$3000 New Build

[Stevenpfo]

Approximate Purchase Date: Mid - End May 2012

Budget Range: $2750 - $3000 (Est shipping was $100 and taxes $150 on Newegg).

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and then internet.

Parts Not Required: I need all the things.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: No preference.

Country: Canada (Edmonton, Alberta)

Parts Preferences: Whatever works the best within budget.

Overclocking: Maybe.

SLI or Crossfire: Yes.

Monitor Resolution: 27" (Not a res but you get the idea).

Additional Comments: I would like a 3 monitor (27") setup. I have no idea if it is do-able. I haven't built my own computer in about 3 years and have no idea what to look for. If I had to I would go to either 2 x 27" or 3 x 24".

I like playing different types of games (if it helps). BF3. Skyrim. I also really like to play Paradox Interactive games. They are not heavy on the graphics but I would assume they would use the CPU a LOT more than other games. Atleast that's where the lag seems to be in later gameplay.

Here's a list I quickly made up on Newegg. I just wanted to see what price ranges were more realistic to me. I'm not really attached to any one thing on it.

Newegg public wishlist.

Any thoughts? At this price range, what kind of graphic level can I expect from BF3? Are the monitors overkill/do able for this price range?

Thanks in advance. Been reading the website for a few days and it's pretty sweet. The replies in the other threads have been informative and helpful.

Edit: Just noticed the link doesn't show the monitors. There were 3 x 27" on there before. Add about another $1000 inside the Newegg link.

 

[kajabla]

To start with, as kwb says down there, I hope you know that this is overkill. You could do an excellent build on $2000, but it wouldn't really handle three screens. I'm going to be filling your budget out, though, and this guy will be maxing games on your three monitors like nothing else can.

You have to go way, way heavier on the graphics power and way, way lighter on the AMD CPU . Intel unequivocally rules the high end of gaming CPUs right now. On a budget like this, you might as well even go LGA 2011. We'll see how that fits in later. Skip the sound card: you won't be able to hear the difference. Here we go:
big edit: LGA 2011 actually doesn't come in under budget with the amount of graphics hardware it would take to justify a 3930k. Well, scrapping that.

$140 ASRock Z77 Extreme4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
$360 3770K, or $290 at a physical Microcenter store. http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3770K-processor-BX80637I73770K/dp/B007SZ0EOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336318444&sr=8-1
$95 LOW PROFILE G.Skill Ares 16gb 1600mhz RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231547
$250 Crucial M4 256gb SSD (I don't think you'll regret the extra space once you start getting a bunch of games) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148526
$220 TWO Samsung Spinpoint F3 1tb drives for backup (might as well save your money; the Caviar Black's hardly faster, and you'll have everything that matters on the SSD) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
$45 Microsoft Sidewinder X4. I recommend that you try out a mechanical keyboard like the Razer Blackwidow, but it's your choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191&Tpk=sidewinder%20x4
$55 Razer DeathAdder mouse. This is a matter of preference, but IMO it's a great mouse that costs less than yours. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153055
$90 your speakers. I hope you've done enough research in this area.
$40 Hyper 212 EVO and LGA 2011 bracket http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103432
$100 Windows
$90 HAF 922 Advanced. Your case should be a matter almost entirely of stylistic preference, even in a crazy high-end build like this. Don't be afraid to choose a $70 one because you think it won't be "good enough". If you like the 932, go for it, but do a little exploration first. I'm putting in a cheaper, similar case for budget reasons here.

We're now left with $1540 for the PSU, the GPUs and the monitors. I highly recommend bumping down to 3x23". You'll still have a ton of real estate, and you'll have $650 to spare from the 27-inchers.
$450 3x Hanspree 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262012
Here's the killer: $1000 2x Galaxy GTX 680 http://www.amazon.com/Galaxy-GeForce-Express-Graphics-68NPH6DV5ZGX/dp/B007KFDFW8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336319126&sr=8-3
...and, since 680s are relatively efficient, 750W will do it. This is a controversial choice, but I'm going to go ahead and recommend Rosewill's 80+ Gold Capstone based on Jonnyguru's excellent testing process: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182073


Places to save money if you want:
-the SSD. Go down to Crucial's 128gb model for $125 if you don't think the extra space is worth it.
-the backup drive, if you already own one.
-the case—get a cheaper one if you find one you like.
-the RAM. Get 8gb if you need to spend less; as this guy says below, 16gb is probably only good for preparing for the future.

 

[chaotixblade]

Alright Must for your 3k build, alot of people are going to throw 16gb ram your way, I don't care if you agree with me or not (not being a ****, just saying) 8gb is enough man, I mean 16gb - Future proof, so with your cash you might as well, but if you go 8gb save 100dollars your graphics/cpu/ something will be that much better. Next you want 3 monitors, 2x would be stupid, It would be nice to have the center screen basically be like what you would see on a 1 monitor set up while the other 2 are you extensions of visibility which is great, (takes of getting used to) I would go GTX 590X2 or else a nice 6950x2 Also make sure your getting a I7 2500k atleast. (JUST MY TWO CENTS.

 

[chaotixblade]

Also If you want I reccomend not OC'ing too much, MAN. Because with a nice i7 3930k even or something ITS MORE THAN ENOUGH SPEED. Just OC lightly if you wish.

(A 6950x2 would max out BF3 easily, heck 1 750 dollar 6990 from NEWEGG would do it)

 

[kwb]

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/332962-31-recommended-builds-price Look at the $1500 dollar build. That system is Overkill for today's titles. You could add an additional Radeon 7970 @ ~$450 for Overkill squared, beyond that, you are looking at diminishing returns, even at resolutions of 2560x1600. To be clear, most LCD monitors 23-27" use 1920x1200 as their native resolution.

 

[chaotixblade]

asdf
STUPID THINg

 

[Stevenpfo]

Man, you guys are fast. Thanks for the quick, awesome replies. I'll definitely check out all recommendations. If I can save money, I will do so.

 

[Why_Me]

I wouldn't shop newegg canada seeing how their shipping prices are a hose job more times than naught.

Those two retailers down below both offer free shipping. That and they are affiliated. They both ship out of the same warehouse in Richmond, BC.

http://www.directcanada.com/

http://www.bestdirect.ca/


http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/229568/RC-942-KKN1/COOLERMASTER/ $176.00
Coolermaster Haf X EATX Tower Case Black 6X5.25 5X3.5INT No PS Front USB3.0

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=16950AC9748&vpn=P11250BEFX&manufacture=Others $233.03
XFX 1250W PRO1250W Black Edition Single Rail ATX 12V 104A 24PIN ATX Full Modular 80PLUS Gold PSU

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530BD8687&vpn=P8Z77%20WS&manufacture=ASUS $314.11
ASUS P8Z77 WS ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 CrossFireX SLI 4PCI-E16 SATA3 DVI USB3.0 Motherboard PCI Express 3.0 x16: 4 (x16/x16/0/0 or x16/x8/x8/0 or x8/x8/x8/x8)

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12200BD0768&vpn=BX80637I53570K&manufacture=INTEL $244.40
Intel Core i5 3570K Unlocked Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Ivy Bridge 6MB Retail

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/241787/RR-T812-24PK-R1/COOLERMASTER/ $63.25
Coolermaster Tpc 812 Direct Contact 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA775/1366/1155/1156/2011 120MM Fan

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/232488/R4-BMBS-20PK-R0/COOLERMASTER/ $6.60
Coolermaster Blade Master 120 Black 120MM PWM Case Fan 600-2000RPM 21.2-76.8CFM

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/232923/F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL/G.SKILL/ $59.58
G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1866 CL9-10-9-28 Memory

http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530DR5213&vpn=DRW-24B1ST%20Bulk&manufacture=ASUS $17.69
ASUS DRW-24B1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer OEM Black

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/239970/GV-R797OC-3GD/Gigabyte/ $529.41
Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 OC 1000MHZ 3.0GB 5.5GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XDP PCI-E Video Card

 

[kajabla]

I certainly missed the Canada memo. Bump my CPU to a 3570K and the SSD to the 128gb model and you should stay under budget in CND.

Why the juggernaut PSU, Why? None of the new GPUs are big power-hogs.

 

[Stevenpfo]

Thanks again guys.

Why, the RAM says it has a "Qualified Motherboards List". Does that mean it has to be one of those MBs or are they just recommendations?

I really like that case.

If i'm running a game on all three screens, would it be better to get two video cards or would that one be enough?

Good call on the Newegg shipping. More money saved on shipping means better parts.

I was wondering about the PSU as well.

I do have to say that a lot has changed since I built my last computer from scratch. It's like starting all over again.

 

[UVB076]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($359.99 @ Memory Express)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: Intel DZ77GA70K ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($219.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($118.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($108.99 @ NCIX)
Hard Drive: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 690 4GB Video Card ($1049.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case ($179.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 860W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($229.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Lite-On IHBS112-04 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($69.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $2547.90
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-06 20:10 EDT-0400)

 

[kajabla]

^we need monitors, a keyboard, a mouse and speakers here.

Whether you need the extra GPU depends on what you think is worth your money. Two 680s will just about max this year's games (not next year's) on three 1920x1080 monitors. One will not max them, but it'll play them.

 

[Stevenpfo]

Yeah, i've been sitting here going over stuff for a few hours (my brain hurts).

I like the 680s. We'll see how two of them play out once everything else is picked.

I've picked out some ASUS monitors ($600) for 3.

This site (and you guys) are really informative.

 

[skiim]

Yeah, i've been sitting here going over stuff for a few hours (my brain hurts).

I like the 680s. We'll see how two of them play out once everything else is picked.

I've picked out some ASUS monitors ($600) for 3.

This site (and you guys) are really informative.

I'm not sure how anyone can recommend you 2 680's in SLI. A single 690 is by far a better solution at the same price. Far less stutter, less power, less heat, and in the future you can get another if you want. The absolute only reason I can think of getting 2 680s is so that you can upgrade to tri-SLI or something instead of 2 690s (quad sli). Anyways the point is it is bad advice to say you should get to get 2 680s in sli. A 680 in general is a bad idea with the 670 showing up in reviews now.

 

[Stevenpfo]

Been doing some number crunching here and this is how it looks:

Monitors: $600

Windows: $100

Case: $175

Mouse: $50

Keyboard: $80

Speakers: $100

Total: $1105

Basically leaving $1900 for everything else. Now that I think of it I have a decent storage drive I can pull out of the computer i'm giving to my son. So that frees up some money... I haven't done my homework on the speakers but i'm not that worried about em. I've had similar speakers to popular ones on newegg around that price with no complaint.

Here's how everything else looks (with rough price ranges in brackets based off of what has already been recommended):

Motherboard: ($250)

CPU: ($300)

SSD: ($200)

RAM: ($60)

PSU: ($300)

Video Card: (?? $800 left over)

Note: 3 monitors are not a huge must for gaming. I just love to multi task my ass off. If need be i'll go two 27" monitors (for a similar price to the 3 x 24"). I was maybe just going to game on 3 for BF3. If we can make it work for 3 monitors for gaming, then cool. If not, whatever.

 

[azeem40]

I'm not sure how anyone can recommend you 2 680's in SLI. A single 690 is by far a better solution at the same price. Far less stutter, less power, less heat, and in the future you can get another if you want. The absolute only reason I can think of getting 2 680s is so that you can upgrade to tri-SLI or something instead of 2 690s (quad sli). Anyways the point is it is bad advice to say you should get to get 2 680s in sli. A 680 in general is a bad idea with the 670 showing up in reviews now.

FYI, stutter is no longer a big issue for newer gen cards.

 

[kajabla]

My build (at top) has lower prices on everything in your list but the CPU and SSD. No reasonable PSU costs $300, and mine's $60 after rebate. Just go over that list. Also, why would you spend $600 on monitors when you could spend $450?

@Skiim Yes, a 690 would be a better move, but good luck finding one. If you're willing to wait two months on a waiting list, go for it, but I'd just get the 680s available on Amazon right now.

You can't go with two monitors for gaming. A bezel in the middle of your setup gets right in the way of your crosshairs/line of sight. It's one monitor or three. My build gets you a setup that can handle three, but if you want you can cut a video card and whatever else you like and get a far cheaper one-monitor 27" setup.

 

[Stevenpfo]

Best answer selected by Stevenpfo.

 

[Stevenpfo]

Pretty much have my mind made up on everything. You guys have been a great help.