Computer Build Resource Thread - Page 947

What is your budget? $3000

What is your resolution? Whatever is good for dual 24" monitors. Better than 1080.

What are you using it for? Mostly Gaming. I play any/all sorts of games. If they sell it on steam I may download it. I'm an impulse buyer when it comes to games . I also like to stream.

What is your upgrade cycle? 1-2 years? Not sure really...

When do you plan on building it? Ordering parts mid-March for end of March build.

Do you plan on overclocking? Yes

Do you need an Operating System? Yes

Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? I don't think it's necessary. Is it?

Where are you buying your parts from? Online shipped to Hawaii. We have a Best Buy on island that may work for some stuff.


I would like a system that can run tomorrow's games on max without an issue. This is a gift for myself so I don't mind splurging a little. I always buy myself something nice when I get back from a deployment, so I'm getting this and some scuba gear . I literally play all sorts of games, from RTS to FPS and MMORPG. What I'm playing today may not be what I'm playing tomorrow.

I will be purchasing everything from the desk to the computer, monitors, mouse, mousepad, keyboard, hell even a new chair. Also the budget is flexible.

Thanks for the help TL!

Here's the list. If I am overlooking something please let me know. I will update this with your suggestions as the subject matter experts.
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Thoughts?

There are like billions of ways to allocate this budget but the majority of the budget should not be spent on the configuration.

Monitors, see this thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=308280 You can get a 120Hz monitor such as the BenQ XL2420 or Samsung S23A700D for your primary monitor (both are around $400) and use a Dell Ultrasharp U2312HM for your secondary (around $250). Or you can just get two of the same monitors if you want a matching pair. VESA mounting is also something that can be considered. Monitors alone should cost a minimum of $600.

Mechanical keyboards such as a Filco, Das, Leopold, Coolermaster Storm, Corsair K, and so on is about $100. A mouse and mousepad should be about $100.

Desks and chairs should be bought from your local Craigslist or local business liquidation sale. If you want to buy brand new than it's going to cost a lot... Chairs such as the Steelcase Leap and Herman Miller Aeron cost close to $1000 retail and desks can be just as expensive. If you want a somewhat cheap desk than the Ikea Galant is about $200 and just about any executive chair for $200 will do.

That's basically $2000 gone already. Of course you can just buy cheap stuff if you don't value comfort and quality.

Running games on max involves doing SLI / CrossfireX unless you're happy with certain games dropping to single digits and other games dropping into the 30s. I'm not sure what is with people's obsession in running games on max since you probably can't even tell the difference between high and ultra in most games and the difference between 8x AA and 4x AA.



Moving onto the components you selected for the configuration itself.

Judging by your component selection, you don't value anything but the tower. It's really a shame to pair such a nice configuration with shitty monitors.

Crucial M4 is a good choice since it's $150 for 128gb.

1600MHz cas8 memory is a big waste of money. The difference between cas9 and cas8 is less than 1 FPS yet the price difference between the two is up to $20 and more. You can see memory timings and frequency explored in these articles:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3
http://techreport.com/articles.x/20377
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/sandy-bridge-ddr3.html

Corsair Vengeance is also not a good choice as their heatspreaders are very tall and won't be able to clear some heatsinks.

H67 motherboards cannot overclock. Overclocking requires a P67 or Z68 motherboard such as an Asrock P67 Pro3. If you intend to do SLI than you need a SLI capable motherboard such as a MSI P67 / Z68 G series board, Asrock Z68 Extreme series board, or ASUS P8P67 Pro or P8Z68-V.

GTX 580 is outdated. A Radeon HD7970 or 7950 are both a much better choice than the GTX 580, you can see reviews of them in the articles below, comparing the two cards to GTX 580 and various others:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5261/amd-radeon-hd-7970-review
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5476/amd-radeon-7950-review

A 1.5TB Caviar Black is not necessary since all the software that require speed will be on your SSD. You are just using the HDD for secondary software and storage of media / documents / and so on. If you're getting the Caviar Black for the five year warranty than meh...



Boblhead's recommendations are sort of stupid.

OCZ Agility 3 sucks in every regard except for the fact that it's faster than a HDD.

Buying TN monitors for $200 is stupid since Dell Ultrasharp U2312HM can often be had for the same price.

Buying 4x2gb memory is idiotic. You're putting more stress on the IMC and you lose out on resale value and expandability.

I would not be comfortable running an overclocked 2600k and overclocked 7970 CrossfireX configuration on a Capstone 550w...

A full tower case is not necessary.