Building my first BEAST

[Phiro3]

Alright so I need a really powerful PC for about $2000. I need it for school(heavy 3d rendering) and for gaming. I know close to nothing about building pcs but with the limited knowledge I posses I have put together a parts list. Could you guys take a quick look at it and tell me if its ok or not? Suggestions would be much appreciated. I just need to keep it as close to $2000 as I can. ok, here is the list:

OCZ OCZSSD2-1VTXPL120G Vertex Plus 2.5" Solid State Drive - 120GB, SATA II
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1068616&CatId=5300$159.99
$119.99
Western Digital WD1002FAEX 1TB Caviar Black Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gbs
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076939&CatId=2459
$79.99
*SILVERSTONE Strider Gold ST1200-G 1200W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified 100% Modular, Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256069
$289.99
ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771&cm_sp=Pers_ProductSimilar-_-13-131-771_4_AG-_-13-131-703
$169.99
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
$314.99
NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Newegg Exclusive Black Finish w/Orange Trim Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146073
$139.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 590 Classified
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=03G-P3-1598-AR&family=GeForce 500 Series Family&sw=
$729.99
CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX12GX3M3B1600C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233189
$89.99
SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-/ R 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model SH-B123L/RSBP LightScribe Support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151232
$64.99

Total:$1991.91 XD

 

[michxymi]

12GB is triple channel memory and 1155 socket works with Dual Channel memory, so you have to choose either a kit of 8GB or 16GB.

Other than that, I have to say do you really need that power? an i5 2500K and a gtx 580 / radeon hd 6970 can play everything today, and you can keep the rest for future upgrades...

 

[weezys_advocate]

Looks good, 1200watts PSU is abit overkill, you could use a good (80+) 850watt easily. but if you are happy with overkill as the psu will last multiple builds then it is fine. other than the ram issue mentioned above

 

[Why_Me]

Alright so I need a really powerful PC for about $2000. I need it for school(heavy 3d rendering) and for gaming. I know close to nothing about building pcs but with the limited knowledge I posses I have put together a parts list. Could you guys take a quick look at it and tell me if its ok or not? Suggestions would be much appreciated. I just need to keep it as close to $2000 as I can. ok, here is the list:

OCZ OCZSSD2-1VTXPL120G Vertex Plus 2.5" Solid State Drive - 120GB, SATA II
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1068616&CatId=5300$159.99
$119.99
Western Digital WD1002FAEX 1TB Caviar Black Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gbs
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076939&CatId=2459
$79.99
*SILVERSTONE Strider Gold ST1200-G 1200W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified 100% Modular, Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256069
$289.99
ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771&cm_sp=Pers_ProductSimilar-_-13-131-771_4_AG-_-13-131-703
$169.99
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
$314.99
NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Newegg Exclusive Black Finish w/Orange Trim Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146073
$139.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 590 Classified
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=03G-P3-1598-AR&family=GeForce 500 Series Family&sw=
$729.99
CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX12GX3M3B1600C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233189
$89.99
SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-/ R 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model SH-B123L/RSBP LightScribe Support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151232
$64.99

Total:$1991.91 XD

If you plan on going with that 590, then you want a board that has the NF200 bridge (runs dual cards @ x16) and you want to make sure that case can fit those cards. And like the poster michxymi pointed out, you have the wrong memory for that board. You want DDR3 Dual Channel 1.5v for that board. Like 2x4GB set of RAM.

Here's an example of a board with the NF200 bridge.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269 $289.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme7%20Gen3 <---- a better look at that board

 

[michxymi]

If you plan on going with that 590, then you want a board that has the NF200 bridge (runs dual cards @ x16) and you want to make sure that case can fit those cards. And like the poster michxymi pointed out, you have the wrong memory for that board. You want DDR3 Dual Channel 1.5v for that board. Like 2x4GB set of RAM.

Here's an example of a board with the NF200 bridge.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269 $289.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme7%20Gen3 <---- a better look at that board

Great choice. You can even go with two 6970 or two GTX 580. I think they perfom better that Dual Core brothers..

 

[Phiro3]

Ah thanks so much guys. Yeah I thought the power supply was a bit much but I didnt know which one i needed and I figured better too much than not enough.

 

[Why_Me]

Ah thanks so much guys. Yeah I thought the power supply was a bit much but I didnt know which one i needed and I figured better too much than not enough.

I would look at doing this...

Get a NF200 board (dual cards @ x16) and this board has the new PCI-E 3.0 slots for the new generation vid cards due out whenever.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269 $289.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Then one of these factory o/c gtx 580's

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121429 $499.99 - $469.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
ASUS ENGTX580 DCII/2DIS/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127579 $529.99
MSI N580GTX Lightning GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

A psu to push dual 580's in SLI. This one down below is manufactured by Enermax for LEPA and it's top of the line.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194083 $179.99 - $129.99 after mail-in rebate card
LEPA G900-MA 900W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Seeing how the 2600K has ZERO advantage over the 2500K in regards to gaming makes the 2500K the obvious choice.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.694806 $264.98 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9

 

[Phiro3]

Ok, I have updated the list to include a 850w PSu and this z68 mobo everyone is so fond of. The price came out to be the same but I'm hung up on which ram to get. the
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231468
OR
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143

Also, Would I need to do liquid cooling? I looked into it but it seems kinda expensive and complicated to set up. is it worth it?


OCZ OCZSSD2-1VTXPL120G Vertex Plus 2.5" Solid State Drive - 120GB, SATA II
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1068616&CatId=5300$159.99
$119.99

Western Digital WD1002FAEX 1TB Caviar Black Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gbs
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076939&CatId=2459
$79.99

XFX PRO850W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850 Watt Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207017
$159.99

ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269
$289.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
$314.99

NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Newegg Exclusive Black Finish w/Orange Trim Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146073
$139.99

EVGA GeForce GTX 590 Classified
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=03G-P3-1598-AR&family=GeForce%20500%20Series%20Family&sw=
$729.99

RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11D-8GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231468
OR
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143
$99.99

SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-/+R 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model SH-B123L/RSBP LightScribe Support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151232
$64.99

Total = $1999.91

 

[Phiro3]

Oh and can someone please explain the difference between the 2500k and 2600k? I've been reading and the thing I keep coming up with is that they are basically the same thing and there is no difference for gaming. But As I'm not only going to be gaming, I want to know if its worth it to go with the 2600k for overall performance. I'm working with voxel engines and fluid simulations so it gets to be really resource hungry when rendering large files.

 

[Why_Me]

Oh and can someone please explain the difference between the 2500k and 2600k? I've been reading and the thing I keep coming up with is that they are basically the same thing and there is no difference for gaming. But As I'm not only going to be gaming, I want to know if its worth it to go with the 2600k for overall performance. I'm working with voxel engines and fluid simulations so it gets to be really resource hungry when rendering large files.

The 2600K is hyper threaded and the 2500K is not. Check to see if the proggies you work with take advantage of hyper threading.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=287 <----- 2500K vs 2600K benchmarks

 

[Phiro3]

Oh wow thanks man. That really helps. Didn't even know that website existed lol

 

[Phiro3]

Thanks for your help everybody. I really Appreciate it.

 

[Phiro3]

Best answer selected by Phiro3.