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System Builder Marathon, March 2011: $2000 Performance PC

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Was wondering when the SBM would return. Now if I just had an extra $2K. Now lets see how the lower price models hold up.

Sure is a good time to be building a new PC.
 
Wow, nice system this time around. Excellent performance and efficiency, although I personally would've chosen a nicer case for a $2000 system. I know you guys have your reasons, and for the purposes of a purely price/performance oriented build it makes sense to skimp on the aesthetic qualities of a case, but for me personally, it's still nice to see a high-end case complement some high-end hardware.
 
oh wow!!! you know what if you can really think you can make a performance pc.. i mean same performance.. but lesser cost..
i am not saying OC and AMD thing.. same hardware..
 
That system looks familiar. Very familiar. Almost. . . have you been spying on me?

I built a system exactly like that, except with an 2500K, P8P67 Pro, single 6950 2GB, single SSD, DVD rather than BD, H50 and a cheaper PSU. Tears through Metro 2033 maxed at 1920x1200 like butter. When prices on 6950s fall some more I'll add a card and see if they can handle Eyefinity.
 
and its possible.. just take a nice gtx 560ti rather two amd sli and take 8 gig ram.. since anything above 8 gig will give diminishing returns and 500 gb hdd is more than enough i think.. buy a cheaper case, (punch holes to make it cooler 😛) thats it.. same cpu same mobo and everything else same. you can also opt for cheaper 1155 mobo. i think gigabyte's got some.. or asus maybe.. no need for some two pcie and crap.. you can take a higher gpu.. say like gtx 580 or 6990.. well sli will give value if you are going for long term.. and you can install server's power.. they are cheap and of higher quality (thats what i heard from my pc vendor). i think there better be another marathon where there are the best pc at lowest cost.. that would make more sense rather giving budget.. so that people can know what they can make with the money they got.. since not all have exactly 1000$ or 2000$ there are people from other countries as well following www.tomshardware.com so keep up the good work fellas ^_^/~~
 
Can't say CPU and GPU were hard choices. Well built overall, but I'd try to use the 2nd SSD money into upgrading to 2x6970s instead. Might have given (even) better scores at 2560*1600!
 
Bought my current PC on Black Friday and it seems that I'm already a current Generation behind. All I can do is add the 990X, another GTX 580, and a new power supply, then wait for obsolete-ness.
 
this test really should have been done with bios flashes. that what enthusiasts generally use with 6950's. but still nice to see just how powerfull the 2600k is.

how would a system like this perform if watercooled. i presume it will kill most of the gpu heat problems and the cpu should stay bout the same
 
Everyone suggesting the 6990, why?

Crossfired 6970s give the same performance, OC about as well, cost the same $700, and you can be in the same room as them without ear plugs. My old Pentium D's fan was annoying, the 6990 is apparently even worse.

Now, water cooled 6990s (yes, plural), now you're talking, but then we're into $3,000+ territory, and 5 DisplayPort monitors with good vertical viewing angles on top of that (read: 5x 24" IPS, $2500, minimum).

[citation][nom]bombat1994[/nom]this test really should have been done with bios flashes. that what enthusiasts generally use with 6950's. but still nice to see just how powerfull the 2600k is.how would a system like this perform if watercooled. i presume it will kill most of the gpu heat problems and the cpu should stay bout the same[/citation]

These are 1GB 6950s. Without a BIOS for a 1GB 6970, you can't flash those, and AMD has not released a 1GB 6970. We also never know when/if they'll start fusing off extra shaders now that specs are finalized.
 
Your PSU also lacks the full 5 year warranty of most Seasonic PSUs. Not a criticism, just wanted to make sure folks understood all the differences.
I like the build, though I think you overspent on the Blu-ray drive and could have used the savings on a better case.
 
Good to see the HD103SJ in there. Just bought one of these myself, though astonishingly, the UK price is even cheaper - £38 ($61) - though I haven't found one without shipping costs of at least £5 ($8).

Excellent build, definitely worth it over the previous $2,000 system. I can't help but wonder how well those 6950s will perform once AMD's drivers really make use of the VLIW4 architecture, so there's another potential bonus. Now if only this was available in the UK... 😉

I did my own comparison for the UK, using various matches thrown up by Google. Unfortunately, I can't find the Illusion variant of the Three Hundred, plus the SeaSonic PSU seems a bit too expensive/difficult to find. I opted for an Antec 850W PSU at £104 ($166, assuming conversion £1 = $1.60). The cooler was £40 at the cheapest ($64). My prices came to £1,490 approx. including all shipping. That'd come out at about $2,400, so it's not a massive hike over US prices.
 
[citation][nom]bombat1994[/nom]this test really should have been done with bios flashes. that what enthusiasts generally use with 6950's. but still nice to see just how powerfull the 2600k is.how would a system like this perform if watercooled. i presume it will kill most of the gpu heat problems and the cpu should stay bout the same[/citation]

Just wait until tomorrow ;-) Don isn't quite as shy about flashing his bits!
 
The price of entry? Only most of your information. I would bet Tom's makes more off the people's information entering the contest than the cost of the actual system. Just a thought...
 
[citation][nom]The Greater Good[/nom]The price of entry? Only most of your information. I would bet Tom's makes more off the people's information entering the contest than the cost of the actual system. Just a thought...[/citation]

Here's another thought: read the contest rules :)

Clearly stated: "The information you provide will only be used to contact you if you win."

We do these contests as a way to thank our readers. We use hardware from Newegg to put these builds together. It's worth substantially less to them once we're done with it. So, they allow us to give it all away. The entry info is accessible to exactly one person at Bestofmedia. It never leaves the company; I never even see it myself.

Hope that helps set your mind at ease =)
Best,
Chris
 
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