$3000 System build advice

sitdrew2010

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Aug 31, 2011
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Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 weeks


Budget Range: $3000-$3100


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Video games, Bluray playback


Parts Not Required: Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: tigerdirect.com or newegg.com


Country of Origin: USA


Parts Preferences: I would like evga, intel, nvdia ( Flexible with this)


Overclocking: Yes


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe


Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080, 1920x1200


Additional Comments: I would prefer the following parts:

Intel Core i7-980 Gulftown 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7980
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116402
NZXT Phantom Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068
Bluray drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136232

I would like 8TB raid array with a SSD as the primary drive.

Any idea appreciated.
 

mjmjpfaff

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first off the i5 2500k is the way to go. the 980x gets beaten by the 2500k in games. and blu ray playbacks dont need 6 cores either :D. and 8tb's are you crazy? i cant see many people using 4tb's

can you post a link to your monitor because with that budget you should try and squeeze in a multiple monitor setup.

CPU & Heatsink- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.697177 305$

Aftermarket fans for heatsink- http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-120mm-Case-R4-C2R-20AC-GP/dp/B0026ZPFDE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314767386&sr=8-2 16$ the fans on the h80 are too loud

Silverstone FT02- http://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Aluminum-Uni-Body-Computer-CS-FT02B-W/dp/B0030MHEKY/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314767432&sr=1-2 230$ this is a very nice case with amazing cooling.

Asus Blu ray burner- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252 90$

Asrock Extreme7 Gen3- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269&Tpk=asrock%20extreme7%20gen3 290$

Plextor 256gb ssd- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820249011 380$

Samsung f4 2tb- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245 x2=160$ put them in raid 0 if you want they are storage drives they dont have to be fast. get more when you need the space

sapphire 6950 2gb- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131393 265$x3=795$ better performance than 2 580's for less.

Corsair ax1200 & corsair 8gb 1866mhz- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.703308 340$

Total=2606$ leaves money for 2 more 1080p screens- http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS247H-P-23-6-Inch-LCD-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314768232&sr=8-1
 

AdrianPerry

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Nice build idea's there, but wouldn't it be better to buy x2 6970's rather than x3 6950's?

x2 6970's will destroy any game thrown at it and will still allow for another card to be added if its ever really necessary. Buying x3 6950's right off the bat seems like a waste of GPU potential.

Buying x2 6970's will in the short term, save you money on your initial build, play all current games maxed out with ease, and in the long term still leave the gap for a third card to be added.
 

zero888

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Jul 26, 2011
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Nice Setup mjmjpfaff. Man what I could do with $3000 for a pc(drools). Anyhow, my general tip would be to debate whether or not you want to go big or save for the future. Depending on what you are using this system for, make sure you aren`t spending more than what you should have. As a general rule, make multiple systems (2-3 preferably), and compare each one. Then at least you have an idea on how much you would be spending on the low end to the high end.

zero888
 

sitdrew2010

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Aug 31, 2011
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I don't care for multiple monitors. This thing is going to get connect to a 58" 3D LED tv.

I was looking for the gulftown because of hyperthreading would like to have 12 logical threads with HT.
I would prefer Get the space upfront too because I will be using it rather quickly. I have allocated like 3 TB already for stuff that is in external hard drives. I forgot to mention I do development work as well. I guess in your build you left out the case in the price too?

Thanks.
 

sitdrew2010

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Aug 31, 2011
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Sorry for double post. This is what my build looks like

TWO: E145-0571 ::EVGA 012-P3-1571-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD Video Card - 1280MB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, SLI Ready(4.8 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7303440&sku=E145-0571

O261-6380 ::OCZ VTX3-25SAT3-120G Vertex 3 Solid State Drive - 120GB, 2.5", SATA III (0.5 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=91218&sku=O261-6380

A406-2042 ::NZXT PHAN-001BK Phantom Full-Tower Case - E-ATX, ATX, MicroATX, 5 x 5.25" Bays, 7 x 3.5"Bays, 200mm LED Fan, Black(29.4 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6634206&sku=A406-2042

C13-5716 ::Corsair CMZ24GX3M6A1600C9 Vengeance Desktop Memory Kit - 24GB (6x 4GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, 9-9-9-24 CAS Latency, Intel XMP Ready(1.05 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=364588&sku=C13-5716

C13-2594 ::Corsair CMPSU-1200AX 1200-Watt Power Supply - ATX, 140mm Fan, SLI Ready, CrossFireX(10.85 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6391024&sku=C13-2594

FOUR: TSD-2000EARS ::Western Digital WD20EARS Caviar Green Hard Drive - 2TB, 3.5", SATA-3G(6.2 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5758911&sku=TSD-2000EARS

E145-2063 ::EVGA 141-GT-E770-A1 X58 Classified 3 Motherboard - LGA 1366, Intel X58, SATA, 3-Way SLI Ready, Ready, Triple Channel DDR3, RAID, Hyperthreading(7.95 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6730649&sku=E145-2063

C13-2100 ::Corsair CWCH100 Hydro H100 CPU Liquid Cooler - 120mm Fan, LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA 2011, AM2, AM3(3.7 lbs)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=581556&sku=C13-2100

Intel Core i7-980 Gulftown 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7980
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116402

LG Black Blu-ray Drive SATA Model UH12LS28 OEM LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136232

TOTAL: $3,025.87
After rebates: $2,935.87

Any comments / ideas appreciated. Thanks!!!!
 

c0oim4n

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Dec 15, 2010
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If I was you, I would stay right away from the Caviar Greens. They look like a decent drive, especially for only storage, but they are slow as hell, and you will quickly be tearing your hair out waiting for them. Even if they will be in a RAID0 setup they would be a little slow for every day use. I'd try to go for at least a Caviar Blue if you can find a 2TB drive within your budget, or a Caviar Black would be even faster if you can afford them.
 

sitdrew2010

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That is my thought as well. I know the 2TB are slower naturally. I was thinking about getting 6 TB drives, but I can't seem to find a BluRay that operates on pata. I will have to pick that one closer. Other than that were the video cards and everything else OK? I know there's issues with maxing out all the banks for RAM.

Thanks.
 

AdrianPerry

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Im not sure why you need such massive storage space but your best bet would probably be something like:

6 SATA Ports:
x4 1TB HDDs in RAID 0 = 4TB HDD storage
x1 Optical Drive
x1 SSD

If you require more storage either use an external HDD, or just get a case with a hot-swappable port on the outside so you can shove another HDD on as and when you need it.

------------------

Actually ignore the above, the motherboard you've listed supports 10 SATA ports, so thats more than enough for 6 1TB HDDs, your Optical Drive and SSD.
 

AdrianPerry

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Correct.

6 1TB drives in RAID 5 I believe would give you 5TB of usable storage space with the 6th 1TB drive used as the parity.
 

AdrianPerry

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I personally use the HDD you listed (SeaGate SATA III 1TB 7200RPM) but im told by others on these forums that Samsung SpinPoint F3's are better and that unless your talking SSD, SATA II vs SATA III in magnetic HDD terms, makes no difference at all.

 

sitdrew2010

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Yea SATA III cannot write to a magnetic drive that fast, unless there is some crazy caching scheme going on (thunderbolt anyone?). Anyways, the other concerns I have is the ram and video. With all the differences in the cards, even I get lost. I basically have a budget of 3k but don't want to spend money where it isn't needed. So any other recommendations is fine. My thing is I want gulftown and the case. I am open to recommendation in terms of video cards. I want to be able to play Crysis or BF on full graphics without a hiccup. I want it to be somewhat future proof since Diablo II is on its way and I can wait for star wars the old republic.

Thanks.
 

AdrianPerry

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Theres a few options for cards really, and since your on a huge budget ill list a few:

SLI GTX 570s
CrossFire 6970s
SLI GTX 580s
Tri-Crossfire (x3) 6950s

Personally ive never had enough money to pump that kind of graphical power into a build so ill leave someone else to reply on which would be the best performance.

For reference SLI 570s or CrossFire 6970s should be more than enough to max BF3 and any games planned for release in the next 3-4months at the very least, without spending an absolute fortune.
 

sitdrew2010

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That's my concern. I am pretty perfect on everything else at this point. Just the graphics is bothering me. I read 1 $700 is better than 2 $330 cards, but then other places swear 2 $300 cards are better. I just want to be able to play these games at full potential without issues. My last build Blizzard claimed the processor was the bottleneck for my low FPS so I am trying to make sure that isn't the case here.

Thanks.
 

AdrianPerry

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From what I've heard the Battlefield 3 game demo/trailers used a single GTX 580 to run the game on.

Based on this, any of the below set ups would run it maxed out with a good FPS:
Single GTX 580
Crossfire 6950's
SLI 560Ti's
Crossfire 6970's
SLI 570's
SLI 580's

(List is worst-best, best being at the bottom)
 

sitdrew2010

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In my build I used the SLI 570's I should be good? Sounds like I was on the money for the most part. Hopefully the ram is too much of a pain with overclocking. Any other input is appreciated!!!

Thanks
 

AdrianPerry

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Over clocking RAM shouldn't be necessary. If your motherboard supports X.M.P 1600/1866/2033 (i think those are the right MHz amounts) then it will automatically run the RAM at that over clocked speed.

GTX 570s are a solid choice and will perform amazingly on all current games. It just hard to predict the future when company's throw out real GPU-killer-games like CRYSIS and METRO 2033 every once in a while.
 

phenom90

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how about this kind of build?

cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99

mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 - $289.99

ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231479
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR1 - $59.99

psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341045
OCZ ZX Series 1000W - $169.99 after MIR

cpu cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150
Thermaltake Frio - $57.99

case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163161
SILVERSTONE Fortress Series FT02B-W - $249.99

graphics card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134124
ECS NGTX580-1536PI-F GeForce GTX 580 - $409.99 after MIR

hdd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
4x SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB - $239.96

ssd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB - $390.99

odd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136232
LG Black 12X BD-ROM UH12LS28 - $69.99


total: $2158.87 excluding shipping


firstly... in your build there are a few things that you don't really need... such as the gulftown cpu... socket 1366 is near its end now so you have nothing to upgrade anymore should you decide to go this route... also an i5 2500k equals i7 980 in many areas at a fraction of the price... so why pay a premium for something that has no significant boost over something much cheaper? probably much popular? i guess... also going for socket 1155 has more upgrade path... such as 2012 schedule for release ivy bridge cpu which has support for new pcie 3.0... i don't see pcie 3.0 will be implemented into x58 chipset in the near future... so by the time graphics card all use pcie 3.0 standard... you will eventually ended up needing to upgrade your cpu and mobo again to upgrade to new graphics card... since you're going to hook your pc to a led tv... regardless how big your tv was... it only support max resolution of 1920 x 1080... so a single card like gtx 580 is enough to power all games at that resolution... not to mention that going crossfire/sli costs you more power bill... more heat... more driver issues... and also the much hated micro-stuttering problem... which will affect your gaming experience... but... despite all that problem... should you still decide that going sli is the best option... the ocz 1kw is enough for you to do so... also the motherboard that i've listed above has 2 full 16x pcie 2.0 lane to runs sli at optimum performance... as for ram i'm not sure that if you really need more than 8gb so i only listed out a 8gb kit... as for hdd i don't know very much about it but it seems that the samsung f3 1tb model is highly recommended by everyone... but it only has much slower 2tb model which only spins at 5400 rpm... as for ssd i don't choose models with sandforce controllers as it has its problem while the crucial m4 that i've listed seems to have better reliability despite slower than sandforce-equipped model...

okay... talk too much... i hope this helps...

 

sitdrew2010

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The issue with Gulftown being dead isn't relevant. With the introduction of ivy bridge and PCIe 3.0 would require all new hardware anyways. If i go big now it should be able to handle games coming out for a while. If I did want to upgrade to get the new stuff, even your point, would be I need to basically build a new computer. It was also my understanding TVs or monitors with higher pixel count struggle with graphics intense games because the video cards couldn't properly populate all the pixels, causing tearing in larger displays, I would in the future use multiple monitors. 24gb would be used for development I do on a project that I am trying to get off the ground, the application is a memory hog at this point. The last issue of micro stuttering is eliminated running split rendered mode or making sure the environment runs at a higher fps than the refresh rate of the monitor. So for the example of a monitor with 60hz, running at 61+fps would not even have that issue. That why SLI would be more optimal than a single GPU setup. That is why I am concerned with making sure that the 2 card setup I selected is the best for the price range.

I assumed too much with split rendered mode. Nvidia removed that some time ago. So the only other work around make sure it works fast!!! LOL