Cheaper gaming system, need help with a decision.

[jaje21]

My room mate won an i7-3960X at PAX, but he has no intention to use the CPU. He will sell to me at a really good deal, like $200, because I was looking at building a system. I plan on spending around $1000-1200, so I'm not sure if I would be able to keep a system in my budget with such a powerful CPU. Does anyone have any recommendations, aside from buying it from him and selling it behind his back which I can't do to him?

Here is the system I was thinking of building that I got from hardware-revolution.com;

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155
Motherboard: BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LP Performance Memory Modules 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800)
Video Card: MSI N660 Ti PE 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP
SSD: SanDisk Extreme SSD 120 GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s
HHD: Western Digital 1 TB WD Blue SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache
Disk Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive
Power supply: Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-650 650W Continuous @40°C
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case
Cooling: NZXT HAVIK CPU Cooler with Dual 140MM Fans
Sound: ASUS PCI 5.1 Channel Sound Card XONAR_DG
Monitor: ViewSonic 24" VA2431wm

If I am better off sticking with the system I was thinking of building, would anyone have and suggestions to lower the cost a bit?

 

[swifty_morgan]

think of the i7-3960X as if it were a woman. Now start thinking with your Johnson.

 

[StrangeInstance]

Dude, what the ***? No offence but there is no way to go wrong with that i7, use it for free and sell that i5 on ebay, use the extra money for like.. brazzers or w/e with that 24' then get yourself dual 7870s or single

 

[jaje21]

I understand that it is an insane CPU, but my issue is that I don't know if I can be within my budget and build a system around it that will make sense. I haven't bought anything yet so I am still at the start. To reiterate I don't think I can build a system for at most 1k around the CPU. The motherboard that can handle the processor is around $75-100 more than the other one I was thinking about.

 

[swifty_morgan]

you have no idea what you're talking about. go down to the corner store and spend your weekly allowance on a candy bar. you can put a $79 mother board around that processor.

 

[jaje21]

Wow swifty_morgan glad you can be constructive without being rude. Please find me an LGA 2011 motherboard for $79.

 

[swifty_morgan]

don't buy the processor. not any good anyways. you probably would never use it to it's potential.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=i7-3960x%20specs&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anandtech.com%2Fshow%2F5091%2Fintel-core-i7-3960x-sandy-bridge-e-review-keeping-the-high-end-alive&ei=WIlhUNKPGee50QHQmIH4BA&usg=AFQjCNHKNJ6aiOvf0_FX9O1nJ44vaN2f5g