New 3770K build

[evcass69]

Approximate purchase date: Within a month
Budget Range: 2-3K
System usage: MSOffice, browsing, Video capture/render, statistical simulations
Buying a monitor? Yes
Parts to Upgrade: None
OS: Yes
Preferred Websites: None. Best price/warranty delivered
Location: Central Florida
Parts Preferences: Intel CPU
Overclocking: Maybe
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Monitor resolution: at least 1600x1200 on at least a 19" monitor
Addl comments: Quiet enough where I can sleep next to it when it's very busy, no bling or excessive lighting, Photoshop, Video Vegas, DVD Architect, Office, Engine Analyzer Pro
Why am I upgrading: Frustrated with current system (eMachines T3256)

Case: CoolerMaster HAF X (or XM?)
XM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119257
X http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225
Power Supply: Corsair TX750V2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021
Motherboard: ASUS P9X79WS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131798
CPU: Intel i7-3770K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501
Thermal Paste: Timtronics Grey Ice 4200
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...4200_Non-Silicone_Thermal_Paste_-_3_Gram.html
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D14
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
Case fans: Coolermaster Megaflow 200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103072
RAM: Corsair DOMINATOR 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory Model CMP16GX3M4X1866C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233228&Tpk=cmp16gx3m4x1866c9
OS HD: OCZ Vertex 3 Series - MAX IOPS Edition VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227714&Tpk=VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G
RAID Adapter: LSI 9217-8i
http://www.lsi.com/products/storagecomponents/Pages/LSISAS9217-8i.aspx
Storage Drives (x4): WD Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533
Optical Drive (x2): Lite-On http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348&Tpk=iHBS212-08
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106348&Tpk=iHBS212-08
Mouse: Kensington ExpertMouse K64325
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826125109&Tpk=K64325
Display: ASUS PA238Q
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236201&Tpk=pa238q
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109230
OS: Windows 7, not sure of version
SoundCard: [Onboard]
Video Card: Gigabyte GV-N670OC-2GD GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423&Tpk=N670OC-2GD
Storage drives: Looking for relatively inexpensive drives which when combined in RAID will offer enough throughput where they will not be the system bottleneck.

I'm basically looking for a non-gaming system which will just rip through the rendering and simulation processes. I'm tired of waiting 7 hours to re-render a 30 minute, 3GB MP4 into a DVD-compatible format. I'm tired of waiting DAYS at 100% CPU utilization for the engine analysis software to calculate 100's of 1000's of combinations. The engine analysis program will not take advantage of more than one CPU.

- Case: I'm intrigued by water cooling, but I've read that the H100 isn't so great even though it's basically the same price as the Noctua. The other water cooling systems seem to require some modification to the chassis for the radiator to mount nicely. I like a lot of drive bays for expandability.
- Media card: I haven't found a consensus on a reliable product, but I need one that supports Class 10 SD
- Power Supply: I think 750 may be a bit more than I need, but unsure of what to reserve for growth
- Motherboard: A bit expensive, but the goal is performance and I'll bite the bullet if I can't save money on alternate solutions
- RAM: How many slots do I need to populate to maximize throughput? Probably can get by with 4-8GB of the right memory, but throughput takes priority.
- CPU cooler: Unsure on air vs water
- RAM: I read somewhere that there was an issue where the performance of RAM dropped about 200Mhz, possibly due to a bug, and recommended a slightly faster speed to compensate? Does anyone recall something like that? If so, has the problem been resolved and I just can get normal 1600 RAM? Alternate RAM recommendations?
-OS HD: A bit larger than needed, and more than I want to spend really. Someone offer a 60-100GB SSD with near the same performance?
-BD burners: This is because I have family without computers. I send them optical media of family events. I figured two would make disc-to-disc cloning quicker.
-Display: No personal experience with ASUS displays, seems like a nice monitor. Others I should consider which are less expensive?
-Video Card: Not sure how much card I need for background rendering. I'd like to save some money here.
-RAID: This card uses PCIe 3.0, which I'd really like. It appears the only versions which offer RAID are the OEM implementations. Are there other vendors besides LSI which have similar offerings natively? Prefer RAID 1+0 or 50.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[chaotixblade]

Good to see someone taking time with their build for once hehe I will be of use to you soon doing research to find a better CPU As that is great a lot of cheaper 2700k outrun 3300k's OC of course trying to find out if that rule applies here with another cpu

 

[kajabla]

If you're really ready to spend money on rendering time, get a 3930K. The 3770K wouldn't work on an X79 mobo, by the way.
There's no reason at all to get a motherboard like that. Just get a nice, cheap ASRock X79 Extreme3 for $210.
A $35 Hyper 212 Evo would be fine. The Noctua isn't that much better. If you care about noise, get the H100. No matter what you get, you don't need third-party thermal paste.
Choose your case based on stylistic preference. Performance isn't much of an issue at the mid- to high-end. Either HAF would be fine; so would many other cases. Trawl Newegg and see what catches your eye.
I'm going to trust that you know what you're doing when it comes to RAID, as I don't and you seem to have your parts figured out.
If you don't think you need more than 8gb of RAM, fine. I've never heard of this speed bug, so I can say pretty securely that it's not currently an issue. 1600mhz is fine.
I do think you should get a 120gb system drive. The space disappears more quickly than you expect, especially if you start installing large professional programs. You can certainly afford it.
Do you have a good reason for that expensive monitor choice?
Windows Home should be fine.

 

[rolli59]

3770K socket LGA1155 CPU!
ASUS P9X79WS socket LGA2011 motherboard and needs a LGA2011 CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600217725&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%202011

 

[evcass69]

Well crap, how'd I get something so basic as the socket type wrong? I'm not so much doing video editing as much as video encoding. Money isn't really an issue, but I don't want to needlessly throw money away to save just a few minutes.

Comparing the 3770K to the 3930K on Intel's site, this is what jumps out at me:
- 3770K supports 32GB vs 64GB for 3930K. I don't even need 32GB of RAM, advantage 3770K
- 3770K has 2 RAM channels vs 4 for 3930K, allowing double RAM bandwidth (26GB/s vs 52GB/s): advantage 3930K, but will I even use 26GB/s?
- 3770K consumes less power
- 3770K costs less
- 3930K has 4 extra cores [Edit: only 2 extra cores, but 4 extra threads]
- 3770K has integrated graphics
- 3770K supports PCIe 3.0, 3930K only PCIe 2.0

Looking at this review, the differences are not large enough to me to warrant the extra cost of the 3930K. So what are some good 3770K MB's to consider?

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/552?vs=551

I want the PCIe 3.0 RAID controller, so I want a subsystem which supports PCIe 3.0. I may re-think my OS drive; I originally thought it would only contain the OS and the applications would be on the RAID, but perhaps leaving them on the OS drive is doable. Are there less expensive 120GB SSD's which offer similar performance?

Regarding the monitor, I probably read a review on it's performance and decided I liked it and the price wasn't horrible. I might use Win 7 64 Pro just to be able to backup to a network device.

The only cards I think I'll be adding soon are the LSI (PCIe 3.0 X8) and the video card. Whatever video card is adequate

 

[Rise and Shine]

Am, the 3930k only has two cores more. 4 vs 6 cores.

 

[kajabla]

To be blunt, none of those differences matter except price, cores and power consumption. I'll explain. Your RAID system is going to be limited by the speed of its drives to below PCI 2.0 x8 bandwidth. That's 4gb/s, which you won't approach on hard drives (unfortunately ). As you say, the RAM differences are irrelevant. So is the 3770K's integrated GPU, which you'll be replacing with the 670.
I would think the extra cores would make a difference. Are you certain that your applications are single-threaded? What programs do you plan to use? This was the biggest reason I suggested this CPU. If you're definitely only using one core, then yes, go for the 3770K. If not, the six cores might be worth the $600.
Power consumption is generally sidelined in builds with this level of performance, but if you want to take it into account, do so. One other component that has a major effect on power is the PSU itself: if you want to decrease the wattage you draw from the wall, get a more efficient one. The TX750 is only 80+ Bronze rated; check out the $130 XFX Pro 750W.
If you do go 3770K, get the ASRock Z77 Extreme4. It's cheap and full of features. If you need more ports than it has or something like that (I'm not a RAID expert, like I said), let me know.

The monitor's price is pretty horrible, considering you can get perfectly good LED 23" monitors for $120 or so.
ADATA SSDs are cheap and have acceptable performance.

 

[Shockattackr]

Can i throw my 2 cents. After Purchasing 3rd party Thermal paste (Arctic Silver 5) I noticed a huge drop in temps. Before the Purchase my 4.5Ghz I5 3570k was running at 80 degrees then after i bought a new case, cleaned the existing Thermal Paste off both my Water cooler Block and CPU added some Arctic Silver 5, ran my IBT and real temps and i noticed a huge difference in temps. OC stayed the same

 

[kajabla]

If you were running at 80C on water, you must have had a problem with your initial thermal paste application. Check out this TC review: when all their TCs are applied properly, they stay within about 5C of each other. If you think 3-5C is worth $7 or $8, go for it.

 

[evcass69]

I was looking at threads instead of cores, edited my last response for clarity. Vegas definitely takes advantage of multiple cores, but DVDA rarely taxes more than one core. EAP only recognizes one core. I very rarely use PS. Most often I'll be using DVDA. Are the 'perfectly good LEDs for around $120 or so' using IPS panels? Based upon how they are described, that is my preference over TN, VA & PLS panels. Leaning towards an 3770K & ASUS board at the moment, searching through this link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/ASUS-P8Z77-V-PRO-Motherboard/1529

 

[kajabla]

No, they're not IPS. If you think IPS is worth it (another area in which I have little experience), go for it.
There seem to be all kinds of opinions out there about DVDA's threading.
Well, it sounds like the 3770K is right for you.
No, not the V-Pro. It's needlessly expensive. Just get the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 and save $60.

 

[evcass69]

I've read a few concerns about ASRock's tech support and front panel audio having static? Also, there's not much included in the box, such as MB standoffs and other mounting acessories. Another $100 isn't a big deal in the overall scope of things. I'd rather pay a bit more and have all the necessary accessories instead of having to source them separately, and/or deal with other inconveniences.

 

[rolli59]

Asrock is great value but when it comes down to it we see more problems with them in here than the Asus boards. Asus is a solid choice.

 

[kajabla]

I don't think the statistics are worth $60.
What about Gigabyte? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128544

 

[evcass69]

I like the fast POST of the ASRock's and it has great value, but it seems a little slower on benchmarks (both synthetic and real world) than the V-Deluxe, V-Pro and the Gigabytes. It seems the Gigabyte's BIOS & software doesn't get good grades, but their UD5H was the model that caught my eye.

So from ASUS, I think I'm leaning towards either the V Pro ($200) or the V ($180). From ASRock, the Extreme4 ($115). And from Gigabyte, the UD5H ($150). I would like to overclock the system as much as I safely can on air.

I've made some other alterations to the list based upon the above:
Case: HAF XM
PS: XFX Pro750W
OS HD: Mushkin MKNSSDCR120GB-DX
RAID: Drop the card entirely because PCIe 3.0 throughput not needed, perhaps embedded RAID will be adequate

What about physical fitment within the case? Any challenges?

 

[jacknhut]

Good choice, Asus > Asrock in terms of quality, especially at the 180 dollars range.

 

[rolli59]

There is going to be plenty of space so no issues with fitment in that case.

 

[kajabla]

The benchmark differences are miniscule, but whatever you want. If you want to spend more for better overclocking, get an integrated water loop like the H80 or H100.

 

[evcass69]

I originally had a H100 spec'ed out, but I read a number of threads which indicated it wasn't significantly better than a good air cooler, so I switched it to the NH-D14 for less complexity; which I then switched to an Evo on your recommendation.

I would like a reliable overclock of at least 4.2Ghz with a good air cooler system. Would the Hyper 212 Evo still be more than adequate for that result?

I'm not sure that Dominator memory I have spec'ed will fit under the Evo, nor am I sure whether that is the correct speed RAM for the desired overclocking. I'd like at least 8GB, but prefer a 16GB kit. Needs to fit and function correctly with whichever air cooler is chosen for that amount of overclocking. I've read the max RAM height for use with the D14 is 44mm, and for the Evo 37mm. It seems a lot of RAM is rated at 1.65V even though a lot of people say 1.5V gives you the best compatibility? I'd prefer not to have to remove the cooler in order to access the DIMM sockets. I prefer quiet fans, not those which sound like jet engines used in the HP Proliant and IBM x5 series.

 

[kajabla]

Yes. You should have no problem hitting 4.2ghz, and 4.4, if not 4.6, should be feasible. Just don't touch the voltage.
Get 1.5v low-profile RAM. Those spiky heatsinks are useless.
You may have to remove the cooler to get at the first slot, but you'll have to see.
Get 16gb if you want it. You won't get any use out of it for at least a couple of years, though.

 

[evcass69]

Crucial Vengenance, G.Skill Sniper or RipjawsX, Samsung, etc? Anything to particularly consider or avoid?

 

[azeem40]

PLS is a variation of IPS developed by Samsung.

You get into worthwhile IPS panels with the Dell U2212HM and U2211H.

 

[kajabla]

The RAM brand isn't really important. Get the cheapest low-profile 1.5v set that doesn't look like trash.

 

[evcass69]

Any suggestions on a fan controller and/or a memory card reader? I can't seem to find any readers which are highly regarded, and I'd prefer a combination which will fit in a single 3.5 or 5.25 drive bay. Ability to control 6 fans would be nice, as well as auto CPU fan adjustment. The card reader needs to support at least SD, SDHC, and SDXC class 10 cards.

I've also decided to stick with a single SSD for the OS. It seems only Intel has a RAID solution which supports SSD TRIM, and you need to buy their drives and it's only supported in RAID 0 which means no redundancy. I plan to add 4 Scorpio Black 750GB in RAID 10, and attach the drives all to the Intel controller.

My most recent adjustments, I plan to start buying by the end of this month:

Case: [strike]Coolermaster HAF X[/strike]
Power Supply: XFX Pro750W XXX
MB: ASUS P8Z77-V
CPU: i7-3770K
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D14
[strike]Case fan (2nd 200mm top): CM R4-MFJR-07FK-R1
Case fan (80mm video card bracket): CM R4-SPS-20AK-GP
Case fan (120mm video cooling duct): CM R4-BMBS-20PK-R0[/strike]
Dust filter: Samokleykin fan filter material
RAM: G.Skill F3-1600C9D-16GXM
OS HD: Mushkin MKNSSDCR240GB-DX
Optical: (2) Lite-On iHBS212-08
Mouse: Kensington K64325
KB: MS Natural KB 4000
Display: Dell U2212HM
Video Card: Gigabyte N670OC-2GD
RAID drives: (1) Hitachi 7K3000
Internal card reader: AFT Pro-37U(?)
Fan controller: Scythe KM03-BK (?)

 

[evcass69]

Found this page on the HAFX quirks:

http://sameday.blog.com/2011/08/07/coolermaster-haf-x-dirty-secrets/

Don't like the requirement to install the wheels just to make the bottom intake useful - that'll make it too tall for where I can place the case, nor do I llike the concerns about the directed airflow.

I'm now poking around looking for an alternative case. Looking for good directed airflow for a ~4.6Ghz (I hope) O/C, and adequate space for everything listed above. It'd be nice if it had a removable MB tray, great cable management. Function over form, will rarely be moved. I don't really care it it's tool less as I usually build the system once and rarely upgrade it. But with that said, I'd only use the removable tray once unless something breaks, and if the wire management is attached to the tray then it's a pain to remove.

Some alternative recommendations found online, thoughts?

Antec DF-85, $140
Azza Hurrican 2000, $115 after rebate
Corsair 800D, $250 after rebate
Corsair 650D, $160 after rebate
CM ATCS840 (NewEgg says discontinued?)
CM HAF XM, $130
CM Storm Sniper, $130 after rebate
CM Storm Scout, $80
Lian Li PC-A70F, $190
Lian Li PC-A77 , $240 after promo discount, out of stock
NZXT Phantom, $120
NZXT Tempest Evo, $120
Silverstone Raven RV03, $160

Of those under $200, I think I was most impressed by the reviews for the DF-85, Hurrican, XM, & Phantom. Probably leaning towards the Hurrican because it seems to have everything I need at a lower price point than the competition.