Decision Time: Advice from Experts requested [Gaming / Development PC]

[zoopnfunk]

Fellows, ladies, geeks and nerds. I require your expert assistance and valued opinions. I have a budget of $3,500 for a new PC. This cost must include S&H, and I need the PC on or before Feb. 22.

My primary use will be application development MS Visual Studio, MS SQL Server, SSRS, and various developer tools and plugins. It is safe to assume I will be using the latest and greatest versions for all software listed.

The secondary use for this PC will be video editing. I have a new GoPro camera, lead an active lifestyle, and have a toddler just getting in to sports. I wish to do a fair amount of video editing to turn my home videos into something we may actually want to watch.

Finally, the third use for this PC is Gaming. I enjoy high paced FPS games like Battlefield and also like to play titles such as Morrowind at full resolution and settings.

Please help me decide between the two configurations listed below, or propose an alternative. I have built a PC in the past, but it turned out to be a big frustration and I am trying to avoid doing it again at this time.

Here are the configurations I have priced out on CyperPowerPC (I know their rep is not great, but I can do a fair amount of troubleshooting myself). They are currently offering some specials and 5% discount when applying the coupon code SPRING0410:

Configuration 1:

*BASE_PRICE: [+1639]
BLUETOOTH: None
CARE1: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
CARE2: Cooler Master Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance CPU - Thermal Compound Optimized for Thermal Dissipation [+10]
CARE3: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
CAS: CYBERPOWERPC X-Titan 200 Full Tower Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Fan Control, EZ Swap HDD Dock, Side Panel Window (Black Color)
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: LG 16X Internal Blu-ray Burner, BD-RE, DVD+RW Combo Drive [+0] (Black Color)
CD2: None
COOLANT: High-Performance Coolant powered by Koolance [+19] (Clear Color)
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4930K Six-Core 3.40 GHz 12MB Intel Smart Cache LGA2011 (All Venom OC Certified) [+266]
CS_FAN: Maximum Enermax 120MM Case Cooling Fans for selected case (Maximum Silent Operation) [+29] (500-1,200 RPM T.B. Silence Black Color with Blue LED Twister Bearing 8-14 dBA [+0])
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: CYBERPOWERPC Xtreme Hydro 240mm Liquid Cooling w/ XSPC 750, RS240, Extreme Performance + Low Noise at 18dBA [+63]
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_VC1: Assassin's Creed Black Flag Game Coupon [+0]
HDD: 500GB Gaming Western Digital VelociRaptor 10,000RPM SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache WD5000HHTZ [+53] (Single Drive)
HDD2: 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+78] (Single Drive)
HEADSET: ZALMAN ZM-HPS200 GAMING HEADSET [+0]
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: (Keyboard & Mouse Combo) Cooler Master Storm Devastator Gaming Keyboard & Mouse Combo [+0]
MEMORY: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1866MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance [+73])
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock X79 Extreme11 EATX w/ Creative Sound COre3D, THX Tru Studio Pro, Dual GbLAN, 7 Gen3 Pcie x16 [+429]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NOISEREDUCE1: Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels [+29]
NOISEREDUCE2: Power Supply Gasket [+5]
NOISEREDUCE3: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts [+9]
OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Ultimate [+105] (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more) [+49]
POWERSUPPLY: 850 Watts - Corsair RM850 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Fully Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply [+101]
RUSH: RUSH!!! READY TO SHIP IN 3 BUSINESS DAYS [+69]
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: Creative Inspire T6300 5.1 Speakers System [+86]
TEMP: NZXT Sentry-2 Fan Touch Screen Fan Control & Temperature Display [+29]
TUNING: Intel® Core™ i7-4930K Performance Tuning Protection Plan by Intel [+39]
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB GDDR5 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card (EVGA FTW Edition w/ EVGA ACX Cooler [+40])
VIDEO2: None
VIDEO3: None
WNC: 802.11b/g/n 300 Mbps Wireless Card + External 2.4G 5 Dbi Omni-Directional Wireless Antenna [+39]
_PRICE: (+3307)
_view_: {84842422-DDF7-4B15-AABD-C721838D2B1D}
_load_: 2/14/2014 6:55:15 PM

Configuration 2:

*BASE_PRICE: [+1639]
BLUETOOTH: None
CARE1: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
CARE2: Cooler Master Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance CPU - Thermal Compound Optimized for Thermal Dissipation [+10]
CARE3: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
CAS: CYBERPOWERPC X-Titan 200 Full Tower Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Fan Control, EZ Swap HDD Dock, Side Panel Window (Black Color)
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: LG 16X Internal Blu-ray Burner, BD-RE, DVD+RW Combo Drive [+0] (Black Color)
CD2: None
COOLANT: High-Performance Coolant powered by Koolance [+19] (Blue Color [+10])
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4930K Six-Core 3.40 GHz 12MB Intel Smart Cache LGA2011 (All Venom OC Certified) [+266]
CS_FAN: Maximum Enermax 120MM Case Cooling Fans for selected case (Maximum Silent Operation) [+29] (500-1,200 RPM T.B. Silence Black Color with Blue LED Twister Bearing 8-14 dBA [+0])
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: CYBERPOWERPC Xtreme Hydro 240mm Liquid Cooling w/ XSPC 750, RS240, Extreme Performance + Low Noise at 18dBA [+63]
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_VC1: Assassin's Creed Black Flag Game Coupon [+0]
HDD: 500GB Gaming Western Digital VelociRaptor 10,000RPM SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache WD5000HHTZ [+53] (Single Drive)
HDD2: 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+78] (Single Drive)
HEADSET: ZALMAN ZM-HPS200 GAMING HEADSET [+0]
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: (Keyboard & Mouse Combo) Cooler Master Storm Devastator Gaming Keyboard & Mouse Combo [+0]
MEMORY: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1866MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance [+73])
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock X79 Extreme4 ATX w/ Xfast LAN, Charger, & USB, GbLAN, 3 Gen3 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI [+20]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NOISEREDUCE1: Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels [+29]
NOISEREDUCE2: Power Supply Gasket [+5]
NOISEREDUCE3: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts [+9]
OS: Microsoft® Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit Edition) + Office 365 FREE 30 Days Trial [+31]
OVERCLOCK: Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more) [+49]
POWERSUPPLY: 850 Watts - Corsair RM850 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Fully Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply [+101]
RUSH: RUSH!!! READY TO SHIP IN 3 BUSINESS DAYS [+69]
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: Creative Inspire T6300 5.1 Speakers System [+86]
TEMP: NZXT Sentry-2 Fan Touch Screen Fan Control & Temperature Display [+29]
TUNING: Intel® Core™ i7-4930K Performance Tuning Protection Plan by Intel [+39]
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB GDDR5 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card (EVGA Superclocked [+0])
VIDEO2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB GDDR5 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card [+644] (EVGA Superclocked [+0])
VIDEO3: None
WNC: 802.11b/g/n 300 Mbps Wireless Card + External 2.4G 5 Dbi Omni-Directional Wireless Antenna [+39]
_PRICE: (+3438)
_view_: {08B33BC8-F4E6-410E-B5CC-E088F3F9B951}
_load_: 2/15/2014 4:31:07 AM

In my estimate the biggest difference in these configurations is in Config 1 there is a single GPU and upgraded MB. In configuration 2 I have downgraded the MB and added a second GPU.

The final concern I have is for the audio. I am adding a speaker system with these configurations and want good sound. I am not an audiophile and will not be producing music. That said, I want my games and music to sound decent. I am not positive how good or bad these onboard audio devices will perform, and whether or not having the sound running through the MB will impact performance at all.

Any tips, advice, suggestions or opinions are welcome. At the end of the day I really want to know how to best invest my money to get the ideal system for what I aim to achieve. Is it better to go with dual GPU's or a better Motherboard?

If an extremely wonderful person is willing to invest some time and run through some configurations themselves given the parameters I am absolutely open to alternative configs that may perform better. I have an open mind on this; but am under a time constraint and need to move rather quickly.

Thank you all in advance for taking the time to read my post and for any words of wisdom you may impart.

Poll answers without comments are welcome; but if you leave a comment explaining your choice it is of course preferable .

 

[TheMohammadmo]

Neither build it youself, everyone else will tell you to do that. Its not that hard, millions of guides on youtube.

 

[CynicalAhole]

I would recommend building it yourself. Try something like this:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2TCZc

CPU: Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor ($558.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H55 57.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Microcenter)
Thermal Compound: Antec Formula 7 Nano Diamond 4g Thermal Paste ($10.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock X79 Extreme9 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($339.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($210.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial M500 960GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($439.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($519.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WDN3800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($31.77 @ Amazon)
Case: Aerocool Xpredator X1 Black Edition ATX Mid Tower Case ($76.08 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($104.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($54.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($132.95 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Logitech Z506 155W 5.1ch Speakers ($74.99 @ B&H)
Total: $2641.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-15 11:07 EST-0500)

---edited to change cpu- decided 3970x wasn't worth the extra $400 over the 4930

 

[zoopnfunk]

Thanks for the advice. Here is the issue I have with the build it yourself option:

1. I have a three year old running around, and very little extra time.
2. I don't know the components well enough.
3. I built my last PC myself, with a friend who has experience building over a dozen high end gaming rigs. I spent almost 5k on a build that included dual water cooled GPU's. The PC took us over three weeks to build. I remember the water cooling in particular taking forever to get situated correctly. The case required some modifications to get the radiator to sit in the top. Once we finished installing the core components it was discovered there were not enough slots for the fan controller. The PC always had difficulty with the RAM timings, even without overclocking. The benchmarks were outstanding, but it was not a stable PC. After less than a year the reservoir cracked and leaked over the components ruining everything. Needless to say I am unhappy with the results, and my wife was even more pissed as she was skeptical about the 'build your own' option from the start. If I screw another one up I might not have a place to sleep.
4. I am a bit of a clumsy oaf when it comes to assembling things and always seem to make at least one critical mistake. I have trouble putting together a simple table and chair set let alone assembling a high end PC while keeping the wiring from looking like a nightmare.
5. Extremely bad luck. The PC I mentioned above was supposed to be in a Raid 0 configuration but one of the HD's was DOA (clicking). I seem to have eternal bad luck with these types of things. I mostly attribute it to my clumsy nature but there's more to it than just that.

All that said, does anyone have any feedback either on the systems spec'd above -- or on any pre-built systems? I don't mind troubleshooting software issues, updating drivers etc.. but hardware just isn't my thing.

I will take a look, even though I know my wife likely wont approve it, at the build CynicalAhole put together below. It seems like a great value and I don't need the keyboard/mouse (just added them because they're free with the CyberPower deal, figured I'd ebay them or send to a cousin). Obviously, keeping it below 3k would be a huge benefit too.

 

[TheMohammadmo]

http://awesomescreenshot.com/0522cx5x45