System Build $2-3k for Gaming/Scientific Computing/Simulations

[TheChuckster]

Any suggestions???

$180 COOLER MASTER HAF X Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

$429.99 ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131802

$569.99 Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492

$349.99 CORSAIR Vengeance 64GB (8 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233384

$185.99 ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Express x1 Interface 124 dB SNR / Headphone AMP Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132010

$89.99 Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 140mm and 120mm SSO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608024

I should preface this by saying I'm doing less gaming and more programming today than I was while I was in college so I'm planning on keeping my Geforce GTX 560 and waiting until the next generation of cards arrive from Nvidia (7-series?). I'm really in favor of having an LGA 2011 socket because the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E CPUs will support it (looking to upgrade to hex-core Ivy Bridge when it comes out). I'm pretty set on having a six-core CPU since I do scientific computing projects that are highly multi-threaded involving heavy-duty linear algebra and the like as a professional electrical and aerospace engineer.

 

[bigcyco1]

Ram way overkill and here is a case you might like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001#top

 

[bigcyco1]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119252


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163217

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352017#top

 

[babernet_1]

As a fellow professional, I also run massive simulations. I find 16GB usually is good, even for simulations that can last days, but we are running different things, I'm an IC designer. The really massive simulations others do can use 32G, but these are of hundreds of thousands of transistors. We have 64GB computers in our "server farm" but normally they are running several simulations at once. About the ram, how much do your simulations need? How many will you be running at once?

 

[babernet_1]

Mine only take 16 GB as well, but emphasis on the word "luxury."

You want luxury? I'll give you luxury, a big 24-30 inch screen running a modern game. Get yourself a GTX 680 or AMD 7970 and play some modern games, they are amazing. I go way back to, believe it or not, Pong. Games nowdays do what was a pipe-dream of mine back in the seventies.

 

[babernet_1]

At work I have dual monitors, but just use them for work, not gaming. At home I have a 24 inch 1920X1200 display for gaming and some work too and it is great. You can get a 27 inch 2540X1440 display for about $400 dollars nowadays. For about $600-700 you can get a 2540X1600 display.