System Builder Marathon, August 2012: Alternative $2000 Gaming PC

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Hats off! I like the build and I like at after spending 2k one could keep this monster going by adding a 3rd or 4th gpu. Not only that, you still have room to drop in a i7 when the time comes. I think a rig like this one will become more and more relevant.

 
Great to see you guys try a rig designed for triple monitor gaming, thank you! It'd be great to see you do this more often in the SBMs. Maybe a once-a-year special category for something like a ~$1500 triple monitor gaming powerhouse? I realize it's essentially the $1000 build + better graphics, but it will increase people's awareness as to just how little money can be spent to get playable triple-monitor resolutions. Maybe there will be better support in games as well. It is a very good thing for PCs and PC gaming.
 
You can get two high-end GPUs, an i7, 240GB SSD, 16GB RAM, and Blu-ray burner in a $2000 build. Proof --

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K $339.99
Cooler: COOLER MASTER V6 $57.99
Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $134.99
RAM: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 $85.99
GPU: DIAMOND Radeon HD 7970 x2 $819.98
SSD: Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 240GB SATA III $179.99
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM $84.99
Optical: LG Blu-ray burner $69.99
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred $99.99
PSU: RAIDMAX 850W 80 PLUS GOLD $119.99

Total: $1993.89

The writers are always making it seem like you have to make huge compromises with a $2000 build. You don't have to --there are no compromises here compared to original build except the CPU, but you get the extra GPU most readers were asking for.
 
[citation][nom]hapkido[/nom]You can get two high-end GPUs, an i7, 240GB SSD, 16GB RAM, and Blu-ray burner in a $2000 build. Proof --CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K $339.99Cooler: COOLER MASTER V6 $57.99Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $134.99RAM: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 $85.99GPU: DIAMOND Radeon HD 7970 x2 $819.98SSD: Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 240GB SATA III $179.99HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM $84.99Optical: LG Blu-ray burner $69.99Case: Antec Eleven Hundred $99.99PSU: RAIDMAX 850W 80 PLUS GOLD $119.99Total: $1993.89The writers are always making it seem like you have to make huge compromises with a $2000 build. You don't have to --there are no compromises here compared to original build except the CPU, but you get the extra GPU most readers were asking for.[/citation]

Two 7950s would have similar overclocking performance (probably better because some of the cheapest 7950s are the HIS models and those are probably a little better than Diamond 7970s at overclocking) for a lot less money. Also, I don't like the newer Samsung hard drives because they are now simply re-branded Seagate Barracudas and aren't nearly as good as the older Samsung drives. I'd go with Western Digital instead. The money saved from the 7950s could go to a better PSU, HDD, and SSD.

Regardless, that is still a great build. However, it is still compromising CPU performance for graphics performance, just not as much.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]Actually, this one is the fake[/citation]
Hmmm, the thumbs aren't in agreement. But you're right - for the readers who need CPU power, the 3570k isn't it. But wasn't the entire point of the alternative build to game on three monitors? Bench suite aside - clearly this is a gaming build designed for upgrading to triple or quad SLI. This is why if Tom's runs a system like this in the SBM, it should have it's own category. Obviously comparing it's multi-threaded app performance against the other $2000 build is clearly a mismatch.

[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]It's nothing more than an expensive toy[/citation]
That sounds a lot like a disgruntled reader suffering from a string of bad BMs. 😉
 
well i have decided to expand on my idea with three 7950 with boost this what i got

Not good at hyper linking but here i go
3570k at 230 seems fine
3570k at 230 seems fine 230
Gigabyte mobo at 189 is good enough
Gigabyte mobo at 189 is good enough 189
3x ice turbo should be adequate for cooling
3x ice turbo should be adequate for cooling 900
can't go wrong with that case
can't go wrong with that case 97
One of the best ssd's around
One of the best ssd's around 200
Solid 2 tb drive works well
Solid 2 tb drive works well 115
good ram
good ram 92
Finally a solid psu
Finally a solid psu 165
this totals out my build to 1987
So a little bit under budget. Not sure the performance on it but for gaming i think it would do very well
 
[citation][nom]demigodz[/nom]well i have decided to expand on my idea with three 7950 with boost this what i got Not good at hyper linking but here i go3570k at 230 seems fine 230Gigabyte mobo at 189 is good enough 1893x ice turbo should be adequate for cooling 900can't go wrong with that case 97One of the best ssd's around 200Solid 2 tb drive works well 115good ram 92Finally a solid psu 165this totals out my build to 1987So a little bit under budget. Not sure the performance on it but for gaming i think it would do very well[/citation]
i failed
 

Thank you i fixed it well i was just wondering what people thought this one is ONLY for gaming. I forgot a cooler i would use the one they have with the build.
 




It was just an example to the disprove the article's reasoning. You can modify the brands as necessary.

It's almost like they decided to completely go the other way with things because readers complained about the first build. In an effort to prove us wrong, they went from 12 cpu threads to 4 instead of 8, gave up 8GB RAM, and took out the Blu-ray drive when they didn't have to. Then were like, "Yep, we were right. The one our readers wanted us to build isn't as good." But, they didn't build what we wanted them to.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! If you're willing to sacrifice a little graphics muscle, you can fit a i7-3970k into a $2000 computer and still have something that should game better than a GTX 670 with the added benefit of more GPU-compute performance. Just take these parts and replace what's in my first build.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K $569.99
Cooler: XIGMATEK Dark Knight II $49.99
Mobo: ASRock X79 EXTREME4-M $214.19
GPU: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7870 x2 $519.98

Total: $1995.89
 
This is a good build, it's right up my ally. Tom's doesn't mention anything about the Korean IPS monitor craze.? 3 2560x1440 monitors is around $1,000. The Catleaps with tempered glass are going for $300. We need a Tom's review of this stuff.
 


Excellent point. Looking back on what I said, I suppose it could have been taken as trying to make the implications of what you said to be underwhelming despite what you have here being excellent reasoning and well-thought out.
 
[citation][nom]Nills[/nom]This is a good build, it's right up my ally. Tom's doesn't mention anything about the Korean IPS monitor craze.? 3 2560x1440 monitors is around $1,000. The Catleaps with tempered glass are going for $300. We need a Tom's review of this stuff.[/citation]Ah yes, 1440, and you're getting closer to a screen size that might actually look OK with three screens in portrait mode.

But really, I'm going to want my bezels at least 18" apart to reduce my loss of focus.
 
Talk about room for the future, the Antec 1100 is a huge case. I guess if you were planing on quad SLI in the you would want something this beastly though. Great build/review, feel free to box her up and ship my way when your done. :)
 
"Before anyone starts shooting these components choices down in the comments section, let's move on to the rationale for our decisions. "


no i'd rather point out that you stuck a crappy lite-on dvd drive in it when an LG dvd drive would have costed exactly the same thing at new egg.


ok now i'll read the article with that said 😛
 
Why do three of the four builds use the EXACT same video card?
And not a one used an AMD card?
I don't think that specific card holds the yield/$ crown right now. ??
Is this an NVidia only site now?
 
[citation][nom]michael ninja[/nom]Why do three of the four builds use the EXACT same video card?And not a one used an AMD card?I don't think that specific card holds the yield/$ crown right now. ??Is this an NVidia only site now?[/citation]

I wouldn't go that far. There will probably be AMD cards used in the next SBM. The GTX 560 is an excellent card, granted I wouldn't pay $170 for it after the recent AMD price cuts with the 7850 being only another $40 and the 7770 being as much as $45 cheaper. This is also not counting MIRs that can bring the 7850 down to $180 and the 7770 under $100 and I have no major issue with the 560 being used, although I would have thought that 7970s or 7950s would make more sense than 670s in the $2000 machines.
 
Alright, last build. If I make the same compromises this quarter's alternative build makes -- lose blu-ray burner for dvd burner, step down from 16GB RAM to 8GB, and settle for a smaller storage drive -- I can fit an i7-3930k, 2x HD 7950, and a 240GB SDD into a sub $2000 computer.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K $569.99
Cooler: Enermax ETS-T40 $34.99
Mobo: ASRock X79 EXTREME4-M $214.99
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1866 x2 $55.98
GPUs: MSI Radeon HD 7950 x2 $659.98
SSD: Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 240GB SATA III $179.99
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 320GB $59.99
Optical: SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner $16.99
Case: COUGAR Evolution Black $79.99
PSU: RAIDMAX 850W 80 PLUS GOLD $119.99

Total: $1992.88
 
[citation][nom]michael ninja[/nom]Why do three of the four builds use the EXACT same video card?And not a one used an AMD card?I don't think that specific card holds the yield/$ crown right now. ??Is this an NVidia only site now?[/citation]Because you asked for the GTX 670 last time, and then I checked with ATI guy Don Woligroski, and he said GTX 670 was a good choice. So, now that the first $2000 PC's GTX 670 is accounted for, on to the second $2000 PC: How do you compare single to SLI without using the same card?

Now, why would ATI guy Don use a GTX 670? You'll have to ask him in the $1000 PC thread. Yes, I'm telling you to go away not because I dislike you, but because your question doesn't belong here.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]Because you asked for the GTX 670 last time, and ....[/citation]
It'll be something else the next time, and the time after that and so on.

There's no win.

There's no such a thing as a 'one size fits all' PC - period. Maybe that's why there's sooo many choices.

Folks need to think about this, e.g. if your min FPS is 86 or 153 FPS on a 1920x1080 60Hz WTF do they think they're losing or for that matter gaining. Then they Enable vSync anyway?!
 
BTW, you do know that 1 500 ms frame and 100 5 ms frames can happen within a 1-second poling period? And you die/crash/whatever due to loss of focus/control/etc in the freeze frame even though its 101 FPS?

We have to measure FPS because that's "the way it's done", but maximum frame time would be more revealing. The again, there are games where nothing really happens in the first few seconds, but the first few seconds have really long frame times so....eh, maybe a graph 😛
 
The $2000 Alternative PC is much better at gaming than the $2000 Original. You need to overclock the i5-3570K at higher frequencies.

To do that, you need to roll up your sleeves and do a little original dirty work. The thermal compound Intel uses under the coverplate sucks. Carefully remove the cover plate, clean off the thermal compound, apply Arctic Silver 5, and reinstall the cover plate with a little contact cement. Then mount the heatsink with more AS 5 and torque the heatsink down. You will gain about 8F improvement in CPU temperatures.
 
[citation][nom]NucDsgr[/nom]The $2000 Alternative PC is much better at gaming than the $2000 Original. You need to overclock the i5-3570K at higher frequencies.To do that, you need to roll up your sleeves and do a little original dirty work. The thermal compound Intel uses under the coverplate sucks. Carefully remove the cover plate, clean off the thermal compound, apply Arctic Silver 5, and reinstall the cover plate with a little contact cement. Then mount the heatsink with more AS 5 and torque the heatsink down. You will gain about 8F improvement in CPU temperatures.[/citation]

Serious modding like that, although not very difficult, kinda worries/scares a lot of enthusiasts. I often suggest replacing the crap thermal paste that Intel used anyway, but some people are just not comfortable with tampering with the IHS.
 
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