Custom Dreadnaught Rig

Budget:
$7000
Expectations:
Mainly I want a computer that can run games such as World of tanks, Rust, and COD ghosts on high setting while recording using
Dxtory, at a comfortable fps (40+). Able to convert video files without extreme lag. 2 monitors. (Perhaps 3)

Usage:
Medium intensity gaming, recording, video converting, and live streaming.

Special Needs:
Able to power past the terrible Cod ghosts lag.

Saved Ticket #:920608


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 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth Z87 (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
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
Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST)
Storage Set 1: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series)
Storage Set 2: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB (EVGA Superclocked ACX Cooler Edition)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
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 Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Airflow Control: - 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 Graphics Card(s): 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 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
Portable Gaming: - 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 Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)


Edited by Tanker201 - 31 Jan 2014 at 4:14am

Originally posted by fstcvc The L4 Vanquish is the best bang for the buck you can get. For the price you can't beat it!!

Thanks for such a quick response,would the psu In the lvl4 allow for a future upgrade to perhaps a gtx 780ti?

Thanks for the info, I'm new to hardcore gaming, so could you recommend some good gaming mice, and keyboards. And a headset with a good clear mix and good sound quality? I was thinking about spending that little bit more for a razer deathadder mouse, and a blackwidow ultimate keyboard. Now as for headsets, I don't have a good one picked out, as I've heard that razer makes excellent audio, but horrible microphones.

Edited by Tanker201 - 21 Jan 2014 at 4:21am

I thought i would pop in and share what i recommend to: For the keyboard i recommend the Max Keyboard Mechanical Keyboard which mine is called Max Keyboard Tesoro Durandal G1NL Red Backlit, the mouse which is a Logitech G400 but i don't think its available anymore (other than on Amazon) as there is a newer version of it out. The headset i use is the PDP Afterglow Wireless Prismatic Headset and i love it.

Edited by ArkansasWoman777 - 21 Jan 2014 at 8:36am

If lag or ghosting are an issue you are trying to avoid, you may want to consider the G-Sync version of the monitor you selected: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/nvidia-g-sync.asp

Here is a detailed article on G-Sync: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7582/nvidia-gsync-review

Originally posted by Gnicky Originally posted by Tanker201 I'm probably going to upgrade the graphics card to a 780ti once I get the pc... What do you guys think? I think it doesn't make sense to buy a pc with a video card that you plan to replace with a current gen card.

I have a buddy who was looking for a decent gpu, I'll probably sell it to him, then put in a 780ti. Sadly you can't have them put in a 780ti in the vanquish. Otherwise that's what'd I'd do.                                                                                                                                      Other then that, thanks for all the advice l, I'll be ordering my Vanquish level 4 in a week or so. Already pumped for it.

The Vanquish systems are pre-built and are "as is" with no options to upgrade - that's why the pricing is so good on them.

I'm thinking about instead of a vanquish 4, getting a Marauder due to the increased future upgradeability, and far better psu. Budget was also increased to $3000 (not including monitor) Here is my new build. Feel free to leave some advice. Can't decide whether to have 2 Gtx 4 gb 770's in sli, or 1 Gtx 780 Ti. And I have decided to try out 2 monitor gaming, hence the sli.

# 919401

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 4670K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-C (Intel Z87 Chipset)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1866MHz Corsair Vengeance Pro (High-Performance)
Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Neutron GTX Series) (SATA 6Gbps)
Storage Set 2: 1x (2TB Hitachi (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H110 280mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:Red Tubing with High-Performance Fluid (UV Lighting Reactive)
Chassis Fans: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Red) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: Fan Blow-Holes: VREG/CPU & Graphics Card Area: Laser Cut and Mount a Side Window 140mm Fans
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 2 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard)
Boost Graphics Card(s): 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: APC SurgeArrest Personal PER7 (7 Outlet) 120V Surge Protector
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Extra Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)


Edited by Tanker201 - 23 Jan 2014 at 8:29pm

Here's a better configuration removing anything not needed.

919433 $2751 (vs $3205) - take the $450 saved and put it towards a second 780ti SC (~$700) should you feel you need it once you get your system up and running...

The HAF-X is designed for maximum air cooling so I changed out to the Noctura. With the HAF-Xs large 200mm fans it should be pretty quiet for an air cooled system.

The 6-core CPU isn't needed for what you plan on using your system for. The 4770K may be a worth while change with it's multi-threading if your video software utilizes it...

Good Luck!!

I suggest you checkout this article to compare the performance of the 780 Ti with 770 SLI: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7492/the-geforce-gtx-780-ti-review

I'll throw in another very strong recommendation for the Roccat Kone XTD mouse. The Deathadder is a good mouse and I had one briefly before switching to Roccat. Many other gamers are also going for Roccat.

One of the biggest reason I made the switch was because the Deathadder doesn't have enough buttons (just the 2 thunb buttons + scroll wheel). I was used to a Cyborg RAT 7 before with more buttons. After a lot of research I went with Roccat and LOVE it. The side clicks on the scroll wheel are awesome, plus there's 3 extra buttons (for dpi switching by default but can be mapped for anything).

Don't be lured into the Razer hype. Research the Kone XTD and at least seriously consider it. Again, the Razer is a good mouse, but there's as good as if not better options out there if you want more functionality.

Here's one relevant vid about a big FPS gamer switching from Razer to Roccat
Roccat Kone XTD vs Kone PURE vs DeathAdder 2013 - Best Gaming Mouse?

I do use a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate keyboard and think it's awesome, if clicky mechanical keys are your thing.

Edited by ScottishBattleAx - 27 Jan 2014 at 4:05pm

Good mouse mat choice. I also use that with my Kone Xtd mouse. I really like it and settled on it after trying some other hard plastic mats and fabric ones. This one has the fabric feel I like with minimal friction compared to any other fabric mat I've tried


Edited by ScottishBattleAx - 27 Jan 2014 at 7:53pm

Gah, decisions, decisions. I know that digital storm is the best for gaming pc's. I'm going all out on this sucker.

Here's the new build: 920576

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 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Gryphon Z87 (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Thermal Radar) (MATX)
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
Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST)
Storage Set 1: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series)
Storage Set 2: 1x (1TB Seagate (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB (EVGA Superclocked ACX Cooler Edition)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
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 Fans: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Red) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Airflow Control: - 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 Graphics Card(s): 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 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
Portable Gaming: - 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 Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

And I know I forgot the T-shirt!

However, due to the SLI I may have to liquid cool the 780's. Should I upgrade to the liquid cooling options? I can set up water-cooling myself if completely necessary.

Edited by Tanker201 - 28 Jan 2014 at 7:07am

Hi Tanker201...  That's an excellent build.  

A couple of changes i would recommend....  Drop the LED Performance fans.  The HafX case has no place to put them.   The case's fans are quiet, slow moving and move lots of air.  Excellent just as they are.

Drop to stage 1 overclock.  You might get stage 2 but probably not. 

Put the savings into the Sabertooth or Expert motherboard.   The Gryphon mobo is great, but being a MATX mobo(smaller board), the first PCIe slot for the video card sits real close to the cpu.  With Noctua D14, the first card sometimes touches the coolers fan clips.  DS will put a foam shim in there but why take a chance.  The other full size mobo's have more spacing.

You don't need to water cool the cards.   You can if you want but not needed.   The cards and the HaFx case will take care of the heat.

Looks real nice and Good Luck.

Thanks for the advice. This Is the build I'll get. (Mostly because my current Laptops keyboard Is starting to require multiple clicks to register 1 letter. And to ScottishBattleAxe, yes I have considered I have considered installing a 2'nd card by myself. However due to the problems I have heard of if you install SLI yourself, I have decided to leave that to the best.

Final Build:

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 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth Z87 (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
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
Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST)
Storage Set 1: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series)
Storage Set 2: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB (EVGA Superclocked ACX Cooler Edition)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
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 Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Airflow Control: - 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 Graphics Card(s): 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 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
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - Dangit forgot it again!!
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Just realized that on the previous build, I got the plain 780, upgraded to the Ti.

If I recall correctly, there is room for a 2'nd 200 mm fan at the top of the chassis. Would getting that additional fan be worth it?
I'm willing to spend an extra hundred or so on all the additional fans that the Haf X is capable of holding. For the sake of longevity.


Edited by Tanker201 - 28 Jan 2014 at 8:05am

Originally posted by Tanker201 Expectations: Mainly I want a computer that can run games such as World of tanks, Rust, and COD ghosts on high setting while recording using Dxtory, at a comfortable fps (30+). Able to convert video files without extreme lag. 1-2 monitors. Usage: Medium intensity gaming, recording, video converting, and live streaming. Special Needs: Able to power past the terrible Cod ghosts lag.

Going by your needs I'd say a single 780 Ti would do you just fine (but check the wealth of benchmark data..some was linked here already). Not sure what you mean by 1-2 monitors. I have 2 monitors but game on 1 and use the other for random things like web pages, hardware monitor software, and anything else I might want display while I game on my main screen... but there's not much system overhead running non-game things on a 2nd screen.
Some people actually game on 3 monitors at once on a high resolution, in which case you probably do want to go SLI.
For me personally, gaming at 1080p with a single 780 Ti it just eats any game I can throw at it (eg BF4 totally maxed on Ultra about 100 FPS. I turn down a few settings and lock it at 144 FPS). I record at 1080P 60 FPS using Nvidia Shadowplay and occasionally edit/render videos from this. You can also stream direct to Twitch with Shadowplay...not sure about recording at the same time though.

My point is consider what you NEED to do what you want to do today. There's a good chance a single 780 Ti is more than enough. With 4K gaming coming in the future it's certainly my intention to upgrade to a 2nd 780 Ti at a later date... when they are down to $400-500. I know of no issues installing a 2nd card, just put it in, connect the SLI bridge and you're good to go. You've changed to the Sabertooth which will be fine to SLI. Personally I went for the Asus Z87-Expert due to the features it has (like wi-fi, thunderbolt, etc). Sabertooth has less features but slightly hardier parts.

Edited by ScottishBattleAx - 28 Jan 2014 at 8:31am

What I was getting at was how you could possibly play something like COD on 2 screens - by that I mean, wouldn't cross hair be in the centre and therefore divided by the edges of the monitors. I believe that's why people play on 1 or 3 screens, but not 2. Depends on the game I guess, but I've never heard of 2 screens for a shooter game (unless it's something like me, where I use a 2nd screen just for a map of the game...but I don't actually GAME on the 2nd monitor).