System Builder Marathon, June 2011: $2000 Performance PC

By Thomas Soderstrom
published

CPU Cooler And Optical Drive

Following the theme of new stuff first, we now present the new CPU cooler and optical drive.

CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Gaia SD1283

While our $2000 builds have long relied on the superior cooling performance (per dollar, at least) of Scythe’s SCMG-2100, Newegg increased the price of that part nearly 20% before running out of stock. We wanted to pinpoint another solid value before simply falling back on an old favorite at a higher price, so we dug deep into our CPU Cooling Archives to determine which model offered the best cooling for the money at Newegg’s current prices.

Read Customer Reviews of Xigmatek's Gaia SD1283

Xigmatek’s $30 Gaia SD1283 came out the winner by a fairly large margin, matching Cooler Master’s $40 Hyper 212+ in separate but identical tests.

Optical Drive: LG WH10LS30 BD-RE

We decided to save a little money on the optical drive this month, but still didn’t want to sacrifice Blu-ray capability. LG and Newegg were there for us with an older model, the WH10LS30.

Read Customer Reviews of LG's WH10LS30

Those who own a Blu-ray drive might even be tempted to play a movie once in a while, and for that we need software. Fortunately, this so called “bare OEM” drive comes with an OEM version of Cyberlink Blu-ray Disc Suite. All we really lost for our $30-50 savings is a little bit of write speed, down to 10x from 12x, and that probably won’t be a big issue for most users who only burn discs occasionally.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
115 Comments Comment from the forums
  • regenon
    I gess u wanted to say:
    A pair of Radeon HD 6950s beats a pair of GeForce GTX 570s at our 2560x1600 target resolution, and the HD 6970 is even faster.
    Reply
  • Tamz_msc
    Finally you made a decent choice regarding the case. I could not believe you went with the Antec 300s on previous builds of this category.
    Reply
  • buzznut
    I agree, though some may care less for what's on the outside I can't see putting together a $2000 PC with a 50 dolla case.
    Reply
  • Yes, I am pleased to see a classy looking Lian Li case being used and not one of those gargoyle-inspired transformer-looking abominations that appeal only to google-eyed children and pimply-faced teenagers. That an adult might actually purchase that sort of monstrosity damped my hope for the future of the supposedly mature population of this world!
    Reply
  • amk09
    I would do anything to get a rig like this, sucks growing up in a poor family :(
    Reply
  • hmp_goose
    So it's now considered "safe" to RAID 0 SSDs? I thought Tom's once had a big "here be dragons" label for that practice …
    Reply
  • compton
    I too like the upgrade to a Lian Li. I didn't have a problem with the SBM method of fitting into a tightly constrained budget - but it's still good to see an attractive system as well as impressive performance. If someone is building a $2000 system, they can pony up a couple extra bucks for a better case. The System Builder Marathon is one of the best things going.
    Reply
  • dragonsqrrl
    Again, another great high-end build (very similar to previous build), and my only real complaint (albeit a small one) from the last $2000 system was also addressed, the case.

    Are you guys satisfied with your decision to go with a higher-end case? Have you noticed any tangible benefits? For example, lower system temps, better build quality, better cable management, more interior room to work, additional features, etc...?
    Reply
  • JohnnyLucky
    Great looking case. Looks better than my own Lian Li/Lancool Dragon Lord case.
    Reply
  • whysobluepandabear
    Todd SauveYes, I am pleased to see a classy looking Lian Li case being used and not one of those gargoyle-inspired transformer-looking abominations that appeal only to google-eyed children and pimply-faced teenagers. That an adult might actually purchase that sort of monstrosity damped my hope for the future of the supposedly mature population of this world!

    You give vivid details describing children and teenagers, but might I add something for the adults? Something like: "That a wrinkly, weaker and deteriorating adult might actually purchase". Something along those lines - we must make those adults look like old fuddy-duddies, whom are at the brink of a midlife crisis any moment now!
    Reply