Dac's No Frills Big Chills X79-R1
Motherboard + Processor COMBO:
ASUS Sabertooth X79 + Core i7-3930K: $894.98
CPU Cooler:
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO: $34.90
w/ Cooler Master LGA2011 Bracket Free Upgrade Program
I can't see why anyone would waste money on a closed-loop water cooling system when this performs on par for way less.
RAM:
Super Talent DDR3-1600 8GB (2x 4GB) x2: $83.98
Protip: RAM modules without gaudy obstructive heat spreaders cool slightly better, so these are very "cool" indeed.
Four modules minimum for quad channel on X79.
Don't let the "Value" designation fool you. Super Talent makes some serious no-frills RAM. Given the choice, I only buy Super Talent memory. Also, you don't always get the exact modules depicted. Some actually come with black PCBs
like these, which look so sick.
Graphics Card:
ASUS NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti: $244.99
I honestly would not settle for anything less for a X79 build like this. Of course there are cheaper 560 Tis, but Asus is Asus.
Hard Drive:
Crucial m4 64GB SSD 2.5": $115.95
Crucial makes reliable SSDs with solid performance with 64GB being the lowest I'll ever go in terms of a boot storage drive.
Power Supply:
FSP Group AURUM GOLD 500W: $93.99
In this day and age the quality-freak in me would not settle for anything less than 80+ Gold efficiency, which is a true mark of quality and value. And the fact that it looks really cool doesn't hurt either.
Case:
Cooler Master CM-690 II Advanced RC-692-KKN2: $87.55
And finally everything is stuffed into what can only be described as the coolest case in the universe. With everything you need and nothing that you don't, coupled with sleek, minimalist lines with near-ideal airflow, this is really the epitomy of no frills and big chills.
Total: $1556.34
This is my ideal build and I simply couldn't cut corners seeing as how the pure quality and sheer value of every component more than justifies an extra Benjamin. I think a truly cool build weighs in quality and value equally with budget.