Advice on new system please

[Charlie777]

I'm looking to replace a 4 year old HP 5200t minitower I've upgraded (RAM, SSD, storage, low end RAID card) over the years. This is really a high end business system, not a gaming system. I think I'm configuring for more than I need in hopes of lasting a similar lifespan. I won't overclock, and I've never done a system full build.

I need to drive three 27 inch monitors at 2048x1152, 60Hz, 32-bit color but this is for office documents and low end photo editing, not gaming, 3D or other high end loads.

Also need a lot of storage. Have 60GB SSD + 320GB + 2x 1.5TB + 2x 2TB now, all SATA 3.0.

Audio use is light - VOIP, listening to MP3, videos. I have a powered subwoofer system to transfer, and use the buuilt-in audio on the current system without complaint.

The target OS is Windows 8, 64 bit Pro.

Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 LGA http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0395374

Processor: Intel I7 3770 3.4 GHz http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388575

Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383058

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 4x16 GB DDR3 1600 http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0360144

PSU: Thermaltake SMART Series 850w http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383022

Video: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 16x http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388006

SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 240GB http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0360160

Hard Drives: 3x WD Caviar Green Intellipower SATA 6.0 2TB 7200RPM http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0378062

BlueRay Writer: LG 12X http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383092

Network: Onboard 1GB Ethernet. No wireless (WIFI or Bluetooth).

Thoughts and questions:

For my limited video performance requirements would I be able to leverage Ivy Bridge HD4000 video and drop the discrete video,still driving three monitors? This might take a Mobo change for the right connectors.

I have a preference for Nvidia video, should I be looking at a Radeon?

I looked at the Seagate Momentus 750GB Hybrid drive and elected to stay with the 240GB SSD for boot and program load. At comparable pricing should I revisit the hybrid drive the get 3x the storage? Otherwise I'll have to do some folder redirections to be sure I don't overload the SSD.

Green (Intellipower) vs. 7200RPM for the drives? WD vs. Seagate?

Thunderbolt?

Do I need any extra or water cooling, given that I won't be overclocking?

Is it worth saving a bit with a Core I5 processor, especially with the high end discrete video card? Figuring I could upgrade the processor in a couple of years, socket 1155 ought to be around...

What am I missing?

 

[TheBigTroll]

holy crap. you dont need that much performance as you said earlier

your statement also doesnt make sense. you say that this would be a high end system but you are not doing anything intensive with it?

as for the storage, i dont really understand what you said so im going to provide a samsung 830 128gb SSD and a 3tb seagate barracuda

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fClQ

 

[Charlie777]

I need to drive three 27 inch monitors at 2048x1152, 60Hz, 32-bit color but this is for office documents and low end photo editing, not gaming, 3D or other high end loads.

Video: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 16x http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388006

For my limited video performance requirements would I be able to leverage Ivy Bridge HD4000 video and drop the discrete video,still driving three monitors? This might take a Mobo change for the right connectors.

I have a preference for Nvidia video, should I be looking at a Radeon?

I've been poking around some more and think I asnwered part of my question about video. For my needs I think saving almost $200 with the EVGA GTX660 is reasonable. http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0397952

 

[TheBigTroll]

.... i have no idea what you are trying to say.

if you want a 660ti, id rather get the 7870 as it is much cheaper and performs the same for your task. eyefinity (multi-monitor) is much more mature than nvidia surround

heres a nice 7870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150605&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[Charlie777]

Thanks BigTroll,

That's probably good advice. Many years ago I had trouble with ATI drivers and have just stuck with NVIDIA. I currently use two cards (GeForce 9500 and GeForce 8400, current system had only one PCIe), I use Ultramon to manage the multiple displays.

 

[TheBigTroll]

i dont really mind either as long as they perform good for the money

 

[Charlie777]

holy crap. you dont need that much performance as you said earlier

your statement also doesnt make sense. you say that this would be a high end system but you are not doing anything intensive with it?

as for the storage, i dont really understand what you said so im going to provide a samsung 830 128gb SSD and a 3tb seagate barracuda

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fClQ

I used to buy a new system every 12 to 18 months but as I said, will have nearly 5 years on the HP at the end of the year. I try not to need to open the case so I'm trying to get to something that will last a similar time, hencence the "high end" description, I guess I mean "toward the high end of prices". So I'm trying to get a good balance and see how close to staying under $2,000 I can be.

Just as I'm wary of AMD, I've had some bad luck with Barracuda drives and that's why I spec'd the WD. Staying at 2 GB per drive to have more spindles, I'll be using the four SATA 6.0 ports for the SSD and 3 2 TB drives.

The workload I forgot to mention is possibly / probably running some VMs now that Win8 will have the Hyper-V hypervisor instead of Virtual-PC.

Disclosure, I work for Microsoft so tend not to use competing products.

 

[TheBigTroll]

oh good. you work for microsoft. can you get them to make a service pack for windows 7 so i could get the same boot speeds as windows 8? really appreciate it. i dont like the windows 8 UI

as for the hard drives, its cheaper to go with 2 3tbs than 3 2tb drives. if you insist on WD, it would cost a bit more

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fCzD

 

[Charlie777]

I'm struggling with the UI myself, but it took me years to go from DOS to Windows so maybe I'm just slow.

 

[Charlie777]

Best answer selected by Charlie777.