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I had started one of these a month ago when I first put in an order for a LG 34UM95 and the advice that was given was to wait. It turned out to be good advice as I ended up deciding to scrap a couple of other projects and can now put those funds to upgrading my PC. I am scheduled to get my new screen tomorrow and all the research I have done has told me I will need to upgrade to get maximum performance in games. Besides, I have the money to spend now anyway. 
Current rig:
Intel Core i5-2500K CPU
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H Intel Z77 ATX Motherboard
Corsair CMV8GX3M2A1333C9 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
Gigabyte GV-R795WF3-3GD HD 7950 3GB PCI-E Video Card
Corsair 650TX V2 650W PSU
NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming mostly, I want to max out everything and still use AA which is why I'm thinking sli/crossfire. Movies are a close second and general use/light programming bringing up the rear.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2,100.00 with shipping/taxes. That number is pretty solid, I can maybe stretch another $60 or so.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Cookeville, TN, USA
No MC, no Frye's and I'll pay tax for both Amazon and Newegg. I do have Amazon Prime so I'll probably buy everything from there.
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.
Definite:
Video cards (sli/crossfire), blue ray player (for converting to digital), PSU?
Would be nice:
Case (mine is a bit cramped), ColorMunki Display, Ergotron MX Mounting Arm, second monitor (QNIX QX2710)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
See above specs.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Most definitely.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
34" 3440x1440, possibly with a 2560x1440 secondary to use for web/ventrillo/etc.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I figure out what I'm getting, probably either tonight or tomorrow.
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.
My current mobo has USB 3.0 and is SLI/Crossfire ready. I don't think I would replace it unless there were an issue with it and the video cards I get.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yep. Win 7 64bit
From what I've read adding another 8 gigs of RAM won't help me much for gaming so I'm focusing mainly on the video cards. I would like to overclock so I'm doubting that my 650 watt power supply is going to cut it. I've been looking and I guess my question here is should I go to 1000 watt, or will 850 cut it? I suppose the answer to that might depend on which video cards I get.
Here is what I had been looking at:
XFX 1050
Seasonic X-850
I'm trying to decide between the MSI 780ti Gaming at $710 or either the XFX Double Dissipation 290x or the Asus Direct CU II 290x which are currently the same price at $550. Regardless of which card I pick I want to go ahead and get two. It seems the 780ti is hands down faster, but is it worth losing a little speed to get the extra VRAM of the 290x? Which do you think will be more useful down the road? I probably will not upgrade again for a few years so I want to make sure I've got enough juice to keep me going.
Browsing through internal blue ray players on Amazon I came across this LG for $70. It was one of the higher rated ones, but if I can get one that will suit my needs for less then I welcome the recommendation.
As for cases I really like the Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 but its price seems to fluctuate pretty wildly and right now it is rather high. Another one I like is the
Corsair Carbide Series Black 500R which is quite a bit more affordable. I am certainly open to other case suggestions, but I will say I don't tend to like white cases or cases with doors on the front.
If there is any money left after everything else, I am considering picking up a second screen for $339, a ColorMunki for $140 or a monitor mount for $114. Really it just depends on how much the total comes out to.
Here are some configurations I was thinking about, keep in mind that TN has a 9.75% sales tax.
290x (times 2) $1207.23
LG BR $76.42
XFX Pro 1050 $208.51
Corsair Carbide Series 500R $109.74
ColorMunki $152.55
QNIX QX2710 $371.94
Total: $2126.39
780ti (times 2) $1558.43
LG BR $76.42
XFX Pro 1050 $208.51
Corsair Carbide Series 500R $109.74
ColorMunki $152.55
Total: $2105.65
I am not completely dead set on the second screen, it would just be nice. If I don't get one now then I probably will sometime next year once I've saved up some spending money again. Honestly if the 780s will make a big enough difference then I don't mind giving up the monitor for now. I have played around with a few other configurations, but those are the two I am most leaning toward. Help me [H], spend my money!
Current rig:
Intel Core i5-2500K CPU
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H Intel Z77 ATX Motherboard
Corsair CMV8GX3M2A1333C9 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
Gigabyte GV-R795WF3-3GD HD 7950 3GB PCI-E Video Card
Corsair 650TX V2 650W PSU
NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming mostly, I want to max out everything and still use AA which is why I'm thinking sli/crossfire. Movies are a close second and general use/light programming bringing up the rear.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2,100.00 with shipping/taxes. That number is pretty solid, I can maybe stretch another $60 or so.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Cookeville, TN, USA
No MC, no Frye's and I'll pay tax for both Amazon and Newegg. I do have Amazon Prime so I'll probably buy everything from there.
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.
Definite:
Video cards (sli/crossfire), blue ray player (for converting to digital), PSU?
Would be nice:
Case (mine is a bit cramped), ColorMunki Display, Ergotron MX Mounting Arm, second monitor (QNIX QX2710)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
See above specs.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Most definitely.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
34" 3440x1440, possibly with a 2560x1440 secondary to use for web/ventrillo/etc.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I figure out what I'm getting, probably either tonight or tomorrow.
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.
My current mobo has USB 3.0 and is SLI/Crossfire ready. I don't think I would replace it unless there were an issue with it and the video cards I get.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yep. Win 7 64bit
From what I've read adding another 8 gigs of RAM won't help me much for gaming so I'm focusing mainly on the video cards. I would like to overclock so I'm doubting that my 650 watt power supply is going to cut it. I've been looking and I guess my question here is should I go to 1000 watt, or will 850 cut it? I suppose the answer to that might depend on which video cards I get.
Here is what I had been looking at:
XFX 1050
Seasonic X-850
I'm trying to decide between the MSI 780ti Gaming at $710 or either the XFX Double Dissipation 290x or the Asus Direct CU II 290x which are currently the same price at $550. Regardless of which card I pick I want to go ahead and get two. It seems the 780ti is hands down faster, but is it worth losing a little speed to get the extra VRAM of the 290x? Which do you think will be more useful down the road? I probably will not upgrade again for a few years so I want to make sure I've got enough juice to keep me going.
Browsing through internal blue ray players on Amazon I came across this LG for $70. It was one of the higher rated ones, but if I can get one that will suit my needs for less then I welcome the recommendation.
As for cases I really like the Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 but its price seems to fluctuate pretty wildly and right now it is rather high. Another one I like is the
Corsair Carbide Series Black 500R which is quite a bit more affordable. I am certainly open to other case suggestions, but I will say I don't tend to like white cases or cases with doors on the front.
If there is any money left after everything else, I am considering picking up a second screen for $339, a ColorMunki for $140 or a monitor mount for $114. Really it just depends on how much the total comes out to.
Here are some configurations I was thinking about, keep in mind that TN has a 9.75% sales tax.
290x (times 2) $1207.23
LG BR $76.42
XFX Pro 1050 $208.51
Corsair Carbide Series 500R $109.74
ColorMunki $152.55
QNIX QX2710 $371.94
Total: $2126.39
780ti (times 2) $1558.43
LG BR $76.42
XFX Pro 1050 $208.51
Corsair Carbide Series 500R $109.74
ColorMunki $152.55
Total: $2105.65
I am not completely dead set on the second screen, it would just be nice. If I don't get one now then I probably will sometime next year once I've saved up some spending money again. Honestly if the 780s will make a big enough difference then I don't mind giving up the monitor for now. I have played around with a few other configurations, but those are the two I am most leaning toward. Help me [H], spend my money!
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