3k$ New Computer Build! Need help!

[Dylanator]

Hello all! I am quite new to the computer building scene and thus am still nooby. I am building a new computer and need help with some questions and encourage any input about my choice of components. Firstly i will be spending around 3000$ so if you happen to look through this and see things that are unnecessary and could be dropped to save me money OR could be better for the same price OR you could think of an optimal build yourself for 3k$ I would appreciate it. I will be doing (hardcore/intense/lots of) gaming as well as editing the videos I record of the game play. The lowest resolution I will be playing on is 1080p, I am currently playing on my sony bravia 46 HD tv but I will soon get a 120Hz monitor and possibly a simple monitor to use for keeping a browser or other random things open (that is only a possibility, most likely just the one monitor). So far on cyberpower my build looks like this it is just below 3.2k$. Would like to build myself if I can find a local shop, I want it done well, never built one myself.

RANDOM STUFF: Cooler Master Thermal Compound, Professional Wiring

CASE: Azza Genesis 9000 Full Tower Gaming Case w/ 2 x 230mm fans, 4x Easy Swap HDD, Dual Power Supply Support, & front USB 3.0 Port (May be changing this, it was the one originally on the base configuration on cyberpower and I never changed it)

DRIVE: LG 12X Internal Blu-ray Drive & DVDRW, 3D Playback Combo Drive

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-3930K Six-Core 3.20 GHz 12MB Intel Smart Cache LGA2011
TUNING:Intel® Core™ i7-3930K Performance Tuning Protection Plan by Intel

COOLING: Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator (Single Standard 120MM Fan)

HARD DRIVE: 240GB Corsair Force GS Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 555MB/s Read & 525MB/s Write

DATA HARD DRIVE: 3TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

RAM: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/2133MHz Quad Channel Memory (deciding between the standard corsair they give [doesn't say a name] or paying just a touch more for the corsair vengeance, any thoughts?) (I will be extreme overclocking 20% more [or that is what it says at least] this whole system through cyberpower but I have read that 2133 ram isn't necessary but with me spending 3k$ I want the best I can get and I have also read that without overclocking 2133 is stupid cause it wont even work that high, but since I am overclocking its a great idea, is this correct?)

MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support) ASUS P9X79 LE Intel X79 Chipset Quad Channel DDR3 ATX w/ Remote GO!, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 3 Gen3 PCIe X16, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI

NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network (this is the standard option)

OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Professional (64-bit Edition)

OVERCLOCKING: Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more, is what the site says)

POWER SUPPLY: 1,000 Watts - LEPA G1000-MA 80 Plus (I have read that by running my two graphics cards in SLI which I will be doing that it jumps the power consumption up by quite a bit so I chose to upgrade to 1,000 watts from 800 watts was this necessary?)

SOUND:HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO (this is standard)

VIDEO CARD 1: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 (EVGA Superclocked - Signature 2 Edition) (I will be running my two cards in SLI, I have yet to hear back from cyberpower if they apply the bridge themselves or put it in the box for me to do, I hope they do it. Does anyone know?)

VIDEO CARD 2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 (EVGA Superclocked - Signature 2 Edition)

There is an option for MSI brand of these cards but I dont think it is the Lightning which I have only read and seen good things about. If it is the lightning would you recommend that over the sig 2 editions, all the benchmarks I have seen would say yes.
Also, I was really stuck between going with two 7970 in crossfire but I think I would prefer the two 680's. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Also is an Intel CPU even the best choice for this system and in the case I were to change my mind to the two 7970's (which isn't likely) is Intel any good for them? Regardless I WILL be doing two graphics cards.

Lastly is this a good build that can be easily upgraded in the future?

I know this is a ton of questions and I even have a ton more but I didn't want to overload people.
Thanks so much if you looked through all this I greatly appreciate it!

 

[allanitomwesh]

By going to Cyberpower a) limits choice b)getting charged for things you can do yourself. I would be concerned at least about a) with your budget.
Anyway.
Azza for a $3000 build?No.It's big and ugly.Corsair here.
16GB RAM is so little ...
I don't trust LEPA,I'd get something else there,don't know the options though,but less Watts more Gold.
Two 7970 GHZ,Intel is the only choice at this budget

Again, Do it yourself,dump Cyberpower

 

[envy14tpe]

First off, most people on this forum build their own computer because it saves them a lot of money. Also, builidng your own allows you to get the exact part you want without compromising.

With that said, the configuration you listed will be fast as hell, but is it necessary for your purpose? I don't think so. I could build a $1500 desktop that would perform the same in games on a Asus VS247H.

The Asus VS247H-P is a 60Hz monitor. If you want fast you should look into a 120Hz monitor. This is probably the most popular one out there:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014270

The problem with a 60Hz monitor is that it can't display more than 60fps. However, the 120Hz monitor can reach 100+fps (assuming your video card can do it too). I use a Asus VE247T and it is fast. 60fps is enough for me. I use a 660ti because it allows me to run 60fps on Ultra. Point is, it's enough for me.

Is building a computer an option? You could buy the parts and have a local store put the computer together for you.

 

[Dylanator]

By going to Cyberpower a) limits choice b)getting charged for things you can do yourself. I would be concerned at least about a) with your budget.
Anyway.
Azza for a $3000 build?No.It's big and ugly.Corsair here.
16GB RAM is so little ...
I don't trust LEPA,I'd get something else there,don't know the options though,but less Watts more Gold.
Two 7970 GHZ,Intel is the only choice at this budget

Again, Do it yourself,dump Cyberpower

I appreciate the reply! Firstly, I would like to build it myself but A. I never have and more importantly B. want it done very well. Also any reason why you say 16gb RAM is to small and why would you choose the 7970s?

 

[Dylanator]

First off, most people on this forum build their own computer because it saves them a lot of money. Also, builidng your own allows you to get the exact part you want without compromising.

With that said, the configuration you listed will be fast as hell, but is it necessary for your purpose? I don't think so. I could build a $1500 desktop that would perform the same in games on a Asus VS247H.

The Asus VS247H-P is a 60Hz monitor. If you want fast you should look into a 120Hz monitor. This is probably the most popular one out there:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014270

The problem with a 60Hz monitor is that it can't display more than 60fps. However, the 120Hz monitor can reach 100+fps (assuming your video card can do it too). I use a Asus VE247T and it is fast. 60fps is enough for me. I use a 660ti because it allows me to run 60fps on Ultra. Point is, it's enough for me.

Is building a computer an option? You could buy the parts and have a local store put the computer together for you.

Hey! Thanks for the reply! Building a computer is definitely an option but I'm not sure of any local stores near me (would need to check) because as I told allanitomwesh I want it done well and I never have built one before. And dang thanks for the notification on the 60Hz vs 120Hz haha I did not know that, and with that said I will be getting a 120Hz monitor now! Any thoughts on seperate components themselves? Thanks!

 

[envy14tpe]

This is $1800 and would max out all games.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($137.11 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1770.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 02:58 EDT-0400)

 

[envy14tpe]

8gb is plenty for all gaming. I play BF3, Far Cry3, Skyrim.........and my usage never exceeds 6GB. The only reason to buy 16GB of RAM is for heavy editing.

The BenQ monitor is probably the best for gaming. It's pricey but the fastest one on the market at a reasonable price.

 

[Dylanator]

This is $1800 and would max out all games.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($137.11 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1770.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 02:58 EDT-0400)

I think I'm going to stick with at least 16gb of RAM and prob an i7 instead of that i5 and for the editing and possibly 3d modeling I will be doing. I also wanted to have a larger SSD going to be storing my OS and lots of other things such as specific games and my editing software, just would like larger for the "just in case." Thanks again for the reply and also any reason as to why you also chose two 7970 instead of nvidia. I figure alot of the GPU stuff will come down to fanboy preference but anything spec wise would be appreciated. Most benchmarks I have looked at the 680s in SLI and the 7970s in Xfire have gone back and forth from 1st to 2nd place in different games.

 

[edogawa]

This build might be a bit more than what others might recommend, but here we go:

A 670 is only about 5% slower, not worth the extra cost for 680s.
Some people will recommend ATI over Nvidia, but it depends on games you play too.
i7 will help with rendering and encoding.
Corsair 240GB GS is a very good SDD, I use it.
Corsair AX860i is a very solid power supply made by Flextronics and re-branded through Corsair.

If you're gaming you will want a 144hz monitor to improve your experience.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($130.10 @ Amazon)
Storage: Corsair Force Series GS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($217.28 @ TigerDirect)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Azza Genesis 9000 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($160.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($279.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $2627.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 03:19 EDT-0400)

 

[allanitomwesh]

By going to Cyberpower a) limits choice b)getting charged for things you can do yourself. I would be concerned at least about a) with your budget.
Anyway.
Azza for a $3000 build?No.It's big and ugly.Corsair here.
16GB RAM is so little ...
I don't trust LEPA,I'd get something else there,don't know the options though,but less Watts more Gold.
Two 7970 GHZ,Intel is the only choice at this budget

Again, Do it yourself,dump Cyberpower

I appreciate the reply! Firstly, I would like to build it myself but A. I never have and more importantly B. want it done very well. Also any reason why you say 16gb RAM is to small and why would you choose the 7970s?

Think of building a PC like big boy legos,it's not as hard as people make it out. I'll also point out that Cyberpower won't do it well,as the choice of parts on their site is what is most profitable to them and not necessarily most premium.
16GB ram can be put in a $1200 Rig. Hence I'm surprised your expensive rig is so lacking.
7970 in crossfire have fewer frame drops and are cheaper too,for similar performance(same region of flawless gaming).
My point is,with your budget you can get premium everything. A PC of the gods.You can also hire a local techie to assemble it for you. The PC you want.

 

[envy14tpe]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($206.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1954.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 03:20 EDT-0400)

Comment about 7970s or 680s, yeah it is a constant ping pong match which is better.

 

[Dylanator]

This build might be a bit more than what others might recommend, but here we go:

A 670 is only about 5% slower, not worth the extra cost for 680s.
Some people will recommend ATI over Nvidia, but it depends on games you play too.
i7 will help with rendering and encoding.
Corsair 240GB GS is a very good SDD, I use it.
Corsair AX860i is a very solid power supply made by Seasonic and re-branded through Corsair.

If you're gaming you will want a 144hz monitor to improve your experience.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($109.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($130.10 @ Amazon)
Storage: Corsair Force Series GS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($217.28 @ TigerDirect)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Azza Genesis 9000 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($160.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($279.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $2627.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 03:19 EDT-0400)

Thanks for the reply! That is one sexy looking monitor thanks for the post! I would have to look a bit more into the difference between 680 SLI vs 670 SLI I did a bit but not very much. Any specific reason you dropped the ram down to 1600 and do you think 860 watts will be enough for all the stuff and sli gpus? I may also be looking around with cases that case was the one chosen by cyberpower and I never changed it.

 

[edogawa]

Anything over 1600mhz provides near zero benefit for gaming, there's no reason to go beyond 1600mhz which is the optimal sweet spot.

Be warned too, a gaming monitor such as the one I linked will be amazing for gaming, but lack good colours that an IPS monitor can provide or better viewing angles. Photo work is best done on an IPS panel for accurate colours.

A 860 watt power supply will be plenty sufficient, especially a high quality one, and you will always want a bit more wattage than you actually on a power supply.

My system barley peaks at 300 watts with a single 670 and that power supply I recommended, so 2 will be perfectly fine on 860 watts.

I don't typically don't think recommending a single case is a good idea, it's a personal preference for this part of the system:

Phantom:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067

Haf X:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

900D(huge case lol if you want to go crazy):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139019&Tpk=900d&IsVirtualParent=1


You can also browse through on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007583%20600006304&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=RATING&PageSize=20&cm_sp=CompCase9-_-VisNav-_-ATXFullTower

Don't worry too, it's super fun to build your own PC and will help you understand your PC better to fix it if there's an issue.

 

[Dylanator]

By going to Cyberpower a) limits choice b)getting charged for things you can do yourself. I would be concerned at least about a) with your budget.
Anyway.
Azza for a $3000 build?No.It's big and ugly.Corsair here.
16GB RAM is so little ...
I don't trust LEPA,I'd get something else there,don't know the options though,but less Watts more Gold.
Two 7970 GHZ,Intel is the only choice at this budget

Again, Do it yourself,dump Cyberpower

I appreciate the reply! Firstly, I would like to build it myself but A. I never have and more importantly B. want it done very well. Also any reason why you say 16gb RAM is to small and why would you choose the 7970s?

Think of building a PC like big boy legos,it's not as hard as people make it out. I'll also point out that Cyberpower won't do it well,as the choice of parts on their site is what is most profitable to them and not necessarily most premium.
16GB ram can be put in a $1200 Rig. Hence I'm surprised your expensive rig is so lacking.
7970 in crossfire have fewer frame drops and are cheaper too,for similar performance(same region of flawless gaming).
My point is,with your budget you can get premium everything. A PC of the gods.You can also hire a local techie to assemble it for you. The PC you want.

I really appreciate all your input especially on thoughts of cyberpower and building it myself. I think my brain has just been excited about finally getting a beast computer that I never thought to much on the building it myself concept and also the business side of cyberpower like you said that they post very profitable products for themselves. I'm quite good with electronics so I don't think the assembly would give me any trouble, I would just really want things such as Overclocking and the application of the SLI bridge physically and in the BIOS done properly.

 

[Dylanator]

Anything over 1600mhz provides near zero benefit for gaming, there's no reason to go beyond 1600mhz which is the optimal sweet spot.

Be warned too, a gaming monitor such as the one I linked will be amazing for gaming, but lack good colours that an IPS monitor can provide or better viewing angles. Photo work is best done on an IPS panel for accurate colours.

A 860 watt power supply will be plenty sufficient, especially a high quality one, and you will always want a bit more wattage than you actually on a power supply.

My system barley peaks at 300 watts with a single 670 and that power supply I recommended, so 2 will be perfectly fine on 860 watts.

I don't typically don't think recommending a single case is a good idea, it's a personal preference for this part of the system:

Phantom:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067

Haf X:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

900D(huge case lol if you want to go crazy):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139019&Tpk=900d&IsVirtualParent=1


You can also browse through on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007583%20600006304&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=RATING&PageSize=20&cm_sp=CompCase9-_-VisNav-_-ATXFullTower

Yeah I'm going to have to look into monitors more and also the power supply I think that 860W would be the lowest I would go just to be safe with the cards in SLI. Thanks for all the info. I think I'm only really still considering the higher RAM is for just ultra fast editing whether that be video or 3d modeling. Those are some good looking cases, I'll browse those as well!

 

[Dylanator]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($206.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1954.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 03:20 EDT-0400)

Comment about 7970s or 680s, yeah it is a constant ping pong match which is better.

That's a good looking build too, I would prob bump up the power supply. Thanks for all they builds guys all of them so far have saved me good money. Haha not really sure why I wasn't expecting that!

 

[patrick47018]

By going to Cyberpower a) limits choice b)getting charged for things you can do yourself. I would be concerned at least about a) with your budget.
Anyway.
Azza for a $3000 build?No.It's big and ugly.Corsair here.
16GB RAM is so little ...
I don't trust LEPA,I'd get something else there,don't know the options though,but less Watts more Gold.
Two 7970 GHZ,Intel is the only choice at this budget

Again, Do it yourself,dump Cyberpower

You take that back! Azza makes wonderful cases!

 

[allanitomwesh]

I have no problem with their functionality. It's the looks.
http://

 

[patrick47018]

I think my Azza Solano 1000R looks rather nice

 

[envy14tpe]

I think you are getting a lot of builds because we were in your shoes once and we didn't know a lot, but luckily people educated us and now we can save money and get great performance. Take some time and do a little research, and you'll find out why we are recommending what we are.

Why do you want to SLI or Crossfire? For one monitor one GPU is usually plenty. Also, 2 GPUs has drawbacks...microstuttering. How about a single GPU, 7970 or 680? If you play the games and you want higher settings then you could always add another one to it. I think 2GPUs is for 1)120Hz monitors 2)3 monitor gaming 3)old gpu but want upgrade

 

[Dylanator]

I have no problem with their functionality. It's the looks.
http://

I think you are getting a lot of builds because we were in your shoes once and we didn't know a lot, but luckily people educated us and now we can save money and get great performance. Take some time and do a little research, and you'll find out why we are recommending what we are.

Why do you want to SLI or Crossfire? For one monitor one GPU is usually plenty. Also, 2 GPUs has drawbacks...microstuttering. How about a single GPU, 7970 or 680? If you play the games and you want higher settings then you could always add another one to it. I think 2GPUs is for 1)120Hz monitors 2)3 monitor gaming 3)old gpu but want upgrade

allanitomwesh ew Win 8 haha I am prob gonna stick with Win 7, and no liquid cooling interesting choice on the CPU fan also I wanna stay above 850W for my power supply and I think I will probably be going with the BenQ 120Hz monitor.
Hi again Envy, I understand that one good gpu would be enough but originally I wanted SLI to always have insane frame rates on any game but also I have read and seen that it helps with things like video rendering which would be big for me. I am very happy with all the replies and builds I have been getting, I will be doing even more research than I have for the past couple months and am looking forward to even more replies on this thread! Thanks guys!

 

[allanitomwesh]

Nothing wrong with windows 8,looks great on a high Res monitor Supports a bucket load of ram by default and is cheaper,and all round good looking (desktop side and Microsoft apps like music) Don't knock it till you try it.
I don't support liquid cooling unless it's a custom setup.The fan can mount sideways to fit in a smaller case, but works great mounted tall,hits some very good temps. All round a great fan. I don't think you'll be going for extreme OC so it'll do.
The PSU I put is 'enough' and was mainly to afford the monitor,lol.If you're going with the Benq then Corsair PSU is good. Or seasonic,also good.

 

[jaggsta]

for 3k i would have 2 New GTX titans and spend the extra 1k on the system and build it myself LOL!

 

[Rafeed Iqbal]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme9 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($127.20 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($127.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Plextor M5P Xtreme Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($419.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($419.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($273.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($54.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $2788.64
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 05:47 EDT-0400)

if you want everything from one company:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme9 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($305.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5P Xtreme Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($229.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 4GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case ($279.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($157.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $3245.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 05:55 EDT-0400)

 

[Dylanator]

Hey everyone been looking around when I've got time and now I'm thinking about a single GPU since I will most likely just be playing at 1080p with just a single monitor or possibly 2560x1600. As of now I'm probably looking at a very powerful one such as the GIGABYTE GTX 680 Super Overclock or maybe the MSI Lightning 680 or maybe one of the very powerful 7970s, the other option is a single Titan what do you guys think?