High-performance gaming/streaming/DCC workstation computer
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700X 3.4GHz 8-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H110i 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($121.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus - CROSSHAIR VI HERO (WI-FI AC) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($272.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($220.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Gold 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING Video Card ($764.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design - Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2369.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-11 23:42 EDT-0400
Total without shipping: $2350.92
This was made to do gaming, streaming (at the same time; choose whichever one to add on top of this workload), and digital content creation. Eight cores and sixteen threads should get you through some content creation that is not production-level madness where time = money.
Let's start with the CPU. I chose the AMD Ryzen 7 1700X because of its higher-than-1700 stock speeds, but can be safely overclocked to 4.0 GHz. It is common knowledge at this point that (for streaming and DCC specifically) more cores = faster performance, because apps like OBS, 3ds Max, Maya, Blender, Adobe Premiere Pro (To a certain limit however. Honestly use CUDA or OpenCL to encode and render videos, it's faster than CPU, lest you need to use AVX or AVX2, (READ) assuming you have all of those already of course). Streaming using this CPU, it can do so without breaking a sweat (encoding and delivering frames with little impact to games because there's enough headroom). I tried to sway a streamer who claims to have a CompSci degree going for an Intel Core i7-7740X and an X299 board (into a USD $600 budget) to a Ryzen 7 platform (of course almost 50% of this build's asking price), and <ahem>, let's say that didn't end very well.
To cool this thing, I chose the Corsair H110i 280mm All-in-One CPU liquid cooler. This particular unit is made by an OEM called CoolIT, and I chose this because I personally like the more squared-off appearance, which I find personally appealing, compared to the more angular kind of aesthetic. It rocks a 280mm radiator, so massive surface area to dissipate all of the heat the liquid will accumulate from the overclocked CPU.
I'll admit that there are air coolers out there that can keep up with this thing, and some people just like air coolers better. If you want my recommended alternative, I'll recommend either the Cryorig H5 or R1 Ultimate, or the Noctua NH-U14S or NH-D15. The former of the two air coolers from two different companies are the slim ones for better compatibility with RAM with tall heatsinks, and the latter for, well, best cooling.
For the motherboard, I chose the Asus ROG CROSSHAIR VI HERO (WI-FI AC) because it is about as robust as it gets. It's not the CROSSHAIR VI EXTREME as I had hoped, but the Hero will suffice. It has in-built Wi-Fi capable of IEEE 802.11ac wireless connectivity for wireless gaming. I stream over wireless just fine, and if your PC is far from the router/modem, then the Wi-Fi is an added bonus, plus if you take this thing to LAN parties, if your friends don't have an Ethernet cable to spare (and you don't have one 'cause money or too lazy), then it will get you through the day. It has RGB lighting, and with the AURA software, it can sync up with other AURA-enabled devices as well, even outside of hardware. Electrically-speaking, this has one of the highest-quality VRMs on the market; check out the VRM analysis from Buildzoid to better understand what I'm talking about. For RAM compatibility, this also has the widest (and best) RAM compatibility on the market, so whatever RAM you have should work on this thing, no problem.
The board also has a very robust I/O panel, which is important for a computer that will be used for a workstation use case. Hook up as many USB devices as you want before needing an extra USB hub to connect more of your devices. It has the latest USB 3.1 Gen.2 front panel connector, but as of now, there's no case on the market with USB 3.1 Gen.2, but that'll give you some level of future-proofness.
For RAM, I chose 32GB as the maximum capacity. A 4x8GB kit of G.Skill Ripjaws V clocked to 3200 MHz gives you lots of breathing room to spare for those RAM-gobbling situations like 3D rendering, video production, etc. It is also known that with the way the Zen architecture behaves, it loves really fast RAM, assuming the IMC can handle it pretty well. It's not RGB RAM, but it's Black RAM, which I like more personally.
Storage is handled by the classic duo comprising of a 250GB Samsung 960 EVO M.2 NVM Express SSD and a Western Digital Gold 4TB 7200 RPM 3.5" HDD. The SSD uses the latest interface and 3D V-NAND NAND chips to make up its capacity, and the HDD is data center-grade, so it should last you an incredibly long time.
The GPU of choice is an Asus ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (who could see where this is going). It is the fastest consumer GPU anyone with the cash to spare can get, right now. I personally own one, and I can speak on its behalf. It will handle 4K games without a problem, 1440p at over 144 FPS, and can also do CUDA compute remarkably well. Its massive 11GB of GDDR5X memory clocked to 11 Gbps means that it will be able to swap around texture data really quick, especially if they're large ones at that. It is also AURA-enabled, and upon installation of the separate AURA software for the GPU, you can then use the motherboard's AURA utility to synchronize it, enabling more lighting effects. If you want to paint the shroud, that's six screws to remove; the fans are separate. Mind you the card is also big (just over 2.5 slots), and heavy.
Powering this monstrosity is dealt with by an EVGA Supernova 750 G3 power supply. Cheaping out on a power supply is a big, fat, NO! Fortunately this has some of the highest-quality electrical components, and can actually deliver its advertised 750-watt capacity, no sweat. Real bench tests like how Tom's Hardware, HardOCP, JohnnyGURU does them, don't lie and you know it. The less important bit is it has 80 Plus Gold rating, so your electric bill should be smaller because of the added benefit of less power being pulled into the unit before conversion to DC current, which means less wasted power in the form of heat.
To contain this thing, I chose the Fractal Design Meshify C. The latest case from Fractal Design, this USD $89 case has a nice, big, open front intake area for optimal airflow, which translates to optimal cooling performance for all components involved. Personally, I am very dissatisfied with probably the majority of cases out on the market, because they just don't have excellent cooling performance and flexibility for the end-user to do whatever they wish. It also sports a tempered glass panel for that nice view of the interior.
The total damage to the bill if one were to build this, you might ask? Two thousand, three hundred and fifty-two United States Dollars and ninety-two cents (USD $2,350.92), minus shipping and taxes! I'd say that for the use case of AAA gaming at the highest fidelity and framerate, streaming, and digital content creation, is not too bad. Usually you have to spend more to get those kinds of results, especially if you're buying into the whole SI thing (which has the added benefit of a warranty if that's super important to you), but if you're going to go a little lighter on the more productive stuff, then 16GB of system memory is a very solid option as well.
TL;DR, this is my submission for the $2,500 bracket, with the intended use of playing the most demanding games at the highest resolutions, streaming said game at the same time, and digital content creation (and stream that at the same time! BOOM!), with the added bonus of a robust feature set, I/O connectivity, and a (subjective) tasteful amount of RGB lighting that's not so in-your-face, and using only the very best components $2,500 can get you. Plus that's USD $149.09 left over from this allocated budget you can use on anything else your heart desires.
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