challenger for one build just because it was the tom's recommended buy, and an NZXT M59 for another build that was almost exactly the same. Not only was the M59 easier to work with, but it was easier on the eyes and ended up providing better results. The challenger also has a beast of an HDD LED on the front. If you get in the direct line of fire from that thing, it can blind. xD

Edit: The M59 is basically just a gamma with a side window, 1 less fan slot, and some nifty front panel lighting. Here's a link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146058&Tpk=M59

 

[steelbeast]

According to a forum post on overclock.net http://www.overclock.net/amd-ati/942724-6950-antec-900-scout-m59.html

The 6950 would fit in the antec 900

Point taken. However, I think the NZXT GAMMA is superior in not only airflow, but space too.

 

[cgleckman]

Point taken. However, I think the NZXT GAMMA is superior in not only airflow, but space too.

Well for the price I agree, its a great case and a great find. Enjoy

 

[phenom90]

this articles also shows that hd 6950 does fit into antec 300....

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-sandy-bridge-build-a-pc-overclocking,2876-7.html