ASUS X79 System Design Contest Round 3

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Ultimate HTPC
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Price$599.99
Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 DELUXE and Price$379.99
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 32GB Price $329.99
Graphics Card: ASUS GEFORCE GTX 590 Price $720.74
Hard Drive 1: OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 series 240GB PCI-Express 2.0 x4 MLC Internal SSD Price: $699.99
Hard Drive 2: Seagate Barracuda ST3000DM001 3TB Price: $289.99
Case: nMEDIAPC Red Wood Wood ATX Media Center Price $89.99
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W Price $279.99
Cooling: CORSAIR H80 (CWCH80) High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler Price $93.99
DVD Burner: LG Blueray Burner Super Multi with 3D Playback and LightScribe Support Price $81.99
Tuner: Ceton InfiniTV 4 Quad-tuner Card Price: $293.99
Front Panel: nMEDIAPC PRO-LCD Media Center Programmable LCD Price $29.99
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit - OEM Price: $189.99

Accessories:
Monitor: Not Needed (as long as you have a newer TV)
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech MX 5500 Revolution Black Bluetooth Cordless Desktop Standard keyboard & Mouse Kit Price: $148.99
Speakers: Logitech Z906 500W 5.1 Speakers Price: $330.99
Extras: Microsoft XBOX 360 250GB Holiday bundle w/Halo Reach & Fable 3 250 GB Hard Drive Black Price: 299.99

Total with accessories: $4860.59

Unfortunately, with the requirement of Asus graphic cards I couldn't use the better liquid cooled
EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified Hydro Copper 3072MB $729.99 which would have allowed room for the upgraded sound card and given me a manufactured liquid cooled video card.
If I would have gone with the EVGA graphics card and the sound card,ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual Price: $179.99, I would need to drop the xbox to the $199.99 verison but it would be still under $5k ($4950.57)

To me the Ultimate system doesn't just play games or run really really fast. The Ultimate system needs to be fast, look good and do whatever I want it to do. To me this is a True ultimate system doing anything I want it to do, even if that is being a game station, a cable HD DVR, a boom box, a photo editing system, etc, etc, etc.

nmedia_htpc8000_003.jpg
 
The Tiff Taffer!

Processor:Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73960X - $1294.98

Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme/BF3 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard - $469.99

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory Model F3-19200CL11Q-16GBZHD (Comboed with Processor)

Graphics Cards: 2xASUS ENGTX580 DCII/2DIS/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Cards - $999.98

SSDs: 2xMushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe MKNSSDCR120GB-DX 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (RAID 0) - $419.98

Hard Drives: 2xWestern Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (32mb cache) (RAID 1) - $299.98

RAID Card for HDD's: Koutech IO-PESA230 PCI Express Low Profile Ready SATA III (6.0Gb/s) Controller Card - $44.99

Case: Rosewill THOR V2 Gaming ATX Full Tower Computer Case, support up to E-ATX / XL-ATX, come with Four Fans - 1 x Front Red LED 230mm Fan, 1 x Top 230mm Fan, 1 x Side 230mm Fan, 1 x Rear 140mm Fan - $129.99

PSU: SeaSonic X-1250 1250W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $269.99

Blu Ray/DVD: LG Black Internal 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback Blu-ray Disc Rewriter SATA WH12LS38 LightScribe Support - $69.99

Cooling: Exos-2.5 (EX2-1055) Cooling System, Aluminum - $399.99

Liquid: 2x Liquid Coolant Bottle, Low-Conductivity, 700mL (Colorless) - $39.99

Tubing: 22x Tubing, Green UV-Reactive PVC, 1ft/30.5cm ID: 10mm (3/8in); OD: 13mm (1/2in) - $28.38

T Splitters: 2x Primochill 1/2" UV Reactive Leakproof T Fitting - UV Brite Green - $4.98

Nozzle/Barbs: 7x (2 per order) Bitspower Matte Black G1/4" Barb Fitting - 1/2" ID (BP-MBWP-C01) - $24.50

Clamps: 20x 1/2" OD Reusable Clamps - $12.00

CPU Block: CPU-370 (CPU), 1.5mm Midplate - $79.95

Motherboard Block: MB-ASR4E (ASUS Rampage IV Extreme) - $134.99

Coolant Flow Meter: INS-FM16 Coolant Flow Meter - $19.99

GPU Blocks: 2x EK GeForce ASUS 580 DCII VGA Liquid Cooling Block - Electroless Nickel Plated (EK-FC580 DCII - EN (Nickel)) - $229.98

GPU Water Sli Adapter: Bitspower SLI / Crossfire Multi-Link Adapter Pair - Matte Black (BP-MBWP-C47) - $9.99

GPU Sli Tubes: Bitspower SLI / Crossfire Crystal Link Tube Set - 2 Slot Spacing (BP-CLTAC-S2) - $4.99

(edit: had wrong video card/s)

I like having extra tubing and clamps just in case

Total: $4992.59
 


560 Ti can't 3-way SLI. Compatibility issue there sir.
 
Dan's Build
Processor: Core i7 3930K $599.99
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme $469.99
RAM: 4x Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3-1866 $79.99/ea ($319.96 total)
Graphics Card: 2x ASUS Matrix GTX580 $529.99/ea ($1059.98 total)
Hard Drive 1: 2x Crucial m4 64GB $139.99/ea ($279.98 total)
Hard Drive 2: 4x Seagate Baracuda XT 2TB 7200 RPM $239.99/ea ($959.96 total)
Case: ThermalTake Level 10 Black $269.99
Power Supply: ThermalTake TP-1500M $369.99
Cooling: Corsair H100 $119.99
DVD Burner: ASUS DRW-24B1ST $18.99

Total: $4468.82

Current Instant Rebates:
$30 off each Crucial m4 64GB ($60 total savings)
$55 off combo of PSU and CPU
$40 off ThermalTake Level 10
Total Savings: $155
After instant rebates: $4313.82
 
If you were to ask me what an ultimate human was, I wouldn't answer an Olympic gold medalist, as most people here have. An ultimate human being is not only fast and strong, he/she is intelligent, environmentally conscious, and financially savvy as well.


Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K $315.00
Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 Pro $329.99
RAM: Crucial 8GB DDR3 $35.99
Graphics Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 580 DCII $499.99
Hard Drive #1: SeaGate Barracuda 7200 rpm 1 TB $99.99
Hard Drive #2: OCZ Tech Vertex 2 120 GB Solid State Drive $149.99
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Chassis $89.00
Power Supply: CORSAIR TX 750 watt $104.99
Cooling: Cooler Master V8 $43.21
DVD Burner: Sony BD-5300S-0B Internal Blu-ray Writer $89.99

Total cost : $1757.15 , cheaper if you buy parts on ebay

This build is the ultimate build because it not only maxes any pc game in existence at 1080p resolution, but it does it at a cost that will allow you to rent a car to move it if necessary. or go to college... Or eat, because some people need that. This build uses less energy, it is a top performance pc for any game, and will last well into the next generation for upgrades that are much cheaper.

It's a no brainer. THIS is the Ultimate build.
 
If a Mod would like to either post or send me a PM, I would like to know what the basis of speed is based off of. What program are you using to test your rating/reward? or test? What is the method that you are grading the contest?
 
Wild Dog is here..!!
Processor: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E $1050
Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH X79 $340
RAM: G.Skill F3-14900CL9Q-16GBZL (4Gx4) $134
Graphics Card: ASUS GTX 590 GeForce GTX 590 (Fermi) 3GB (X3) ($749X3=$2247)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda® XT ST33000651AS 6GB/s 3TB $229
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF X Blue Edition ATX Full Tower Case $199.99
Power Supply: Cooler Master 80+ Gold 1200W ATX Modular Power Supply $224
Cooling: CORSAIR Hydro H70 Water Cooler Dual Fan $104
DVD Burner:LG Blue Ray Burner + DVD Burner (2 Drives ) $195
Total = $4722.99
 

if it would actually work. you have a 1155 processor but a 2011 motherboard. you need either a p67 motherboard or a z68
 
bTx's "you cant handle the ultimate" build......



Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116491 Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition $1050
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131803 ASUS Rampage IV Extreme $470
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233229 CORSAIR DOMINATOR 32GB (4 x 8GB) (26Gb for a ramdisk) $370
Graphics Cards:1- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.775147.14-121-470 ASUS MARS II $1570 + 1- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121467 ASUS MATRIX GTX580 $530 (for Tri-SLI)
Hard Drive: 2x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 120gb in raid 0 $370 (+ the 26Gb dedicated to a ramdisk for games and benchmark prog.)
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146080 NZXT Crafted Series Tempest 410 Elite $90
Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817116013 NZXT HALE90-1000 $210
Cooling: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017 CORSAIR H100 $120
DVD Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252 ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE $100
case fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118067 ZALMAN SF3 120mm Shark's Fin Blade x 5= $85
fan controller: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811992007 NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller $25
case lighting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812170032 NZXT Sleeved LED Kit - Blue, 2 m $19

build total= $4999 (Ps... i always round up the penny for simplicity!!!)

there is even enough left over for a stick of gum if i want.......

and yes...an e-atx r iv xtrm will fit in that case....how do i know???? ive seen it done!!!
 

Like mjmjpfaff said, you paired an LGA1155 processor with an LGA2011 motherboard. The two are incompatible. You're also required to use a specific LGA2011 motherboard if you wish to qualify, the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme. So that basically means you need to select either the i7-3930K or i7-3960X as your processor.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you also selected a dual channel memory kit. The LGA2011 platform uses quad channel memory, so at the very least you should add a second 8GB kit to your configuration. It's not that you're system wouldn't be able to run off a dual channel memory kit, it's just far from ideal.

And last but not least, the CPU cooler you've selected doesn't seem to support LGA2011 by default. So if Cooler Master provides an LGA2011 bracket for this cooler you would need to include that as well. Otherwise, you need to select a different cooler.

...you also failed to provide links to any of the components you've selected.
 
Booseek's Colossus Build

Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K ------ $593.05
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 ------ $417.79
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16 GB, 2133, CAS 9 (4 x 4 GB) ------ $154.99
Graphics Card: ASUS GTX 590 3GB x2 in SLI ------ $726.17 x 2 = $1452.34
Storage 1: Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240 GB x3 in RAID 0 (720 GB) ------ $399.99 x 3 = $1199.97
Storage 2: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB ST2000DM001, 7200 RPM, 64 MB Cache ------ $142.04
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ------ $169.95
Power Supply: ENERMAX MAXREVO 1350W, Modular, 80 PLUS Gold ------ $249.99
CPU Cooling: Thermalright Silver Arrow ------ $74.99
Case Cooling 1: Cooler Master Megaflow 200mm, 110 CFM/19 dBA ------ $11.47
Case Cooling 2: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120mm, 70 CFM/19 dBA ------ $5.58
Case Cooling 3: SilverStone FN83 80mm, 32 CFM/20 dBA ------ $4.99
Cooling Accessories: Thermalright Silver Arrow Screw Set for LGA 2011 ------ $5.99
Optical Drive: ASUS 12x Blu-Ray Burner, 8 MB cache, BW-12B1ST ------ $90.31
Card Reader: Rosewill RCR-IC002 74-in-1 Internal Card Reader ------ $16.99
Sound Card: ASUS Xonar Essence STX, 24-bit, 192 KHz, Hi-Fi Headphone Amp ------ $167.14
Amplifier: Lepai Tripath TA2020 ------ $21
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 ------ $149.99
Other: Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac Electric Duster ------ $49.82

TOTAL: $4979
*The rules do not disallow out-of-stock items from reputable merchants so I have included several.

Since the adjective "ultimate" can be interpreted in several ways, I chose to go the more balanced and reasonable route, choosing not to skimp on any part, and refusing to select a slightly more powerful component at the expense of another more important component. In this build, everything is important -- gaming, entertainment, work, speed, storage, silence, diverse capabilities, and efficiency. Thus, it was easy to choose between the powerful Intel Core i7-3930K and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPUs; the latter offers too little extra performance for nearly a 40% increase in price. The socket 2011 ASUS Rampage IV Extreme motherboard offers quad-channel memory support, which the very fast 2133 MHz/CAS 9 G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series (16 GB) utilize with 4 x 4 GB modules. It is also possible to go for 32 GB, but at what cost (or benefit) to the rest of the system?

Because we are playing at beyond HD resolutions with this $5000 build, two ASUS GTX 590 cards will be used in Quad-SLI. This is the most powerful and stable combination we can use for under $1500, and anything more would be overkill at the expense of something else. If we view the "ultimate" computer as exceptionally future-proof, two GTX 590s will do it.

Since we chose to go with a Core i7-3930K instead of the Extreme Edition CPU, we have enough money to get three 240 GB Mushkin Chronos Deluxe (720 GB total) SSDs in RAID 0, one of the fastest SSDs available. This RAID solution is both faster and cheaper than one 720 GB SSD and offers more than enough space to fit all of our games, programs, and Windows installation. The 2 TB Seagate Barracuda HDD offers even more storage for our seldom-used files. Spinning at 7200 RPM and with 64 MB cache, it should be one of the fastest traditional hard drives on the market today.

The Cooler Master HAF X offers massive room and even more massive cooling, having no other competition other than the HAF 932 that it recently usurped. The beautiful and rugged look of the HAF X communicates just how powerful this build is, while the raw cooling performance allows you to overclock our already-powerful system even further. The case comes with a 230mm front fan, 200mm top fan, 200mm side fan, and a 140mm rear fan, all rated at ~20 dBA for ultimate silence. We will add another Cooler Master Megaflow 200mm 110 CFM/19 dBA fan to the top, a Cooler Master SickleFlow 120mm 70 CFM/19 dBA fan to the VGA duct, and a SilverStone FN83 80mm 32 CFM/20 dBA fan to the VGA holder, increasing the already-great airflow and maintaining the low ~20 dBA noise levels.

According to many review sites, the Thermalright Silver Arrow slightly outperforms even the Corsair H100 Liquid Cooler with much lower noise levels and at a lower price point. In fact, it may even be the most powerful and efficient air cooler available. A Thermalright Silver Arrow Screw Set for LGA 2011 is included in the build.

An ASUS 12x Blu-Ray Burner, a Rosewill 74-in-1 Card Reader, and the top-rated ASUS Xonar Essence STX 7.1 Channel with Headphone Amp Sound Card are also included in this full-featured build. To connect (and get the most out of) our legendary Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers to our ASUS card, a Lepai Tripath TA2020 T-Amp is included. The award-winning ENERMAX MAXREVO 1350W Modular PSU powers this build, and with an 80 PLUS Gold certification, does it with ultimate efficiency. A Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac Electric Duster will keep this build much cleaner than canned air.
 
Mineral Oil Cooled Mess
Pocessor: Intel Core i7-3960X $1049.99
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard $469.99
RAM: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 X2 $719.98
Graphics Card: ASUS MATRIX GTX580 X2 1059.98
Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series 3 CSSD-F240GB3-BK 2.5" 240GB SATA III SSD $329.99
Case: Puget Systems Aquarium EATX V4: DIY Kit $595.65 + 12 X Durvet Animal Mineral Oil Gallon $208.68
Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX1200 287.39
Cooling: Thermaltake CLP0575 Frio OCK Universal CPU Cooler $85.99

Total 4807.64 with mineral oil included and you still have a couple hundred bucks for aquarium rocks, lighting, fans/propellers and the all important treasure chest. These are the all important bits that when everything goes wrong and everything has been submerged in messy oil therefore cant be returned the system is still something to look at and not just trash.
 
The Dream Machine

Main Components
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-3960X Extreme LGA 2011 - $1049.99
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme - $469.99
Ram: 16gb G. Skill Ripjaws – 2133 - $154.99
Graphics Cards: 2 – Asus Matrix GTX 580's - $1059.98
Hard Drives: 2 – Kingston HyperX SSD - $499.98
Hard Drive: 4 – 2tb Barracuda XT - $959.96
Case: Enermax Fulmo GT - $209.99
Power Supply: SeaSonic X-1250 - $269.99
Cooling: Corsair H100 - $109.55
DVD Burner: ASUS black Blu-Ray Reader & DVD RW - $57.9

Subtotal: $4842.41

Extra's:
Extra Fans for H100 Push/Pull: 2 – Enermax Magma's - $25.98
Fan Controller: Scythe Kaze 12-Channel Fan Controller - 32.99
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 - $6.95

Total w/ Extras: $4908.33

All components purchases through newegg.com or amazon.com!
 
1.You are PWNED Build
2.Processor: Intel Core i7 - 3960x Extreme Edition = $1,049.99
3.Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard = $469.99
4.RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB x 8 sticks = $559.92
5.Graphics Card: ASUS Mars II/2DIS/3GD5 GeForce GTX 580x2 = $1,499.99
6.Hard Drive: WD VelociRaptor 600GB SATA 6.0Gb/s x 2 drives = $659.98
7. SSD: Corsair Force Series 3 60GB SATA III SSD = $109.99
8.Case: Cooler Master Full Tower Case = $159.99
9.Power Supply: XCLIO Stablepower 1000W = $169.99
10.Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus = $25.99
11.Headset: RAZER Carcharias Gaming Headset = $79.99
12.Keyboard: RAZER Arctosa Black Gaming Keyboard = $44.99
13.Mouse: RAZER DeathAdder Gaming Mouse = $49.99
14.DVD Burner: ASUS DVD Burner = $18.99
15.BluRay Burner: ASUS Blu-Ray burner = $99.99
16.Total Cost = $4,999.78
17.Look on your opponent's face after you rip him a new one = Priceless
 
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