Machine/Deep Learning and Gaming Build

[Nick Buchny]

I've been doing research into machine learning for astrophysics and my laptop is no longer cutting it. I'd normally just use AWS instances given my budget, but I'd also like to be able to game/watch movies on it as well.

I'm in Canada, this is my second time building a machine (first was very cheap and not liquid cooled however) my budget is ~$2300 CAD including monitor after rebates.

I'm an Intel and Nvidia fanboy so I'd prefer those components, otherwise I'm fuelled by bang for buck.

My priority is research first, then gaming, then movies, I'd also like to be able to enter the world of 4k video.

I don't really care too much about visuals however I'd like to be able to see inside the case.

Should I be worried about GPU heat given stock case fans? In a few months I may consider getting another GPU given my job standing.

Are these components likely to change in price anytime soon? I'm noticing they fluctuate a lot and if I can save a couple hundred by waiting a few weeks I could.

Don't need: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers/Headphones, Cables, Wifi/Network Adapter

Parts list:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/QM4BFd

 

[esco_sid]

Dont bother with liquid cooling and you need quality PSU.

I would also research if you really need the 32GB of ram it really depends on the applications you use.

Why 2SSD ? 1 is better raid for ssds does not provide much.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($419.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.75 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($125.98 @ NCIX)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($214.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($174.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($809.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Corsair Carbide 400C ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ NCIX)
Monitor: AOC U2879VF 28.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor ($384.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $2400.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-28 14:28 EST-0500

 

[hdmark]

I would replace the 2 SSD's with a single 500gb, bump up the PSU to a 600W (to be cautious, probably not needed), and replace the water cooler with a high performance air cooler (not necessary, but i dont trust water cooling after reading too many bad reviews).

other than that it does look good.

im not sure about price changes. i think with the holidays done they will most likely stay consistent until the next generation of hardware.

as for the cpu itself, you MIGHT want to look at which programs you'll be using and see if one of the CPU's with more cores wouldnt be better. Im thinking one of the x99 i7's. I have no idea if more than a 6700k is better, but worth researching.

also, for the GPU, might want to look into the program you are using again to see if 2 GPU's in SLI wouldnt be more powerful. Worth at least seeing if maybe 2 1070's wouldnt learn faster than a 1080. i doubt it, but i have no idea how those programs work.

 

[Nick Buchny]

@esco_sid Yes I'm debating the two harddrives, originally I wanted one for windows and one for ubuntu. In terms of the RAM some of the datasets that need to be fit into memory are quite large and some applications require a lot of in memory manipulation. Any reason why you chose the Corsaire memory instead of G.Skill?

@hdmark Yes I think I'll go with the better Gold PSU, however I've heard quite good things about liquid cooling so I'm not sure which decision I'll go with. From what I've read thusfar, one 1080 will perform significantly better than 2 1070s as Nvidia has began to tailor the architecture to deep learning in the newer models. However I plan on getting a second in the future.

 

[esco_sid]

@esco_sid Yes I'm debating the two harddrives, originally I wanted one for windows and one for ubuntu. In terms of the RAM some of the datasets that need to be fit into memory are quite large and some applications require a lot of in memory manipulation. Any reason why you chose the Corsaire memory instead of G.Skill?

@hdmark Yes I think I'll go with the better Gold PSU, however I've heard quite good things about liquid cooling so I'm not sure which decision I'll go with. From what I've read thusfar, one 1080 will perform significantly better than 2 1070s as Nvidia has began to tailor the architecture to deep learning in the newer models. However I plan on getting a second in the future.

I choose the corsair because price is marginally more but its CAS latency is 13 instead of the 15.
as far as the SSD you can just make 2 partitions on it and Samsung drivers are generally a lot better than other brands but you could get 2 if that's what you really want but it can limit you in some ways such as ubuntu should need a lot less space but it will be still on the 240 i generally would probably split the 500 partition into like 350/150 sizing.

 

[hdmark]

@esco_sid Yes I'm debating the two harddrives, originally I wanted one for windows and one for ubuntu. In terms of the RAM some of the datasets that need to be fit into memory are quite large and some applications require a lot of in memory manipulation. Any reason why you chose the Corsaire memory instead of G.Skill?

@hdmark Yes I think I'll go with the better Gold PSU, however I've heard quite good things about liquid cooling so I'm not sure which decision I'll go with. From what I've read thusfar, one 1080 will perform significantly better than 2 1070s as Nvidia has began to tailor the architecture to deep learning in the newer models. However I plan on getting a second in the future.

im guessing corsair was cheaper.

i would look into the PSU requirements for 2 1080's then and buy the larger PSU up front. no sense having to buy another one down the road.
is there a way to partition a SSD to run half ubuntu and half windows ? or mabye 3 partitions where 1 is windows 1 is ubuntu and 1 is common storage? no idea how to do any of that 😛 but ideally, aim for a single drive unless it doesnt make sense. also, i would look to add a large HDD as your storage for the large data sets im assuming you'll have.

lastly, liquid cooling is good, but google "liquid cooling horror story" or "liquid cooling failure" and then tell me what you think.
plus ive heard that the all in one coolers are not even as good as the air coolers at similar price points. id imagine a massive air cooler would be a better investment for your needs. and potentially quieter due to the lack of pump and larger fans turning slower.

good luck with your work !

 

[Nick Buchny]

Thank you for your suggestions! I went with the sticks of RAM @esco suggested, as well as this power supply:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/g63RsY/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr

I'm also going with the Coolermaster Fan that's at the top of the list instead of liquid cooling for now I guess. Since it's my first I'll wait for a cheaper build to try it out.

I'm just going to get one of the ADATA harddrives for my laptop and use the 500 GB Samsung 850 Evo I have in my laptop for the computer. I also have some HDD for backup and storage already!

 

[ScrewySqrl]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($406.50 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.75 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB TURBO Video Card ($779.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($117.98 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor: AOC U2879VF 28.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor ($384.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($32.54 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $2376.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-28 17:00 EST-0500

 

[Nick Buchny]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($406.50 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.75 @ Vuugo)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB TURBO Video Card ($779.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($117.98 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor: AOC U2879VF 28.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor ($384.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($32.54 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $2376.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-28 17:00 EST-0500

Thanks for your input, although I don't believe you fully read my post.

 

[esco_sid]

Thank you for your suggestions! I went with the sticks of RAM @esco suggested, as well as this power supply:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/g63RsY/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr

I'm also going with the Coolermaster Fan that's at the top of the list instead of liquid cooling for now I guess. Since it's my first I'll wait for a cheaper build to try it out.

I'm just going to get one of the ADATA harddrives for my laptop and use the 500 GB Samsung 850 Evo I have in my laptop for the computer. I also have some HDD for backup and storage already!

Thats a g1 series PSU id go with g2 or g3.

 

[Nick Buchny]

Thank you for your suggestions! I went with the sticks of RAM @esco suggested, as well as this power supply:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/g63RsY/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr

I'm also going with the Coolermaster Fan that's at the top of the list instead of liquid cooling for now I guess. Since it's my first I'll wait for a cheaper build to try it out.

I'm just going to get one of the ADATA harddrives for my laptop and use the 500 GB Samsung 850 Evo I have in my laptop for the computer. I also have some HDD for backup and storage already!

Thats a g1 series PSU id go with g2 or g3.

What do you think about?

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/MfJwrH/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr

Should be good for SLI in future.