New rig for friend!

[mocchan]

Hello all and thanks in advance for any assistance/advice you may provide me with!
As the title states, I'm building a rig for a friend of mine with a budget of $2000. He's a moderate to semi-heavy gamer (BF3, Skyrim, Civ5) and does a bit of video editing. His monitor is 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 (second display for Skype, browsing web, etc while gaming). There are some parts here that may make you go "huh? Why did you choose that?" But my friend insisted on some parts, and he was ready to jump the gun on switching to Intel from his old X2 555 system :lol: . He also told me he didn't want to wait for Ivy Bridge, so he would prefer to get the 2700k over the 2600k (impatient friend I have :lol: but I don't blame him).

Anyway without further adieu, here are the parts I picked out for him.

CPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115095

GPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127567 (Impatient friend doesn't want to wait for a 680. I'm sure this will do him fine, though)

Mobo- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821

RAM- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 (This is where I'm most concerned, I'm having my doubts about 8GB being enough since he does a decent amount of video editing. I'm thinking going with 2x8GB or 4x4GB? Not too sure)

SSD/HDD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167093 (OS) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 (Storage)

PSU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

Case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146088

Cooler- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017 (He insisted on the H100, I personally would've picked something else :lol: )

Disc Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348

There are the parts I picked out. If there are cheaper alternatives or any suggestions you would like to make, please feel free to leave them here! Ah right, I was also thinking of SLI GTX570's since they're pretty affordable now (289.99 as of now on newegg).

Thanks again for any help

-mocchan


***EDIT***
Total for this rig is $1879. He already has an OS as well

 

[g-unit1111]

For $1900 you can do way better - I hate the Sabertooth plastic cover design and the 2700K and 16GB RAM are really pointless for a gaming rig. Your funds are a bit mismanaged as you should put that money into getting the best GPU you can get for the money. If he doesn't want to wait for a 680 - go for a single 7970 instead of 2 x 570TI - it's always better to have the single strongest GPU you can get rather than two weaker ones.

Try this build:

Case: NZXT Phantom - $129.99
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII 950W - $149.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H - $189.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $94.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB 1333MHz 1.5V - $42.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $159.99
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - $109.99
Optical: Lite On DVD Burner - $17.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970OC Edition - $579.99

Total: $1,685.90

 

[Why_Me]

Hello all and thanks in advance for any assistance/advice you may provide me with!
As the title states, I'm building a rig for a friend of mine with a budget of $2000. He's a moderate to semi-heavy gamer (BF3, Skyrim, Civ5) and does a bit of video editing. His monitor is 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 (second display for Skype, browsing web, etc while gaming). There are some parts here that may make you go "huh? Why did you choose that?" But my friend insisted on some parts, and he was ready to jump the gun on switching to Intel from his old X2 555 system :lol: . He also told me he didn't want to wait for Ivy Bridge, so he would prefer to get the 2700k over the 2600k (impatient friend I have :lol: but I don't blame him).

Anyway without further adieu, here are the parts I picked out for him.

CPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115095

GPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127567 (Impatient friend doesn't want to wait for a 680. I'm sure this will do him fine, though)

Mobo- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821

RAM- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 (This is where I'm most concerned, I'm having my doubts about 8GB being enough since he does a decent amount of video editing. I'm thinking going with 2x8GB or 4x4GB? Not too sure)

SSD/HDD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167093 (OS) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 (Storage)

PSU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

Case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146088

Cooler- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017 (He insisted on the H100, I personally would've picked something else :lol: )

Disc Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348

There are the parts I picked out. If there are cheaper alternatives or any suggestions you would like to make, please feel free to leave them here! Ah right, I was also thinking of SLI GTX570's since they're pretty affordable now (289.99 as of now on newegg).

Thanks again for any help

-mocchan


***EDIT***
Total for this rig is $1879. He already has an OS as well

I would give g-unit's build a serious look. In regards to the 580 it's a total power hog and then some. If he does go with the 580 and has hopes of ever adding a second card while o/c then look at this psu down below.

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PRO1050W-Compatible-Certified-P11050BEFX/dp/B0066AH46G/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1334548895&sr=1-5 $215.78 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
XFX PRO1050W Black Edition Full Modular 80PLUS Gold PSU Compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD Phenom, FX ATX 1050 Energy Star Certified Power Supply P11050BEFX

 

[Grand_Admiral_K]

For $1900 you can do way better - I hate the Sabertooth plastic cover design and the 2700K and 16GB RAM are really pointless for a gaming rig. Your funds are a bit mismanaged as you should put that money into getting the best GPU you can get for the money. If he doesn't want to wait for a 680 - go for a single 7970 instead of 2 x 570TI - it's always better to have the single strongest GPU you can get rather than two weaker ones.

Try this build:

Case: NZXT Phantom - $129.99
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII 950W - $149.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H - $189.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $94.99
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB 1333MHz 1.5V - $42.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $159.99
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - $109.99
Optical: Lite On DVD Burner - $17.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970OC Edition - $579.99

Total: $1,685.90

Backing up Why_Me on this one, g-units build has a lot better bang per buck. Without going through the calculations i feel like that powersupply is a bit overkill, but whatever. It will have a lot better gaming capacity.

 

[g-unit1111]

I would give g-unit's build a serious look. In regards to the 580 it's a total power hog and then some. If he does go with the 580 and has hopes of ever adding a second card while o/c then look at this psu down below.

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PRO1050W-Compatible-Certified-P11050BEFX/dp/B0066AH46G/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1334548895&sr=1-5 $215.78 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
XFX PRO1050W Black Edition Full Modular 80PLUS Gold PSU Compatible with Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD Phenom, FX ATX 1050 Energy Star Certified Power Supply P11050BEFX

Yeah 2 x 580 would require a monster PSU. That's not a good thing - it's a good thing the Keppler cards are far more energy efficient - if you can find one. :lol:

Backing up Why_Me on this one, g-units build has a lot better bang per buck. Without going through the calculations i feel like that powersupply is a bit overkill, but whatever. It will have a lot better gaming capacity.

You can argue it is - but it leaves the possibility open if you want to add a second 7970, it can do so with no problems. I got the same PSU and I know it's way overkill for a 7870 but I plan on Crossfiring it when the price drops.

 

[Why_Me]

This is what gets me. If I had a budget of $2,000, I would wait two weeks (or even less) for the reviews w/benchmarks to come out on IB before I did anything. I mean that budget and buying now is like rolling the dice. The 580's are a prime example. It's big, it's heavy, and it's power hungry not to mention it showed it's age when the AMD cards and gtx 680 were released.

 

[mocchan]

Thanks for the replies everyone! It slipped my mine about looking on Amazon for deals lol!

@g-unit
Yes, I do agree with you on the Sabertooth, I personally dislike the plastic shroud on the motherboard too but it was something he wanted to integrate into this build, same with the Switch 810. But I'll try and convince him to switch as the Gigabyte is a much better value.

Though WOOTS! You chose the NH-D14 as well, that was the cooler I wanted to use, but my friend (being the hard-headed guy he is) wanted the H100, I'll try and convince him to make the switch to NH-D14. :lol:

I was debating throwing in a single 7970 in this build to be honest. I'll most likely use that instead of the 580/570's but, I'm wondering about the GPU Acceleration in Sony Vegas. I know for certain my friend uses Sony Vegas, but I'm not very certain how much of a difference an Nvidia GPU will provide in the rendering department.

As for theCPU, I agree with you there as well. I know that you can basically throw anything at the 2500k and it'll run fine, very high potential for overclocking as well. Just need to change my friends mind -rolls eyes-. Too much of a 'bragging rights' type of deal with him :lol:

@Why_Me

Yeah that's what I think as well. If I were to personally use this rig, I would wait a month or two and wait til the rest of the Kepler GPU's and IB has made its debut.

But thanks for all of your replies! I'll link this thread to him and see what he thinks.

 

[g-unit1111]

@g-unit
Yes, I do agree with you on the Sabertooth, I personally dislike the plastic shroud on the motherboard too but it was something he wanted to integrate into this build, same with the Switch 810. But I'll try and convince him to switch as the Gigabyte is a much better value.

Though WOOTS! You chose the NH-D14 as well, that was the cooler I wanted to use, but my friend (being the hard-headed guy he is) wanted the H100, I'll try and convince him to make the switch to NH-D14. :lol:

I was debating throwing in a single 7970 in this build to be honest. I'll most likely use that instead of the 580/570's but, I'm wondering about the GPU Acceleration in Sony Vegas. I know for certain my friend uses Sony Vegas, but I'm not very certain how much of a difference an Nvidia GPU will provide in the rendering department.

1. Definitely - the Sabertooth is a terrible designed and I cringed when I saw that Asus was sticking with the plastic cover design. Which is weird when you look at the X79 and 990FX variants and they don't use the plastic covers. I really like the Switch 810 - NZXT makes some amazing cases and this one is no exception, and it has room for a 3-fan liquid radiator if you ever wanted to use one.

2. Yes - the D14 is a great choice, there is nothing I wouldn't use over it - the H100 is a bit iffy on quality and I'm not the biggest fan of liquid cooling as most of the regulars here know. There's radiators that are far safer from the likes of Asetek and a few other companies but I still wouldn't try that over a D14.

3. Yeah as was previously mentioned the 570s and 580s are really starting to show their age. Last year I would have recommended them with no problems but this year there's far better GPUs on the market - the 680 is the king right now (until the 4GB and OC variants start showing up) but the 7970 is a great choice as well.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for the replies everyone! It slipped my mine about looking on Amazon for deals lol!
@Why_Me

Yeah that's what I think as well. If I were to personally use this rig, I would wait a month or two and wait til the rest of the Kepler GPU's and IB has made its debut.

But thanks for all of your replies! I'll link this thread to him and see what he thinks.

IB is due to make it's debut April 29th. I don't know if I would wait on the rest of the Kepler cards though seeing how Nvidia is taking it's sweet time supplying the 680.



This build allows you to add another one of those cards later on in SLI.

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-CC-9011012-WW/dp/B005E983JW/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332866663&sr=1-3 $116.16 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Mid Tower Gaming Case CC-9011012-WW

This XFX psu down below is manufactured by Seasonic as are all XFX psu's and the mid and upper tier Corsair psu's.

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-ATX-850-Power-Supply/dp/B0050751YS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332866828&sr=1-1 $122.75 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
XFX PRO850W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850 Watt Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293 $139.99
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://pcper.com/news/Processors/Intel-Ivy-Bridge-Processors-Launch-March-23-2012 $225
Intel i5-3750K Ivy Bridge CPU 3.4Ghz

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $34.29 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

Add this fan down below to that CM 212 EVO cpu h/s for a "push - pull" effect to help bring the cpu temps down even more.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-BladeMaster-Silent-R4-BMBS-20PK-R0/dp/B0030DL37I/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1333218396&sr=1-5 $10.25 Free Standard Shipping (3-5 days)
Cooler Master BladeMaster 120mm PWM High Air Flow Silent Case Fan R4-BMBS-20PK-R0

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546 $44.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAB

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b $19.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Asus 24xDVD±RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_8?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1334100651&sr=1-8 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 $124.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121626 $499.99
ASUS GTX680-2GD5 GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

or....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768 $499.99
EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_sim_pc_5 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

Total: $1,540.17 *not including shipping and mail in rebates

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102982 $579.99 - $569.99 after mail-in rebate card
SAPPHIRE 11197-01-40G Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card OC Version


http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-case.html <---- a better look at that case

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme4 <----- a better look at that board

 

[mocchan]

Update (and SOLVED!)

After long discussion and a bit of arguing with my friend, he FINALLY agreed to the 7970, Gigabyte Mobo that g-unit posted, and the NH-D14 though with a small compromise, he INSISTED on an i7, so he'll be getting the i7 2600k :lol:

Shame I can't give best answer to more than one person, so I'll leave that blank. But I would like to say he decided to get the Xfx850w PSU that Why_Me has posted so both of your contributions were not wasted!

If a mod comes across this thread please lock it! (If possible :lol: )

Thanks again for all your help guys