BestConfigs Poll - High-End Intel Gaming PC

[Brett928S2]

Lol, this is a horrible thread. IMHO, yet a factual statement, high end gaming means 3x1080/1440/1600p. Anything less IS NOT HIGH END GAMING. That being said, none of these systems will do.

For a meer $300 more dual 7970 6gb is the way to go. STEP+TPC maxed skyrim easily eats up over 4gb vram on a 3x1440p system, trust me.

3 catleap q270 2b 2560x1440 overclocked to 135hz powered by 3960k and two sapphire toxic 7970 6gb is barely able to run bf3 at 90fps, youd need 4 7970's to get to the magic 120+fps. thats high end gaming, lol newbs

Hi

A 6gb 7970 is SO last year , lol

Think a pair of 6gb 7990`s....

Thats a gaming rig lol...

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

Hi

A 6gb 7970 is SO last year , lol

Think a pair of 6gb 7990`s....

Thats a gaming rig lol...

All the best Brett

Especially since everyone who has reviewed the 6GB 7970 has said that it was trash haha. Two of those PowerColor 7990's would look mighty sexy together, has anyone done a build like that yet? (By anyone, I mean anyone famous of course haha)

 

[Brett928S2]

Especially since everyone who has reviewed the 6GB 7970 has said that it was trash haha. Two of those PowerColor 7990's would look mighty sexy together, has anyone done a build like that yet? (By anyone, I mean anyone famous of course haha)

Hi

Well i do have two , but in different machines... I keep thinking about trying the two together in one machine, but cannot think of a game that would improve with two rather than one...

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

Hi

Well i do have two , but in different machines... I keep thinking about trying the two together in one machine, but cannot think of a game that would improve with two rather than one...

All the best Brett

Do it for the lolz! =P I just want to see how it would look honestly. They'd look nice on a red and black motherboard. I don't guess that we should talk about it here, but if you want PM me about them haha.

 

[nikoli707]

on the sharp 32" 4k monitor, would two power color 7990's be enough? FPS might be there but would 6gb or vram be enough? or would two tesla k20x be better?

 

[Brett928S2]

on the sharp 32" 4k monitor, would two power color 7990's be enough? FPS might be there but would 6gb or vram be enough? or would two tesla k20x be better?

Hi

2 x 7990 would be 12 gb..they are 6gb EACH

Mine runs 3 x 27 inch monitors...

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

on the sharp 32" 4k monitor, would two power color 7990's be enough? FPS might be there but would 6gb or vram be enough? or would two tesla k20x be better?

Is that monitor even out yet? Regardless 2 7990's will run the monitor fine. Just as Brett said, it's 6GB each card, just like the Telsa's. I don't think that you'll even use over 6GB total, unless you're running intense games. Also, Tesla's aren't graphics cards, they're only GPU accelerators. Meaning that they handle graphics work like a graphics card, but they don't output a picture. The card also depends on what kind of work you're doing, the only reason that you'll need a Tesla is for some HARDCORE graphics work.

 

[excella1221]

Hi

2 x 7990 would be 12 gb..they are 6gb EACH

Mine runs 3 x 27 inch monitors...

All the best Brett

No...

A 7990 is basically x2 3gb HD7970's on Crossfire.
VRAM does not stack, so x2 7990 will still have only a true 3gb of VRAM.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454-33-crossfire-faqs

But what about the memory? Can you SLI 7800GTX 256MB with it's 512MB version ?
For Nvidia cards,the general answer is no.
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ask_mmm013.html
"Another misconception is that the GeForce 7800 GTX (256MB) graphics cards and the GeForce 78000 GTX 512 graphics cards can be paired together. Since these graphics cards use different GPUs, they unfortunately CAN'T be paired together. Always refer the Learn More or Build sections of SLIZone."
So,you generally can't pair a 7800GTX 256 with 7800GTX 512 or GTX 460 768MB with its 1GB version unless you use some 3rd party applications(which isn't recommended).
However,if you manage to run these cards in SLI,then the model,with higher amount of RAM,will reduce it's RAM to match the other card.

For ATI cards,it's different.
As an example,you can Crossfire HD 5870 2GB with it's 1GB version (but again the 2GB version lowers it's memory to 1GB)

 

[DeusAres]

No...

A 7990 is basically x2 3gb HD7970's on Crossfire.
VRAM does not stack, so x2 7990 will still have only a true 3gb of VRAM.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454-33-crossfire-faqs

But what about the memory? Can you SLI 7800GTX 256MB with it's 512MB version ?
For Nvidia cards,the general answer is no.
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_ask_mmm013.html
"Another misconception is that the GeForce 7800 GTX (256MB) graphics cards and the GeForce 78000 GTX 512 graphics cards can be paired together. Since these graphics cards use different GPUs, they unfortunately CAN'T be paired together. Always refer the Learn More or Build sections of SLIZone."
So,you generally can't pair a 7800GTX 256 with 7800GTX 512 or GTX 460 768MB with its 1GB version unless you use some 3rd party applications(which isn't recommended).
However,if you manage to run these cards in SLI,then the model,with higher amount of RAM,will reduce it's RAM to match the other card.

For ATI cards,it's different.
As an example,you can Crossfire HD 5870 2GB with it's 1GB version (but again the 2GB version lowers it's memory to 1GB)

+1 VRAM doesn't stack; however, I think a single 7990 still has 6GB of VRAM. I do believe 7990s are comprised of 2 6GB 7970s...or at least this one seems to be...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131483&Tpk=hd%207990

 

[excella1221]

Interesting, Newegg is advertising it as x2 6b 394-bit.

If that's true, then that would be a much better buy than the 690.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

Each adapter (both primary and secondary) on my 7990`s has 3gb EACH ..totaling 6gb ...

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

The 7990 has 6GB by itself, definitely. But what I'm getting is that if I were to get 2 7970's with 3GB each and put them in Crossfire, I would only have 3GB? Is that the same with SLI?

 

[excella1221]

^ Yes, and yes.

Brett, yes it totals 6gb of VRAM, but that doesn't change the fact that only 3gb is actually usable.

 

[Brett928S2]

^ Yes, and yes.

Brett, yes it totals 6gb of VRAM, but that doesn't change the fact that only 3gb is actually usable.

Hi

Not quite.... its 3 gb PER GPU

So yes its like having 2 x 7970`s with 3 gb on each card.... but its overclocked as well...

All the best Brett

 

[djangoringo]

Effective vram is 3GB, since it's mirrored, 2x3GB, manufacturers like to put the total ram(without explaining it that's mirrored), for marketing stunt, in the case of the 7990 which is in fact 3GB effective or like the 690 GTX that has 4GB, when in fact has 2GB(2x2GB) effective vram.

 

[Praxeology]

This thread, from start to finish, is painful for me to read. From implications regarding 7990 6GB of Vram being nice for multi-display setups(It only has 3GB of Vram; just as crossfire 7970 only have 3GB of Vram also...) to seeing a 690 in the top rated High-End Intel Build... It hurts... God help anyone who blows their 2k on a 690 build; Because everyone knows SLI 680 cannot out-perform, out-clock, and out-price a 690, the best price/performance vidya card evar crated!!!...

 

[nikoli707]

uhhh, high end shouldnt have a budget... when you say high end audio, high end home theater, high end computer, high end automobile(exotic car), it means high end, meaning at least 99%+. a computer is different obviously but to me a high end computer is at least $5000+ and uses at least 3 1440p+ monitors or at least one 4k monitor, all included in the budget.

 

[excella1221]

If there were no budget limit given, there would be no base of standards and people would just throw in the most expensive, irrational, and ridiculous of builds.

 

[nikoli707]

very true, very true

so a little more modest i think a build should include either one 1440p monitor($350-750) or thee 1080p monitors($350-750).

at the very least, 1080p is definitely NOT high end gaming and thats been the case for at least a year.

i think that might possibly be budgetable for 2 grand.

 

[pvets]

If there were no budget limit given, there would be no base of standards and people would just throw in the most expensive, irrational, and ridiculous of builds.

In reading the title for this post, I think it states (para phrase) "HIGH END BUILD" I think that means no limit..... to me if you have the money to spend on a high end build ..... get ridiculous and very expensive!

 

[inzone]

A high end build for $2000 is a resonably priced high end computer and perhaps there needs to be a "Super High End Build" catagory with a higher budget , maybe $3000. That way people that do have more to spend on thier dream machine can look at some great builds.
I know that when I build or rebuild my computer it falls in the "Extreme Super Very High End Build" catagory. Current computer is in my sig.

 

[Brett928S2]

A high end build for $2000 is a resonably priced high end computer and perhaps there needs to be a "Super High End Build" catagory with a higher budget , maybe $3000. That way people that do have more to spend on thier dream machine can look at some great builds.
I know that when I build or rebuild my computer it falls in the "Extreme Super Very High End Build" catagory. Current computer is in my sig.

Hi

I agree.... my shops which build HIGH end gaming machines have a starting price of £3000/$4600 (plus)

All the best Brett

 

[asalikus]

Hi

I agree.... my shops which build HIGH end gaming machines have a starting price of £3000/$4600 (plus)

All the best Brett

Whoo, when did you become Moderator?

 

[Brett928S2]

Whoo, when did you become Moderator?

Hi

A week or so ago... lol

Just shows there is hope for you all...lol

All the best Brett

 

[asalikus]

Haha, good luck with that!

Hi

A week or so ago... lol

Just shows there is hope for you all...lol

All the best Brett