Help me wisely spend $2,000

[Jetson]

I'm a novice builder that is planning a new rig. To give you some idea of me, I'm a mechanical engineer with grey hair; which means I have a much better aptitude for computers than your average Joe but I'm far from a computer engineer. Some guidance and a point in the right direction and I can figure stuff out pretty well. In short, I know just enough to be stupid and dangerous, which is why I'm here.

To give you an idea of what I want to build. My budget is around $2,000. I won't cry if I go a bit over but I don't want to waste money either. The primary usage will be gaming which will probably include some video capture and editing, the usual home/office type stuff, entertainment, and possibly some 3D CAD (Solidworks). So ultimately the system will I expect include
a monitor, a TV,

I'm planning the build around an Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz CPU. Since I'm new to building I'm not planning on overclocking right out of the box but I may want to do that further down the line.

First up for discussion is motherboards. I've narrowed my choices to
ASUS Sabertooth X79 at $319
Intel X79SR at $319
Intel X79SI at $259
ASRock X79 Extreme 4 at $224

Below are my naive pros & cons. Please help me decide on the mobo first, then we'll move on to other components. If you want to suggest a different board, feel free to mention it and give me the reasons why - which should be more than "because it's great".

Sabertooth:
Pros:TUF aspect and their attention to heat, Turbo Boost 2.0, Digi+Power, SSD Caching, Firewire, Optical, 5 yr warranty
Cons: NewEgg reviews point to reliability concerns (but it has longest warranty). The max memory speed is also a bit slower but that's minor. I'm a bit leary of whether this board requires more expert builder than I am. Price.

X79SR:
Pros: WiFi, Bluetooth, 10 Channel Sound(7.1 +2), Firewire, Optical, Intel Reliability/Stability (?)
Cons: Price

X79SI:
Pros: Price, Bluetooth, Intel Reliability/Stability (?)
Cons: Basic Sound, Only (2) 6 Gb/s drives

ASRock X79
Pros: Price, ASRock has good ratings/review/awards, ASRockFAST technologies but they seem more related to 32 bit, is it just marketing hype.

Right now I'm leaning towards either the Sabertooth or the X79SR and the X79SR has the edge because of my experience level, the sound, WiFi and Bluetooth.

Thanks for your help. I'm really looking forward to going through this build.
Jetson

 

[stew198269]

newegg ok for ya?

 

[Jetson]

Yup - pretty much all newegg

 

[stew198269]

maximus v http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131760
msi gtx 670 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127675
ripjaws 2x4gb http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428
agility 3 120gb ssd http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227726
corsair 600 psu http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
intel 2500k http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
2tb storage http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148902
antec 1100 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129178
hyper 212 evo http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
blu ray drive http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136246
total for this is $1,624.90

if ya wanna make this kickass then stick 2 670s in there system will kickass for soem time!

 

[stew198269]

could change the ssd for bigger one i think myself bigger the better

 

[stew198269]

maybe change it for 240gb

 

[stew198269]

case is pretty much down to what u want but with the antec 1100 u will have to buy 7 120mm fans

 

[Jetson]

Thanks for the suggestions Stew but am I missing something - such as an adapter? The CPU is LGA 2011, not 1155 socket. I was under the impression (perhaps false) that the board and CPU have to match and that the cooler can be adapted or do I have that wrong?

Also, I don't mean to sound like an a$$ but I would really prefer to get some explanation with why I would want one board vs. another, not just have folks give me their $2,000 wish list. That's not to say I won't be using any of the parts you have on it - for example the 212 evo is on my short list of coolers, but I hadn't gotten to those yet.

 

[Jetson]

Sorry - I see, you switched the processor down to an i5, hence the 1155 socket.

So then, why the changes to the cpu etc. from where I started? Why the compromise?

 

[stew198269]

they r both lga 1155 sockets and the cooler fits.. all the parts r good high end parts the 2500k is prob the best gaming cpu on the market and proforms well in overclocking.
the msi 670 out preforms the 680 with just a little overclock
the hyper 212 is one of my prefered coolers clocks in 1/2 degrees above my h70
ripjaws would tell anyone to get them as found them the best by far! and the same with all the other parts really u asked for a system build and got an answer back i might be the only person that comments or there maybe 10 more people my setup was just something for u to go on

 

[stew198269]

i just been racking my brains u keep going on about changing the cpu sry i forgot u wanted to build around a 3930k lol sry!!! have u got the cpu already if not then i would change to the 2500k as if u going to use this rig for gaming then no game uses more than 4 cores and the and like i said if it is just gaming then the 2500k is all u need and a hell of alot cheaper!!

2500k $225
3930k $580

look at the game results below
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/11/14/intel-sandy-bridge-e-review/7

 

[FinneousPJ]

I wouldn't recommend Socket 2011 unless the machine is your primary workstation, it's just too expensive - a Socket 1155 i7 can do 95% of the work for less cash, and i5 can probably do 80-90% for even less.

Why don't you fill this in to make it easier for us http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/353572-13-build-upgrade-advice

 

[Jetson]

Hey - sorry Stew, I don't mean to be difficult. I am just trying to understand so that I make the right purchase. Thanks for the explanation, it will be gaming and depending on how much work I bring home, can include 3D CAD solid modelling and analysis.

If we're just going to jump into the deep end. The machine I put together for $2,000 is this:

i7 3930K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492
NH-D14 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
X79 Intel or Sabertooth
Cooler Master HAF 932 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
G.Skill Ripjaws 2x4GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231402
Cooler Master 850W Silent Hybrid http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171061
Seagate 2 TB HDD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148902
OCZ 240 GB SDD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227707
Blu Ray cd/dvd http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106451

 

[Jetson]

Why don't you fill this in to make it easier for us http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/foru [...] ade-advice

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: this month

Budget Range: $2,000 don't care on Rebates; Before Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (3d CAD solid modelling, analysis; gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies; video capture, video editing)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes but not included in budget

Parts to Upgrade: New Build

Do you need to buy OS: Yes / Windows 7 Pro

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg

Location: City, State/Region, Country - NJ, USA

Parts Preferences: Intel

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Would like it to be quiet

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: existing system obsolete

 

[DarkOutlaw]

Your gonna need more than 4GB of RAM. If anything get at least 2 x 8GB sticks. You should probably double your hard drives (at least the hdd) and use raid configurations so your data is replicated. Some Arctic Silver thermal paste for the cpu/heatsink would do good, the stock stuff is ok, but that chip is gonna get hotter than a 2500k/2600k.

 

[vegettonox]

I always recommend an sli/crossfire system to be honest, 1 card will be taken down a notch rather quickly as new games come out but a second can really extend the life.

 

[Jetson]

Your gonna need more than 4GB of RAM. If anything get at least 2 x 8GB sticks. You should probably double your hard drives (at least the hdd) and use raid configurations so your data is replicated. Some Arctic Silver thermal paste for the cpu/heatsink would do good, the stock stuff is ok, but that chip is gonna get hotter than a 2500k/2600k.

I was planning on going with 8 GB of RAM and using part of the SDD as a RAM disk but I need to learn more about implementing that.

I always recommend an sli/crossfire system to be honest, 1 card will be taken down a notch rather quickly as new games come out but a second can really extend the life.

I was debating between a GTX 670 and 1 or 2 560 Ti cards. I read in my research thoug92080 x 1080

 

[FinneousPJ]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Mushkin Callisto Deluxe 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($409.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Mid Tower Case ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) ($130.21 @ Amazon)
Total: $1651.10
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Geared for future GTX670 SLI. I honestly don't see point in spending any more cash. Save the left over cash for when you need to upgrade to SLI or something else.

 

[Jetson]

Thanks Finneous, I don't see where that card is SLI compatible though.

 

[FinneousPJ]

All GTX670s are SLI compatible, I'm not sure I understand.

EDIT: The reason I chose that one is because it exhausts out the rear.

 

[Jetson]

Maybe it's my ignorance but I thought that the boards need to support SLI/Xfire as well.
See http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/sli/motherboards

 

[stew198269]

the motherboard he states does support it! r u sure u need help lol?

 

[Jetson]

the motherboard he states does support it!

well I don't see the P8Z77 in the list of the ASUS 1155 MBs that I linked to on the GeForce site. The Asus Z77 Sabertooth is but if that means that all Z77 boards are then that's a leap of logic I'm not aware of, it may be true but again I'm here to learn and buy.

r u sure u need help lol?

what in the world makes you think I don't?


Come on Stew, are you just trying to bust my nuts or what?

I am trying to make an educated decision and avoid wasting money. That means I want to learn about why to buy what I'm being told to buy. So far you've explained why I don't need the CPU I originally planned, and I appreciate that. I learned something and saved money for use elsewhere.

You guys may know each other, and probably know a lot about what you're doing - I don't mean to imply you don't and I'm certainly not trying to say I know more, or know better, but I do intend on double checking what people tell me because people can make mistakes.

Or do you expect that I should just copy and paste a recommendation into a shopping cart, spend the money and hope for the best?

 

[FinneousPJ]

well I don't see the P8Z77 in the list of the ASUS 1155 MBs that I linked to on the GeForce site. The Asus Z77 Sabertooth is but if that means that all Z77 boards are then that's a leap of logic I'm not aware of, it may be true but again I'm here to learn and buy.

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z77V_LK/

 

[Jetson]

Best answer selected by Jetson.