Critique build w/ advice, thanks.Post Date: 2012-06-22 |
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shot
Groupie Joined: 22 Jun 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 244 |
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Topic: Critique build w/ advice, thanks. Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 1:13pm |
Hello All.
I have decide on a Digital Storm desktop pc for my next gaming system. Have read many a good word about the company and products. This system will be used to surf the web and run games, but I want to be able to play the current games on the highest possible settings with the highest possible frames per seconds. I will be using my currnet monitor (Dell 3007w) at its highest resolution (2560 x 1600). I do not want to break my descretionary spending limit of $5000. Please critique this system, ask questions, and give advice. Thanks in advance. Specifications: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Black OPS HailStorm Edition Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 3930K 3.2GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Six-Core) Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) <b></b> System Memory: 16GB DDR3 2133MHz Corsair Dominator GT with DHX (High-Performance) <b></b> Power Supply: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold Series (CMPSU-1200AX) (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) <b></b> Expansion Bay: Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black) <b></b> Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition) <b></b> Set 1 Raid Options: Configure HDD Set 1 to a Raid 1 Config - Mirror (Requires Two HDDs) <b></b> 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: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional <b></b> Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) 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: Internal Chassis Lighting System (White) <b></b> Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: HailStorm & 950Si: Processor & Video Card Area: Drill and Mount Two Side Window 120mm Fan Blow-Holes <b></b> 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the 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 (Extra Large) <b></b> 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 |
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bprat22
DS ELITE DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!) Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20391 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 1:56pm |
Hi shot... Welcome to the forums. That is a great build. The Hailstorm case is primarily a case for full water cooled setups. The HafX is the best for air cooled. That being said, adding the side fans and with the Vortex 240mm unit with its two fans mounted to the top, the Hailstorm should have good airflow. I'd recommend the HafX case for the best in airflow and its large low rpm fans are quiet. Your call as always. My other recommendation would be to use ram with 1600mhz speed. The 2133 mhz you' ll never see and it can be unstable when overclocked. For strictly gaming you don't need X79 pkatform but it does allow for tri sli, 3x gtx680 in the future. I would also go with Win7 Pro, in case you wanted to go beyond 16gb ram. Not much else to say except this rig is gonna deliver some great gaming. Best of luck and keep us posted.
Edited by bprat22 - 22 Jun 2012 at 1:59pm |
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FrankW
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2254 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 3:41pm |
Hi shot,
That is a good build but I don't think it meets your stated requirements. You want to play all games at extreme settings and your two 680 2 Gb cards isn't go to do that with a 2560 monitor. Here is a build that is way more powerful than your system with a better case for air cooling you GPUs with less noise. Frank Configuration: 701568 Cost: $4959 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 3930K 3.2GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Six-Core) Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold Series (CMPSU-1200AX) (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) 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: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 3x SLI Triple (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 4GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (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: - No Thanks 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 Edited by FrankW - 22 Jun 2012 at 3:41pm |
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FrankW
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2254 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 3:47pm |
shot, if you just have to have the Hailstorm case then here is a build with that case. It is $33 over your budget but is a better build for the Hailstorm case. The first build I put up is more powerful with three GPUs.
Frank Configuration: 701568 Cost: $5033 Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Black OPS HailStorm Edition Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 3930K 3.2GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Six-Core) Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold Series (CMPSU-1200AX) (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) 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: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 4GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 6: Sub-Zero LCS Dual Loop: CPU & Dual SLI/CrossFire Video Cards 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (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: - No Thanks 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 Edited by FrankW - 22 Jun 2012 at 3:48pm |
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shot
Groupie Joined: 22 Jun 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 244 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 5:24pm |
I see the points on the case. The Hailstorm corsair 800D is a nice looking case compared to the HafX but I can sacrifice some looks for usefulness. I actually like the look of the syndicate but not sure how that case does?
Am I really going to see a difference in windows operation with the SSD compared to just having two Western Digital Drives? Am I going to have to run triple GPU's for the monitor resolution of 2560 x 1600 at the highest game settings? As for the motherboard I have read plenty that the new X79 chipset 6 core will not really offer too many benefits over the 4 core but does have more cache. Thoughts? Is this mother board more future proof? Thanks, Shot |
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shot
Groupie Joined: 22 Jun 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 244 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 5:28pm |
And I want to hear (literally) thoughts on the integrated motherboard audio vs the sound card?
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bprat22
DS ELITE DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!) Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20391 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 5:46pm |
I'm really restricted in what I can do this afternoon and evening. Not at my pc and can' t do a cut and paste config or link. But, the HafX case is the best. If you compare its 2x 200mm fans and front 230mm fan to other cases, especially the Hailstorm you' ll see why we always recommend it. The X79 platform is a quad channel ram mobo for video editing, rendering and other apps that can utilize it for ram intense functions. Gaming doesn't need it. If you did stay with X79 for tri-sli then the 3820 cpu for $300 cheaper would do it. As far as Frank's excellant suggestions, the tri-sli gtx680 is needed if you want to max out games like Metro2033 and Crysis Warfare. Sli, 2x 680 would game on ultra in the 40 and 50 fps range at times. Most games will play maxed out and stay 60fps but not some of the more demanding. I can' t link right now but google Anandtech gpu bench, and plug in sli680 to see its performance. I can do more tomorrow.
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Asangard
DS Veteran Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2209 |
Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jun 2012 at 6:02pm |
Hi shot and welcome,
Here is the link that bprat22 was talking about. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/585 I already plugged in the GTX 680 sli for you.
Edited by Asangard - 22 Jun 2012 at 6:03pm |
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Not from Without, Therefore, the 1st step on the Holy Warrior path, Is to recognize thyself as thy 1st enemy. |
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bprat22
DS ELITE DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!) Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20391 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jun 2012 at 3:26am |
Thanks Asangard.
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Orange7
Senior Member Joined: 24 Apr 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 776 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jun 2012 at 4:57am |
1. The corsair and Intel SSDs are theoretically about three times faster than the Caviar Black. That said, you will only notice it when booting up, or when loading programs, so you likely will not notice a huge difference most of the time. 2. Whether or not you need three GPUs to run a game at that resolution will definitely depend on the game, but almost all would probably run fine with only two. 3. The X79 chipset was designed for video and photo editing. What Intel did was to remove all of the integrated graphics from the chip and use all of that space for normal processing. It will definitely future-proof it better than anything you could get with normal Sandy bridge, but you may want to go with the 3820, and then upgrade when Ivy Bridge E comes out. |
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DS xm15 Stage 4
i7-3820 (2.7GHz/3.7GHz) 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 GT 630, 1GB 240GB Intel 520 |
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FrankW
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2254 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jun 2012 at 1:54pm |
"This system will be used to surf the web and run games, but I want to be able to play the current games on the highest possible settings with the highest possible frames per seconds."
Hi Shot, If your above statement is true then, yes you will need three GPUs to play all currant games at the highest possible FPS. But, if you don't play Metro 2033 or Crysis Warefare or will just be happy to turn down some setting on some games, you can play with SLI 680s with no problem. Study the Anandtech site with dual SLI 680s. If you are satisfied with the FPS on the games you play then you have your answer. With the 2560 resolution I highly recommend the 680 4Gb card rather than the 2Gb card. The higher resolution takes advantage of more Vram. For gaming there is little advantage with the 6-core CPUs but some just want it. If you go tri-SLI then the X79 is the way to go. One way to go is to get a system that will support Tri-SLI but only get dual SLI. If you are not satisfied with the dual SLI play then you can add the third GPU. Here is another build you might consider. Frank Configuration: 701790 Cost: $4025 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 3820 3.6GHz (Turbo Mode up to 3.8GHz) (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold Series (CMPSU-1200AX) (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (180GB 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: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 4GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) 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 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz 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: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (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 I think you asked about the on-board sound. Unless you are seriously into music or have a multi speaker sound system that will take advantage of a sound card, you don't need one. The sound is great for gaming in my opinion. Frank Edited by FrankW - 23 Jun 2012 at 2:02pm |
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bprat22
DS ELITE DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!) Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20391 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jun 2012 at 2:38pm |
Nice. As usual, Frank nailed it. His build gives you everything you need and nothing you don't plus expansion potential if needed.
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shot
Groupie Joined: 22 Jun 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 244 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jun 2012 at 10:36pm |
I'm really contemplating the syndicate box. It looks good to me. Should have good airflow.
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