New Build Gaming Rig Budget (3000.00)

drewsays

Honorable
Mar 14, 2012
14
0
10,510
Alright guys,

Here is what I have got so far, I need some opinions on the Ram and Cooling and also what is the best bang for my buck? I have done some research on alot of this stuff and so far this is what I have come up with:

EDIT 2:

Budget: $3000.00

Case: COOLER MASTER CM Storm Series Trooper
NE (New Egg): 149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119245

TD (Tiger Direct): 149.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1439959&CatId=1510

CPU: Intel i5 2500K
NE: 219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

GPU1: Sapphire HD 7970
NE: X1 (549.99) or X2 (1118.00)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102961

MOBO: ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3
NE: 184.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 1600 8GB (2 x 4GB) LOW PROFILE
NE: 53.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

PSU: CORSAIR Professional Series HX850
NE: 174.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
TD: 159.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=365475&CatId=5300

Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR
NE: 34.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Optical Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X
NE: 17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Monitors: Asus VH232H 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 1080p, 1920x1080, 20000:1 Dynamic, 5ms, DVI, HDMI, Integrated Speakers
TD:144.99 X3 (434.97)

Monitor Stand: ERGOTRON Triple Display Lift Stand
NE: 247.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824994002

Eyefinity adaptor: POWERCOLOR Active DisplayPort
NE: 24.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999032
OC: Yes

Peripherals (Already have):
Mouse: Logitech G700
Keyboard: Logitech G19
Headset: Creative- Sound Blaster

Case: 149.99 (NE)
CPU: 219.99 (NE)
GPU: 1118.00 (X2) (NE)
MOBO: 184.99 (NE)
RAM: 53.99 (NE)
PSU: 279.99 (NE)
SSD: 159.99 (TD)
Optical Drive: 21.99 (NE)
Cooling: 34.99 (NE)
Eyefinity Adaptor: 24.99 (NE)
Monitors: 144.99 X3 (434.97) (TD)
Monitor Stand: 247.99 (NE)

Total: 2248.91
W/ Monitor 2683.88
W/ Stand 2931.87



I would like some opinions on the Ram the GPU's I know there may be a lower model GPU if Dual Xfired would get me where I wanted but for this build I wanted to use the 7970's. Also, Has anyone used 3 Monitors before and in order to run all 3 I am hoping 2 5770's is far enough. Also, Will the PSU handle what I have put into this machine? And lastly, If there are parts that would run better together please feel free to advise.

Thanks in advance,
 
Looks good so far, dont forget the active link adapater youll need for Eyefinity. And alot of them fail, even new, keep that in mind. Also I wouldnt invest in the extra warranties, manufacturer is usually 3 years I think. Youll replace it before that. Just my opinion tho. Might want to save that warranty cash and get a bigger SSD. Bigger SSDs are faster.

Ooops just noticed you have a P67 mobo. Dont bother, get a z68 chipset for the overclocking ability if you are getting a 2500k. Can get a nice one with pci-e 3.0 from ASRock for about $130 on newegg.
 

xtremegamer2da-max

Distinguished
Jan 13, 2012
539
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18,990
case:
nzxt switch 810
(black or white)
note:
i was gonna get the haf x for my build until i saw this. its a great case thats great for air flow and cable managment with lots of nice features and add-ons. also i would add as many fans to it as possible for top notch air flow

mobo:
asrock z68 extreme4
note:
great mobo with nice features for a bargain price and it looks cool

cpu:
intel i5 2500k
note:
awesome cpu with unmatched value

cpu cooler:
cooler master hyper 212 evo
note:
great cooler thats good for overclocking and its not to big either

video card:
wait until kepler comes out and then wait get two of either the 7970 or the 680 depending on the performance of the 680. you may want to start a seperate thread when kepler comes out and has benchmarks available but there will probably be lots of threads about getting kepler of the 7970 so you might just look at those. and if your willing to, you might want to wait until the price wars (that will surely start when the 680 gets here) btw the 680 and 7970 are over or almost over

ram:
g.skill ripjaws x series 8gb ddr3-1600
note:
great looking ram for a good price

hhd:
western digital caviar black 2tb
note:
you can also get the 1.5tb, 1tb, or the 500gb versions of this depending on how much space you want

ssd:
crucial m4 64gb
note:
i dont see why anyone would need more than 60/64gb of spaceon an ssd if theyre only putting their os on it. als othis is a small, fast, and reliable ssd.

psu:
corsair ax850
note:
exellent psu by the legendary corsair known for its great support of its customers. also it is fully modular.

optical drive:
lg black 12x bd-rom
note:
or you can get the sony 24x multi if you dont care about blu-ray

 

Xtremeskill

Distinguished
Jan 4, 2012
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18,530
I dont want to sound like an Nvidia fanboy but the 7970 will be a lot slower then the gtx 680. Just wait another week for the gtx 680 to come out
 

serialkiller

Distinguished
Feb 10, 2012
915
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19,160
+1


the last build is perfect for u

intel i5 2500k
cm hyper 212 evo
asrock z68 extreme4 gen3
corsair vengence low profile 2x4 gb 1600mhz
2x sapphire hd 7970 oc
seasonic x 850w 80+ gold
cooler master storm trooper or corsair 600t white edition
wd carvier blue 1 tb
mushkin treadline 128 gb sata3 ssd

the monitors u
choose in eyefinity and the adaptor


hope this helps :hello:
asus 24x dvd burner
 

drewsays

Honorable
Mar 14, 2012
14
0
10,510
Thanks for all of the replies guys!

Ok So I changed out the MOBO to the Asrock z68 Gen3.

I have the low profile vengence ram.

I have the GPU's. Are you sure 850w will be enough to handle the load?

the case I have decided on is the COOLER MASTER CM Storm Series Trooper its pretty sweet!

I've decided to stay with the Crucial M4 SSD.

I have a 500 GB External but am still contemplating on an internal data HDD.

As for Eyefinity i am assuming that is just the software so that it will display correctly?

And the adaptor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999032

Do i need 3 of these??

Optical Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner

But what about the cooling? I know I dont want to get the liquid coolant. Any suggestions?

Thanks again guys for all the input!

-EDITED OP w/ new Specs.
 
here's a $3k monster-
lite on dvd drive-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
NZXT Switch-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146088
F4 2tb hdd-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245
VS238H 23" X3-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236175
Saphhire OC 7970 X2-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102982
Corsair HX850-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
Ballistix sports 8GB 1600 ram-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790
2500k-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Hyper 212 EVO-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
Sammy 830 256GB SSD-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147164

total-$3,003(before rebates :) )

highlights-
high end quality case.
eye catching eyefinity setup
7970 Xfire will do fine with eyefinity gaming.
psu is more than enough for your rig.
8gb is enough,add later.
enough ports and pci-e 3 ready mobo.
overclock 2500k with EVO and bam you have a killer cpu.
256gb SSD will take care of your os and games loading times.
This build is monster man absolutely MONTSA!!!
 

drewsays

Honorable
Mar 14, 2012
14
0
10,510
Ok so I really liked the build Hellfire, although I can see some stuff that I really dont need in the system:

Case:
The NZXT case is nice but is it really a better buy and Quality than the Cooler Master Storm trooper? (+20.00 From Original)

CPU:
i5 2500K For sure!

GPU:
Sapphire HD 7970 (x2) for sure!

MOBO:
what are the pros of the P8Z68 over the Z68? (+ 10.00)

RAM:
Is the quality of the ram better from Crucial over the CORSAIR Vengeance? (- 9.00)

PSU:
I did change the PSU to the HX850 from the 1200W I had (SAVES $ too!) (-105.00)

SSD:
I did want a larger SSD but I decided for the price I am sure I can work with 128GB no problems haha. (- 170.00)

HDD:
I really have no use for 2TB of space. I believe 1TB would hold me over VERY well haha, but after looking at the price I decided why not! (+149.99)

Cooling:
I really like the COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 THANKS! (+34.99)

Optical Drive:
I decided after reading reviews that Lite-ON would be just fine for the price and save me a couple bucks. (-4.00)

Monitors:
What is the difference in the ASUS VH232H: (144.99) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5649523

and the VS series: (174.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236175

Tri-Monitor Mount:
I still want this mount! ERGOTRON Triple Display Lift Stand (247.99)

Adaptors:
Do I need 3 of these or just 1?
POWERCOLOR Active DisplayPort (24.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999032

Also, Are the NIC cards like the Killer 2100 really worth the money????


Thanks again for all of your help guys! This is an awesome fourm and am very appreciative for the help.
 

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
to run that setup 2 7950's should be adequate- http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/01/30/amd_radeon_hd_7950_video_card_review/10 if it averages 53 fps at 5760x1200 playing bf3 is should handle every game easily at 5760x1080p.

with the money you saved get better monitors- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005240 x3=660$ ips monitors for eyefinity are really nice because of there very wide viewing angles (a stand is not needed)

i7 3820 + Asrock X79 Extreme6- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.835877 565$ Running both cards at x16/x16 will give a big boost in fps compared to running cards at x8/x8 at that resolution. the X79 platform allows you to do that. the i7 3820 can be overclocked even though it is not a K processor many people have gotten it to 5ghz.

Gskill 16gb 1600mhz- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231534 93$

XFX 850w 80 Plus Silver- http://www.amazon.com/XFX-ATX-850-Power-Supply/dp/B0050751YS/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331864430&sr=1-8 123$

Sapphire 7950 3gb- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102963 x2=920$

Asus 24x DVD Burner- http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331864634&sr=1-4 22$

Corsair Force GT 180gb ssd- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233211 255$

Seagate 2tb hdd- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148681 110$

Scythe Mugen 3- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185175 55$ it is compatible with the 2011 socket

Silverstone RV02- http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Steel-Computer-Window-RV02B-EW/dp/B004BDOGSO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1331868432&sr=1-2 178$ it cools much better than the storm trooper- http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2011/11/18/cm-storm-trooper-review/2 note they used the rv02 not the rv02-e with the newer air penetrator fans (it does make a large difference). the rv02-e should be close to the ft02's cooling performance

total=3001$

 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Another week? Try August. :lol:

And if the Radeons are slower - I'll believe it when I see it, for right now it's all PR noise and insane Apple-esque overhype. NVIDIA can say whatever they want - but until the actual cards are out and benchmarked, the benchmarks won't match the PR noise.

Here's how I'd suggest spending $3K:

Case: Azza Hurrican 2000 - $149.99
PSU: Seasonic X1050 Gold - $219.99
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 - $329.99
CPU: 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-3820 - $319.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $85.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 1600MHz - $149.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $164.99
HD: Samsung Ecogreen F4 - $149.99
Optical: LG Blu Ray Burner - $79.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 x 2 - $559.99 each

Total: $2,710.89

Use the difference and you can either get a really nice monitor or some really nice peripherals.
 

phenom90

Distinguished
Jul 27, 2010
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19,010
cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Intel Core i5-2500K - $220

mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157265
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 - $150

ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231461
G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 - $50

hsf: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150
Thermaltake Frio - $55 before $5 promo code, ends 3/18

odd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136236
LG DVD Burner 24X GH24NS70 - $17

hdd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB - $115

ssd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB - $130

psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028
PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 950W - $130 after rebate before $15 promo gift card, ends 3/19

case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053
Rosewill THOR V2 - $130

lcd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005240
LG IPS231B-BN Black 23" - $660

stand: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824995182
Planar 997-6035-00 Triple Monitor Stand - $226

gpu: will only decide which way to go after gtx 680 benchmark....
http://www.techpowerup.com/162498/GTX-680-Generally-Faster-Than-HD-7970-New-Benchmarks.html


total: $1883 after rebates excluding shipping....






 

And how do you expect him to fit in 3 monitors with just $289.11?
 

drewsays

Honorable
Mar 14, 2012
14
0
10,510



lol, He did say "A" really nice monitor.

As for peripherals, I overlooked that *edited 1st post to reflect*.

What would be the benefit of the i7-3820 over the i5-2500K? I feel I would get the most for my money with the i5, correct me if I am wrong.


Thanks for the advice ill take it all into consideration. Still looking at a couple of different things as well. If I was to go with just the 3 monitors with no stand I could use that money elsewhere ( I dont have to spend all 3000.00 lol) I would just like a very quick PC that I can operate daily buisiness as well as any game I wanted to without the FPS-lag that I was getting on my 5770's X-fired. (Although I was running an AMD Phenom II. New to this whole Intel stuff, always thought it was over priced until i looked at the benchmarks, haha.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


I didn't see that they wanted 3 monitors. :lol:

You could just get one really nice 24" monitor and then add a couple more when you get the funds to do so. Or you could drop one of the 7970's and you'd have plenty left to get OS, monitors, peripherals, you name it.
 

He included 3 monitors in the OP, which means he wants eyefinity. :)
24" is not a good size for a monitor. The pixel count is pretty low at 24" 1080p. 23" is the balanced size at 1080p.
 


+1.i don't think that 680 is going to be 3x more powerful than gtx 580 :heink:

Here's how I'd suggest spending $3K:

Case: Azza Hurrican 2000 - $149.99
PSU: Seasonic X1050 Gold - $219.99
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 - $329.99
CPU: 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-3820 - $319.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $85.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 1600MHz - $149.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $164.99
HD: Samsung Ecogreen F4 - $149.99
Optical: LG Blu Ray Burner - $79.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 x 2 - $559.99 each

Total: $2,710.89

Use the difference and you can either get a really nice monitor or some really nice peripherals.

components are great.psu is a kinda overkill.HX850 would be my choice.and one more thing i heard some complaints about mounting issues with d14 on LGA2011.is that true or some people just don't use their mind? LOL!
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
+1.i don't think that 680 is going to be 3x more powerful than gtx 580 :heink:

Yeah I think that's gross PR over-exaggeration.

components are great.psu is a kinda overkill.HX850 would be my choice.and one more thing i heard some complaints about mounting issues with d14 on LGA2011.is that true or some people just don't use their mind? LOL!

They probably just use the wrong mounting bracket - it happens, I've seen it. :lol:

components are great.psu is a kinda overkill.HX850 would be my choice.and one more thing i heard some complaints about mounting issues with d14 on LGA2011.is that true or some people just don't use their mind? LOL!

I picked that PSU because it's high wattage, great brand, and gold certified. The HX 850 is a good choice for sure, but I did get that off my PSU wattage calculator and it's usually never wrong - of course I also accommodate for multiple HDs and DVD burners as well.

24" is not a good size for a monitor. The pixel count is pretty low at 24" 1080p. 23" is the balanced size at 1080p.

Yeah you're probably right - 24" is overkill for an eyefinity setup - 22" 1900 x 1200 would probably be ideal.
 

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished

the benefit with the i7 3820 is that you can run cards at x16/x16. at the large resolution you will be playing at, the difference in fps between x8/x8 which you would find in a i5 2500k/z68 setup and x16/x16 in a i7 3820/x79 setup will be significant. the x79 platform will be around longer than the z68/sandybridge setups will. for example there is still many x58 platforms around while there are few p55 based rigs around still.