25 replies to this topic

[Tekkiller]

So I am looking to spend about $2,000 for a new computer. The good (bad) news is that my existing computer died on me, so I have all peripherals (24 inch screen, keyboards, mouse, etc) and software (Win7) such that I don't need to spend money on that.

I used to build PCs myself, but have 2 left hands so I actually bought my last two PCs from Dell with full warranties (last one an XPS bought in 2006 that just died). Don't want to do that anymore, so I was recommended to order from ibuypower.com. When going through their customization process, I run into the following questions:

1) Why ever use more that 8GB RAM? I thought that Win7 64bit can only use up to 8GB (is that wrong?). What advantage does 16GB have when then operating system can only use 8GB?
2) What are the differing Intel chipsets, i.e. X79, Z77, X58, or rather, is there a reason I should go with one over the other?
3) Motherboard... no clue what to get here...

All that said, I want the system for gaming everything at near-max level. Fast load times. Great graphics on 1920x1080. No stuttering or performance issues for anything from MW:O to Diablo3 to random sims.

So, without further ado, I present the system I come up with on ibuypower.com. Please do me a favor and critique the hell out of it!! Is there something I don't need? Thanks!


Gamer Paladin D875
1 x Case ( NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Gaming Case - Black )
1 x Case Lighting ( Cold Cathode Neon Light - Blue )
1 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( iBUYPOWER Internal USB Expansion System )
1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i7 3820 Processor (4x 3.60GHz/10MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i7 3820 )
1 x Processor Cooling ( Corsair Hydro Series H60 Liquid CPU Cooling System - ARC Dual Silent High Performance Fan Upgrade (Push-Pull Airflow) )
1 x Memory ( 16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand )
1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 - 2GB - Single Card )
1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] Corsair 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Free with Any System Purchase over $1499 )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free Game Download] - Mass Effect 3 - with purchase of Intel X79 chipset based systems, or with Intel Core i7 3770K )
1 x Motherboard ( [3-Way SLI] Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 -- 4x PCI-E x16, 6x SATA 6Gb/s )
1 x Power Supply ( 850 Watt - Corsair CMPSU-850AX )
1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 120 GB ADATA S510 SSD - Single Drive )
1 x Data Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Dual 1TB Drives (2TB Capacity) - RAID 0 High Performance )
1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
1 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black )
1 x Meter Display ( NZXT Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller & Temperature Display )
1 x Sound Card ( Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio )
1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
1 x Operating System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard )
1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse )
1 x Advanced Build Options ( iBUYPOWER Specialized Advanced Packaging System - Protect your investment during transportation! )
1 x Advanced Build Options ( Tuniq TX-2 High Performance Thermal Compound - The best interface between your CPU and the heatsinks )
1 x Advanced Build Options ( Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower - Achieve exceptional airflow in your chassis )
1 x Advanced Build Options ( Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower - Basic Pro Wiring )
1 x Warranty ( 3 Year Standard Warranty Service )



Lastly, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU GUYS ARE TAKING TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF! I really do.

Thank you!

Edited by Tekkiller, 13 May 2012 - 05:01 PM.

[tigerwolf753]

http://msdn.microsof...imits_windows_7

You're right that more than 8GB isn't really necessary though. With Firefox (10-15tabs), Chrome (10-20tabs), a virtual machine with 1.5GB allocated, and Battlefield 3 running, my system sits right at 8GB of RAM used. DDR3 is so cheap right now that unless you're on a real tight budget, why not get 16GB though.

As far as X79 vs Z77, X79 is Intel's current extreme chipset while Z77 is the higher-end of the mainstream line. I assume this is primarily a gaming machine, in which case Z77 board and an i7 3770K or 3570K is more than enough. Current gen games just don't need more than 4 cores so save the money on the CPU.

SSD is a great choice. I can't recommend it enough, once you go solid state you can't go back, hard drives just feel too dang slow
Since you have a SSD picked out, I don't really see the need for the RAID 0 setup. RAID 0 is faster than the drives individually but RAIDed HDDs still lag far behind solid state and now you have the extra complexity and higher chance of failure. RAID 0 stripes the data across the set, if one fails you loss the data in the whole array.

I would go with the GTX670 over the GTX680, it's real close in performance for $120 less.

As far as boards, I really like the Asus ROG series but they're pricey. Any higher-end Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, or EVGA board will be good.

Edited by tigerwolf753, 13 May 2012 - 05:28 PM.

[Omega59er]

For $2000 you can build an almost god machine.

All these guys are going to say NVidia, but I'm going to say go with an Intel Processor and two Crossfired ATI cards. But be careful about which card you look at. You could CrossFire two Radeon 6970s for $700 at most. Processor wise, you could go BIG with an Intel processor. A buddy of mine was telling me about an Intel Processor that is a new release that does 20x faster than any other processor. I don't remember the name though.

[Vulpesveritas]

With the above, I would also recommend considering the Radeon HD 7970. For $50 more than the GTX 670, you get 2-3 frames per second more on average, while being substantially better in GPGPU performance. It's in a completely different league if you're going to do any bitcoin mining, folding, or run anything which allows for hardware acceleration.
Motherboard wise, I would recommend an Asus Sabertooth, Asus ROG, AsRock Fatal1ty, or EVGA board.
I'd say go with a 3570k if you're only gaming, otherwise a 2600k or 3770k depending on whether you overclock or not.
For an SSD, I would recommend going with a Samsung 830 or Intel 520 for stability and speed.
PSU wise, get one with Superflower, Seasonic, FSP, or Topower internals. Make sure it is at least 80+ bronze rated.
If all you're doing is multitasking and gaming, it is a real push to use more than 4GB of RAM, and 8GB is a fairly good base with as cheap as RAM is anymore, though you can always get 16GB RAM if you think you'll need it anytime soon. If you're building your own, I recommend AMD RAM, as they have a lifetime warranty, go through both Patriot and AMD quality control, and are set for batches, so all DIMMs are identical and therefore will have maximum compatibility should you need to add or replace your RAM in the future.

omega5-9er, on 13 May 2012 - 08:14 PM, said:

For $2000 you can build an almost god machine.

All these guys are going to say NVidia, but I'm going to say go with an Intel Processor and two Crossfired ATI cards. But be careful about which card you look at. You could CrossFire two Radeon 6970s for $700 at most. Processor wise, you could go BIG with an Intel processor. A buddy of mine was telling me about an Intel Processor that is a new release that does 20x faster than any other processor. I don't remember the name though.

Given the 6970 is EOL, and the 7870 is the same price, runs cooler, faster, and overclocks better, the 7870 is the clear choice here. Though one problem with Xfire is that you run into microstutter.
And that is an incorrect figure. The fastest Intel Processor, the i7-3960x ($1000) http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116491 is only on average 30% faster than the fastest AMD processor, the FX-8150 ($200)
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819103960 [for five times the cost and a more expensive motherboard mind you.] {though it is important to note this isn't gaming performance, given that the 3960x has 4 extra threads to use and better instructions per clock, in gaming tests the 3960x is only about 20% faster in gaming.}

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 13 May 2012 - 08:26 PM.

[Fresh Meat]

Because your budget is 2000 i would recommend SLI'd 670's. they really are the best cards for the price. Don't get last gen AMDs for $100 less, that's silly. I have a 680 and kinda wish i had waited, if you compare two 670s to two 680s in crysis 2 there is no real difference. are you buying from ibuypower or just using it as a kind of digital workshop?

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Ugh.

Right Ram do not get more than 8GB if you are only gaming, pointless worthless waste of money. You will not use more than 8Gb of Ram for gaming. (make sure its Gskill/Corsair/Patriot)
If you plan to video edit/cad/3d model then sure knock yourself out.

As Vulp has said up above, for simple gaming there is no point in going above the i5 3570K.

Onto GPU..... I would not Xfire or SLI there is no point unless you like throwing money around. A single 680/7970 will run anything you throw at it for the foreseeable future just like every generation of GPU's.

Just because you have 2k$ to spend doesn't mean you have to spend it all on excess and waste.

[Tekkiller]

Thanks for all of your responses. I have tried to incorporate many of your comments, within the limitations of having settled on Intel/Nvidia combo. I still ended up with a price tag of about $1900... A few questions remain:

1) Fresh_Meat asked if I was going to buy from ibuypower; I was planning to, unless you had a negative experience or you & others think there are better online shops.
2) RAM: In the 8GB DDR3-1600 range I have the options of [Corsair or Major Brand], [A-DATA Gaming Series] or [Kingston HyperX]. Any suggestions?
3) For the GPU, I see a GTX670 and a GTX670-EVGA Superclocked Core 1046MHz. I generally like to avoid superclocked components (and never overclock myself). Is that the right approach here as well?
4) Watercooling: Are there serious concerns at this stage? Will I need to constantly check waterlevels & refill? I'm naturally apprehensive about mixing water with the internals of my PC, never having done it before... Do I even need this WC system if I don't overclock?

Gamer Paladin E840[
1 x Case ( NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Gaming Case - Black )
1 x Case Lighting ( Cold Cathode Neon Light - Blue )
1 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( iBUYPOWER Internal USB Expansion System)
1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i5-3570K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i5-3570K )
1 x Processor Cooling ( Asetek 550LC Liquid CPU Cooling System (Intel) - Standard 120mm Fan)
1 x Memory ( 8 GB [2 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand )
1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 - 2GB - Single Card )
1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] Corsair 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Free with Any System Purchase over $1499 )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free Game Download] - Mass Effect 3 - with purchase of Intel X79 chipset based systems, or with Intel Core i7 3770K )
1 x Motherboard ( [3-Way SLI] ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional -- 2x Gb LAN, 2x PCI-E 3.0 x16, 6x USB 3.0 )
1 x Power Supply ( 850 Watt - Corsair CMPSU-850AX )
1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 60 GB Intel 520 SSD - Single Drive )
1 x Data Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive**Free Upgrade to 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Single Drive** )
1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
1 x Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
1 x Operating System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard )
1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse )

Does this system make sense for the purpose it will have? Thank you!

Edited by Tekkiller, 14 May 2012 - 01:07 AM.

[Howling Mad Murdock]

Hi,

My friend uses a Arctic Freezer i30 cooling fan in his new rig and I have to say it's a great priced fan and cools to only a few degrees more than a water cooled system.. it really is that good... he is delighted with it.
http://www.arctic.ac...reezer-i30.html

He has been overclocking as well and it did not increase the heat by much at all.... well worth a look if you don't like the idea of a water cooled system

Hope that helps.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

2) Both Corsair and Kingston are fine...never used ADATA myself

3) Get the Superclocked it will last just as long as the 670 and you will get better performance.

4)What you have there is not Watercooling, its an enclosed liquid cooler the same as the corsair brands, there is no checking or maintenance they are self sufficient. (Never buy Artic Freezer stuff horror stories)

Edited by DV^McKenna, 14 May 2012 - 01:19 AM.

[Howling Mad Murdock]

DV^McKenna, on 14 May 2012 - 01:19 AM, said:

4)What you have there is not Watercooling, its an enclosed liquid cooler the same as the corsair brands, there is no checking or maintenance they are self sufficient. (Never buy Artic Freezer stuff horror stories)

Not sure what horror stories you have heard but the i30 has had really good reviews...
http://www.bit-tech....er-i30-review/1

[Oderint dum Metuant]

My brother had the arctic freezer 13 cheap tac that clearly had not been well made at all.
The unit itself weighed a ton and was held to the motherboard with an equally cheap plastic bracket that after a few months snapped in half, the screws to the board could not hold the weight so the full weight of the fan snapped it off the board....to crash through his SLI set up.

Luckily his rig was fairly old and it was a pair of gts 210's. Suffice to say after a lengthy process compensation was given.

Granted this is an ultra rare occurrence but Arctic Freezer coolers are cheap for a reason

Edited by DV^McKenna, 14 May 2012 - 01:52 AM.

[Howling Mad Murdock]

I totally agree with you about the Freezer 13, it was awful!

My mates had the Arctic Freezer i30 running for a while and has been really impressed.... I probably should mention that i'm a Network Manager at a school and my mate is one of my Technicians. We all custom built our rigs at work and at home

[tigerwolf753]

The modern sealed, no maintenance water cooling setups are especially nice if the computer is being shipped because you only have the small block hanging off the board instead of a large heatsink. UPS isn't too gentle with their boxes so having a real big heatsink can cause the board to get tweaked.

Having said that, make sure you get a name-brand water cooler like Corsair, Antec, or Cool-It. I work at a computer shop and a guy came in with an either an iBuyPower or CyberPower (practically the same) with their in-house water cooler and his i7 3960X under load would get to 80C at stock speeds! Swapped it out with a Corsair H100 and now at 4.3GHz it's in the upper 60s at load.

[Vulpesveritas]

Tekkiller, on 14 May 2012 - 01:04 AM, said:

Thanks for all of your responses. I have tried to incorporate many of your comments, within the limitations of having settled on Intel/Nvidia combo. I still ended up with a price tag of about $1900... A few questions remain:

1) Fresh_Meat asked if I was going to buy from ibuypower; I was planning to, unless you had a negative experience or you & others think there are better online shops.
2) RAM: In the 8GB DDR3-1600 range I have the options of [Corsair or Major Brand], [A-DATA Gaming Series] or [Kingston HyperX]. Any suggestions?
3) For the GPU, I see a GTX670 and a GTX670-EVGA Superclocked Core 1046MHz. I generally like to avoid superclocked components (and never overclock myself). Is that the right approach here as well?
4) Watercooling: Are there serious concerns at this stage? Will I need to constantly check waterlevels & refill? I'm naturally apprehensive about mixing water with the internals of my PC, never having done it before... Do I even need this WC system if I don't overclock?

Gamer Paladin E840[
1 x Case ( NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Gaming Case - Black )
1 x Case Lighting ( Cold Cathode Neon Light - Blue )
1 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( iBUYPOWER Internal USB Expansion System)
1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i5-3570K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i5-3570K )
1 x Processor Cooling ( Asetek 550LC Liquid CPU Cooling System (Intel) - Standard 120mm Fan)
1 x Memory ( 8 GB [2 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand )
1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 - 2GB - Single Card )
1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] Corsair 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Free with Any System Purchase over $1499 )
1 x Free Stuff ( [Free Game Download] - Mass Effect 3 - with purchase of Intel X79 chipset based systems, or with Intel Core i7 3770K )
1 x Motherboard ( [3-Way SLI] ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional -- 2x Gb LAN, 2x PCI-E 3.0 x16, 6x USB 3.0 )
1 x Power Supply ( 850 Watt - Corsair CMPSU-850AX )
1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 60 GB Intel 520 SSD - Single Drive )
1 x Data Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive**Free Upgrade to 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Single Drive** )
1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
1 x Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
1 x Operating System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard )
1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse )

Does this system make sense for the purpose it will have? Thank you!

let's see, unless you have an OS elsewhere you'll need that, and I'd say go with the EVGA superclocked card. Anything that is factory overclocked is going to have better cooling and in many cases last longer than a stock card. Also, EVGA has one of the best, if not the best warranty out of any GPU manufacturer. The only brand with a similar warranty is XFX, but they don't have EVGA's customer service or quite the level of cooling EVGA generally has. You also may as well get builder OCing, as you still get a warranty with it and you have more than enough cooling to run it.
I also would recommend cyberpower over ibuypower, as you have a bit better of cooling and PSU options. Also, they have the 7970 on sale for less than the GTX 670, with four games bundled, so it's probably a better deal. (actually, seeing as it performs 2-3% faster than a GTX 670, and is 200-3000% faster in GPGPU, it is a better deal in just about every way.)

• Case: In-Win Dragon Rider Full Tower Case w/ 1x120mm Front Fan, 1x220mm LED Side Fan, Front USB 3.0 x 2 & Water-Cooling Hole Ready [+30] (Black Color)
  
• Laser Engraving: None
  
• Laser Engraving Message:
  
• Freebies: None
  
• Internal USB Extension Module: None
  
• Neon Light Upgrade: Flexible LED Interior Light Strip [+19] (Blue Color)
  
• Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+15] (Blue Color)
  
• Noise Reduction Technology: None
  
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified) - While Supply Last
  
• Freebies: None
  
• Performance Tuning Protection Plan by Intel: None
  
• Venom Boost Fast And Efficient Factory Overclocking: Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more) [+49]
  
• Cooling Fan: Asetek 570LX Liquid Cooling system w/ 240MM Radiator and Dual Fans (Extreme Overclocking Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) [+43]
  
• Coolant for Cyberpower Xtreme Hydro Water Cooling Kits: Standard Coolant
  
• Motherboard: [CrossFireX/SLI] ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX w/ IRST, Lucid Virtu MVP, XFast Tech., 7.1 HD Audio, Dual GbLAN, Display Port, 3x PCIe x16 (2 Gen3, 1 Gen2), 2x PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (All Venom Ultimate OC Certified) [+128]
  
• Intel Smart Response Technology for Z77: 60 GB Intel 520 Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s - 550 MB/s Read & 520 MB/s Write [+115] (Single Drive)
  
• Memory: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory [+3] (Corsair or Major Brand)
  
• Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card [+348] (Major Brand Powered by AMD)
  
• Freebies: FREE DiRT Showdown Game Coupon
  
  
  FREE AMD 3 for Three Game Bundle Coupon
  
• Video Card 2: None
  
• Video Card 3: None
  
• Power Supply Upgrade: * 850 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower Grand TPG-850M Gold Modular 80 Plus Power Supply [+155]
  
• Hard Drive: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
  
• Data Hard Drive: None
  
• Hard Drive Cooling Fan: None
  
• External Hard Drive (USB3.0/2.0/eSATA): None
  
• USB Flash Drive: None
  
• Optical Drive: Sony 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [+4] (BLACK COLOR)
  
• Optical Drive 2: None
  
• Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
  
• 3D Vision Glasses: None
  
• LCD Monitor: None
  
• 2nd Monitor: None
  
• 3rd Monitor: None
  
• Speakers: None
  
• Network: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
  
• Keyboard: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
  
• Mouse: GigaByte GM-M6800 Dual Lens Optical Gaming Mouse [+13]
  
• Mouse Pad: None
  
• Gaming Gear: None
  
• Extra Thermal Display: None
  
• Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: None
  
• External Wireless Network Card: None
  
• Wireless 802.11 B/G/N Access Point: None
  
• Bluetooth: None
  
• Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
  
• Video Camera: None
  
• Headset: None
  
• Printer: None
  
• Cable: None
  
• Power Protection: None
  
• IEEE1394 Card: None
  
• Internal USB Port: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
  
• USB Port: None
  
• Operating System: None - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
  
• Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner: None
  
• Office Suite: None
  
• Games: None
  
• Ultra Care Option: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
  
  
  Cooler Master Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance CPU - Thermal Compound Optimized for Thermal Dissipation [+10]
  Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
  
• Service: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
  
• Rush Service: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 10~15 BUSINESS DAYS

Total: $1719, and it would be faster than that ibuypower build, run cooler, and be quieter.


And you'd get 3 more free games, which is always a plus if you don't already have Dirt 3, Deus Ex: HR, the new dirt game that isn't out yet, and Nexuiz.
With the extra money you save, I would recommend a Corsair M60 and K60 or K90 mouse and keyboard if you wanted a better kb/ mouse. You might also consider a Corsair vengeance 1500 headset.
Just my input if you're buying built-for-you. Though it should be noted the sales end at the end of the week I believe. Though cyberpower always has sales going it seems, with every single holliday. Even without the sales, the price would come to be just below that ibuypower build (I believe around $1850, haven't really looked too much at it), and still be faster and quieter. Also, you're getting the pro wiring, which reduces the chance of having a miswired system, and also means you're running cooler and everything looks nicer. Feel free to change the case too, though I'd recommend one with the dual 120 LC capable ones. If having a side panel window is a big thing for you, I recommend the Corsair Obsidian 650D.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 14 May 2012 - 07:07 AM.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Pretty much what Vulp has picked out for you, cant really go wrong with that.

Too continue to muddy the waters on the GPU front tho, the GTX 670 uses less power, and is quieter under load (depending on which sites you visit but most agree) which are 2 arguments used extensively to justify AMD GPU's in the recent past.

[Vulpesveritas]

DV^McKenna, on 14 May 2012 - 07:23 AM, said:

Pretty much what Vulp has picked out for you, cant really go wrong with that.

Too continue to muddy the waters on the GPU front tho, the GTX 670 uses less power, and is quieter under load (depending on which sites you visit but most agree) which are 2 arguments used extensively to justify AMD GPU's in the recent past.

It's quieter under load with a stock heatsink, yeah. Though if you get one of the various custom coolers like the MSI Twin Frozer IV, or HIS IceQ X2, or Sapphire dual fan, etc. they're all quieter vs any stock heatsink with fan for the most part. And in this case, price / performance strongly goes to the 7970, though as the AMD 79xx series are heavy GPGPU cards, yeah they suck power more than a card that is designed purely for gaming like the Nvidia gk104 gpu core.

[Tekkiller]

I am in the process of putting Vulp's system together on cyberpowerpc.com, however, I need one clarification.

It seem you opted for the Intel Smart Response setup vs using a 60GB SSD for your operating system & frequently used programs/games.

Did I get that correct? If so, why?

[Vulpesveritas]

You can get an SSD as either a boot drive, or with smart response get a faster data transfer speed for everything you do, albeit sacrificing some speed that you would get with the OS and 1 or 2 games that would be on the SSD. So it's a tradeoff and personal decision.
Also a quick note in response to your first post OP, Windows 7 home premium can use up to 16GB, pro and ultimate can use up to 256GB of RAM.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 14 May 2012 - 08:52 AM.

[Tekkiller]

Alright, I think I'll order this baby.... oh boy... any last words before I drain my bank account?

[Vulpesveritas]

Enermax fans are nice, if you like your PC silent you might invest in sound reduction foam, and blue ray drives have more cache and therefore faster for DVD burns and reads, but outside of that fire at will. Figure you should like it. Must say I'm envious. XD