Looking for help building my rig! ^_^ *ORDERED*

Budget:
My budget for this system is around $2200-2650 (2650 being absolute max). This is only for the PC itself. I will be purchasing the monitors and peripherals separately.

Expectations:
- A fast-booting, cool and quite running machine.
- Case-wise, simple is best in my opinion. Don't need or want flashing lights and such. Clean looks; great air flow cooling.
- Great processor, memory, and GPU a must. (would like to go with the 680 4GB with future intentions to SLI the card).

Usage:
-Extreme gaming capabilities. Playing Diablo III, Guild Wars 2, Next Gen FPS games, etc. want to be able to run games on highest settings.

-Handle a variety of graphic design and photo editing software at fast speeds (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc...)

-Able to process many applications simultaneously without memory or processor constraints.

Special Needs:
Would like to avoid water cooled systems, I don't want to worry about that maintenance. I don't mind adding more fans in an effort to keep things running cool. I want my system to run cool and quietly.

Anyways, here is a build I came up with. Please let me know what you think. I plan to order within the next few weeks. Cheers!

Config Number: 705970
Current Cost: $2615

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide 300R
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard)
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Higher Overclocks and Unique Wi-Fi Features) <b></b>
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <b></b>
Power Supply: 800W Corsair GS (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) <b></b>
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition) <b></b>
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 4GB (Includes PhysX) <b></b>
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance <b></b>
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty


Edited by Stealth1984 - 24 Jul 2012 at 10:29pm

bprat, thank you very much for all your time and help. You seem to be quite the jack of all trades on these boards :P

Both of these builds look great. I am going to be running the PC on dual ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" monitors and a friend of mine suggested the 680 4GB card. Honestly I don't know a lot about GPUs, but I wanted something that wouldn't become quickly outdated. I am not the type of user who likes to swap components out every 6 months to stay up with the latest and greatest.

With that being said, would you recommend going with a different card setup in SLI? If it meant spending a little more now to get more bang for my buck in the long run, I guess I could manage it. Doing an SLI setup myself down the road isn't something I feel comfortable with. By all means given the fact I want to do a lot of gaming and editing work, what would you suggest?

Everything else makes a lot of sense and looks great. Thanks again for your time!

One more thought just to confuse you some more.

Originally posted by bprat22 One more thought just to confuse you some more.   As the price tag goes over $3000, have you considered the ODE level 4 for $2499.  It has the sli 670.  Doesn't have the X79 and only 8GB ram but ram is cheap to add.  The Vortex 240mm rad cpu cooler isn't true water cooling.  It's a sealed unit with zero maintenance.       Just another way to go .

Haha, its like you read my mind. ODE level 4 is certainly the best choice from a financial standpoint, but I am still leaning towards the second configuration you listed.

Another question that came to me was, how hard will it be to SLI a GTX 670 4GB down the road? As much I as I want to, I just can't justify the $3,000 price tag of upgrading to the 670 GTX 2GB SLI right now. As it is probably obvious at this point, I don't have a lot of computer knowledge from a hardware standpoint. Is adding an extra 670GTX 4GB card say a year or two down the road something I could do myself? If it is as simple as plug in the hardware and play then no worries of course.

If trying to do an SLI upgrade myself is going to be too difficult I may just go with the ODE out of convenience. I feel so torn between the two at the moment :p

Edited by Stealth1984 - 09 Jul 2012 at 1:29am

Alrighty, well it looks like I have all the information I need to make my decision. Moving back to the states from Asia in less than a month. Will be ordering in 2 weeks. I will post one final config before I actually place my order to make sure everything is right. Thanks again for all the help, feel like I am buying with confidence now :D

I wanted to ask one more thing in regards to the build... I really don't like the looks of the Cooler Master 942 HAF X case. I know it is one of the best air cooling towers on the market. However, the looks of the case is a bit too much for my taste. With that being said, I really want to stay fan cooling only. I very much like the looks of Halestorm and Slade cases. Is there anything else that offers comparable cooling that looks sleek and simple?

Build in its current form:

Config: 706332
Total Price with Instant Savings: $2,708.00

Changed the mobo around because I wanted the built-in wifi feature as opposed to adding a card.

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 3820 3.6GHz (Turbo Mode up to 3.8GHz) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 DELUXE (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) <b></b>
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard) <b></b>
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system <b></b>
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Medium) <b></b>
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty


Edited by Stealth1984 - 10 Jul 2012 at 6:48am

So if I decided to go with say the 650D I couldn't use the D14, but could switch over to the Vortex 240mm and not lose much in the way of cooling? Forgive me if I am misunderstanding you :P

Ah ok I see what you are saying now. Thanks for the clarification

Alright, I am going to pull the trigger and order my system in the next couple days. Still feeling really torn between the following builds:

706332, 711189, and the ODE lvl 4.

I am willing to spend the extra $200 now and SLI the card say a year or two down the road if the custom build has significant more longevity in terms of upgrade ability. Don't really need or want the Blu-ray player which comes with the ODE, but that is just a small thing.


Couple questions that might help make the decision easier.

1. Will the 800w on the ODE power supply be enough to cover future GPU sli upgrades?

2. When wanting to add more memory, can I purchase any memory regardless of speed or manufacturer and expect it to be able to work with the memory coming from DS?

3. Are there huge differences between the 1x (1TB Western Digital/Seagate/Hitachi/Samsung (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache)versus the 1TB black edition HDD?

Would really appreciate some final insight before I make the decision as this is a fairly large financial commitment for me. Also, thanks again bprat for all you do on these forums. Users like myself are forever indebted to you.


Edited by Stealth1984 - 23 Jul 2012 at 6:58am

Side note.  You see the price tag of near 3000 but the machine will run like a 5000 dollar machine.  Trust in these responses.

That build nailed it.     I think its a bit over your initial budget but does give you everyythiing with no compromise.    Really nice.        Best of luck and keep us updated.     

That's the first I heard of it.  We have said for a long time that the 800w and 750hx just make it for sli  and the 1050hx for sli is a safer way to go, but DS has been building sli's with the 800w for a long time and that  is what customers come back with when we suggest it.  My first couple of configs in this thread did have the 1050HX.  Unless the X79 is the added problem, I can't say.  Or, the FTW oc'd 670's is too much.  If the X79 chipset or oc'd 670 is the difference, which I doubt,  then a 800w would be too close  for any sli build in my opinion in which case the ODE 4 would be borderline.

Edited by bprat22 - 24 Jul 2012 at 6:40am

I would still be curious as to what the problem is.  If the 800w doesn't make it for your build, then that would change the help I give to others, even the ODE 4.  In fact, I think the 1050HX is the way for any sli rig. 

From the benches I've seen the oc'd cards give a few fps better with some games and not much with others.  It helps but not a deal breaker.  

Edited by bprat22 - 24 Jul 2012 at 7:33am

You can buy a desktop that will max everything for the next 2-3 years for $2500 and will hold up way better over time. Buy a tablet if you need common portability. Lugging a 17 inch laptop around is the opposite of portable. Gaming laptops make the most sense for people who travel a lot for work, not really for students.

Yea I travel a lot for work so a desktop won't work for me. Thank you for the input though. Any money I can save is alright by me

Yeah, he highjacked your thread.  Must be from all the excitement of reading your builds.

UPDATE: Stage 7 QA Check Passed

Estimated Shipment Date: 0-1 business days (Mon-Fri) from 7/26/2012

ZOMG!!!1!

Sweet ! mine shipped July 24th but won't be here till 30th