Thoughts on upgrade path

[German Muscle]

Since haswell is going to be a marginal upgrade ill just build a IB-E

Here is what im going with.

Corsair AX1200i Power supply
Gigabyte GA-X79S-UP5 Motherboard
Intel Core i7 3930K Processor
Corsair Dominator Platinum 1866 DDR3 4x8GB
EVGA GTX670 4GB x2

Stuff i already own

Corsair Obsidian 700D Case
Asus Xonar Essence STX Sound Card
2x WD Velociraptor 300GB
1x WD Velociraptor 500GB

Here is what ill use it for.

Overclocking, Gaming, Video Editing with Sony Vegas, Adobe After Effects, and Maxon Cinema 4D, Office documents, regular day to day use.
Here is where im at with my current setup.

I plan to add a SSD and a water loop in the future.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Not sure I would bother with RAM rated above DDR3 1600.

What size monitor are you gaming on? Well.. .what's the resolution of that monitor I mean?

 

[German Muscle]

Not sure I would bother with RAM rated above DDR3 1600.

What size monitor are you gaming on? Well.. .what's the resolution of that monitor I mean?

1920 x 1080 @ 120hz x3 so 5760x1080?

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well if it was me id get ddr3 1600, smaller psu, and probably get the ssd now.

 

[German Muscle]

Well if it was me id get ddr3 1600, smaller psu,

why

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well like I talked to you on Steam; I don't think you need the x79/2011 setup to begin with. 1200W is overkill for your intentions. The differences between DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1866 are so small, you'll only notice the difference in synthetic benchmarks.

Therefore, with the money saved going with a smaller rated PSU, slower RAM you can get or at least put money towards getting an SSD now.

 

[German Muscle]

Well like I talked to you on Steam; I don't think you need the x79/2011 setup to begin with. 1200W is overkill for your intentions. The differences between DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1866 are so small, you'll only notice the difference in synthetic benchmarks.

Therefore, with the money saved going with a smaller rated PSU, slower RAM you can get or at least put money towards getting an SSD now.

Yeah the steam convo was never gotten into detail.

Im kinda confused on why you think i dont need a X79 setup? Ive never seen anyone on this forum tell them they dont need something when they could benifit from it.

1200w is prolly more then i need. There is nothing wrong with having more then you need. Out of curiousity what fully modular power supply do you suggest that will handle all of what i have no and what i will have in the future?
Can anyone else chime in on the memory?

 

[Dangman]

FYi, that's a SB-E setup, not an IB-E setup since IB-E CPUs haven't been released yet. I'm not entirely sure why Skillz's exact reasons behind his statements but from what I can see so far, you should be able to benefit from a SB-E setup.

The general trend for PC hardware at the moment is lower power usage, not higher. As such, you would be fine with a good quality 750W PSU for quite awhile. Think about it: if you had bought a good quality 750W PSU 4 years ago, it still would be good enough for a setup today. Even with SLI and heavy duty overclocking, the Seasonic X750 would be more than enough for your setup:
http://www.amazon.com/SeaSonic-750W.../B002VAFDQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357166367

RAM wise, I agree with Skillz that the performance difference between DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1866 RAM is pretty small. Not to mention that Dominator RAM themselves are never worth it IMO. Their quality or performance isn't that much higher to justify their costs. I recommend getting multiple sets of this RAM instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Venge...f=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357166642

That'll save you $136 if you go for two of the above Corsair Vengence set.

 

[German Muscle]

FYi, that's a SB-E setup, not an IB-E setup since IB-E CPUs haven't been released yet. I'm not entirely sure why Skillz's exact reasons behind his statements but from what I can see so far, you should be able to benefit from a SB-E setup.

The general trend for PC hardware at the moment is lower power usage, not higher. As such, you would be fine with a good quality 750W PSU for quite awhile. Think about it: if you had bought a good quality 750W PSU 4 years ago, it still would be good enough for a setup today. Even with SLI and heavy duty overclocking, the Seasonic X750 would be more than enough for your setup:
http://www.amazon.com/SeaSonic-750W.../B002VAFDQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357166367

RAM wise, I agree with Skillz that the performance difference between DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1866 RAM is pretty small. Not to mention that Dominator RAM themselves are never worth it IMO. Their quality or performance isn't that much higher to justify their costs. I recommend getting multiple sets of this RAM instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Venge...f=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357166642

That'll save you $136 if you go for two of the above Corsair Vengence set.

yeh i know its SB-E I was thinking one thing and typed another.

Thanks for replying.

Ill check out the power supply. I really want a platinum rated one however. Everyone seems to think oh man you have a 1200w psu. Thats a power hog. When the computer only draws what it needs. You have a PSU calculator that works? They all seem to vary. The PSU will be the first thing i get because that has to go to Martin@Psychosleeve.

Ill probably downgrade to the regular Corsair Dominators. Never cared for the vengeance memory for myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Dominator-Desktop-Memory-CMP32GX3M4X1600C10/dp/B006E05YYC

 

[Dangman]

Ill check out the power supply. I really want a platinum rated one however. Everyone seems to think oh man you have a 1200w psu. Thats a power hog. When the computer only draws what it needs. You have a PSU calculator that works? They all seem to vary. The PSU will be the first thing i get because that has to go to Martin@Psychosleeve.

Platinum really doesn't matter man:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/

I don't use PSU calcs. I just read GPU and CPU reviews here at HardOCP and Xbitlabs to get an idea of power consumption of parts.

Ill probably downgrade to the regular Corsair Dominators. Never cared for the vengeance memory for myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Dominator-Desktop-Memory-CMP32GX3M4X1600C10/dp/B006E05YYC

Hmm, still wouldn't go with Dominators but at least you downgraded.

 

[German Muscle]

Platinum really doesn't matter man:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu/

I don't use PSU calcs. I just read GPU and CPU reviews here at HardOCP and Xbitlabs to get an idea of power consumption of parts.

Hmm, still wouldn't go with Dominators but at least you downgraded.

According to xbitlabs the CPU uses 237w @ full load stock clocks. They also said that the GTX670 is 440w each. Those 3 things comes up to 1117w. Am i missing something?

I like the removable heatsinks and the appearance of the dominators. It will look 10xs better then the vengeance ones. Ive always used Dominators and had a great deal of luck.

 

[Dangman]

According to xbitlabs the CPU uses 237w @ full load stock clocks. They also said that the GTX670 is 440w each. Those 3 things comes up to 1117w. Am i missing something?

Thats 440W for the entire system + GTX 670. That's also 237W for the entire PC + CPU (GPU of course is idle).

EDIT: Here's an Xbit labs report showing a Core i7 3960X OC'd to 4.625Ghz + Mobo + RAM + SSD + two GTX 670 SLI at full load using only 597W:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/geforce-gtx-670-sli_6.html#sect0

 

[German Muscle]

Thats 440W for the entire system + GTX 670. That's also 237W for the entire PC + CPU (GPU of course is idle).

EDIT: Here's an Xbit labs report showing a Core i7 3960X OC'd to 4.625Ghz + Mobo + RAM + SSD + two GTX 670 SLI at full load using only 597W:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/geforce-gtx-670-sli_6.html#sect0

I gotcha. I came up to 1117 i was like damn 1200 isnt enough thats not right.

Ill check out lower wattage PSUs.

Anything else of concern?


Edit: These things werent listed but are on the list.
BD-RW
http://www.amazon.com/LG-BH14NS40-Internal-Rewriter-Software/dp/B007ILBJAY

SSD
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Series-Solid-State-Drive-2-5-Inch/dp/B006VCPA1A

 

[Dangman]

Yeah with the money you saved from going with a lower wattage PSU and slightly cheaper RAM, get a SSD as that'll make the biggest difference in everyday performance. I recommend the Samsung 840 Pro, Crucial M4, or Plextor M5S/M5P series SSDs.

Also, how many monitors do you have? What's the max resolution of each monitor? Are you planning on doing any multi-monitor gaming?

 

[German Muscle]

Yeah with the money you saved from going with a lower wattage PSU and slightly cheaper RAM, get a SSD as that'll make the biggest difference in everyday performance. I recommend the Samsung 840 Pro, Crucial M4, or Plextor M5S/M5P series SSDs.

Also, how many monitors do you have? What's the max resolution of each monitor? Are you planning on doing any multi-monitor gaming?

Do you not like Intel SSDs?

BenQ XL2420T x3 1920x1080P @ 120hz. I dont know if ill do multimonitor gaming. Im sure once i get them hooked up i prolly will.

 

[Dangman]

Do you not like Intel SSDs?

Nah, just forgot about the Intel 520 series again.

BenQ XL2420T x3 1920x1080P @ 120hz. I dont know if ill do multimonitor gaming. Im sure once i get them hooked up i prolly will.

If you're only gaming on one monitor, you only need that one GTX 670. If you are going to do multi-monitor gaming, then yes get that second GTX 670.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

For the price, not really. They are reliable though. Also those wattage ratings are at the wall, so PSU output will be less.

 

[German Muscle]

Nah, just forgot about the Intel 520 series again.

If you're only gaming on one monitor, you only need that one GTX 670. If you are going to do multi-monitor gaming, then yes get that second GTX 670.

Well right now im running a Dell E153FP and a Samsung 15 inch right next to it. basically 10 dollar monitors that one could get off craigslist as running 2 CRTs was killing my desk space. I have yet to run 3 monitors of this size so i really cant say. If i had to guess id prolly try it and use the hell out of it.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well now that I am on my PC, I can type more.

Reason why I still do not believe you need SB-E is because you just don't seem to do enough video editing to justify the extra costs. Just because you pegged your current setups cores at 100%, doesn't mean you all of a sudden need a 6 core Sandy Bridge CPU. Unless you spend majority of your time on the PC doing video editing, it's IMHO; not worth the costs.

Especially since gaming doesn't really benefit from it at all.

With that being said, I also agree with Danny. If you aren't gaming on all three of those monitors, no need at all for two 670s. I just left a friends house who has a stock 2500k with a stock 6950, running eyefinity and we played Dirt 3 for a little while. He was on the fence about getting a steering wheel setup, so I let him borrow mind to see if he'll like it. Game played smooth as butter. Granted it's an older game, but it's also a single 6950 which a 670 is a lot more powerful than. Plus if you was to buy a 1155 CPU today, I'd recommend the i7 3770k, which is faster than the 2500k clock for clock, plus has the added HT for your video editing projects you do.

What you could do since you are on the fence about gaming in NVSurround is get a single 670 with that X750 PSU Danny recommended. It can handle three displays in NVSurround; then if you feel you want/need more power then get a second. This way if you realize gaming on three displays isn't for you, you could put the money for the second 670 into something you could use such as a larger SSD, more HDD storage, or even watercooling the entire setup. Either way, it's hard to go wrong with holding off on the 2nd 670 right off the bat.

But hey, if ya got the money..

 

[German Muscle]

Well now that I am on my PC, I can type more.

Reason why I still do not believe you need SB-E is because you just don't seem to do enough video editing to justify the extra costs. Just because you pegged your current setups cores at 100%, doesn't mean you all of a sudden need a 6 core Sandy Bridge CPU. Unless you spend majority of your time on the PC doing video editing, it's IMHO; not worth the costs.

Especially since gaming doesn't really benefit from it at all.

With that being said, I also agree with Danny. If you aren't gaming on all three of those monitors, no need at all for two 670s. I just left a friends house who has a stock 2500k with a stock 6950, running eyefinity and we played Dirt 3 for a little while. He was on the fence about getting a steering wheel setup, so I let him borrow mind to see if he'll like it. Game played smooth as butter. Granted it's an older game, but it's also a single 6950 which a 670 is a lot more powerful than. Plus if you was to buy a 1155 CPU today, I'd recommend the i7 3770k, which is faster than the 2500k clock for clock, plus has the added HT for your video editing projects you do.

What you could do since you are on the fence about gaming in NVSurround is get a single 670 with that X750 PSU Danny recommended. It can handle three displays in NVSurround; then if you feel you want/need more power then get a second. This way if you realize gaming on three displays isn't for you, you could put the money for the second 670 into something you could use such as a larger SSD, more HDD storage, or even watercooling the entire setup. Either way, it's hard to go wrong with holding off on the 2nd 670 right off the bat.

But hey, if ya got the money..

How many videos would justify the couple hundred more dollars? The 6 core will excel past any quad core in rendering for all 3 softwares. Thats where most of the time is at. 1 hour of render time for a 10 minute video with just vegas. I dont think you really know much about video editing to be saying stuff like that. It would greatly reduce time rendering accross the board. So if time=money how would a 3770 be better for video rendering? How much of a gain would a 3770 be over my curent nehalem?

 

[Hagrid]

How many videos would justify the couple hundred more dollars? The 6 core will excel past any quad core in rendering for all 3 softwares. Thats where most of the time is at. 1 hour of render time for a 10 minute video with just vegas. I dont think you really know much about video editing to be saying stuff like that. It would greatly reduce time rendering accross the board. So if time=money how would a 3770 be better for video rendering? How much of a gain would a 3770 be over my curent nehalem?

He stated that because you didnt mention that you spend most of the time rendering.
Small details can make a big difference.

If you have the money and spend most of the time rendering, then yeah, 6 cores.

 

[German Muscle]

He stated that because you didnt mention that you spend most of the time rendering.
Small details can make a big difference.

If you have the money and spend most of the time rendering, then yeah, 6 cores.

Thats pretty much how all video editing is.