$7500 Budget College Gaming/Music/Photo/Video/Media Rig

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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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10,510
Hi there!

I'm new to the tom's hardware community, but no stranger to custom built computers. While 4 years ago I knew what I wanted and the best choices, I can't say the same now. I'm a sophomore college student going to Kent State (Kent, OH is where I'll be if any stores in the area have deals, which I doubt), with a number of interests that are guiding my new PC rig specs.

I'm looking for a 4-year futureproof desktop PC with room to be upgraded should the need arise. It must suit doing single tasks at a time (i.e. I'm not gaming and editing HD video at the same time, but it needs to perform as well as possible in my budget in each area respectively). I intend to spend my recreational time doing a lot of hardcore gaming in a dual monitor setup or on a 1080p 55+ inch HDTV. I also produce music in FL Studio 10/Pro Tools 10 and would like to be able to expand my capabilities. Adobe CS6, Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite Ultimate, Pro Tools 10, FL Studio 10, Google Chrome, Sony Vegas, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, and countless other programs will be running in varying combinations; sometimes simultaneously, sometimes not.

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: Before mid-August 2012.

Budget Range: No more than $7500 (including shipping, power conditioner, monitor, and aesthetics/accessories/external hardware)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming / Game Server Hosting, Game Development, Music Production, Photo / Video Editing, Programming, Media Streaming (Home Theater), HD Video Online Streaming, School Work (MS Office), Internet Browsing, General Use.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes (Two Monitors + HDTV. Two Monitors are in the budget, HDTV does not count towards my budget)


Parts to Upgrade: I do not currently have an existing system to reuse parts from. Everything will be brand new or bought open-box / B-stock where feasible.

Do you need to buy OS: No (I am a member of Microsoft BizSpark, and have licenses for Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit).

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NewEgg.com, TigerDirect.com (good relationship with both, have only ever used ZipZoomFly in addition, open to suggestions and options)

Location: Niles, OH / Kent, OH (Northeastern Ohio). Trumbull County. USA.

Parts Preferences: Prefer Intel CPU / nVidia EVGA GPUs. Fan of ASUS and/or GIGABYTE motherboards, interested in EVGA mobos as well.

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Yes (Dual or Tri depending on budget remaining for GPUs)

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 (not important, but I'd like to keep a 1080p compliant aspect ratio).

Additional Comments:

I would like the case to be sleek / professional but attractive. This computer needs to function, but also be a bit of a showpiece for various things I have planned. I have no past experience with water cooling, but have researched and examined systems enough to be 100% confident in utilizing it if necessary for my ultimate overclocking cooling setup, however I would prefer passive/air cooling if it is quiet enough.

My questions / concerns with my parts are in a list at the end of the post.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Going to college, CyberPower laptop caught on fire, need a future proof PC to last me into the year after I graduate.

Initial Parts List (all NewEgg.com links):

(I am stuck between 3 build paths. Going with either an ASUS board, a GIGABYTE board, or an EVGA SR-X board [which would entail two Xeon CPUs]. Hardware choices that I feel vary based on which path I go I note as such, hardware I intend to use regularless of which build path I go will be after the varying hardware selections)

ASUS Path Mobo:
ASUS P9X79 DELUXE LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - $359.99

GIGABYTE Path Mobo:
GIGABYTE G1.ASSASSIN2 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard - $319.99 ($349.99 - $30 Mail-In Rebate)

EVGA Path Mobo:
EVGA Classified SR-X - $648.99

Processor (ASUS / GIGABYTE):
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820 - $299.99

Processor(s) (EVGA):
Intel Xeon E5-2609 Sandy Bridge-EP 2.4GHz 10MB L3 Cache LGA 2011 80W Quad-Core Server Processor BX80621E52609 - 2 x $299.99

RAM:
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10Q-32GBZL - $189.99 ($30 Rebate Promo Code)

Video Card(s) (2-Way SLI):
EVGA 04G-P4-2673-KR GeForce GTX 670 Superclocked+ w/Backplate 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - 2 x $484.99

PSU:
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX1200 (CMPSU-1200AX) 1200W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Certified 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $284.99 ($299.99 - $15 Mail-In Rebate)

System / OS / Critical Apps / Cache SSD(s) [RAID 0]:
Kingston HyperX 3K SH103S3/120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (Stand-Alone Drive) - 2 x $139.99

Storage HDD(s) [RAID 0 & 1 Backup Drive]
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - 3 x $119.99

Monitor(s):
SAMSUNG S24B750V High Gloss Black 24" 2ms HDMI Widescreen LED-Backlit LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 1000:1 Built-in Speakers - 2 x $249.99

The total for the EVGA system (most expensive configuration as it stands) comes to $3,833.86. Leaving me a fair bit of room for choices for case, cooling, accessories, modifications to current hardware configurations, more knowledgeable builders to set me straight on any idiotic notions I made when researching and choosing the above hardware selection, etc.

I will continue to edit this post as discussion continues, I decide which case I wish to utilize (though I am really pushing for the CaseLabs Magnum TX10-D Case God of Epic Case running in at $859.95 with plenty of options for customization, bling, cooling, future expansion, power conditioners, UPS, pedestals for my studio rack equipment, future XBOX360 + PS3 integration mod, etc.).

I apologize for the long post and really appreciate any advice and ensuing discussion. I wish to build this to the upmost quality, and if I end up pursuing any sponsorships for some of the more miscellaneous (yet critical) things like cooling, pro wiring, fancy military switch top switches, LEDs, face plates, decals, etc. etc. etc. I will gladly turn this into a heavily advertised and affiliate-garnering system.

Thanks,
Tyler H.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
19
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10,510
My list of hardware questions and concerns:

1.) I am looking at a 32GB set of RAM. All my mobo choices support future upgrading to 64GB should the need (heaven-forbid) ever arise. My questions are: is 32GB even necessary? I do run large instrumental projects, and have definitely seen myself maxing out the 8GB setup I had in my laptop, and am guilty of always having 50+ web tabs, MS Office, and countless apps running while still expecting my priority applications to perform at the drop of a hat. Additionally, I am concerned with the importance of RAM timings, clock speeds, and transfer rates. What is the big deal? Does it matter when you have that much RAM / SSDs?

2.) What is better: 2 Xeon CPUs with lower clocks or 1 i7 Sandy Bridge CPU with a higher clock speed and pushed harder through overclocking? Or am I completely off base here?

3.) To RAID or not to RAID? I have not used SSDs previously, and am eager to experience the speed boost. I am somewhat piqued at RAIDing two 120GB SSDs versys buying one 240GB SSD for the same price to take advantage of some real-life applications of speed increases. Researched this here: RAID 0 of SSDs: Two Kingston HyperX 120 GB SSDs vs. Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSD

4.) nVidia GPUs: 2-way vs. 3-way SLI opinions. 500 series vs. 600 series. If I go 500 series, best bang for buck. Same question for 600 series, ultimately 670 vs. 680.

5.) Will onboard sound be suitable for gaming (my production all utilizes outboard Firewire/USB interfaces so I don't worry about that), or would I really see a benefit in grabbing a 7.1 channel ASUS card or a Creative recon card? Following that, which one is better? And when it comes to game audio, is 7.1 vs 5.1 channel audio that big of a deal?

6.) What are my options for decreasing costs while not cutting back on performance or looks? I see many people posting rigs that are "sponsored" where they have almost all of their cooling or "cool" case bling (and even sometimes the case) given to them for free or at a great discount. I don't mind the cost of the hardware, but I am a marketing consultant, and am always looking for ways to co-promote brands and companies where it can be mutually beneficial. Any advice on pursuing such ventures?

More questions to come!

Thanks again,
Tyler H.
 
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santaclaws

santaclaws

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Jul 4, 2012
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1. Haha I know the feeling, you shouldn't need anymore than 32GB of RAM, it's overkill for people like me who just do gaming and such but for you It's just about right and then some. By all means go for it, you won't be needing to upgrade for quite sometime. Personally, RAM latency and such don't really matter, I would just go for the fastest RAM you can get. I'll be listing parts for your build below.

2. If I was in your place, I would go with an Intel i7-3930K which is second to what is apparently the fastest consumer processor in history, which is the Intel i7-3960X which is only marginally faster by .10Mhz, and that .10Mhz will cost you about a $450 premium over the i7-3930K which is totally not worth it obviously.

3. If I were you, I would setup up a RAID array in a way that (I'm not very experienced when it comes to RAID setups) You have one SSD that is about 256 or 512GB (depends on your needs) and two 1TB hard drives each for your data and your projects. You would also have 4 1TB drives to which the content of the SSD and the two hard drives are backed up to the moment you save something.

4. I would go with a GTX 680 as single cards are 100% of the time better than weaker cards in SLI or Crossfire, as for one, they will consume much less energy, they are more powerful (usually the case) and when you feel the need to, you can always SLI in another GTX 680 (or three more haha).

5. It will be more than enough for gaming but I would get a 5.1 channel sound card just so that you can experience how immersive it is with Battlefield 3 online on really loud speakers haha.

6. You're probably talking about either professional gamers or people on Youtube that review products in exchange to getting them for free or at a greatly reduced discount. Just buy the stuff that you want, after all, you do get what you pay for.

My Version of your Build:

Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) - $569.99
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79 - $429.99
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $105.99
Graphics Card: EVGA 04G-P4-3687-KR GeForce GTX 680 FTW+ w/Backplate 4GB - $629.99
SSD: OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-256G 2.5" 256GB SSD - $219.99
Hard Drives: x6 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM - $719.94
PSU: SeaSonic Platinum-1000 1000W ATX12V - $219.99
Case: LIAN LI PC-A77F Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower - $299.99
Cooling: CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler - $114.99
Sound: HT | OMEGA CLARO II 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - $184.99
Monitors: x2 SAMSUNG S24B750V High Gloss Black 24" - $499.98

(All Parts Were Sourced From NewEgg)

Total: $3,995.83

This build is an absolute monster and I'd gladly shave my head bald and change my name to anything you want if it chokes on anything lol. I went with the 7 1TB hard drives as I think you'd want to go with maximum redundancy, so if in the event that you SSD and your two main hard drives fail, you always have a back up, if the RAID array is configured properly. If there is anything else you need, feel free to post here or send me a PM and I'll try my best to help you out. :)
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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10,510


Thanks for the quick reply! I appreciate the answers to the questions, and the idea behind the RAID array, since it is within my budget, sounds good. The other hardware you suggested such as the different power supply, the sound card, and the motherboard. I'm not too sure how I feel about that particular ASUS board, from reviews I have read, and am unfamiliar with the PSU and Sound Card brands; however, I'll definitely look into both!

I'm going to leave this open so I can get a fair number of opinions on my original choices and why some may/may not work.

Thanks again,
Tyler H.
 
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santaclaws

santaclaws

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Jul 4, 2012
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The motherboard I selected for you is the top of the line model they have, and I've only heard good things about it. Seasonic is the company that makes PSUs for Corsair, OCZ etc. They are up there in terms of quality.

I've got one in my rig at the moment and it's great, my system runs 24/7 and I havent had a problem at all.
 
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zloginet

zloginet

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I mean no offense but based off your rig I have no clue how you are helping someone piece together a $7500 machine.

On a second note, this guy has a $7500 budget and peeps are telling him to buy a stupid 680 FTW for $629.99. WOW


Reminds me of newegg reviews.

ps, WD Blacks suck *** compared to the new seagate 1platter's....

 
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santaclaws

santaclaws

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Jul 4, 2012
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Just because he has a lot of money doesen't mean he has to spend it all. Besides the 680 as is will max out any game in existence on 1920*1080. The SLI-ed 670s wouldn't be that much more powerful but they'll cost $200 more than a SINGLE GTX 680. Not to mention that it will consume much more power than one.

Think of it this way, if you went out to buy a car and you had a budget of $70,000; the car itself costs $50,000 but for a small, performance boost, they have a slightly more powerful engine that costs $20k, would you buy it knowing that its slightly more powerful but like 5%? No.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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My initial concern so far is that, from what I've searched on NewEgg, the Seagate 1TB drives are lower priced than the WD Black. Ultimately if I was so concerned I would be purchasing larger capacity and enterprise level drives, or Raptors for that matter. I'm just looking for cheap, reliable storage that will work well in RAID and will last me several years.

 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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I appreciate the advice.

I have only ever been a fan of single-monitor gaming. I'll either play games in a single monitor setup, or on my HDTV. I do a lot of programming, mixing, etc. where I enjoy having an extended desktop and screens purposed for different things (mixer monitor & tracking monitor when producing, code editor + debug / program running, Photoshop & web browser, etc.)


I'm also running limited desk space to two monitors will be pushing it as it is.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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My overall budget is hovering around $7500, but that includes shipping costs, keyboard, mouse, accessories, headphones, etc. a number of things I haven't decided upon yet and are still kind of in limbo.

To be fair I'd say $6000 is a better budget, while I have $1500 for accessories, input devices, bling, and that sorta thing.




Either way, this thing needs to be a beast of a system. I am leaning towards the EVGA SR-X path I described initially, would like to know some pros/cons of the hardware combos I listed, if anyone can help.
 
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santaclaws

santaclaws

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$1500 for accessories? Wow you're gonna buy like a gold plated mouse or something? haha.

Just go with this build, as is, its a beast of a system that any enthusiast would be proud of. It's also cheaper, faster and more power efficient.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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Heh, nothing gold-plated. It's just a budget, so I may not even come close to hitting it. And I mean honestly I'd like to just take the Maximus TX10-D case and go from there. I'd really like to end up with something remarkable, that hasn't yet been done to the extent I wish to do it.
 
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Xenturion

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Figure I'd weigh in. I going to go ahead and recommend you stick with the 670's as opposed to a single 680. As benchmarks have shown, a 670 is very close to a 680 as far as performance is concerned, yet it is cheaper AND uses less power. As far as price/performance and performance/watt go, you'll be better off with SLI 670's than a single 680 with another somewhere down the line.

Whichever card you decide to go for, may I recommend a 3 or 4GB frame buffer. With that much power, you're quickly going to run out of steam on a single panel. Using EyeFinity or nVidia Surround is very taxing on VRAM and having a significant amount will ensure future-proofing. You don't want to get stuck with something that has the rendering muscle for a task, yet lacks the VRAM necessary for any degree of smoothness.

The SR2 is an absolute beast, and I'd be the first to admit I'd love to be the owner of such an epic piece of equipment, but from a gaming standpoint, I'd stick with a single socket board. The trouble with those Xeons is that they aren't easily overclockable. They have the same Base Clock limitations as Sandy Bridge did, meaning you won't be able to get much more than maybe a couple hundred megahertz out of it. The i7 is a good option, but I'd strongly recommend going with the 3930K. It'll give you a lot more overclocking headroom and will provide performance more in line with a system with such a large budget. The higher clock speed of the i7 will make a significant difference in games and will be plenty enough to keep your cards well-fed.

As far as storage is concerned, I think it'd be cool to go with an SSD RAID array. While you do lose TRIM in going to RAID, the garbage collection on modern SSD's is good enough. If you join more than 2 together, say 3 or 4, you could run a RAID 5 array, giving you blistering performance AND redundancy should a drive fail.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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I appreciate the suggestion on the processor, I do think I'll lean towards that one due to the overclocking ability. A RAID 5 SSD array is definitely an option, depending on how necessary I end up finding it. If you recommend against an SR2 and say stick with a single socket board, of the two I listed, which would you recommend? Or a different one all together?

Thanks,
Tyler H.
 
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Xenturion

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GIGABYTE or ASUS? That's a rather tough call. I honestly would go for the Gigabyte for all the Value-adds it has. I'm a sucker for quality audio, so the built-in Creative chipset would be something of interest to me. Same with the Killer LAN chipset. While it hasn't proven to make a significant difference in real-world scenarios, It'd just be an interesting thing to have. Plus, I like the color scheme on the Gigabyte board, but, in reality, it really doesn't make that much of a difference. Boards of that caliber and from those brands are going to be quality products regardless.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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But are they "the best" of they're respective line? I really tend to have a lot of buyer's remorse once I make a purchase. Even if holding off a month or so might result in something big, I'm not sure where the tech release curve is looking right now.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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In regards to GPU recommendations, I'm aware the 600 series nVidia GPUs are severely crippled in CUDA and various core performance for uses in Adobe products, rendering, raytracing, etc. compared to the 500 series.

Would I be better off going with, say a superclocked 500 series set of cards in dual SLI that have a significant amount of VRAM? For example:

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified Ultra 3072MB - 2x $549.99

Although the big thing I notice is that since it is a dated card, it has lower clock speeds and is a PCIe 2.0 spec card. Not sure what the trade-offs are for the best value.
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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I heard they were crippled at the chip level. The PSU isn't an issue, as the case I intend to use and my setup entailed a multi-PSU functionality (case supports up to 4 PSUs)
 
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tylerjharden

tylerjharden

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Jul 8, 2012
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For reference, here is the backside of the case in question (this thing is almost human height).

DSC_2067__57099_zoom.JPG
 
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