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System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: High-End Performance PC

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a b K Overclocking
September 25, 2014 11:55:14 AM

Today’s high-end build adds a little muscle to last quarter’s parts list thanks to Devil's Canyon and a little bit of luck. Will a $1600 machine finally score big wins in both value and performance? A compelling value chart suggests yes.

System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: High-End Performance PC : Read more

More about : system builder marathon 2014 high end performance

a b K Overclocking
a b 4 Gaming
September 25, 2014 12:58:07 PM

Alternate builds, regardless of other merits, which do not conform to SBM rules (e.g. parts from sources other than Newegg) will be deleted as off-topic to the SBM discussion.
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September 25, 2014 12:58:57 PM

I love the SBM articles that Tom's publishes, and read them regularly. However with respect to the self-limiting / self imposed (or perhaps not self) budget constraints, I feel that often the various builds end up feeling somewhat dated. I understand this is a result of the criteria that are set, and well explained, but I also think Tom's should do a somewhat more price-no-object oriented build as well. Of course, I am aware of the difficulties here. But a build with current motherboards with X99 chipsets, the newest Haswell-E processors, the latest in NVIDIA / AMD multi-GPUs, DDR4 RAM, the fastest/most durable SSDs, and liquid and air cooling might be of interest to a lot of readers as well (including myself). Efficiency and performance value/dollar aside, I would love to see a machine like this go head to head with the current high-end build, just for the sake of curiosity, if not necessarily practicality.
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a b K Overclocking
a b 4 Gaming
September 25, 2014 1:37:55 PM

I thoroughly enjoyed the writeup of this PC. I've often found selections in the high-priced build way more than I need myself, but this is the first time I can recall not also thinking "what a waste" about one part or another. This one was good.
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September 25, 2014 1:51:46 PM

I won't get excited for a new build until both CPU and GPU have gotten their die shrink.
These quarterly builds usually only show miniscule improvements unless something disruptive happens to the market like a tick or tock. These articles could as well be bi-annual. Good though that the price point that you're at shifts from time to time.
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September 25, 2014 2:15:25 PM

4790k -> 4690k = -$100
290x -> SLI 770 = +$100
Same budget, theoretically a 10-15% performance boost, and new topic of discussion as part of the article.

These SBM builds have taken very few risks in the last few quarters...
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September 25, 2014 3:08:16 PM

GTX 980 $560 = + $30 = $1665
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a b K Overclocking
September 25, 2014 3:11:22 PM

bmyton said:
4790k -> 4690k = -$100
290x -> SLI 770 = +$100
Same budget, theoretically a 10-15% performance boost, and new topic of discussion as part of the article.

These SBM builds have taken very few risks in the last few quarters...
I was actually thinking of using two of the cards Don used in his build, before I found out that Don had one. That would only be +$20 without downgrading the CPU.

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September 25, 2014 3:15:17 PM

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1461.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-25 18:14 EDT-0400

What about this? Might be cheating, given the price drops from the GTX 900 series release. Also add $10 from a promo on the PSU.
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September 25, 2014 3:54:56 PM

This is one of my favorite High-End Builds in recent memory, because it is very balanced, without some of the excesses from previous builds. It's very nearly what I would build myself on that budget. Bravo, Thomas!
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September 25, 2014 3:59:55 PM

This is like the third SBM article I've seen that just missed the latest GPU release, and hence, it wasn't included. Surely it was known the GTX 980 release was around the corner when this build was thought up. Is there a reason why these SMBs can't be held off if it is known a new GPU series is coming out (and will actually be available in stock) within a matter of a couple of weeks or even a month?

With that said, I do find these SBM articles most interesting of all.
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September 25, 2014 4:06:04 PM

That's hilarious. I just built a very similar machine yesterday and ended up picking the Ostro over an R4 windowed. Was concered I might run into quality issues and then I see this. I guess somebody agrees with me?

For the record, I'm not building it for myself, but somebody who wants a flashy case. I would pick the muted design of a fractal personally, but potato potah-toe
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September 25, 2014 6:09:29 PM

Hey Thomas, obviously you didn't mention it but did you happen to have any problem with the CPU 6pin at the top of the mobo. I used this case once and loved it but I seem to remember having to put some extra sweat and muscle into connecting that cable... Great build btw.
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a b K Overclocking
September 25, 2014 6:20:53 PM

Mac266 said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1461.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-25 18:14 EDT-0400

What about this? Might be cheating, given the price drops from the GTX 900 series release. Also add $10 from a promo on the PSU.
I like yours, it comes out to about $1640 after adding a case, OS and cheap optical drive to read the OS disk (these are giveaway machines :)  ). That's fine by me.

I went with the big cooler this time so I wouldn't have to hear about it if the CPU sucked, like it did last time. I could have met my goals on the cooler you chose, since the CPU I got this time was a great sample.

mgriffen said:
Hey Thomas, obviously you didn't mention it but did you happen to have any problem with the CPU 6pin at the top of the mobo. I used this case once and loved it but I seem to remember having to put some extra sweat and muscle into connecting that cable... Great build btw.
Oh yeh, I think I mentioned that in the case review. It's a 4+4 pin cable end, so I split it before I shoved it through.

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a b K Overclocking
September 25, 2014 6:34:15 PM

As always nice article Crashman.
Hopefully I win this one. I need a new folding machine.
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September 25, 2014 8:25:58 PM

Thank you for the article - it was a good read.

On a personal note :

I wouldn't buy an R9 290x if it was $200 BNIB.

I've seen first hand the problems that are seemingly inherent with that item.

Between the defect ratio and the variable performance , I would rather own a GTX 780, or heck even a pair of R9-280's for the same price than that lemon of a GpU.
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September 25, 2014 9:38:32 PM

16 GB of RAM instead of 8 GB would increase the After Effects and 3ds Max performance.... in the case of AE, shaving about 40% off the time.
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September 26, 2014 12:55:12 AM

Why do people always complain about the latest and greatest new release not being part of the build for these machines? There are rules for a reason. The next round of machines will no doubt be taking advantage of the new NVidia goodies that they COULDN'T take advantage of in this round. I really like this machine, so great build Crashman!
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a b K Overclocking
a b 4 Gaming
September 26, 2014 1:22:14 AM

nice build. i can't even nitpick, lol. while the cpu choice was predictable (it's a good thing), i think that the ssd was a good deal. cpu cooler choice was also good.
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September 26, 2014 1:44:40 AM

wtfxxxgp said:
Why do people always complain about the latest and greatest new release not being part of the build for these machines? There are rules for a reason. The next round of machines will no doubt be taking advantage of the new NVidia goodies that they COULDN'T take advantage of in this round. I really like this machine, so great build Crashman!


Well, logically, those cards weren't available in large enough numbers to use on these machines.
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September 26, 2014 2:09:20 AM

Pretty bulletproof setup. That being said, if it were me, I'd drop the SSD and HDD, go for a 2TB hybrid, then take two GTX 970's over the 290X.
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September 26, 2014 3:48:20 AM

Proud of your build? Dude, you should be streaking through the offices right now.

And forget about not having the 900 series cards, they came late, the sane knows why they weren't included.
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September 26, 2014 6:34:21 AM

Just out of curiosity. Would you choose a AIO water cooler over an air cooler if the price was the same for this build. (Like the Corsair H80i) Personally I find working with the water coolers is much easier than installing bulky air cooler setups.
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a b K Overclocking
a b 4 Gaming
September 26, 2014 6:55:40 AM

I would not, because the air cooler also cools motherboard components, whereas the AIO cooler does not.
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September 26, 2014 9:55:35 AM

i would get cm/corasir case | corsair ram | asus/asrock motherboard | and Nvidia GPU :) 
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September 26, 2014 10:02:05 AM

i would get different ssd!
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September 26, 2014 10:24:20 AM

We complain about last hardware not being included in BM because we want to see the performance of 970-980 GTX, and yes, we know we have their performance in a recent article, but anyway...

Said that, obviously there are rules for a reason, and this build is great anyway.

For instance, I was going to buy my own rig similar to this one, untill I saw new 980GTX and swaped 290X that pales compared with new nvidea card. I would loved to see same build with 980X performance.

You can see it here It's a little more expensive because has more RAM & SSD, but no O.S. nor cooler.
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September 26, 2014 10:42:59 AM

Nice build, cant wait to see the gtx 900s!
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September 26, 2014 4:04:19 PM

Quote:
Don argued that cases should be among those parts, since we weren’t testing the extra lights and front-panel connectors that often push enclosure prices skyward. I made that concession, even though cases do affect cooling and therefore overclocking.[quote/].

Don's arguement is flawed because size and cooling do factor, look at his RAM and CPU problem, that noctua would never have fit into my last case. so does the cd/dvd rom/removeable media. i used to make music cds and vcd's then dvd's and now i use alot of SD or compact flash cards for music and videos. my portable mp3 player has external flash storage as well as my car's audio/video. bluetooth has too much interference from cops radar, banks security systems, cell phones of other motorists out door recreationalists and indoor fitness as well as being a huge open door security flaw on said devices.

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a b 4 Gaming
September 26, 2014 4:30:48 PM

Onus said:
I thoroughly enjoyed the writeup of this PC. I've often found selections in the high-priced build way more than I need myself, but this is the first time I can recall not also thinking "what a waste" about one part or another. This one was good.

I felt the same. This felt like a good mix without going too overboard. I'm not a fan of the case looks, but that's purely subjective. The internal components are all very nice.

And overclocking on an undervolt? I love winning the silicon lottery.
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September 26, 2014 6:15:18 PM

You MUST include noise measurements for the SBM machines
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a b K Overclocking
September 26, 2014 7:21:08 PM

youssef 2010 said:
You MUST include noise measurements for the SBM machines

35 decibels A-weighted at full combined load and one meter.
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September 27, 2014 9:11:09 AM

290x?

If Geforce was selected, you could get a cheaper psu, and wouldn't have to hear so much fan noise.
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September 27, 2014 2:43:57 PM

I'd ditch the optical drive on the theory you can use an external and move it across each time. I use my external to install os then store it away.
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a b K Overclocking
September 27, 2014 2:50:31 PM

coolitic said:
290x?

If Geforce was selected, you could get a cheaper psu, and wouldn't have to hear so much fan noise.
I take it you didn't read the article then, with its moderate heat/power/noise stuff, or even the comments above. But thanks for looking at the parts list.

Mattery said:
I'd ditch the optical drive on the theory you can use an external and move it across each time. I use my external to install os then store it away.
We don't know that the winner will have an external though. If we're supplying an OS DVD, we'd might as well add the $18 optical drive to read it right?

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September 27, 2014 11:34:54 PM

Nice build, case is iffy though
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September 28, 2014 9:16:22 PM

Very depressing overclocking benefits, especially in games.

I don't get it. 290x has 2816 cores. I'd imagine even a slight overclock of them ALL would yield a better then 54 to 56 fps boost. That's a 2fps increase after a detailed overclocking of CPU, GPU and RAM...
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September 28, 2014 9:53:09 PM

Always bugs me that they're stuck with just Newegg. They rarely are lowest in price. The only one that should be ruled out is Microcenter considering how rarely people are near one.
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a b K Overclocking
September 29, 2014 12:04:33 AM

eodeo said:
Very depressing overclocking benefits, especially in games.

I don't get it. 290x has 2816 cores. I'd imagine even a slight overclock of them ALL would yield a better then 54 to 56 fps boost. That's a 2fps increase after a detailed overclocking of CPU, GPU and RAM...
Different samples of the card have different overclocking capabilities, but it seems that MOST of the cards they sell are already (by the brand) overclocked within 100 MHz of their stock-voltage ceiling.

I have bad luck with over-volting graphics cards. That's Don's thing, the graphics guru.

Patrick Tobin said:
Always bugs me that they're stuck with just Newegg. They rarely are lowest in price. The only one that should be ruled out is Microcenter considering how rarely people are near one.
Well, they're often pretty close to the lowest for motherboards. And they pay for all of the parts just to get their name mentioned (ads and stuff are dealt with by the ad sales team).

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October 1, 2014 11:18:43 AM

I've been out of the 'build-your-own' business for well over 20 years. Every time I read these articles I want to immediately build one for myself, but I still haven't succumbed to the temptation...YET!
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October 2, 2014 3:46:23 AM

I enjoyed this article. I am a geezer with an ancient homebrew PC, but it is fun to dream :)  I play Aion. I like to collect oyster pearls and flowers and meteorites. Not a flashy, manly gamester. I was in Nam. Those thrills are burnt out. (Thankfully). I enjoy my quiet, cool PC. I enjoy listening to my Music collection while I do my PC stuff, too. I build Hot Rod audio amps, not PCs ;)  YMMV. Well written, Tom's!
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October 2, 2014 11:42:06 AM

Purely objective, but out of all cases... this is one is just not that good looking,
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a b K Overclocking
October 2, 2014 11:54:14 AM

etm_echo said:
Purely objective, but out of all cases... this is one is just not that good looking,


Ah, but the price! The only way I could step up the quality without spending more would have been the Antec Three Hundred, but that one doesn't have USB 3.0 and you can't turn off the lights.
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a b K Overclocking
a b 4 Gaming
October 2, 2014 12:56:52 PM

The case is a little beastly, but not really bad; I tend to like Enermax anyway. You would have certainly caught all kinds of grief if you omitted front USB3.0.
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a b 4 Gaming
October 2, 2014 2:47:05 PM

I'm still waiting for someone to use the Raven 3 in an SBM. I know, some people think it's ugly with the gold stripes ( you can get it in silver now, ) but that is a fine case with wonderful cooling and low noise. Yeah, I might be a little fanboy about it.
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