2500$ gaming/video editing PC

KrisPC

Honorable
Jun 24, 2012
20
0
10,520
Hi and thanks for everybody in advance. To begin with this is my first build. My current laptop is over 4 years old and is getting slow for my needs. A year and a half ago I thought about buying a new laptop, but now I've come to realize that desktop computer is much better for my needs.

Approximate Purchase Date: July-August 2012 (I'm going to buy parts one by one when I see a good deal)

Budget Range: ~2500$ (OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse not included)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, HD video editing/rendering (with tons of layers and 3D effects), surfing and everything else you can imagine

Parts Not Required: Eventually I'm going to replace everything I have at the moment with exception of 3TB and 2TB WD external HDD's

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Amazon

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: Intel, ASUS, EVGA, Corsair, Cooler Master

Overclocking: maybe

SLI or Crossfire: yes

Monitor Resolution: 5760x1080

Additional Comments:

So far I've had my eye on the following components:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 $299.99
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 $329.99
Video card: 2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB $839.98
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 $119.99
HDD: 3 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s in RAID 5 $299.97
SSD: SanDisk Extreme 240GB $239.99
PSU: COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Hybrid 1050W $249.99
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF X $169.99
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO $34.99
ODD: LG Black 14X Blu-ray Burner $69.99
With all the combo deals and discounts the total price is $2,554.87

I have also considered:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770k and ASUS Sabertooth z77 combo, but I like the option to go for the 6/8 core CPU (hopefully Ivy Bridge-E will come out).
Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 Pro, but Sabertooth mobo looks somewhat cooler and I really like the 5 year warranty.
Video card: Now here lies the real question. I've read that some games (namely BF3) can eat up more than 2 GB VRAM at high resolutions, so I'm also considering about getting 2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 670 SC 4GB which would add 132$ to the cost (970$ in total). With this amount of money I could buy GTX 690, but I've read that this card has 2x2GB VRAM, although it does come with some other benefits. So which card should I get?
Memory: 1600 MHz memory seems to be good enough. The memory I've chosen is a 1.35V one and it's color matches with motherboard.
HDD/SSD: I might get a HDD with smaller cache and SATA II, if I get a good deal. Also I like the WD Caviar Black series for it's 5 year warranty, but I don't know it's worth it. As for SSD, I'm waiting for a good deal. I haven't made up my mind on the brand yet, though I was almost going to buy SanDisk Extreme 240GB SSD for 180$.
PSU: Aside from CM, Corsair and Thermaltake also seem to be good choices. I don't know why I like the Silent Pro Hybrid so much, especially considering I could get Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1050W PSU for 175$ (vs CM Silent Pro Hybrid 1050W 225$) from Newegg right now. I want the PSU to be future proof or is 1050W really so much of an overkill?
Cooler: Will CM Hyper 212 EVO be enough when I OC 3820 to say 4.6 GHz? Because I have also looked at TT Frio (which is only 5$ more expensive), NZXT HAVIK-140 and Corsair H100. As I might get Ivy Bridge-E down the road, perhaps it's better to invest into better cooler straight away?

Other thoughts:
Sound card: I'm not an audiophile, but it still makes me wonder if the integrated audio chip on the motherboard deliver sound good enough? I might end up with 7.1 surround system or 7.1 headset (like Corsair Vengeance 1500).
Keyboard: Illuminated keyboard is something I'm looking for. So far Logitech G110 looks like the best option.
Mouse: Not my first priority, but might get a new mouse some day. Like Cyborg R.A.T 7.
Monitors: Most likely getting 3 23-24 inch TN panels, like Viewsonic VX2450WM.
OS: Windows 7 Professional, no question here.
 
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/aNhf

based off the ivy bridge z77 chipset. the sabertooth thermal armor is more of a gimmick that doesnt do much. the z77x-ud5h has more features for a lower price

i7 3770k is already very good for video editing so i dont see that much of a performance difference by using a 6 core

mushkin fits under heatsinks and is performs the same as corsair so i dont see the point of using corsair

if you can find a sandisk extreme 240gb for 180 dollars, i would definitly go get it. the ssd i suggested is the same as the sandisk as it uses the same toggle nand. for the hard drive, i have yet to see someone use more than 2 tb of storage. if you ever need 3 tb, just get a plain 3tb drive

the i7 3820 is locked so you cant really overclock it other than by changing the base clock. hyper 212 evo is good enough for 4.2-4.5ghz on ivy bridge and 4.2 and SBE

you never need 1000w unless you are going to do 3 graphics cards and a overclocked cpu. i got you the 750w as it is enough for 2 video cards and a overclocked CPU. keep in mind that overclocking CPUs dont really help with video rendering and that sort of thing

ivy bridge also has quick sync so that is a bonus for video rendering
 
that is kinda false. he is not doing graphical creation so he wouldnt need a quadro card. even if so, the 580 will still be good as the quadro 6000 in workloads that require compute power.

the 670 is great for both games and video so i wouldnt worry. if you need compute power, just get a 580 or a 7970