Building a New Editing Station With The Option of Gaming. HELP

[mstrflsh]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to build a new HD editing system, this is to replace my rather annoying Macbook Pro 15" setup with a 24" BENQ (non ips) monitor beside it.

The ability to game on this machine as well is high on the list, though the in-game graphics don't have to be on "Ultimate" settings.
I've chosen Nvidia over AMD due to the CUDA cores and Adobe products taking full use of them.

The 3770K is also preferred over the 3820 on the 2011 socket as the intel Quick Sync feature on the Ivy Bridge chip is really helpful.

I'm based in the UK, using scan.co.uk to build this system as I require their finance option.

Any feedback on power supply choice, ways to make the system quieter, ways to reduce cost yet keep the same level of power and my cooling choice.

Thanks!
Gordon



(ignore the US pricing)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($163.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($163.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 550D ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Gaming 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($105.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($176.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($176.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor ($176.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($97.55 @ Newegg)
Total: $2432.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[mstrflsh]

UK Price List on Scan:

Scan.co.uk Parts List with Pricing




CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card
Case: Corsair 550D ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair Gaming 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard
Total: £1920.84

 

[TheBigTroll]

http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/p/iRDe

much better

-cheaper ram
-cheaper cooler (h100="fisher price watercooling") dont bother
-ud3h is slightly better
-WD black is much more expensive for around the same thing. people saying they fail more is not true in my case.
-evga cards overrated
-the R4 is better even though i own the 550D
-you will want a bigger psu to do some SLI. get the psu from overclockers as they sell the correct model. the one listed in the parts list is wrong
-you dont need 3 monitors. if you do you should be getting this instead
http://www.cclonline.com/product/58791/VE228H/Monitors/Asus-VE228H-21-5-inch-TFT-LCD-Monitor/MON0372/?siteID=8BacdVP0GFs-XVQUIyuuKTpErFX7wx1Knw

if you cant afford all this stuff, wait and look out for deals. or buy these as these prices dont change much

-monitor
-psu
-case
-dvd drive
-ram
-cooler (dont bother with a h100. fricken jet engines)

 

[swifty_morgan]

what are you talking about ? the H100 is perfect for cooling. watch the vid.... LOL

http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/cases_cooling/ultimate_h100_cooling_mod/1

 

[TheBigTroll]

been there done that.

heres what i think about water cooling

either you go full out and do a custom loop, or get a good heatsink. the in betweens are overpriced and dont always cool better than a good heatsink like a noctua d14. the in betweens are for people with

-super cramped cases (which is no)
-asthetics needs (which custom looks better)
-or they are just plain lazy

 

[mstrflsh]

Thanks for that list, just looking up all the parts now.
Also that H100 video... amazing find!
If only a silent system wasn't one of the top priorities, haha

 

[mstrflsh]

Would it be bad if I felt wrong for choosing the Seagate drive?
Western Digital offer a 5 year warranty on their Caviar Black and had quite an easy RMA experience which can't be said for Seagate...

Do you have the R4 case btw? I didn't even clock it as an option

 

[TheBigTroll]

no. my friends brother has nearly every seagate product (almost all their goflexs, barracudas, and a bunch of other older barracudas) and none of them failed while i have trouble with my laptop WD drive and my friends black 1tb

ive seen the R3 and it has quality written all over it. the R4 is the same other than the removeable hard drive bays and even more routing space in the back (R3 already has a good amount). i expect the R4 to be better than the R3.

if you want a silent system, the noctua nh-d14 is the best choice. i have one myself and i cant hear it at all even at full speed (which isnt that fast anyways). cools like a charm on my i7 3770k at 4.5ghz

 

[mstrflsh]

Interesting... I guess I'm just suspicious of their 1 year warranty as I write to them pretty much 24/7. The more storage the better as long as it's cheap and super reliable.

As this is a video editing rig, a huge amount of software is installed onto the SSD.
I require one fast "scratch disc" where footage is rendered to
along side one huge (or several large) storage drives that will hold all my music, films, full renders that are often 300gb upwards, etc. Definitely not "green or "eco" drives as the pause as they spin up drives me berserk.

Also, 'm thinking I'll need to add fans to this R4 case?
The corsair has 3 already mounted, two at the front over the hard drive bays and then one at the rear of the chasis.

Any recommendations for the best super silent fans I can fit onto the R4?

Thanks for your help btw, much appreciated

 

[TheBigTroll]

if you are writing to them a lot, you should be using enterprise drives or the WD reds. consumer drives arent meant for that

use the SSD as the scratch.

the fans on the R4 keep the case cool. they are the quietest given they dont move much air. same goes on the 550D. my case fans max out at 1000rpm

the fractals hit around 1300rpm. very silent. its so silent on a demo at a store where they were showcasing the coolit eco, the pump made more noise than the fan

 

[mstrflsh]

How it's currently looking after a good few hours of searching... (I might have got carried away)

The things that matter most are warranties, reliability and noise.
The Motherboard stays the same as I will require all the Sata 3 connectors.

XFX only provide a 2 year warranty with the power supply, though it's Silver rated. For £3 more I can have a Bronze Corsair version with a 5 year warranty. Efficiency vs warranty in that one, not sure what to choose.

The new ram is low profile (and corsair is pretty much the only choice on scan.co.uk)

There's a new case, thank you.

The new primary drive is a larger SSD.
The data drives will be non-raid WD Caviar Blacks, with their 5 year warranty and speed it was a no brainer. The alternative choice, the 'RE4' wasn't far off in speed, but is actually £30 more expensive despite being a Sata 2 drive.

I changed the Graphics Card to the Gigabyte version as it's also an OC variant with a decent warranty. The MSI version has been overdue in stock since the 13th of September and it's first come, first served in terms of new stock. I'd be damn lucky to get that one.

I also chose the Noctua heatsink, very good reviews, and add one extra fan to the case for the HDD bays.


Don't suppose you can spot any compatibility issues on this build?


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£257.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£61.37 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£101.72 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£69.13 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£69.13 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£134.09 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£134.09 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£153.90 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (£304.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.81 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard
Other: 120/140mm Noctua NF-P14 FLX Vortex-Control Quiet Case Fan (£15.35)
Total: £1390.58
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[TheBigTroll]

the psu from xfx is 5 years. i have one myself

i guess you can go with the gigabyte card. just remember that you will need to adjust the fan curves once you get it since the stock setting is kinda garbage.

no need for another fan. wont do anything

if you cant afford so much ram, stick with 16gb, see how it goes, and add more when you think you need it

hard drives cant even use sata 2 at its full potential. what makes you think sata 3 hard drives can? the RE4s are more expensive since they are built for heavy 24/7 transfering and have a much longer MTBF rate than consumer drives. thats why they are more expensive.

5 years of warranty mean nothing to me. by 5 years and it breaks, they probably wont have anything to replace it given there could be new drives that wont work on older rigs.

 

[mstrflsh]

Just to update, I finally went with this configuration and it's on the way.
The 7970 and its new driver benchmarks really sealed the deal.
Three monitors is great for editing work but gaming on them too would be incredible.

Cheers for the help!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£257.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.25 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£101.72 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£69.13 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£69.13 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£134.09 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£134.09 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£153.90 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (£323.75 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.81 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Monitor: Asus VS239H-P 23.0" Monitor
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard
Other: 120/140mm Noctua NF-P14 FLX Vortex-Control Quiet Case Fan (£15.35)
Total: £1372.22
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[TheBigTroll]

the monitors....

get vs228h-p instead. i dont see the point of paying more for lower pixel density and slightly lower image quality