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$2000-$2500 pc...

Post Date: 2012-11-30
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: $2000-$2500 pc...
    Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:24pm
Budget:
$2000 to $2500 is ideal. Obviously, the more I can get out of a lower cost rig the better. One of the rigs I have linked below is slightly out of my range. shouldn't be a huge deal but any suggestions to lower the price are much appreciated.

Expectations:
Solid performance at maxed out or close to maxed "Total War-esque" strategy games, Battlefield 3 like games, as well as other visually appealing games. There also needs to be good speed while working on college papers and the like, as well as during video editing.
Usage:
college work, finishing out high school, gaming, video editing. Key note - since this will be used for college I need to dump the addition hundred or so dollars into Microsoft Office 2010. correct?

Special Needs:
Future-proofing (this may mean sticking with a single high powered gpu instead of SLI/Crossfire, but you are the experts. enlighten me). Would like to have a good looking case as well as functional. Live in California and the heat does not really come into full force here. The power connectors on my current monitor are dented. Therefore I need a good monitor. Any suggestions? I don't really know what I'm doing in this regard

Saved Ticket #: Trying to decide between my build ( confirmation #: 757214) and a modified build found elsewhere on the forums (confirmation #: 757215 ).

Specifications:
See below

Edited by Ahrimofnor - 30 Nov 2012 at 2:34pm
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:28pm
The first build in simple text form:

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LX (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Does Not Support SLI)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 800W Corsair GS (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
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 AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Red) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 2 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz
Boost Video Card: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
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
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: Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student (Full Retail Box Packaging)
Game: FREE AMD 4 Game Bundle - Never Settle (Digital Download Code) (Valid Only for Radeon 7900 Series)
Display: Asus 24 inch VE248 Series (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
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 (Large)
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
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:28pm
the second in simple text form:

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 800W Corsair GS (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
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: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (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: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Red) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz
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
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: Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student (Full Retail Box Packaging)
Game: - No Thanks
Display: Asus 24 inch VE248 Series (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
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 (Large)
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
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ArkansasWoman777 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4314 		  Quote ArkansasWoman777 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:30pm
You don't need DS to tweek and disable the services on the operating system because it comes in bloat free. You don't need to upgrade the chassis because the size of the fans go down. The ones already in it are slow and push in alot of air. You also don't need the noise suppression package.

Edited by ArkansasWoman777 - 30 Nov 2012 at 2:32pm
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:33pm
Originally posted by ArkansasWoman777

You don't need DS to tweek and disable the services on the operating system because it comes in bloat free. You don't need to upgrade the chassis because the size of the fans go down. The ones already in it are slow and push in alot of air. You also don't need the noise suppression package.


Thanks for the feedback! Any suggestions on one gpu vs dual gpu setups? that was one of my major concerns

Edited by Ahrimofnor - 30 Nov 2012 at 2:34pm
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ArkansasWoman777 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4314 		  Quote ArkansasWoman777 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:38pm
I think if you go dual you need to up the power supply. I'm not an expert on the dual setups so i think someone who has more experience on the dual setup will stop by and share there input.
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:40pm
Originally posted by ArkansasWoman777

I think if you go dual you need to up the power supply. I'm not an expert on the dual setups so i think someone who has more experience on the dual setup will stop by and share there input.


Alright. Thanks for the input/update. Time to play the waiting game again :D
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ArkansasWoman777 View Drop Down
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Posts: 4314 		  Quote ArkansasWoman777 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:40pm
You're welcome.
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:52pm
You've been giving some great advice from ArkansasWoman777 about the LED fan upgrade and noise suppression package.      Just wasted money.

My vote is build #2 because of a number of reasons.

The sabertooth mobo is a better mobo with longer warranty and allows sli.

The sli, 2x gtx 670 is needed if you want to max out all games and stay at least 50-60 fps at all times.   A single 670 will give you great gaming on a
1920x1080 monitor with most games but some gpu hogs require the extra card.    

The noctua d14 cooler is the best in reliability, cools great and is relatively quiet.

The 800w psu will work with that setup but if possible the 1050hx does give more headroom.   

They are both good rigs but if budget allows the second one gives you max gaming now and room for future games.   The first build will play nice with that monitor but not maxed out for some shooters like Crysis 2, Metro,etc.

Good luck.
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baldy0326 View Drop Down
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Posts: 78 		  Quote baldy0326 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 2:54pm
I love all the Total Wars too!!Big%20Smile
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 3:02pm
@bprat22

Thanks for the input. Two questions then: with this second build should I stick with air over water? I have little experience with water cooling and am wondering which is better as there is no change in $$$. My second question deals with lowering the cost of the rig back into my price range - if you had to shed money where would you do it? Would going to a single ati radeon 7970 (or nvidia gtx 580) be worth it?
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 3:03pm
Originally posted by baldy0326



I love all the Total Wars too!!Big%20Smile


I know right! them games are great... its brings back that "one more turn" mentality of the civ games to me. also - battles just look epic.
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 3:53pm
The Vortex liquid cooling options are sealed units with no maintenance.   They're not the water cooling most think of where a seperate reservoir, water block etc are used where topping off the fluid is needed.   They are vrry good units and take up little room. The air coolers like Noctua D14 are huge but are very reliable. No pumps, tubing, etc.

To cut cost you could go with the first build and use the gtx 670 . For gaming on a single monitor it will work great. About the same gaming as the gtx680 or HD 7970 for less.

For $2499 , right at your budget, look at the ODE level 4.    A great case, sli, 2x gtx670, SSD for fast boots, etc. It is a best bang for the buck system.

Hope this helps.
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 8:20pm
Originally posted by bprat22

The Vortex liquid cooling options are sealed units with no maintenance.   They're not the water cooling most think of where a seperate reservoir, water block etc are used where topping off the fluid is needed.   They are vrry good units and take up little room. The air coolers like Noctua D14 are huge but are very reliable. No pumps, tubing, etc.

To cut cost you could go with the first build and use the gtx 670 . For gaming on a single monitor it will work great. About the same gaming as the gtx680 or HD 7970 for less.

For $2499 , right at your budget, look at the ODE level 4.    A great case, sli, 2x gtx670, SSD for fast boots, etc. It is a best bang for the buck system.

Hope this helps.


Thanks for all your help. Finally got the last few tweaks into the build I believe. Time to do a bit more research on the whole SLI vs single GPU question but then I think I'm ready to buy in a couple of days :D

A question on the vortex system : Im leaning more towards this but the question is, since it takes up 2x120mm fan slots will it lessen the amount of air being pulled through the case to a large degree? Thanks again.
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Ahrimofnor View Drop Down
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Posts: 9 		  Quote Ahrimofnor Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 30 Nov 2012 at 9:36pm
I know this is sort of a dumb question but its been on my mind for awhile:

If I ask for "Standard Factory Chassis Fans" will I get enough fans to fill up all of the slots on my Chassis (Antec HAF 942 X) or will I have to go to a local store to pick up the fans?
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 01 Dec 2012 at 3:33am
The Hafx case has a front 230mm fan, top and side panel 200mm fan and back 140mm fan.     There is room inthe top for another optional 200mm fan which you'd have to ask for and DS will install for about $25 I think. Standard Factory means what comes in the mail from manufacturer.    

If you go with Vortex240, the rad mounts under the top replacing both fan slots on top.    Air flow with the Vortex 240 2x 120mm fans will be less than if you had 2x 200mm fans but is still good airflow.   Plus the Vortex 240 will be a little noisier unless you slow the fans with resistor pacs which DS will do if asked.   The Noctua D14 allows both 200mm fans on top and is quieter but takes up more room.

The Vortex 120 will mount against inside back wall and does allow the 2x 200mm fans on top.    It also has two 120mm fans like thr Vortex 240 but the rad is smaller 120 mm with fans mounted in push/pull on both sides.

Hope this helps and keep us posted.   

Edited by bprat22 - 01 Dec 2012 at 3:38am
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