My Custom DS Machine

Ello' fellers. PandaBear here getting ready to put in an order for a new gaming system. I'm a Casual-Hardcore gamer if that makes any sense lol.

I'm on a tight budget but at the same time looking to get a high end system that is future proof for at least a couple years with room to upgrade when I fancy. My goal is to create a system that can handle modern games on full graphical settings (not BF3 or Skyrim [I have those for console]). Anyway to cut to the chase...

Usage: Mostly gaming(Steam,StarCraftII,GuildWarsII), school, web browsing, MUSIC, pictures, general stuff, ect...

Budget: $3,000.00 USD

The Build:
Price: $3,028
    Ticket Number: 693489

24 inch 1920x1080 monitor

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 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard)
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: 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: Intel) (Model: 520 Series)
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: !PROMOTION: Killer 2100 (Optimized for Online Gaming) Lag and Latency Reduction
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: 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: 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: - 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 (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

...What'cha think Digital Storm community?



Edited by PandaBear - 28 May 2012 at 2:53pm

I am running one 24 inch 1920x1080 monitor at the moment, there is good news!

How will my thermals be with this build and stage II OC?
Can my motherboard handle it?
That is my main concern.

Did I do overkill on anything?

What could be improved?



Edited by PandaBear - 28 May 2012 at 2:52pm

Out of curiosity why would you want to RAID 0 an SSD and an HDD?

Originally posted by Serious Putty Out of curiosity why would you want to RAID 0 an SSD and an HDD?

Originally posted by bprat22 The mobo., overclocking, etc is great.    I haven' t played those games but from specs I' ve seen the sli, 2x gtx 670 is overkill for your monitor. A single 670 should do it.   For the likes of BF3 and Metro 2033 the sli would be needed for maxed out gaming.    Its all about what you play now and in the future.        If its in the budget go sli and not worry about it.   If not go with a single now and add later.

Overkilling GPU is never really a bad thing I guess. That's a pretty good motto. Like I said I need to have future insurance with this build.

I didn't realize there was such a thing as 'SLI support' in that case... What a big WASTE! I think I'll just go with the GTX 690 instead then.

Panda,

But it still acts like an SLI setup? That is total crap pardon my french. I'm concerned about overclocking my graphics card though. If I had a 680 what is the best option for OCing it.

Like what is the difference between EVGA and non EVGA card as long as I choose DS to OC my video card?

Edited by PandaBear - 28 May 2012 at 5:02pm

Wouldn't that almost certainly shorten the life of my video card?

Here it is now revised with added extra SSD memory. I would love the 2400MHz of RAM but it's just too damn expensive!

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 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)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 2133MHz Corsair Dominator GT with DHX (High-Performance)
Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (240GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 520 Series)
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 680 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: 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: FREE: 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: - 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 (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

Originally posted by LaneHayes I'm not sure how much some of these decisions make sense for your use. A single GTX 570 completely maxes everything on SC2 at over 60fps, without getting to max temps. Same with SWTOR. If GuildWars 2 is similar, you have no need of a 680. A single 670 will destroy it.   Also, Raid0 for SSDs will definitely improve performance, but I don't know if you'll even be able to notice really especially with the added risk (one fails, lose all data). I keep all my MMOs on my 1TB HDD and the loadtimes are still very fast, and I save a ton of money/space on ssds for games and applications that actually benefit. Again if you are playing these games, OCing these video cards doesn't make sense either.   Also, for gaming you only need 8gb of ram at 1666 mhz.   So basically my point is I don't know if these upgrades are cost effective for your given usage. Its like my friend who bought a 680 for d3 from his gtx 560Ti. Both cards max the game on ultra, so you may not see any benefit from the upgrade.   I think the best option is to get an SLI ready machine, 1 SSD and an HDD, put in a single 670. If that doesn't have the power you need, go buy another one and put it in SLI later. With the HAF X case it is very easy (I did it with no previous computer experience). These will max anything at 1920x1080.

Honestly, I've never understood logic like this. Why get a video card (GTX570) that will barely play current games at max settings? Next year, it won't even come close. With a GTX680 or higher you're future proofed. If your gonna get a new PC, get a new PC; don't half ass it if you can afford it. Going a bit overkill in the present ensures better performance in the future. Don't consider a 570, go with a 680 or higher.

SSD's are *Hardcore* durable. I've stated on these forums that I work in a corporate environment and one of our cache servers has 1200 SSD's; in 8 years, 1 has failed. I'd trust them in RAID. Backing up is always good but RAID 0 SSD speed gains is worth it and their likelihood of failing is exponentially smaller than spinning-disk HD's. I wouldn't worry about it. SSD's are so fast in RAID 0 that spinning drives will not even compare and the difference across the board is noticeable- from windows to gaming (especially MMO's).

Ram is cheap. Games are beginning to utilize more and more RAM and Windows 8 is going to make much better use of more ram GB's clocked higher. Stick with the RAM you have, again, this is for future proofing and the cost difference is well worth it imo. Especially if you ever decide to edit photos or videos on your machine; you never know when a new hobby might bite you.

The point is, your "given usage" can change over time and games become exponentially more demanding each year. To ensure the best performance over the life of the PC, don't go with hardware that will barely cut it in the present, go with hardware that will still provide good performance in the future. If you have the cash for it, overkill as much as you can now. You'll be happy when you can take the sliders in video settings towards their max in a couple of years.

(Nobody says you're sticking with 1920x1080 forever; you might get monitor fever in the future with the price drops of monitors and decide to upgrade; in this case, beefier video cards will help)

Personally, I'd go with a GTX690. Each core is about as fast as a 680, so games that don't support SLI, you're still getting GTX680 speeds. Most games DO support SLI and those that don't will get support for it eventually. Again,it always goes back to future proofing - GTX690 won't need any more upgrades for a long time, whereas a 680 might tempt you to upgrade to another 680 in sli in a year or two.

I have the European way of thinking, that is, to spend more now to ensure longer lasting/better performance in the long run. I've never understood people that upgrade pc's every 1-2 years with mediocre specs when they could spend more and get one PC that'll last 4 years. Buying multiple lesser PC's in a shorter period of time is usually more expensive then getting a single higher-end pc that lasts for a longer period of time.

I'd save as much cash as you can, even if that means waiting on this purchase a bit longer, get the best PC you can afford now (overkill or not; overkill today is "just cutting it" tomorrow)and I think you'll be happier in the end.

Also, there is no way in heck I'd do stage 2 overclocking AND video card overclocking with an air cooled pc. No way. Not unless you live in an Igloo.

Landon

Edited by Err0xx - 29 May 2012 at 10:09am

Originally posted by LaneHayes European way of thinking indeed. "Cost effectiveness" isn't something they even have a concept of, which is why their entire currency experiment is circling the drain right now while the continent mires in recession.   My point was, why pay for something that you will never see any benefit out of? At no point did I recommend a GTX 570 (which STILL "barely" get 80fps on all the games he listed on ultra, more than you'd ever, ever ever need), but an even more improved 670.   Retail 400$, vs a 690's retail $1000. For non SLI games, he would get +5-10fps for 250% more money, he'd be lucky since its a detuned 680. What if he can't even tell the difference? If he needs more power, 2 670s in SLI vs a 690 is barely any difference and 200 dollars cheaper.   I doubt he will be able to tell any difference with the 1600 ram (which again, he can cheaply upgrade to 16 if needed), and will see less OC compatibility issues that have been reported with the 2100mhz ram.   And, spending 4k now with riskier parts (Gtx 690, raid0 hard drives) that you will have to upgrade in 3 years vs a 2.5k machine you will have to upgrade in 2, the math just doesn't make sense. Buying the bleeding edge of technology rarely does costwise.

Oh yes, and the American economy is more than a toothpick away from European. Please. It's a world problem. I NEVER said European thinking was correct or better than any other, I said that's how my decision-making process PC configuration was.

Your basing "never seeing the benefits" of high end cards/hardware based on the speed of software in the past. Look at the software advancement speed. In the next 2 years, software will increase what previously took 6 years. You'll be able to utilize that higher end hardware quicker than you might think.

If they decided they needed SLI later and got another $400 dollar card, you will pay additional shipping plus maybe taxes (depending on where you buy) and have two cards that could potentially fail vs. a single 690. Sure the 690 has two processors, but those are still less likely to fail than two completely separate cards. So, in this scenario, your spending almost the same (maybe $100 less) for arguably less performance and higher power consumption.

My ram comment was more in your response to recommending 8gb. I don't like the idea of 8gb for the mere purpose of future proofing, when the cost difference between 8 and 16gb is relatively small. Ram clock speed, I don't really care, because the CPU OC will balance it. To each his own.

Thus far, due to the 690 being made after the 680, has had one of the higher yields in graphics cards to date. I wouldn't consider it a "riskier" part. Either way, parts are covered under a warranty and DS does heavy ass testing. I'd feel fine with a 690.

Either way, the OP asked for an opinion. I stated an opinion that differed from yours LaneHayes. I never asked for an argument. I stated my opinion in response to yours so that the OP would have two views to look at. I have no obligation to defend my view to you, as that is just the way I think, and you shouldn't feel obligated to defend yours. I'm not attacking your opinion, I was stating my own that was different from yours.

In the end it benefits the OP to see all the different views and decide which one they feel the best in following.

Oh, and I promise a gtx690 will be good for gaming for beyond 3 years. The OP stated a preference for playing games at max settings. What if they decided to upgrade monitor resolution and still wanted those max settings? Just stuff to think about.

Could not agree more with your way of thinking, save the customer money for the same performance. Good job

Hi Panda Bear,

I am not sure all of this discussion has answered all of your questions. Do you have any more questions or are you good to go?

Frank