$1200ish - Time to upgrade from an e6600

[trancekat]

Hi All,
The last time I upgraded my rig was when WoW was only a couple of years old (I don't recall exactly when). It's time to upgrade.

I currently have an Intel e6600 with 1gig; I don't recall what Vid cards I run but they were capable of supporting 3 19" monitors, each running at 1280x1024 @24FPS in WoW.

My intent with my new rig is to run Xen and several VMs to create an environment for development, testing, and network design. I'll also be working with very high resolution photos and videos.

Later on, I plan to add 3 28" 1920x1200 monitors for gaming, but that's a while off so I am not concerned right now with upgrading my video card.

Doing some research, I came up with this:

Proc                            Performance*    Cost*           Performance/Cost
IntelCorei7-3820@3.60GHz        9,679           $308.88         31.34
IntelCorei7-2700K@3.50GHz       9,399           $329.95         28.49
IntelCorei7-3930K@3.20GHz       13,565          $599.99         22.61
AMDOpteron6272                  10,245          $539.99         18.97
IntelCorei7980@3.33GHz          10,310          $589.99         17.47
IntelXeonW3680@3.33GHz          10,048          $622.39         16.14
AMDOpteron6274                  10,337          $649.99         15.90
IntelCorei7970@3.20GHz          9,886           $636.73         15.53
IntelCorei7-3960X@3.30GHz       14,091          $1,038.00       13.58
IntelCorei7990X@3.47GHz         10,543          $1,029.99       10.24
IntelXeonW3690@3.47GHz          10,277          $1,079.99       9.52
IntelCorei7980X@3.33GHz         10,241          $1,171.50       8.74
IntelXeonX5675@3.07GHz          10,154          $1,443.00       7.04
IntelXeonX5690@3.47GHz          10,383          $1,659.99       6.25
IntelXeonX5680@3.33GHz          9,933           $1,639.99       6.06

*Data Source: [url=http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html]http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html[/url]

Looks like the 3820 is the best proc for the money with performance over 9500. I think that it uses a LGS 2011 motherboard socket, but I don't know what that means really (is that old tech? new tech? Something I could use to upgrade in the future with?)

Do those numbers look legit, and what Mobo would someone with my wants be looking for please?

Also, I assume I'll be going with 16 - 32 gigs of RAM. Do I need to look for anything in particular with memory?

Finally, I'd >LIKE< to have a small footprint and a quiet machine - I'd love to get case and p/s recommendations (please keep in mind that I do plan to upgrade to some sort of SLI or Crossfire config to run 3 28" monitors in the future)

My budget is ~1100 USD.

Thank you all for your time and help! I really appreciate it a lot.

-------------------------------------------
My Budget Range:is $1,100-$1200ish

Purchase Date May 2012

This computer will serve as an environment for multiple virtual machines. The intent is to have a setup to develop code and practice for CTF events.

Parts Not Required: keyboard , Mouse, speakers, OS and hard drive.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts:

Case: I have no idea - I'm looking for small and quiet and aluminium.


CPU Cooler: Passive? http://www.xoxide.com/thermalright-ultra120-extreme.html

CPU: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?p=I7-3820BOX&c=pw&hash=38c4%2Ff%2FbEO4C3TCxKHL8Yw%2BcGa72uGKjYrkxN3Nl6mcnV3mVi%2F0LIEGVZGHRgIx1WiNzXUqTZSZGVDc4Q8RUeDXfQdn%2BPK5LijzGb%2FiHCr6xrwkti20deuTU

Motherboard: http://www.portatech.com/catalog/option.asp?id=33965

Ram: http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?p=W8GER1600K&c=pw&hash=e041uxT3rUSTLwNhGJ6hX4E1iS4LzAEs8spZJVyzOWPqcIo%2FuJyMLuvzyLtWnVMkG8DbAo6%2FuFxt7507SmsPZYXnS0kh1S16nwglDq%2BTqi3JNWca9cInfln7Kgw

Graphics card: N/A

Power supply: http://3btech.net/vi8020pinhiq.html

Country: USA

Overclocking: YES

Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution:1920x1200 X 3

 

[Johnny828]

In May, or maybe it was June, Ivy Bridge cpus come out. I suggest you wait until then. Considering your not so big budget, you should stay on a 1055 (Mainstream - but still very good) platform instead of 2011 (Extreme), as the 2011 ones are more expansive.

 

[geofelt]

Ivy bridge quads are due out before the end of april. I think that is what you want.
The 3570K will replace the 2500K at a similar price point, about $220
The 3770k will replace the 2700K at about $340.
Each will be perhaps 10% stronger per clock than the cpu it replaces.
The "K" suffix allows you to easily overclock by just raising the multiplier.
You can expect the clocks to easily get into the 4.0-4.5 range.

The motherboard of choice will be Z77 based. You can check them out now.
Here is one with cf/sli support:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131830

The motherboards will support up to 32gb of ram. Considering your usage, and the low cost of ram, 32gb is probably appropriate.
You will need windows 7 pro or higher to support >16gb.
You are looking at a 32gb kit of 4 x 8gb 1.5v DDR3 sticks.
It is best to verify that the kit is supported by the motherboard you pick. Most ram vendors have configurators for this.


I think your needs can be best satisfied with a smaller Micro-atx motherboard.
That allows you to use a smaller footprint case.
For a case, I highly recommend the Silverstone TJ-08E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163182
The 180mm input fan is very quiet and effective.
In my case, the fan is on low speed and undervolted. I Don't hear it, even with a GTX680 inside.

Lian Li makes some of the best aluminum cases. Here is the V354:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112300

I do not recommend planning on cf/sli when a good single card will do the job.
Today, a single GTX680 will run three cards. I don't know how well. Before the end of the year, we should see the dual gpu variant of the GTX680, and an even higher end single gpu kepler card. By avoiding sli, you will pay less up front for a psu, motherboard, have a quieter pc, and a smaller case.

Today's top end 28nm cards like the 7970 or GTX680 need only a 550w psu. A quality 650 or 750w psu should handle any stronger cards that come out.

For a psu, stick to some known quality brands. Seasonic, Antec, XFX, Corsair, and PC P&C for example.

While you do have some hard drives, I strongly suggest you get a SSD for the os and some apps. Everything you do will feel much quicker.
80-120gb would be good. Use your hard drives for storage.