Building a new computer, with $2000+ budget

[PhotonX]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Software Development (multiple Visual Studio instances, SQL Server usage, etc..), some gaming (like Sins of a Solar Empire), Microsoft Expression Encoder, Virtual Machines,
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2,000 to $2,500, not including taxes or shipping
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

Canada
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Case, SSDs, Video Card, PSU,
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
HDDs from current computer, dual monitors, keyboard/mice, speakers, DVD RW
6) Will you be overclocking?
I will overclock the CPU, as long as it is super stable.
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1200 24 inch and 1600x1200 20 inch
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In one or two weeks
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
6+ SATA 6 GB/s ports and one eSATA, and onboard video and audio is only for backup
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit from my current computer


My current build wishlist:

Motherboard
Asus Z87 Deluxe (or its dual variant to get the 2x thunderbolt), $290, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1201&item_id=060728
6 + 4 SATA 6 GB/s,
Just to confirm, I should be able to use all 10 SATA ports in non-RAID?


CPU
i7-4770K, $365, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=4_65&item_id=060637
i5-4670K, $260, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=4_65&item_id=060639
If the difference between 4770K and 4670K is only the hyperthreading, I might just go with i5 to cut down on costs.

CPU Cooler
Cooler Master V8, $70, http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4420236&CatId=1588

Memory
Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9, $175, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_312_612&item_id=050656
(another pair to expand to 32 GB total, if needed)

Memory Cooler
Corsair Airflow Fan, $35, http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4481604&CatId=496
(Just considering buying this)

Case
CoolerMaster HAF XM, $145, http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2538387&CatId=1509

Video Card
ASUS (GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5) GeForce GTX 770, $440, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_1200_557_559&item_id=061098
Just to confirm, I can use the dual link DVI-I ports and the DisplayPort or HDMI for a grand total of 3 monitors??
Also, I am not a big gamer, so I need to rethink spending $440 on a video card...

Soundcard
Creative Sound Blaster Z, $120, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=055058

PSU
Corsair AX860i Digital ATX 860Watt, $225, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_441&item_id=055089
I think this should be more than enough to handle this build and 9 SSD/HDDs

SSD
For the main OS boot drive
Samsung 840 Series MZ-7TD500BW 500GB, $370, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=179_1088&item_id=053767
Or
Samsung 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD256BW 256GB, $240, http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5247118&CatId=5298

 

[Konstantinnovation]

Running virtual machines and doing software dev!!! That means that you are one of the few people that may want to get a 6 core processor.

If you need to cut back on other areas to save some money:
smaller ssd + hdd instead of the large ssd.
sound card unless you have some really amazing speakers hooked up
video card unless you really want to play more games

 

[tiraides]

I agree with Konstantinnovation's suggestion of a hex-core:

$598 - Intel Core i7-3930K
$315 - Asus P9X79 PRO
$255 - G.Skill Ares 32GB (4x8GB) DDR3 1600 CL10 1.5V quad-channel kit

But to get the above setup, can you live with not overclocking (heavily) or using onboard sound (versus a dedicated sound card)?

With one video card and up to nine storage drives, you don't really need an 850-watt power supply. That said, there is an excellent deal on the Corsair HX850 this weekend. The Seasonic X-760 is another good choice.

I prefer the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD over the Samsung 840 500GB SSD. It's better performance-wise.

If you don't play any games more demanding than Sins of a Solar Empire, you could get by with either the GTX 660 Ti or the HD 7950.

Out of curiosity, which hard drives are you reusing?

 

[PhotonX]

Running virtual machines and doing software dev!!! That means that you are one of the few people that may want to get a 6 core processor.

If you need to cut back on other areas to save some money:
smaller ssd + hdd instead of the large ssd.
sound card unless you have some really amazing speakers hooked up
video card unless you really want to play more games

I agree with Konstantinnovation's suggestion of a hex-core:

$598 - Intel Core i7-3930K
$315 - Asus P9X79 PRO
$255 - G.Skill Ares 32GB (4x8GB) DDR3 1600 CL10 1.5V quad-channel kit

But to get the above setup, can you live with not overclocking (heavily) or using onboard sound (versus a dedicated sound card)?

Thanks for the suggestion, Konstantinnovation and tiraides. I will consider the hex core setup, but I am feeling maybe 4 cores with faster speed might be more suited for my needs.

I am not sure if I need a dedicated sound card, maybe onboard sound card is enough for me. I do not have a fancy speaker or headset. So, I will try to just use onboard sound card.

With one video card and up to nine storage drives, you don't really need an 850-watt power supply. That said, there is an excellent deal on the Corsair HX850 this weekend. The Seasonic X-760 is another good choice.

I will go with your suggestion, the Corsair HX850 (it's much less than AX860i), and I didn't know the advantage of Platinum rated PSU is not that much more than the Gold rated ones.

I prefer the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD over the Samsung 840 500GB SSD. It's better performance-wise.

Ok, 840 Pro it is. I might also get another one for a dual boot to have Win 8 as well.

If you don't play any games more demanding than Sins of a Solar Empire, you could get by with either the GTX 660 Ti or the HD 7950.

Ok, I will consider getting GTX 660 Ti. This also got me thinking, maybe I can go with 650 Ti ($170). I am able to play the game, Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion, just fine with my current GTX 8800.

I am considering the following video cards now, listing them all:

650 Ti $170
GTX 660 Ti $290
GTX 670 $340

Maybe I can use the onboard video for a month or two and wait for the prices on the GTX 600 series to go down more, seeing as the 700 series was just released.

Out of curiosity, which hard drives are you reusing?

Hitachi 2 TB, and WD's 640 GB and 320 GB. I will be adding more HDDs to the new rig as needed. I will be getting a new camera 24 MP and new video camera 1080p, so I will be storing a lot of raw and processed files and would like the option of having more HDDs added later down the road.

 

[Dangman]

I am not sure if I need a dedicated sound card, maybe onboard sound card is enough for me. I do not have a fancy speaker or headset. So, I will try to just use onboard sound card.

Then yeah, use the onboard sound then.

I am able to play the game, Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion, just fine with my current GTX 8800.

At 1920x1080 at max settings? And you're not planning on playing ANY other game beside Sins of a Solar Empire? Gottas ask that we don't know what future games you may play. hell some of the future games may require more GPU power. Hence why we're erring on the side of caution and recommending mid to high-end video cards.

I am considering the following video cards now, listing them all:

650 Ti $170
GTX 660 Ti $290
GTX 670 $340

Canada Computers seems to be down as of 11:12 PST. So can't check those links yet. However, do note that virtually every Nvidia card beginning with the GTX 650 TI and above will allow you to connect up to 3-4 monitors, three of the monitors being usually connected without using a displayport adapter.

Maybe I can use the onboard video for a month or two and wait for the prices on the GTX 600 series to go down more, seeing as the 700 series was just released.

There is no onboard video option for the consumer LGA 2011 market. As such, you will have to buy a video card no matter what.

 

[tiraides]

I will consider the hex core setup, but I am feeling maybe 4 cores with faster speed might be more suited for my needs.

If you're into multiple VMs running at the same time or heavy multitasking (a couple of VMs running alongside an encoding project), the extra cores and threads from the i7-3930K would help more than the increased speed of the i7-4770K. Don't forget that the i7-3930K comes with an unlocked CPU multiplier that enables you to overclock it just as easily as the i7-4770K. While the i7-3970K may not be as fast as the i7-4770K, it will still be faster than anything AMD has to offer.

I will go with your suggestion, the Corsair HX850 (it's much less than AX860i), and I didn't know the advantage of Platinum rated PSU is not that much more than the Gold rated ones.

80 Plus is irrelevant when it comes to power supplies. You still have to conduct research on the quality of the PSUs and what you need in terms of power. Then again, many of the sales and specials on high-capacity power supplies (over 700 watts) make them better deals than some lower-capacity models.

Ok, I will consider getting GTX 660 Ti. This also got me thinking, maybe I can go with 650 Ti ($170). I am able to play the game, Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion, just fine with my current GTX 8800.

I am considering the following video cards now, listing them all:

650 Ti $170
GTX 660 Ti $290
GTX 670 $340

Maybe I can use the onboard video for a month or two and wait for the prices on the GTX 600 series to go down more, seeing as the 700 series was just released.

Prices won't come down much, if at all, for the GTX 600 cards, even though all of the GTX 700 cards haven't arrived yet. You need to decide whether or not Sins of a Solar Empire is the only game that you wish to play, both now and in the future.

I believe that your choices should be between the GTX 660 Ti and the GTX 770. The GTX 650 Ti will struggle on any FPS or graphically demanding game that was released during the past couple of years. Though the GTX 670 is better than the GTX 660 Ti, the before-rebate prices of most GTX 670 cards make the GTX 770 a better value. (The GTX 770 is essentially a cheaper, rebranded GTX 680.)

 

[bAMtan2]

he's debating giving up hyperthreading. he doesn't need x79 or more threads because he doesn't want them, and the only different is possibly maybe better threaded perf sometimes. get a 4770k.

and if you are only playing games like sins of a solar empire, my advice is don't buy a video card. use the onboard video (it is good enough for that game), and buy a video card when you need it.

never buy something you don't use, unless money has no value to you. if you decide to play a serious game next year, buy a video card next year that is better than this years one.

 

[PhotonX]

Thanks tiraides, Danny, and bamtan

After reading some threads, this is what I understand

• Memory cooler is almost useless if the memory is going to be running at 1.5v
• Going above memory speed of 1600 MHz and lower latency like CL9 is not going to give much improvement in real life usage

Based on this, I am thinking of just getting a 16 GB 1600 MHz CL10, and not bother looking to anything higher if the price is relatively too much. Also, not buying any memory cooler. I think all high end RAM would have heat spreaders, this should be enough, right?

 

[Dangman]

Right.

 

[KazeoHin]

Thanks tiraides, Danny, and bamtan

After reading some threads, this is what I understand

• Memory cooler is almost useless if the memory is going to be running at 1.5v
• Going above memory speed of 1600 MHz and lower latency like CL9 is not going to give much improvement in real life usage

Based on this, I am thinking of just getting a 16 GB 1600 MHz CL10, and not bother looking to anything higher if the price is relatively too much. Also, not buying any memory cooler. I think all high end RAM would have heat spreaders, this should be enough, right?

You sound like you've got your head screwed on right. In some rare instances, super fast ram can make a difference, but 1600 speed is the peak of the bell curve when it comes to cost versus performance.

Also, with the CPU (and in this particular debate the entire platform) we may need to know more details on how you are using your machine. If you are running VMs, hyperthreading helps a lot, but not as much as real cores. If you are going to be encoding video, running threaded applications or the like: the more threads the better. If you are going to focus more on realtime calculations, a few stronger cores are reccomended.

I make 3D art, and MOST of the programs I use can easily max out my 6 cores. Most of the time, up to 8 threads are supported by high-level software, so if you have 12 threads, multitasking becomes a lot more of a possibility. You can have Mental Ray running on 8 threads and still have 4 threads to play with.

 

[SpeedyVV]

Couple of thoughts.

VMs and "I will be getting a new camera 24 MP and new video camera 1080p, so I will be storing a lot of raw and processed files", sounds like a perfect fit for a 3930K. Yes I am biased.

Something to think about, the HD7950 suggested comes with free games, so if those are games you would like to try, it could factor into your decision. Mind you I am a nvidia fanboi so I would go with a GTX 770 which should last you a long time.

 

[PhotonX]

Something to think about, the HD7950 suggested comes with free games, so if those are games you would like to try, it could factor into your decision. Mind you I am a nvidia fanboi so I would go with a GTX 770 which should last you a long time.

Ok, I will check out HD7950.

Also, with the CPU (and in this particular debate the entire platform) we may need to know more details on how you are using your machine. If you are running VMs, hyperthreading helps a lot, but not as much as real cores. If you are going to be encoding video, running threaded applications or the like: the more threads the better. If you are going to focus more on realtime calculations, a few stronger cores are reccomended.

I make 3D art, and MOST of the programs I use can easily max out my 6 cores. Most of the time, up to 8 threads are supported by high-level software, so if you have 12 threads, multitasking becomes a lot more of a possibility. You can have Mental Ray running on 8 threads and still have 4 threads to play with.

The main purpose of the new computer is software development and some VMs, I probably will have 2 or 3 visual studio instances and I occasionally launch a VM for testing (for like 10 to 20 mins and I shut down the VM, VMs are not run permanently). I do video editing/convert, I usually just start and leaving it running at night, so I can just wait longer for it to finish.

The reason why I am leaning towards i5 4670K is that I feel maybe 4 cores alone is enough, and even if I were to encode videos 20% faster with the i7 because of HT, the time saved in video encoding/converting does not matter to me. I am also considering the six core setup, I would like to have more real cores, so still researching.

As I was reviewing the setup, I was wondering about the memory clearance with the CPU cooler I have selected. Corsair Dominator Platinum has height of 2 inch, and the CPU cooler I wanted to go with is either Cooler Master V8 or Phanteks PH-TC14PE. Both will seem have problem with the height of the Dominator Platinum.

It seems my choices are either
Phanteks PH-TC14PE (height 171 mm) with Corsair Vengeance Low Profile (height 26.25mm )
Or Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (height 158.5 mm) with Corsair Dominator Platinum (height 50.8 mm)

I am planning to OC my CPU to 4.4 Ghz (or whichever I can get it to be very stable), so I was looking up on very good CPU coolers. But if I go with Phanteks PH-TC14PE, I wouldn't have free access to memory slots. Do I really have to remove this CPU cooler PH-TC14PE in order to change or add memory later? Or can I use Hyper 212 Evo for the OC?

This is from the FAQ for PH-TC14PE:

 

[Dangman]

The main purpose of the new computer is software development and some VMs, I probably will have 2 or 3 visual studio instances and I occasionally launch a VM for testing (for like 10 to 20 mins and I shut down the VM, VMs are not run permanently). I do video editing/convert, I usually just start and leaving it running at night, so I can just wait longer for it to finish.

The reason why I am leaning towards i5 4670K is that I feel maybe 4 cores alone is enough, and even if I were to encode videos 20% faster with the i7 because of HT, the time saved in video encoding/converting does not matter to me. I am also considering the six core setup, I would like to have more real cores, so still researching.

With what you have said so far, no reason for you to get the Core i7 3930K. Many of the same reasons why you would go with the 4770K in the first place are the same reasons for getting the 3930K bu at a far greater need/urgency. In other words, if you can barely justify the 4770K coming from the 4670K, there's even less justification to go with the 3930K.

As I was reviewing the setup, I was wondering about the memory clearance with the CPU cooler I have selected. Corsair Dominator Platinum has height of 2 inch, and the CPU cooler I wanted to go with is either Cooler Master V8 or Phanteks PH-TC14PE. Both will seem have problem with the height of the Dominator Platinum.

In general, we rarely recommend Dominator RAM since they're usually overpriced as hell. So even if you didn't have height restrictions, we would still recommend against going Dominator RAM unless you have money to burn on unnecessary items. The extra money spent on Dominator RAM can be spent on more useful items like more RAM, faster/larger SSD, faster CPU/GPU, better cooling, etc. In this day and age, Dominator RAM is mainly for bragging rights and has little to no practical benefits.

I am planning to OC my CPU to 4.4 Ghz (or whichever I can get it to be very stable), so I was looking up on very good CPU coolers. But if I go with Phanteks PH-TC14PE, I wouldn't have free access to memory slots. Do I really have to remove this CPU cooler PH-TC14PE in order to change or add memory later? Or can I use Hyper 212 Evo for the OC?

Considering how much hotter the Haswell CPUs or the six-core 3930K runs when OC'd, I highly recommend going with the Phanteks HSF. With that said, here in the U.S, the Corsair H80i Liquid Cooling All-in-One Cooler costs roughly the same as the Phanteks PH-TC14PE HSF yet provides significantly better cooling. So that's something you might want to look into. I recommend sticking with the Corsair Vengeance LP RAM no matter what.

 

[PhotonX]

In general, we rarely recommend Dominator RAM since they're usually overpriced as hell. So even if you didn't have height restrictions, we would still recommend against going Dominator RAM unless you have money to burn on unnecessary items. The extra money spent on Dominator RAM can be spent on more useful items like more RAM, faster/larger SSD, faster CPU/GPU, better cooling, etc. In this day and age, Dominator RAM is mainly for bragging rights and has little to no practical benefits.

Considering how much hotter the Haswell CPUs or the six-core 3930K runs when OC'd, I highly recommend going with the Phanteks HSF. With that said, here in the U.S, the Corsair H80i Liquid Cooling All-in-One Cooler costs roughly the same as the Phanteks PH-TC14PE HSF yet provides significantly better cooling. So that's something you might want to look into. I recommend sticking with the Corsair Vengeance LP RAM no matter what.

Ok, Corsair Vengeance LP it is.

I prefer air cooling, and maybe for my next build I will look into water cooling. Thanks for the suggestion though, I looked up on the H80 and H100, I had no idea things improved on the water cooling for people who want easier installation.

The PH-TC14PE weighs 1250g with two fans, after I install this on the motherboard, do I have to be very careful when I move the case? Would moving a bit fast cause any damage or something?

This cooler is also big enough that it will come too close to the top PCIe slot on the Asus Z87 Deluxe, does this mean I would have to install the video card at one of the bottom two PCIe slots?

 

[Dangman]

The PH-TC14PE weighs 1250g with two fans, after I install this on the motherboard, do I have to be very careful when I move the case? Would moving a bit fast cause any damage or something?

If you happened to move the system really really fast, then some damage may occur. But for the most part, you don't have to worry too much about damage unless you plan on moving the PC often.

This cooler is also big enough that it will come too close to the top PCIe slot on the Asus Z87 Deluxe, does this mean I would have to install the video card at one of the bottom two PCIe slots?

Are you talking about the PCI-E x1 slot or the PCI-E x16 slot? If the latter, then yes you may have to install the video card in the second PCI-E x16 slot.

 

[PhotonX]

This is what I went with

Cooler Master HAF XM
Asus Z87 Deluxe
i5 4670K
Phanteks PH-TC14PE (I ran the Prime95's torture test, the max temperature was at 58* c with 940 rpm, ambient temperature was around 25 c)
32 GB Corsair Vengeance LP 1600 Mhz
Corsair HX850 PSU
GTX 760
Samsung 840 Pro 256 GB

I bought and built the new computer rig over the weekend. I decided to go with GTX 760, it was released only few days ago.

The new rig is 2 or 3 times faster than my last one. With 32 GB of memory, I do not have to micromanage open programs like I did with 6 GB of memory with my old computer. I need to look into those RAM disks. I have not OC'd yet, I will try next weekend.

Thanks guys for your help!

 

[Dangman]

Good to see the build went well!