First time PC build--Need help getting best build i can for $2000.

[FLAkiller]

Hello Everyone,

I am finally making the investment of getting my first custom rig.

My PC uses include the following:

-Gaming (Starcraft, all mobas, Diablo 3, and more now that ill have a decent rig to play them on)
-Architecture Modeling (Sketchup, Rhino, 3DSmax)
-Architecture Rendering via Vray
-Post Processing visualizations (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign)

The current budget is set at $2000 but is somewhat flexible, as I am trying to get a build that has longevity and room to upgrade.

The absolute MAX build for right now is $2500--note that the build below includes LED Corsair fans that i will be getting at a later date.

The setup I am looking for is a dual monitor build, but used primarily for multi-tasking and gaming to be on one monitor for the time being, until further upgrades with a 980ti sli.

I do plan to be overclocking the machine so do also keep that in mind.

My current build can be seen at the link below:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bw4nRB


If you have any recommendations on maybe to lower the build from $2500 down to $2000 without sacrificing quality please let me know. I did try to include as much as i could in the build above even down to all the small little things such as good thermal paste and additional aftermarket cables.

I do tend to keep all the parts within 1-2 different manufacturers but not necessarily needed.

The only real must have in the build is a 980ti since i plan to run a 980ti sli in the future but not for now.

Thanks for taking the time to look into the build and look forward to seeing the responses!

 

[Karsten75]

The way to save a ton of money, but to be near your current rig in performance is as follows: Oh, and that is a low-end monitor. No-one still games at 1080 on a high-end rig. And you sure as heck don't need 2 x GTX 980 Ti in SLI to run 2 1080 monitors. But, good monitors are expensive, so you may sink all your "savings" into a decent monitor.

Problem is there s a split between professional monitors and gaming monitors and you will want to decide what is most important. IPS works best for "professional work", but they don't get the refresh rates and 1-2MS refresh times of TN monitors that have color issues and problems with small viewing angles. So decide first if you want to save some cost on the rig (which I advise) and then decide on the monitor. But don't get that low-end Asus unless you plan to toss it out before you go SLi.

I'll make a few comments as I go along before I post the build I'm working up.

1. Do you really need a full-tower case?

2. Windows 10 can be ordered (and installs from) a USB stick. Saves a DVD reader. Then you can also have a much slicker-looking case such as the NZXT 440 (If I recall the model correctly). Even iif not, a mid-tower case can easily install 2 graphics cards.

I'd not run 2 GTX 980 Ti cards with that power supply. If I model the rig with 2 980 Ti cards, I get to 728W and that's too close for comfort.

The mobo I recommend has WiFi Integrated (saves on PCI-e slots) as well as saves money between a separate add-in card.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DYgtD3

 

[Exeonx]

2 Recommendations:

I'd suggest a high end-air cooler like the Noctua NH-D15 which is both cheaper, safer and actually preforms better then the 105 from corsair according to benchmarks

The second suggestion is to change that power supply, corsair isn't a good brand for PSU's, and it's too light for 980GTX TI SLI, to be safe i'd recommend the EVGA Supernova G2 850W model

 

[FLAkiller]

The way to save a ton of money, but to be near your current rig in performance is as follows: Oh, and that is a low-end monitor. No-one still games at 1080 on a high-end rig. And you sure as heck don't need 2 x GTX 980 Ti in SLI to run 2 1080 monitors. But, good monitors are expensive, so you may sink all your "savings" into a decent monitor.

Problem is there s a split between professional monitors and gaming monitors and you will want to decide what is most important. IPS works best for "professional work", but they don't get the refresh rates and 1-2MS refresh times of TN monitors that have color issues and problems with small viewing angles. So decide first if you want to save some cost on the rig (which I advise) and then decide on the monitor. But don't get that low-end Asus unless you plan to toss it out before you go SLi.

I'll make a few comments as I go along before I post the build I'm working up.

1. Do you really need a full-tower case?

2. Windows 10 can be ordered (and installs from) a USB stick. Saves a DVD reader. Then you can also have a much slicker-looking case such as the NZXT 440 (If I recall the model correctly). Even iif not, a mid-tower case can easily install 2 graphics cards.

I'd not run 2 GTX 980 Ti cards with that power supply. If I model the rig with 2 980 Ti cards, I get to 728W and that's too close for comfort.

The mobo I recommend has WiFi Integrated (saves on PCI-e slots) as well as saves money between a separate add-in card.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DYgtD3

Keep in mind that this is the start to a build that will mature over time.

Currently, i have a free 1080p monitor that i will be pairing with the Asus monitor--mostly for gaming purposes.

Also, note that the main focus of the rig will be for gaming just wanted to throw out that i will use it for architecture as well.

The case is subject to change and am open to all solutions.

A dvd reader will be needed as that will be the only way of watching DVDs at home.

Good eye on the psu i totally forgot to verify the total W needed for sli and will be getting 850W for sure.

 

[Karsten75]

Keep in mind that this is the start to a build that will mature over time.

I really don't understand what this means or how it should affect component recommendations. IMHO, one builds to a specific level and after that, at most add some RAM, maybe upgrade the graphics, and add one or more storage devices. The core components aren't really that lexible.

Currently, i have a free 1080p monitor that i will be pairing with the Asus monitor--mostly for gaming purposes.

Also, note that the main focus of the rig will be for gaming just wanted to throw out that i will use it for architecture as well.

The case is subject to change and am open to all solutions.

A dvd reader will be needed as that will be the only way of watching DVDs at home.

Good eye on the psu i totally forgot to verify the total W needed for sli and will be getting 850W for sure.

Well, to throw the best part of $300 at a low-end monitor, just because you have a "free" monitor, doesn't really make sense. The current sweet spot for gaming is around 1400. There are some really good, high-quality gaming monitors around there for about $500. But be that as it may - it's your money.

For the PSU, I won't go to 850W. I look at the efficiency curves for PSUs and like to aim for keeping them in the 60% range. They run more efficiently and cooler, adding less noise from their fans to the overall build. However, in most cases, I find that most computers don't really run anywhere close to the stated maximums - the rig I'm on right now, is running at 212W, for instance. (There's some simulation in the background or it would have run at maybe 180W).

If you have no urgency, I'd maybe consider holding off and see whet Xeon's Intel brings to the table with the Skylake architecture. It is my opinion that Intel does almost everybody a disservice by having the i5- and i7 range all have integrated graphics processors (IGP). Hardly any gamer or professional does not install a graphics card. Looking back at the full Haswell line, the i7-4770K was the high-end model. The Xeon E3-1231 V3 (without the integrated graphics) had the same performance, for 4W (5%) less power, and about $100 less in cost. It is likely that there will be a similar Skylake Xeon.

While they can't be overclocked, I believe overclocking on the whole is overrated and is more of a game than a serious pursuit It increases power and cooling dramatically (which in turn increases noise levels), yields little improvement outside benchmarks and may shorten the life of the processor.

So your call. If you need to build today, I'd recommend a Haswell Xeon, putting the savings on the processor to use on other components. If you can wait, I'd look at what Xeon brings to the table - most likely in 2Q16 or thereabouts.

Here is the Intel chart comparing i7 to the Xeons I mentioned.

http://ark.intel.com/compare/75123,80909,80910,75048

 

[wcushing75]

I like the Thermaltake Core V71 Case for great cooling and future expansion. The I5 Devils Canyon cpu and the Asus z97-a motherboard with at least 16gb of ram in the 2133 mhz to 2400 mhz range with a swiftech liquid cooler 1 EVGA GTX 980 and a nice psu like a Thermaltake 700 watt. And I'm liking the Samsung ssd's for the main drive. I personally use a razer mouse and keyboard and a 24 inch monitor with 2ms response time. If you get the core V71 case don't forget to buy the 4th 200 mm fan. Oh and I use Zalman thermal paste.