BestConfigs Poll - High-End Intel Gaming PC

[jpishgar]

It's time to vote on your favorite build for this category!

Please see below for a list of the choices available.

mox141's Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: TUNIQ Tower 120 Extreme 90.7 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77 MPOWER ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 330 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($103.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($477.86 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($477.86 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Lanboy air Yellow ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1943.63
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-20 09:43 EST-0500)


Mjmj's No Microstutter Build

Processor: Intel i5 3570k 220$

Motherboard: Asrock Z77 WS 250$

RAM: Patriot Viper 3 8gb 1600mhz 37$

Graphics Card: EVGA GTX 660 Ti FTW 285$
Graphics Card: EVGA GTX 660 Ti FTW 285$
Graphics Card: EVGA GTX 660 Ti FTW 285$

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 50$

SSD: Samsung 840 250gb 180$

Case: COOLER MASTER Storm Stryker 130$

Power Supply: Seasonic X-1050 1050W 200$

Cooling: Noctua NH-U9B 55$

DVD Burner: LG 24x DVD Burner 17$
Total=1994$

Django's Green 3D VISION SURROUND Build
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K $319.99
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 $159.99
RAM: G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB 1600 $54.99
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX690 4096MB $999.99
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 2 TB $89.99
SSD: SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series 128GB $154.99
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 $99.99
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Series Green 750W 80 PLUS BRONZE $69.99
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $29.99
DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc 24X DVD Burner $18.99

Total : 1998,9$ (all parts with free shipping and not including rebates).

The Dauntless
CPU: Intel i5 3570k for $219.99 @ Newegg
HSF: Xigmatek GAIA SD1283 for $1.99 @ Newegg with CPU Combo
Mobo: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper 3 for $249.99 @ Newegg
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 kit for $34.99 @ Newegg
GPU: XFX Double D Radeon HD 7970 for $329.99 @ Newegg
GPU: XFX Double D Radeon HD 7970 for $329.99 @ Newegg
GPU: XFX Double D Radeon HD 7970 for $329.99 @ Newegg
SSD: Samsung 830 Series 128GB SSD for $99.99 @ Amazon
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM HDD for $49.99 @ Newegg
Case: BitFenix Colossus White for $149.99 @ Newegg
PSU: XFX ProSeries P1-1050-BEFX 1050W Gold for $172.99 @ Newegg
ODD: Samsung SH-224BB/RSBS DVD-RW for $16.99 @ Newegg

Total: $1986.88


Angaddev's BEAST Rev.2
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition 89.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($407.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($407.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Blue ATX Full Tower Case ($174.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS524-T98A DVD/CD Writer ($23.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2006.36
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-03 09:48 EST-0500)

 

[techbaddie]

I just don't understand the reason for 2 680's when you can get the 690...

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

7990 x 2 ...

All the best Brett

 

[Cyricc]

These are all bad IMO. Why put anything in SLI or crossfire? A single 670 or 7970 with an aftermarket cooler gets you over 60fps on any game you can name. When the next generation comes out now you have to replace 2 cards, just pointless I think...

 

[ojas]

Some of the items are discontinued, some of them are much costlier than listed...(especially the dauntless, it should cost $250 to $300 more)...

Anyway, three are still very good builds...

 

[Pizzaa]

I like mjmj's build, mainly because Nvidia has less microstuttering (imo from personal experience), and I like the 250gb of SSD storage. However, I do like how Django has a single 690, since he can always toss in another 690 or 680 later for a somewhat cheaper upgrade comparatively. All of them look like builds that I wish I had the budget for though...

 

[Neve12ende12]

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-3820 Quad-Core 3.6 GHz 10MB Intel Smart Cache LGA2011 (All Venom OC Certified)
CPU COOLER: CORSAIR Hydro Series H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
MOTHERBOARD: (4-Way SLI Support) GIGABYTE X79-UP4 Intel X79 Chipset Quad Channel DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ 3D UEFI Bios, Ultra Durable 5, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III RAID, 4 Gen3 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1 & 1 PCI
MEMORY: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengence)
STORAGE: 1TB WD SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 10,000PM HDD (Single Drive)
VIDEO CARD:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 4GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card (EVGA Super Clocked)
CASE:Azza Hurrican 2000 Full Tower Gaming Case with 4 Hot Swappable HDD Cage & (4) 230MM Fans (8 Fans Total)
POWER SUPPLY: 1,000 Watts - Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 80 Plus Power Supply ( 80 Plus Gold)
OPTICAL DRIVE: Sony 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive
SOUND: Logitec Z-506 7.1 Surround Sound
MONITOR: 23" ViewSonic 3D LED

Total Price: ~$2,100

I have to update the price and maybe the CPU Cooler when I get home, I don't have the paperwork in front of me.

 

[SirGCal]

I agree with others, I wouldn't go with any of these builds myself. Though partially because I'm far pickier about my brand selection from historical reliability.

 

[Onus]

It's next to impossible to end up with a bad experience on this kind of money. I agree with Cyricc. I see a lot more money than sense in these.
I'll vote for Dauntless though, the default winner for giving no money to a provably dishonest company (CM).

 

[ojas]

I'll vote for Dauntless though, the default winner for giving no money to a provably dishonest company (CM).

What? Why? Those prices aren't even correct!

Best of luck fitting in 3 7970s within 2k.

 

[ckholt83]

The prices were correct at the time of submission. I asked how they intended to handle shifting market values, I think in the budget intel thread, but never received an explanation.

Personally, I think the submission window should be much smaller and not during the holiday season, because that's when we tend to see the most erratic prices. There's no way to keep prices from changing, but you can at least mitigate some of the more extreme variances.

 

[ckholt83]

These are all bad IMO. Why put anything in SLI or crossfire? A single 670 or 7970 with an aftermarket cooler gets you over 60fps on any game you can name. When the next generation comes out now you have to replace 2 cards, just pointless I think...

Multiple displays, the only reason you'd really need to drop 2 grand on your PC. You might be more interested in the budget gaming rigs.

 

[ojas]

The prices were correct at the time of submission. I asked how they intended to handle shifting market values, I think in the budget intel thread, but never received an explanation.

Personally, I think the submission window should be much smaller and not during the holiday season, because that's when we tend to see the most erratic prices. There's no way to keep prices from changing, but you can at least mitigate some of the more extreme variances.

Yeah...not only the submission window, but the actual polling as well. They started a good month later.

But, idk, i kind of made allowances for this in all of my builds; as of yesterday, my cheapest entry was $10 less and the most expensive was $65 more than what it was on the 16th of December, the rest were in between.

And this is without rebates.

Even the 690 build above hasn't varied much.

Anyway. They were late with the whole thing this time. The competition would have been much fairer had this been done in the July to September period. Or even october, to allow for AMD's chips to come out.

Maybe they waited till the end of the year so that all GPUs and CPUs from Intel, Nvidia and AMD came out? Anyway, it backfired. November-January should be a strict "NO" for Best Configs; and it should start and finish (including voting) in the same month.

 

[Cyricc]

Multiple displays, the only reason you'd really need to drop 2 grand on your PC. You might be more interested in the budget gaming rigs.

Well that's a decent point but personally I have never seen the point in gaming on a multiple display setup. Also when you go 2 or 3 displays you need a lot more VRAM, which SLI and Crossfire do not give any benefit to. My own rig cost around $1700 for parts and I have a 24" 1900x1200 display. I find my self often looking at different parts of the screen because it is so large, to have 2 or 3 of these would be a huge pain on my neck and eyes. I'm only speaking for myself .

 

[asalikus]

I just don't understand the reason for 2 680's when you can get the 690...

It's faster, that's why.

 

[Brett928S2]

It's faster, that's why.

Hi

Then get the 7990 , which is faster than them all...

All the best Brett

 

[asalikus]

Not faster than two separate 7970s.

Hi

Then get the 7990 , which is faster than them all...

All the best Brett

 

[Brett928S2]

Not faster than two separate 7970s.

Hi

It IS 2 x 7970s on one card....

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

Hi

It IS 2 x 7970s on one card....

All the best Brett

2 7970s would be faster than a single 7990. Just like 2 separate 680s is faster than a 690.

 

[Brett928S2]

2 7970s would be faster than a single 7990. Just like 2 separate 680s is faster than a 690.

Hi

Nope...see Toms review...a single 7990 IS the fastest card in the world ...and beats 2 x 7970s ...

All the best Brett

 

[BloodyDream3]

Hi

Nope...see Toms review...a single 7990 IS the fastest card in the world ...and beats 2 x 7970s ...

All the best Brett

The HIS 7970 X2 isn't released yet. Dual 7970s beats the PowerColor variant.

http://wccftech.com/his-radeon-hd-7970-x2-unveiled-benchmarked/
Different site, but it shows Tom's benchmarks.

 

[Brett928S2]

The HIS 7970 X2 isn't released yet. Dual 7970s beats the PowerColor variant.

http://wccftech.com/his-radeon-hd-7970-x2-unveiled-benchmarked/
Different site, but it shows Tom's benchmarks.

Hi

You need to actually read Toms article on the 7990....

And if that card was ever going to be sold it would be out by now (and in my shops) ...I would guess it never will....


All the best Brett

 

[thefezmaster]

Go for the first one, the GTX680 by itself is amazing!

 

[BloodyDream3]

Hi

You need to actually read Toms article on the 7990....

And if that card was ever going to be sold it would be out by now (and in my shops) ...I would guess it never will....


All the best Brett

I've read the article, I've also read multiple other sites that have said that dual 7970 GHz beats a 7990. The PowerColor 7990's aren't GHz Edition 7970's, so they're not as fast. They beat regular 7970 CrossFire, but not GHz. Asus is releasing one soon that has 7970 GHz, that should be interesting.
Yeah, I figured that it won't be sold.

 

[nikoli707]

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