I'm not an extreme gamer, but I do like having the tools to play whatever game I want. Don't laugh at me, but I mostly play MMORPGs. Rarely do I play any FPS or other genres. My main objective is to be able to play FFXI, WoW, Starcraft, Diablo III on ultra settings as well as any near-future MMO that will be worthy. I want a system that will immerse me into the game both visually and sound.
Approximate Purchase Date: Before Diablo III comes out - May 15, 2012
Budget Range: 2000 to 2600 for everything.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: 95% gaming. I have a work laptop and another forinternet browsing and multimedia/iTunes.
Parts Not Required: Monitor and Speakers.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Prebuilt only. After reading a handful of online articles and forums, I found these three makers below.
http://www.digitalstormonline.com - Epoch
http://www.falcon-nw.com - Fragbox or Talon
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com - Not sure. I got dizzy from all the choices.
Country: USA
Parts Preferences: From what little I know, I want...
Intel i7 Quad or Six Core
Nvidia GTX 680 (x1)
256GB Solid State Drive (128GB models appear to be faster; I can make due if needed)
Overclocking: No. I'm in the dark about overclocking so I'll stay away.
SLI or Crossfire: Huh? I just want 1 Nvidia GTX 680 (with possibility of adding another later)
Monitor Resolution: Samsung 64" Plasma 3D HDTV on 1920x1080p resolution. Me on the couch with keyboard, mouse and some long USB cables. Please tell me there's a reliable wireless solution for me.
Sound: PC will connect to my 5.1 receiver. Will I need a sound card? Is there a wireless microphone available? If I can change/alter my voice while chatting online (e.g. Ventrilo), that'd be hilarious. Not really necessary though.
Additional Comments: I want a super quiet, low maintenance PC. Upgradeability is not a major concern but I do want a wee bit of wiggle room. If I can get all this with the performance I think I'm after, I'll be happy. I'm not sure what will be overkill and what I do need so I'd appreciate any help I can get.
Will I need liquid cooling? If so, what stage would I need?
Will adding sound dampening materials make a difference with my set up?
I was really impressed with size of the Fragbox on Falcon Northwest's website since it's small enough to put in my TV stand next to me PS3, cable box, etc. If I have to get a large or mid tower case, I'll have to think about where to put it.
Customized two rigs from the websites I listed:
Digital Storm - Epoch ($2384 before tax/shipping)
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide 300R
Processor: Intel Core i7 3820 3.6GHz (Turbo Mode up to 3.8GHz) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W Corsair TX850 V2 (Dual SLI Compatible)
Hard Drive Set 1: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps)
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB (Includes PhysX) (EVGA)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Noise Reduction: oise Suppression Package Stage 2 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
CPU Boost: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Warranty Plan: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty
Technical Support: Life-time U.S. based technical support and customer service by our own in-house technicians
Upgrades: UpgradesLife-time labor free upgrades for component upgrades purchased directly from Digital Storm
Assembly: AssemblyHand built by the industry's most skilled technicians using premium grade components
Stress-Testing: Stress TestingStrict 72-hour stress-testing and benchmarking to ensure rock solid stable operation
Quality Control: Quality ControlAnalyzed by an extremely dedicated production manager that is obsessed with perfection
Special Packaging: Special PackagingExpanding StormShield foam to protect and secure internal components from shipping abuse
Certificate of Ownership: Certificate of OwnershipPersonalized Certificate of Ownership for your new specialized Digital Storm system signed by our engineers
Falcon NW - Fragbox ($2447 before shipping)
Chassis: Fragbox standard black, No side window (unless I need it?)
Power Supply: SilverStone 750W Modular & Short Cables
Motherboard: Maximus IV Gene-Z (default; only choice)
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.4GHz
Processor COoler: CoolIT Systems ECO II 80
Memory: 8GB HyperX (2x4GB) 1600MHz
Video Card: Geforce GTX 680
Sound Card: On-Board Audio (default; only choice)
Networking: On-Board Ethernet
Hard Drive: Crucial 256GB SSD 6Gb/s
Optical Drive: LG 24x DVD Writer (I have PS3 for Bluray for movies; is PC better?)
Media Reader: Internal Media Reader (included)
64-bit OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Warranty: 3 years
Tech Support: Lifetime
Approximate Purchase Date: Before Diablo III comes out - May 15, 2012
Budget Range: 2000 to 2600 for everything.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: 95% gaming. I have a work laptop and another forinternet browsing and multimedia/iTunes.
Parts Not Required: Monitor and Speakers.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Prebuilt only. After reading a handful of online articles and forums, I found these three makers below.
http://www.digitalstormonline.com - Epoch
http://www.falcon-nw.com - Fragbox or Talon
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com - Not sure. I got dizzy from all the choices.
Country: USA
Parts Preferences: From what little I know, I want...
Intel i7 Quad or Six Core
Nvidia GTX 680 (x1)
256GB Solid State Drive (128GB models appear to be faster; I can make due if needed)
Overclocking: No. I'm in the dark about overclocking so I'll stay away.
SLI or Crossfire: Huh? I just want 1 Nvidia GTX 680 (with possibility of adding another later)
Monitor Resolution: Samsung 64" Plasma 3D HDTV on 1920x1080p resolution. Me on the couch with keyboard, mouse and some long USB cables. Please tell me there's a reliable wireless solution for me.
Sound: PC will connect to my 5.1 receiver. Will I need a sound card? Is there a wireless microphone available? If I can change/alter my voice while chatting online (e.g. Ventrilo), that'd be hilarious. Not really necessary though.
Additional Comments: I want a super quiet, low maintenance PC. Upgradeability is not a major concern but I do want a wee bit of wiggle room. If I can get all this with the performance I think I'm after, I'll be happy. I'm not sure what will be overkill and what I do need so I'd appreciate any help I can get.
Will I need liquid cooling? If so, what stage would I need?
Will adding sound dampening materials make a difference with my set up?
I was really impressed with size of the Fragbox on Falcon Northwest's website since it's small enough to put in my TV stand next to me PS3, cable box, etc. If I have to get a large or mid tower case, I'll have to think about where to put it.
Customized two rigs from the websites I listed:
Digital Storm - Epoch ($2384 before tax/shipping)
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide 300R
Processor: Intel Core i7 3820 3.6GHz (Turbo Mode up to 3.8GHz) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W Corsair TX850 V2 (Dual SLI Compatible)
Hard Drive Set 1: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps)
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB (Includes PhysX) (EVGA)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Noise Reduction: oise Suppression Package Stage 2 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
CPU Boost: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Warranty Plan: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty
Technical Support: Life-time U.S. based technical support and customer service by our own in-house technicians
Upgrades: UpgradesLife-time labor free upgrades for component upgrades purchased directly from Digital Storm
Assembly: AssemblyHand built by the industry's most skilled technicians using premium grade components
Stress-Testing: Stress TestingStrict 72-hour stress-testing and benchmarking to ensure rock solid stable operation
Quality Control: Quality ControlAnalyzed by an extremely dedicated production manager that is obsessed with perfection
Special Packaging: Special PackagingExpanding StormShield foam to protect and secure internal components from shipping abuse
Certificate of Ownership: Certificate of OwnershipPersonalized Certificate of Ownership for your new specialized Digital Storm system signed by our engineers
Falcon NW - Fragbox ($2447 before shipping)
Chassis: Fragbox standard black, No side window (unless I need it?)
Power Supply: SilverStone 750W Modular & Short Cables
Motherboard: Maximus IV Gene-Z (default; only choice)
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.4GHz
Processor COoler: CoolIT Systems ECO II 80
Memory: 8GB HyperX (2x4GB) 1600MHz
Video Card: Geforce GTX 680
Sound Card: On-Board Audio (default; only choice)
Networking: On-Board Ethernet
Hard Drive: Crucial 256GB SSD 6Gb/s
Optical Drive: LG 24x DVD Writer (I have PS3 for Bluray for movies; is PC better?)
Media Reader: Internal Media Reader (included)
64-bit OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Warranty: 3 years
Tech Support: Lifetime