New Primary/Gaming Computer $2000 - Any Suggestions?

[Apathy]

So it's been another 4 1/2 years (see previous builds in signature), and it's time for a new rig. I have pieced together a new computer with the learned teachings of (and in no order of importance):

silent-circuit
Markyip1
junglicious
Oldie
Danny Bui
enginurd

These guys helped me build this: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1271797 and this: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=825894
Thank you guys for teaching me to put a computer together the right way. Your help has been invaluable over the years.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming at high settings, browsing web, encoding video, watching movies.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2200 For everything

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Cos cob, Ct USA

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.
case, mobo, cpu, psu, gfx card, ram, hsf, os, ssd, hdd, optical drive, thermal paste

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Dell U3011 display, kb/mouse, speakers.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
2560x1600. 30 inches.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next week or up to 3 months.

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.
Raid. Sata. usb 3. Sli.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No.

Now onto the components:

Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth Z77 Socket 1155
Processor: Intel Core I7 3770k Socket 1155
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 680
RAM: 16GB (8x2) G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
PSU: Corsair 850HX
Heatsink: Noctua NH-D14
SSD: Samsung 830 256GB
HDD: 2TB... undecided manufacturer
Optical Drive: Asus Bluray/DVD combo drive
OS: WIndows 7 Pro 64bit
Thermal Grease: Arctic Silver 5

Total: $2050 shipped from Newegg. ($24 UPS 3 day shipping)

All components were found on newegg.

I am still not decided on a storage HDD. Samsung/Western Digital variants seem equally unreliable and with comparable prices for the green/speedier versions of each. I have been using AS5 thermal paste for every computer I have built and it has worked fine, but I am curious if there is a new contender. Also curious on thoughts between the Geforce 680 vs 580. I have gone with ATI cards for every build because of cost/performance, but Nvidia seems to be winning that game currently. I will be using a single 30 inch monitor with this video card, and I game at 1920x1200 usually because my eyesight is mostly terrible.

Any suggestions on holding out for a few months for newer tech/price reductions? I know I can play that game forever, but sometimes it can be worth the wait when new architecture is around the corner.

Would love to get some feedback from [H] to help point my dollars in the right direction. Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[fullvietFX]

I would go with a Seagate drive and MX-4 for the thermal paste. Other than that I see nothing wrong with your choices.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Mind answering the stick questions so we can help you better?

 

[Apathy]

Mind answering the stick questions so we can help you better?

Gotcha sir. Op edited. Done and done.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

To what extent are you going to be encoding video? I ask this because that's the only thing you'll be doing on your computer that will possibly take advantage of the hyper threading in the i7 processor you've selected. If you aren't doing very much (Like uploading the occasional video to YouTube, editing family videos after holidays, etc..) then it's not really worth the costs of an i7 over the i5 for the small amount of time you'll save when encoding those videos.

That motherboard is extreme overkill for your needs. Consider getting the non Sabertooth version as it's not only a lot cheaper, but still does everything you need/want it to do.

That PSU is overkill for your needs. If you still want overkill, then get a 750W unit, otherwise 650W is plenty for that system.

That heatsink is not worth the money IMHO, unless you're going for extreme overclocks. Get the Coolermaster 212+ cooler for like $30. You'll still get high overclocks with half the budget. In fact, that other cooler might allow you to get like ~100Mhz more; if that really.

AS5 isn't the "go to" stuff anymore. The thermal paste that comes with that coolermaster 212+ will be fine. Plus AS5 has like a 200 hour curing time or some crap, the stuff that is included with CM 212+ works to it's full potential right away.

edit
I just seen you mention you only game at 1080P. If that's the case, no need for the 680. Go with either the 670, 660, or 7950.

 

[rastaban]

I agree with Skillz for the functionality component of the build, but I understand many people (myself included) do not mind paying extra for some improved aesthetics.

As pretty as the Sabertooth is, I read that the thermal armor fans are horribly noisy if you choose to use them. The failure rate on all motherboards across brands seem to be similar so I'd just get something that looks decent to you and has at least 4 SATA 6gbps ports. Everything else is more or less standard on Z77 boards now. Depending on how much you want to OC, you may need 8+ VRM phases to play it safe.

The CM Hyper 212+ is the "go to" budget cooler nowadays but it seems your budget can afford to be higher than the 20-30$ range it floats around. The Xigmatek Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition (ridiculous mouthful) is currently very popular with good reviews for its price. I actually just ordered one the other day and should have it installed tomorrow. It was on sale for 49.99 when I bought it, but I have seen it go as low as 39.99.

For thermal pastes, scroll down to the chart for a reference: MaximumPC 17 thermal pastes
Looking at Newegg reviews, I'd go with the Xigmatek PTI-G4512 as it is cheaper than the Tuniq TX-4 and has better reviews. I've been meaning to pick up a tube, but I still have a full tube of AS5 so can't justify it

EDIT: I'm curious why you chose the Corsair 650D if you don't mind.

 

[Apathy]

I chose the Z77 for its looks as well as performance. I chose the noctua hsf for it's noise vs performance. I chose the 650d for it's aesthetics and noise control. I have been in a lustful relationship with the 800d for years now, but I can't justify its size, and it has less internal hdd bays to compensate for the hot swap bays that I don't really need. I chose the 3770k because I only build once every 4 years and I do a fair amount of video encoding. The psu might be a little overkill, but I would rather not have to buy a new one if I decide to sli or if it loses power over the next 3 or 4 years. The gpu is because I want to max settings on a 30 inch monitor.

I do have one question though, I have A license for windows 7 enterprise... probably better to use that than buy pro right? Seems as feature rich as ultimate.

Thank you for your replies so far. They have all made me think about why I made my decisions for each piece.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well the only thing the Sabertooth has over other boards priced lower is the looks as it looks unique. As for performance, it's not any better.

I have two CM 212+ coolers in my room. One is cooling an i7 870 in a Coolermaster 690 II Advanced case under my desk, the other one is sitting naked on a shelf cooling an AMD 1090T. I hear the fans on the GPUs (570 GTX, 6800 GS) over the fans on the CM 212+. The room both are in is probably 12' x 10' in size, maybe smaller. Just a FYI that the CM 212+ coolers are quiet in comparison.

Hyper Threading has been around for a LONG time. The only thing that seems to make use of it is programs that are multithreaded that rely heavily on CPU power. Such as, but not limited to, video editing. Therefore, if the added costs of the i7 3770k over the i5 3570k is worth it JUST to shave a few percent of time off the encoding work, then by all means go for it. However it will be noted that no games today really take advantage of the hyper threading, so you wont see ANY performance increase with the i7 over the i5 when doing practically everything else you'll be doing.

It's extremely overkill, not just a little overkill. Computers are slowly moving towards using less power, not more. A 650W PSU has enough power to power SLI 680s, then some. For reference: (Do note that the power ratings are at the WALL BEFORE the PSU, not AFTER the PSU. So the PSU required to run such a system is actually less than what's displayed)

 

[tiraides]

I chose the Z77 for its looks as well as performance. I chose the noctua hsf for it's noise vs performance. I chose the 650d for it's aesthetics and noise control. I have been in a lustful relationship with the 800d for years now, but I can't justify its size, and it has less internal hdd bays to compensate for the hot swap bays that I don't really need. I chose the 3770k because I only build once every 4 years and I do a fair amount of video encoding. The psu might be a little overkill, but I would rather not have to buy a new one if I decide to sli or if it loses power over the next 3 or 4 years. The gpu is because I want to max settings on a 30 inch monitor.

The issue that Skillz has -- and, by extension, I have -- is with the Sabertooth motherboard, not the Z77 chipset. I mean, what program(s) do you use for video encoding? How often (especially compared to gaming) do you encode video? You could save some money by going with, say, the Core i5-3570K and the Asus P8Z77-V LK and still be able to do everything you want. (The only significant difference between the i5-3570K and the i7-3770K is Hyper Threading support, which is something that not every program uses.)

I'm also in agreement with Skillz that you don't need an 850 watt power supply. There are plenty of good 750 watt models that could serve your needs for a long time.

I do have one question though, I have A license for windows 7 enterprise... probably better to use that than buy pro right? Seems as feature rich as ultimate.

Go ahead and use the Enterprise license. For your sake, it's virtually identical to Pro.

The CM Hyper 212+ is the "go to" budget cooler nowadays but it seems your budget can afford to be higher than the 20-30$ range it floats around. The Xigmatek Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition (ridiculous mouthful) is currently very popular with good reviews for its price. I actually just ordered one the other day and should have it installed tomorrow. It was on sale for 49.99 when I bought it, but I have seen it go as low as 39.99.

Don't knock the Hyper 212 Plus; IIRC, its performance is on par with the Xigmatek SD1283 series of CPU coolers. Oftentimes, the price of the Hyper 212 Plus makes it a better choice than other tower-style CPU coolers.

For thermal pastes, scroll down to the chart for a reference: MaximumPC 17 thermal pastes
Looking at Newegg reviews, I'd go with the Xigmatek PTI-G4512 as it is cheaper than the Tuniq TX-4 and has better reviews. I've been meaning to pick up a tube, but I still have a full tube of AS5 so can't justify it

All of the forum regulars, myself included, recommend any brand-name thermal compound that doesn't require a curing time. The only significant knock on Arctic Silver 5 is its curing time: even the company's website states that it can take up to 200 hours for AS5 to perform properly. (Personally, I'm a fan of the Arctic Cooling MX-2/MX-3/MX-4 series.)

 

[Apathy]

Thank you for the feedback guys. I compared the Asus p8z77 vlk to the sabertooth and honestly, I am willing to pay the $70 premium for the color scheme and the two extra Sata ports. I am currently using 8 hdd's of varying sizes (1 - 2tb) and having to swap them around in a dock since my current mobo doesn't have the support for all of them plus 2 optical drives. The 8 vs 6 Sata ports is of high value to me.

For video editing I am using Vegas pro, avs video editor, and avi demux. I do more video splicing than anything else, and I don't do it as often as I would because my current setup is just so damn slow. I upload videos to YouTube and do a fair bit of codec conversion for burning media to dvd's. I also extract a ton of archived files every day, usually several GB large (Will the faster cpu help much with that?)

I can definitely step it down to the corsair 650hx. I honestly wasn't sure if I would need a larger psu if I wanted to sli current gpu's. Thank you for saving me some money there.

I'm pretty set on going with a monster air cooler. Either the cogage true spirit, thermaltake silver arrow, or noctua nh-d14. I want it for the looks, performance (OC potential, heat dispersion), and noise levels.

The 200 hour mark doesn't seem too bad to cure AS-5. Figure 10 days of leaving the thing on right? But I'm more than happy to give a different thermal paste a try if you think it will work better. I still have to take a look at all your paste recommendations.

Thanks again guys.

Edit:
And although it may not see this way, I am not entirely sold on the 3770k or the z77. I have to do some more research to find out about the actual percentage gains on encoding times vs the 3570k. If the gains are sub 10% in real time, I will certainly consider lowering my cpu/mobo interests.

 

[Dangman]

Thank you for the feedback guys. I compared the Asus p8z77 vlk to the sabertooth and honestly, I am willing to pay the $70 premium for the color scheme and the two extra Sata ports. I am currently using 8 hdd's of varying sizes (1 - 2tb) and having to swap them around in a dock since my current mobo doesn't have the support for all of them plus 2 optical drives. The 8 vs 6 Sata ports is of high value to me.

Hang on, $70 difference? The Asus P8Z77-V LK costs $150 shipped. The Asus Z77 Sabertooth costs $240. That's a $90 difference. Still not worth it IMO since if you just want two extra SATA ports, you could still go with the $180 Asus P8Z77-V motherboard. Cheaper than the Sabertooth by $60 and only $30 more than the Asus P8Z77-V LK.

I also extract a ton of archived files every day, usually several GB large (Will the faster cpu help much with that?)

Kind of. Still mostly based on HDD speed though.

I'm pretty set on going with a monster air cooler. Either the cogage true spirit, thermaltake silver arrow, or noctua nh-d14. I want it for the looks, performance (OC potential, heat dispersion), and noise levels.

I'd go for the Noctua since it's one of the quietest air coolers out there.

The 200 hour mark doesn't seem too bad to cure AS-5. Figure 10 days of leaving the thing on right? But I'm more than happy to give a different thermal paste a try if you think it will work better. I still have to take a look at all your paste recommendations.

200 hours seems bad considering that other modern thermal paste require no curing time to achieve optimal temperatures. Not to mention that the temperatures between AS5 + 200 hour curing time is the same as modern thermal paste with no curing time. So I second Tiraides' recommendation for the Arctic Cooling MX series thermal paste.

 

[Apathy]

I am going sacrifice foolish desire and take your recommendation to pick up the P8Z77-V. It has everything that I need, and it'll save me some money. I always get a bit over zealous initially about computer builds, and you guys always manage to help me realize that very quickly. More money saved = raid/sli setup sooner.

I still don't know which manufacturer to go with my 2TB storage drive, but I am sure I can figure that one out.

I will be going for the Noctua NH-D14, and as suggested I will be lowering my wattage interests to the corsair 650hx. I cannot live without a modular psu.

Definitely going to try out one of the variants of the Arctic Cooling MX paste.

Will be using my Windows 7 Enterprise license, seems the same as ultimate.

Still not decided on the 680 vs 580 for the gpu, and still not decided on the 3570k vs 3770k. Going to do some cpu research now to find out about real world performance gains with encoding times. Wish me luck sifting through the virtual scores to find the actual time based tests.

Looks like the Samsung 830 256GB is on sale over on sd. Might pick one up and get the build started. Tempting.

 

[Dangman]

I still don't know which manufacturer to go with my 2TB storage drive, but I am sure I can figure that one out.

The Samsung F4 2TB gets my recommendation.

I will be going for the Noctua NH-D14, and as suggested I will be lowering my wattage interests to the corsair 650hx. I cannot live without a modular psu.

Go for the HX750 or Seasonic X-750 as a CYA measure.

Still not decided on the 680 vs 580 for the gpu,

Seriously? GTX 680 2GB or 4GB hands down. Unless that 580 was $190 to $200, its relatively high power usage and heat generation as well as its 1.5GB of VRAM makes it a poor choice for a new video card buy these days.

and still not decided on the 3570k vs 3770k. Going to do some cpu research now to find out about real world performance gains with encoding times. Wish me luck sifting through the virtual scores to find the actual time based tests.

If you're doing an extensive amount (i.e essentially more than half the time you'll be using the PC for) of video editing/rendering/encoding, then the 3770k is worth it.