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.
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.