Advice needed for content creation/gaming PC

Budget:
$3000++, excluding monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. Just the system alone.

Expectations:
Preferably hexa-core with a fast SSD.Looking at oc too. Running single monitor resolution at 1920x1200 atm, might ramp up to 2560x1600 single monitor or 2 1920x1200 in a year's time. I'll also need a fast gpu that will last a good 2 years. No plans to run 3d vision. Need lots of ram and stability (not sure if OC is a good idea.. and if is, how much to OC is stable)

Usage:
This rig will be used for work and gaming. I work on content creation for games so I use programs like 3dsmax, Zbrush, Photoshop. I also will be running game engines like unreal editor, cryengine for work.

I need as many cores as possible and a fast ssd for Zbrush, I'm on the fence deciding between quad or hexa. I need the the ram for photoshop and lastly, a good gpu for running game engines/ editors. I am also a huge gamer so I'd like to run most games on high.

Special Needs:
I would prefer a quieter machine with a decent overclock without compromising on stability. I'd also like to not worry about upgrading the cpu for the next 3 years.

Saved Ticket #: Goofing around still, looking at Assasin with i2600k set up.

Hey all, been lurking around this forum for a week now. I'm looking at purchasing a blackops system in november. This rig will be for gaming and work. I work in the games industry as a 3d artist. I'd like to be able to play upcoming games such as BF3 at high (1920x1200) settings and plan to upgrade to 2560x1600 resolution in a year. I also need to be able to work with high resolution models in Zbrush. Zbrush however, is not gpu dependent and it relies mainly on cpu speed, multiple cores and a fast hard drive. ram usage for it is pegged at 4gb atm until a 64bit version comes out in the near future. I will also have a lot of these programs up and runnning at the same time, for instance, zbrush, 3dsmax and photoshop, or 3dsmax, photoshop and a game engine/editor.

Here are my main concerns:

CPU: 2600k or 970? if I can get a higher oc on the 2600k it would be a cheaper alternative to the 970. It also costs a lot more to have the 970 overclocked at DS.

GPU: 570SLI vs 580? I've heard enough bad things about the 590. I need this card/s to run games at high setting for work and games. I don't mind adding another 580 if needed. however, I'd rather just get a new gpu 2 to 3 years later since this things get obsolete so fast.

Lastly, a quiet and cool system would be nice. I am looking at stage 3 LC and zalman fan upgrades (if those are worth it)

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the quick response. It does seem like i7-3960x is the way to go. I have to purchase this system by the end of November so that gives me some time. Even then, i'm sure the price point of this is going to be pretty high. My budget is around $3000 to $3500 tops ( and then there's CA sales tax.. the horror)

If it doesn't get released by then or if the price is way over my budget, I think I'll just have to settle for the 2600k. Chances are I will still pony up that extra cash for the i7-3960x if it's out by then. LOL

Thanks for the advice again. Do you work for DS by any chance? It seems you are give a lot of support in this forums

JStones,

Yeah, thankfully it is tax deductible. I also made a wrong move with my last system by getting it from velocity micro. Things started breaking down after a year. They are also on the east coast which don't make returns any easier.

Really looking forward to getting this system. LOL. I can't stop configuring my system on DS.

That's nice of you. :)

This should do you well if you can't wait for the new tech.  Even if you do wait for the new stuff, its definitely going to cost more than this rig.  It has the 570x2 with 2.5gig ram as well as 16 gig ddr3 to help with content creation apps.  The sli wont help with 3ds max but will help with your gaming and testing. 

The 320 ssd has a better reputation than the 510 around here and youve got 160 gigs there for your c drive. 

For me, I would prefer to have the geforce 580 3 gig but two in sli is out of your 3k budget.  If you were going to change this config I would up it to the 580 3g in sli.

I use mostly maya, motionbuilder, photoshop, zbrush in my workflow and I have a machine that has an I7-930 with a geforce 480 and 12 gig ram and its plenty fast.  I dont play games on it though...

You can add a blu ray later and add your hot swap bay to this config too.

Zalmann fans arent needed, liquid cooling is a luxury, you will get great temps with the a70 air cooler, noise damping conflicts with cooling and the loud fan upgrade.  The hafx will give you better airflow as well to cool your ram, grafx cards, and chipset. 

Sub-Total:$2,993.00

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 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO (Intel Z68 Chipset) (Features Intel Quick Sync Technology)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 320 Series)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache) (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(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 2.5GB (PhysX) (EVGA 025-P3-1579-AR)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Corsair A70 Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler
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
CPU Boost: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro or Deluxe Series Motherboard)
Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)



Edited by JStones - 04 Aug 2011 at 2:52am