Gaming build under 3k

[jimboakimbo]

HI,

I'm looking at building a gaming pc to run some of the most demanding games on the market, as I am studying as well so programs like the adore suite may be used for what it's worth. Gaming is my main focus though.

The budget: $3000

What I have put together already:

Intel core I7 3820 quad core with corsair h80 cpu cooler

Gigabyte x79-ud3 motherboard

Corsair dominator platinum 16gb RAM

180gb corsair force 3 SSD with 2tb WD black caviar HDD

x2 gigabyte GTX 680 2gb dedicated

OCZ ZX 1000w PSU (80 gold plus)

Sony blu ray writer/reader.

All comes to a price just above $3000.

Other questions are; I7 3770k vs 3820? What's better for my needs. I heard 3770k is better for gaming.

Is that motherboard going to do what I need or is there better within my budget?

Is the 680 that much better than the 670? I heard there's a 5% difference in price but a 20% difference in price, if I go the 670's that's more on the motherboard I can spend...

Is a high RAM speed recommended or what is the best speed price wise?

And finally lol, should I go the 850w PSU or stick with 1000w?

I'm not the techiest guy out there when it comes to pc's and overclocking and what not, I want a good solid system that will handle any game with ease under the 3k budget.

Thanks

 

[blazorthon]

Neither the i7-3770K nor the i7-3820 are really better than an i5-3570K or an i5-2500K for gaming. The 3820 needs much more expensive motherboard with an LGA 2011 socket, so it's a huge waste of money for a gaming build.

OCZ power supplies are generally poor quality and you should avoid them. Antec, Corsair, PCP&P, Seasonic, and XFX are the PSU brands to buy.

The GTX 680 really isn't much better than the GTX 670, so it's a waste of money.

There's no way to get a $3000 build that'll beat a god $1500-2000 build by much, if at all.

 

[ilysaml]

This build will cost around $1800, it won't even reach the 2K, what made you think it worth 3K? Where do you live?

You don't need more than a 750W PSU, you don;t need the X79 platform unless you're gonna pop in a Six Core i7 3930K or i7 3960X

i7 if you're gonna do some image and video editing, i5 for just gaming, seeing the difference in price is not huge go with i7

3770K gets really hot when it exceeds 4.0 GHz in OCing, that's why you should consider the i7 2600K or i7 3820 the difference between the three is negligible.

 

[jimboakimbo]

Australia mate, prices higher here lol

 

[jimboakimbo]

By going the 3820 you go to socket 2011 and there boards are more expensive yea? So therefore, the 3770 would be better?

 

[blazorthon]

Just go with the i5-3570K. Roughly identical gaming performance and almost 40% cheaper than either i7. It uses the same LGA 1155 socket boards as the i7-3770, so it doesn't have to deal with expensive LGA 2011 boards.

 

[idroid]

hell no.... give me a sec.

 

[idroid]

ok, this is the first time of my life that i recommend a 3820, a 3820 overclocks a lot better than the i7 3770k and clock vs clock they have about the same speed, and the 3820 is a bit cheaper than the 3770k in australia

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($155.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($219.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($103.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($105.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case ($175.00 @ Scorptec)
Power Supply: OCZ ZX 1250W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($239.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2949.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-17 14:08 EST+1000)

 

[JKatwyopc]

Here's a build using the Ivy Bridge i5 3570K that comes in well under your budget even in Australia. Even this one is a little excessive.

'PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($235.00 @ PCCaseGear)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($36.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($219.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($239.00 @ Scorptec)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Antec P280 ATX Mid Tower Case ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($306.90 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (64-bit) ($185.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2439.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-17 14:00 EST+1000)

 

[blazorthon]

ok, this is the first time of my life that i recommend a 3820, a 3820 overclocks a lot better than the i7 3770k and clock vs clock they have about the same speed, and the 3820 is a bit cheaper than the 3770k in australia

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Extreme 81.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($155.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($219.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($103.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($105.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($475.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower Case ($175.00 @ Scorptec)
Power Supply: OCZ ZX 1250W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($239.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $2949.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-17 14:08 EST+1000)

The problem with this build is that you could make a similarly performing build for ~$2200, even if you keep the same storage.

 

[idroid]

The problem with this build is that you could make a similarly performing build for ~$2200 even if you keep the same storage.

by "similarly performing build" you mean drop one 7970, right?

 

[blazorthon]

by "similarly performing build" you mean drop one 7970, right?

No. Throw in three 7950s with water blocks and a CPU water block to make a custom loop, you'll save omney on the CPU cooler and graphics system overall with greater graphics overclocking and a drop to an LGA 1155 board with an i5 K edition CPU won't hurt gaming performance by much, if at all. You could also get a better PSU for less money and a cheaper case.

 

[idroid]

No. Throw in three 7950s with water blocks and a CPU water block to make a custom loop, you'll save omney on the CPU cooler and graphics system overall with greater graphics overclocking and a drop to an LGA 1155 board with an i5 K edition CPU won't hurt gaming performance by much, if at all.

do you have any idea of how much a proper watercooling system for that righ will cost in australia??? around 800-1100$

 

[blazorthon]

do you have any idea of how much a proper watercooling system for that righ will cost in australia??? around 800-1100$

It doesn't need to be a top cooling system. A decent water cooling setup could be made for that for less than $500, even with Australia, which would still save a litte money compared to three 7970 GHz Editions with that $160 CPU cooler and would do so without sacrificing performance.

 

[idroid]

It doesn't need to be a top cooling system. A decent water cooling setup could be made for that for less than $500, even with Australia, which would still save a litte money compared to three 7970 GHz Editions with that $160 CPU cooler and would do so without sacrificing performance.

you will need a 360 and 240mm thick rads too cool those components and a proper case to fit them, not to mention that the blocks cost about 100$ each so that's 400$ right there (3 GPUs + 1 CPU)

 

[ilysaml]

Who's the hell is gonna throw in a HD 7970 in 3-way CFX? Too much waste.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

X79 based systems will in fact outperform Z77. Though many would not find the cost increase worth the money, that's a very individual decision.

The non reference 670's actually outperform the reference 680's but the 680's can be factory OC'd too. To my mind, buying Intel's top end CPU or buying nVidia / AMD's top GFX card is paying too much for the "very fastest thing". So, yes, I'd go with twin non-reference 670's.

An 850 watter is fine, just not OCZ's

Note several of the quoted prices are combos. The case comes with matching headset, KB and mouse .... if ya don't want em, take off $110. If you don't feel the case's extraordinary features worth $290, grab the 500R. The MoBo / CPU also a combo price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010

The SSD is tier 1 and ther HD is fastest mechanical 7200 rpm HD according to benchmarkreviews.

Cooler and TIM are the "chart toppers", though I'd take the Phanteks on warranty (5yrs) and looks alone if it wasn't edging out the competition.


X79 Based System

Case - $400 - Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133195
Case Fan - $12 - Thermaltake Blue120 mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106149
PSU - $145 - Corsair HX850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
MoBo - $865 - ASUS Sabetrooth X79 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1033238
CPU - incl - Intel Core i7-3930k Included w/ MoBo
Cooler - $90 - Phanteks PH-TC14PE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709001
TIM - $5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $140 - (4 x 4GB) Muskin Redline DDR3 1600 CAS 7 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226270
GFX - $420 - Asus GTX 670 DCII http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637
GFX - later - Asus GTX 670 DCII Same
HD - $160 - Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB 64MB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148506
SSD - $185 - Mushkin Chronos Deluxe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226226
DVD Writer - $50 - Asus Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247
Monitor $330 ASUS VG236H Black 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236092
Keyboard - incl Tt eSPORTS Mega G1 Included w/ Case
Mouse - incl Gaming Mouse Included w/ Case
Headphones - incl Shock Gaming Headset Included w/ Case
OS - $140 - Win 7-64 Home Professional http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992

Total $2,942


Personally, I'd go with the Z77 based system below if I was trying to spend $3k

Case - $400 - Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133195
Case Fan - $12 - Thermaltake Blue120 mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106149
PSU - $145 - Corsair HX850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
MoBo - $457 - ASUS Z77 Sabertooth http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.984663
CPU - incl - Intel Core i7-3570K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504
Cooler - $90 - Phanteks PH-TC14PE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709001
TIM - $5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $52 - (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 CAS 9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233199
GFX - $420 - Asus GTX 670 DCII http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637
GFX - $420 - Asus GTX 670 DCII Same
HD - $160 - Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB 64MB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148506
SSD - $185 - Mushkin Chronos Deluxe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226226
DVD Writer - $50 - Asus Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247
Monitor $330 ASUS VG236H Black 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236092
Keyboard - incl Tt eSPORTS Mega G1 Included w/ Case
Mouse - incl Gaming Mouse Included w/ Case
Headphones - incl Shock Gaming Headset Included w/ Case
OS - $140 - Win 7-64 Home Professional http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992

Total $2,866


GFX Card reviews on the non reference 670's

Asus 670 TOP - 10.0 rating
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_670_Direct_Cu_II/33.html

Gigabyte Windforce SC 670 - 9.8 rating
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_670_Windforce/33.html

MSI Twin Frozr IV 670 - 9.7 rating
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_670_Power_Edition/33.html

Palit Jetsteram 670 - 97 rating
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Palit/GeForce_GTX_670_Jet_Stream/33.html

Zotac AMP 670 - 9.6 rating
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_670_Amp_Edition/33.html

 

[idroid]

Who's the hell is gonna throw in a HD 7970 in 3-way CFX? Too much waste.

People with money, i have 4 GTX680s 4GB edition and an i7 3960x and they give me OK (80ish) fps on BF3 @5760x1080 with every detail maxed out.

 

[ilysaml]

The third and fourth card in CFX or SLI doesn't add much more value, it's worthless even @ 5K resolution.

 

[idroid]

The third and fourth card in CFX or SLI doesn't add much more value, it's worthless even @ 5K resolution.

did you read my last statement??? it does add a lot of performance.

 

[ilysaml]

did you read my last statement??? it does add a lot of performance.

You're talking like I should confirm your sayings, have you ever seen a benchmark for 4-way SLI or CFX? scaling of 2 cards in CF or SLI can reach up to 100% in some particular games, adding a 3rd or 4th card to CF or SLI never gave that scaling.

It will help you in your triple monitor setup because you need those 10 extra FPS to maintain the game as smooth as possible, that's only the case.
From the review of GTX 580s in 3-way SLI

Oh and 4-way SLI you wonder? Worse... that's 2-3% performance increase if you are lucky, with 3DMark Vantage as the exception. So yeah, stick to 2-way SLI we say -- unless you need to break 3DMark records of course

 

[idroid]

You're talking like I should confirm your sayings, have you ever seen a benchmark for 4-way SLI or CFX? scaling of 2 cards in CF or SLI can reach up to 100% in some particular games, adding a 3rd or 4th card to CF or SLI never gave that scaling.

It will help you in your triple monitor setup because you need those 10 extra FPS to maintain the game as smooth as possible, that's only the case.
From the review of GTX 580s in 3-way SLI

Oh and 4-way SLI you wonder? Worse... that's 2-3% performance increase if you are lucky, with 3DMark Vantage as the exception. So yeah, stick to 2-way SLI we say -- unless you need to break 3DMark records of course

wo wo wait, i have 4 gtx 680s not 3 gtx 580s and they scale VERY WELL in BF3.

 

[ilysaml]

You aint got some knowledge & experience I can see this and I'm so lazy to explain.

 

[blazorthon]

You aint got some knowledge & experience I can see this and I'm so lazy to explain.

http://www.slashgear.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-benchmarked-in-quad-sli-23219787/

SLI scaling varies widely with different GPU architectures as does CF scaling with different GPU architectures. Different drivers can also greatly impact them as can other factors. Sometimes (usually), triple/quad scaling is poor, but sometimes (especially with Radeon 7000 and GTX 600), it is not. I'll try to find a more up to date example with recent drivers and more tested games.