$3000 Build

[bogo663]

Just posting this up to see what you guys think. I compiled this list of parts after extensive research and from asking questions on this forum. So without further ado, my attempt at an "Ultimate" gaming rig for $3000.

pcpartpicker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ghqi

Why I chose what I chose:

~Intel Core i7 3930k- Chose this because it is a hexa-core processor so it can pump out an amazing amount of processing power and can handle anything you throw at it. Didn't choose the 3960x because the performance difference is so small, it is not worth the price increase over the 3930k.

~Corsair H80 Liquid CPU Cooler- Provides ample cooling for the 3930k and can safely allow you to overclock the CPU to at least 4.4 Ghz.

~Intel DX79SI LGA2011 Motherboard- Chose this because it has Intel reliability with a 3 year warranty. Has 8 memory slots and supports up to 64gb of ram with up to 2400 Mhz clock speed. Also has 2 6gb/s and 4 3 gb/s sata ports, supports 3 way SLI and crossfire. One of the nice things about this mobo is that it has Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, so there is no need to get an aftermarket network interface card. Lastly, in my opinion, I think the mobo looks cool with the skull over the heatsinks.

~Corsair Vengeance 16gb DDR3-1866- plenty of ram and at a very good clock speed and Corsair reliability. Truthfully, having any more ram is overkill.

~Crucial M4 256gb SSD- A favorite amongst gamers. Very reliable SSD that decreases the boot time of the OS substantially compared to a HDD. Also has plenty of space for other programs and games. An SSD doesn't really affect the performance of games, but it seems that it does load maps and levels faster.

~Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 7200RPM HHD- Just a large capacity HDD to store files on.

~2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card (2-way SLI)- The SuperClocked version so it has a little higher clock speed. This setup should allow you to play virtually any game on its max settings, such as Crysis 2 and BF3.

~Corsair HX1050 1050W Power Supply- This power supply can easily power this entire build and more should one choose to add a third GPU.

~Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer- Just a high end Blu-ray and DVD/CD drive.

~Windows 7 Professional- Well this should just be self explanatory.

~Silverstone Fortress 2 Full Tower Chasis in black- Not in the pcpartpicker link, but is available at my local computer hardware store. Chose this because it provides ample air flow and has a huge window to show of the internals of this build. http://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=CS0587

So tell me, what do you think?

 

[bogo663]

Wow, as soon as I posted this, a similar post was posted.

 

[azeem40]

Big waste of $. You could build a Z77 build that will give you a better gaming experience.

 

[TheBigTroll]

this should perform the same for much cheaper.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/geWL

add another 670 if you are going to get a 120hz monitor.

 

[bogo663]

Big waste of $. You could build a Z77 build that will give you a better gaming experience.

How is a mainstream chipset going to give me a better gaming experience than an enthusiast chipset.

 

[TheBigTroll]

because games dont like many threads. games like fewer physical cores (which are stronger than virtual cores) rather than more threads

 

[TheBigTroll]

it would actually better to use a i5 3570k than a i7 3770k if you are mainly gaming

 

[bogo663]

because games dont like many threads. games like fewer physical cores (which are stronger than virtual cores) rather than more threads

Wait, so games run better on a CPU with less physical cores and less threads than a CPU with more physical cores and more threads.

 

[TheBigTroll]

most games.you would see a super small gain from using a CPU with more cores in games

but then there are games that use the CPU since they have some compute properties
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/552?vs=288

add 5-8% to the i5 2500k given im trying to compare the 3930k to the 3570k. the 3570k is slightly faster the 2500k

 

[bogo663]

most games.you would see a super small gain from using a CPU with more cores in games

but then there are games that use the CPU since they have some compute properties
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/552?vs=288

add 5-8% to the i5 2500k given im trying to compare the 3930k to the 3570k. the 3570k is slightly faster the 2500k

So I am guessing that the small increase in performance is hardly noticeable and not worth the extra money spent on the 3930k?

 

[TheBigTroll]

yes.

 

[bogo663]

What if I plan to do a good bit of video editing and graphics as a hobby and a lot of computer aided design and programming for my degree in Aerospace Engineering.

 

[TheBigTroll]

easy. just get a i7 3770k and 16gb of ram

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gzZQ

as i said before, hyper threading could hurt game performance but then you have the option of turning it off in the bios. you can turn it off and on when you need it

 

[boulbox]

So I am guessing that the small increase in performance is hardly noticeable and not worth the extra money spent on the 3930k?

yes

if you want a build i would do something along these lines for someone using hardcore cash

i5 3570k
H100(if you want to spend some time on your rig and want to do custom water cooling(which is a lot better) it should be around $200 if you want someone personal to build it it might vary).
MSI Lightning 680
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127693
MSI Mpower
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Intel-DDR3-2600-Motherboards/dp/B0090Z39EA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346806296&sr=8-1&keywords=msi+mpower+z77
MSI 8GB 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ST0DW7683
(pretty much making everything color orientated, if you like to change color you should tell the forum before you buy)
Samsung 830 256GB

Case: NZXT 410(choose your color)
if you want to do custom water cooling i would choose a full tower instead of a mid tower
first one on top of my head that allows you to show off your work would be a
HAF X by Cooler Master
and other cases i would choose would be these
Antec 1200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100
Corsair 800D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001

of course i can make a whole lot cheaper build so you can focus more on the GPUs(which would mean more FPS) and if you did that i would buy a 3 monitor set up or a 120Hz monitor(some people don't really see the difference in 120Hz and 60Hz when they are really in the game so if you don't want to take any chances you can go for a 3 monitor set up)

 

[boulbox]

forgot to put a PSU,

if you can wait i would go for the all new German brand that has been getting some hype called Be quiet!

here is some specs about it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTTrn5fKj4&feature=plcp

it seems pretty dam nice if you ask me and has a whole bunch of cables for versatility

 

[TheBigTroll]

yes

if you want a build i would do something along these lines for someone using hardcore cash

i5 3570k
H100(if you want to spend some time on your rig and want to do custom water cooling(which is a lot better) it should be around $200 if you want someone personal to build it it might vary).
MSI Lightning 680
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127693
MSI Mpower
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Intel-DDR3-2600-Motherboards/dp/B0090Z39EA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346806296&sr=8-1&keywords=msi+mpower+z77
MSI 8GB 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ST0DW7683
(pretty much making everything color orientated, if you like to change color you should tell the forum before you buy)
Samsung 830 256GB

Case: NZXT 410(choose your color)
if you want to do custom water cooling i would choose a full tower instead of a mid tower
first one on top of my head that allows you to show off your work would be a
HAF X by Cooler Master
and other cases i would choose would be these
Antec 1200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100
Corsair 800D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001

of course i can make a whole lot cheaper build so you can focus more on the GPUs(which would mean more FPS) and if you did that i would buy a 3 monitor set up or a 120Hz monitor(some people don't really see the difference in 120Hz and 60Hz when they are really in the game so if you don't want to take any chances you can go for a 3 monitor set up)

if you went full out, then the mpower and the lightning 680 (best 680 card) is worth considering

 

[mjmjpfaff]

easy. just get a i7 3770k and 16gb of ram

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gzZQ

as i said before, hyper threading could hurt game performance but then you have the option of turning it off in the bios. you can turn it off and on when you need it

A 3930k would help a lot in the programs listed by bogo. Even though it has 8 threads it is hardly as good as the 3930k in those applications.

 

[TheBigTroll]

not really

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