ASUS X79 System Design Contest

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Azn's Cool Pc
Processor & Motherboard Combo Intel Core i7-3930K and ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 for 894.98

RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 8GB DDR3 1600 71.99
Graphics Card: ASUS 550ti 129.99
Hard Drive: Kingston SSDNow 32gb 69.99
Case: HAF-X 124.99
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-620 620W 80plus 76.00
Cooling: Corsair H100 103.74
DVD Burner: ASUS DVD Burner 19.99


Total cost is 1492.66


so this is my build where i heavily emphasized the pc to be quiet and very cool. The HAF-X was a major find and the H100 is definitely worth the purchase. The MOBO and Processor sure killed the budget though LOL.



*on thanks giving some items went on sale so theres like an extra 20 bucks on the build but i choose not to modify the price.
 
The Guyver

Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73930K - (see combo deal w/ Motherboard)

Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $894.98

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9Q-16GBRL - $74.99

Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX560 TI DCII/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - $244.99

Hard Drive: Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)- $113.99

SSD Adapter: Rosewill RX-C200P 2.5" SSD / HDD Plastic Mounting Kit for 3.5" Drive Bay - $4.99

Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan (Tom's Hardware 2010 recommended buy!) - $104.98 (COMBO DEAL WITH POWER SUPPLY)

Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-550 550W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified, Modular Design, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31/EPS12V v2.92, SLI Ready, CrossFire Ready, Active-PFC Power Supply

Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R1 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+ /w Free LGA2011 Bracket - $34.99

Case Fan: Rosewill RFA-120-K 120mm Case Fan - $5.99

DVD Burner: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM - $19.99

Total: $1,499.89

Comments:

A 550 watt bronze certified power supply is enough for this CPU and a 560ti, heck some people even run GTX 580s on a 450 watt psu. Lets assume this system is going to stay this way for a while without really "future" proofing it. I'm thinking the Rosewill power supplies are made by Delta, but im not 100% on this but they are probably good power supplies in terms of quality, right below Seasonic anyway.

Also added one 120mm intake fan to make airflow for the case even. The case comes with three fans total: two are exhaust fans and one intake. Put the extra 120mm Rosewill fan on the side panel as an intake for equalized airflow.
 
 
Long time lurker. :hello: Started coming around more after Loyd Case and all were let go from Extreme Tech. Let's see if this build will cut it. I'm normally in the $2500 range, personally.

Stalker's Game-On X79 Spec PC
Processor and Motherboard: Intel Core i7-3930K and ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard - $894.98
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $84.99
Graphics Card: ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - $189.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $149.99
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite Black Steel with painted interior ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Black Front Trim - $49.99
Power Supply: hec Zephyr MX 750 750W Peak Output ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - $69.99
Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus - $25.99
Heatsink Retention Bracket: COOLER MASTER RR-ACCY-2011-R1 Intel LGA2011 Retention Bracket for Hyper 212 EVO & Hyper 212 Plus - $1.99
Thermal Compound: ZALMAN ZM - STG1 Thermal Compound - $9.99
DVD Burner: LITE-ON DVD Burner - OEM - $18.99

Gotta love instant rebates
Power Supply - $30.00 instant rebate
CPU Cooler - $4.00 instant rebate
Motherboard and Processor combo - $45.00
Thermal Compound - $4.00

And then there's the freebies that got thrown into the cart...
AMD Gift - Dirt3 Game Coupon - OEM $49.99
Standard A133 Black USB Wired Optical 800 dpi Mouse - $9.99

Total system was $1,496.89, all newegg no other Fan and Heatsinks were listed as LGA 2011 compatible. :pfff: I also wasn't sure if out of stock parts were allowed, so I didn't do with the video card I wanted, but, hey, I have the Thermal Compound! :sol:

This wouldn't be a bad system. I think I'd only change the cooling, the case and swap the DVD for a BD burner (since they are like $70.00).

Good luck to everyone!
 
 
slowroll's slowroller Build

Processor and Motherboard: Intel Core i7 3930K and Asus Sabertooth X79 $894.98
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL $69.99
Graphics Card: ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity $189.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $119.99
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $89.99
Power Supply: CORSAIR Gaming Series GS700 700W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply $109.99
DVD Burner: ASUS 24X DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B3LT LightScribe Support - OEM $24.99

Pretty cool build that I would be proud to own!

TOTAL: $1499.92
 
adamleighfish's Fishinator
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K and ASUS Motherboard Combo - $894.99
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard and Intel CPU Combo - $894.99
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $89.99
Graphics Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 460 DirectCU/2DI/1GD5 - $169.99
Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series 3 60GB SATA III SSD - $109.99
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 400R Graphite and Corsair PSU Combo - $184.99
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Series HX650 and Corsair Case Combo - $184.99
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - $25.99
DVD Burner: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - $19.99
Extra: Cooler Master LGA 2011 Retention Bracket for Hyper 212 Plus - $1.99


Total Cost: $1,497.90

$1500 is a tough budget when the CPU and MOBO cost $900 alone, especially because I normally recommend getting a CPU and graphics card that are around the same price. The beauty of this build though is that if you have the money you could throw in another 460 for SLI and be set. The 460 also comes with a free ASUS T-shirt if you order from Newegg.com. I also opted for the SSD instead of a HDD because if you are buying a system of this caliber you will most likely have a spare hard drive lying around and if you don't you could pick up one on the cheap at Newegg.com

Best of luck to everyone entering!
 
Tazzaka's SLI build with ASUS T-shirt!

CPU MOBO combo save $45 CPU/MOBO 894.98
RAM: Corsair xms3 8gb 4x2gb 71.99
CASE: Rosewill Destroyer comes with 3 fans 49.99
HD: Recertified Western Digital Caviar blue 59.99
PS: SeaSonic s12ii 520w $84.99
CPU FAN: XIGMATEK gaia sd1283 $29.99
DVD: Asus dvd $19.99
Graphics: 2x asus 550 ti at 129.99

Power supply has $18 instant savings till 11/17
HD has an instant savings of $10
Case has an instant savings of $10
Video cards come with a Free Asus T shirt! $30 savings. T-Shirt

Total was 1,453.90 or 1471.90 if you miss the $18 savings deal on the PS.
 
 
Build Genesis
Processor/Motherboard Combo: ASUS Sabertooth X79/Intel i7-3930K $894.98
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 1600 16GB "Quad Channel" $74.99
Graphics Card: ASUS HD 6850 $159.99
Hard Drive: WD 250 GB $44.99
Case/PSU Combo: Corsair Carbide White 500R/Corsair GS600 600W $174.98
Cooling: Corsair H100 $119.99
DVD Burner: ASUS 24X dvd burner $19.99

TOTAL COST: $1489.91

Will play every game just fine on a 1920x1080 monitor. I believe cases is a big part in cooling that is why I chose the 500R from corsair along with the H100 water cooling system for great compatibility with the 500R. I was going to go with the corsair 400R but i did some RESEARCH and it looks like the heatsinks on the motherboard will not fit well with the h100 in the 400R. Also maybe toms should do an article comparing performance of quad channel compared to 2 sticks.

Hard drive prices has went up significantly from last time i looked due to this flooding i hear, so we will go cheap on this build and splurge for 1TB once prices come down. No reason to get a cheap ssd for 60 GB, sure it may be cool but it's not cool to only install 1 or 2 games onto it.

Wow toms this competition is very tough not only do deals constantly change but i have probably changed this build 10 times now. I really hope the deals will last until people review the build.
 
Kokoro's X79 Cooling Focused build: $1489.92

Processor: Intel Core i7 3930k With Sabtertooth X79 Motherboard Combo - $894.98
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Combo
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1333 - $74.99
Graphics Card: ASUS EAH6870 Radeon HD 6870 1GB - $189.99
HDD: WD WD7500AAYYS 750GB 3.5" SATA 3Gb/s - $74.99
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 - $59.99
Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular - $74.99
Cooling: CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler - $119.99

Total: $1489.92 Excluding Shipping

tried to keep this based around the H100 for cooling performance without going too cheapo on the other parts.
 
Here is my humble build followed by some supporting remarks

The Wet Non-Entry PC, by Stifle
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K at $599.99
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard at $339.99
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16Gb (4 x 4Gb) DDR3 1600 at $89.99**
Graphics Card: ASUS Radeon HD 5450 512MB at $34.99
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64Gb SSD at $119.99
Case: Rosewill Challenger case at $49.99
Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular PSU at $89.99*
Cooling: Swiftech H2O-220-Edge-HD water cooling system at $229.95

Instant Rebates / Combo Deals:
**$10 off memory with NewEgg code EMCJJJC22
*10% off PSU cost ($9 with NewEgg code OCZBLKNOV
$45 off combo for CPU+Motherboard

Total price of necessary components including instant rebates and combo deals: $1,490.88

Bonus:
$70 in Mail in Rebates, which will always come true :na:

Optional:
DVD Burner: LG Black 12x Blue-Ray Burner at $69.99

Price with optional DVD Burner: $1560.87

Reasoning:
-I only build with high quality PSUs, and OZC has always done well for me. 700W should be enough with how stout their 12V rails typically are.
-The case is a great product to work with, lots of room and very well laid out. Also tons of stock fans for cooling interior of case. Most importantly are the water-cooling cutouts on the back of the case.
-The SSD is what I have in my personal rig and is not Sandforce based, so no issues with controller firmware lately. With the huge rise in Hard Drive prices due to flooding, this option is much more viable today.
-The PC is not intended for Gaming, it is a compute powerhouse when it comes to other workloads however.
-The cooler is an all in one water-cooling solution that can be expanded to accommodate video cards should I want to add some gaming capability later on.
-Coolest PC for all the right reasons, Compute horsepower, Water-cooled temperature control for overclocking potential, great looking parts inside the case and out.
 
1. FDIV's awesome Asus i7 Sandy Bridge-E budget build with a GTX 570
2. Processor: Intel i7 3930K and Asus Sabertooth X79 bundle $894.48
3. Motherboard: : Intel i7 3930K and Asus Sabertooth X79 bundle $894.48
4. RAM: Kingston Hper X 2gb DDR3 1600 (4 sticks) $55.96
5. Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX 570 $349.99
6. Hard Drive: OCZ Agility 2 40 gb ssd $84.99
7. Case: Rosewill case with 500W power supply $59.99
8. Power Supply: Rosewill case with 500W power supply $59.99
9. Cooling: Xigmatek Gaia 120mm fan + HS lga 2011 compatable $29.99
10. DVD Burner: Basic LG burner $18.99.

Total: $1494.39 not including mail in rebates.


I wanted as much graphics as I could get. Really, who would build a system with a 6 core Sandy Bridge-E and go with a mid range card. In the end I was able to squeeze in Asus's Epic 3 slot GTX 570 which should over clock quite nicely. The sabertooth has the spacing to run 2 of these in the future if a second is purchased at a later date. I considered a mid range multi card configuration out of the gate. This might be worth a few fps but at the cost of limited upgradability in the future and generally less stability now. My multi-card rigs in the past have generally disappointed. They benchmark well but the playability is not up to those marks.

I also wanted an SSD (given platter prices after the flood you would be crazy to go there.) I was able to get the SSD but I am less than thrilled because for the same price with mail in rebates I could have gotten a Vertex 3 60gb. Rules is rules though. I made sacrifices with the ram, case, optical drive, and somewhat with cooling to get the good video card and OCZ ssd. I think all are good enough to keep from holding back the system as a whole though and I would be quite happy with these components.
 
All prices were rounded up to the nearest dollar and all but one were provided by Newegg to keep things simple. $1500 is a really tight budget for this kind of performance, so I skipped the SSD and made some major cut's to the case and power supply so that awesome video performance could be included. The spinning drive is the only item not from Newegg.

I challenge anyone to find better performance for $1500 using the required criteria. Two 6870's can be exchanged for the 6970 for the same price if you prefer to crossfire.

The PC Man's $1500 3930 Gamer
Processor / Motherboard Combo: Asus Sabertooth X79 + I7-3930K, $895
RAM: Gskill Ripjaw 1600mhz 8GB $65
Graphics Card: Asus 6970 $380
Hard Drive : Seagate 500GB $55 (look what I found)
Case: Gigabyte ATX Mid Tower $20 (A hobo can buy a better case after standing on the street corner for a day, but it doesn't have to be pretty)
Power Supply: Logisys 600W $35 (Thats cheap, and I don't mean only in the inexpensive way)
DVD Burner: ASUS DVD Burner $20
Cooling: CM Hyper 212 $25
Additional required parts : Socket 2011 bracket for hyper 212 $2

The total price comes out to $1497.91

p.s. Asus does not have a supported memory vendor list for this motherboard yet, so I hope this memory works.
 
1. Bill's AZ Heat Beater Extreme
2. Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz $599.99
3. Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard $320.79
4. RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (4 x 2GB)  $69.99
5. Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC/DI/1GD5 $129.99
6. Hard Drive: $106.99 OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III 
7. Case: COUGAR Evolution Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Dual 12cm COUGAR TURBINE HYPER-SPIN Bearing Silent Fans $94.99
8. Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS  79.99
9. Cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H80 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler $80.86
10. DVD Burner: Pioneer CD/DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 12X DVD+R $19.99

Total cost = $1490.58 (No Rebates)

Some sacrifice to total memory and graphics card in order to maintain $1500 but also added a little more to cooling like Corsair H80 which does an excellent job in cooling Sandy Bridge CPU's and is compatible with LGA 2011 CPU. As for the case it's not the fanciest but is full size ATX with very good cooling, cable management and has some excellent reviews. (Ultimately a water cooled Asus GTX 580 would complete this build nicely)!
 
dsmos' Ticket to Victory
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K - $599.99
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard - $339.99
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) - $79.99
Graphics Card: ASUS 6770 - $124.99
SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 60GB - $99.99
Case: LIAN LI Lancool First Knight Series - $119.99
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower XT 575W - $109.99
Cooling: XIGMATEK Dark Knight - $39.96
DVD Burner: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - $19.99
- $45 newegg combo savings

Total: $1489.88

Wasn't sure if coolest meant temperature of looks, so I shot for both.
 
1. Polar Bears Toenails (cause is just that cool) build
2. Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz $600
3. Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard $340
4. RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 1600mhz 8GB (4 x 2GB) $70
5. Graphics Card: ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 $190
6. Hard Drive: Corsair Force Series 3 60gb $110
7. Case: RAIDMAX SMILODON w/ 500w PSU $80
8. Power Supply: 500w rosewill PSU included in case
9. Cooling: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 6-Heatpipe CPU Heat Sink With Dual Noctua Fans - Socket 2011 $90
10. DVD Burner: SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner $19

Personally, id drop the dvd burner (considering as o.s. wasn't specified and they can now install via usb [hack or not] and steam/origin exists) to spend an extra 20 on the video card or to get a different case and a better psu.

Includes a copy of Dirt 3
All prices rounded up to the nearest dollar.
I didnt bother to use combo deals because they are not always around.
Total before shipping and without rebates: $1499.00


 
is it soooooo hard to read directions?

and why on earth would you link to a product that is discontinued/out of stock/ or a one day shell shocker sale?
 
jplelko's Pyro X2
Motherboard & Processor: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Mobo and Core i7-3930k -> $894.98 (after $45 combo save)
Ram: G.Skill Ripjaws 4x4GB DDR3 1333 -> $74.99
Graphics Card: ASUS Radeon HD 6850 -> $159.99
*Comes with Dirt3 Game Coupon for free with purchase (value:$49.99)
Hard Drive: Patriot Pyro SSD 60GB (2ea for raid0) -> $211.98 ($105.99ea)
Case: NZXT GAMMA Classic Series -> $35.99
Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w -> $74.99
Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 -> $25.99
*Free LGA2011 Bracket, visit CM USA website.
DVD Burner: Samsung DVD Burner -> $18.99

Total: $1497.90

Rebates not included in total price:
Power supply $25
SSD $20 ea, $40
GFx Card $20
Total rebates: $85

Grand total if rebates counted: $1412.90

After I get the rebate money back:
Speakers: Logitech Z523 40 Watts RMS 2.1 Speaker System -> $69.99
Grand total after second spending spree: $1482.89
 
Name Declivever's Rigg

Motherboard and Processor is a Combo. $894.98

Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73930K
Combo = $894.98

Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Combo = $894.98

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBZL
Price = $84.99

Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX560 DCII TOP/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Price = $219.99

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Price = $109.99

Case: Sentey Optimus Extreme Division Tower Case 4x Fan LED/ 2 x USB / Multi Card Reader / Fan Control / 4 x Removeable Bays / Screwless
Price = $44.99

Fan Control: Sunbeam PL-RS-6 Rheosmart 6 Fan Controller 5.25" Bay 6 Channel 30W Fan Controller Panel (Black)
Price = $29.99

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R1 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+
Price = $34.99

Retention Bracket: COOLER MASTER RR-ACCY-2011-R1 Intel LGA2011 Retention Bracket for Hyper 212 EVO & Hyper 212 Plus
Price = $1.99

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-620 620W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Price = $76.00

Subtotal: $1,497.91

After S&H and Tax = $1,512.36

There is my try as of 11/17/11
 
Cory's Cool Component TUF Build
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E Combo $894.98
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard Combo (Price included with Processor)
RAM: Corsair XMS3 8GB DDR3 1600 $71.99
Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX460 DirectCU/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 460 1GB $169.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s $119.99
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 400R $99.99
Power Supply: Corsair TX650 V2 650 Watt $94.99
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus $25.99
Cooling: Cooler Master Intel LGA 2011 Bracket Adapter for Hyper Plus 212 $1.99
DVD Burner: Lite-On DVD Burner SATA $18.99

Total = $1498.90

My concepts behind this build besides the obvious of staying with the $1500 limit was;

1) Maximize system cooling

I chose a case that has excellent air flow, tons of silent and effective fans, plus a good deal of mesh in the case to allow for maximum air flow. On top of the cases cooling I went with both a power supply that has a large cooling fan (Corsair TX650 V2 650 Watt), and a video card that has excellent performance and has the extensive cooling built in, which would allow someone to overclock it nicely for a good graphics boost, then I chose the CPU cooler (Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus), because it has excellent heat transfer and can cool the Core i7-3930K nicely, with some overclocking potential, but obviously to max out the CPU water cooling or more would be needed, again not realistic in this price range/build.

2) Maximize system upgradability (future proof)

3) Maximize storage options from a realistic stand point

A SSD would be nice but is not realistic in this price range in this setup, a single SSD with 32GB or 64GB is not realistic because if someone were to purchase this build, they would barely have enough room to store 1-2 games after Windows, let alone any media. So I went with a 500GB Western Digital Drive, with 16MB cache and a 6Gb/s bus, with the issue affecting hard drive manufacturers, prices for hard drives are at a premium.
 
1. Dan’s Chilly Build
2. Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K $599.99
3. Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X79 Motherboard $339.99
4. RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X 16 GB Low Voltage $94.99
5. Graphics Card: ASUS Radeon HD 6850 $159.99
6. Hard Drive: Corsair Force 3 60 GB $109.99
7. Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite $49.99
8. Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze $89.99
9. Cooling: Corsair H60 $64.63
10. Additional Cooling: Scythe Slipstrem 500 RPM (3X) $23.85
11. Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 w/ ArctiClean kit $11.55

So I went with "Coolest" to mean most thermally sound. The case has a bottom loading PSU with ventilation in the floor to help keep PSU heat from heating up the rest of the rig. Two intake fans in the front bring in cool air while two exhaust fans in the top push out the hot air (nice front to back flow!). Hell, you can even add a fan in the bottom at a later time to increase flow towards the top of the system where the exhaust ports are. The additional rear fan included in the case can be combined with the Corsair H60 radiator to generate a "push/pull" system to hopefully increase heat dispersion from the CPU. Upgraded thermal paste with a cleaner to remove the old paste (probably a gimic, but for $6, why not?) should also help with keeping the CPU nice a cool even under load. Low voltage memory, a solid state drive and a Bronze certified PSU should help reduce heat production in the system. No storage drive because with music and video streaming services, mass storage is becoming obsolete. No optical drive for much of the same reason (direct download). If the judges think an optical is required (though it's not listed in the minimal specs), the thermal paste and one of the fans can be dropped to add an optical drive.

Total price as configured (with $45 CPU/Motherboard combo savings): 1499.96 (DAMN, nearly every penny!)

Best of luck to everyone!
 
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