18 replies to this topic

[Maximilian]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here, been pricing up a new Monster PC and would love to hear any opinions and advice on my chosen build.

I have about £1500 to spend initially, with the view to spending a further £800 odd over the next 6 months or so completing the setup.

Currently have a Q6600, Asus P5K, 2GB RAM, 4870 1GB.

Ideally, I am after an absolute beast of a machine mainly used for gaming.


Objectives

- Create a three screen display setup

- Future-proof and plenty of scope for upgrades, hoping to last 3 years

- Initially use some of my existing parts, and swap them out later


What I already have:-

PSU - Tagan BZ Piperock 700W (only good for single Graphics card)
Case - Coolermaster Cosmos RC1000
Screen - 24" Samsung 2493HM, 1920x1200
Cooler - Corsair H50
Some HDs, Keyboard and mouse etc.


-----


The Plan

MOB - Asus Maximus IV Extreme Z68 - £288
CPU - Core i5 2500K or i7 2600K - £160/£235
RAM - 8 or 16GB Corsair Vengeance Red 1866MHz - £56/£112
SSD - Corsair Force GT 120GB - £178
HD - 1 or 2 TB SATA III Drives for storage - £40-£80
CASE - Corsair Obsidian 800D - £208


I was planning on just getting a £150 board but I'm drawn to the ROG for the extra features and extra PCIe slots etc.. Am I wasting £140 here?

Wish I could find a supplier of the eVGA Z68 FTW or P67 FTW in the Uk..?

I don't think I would see a benefit in gaming from the i7, and I'm thinking I could always grab the i5 and swap out for Ivybridge (same socket 1155 no?).

I like the case as I feel it provides plenty of room for upgrades, and should me last for years to come. Would love to add a triple rad watercooling loop one day for the CPU and GPU/s.

Would be great to hear from 800D owners about fan upgrades, H50 placement also..


----


So, the bit I can't decide on..


SCREEN OPTIONS -

1. Grab a Dell U2412 for now, and buy another two over the next 3-6 months, achieving 3 screens eventually. Can use the Samsung as 2nd screen until I get all 3. - £870 for 3 - 5760x1200

2. Buy 3 cheaper 23" 1080P screens outright and sell the Samsung, only £450 odd for all 3, probably the LG IPS ones, or pay £660 odd for the 3 Dell U2311s - 5760x1080

3. Still toying with the idea of getting a 27" Dell U2711 and scrapping the three screen plan as I could never afford 3 of em, could use the Samsung as a 2nd screen.

4. Go with 120Hz TN panels, but I know very little about these, wish I could try them out first. Any good for three-screening these?



GFX CARD OPTIONS -

1. Pretty much set on a GTX570 (maybe EVGA Classified for the 10 year warranty?), would grab a second later just in time for the 3rd screen. Note: would also need to upgrade PSU for SLi.

2. Go with AMD, probably single 6950/6970 or wait for 7xxx and have the advantage of only needing one card and no PSU upgrade for 3 screens. Can grab a second later if needed I guess.


----

Well, very excited about a new build and sorry about the wall of text, any feedback would be great! I hope I'm not out of line or in the wrong place asking all these questions

[mihapiha]

I think I may have the setup you need, but I can guarantee you that this is not the type of computer you would want.

3 monitors are nice, but a complete fail so often. You need so much graphic power for this. One graphic card per monitor. And don't even look at 1.5 GB VRAM cards.

We can talk about it, but I'm telling you it's a complete fail. I replaced my Surround setup for a single 27" screen. Much better for gaming now.

I guess you'd have to spend £1000 only on the graphic cards you'd need to power that thing. than another £250 for the PSU, etc.
I don't think it can be done, if you wanna enjoy yourself. Keep in mind that you have to have 50 FPS or more so it doesn't stutter...

[dirtylarryuk]

mihapiha, on 28 August 2011 - 06:53 PM, said:

I think I may have the setup you need, but I can guarantee you that this is not the type of computer you would want.

3 monitors are nice, but a complete fail so often. You need so much graphic power for this. One graphic card per monitor. And don't even look at 1.5 GB VRAM cards.

We can talk about it, but I'm telling you it's a complete fail. I replaced my Surround setup for a single 27" screen. Much better for gaming now.

I guess you'd have to spend £1000 only on the graphic cards you'd need to power that thing. than another £250 for the PSU, etc.
I don't think it can be done, if you wanna enjoy yourself. Keep in mind that you have to have 50 FPS or more so it doesn't stutter...

As Mip' said, surround is great when it works but to build it as a future proof solution on a limited budget your best options right now is 6950 cf or a 6990 £400-500 as they have 2GB vram or 2.5 GB 570's x2 for around £800-1000 (depending on retailer) and then you may also need a high end PSU to power 3x 570's. I would suggest a 2500k or 2600k and p67 and 4GB ram to power that.

You could fit 6950 or 6990 into the budget and run 3x 720p screens no issue with that (a 590 will also do that no issue and 2x 560ti or 570 or 480 or 580. if you want to run 3x 1080p screens the bill is much higher unless your games are CS:S and Tf2 only.

Right now for surround I would wait for the 7000 series from AMD at 28nm 2x of those cards may run 2x 1080p very well even games like Crysis 2 and run well on a 750w PSU and with new CPU options also due soon, new I5's and I7's and AMD bulldozer you might fit all that into £1500 no issue around October this year and at latest Jan 2012.

For a upgrade right now for a single screen a 6950 2GB or 570-560ti is all you need for 99% of games at 1080p. (£150-330).

if you want 3x 120HZ 3d screen you are going to really want to wait for kepler from late 2011 2x680GTX's may be like (for fps) Dual 590's are now and cost 50% less and have 2-4GB vram as standard.

Edited by dirtylarryuk, 28 August 2011 - 07:06 PM.

[Maximilian]

So many choices! Thanks all for your advice so far.

I kind of have my heart set on a three screen setup, I know this is my biggest outlay but I'm hoping they will be a solid investment that will last for at least three years.

New plan from Scan:-

CPU - i5 2500K - £160
MOBO - Asus P8Z68V Pro - £147
RAM - 8GB Vengeance Blue - £50
CASE - Corsair 600, 650 or 800 - £120-£210
PSU - Corsair HX850W or AX850W - £125-£145
GPU - Sapphire/MSI AMD 6950 2GB (Can grab another later for Crossfire) - £200
SSD - OCZ Vertex 2E 120GB - £130

This little lot would leave me approx £500 for the screens.

Could go with the LG IPS 1080p panels, or save some more cash for the Dell U2311 or even U2412s.

Still intrigued by the idea of 120hz panels.

And the option of going with one 27" 2560x1440 is still lurking!

Arrrgh decisions! Especially with new releases around the corner, I keep wondering whether I should try and hold back a month or two and see what transpires.

[mihapiha]

Ok. I want to clarify what you'd need for Surround 1080p monitors....

You need one graphic card per monitor which has 2GB memory at least. So your cheapest option here would be a GTX570 with 2.5 GB VRam.
With 3-way SLI you need a premium air cooled case like a SilverStone Raven RV03, a 1000W brand name power supply and if you choose
SandyBridge, you also need a motherboard with a NF200 chip. If it doesn't have the NF200 chip, you can't 3-way SLI the card due to licensing
issues.

Basically there are only 4 motherboards which do allow 3-way SLI to my knowladge with 1155 sockets:

• ASUS Maximus IV Extreme Rev 3.0, P67 (B3)
  
• ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z, Z68
  
• ASUS P8P67 WS Revolution Rev 3.0, P67 (B3)
  
• Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD7-B3, P67 (B3)

With that many GPUs you need a powerful CPU. I wouldn't look past the 2600k. So many cards need more threads...

Meaning you need a way more powerful rig than you can afford right now, in order to play more than Solitaire on Surround.

If you ask me, you'd be way better of with a single 27" or 30" 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 monitor.

For this type of a display you need "only" two good graphic cards, and can forget about the rest of the high end stuff.
I believe that this type of a setup would be way better for you.

But I'd like to point out that the Corsair cases suck when it comes to air cooling. Look at some Silverstone cases instead...

Edited by mihapiha, 29 August 2011 - 01:13 PM.

[HaCkEr]

What miha said is true... he has been through that setup. I HAVE been through that setup! And trust me, with 1 6950 2GB u can just watch HD movies, that too with the edges of each monitor making it look weird.

Seriously, if i was in ur shoes, i would go for a nice 26-27" 3D LED monitor with 1920x1200 reso.(they have become cheap as of now.) Get a GTX570 2.5GB version(or 3GB idk exactly) and play games IN 3D which can be played. For others just wait till u can get hold of another 570. Then SLI them.
That should be more that enough. Coupled with Maximus IV Gene-Z and i5 2500k with 8 gigs for corsair XMS3 1600mhz memory and a corsair AX750 + My choice of case would be the Raven V03. Its by far the best air cooled case on the planet!

Rest is upto u mate

-Hades.

[dirtylarryuk]

HaCkEr, on 29 August 2011 - 03:44 PM, said:

What miha said is true... he has been through that setup. I HAVE been through that setup! And trust me, with 1 6950 2GB u can just watch HD movies, that too with the edges of each monitor making it look weird.

Seriously, if i was in ur shoes, i would go for a nice 26-27" 3D LED monitor with 1920x1200 reso.(they have become cheap as of now.) Get a GTX570 2.5GB version(or 3GB idk exactly) and play games IN 3D which can be played. For others just wait till u can get hold of another 570. Then SLI them.
That should be more that enough. Coupled with Maximus IV Gene-Z and i5 2500k with 8 gigs for corsair XMS3 1600mhz memory and a corsair AX750 + My choice of case would be the Raven V03. Its by far the best air cooled case on the planet!

Rest is upto u mate

-Hades.

For a single screen at 1080p a single 560 and 6950 is more than enough for 99% of games and even at 1440p a 570 or 6970 is fine for 96% of games to be playable.

Right now we are due new cards from AMD in weeks and from Nvidia in a few months.

So for surround you want to save your pennies as much better solutions are due.

[Derbixrace]

a rig for eyefinity/surround wont be cheap but here is something i came up with, you will need something like that for games to run really smoothly.

Edited by Derbixrace, 30 August 2011 - 04:17 AM.

[HaCkEr]

Derbixrace, on 30 August 2011 - 04:15 AM, said:

a rig for eyefinity/surround wont be cheap but here is something i came up with, you will need something like that for games to run really smoothly.

The problem wit the build is the 2500k, it wont be able to be on the mark wit the 3x570's. Its best to go for 2600k, which has HT

[Derbixrace]

HaCkEr, on 30 August 2011 - 10:23 AM, said:

The problem wit the build is the 2500k, it wont be able to be on the mark wit the 3x570's. Its best to go for 2600k, which has HT

i dont think so, with a resolution of 5670 x 1080 or similar he will be GPU bound 99.9% of the time.

[Viral]

2600k is only 60 more.. i don't see why he wouldn't go for that if he's spending THAT MUCH on a system.

[Maximilian]

Thanks again guys for all your advice so far.

After much deliberation I have to admit I am now thinking of taking the advice mentioned earlier, and sticking with one screen, and one graphics card.

I would love a three screen setup someday, but I am conscious of the fact I will be needing a lot of extra horsepower to essentially run peripheral vision, and also gimping myself when running one screen.

I also estimate a saving of a whopping £500 by sticking with one screen, one graphics card and the PSU I already have.

My budget is still £1500, and I can always add an extra couple of bits later.

---

Revised Plan:

CPU - i5 2500K - £160
MOBO - Asus P8Z68V Pro - £147
RAM - 8GB Vengeance Blue - £50
CASE - Corsair 650D - £120 (still considering the 800D but I'm thinking its overkill for this setup, but would be good to have for a future build)
SSD - 120GB - Corsair / OCZ - approx £130

(Already got H50 cooler, Tagan 700W BZ PSU, Samsung 24" for 2nd screen, G15 v2 keyboard, Storage drives)

Black and Blue theme, need some Blue/UV lighting and maybe even a Watercooling loop one day..

Leaves approx £900 for the Gfx card and Screen.

Option 1: Dell U2711 + AMD 6950 2GB / GTX570
Option 2: Cheaper Hazro 27" or Refurb U2711 from OCUK + GTX570 2.5GB or even a GTX580

Wish I knew when the new AMD cards are coming out, and the new Samsung SA850 27"...

[HaCkEr]

Kind advice,
You stated that u will be running this system for 3 years... 2years at the least. In that case, the processor, mobo and case, u have choose to go with might have draw backs. So i would like u to go with the below.

Core i7 2600k - U might do tri SLI later down the line in 3 years.... u WILL need the extra threads.
ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 - Has good ratings and asrock have gone a long way now. Also its got PCI-x 3.0 which WILL help u with future cards.

HAF-x or Silverstone RV-03 - Crosair cases are for water cooling, not air cooling. Thats the reason u see water cooled parts in them.

Sell ur current screen. Get a good new, 27" 3D LED monitor + 2.5GB GTX570

-Hades

Edited by HaCkEr, 30 August 2011 - 10:24 PM.

[mihapiha]

A couple of pointers. The Corsair Obsidian 800D case sucks at air cooling. it's meant as a water cooling case.
If you do not plan on water cooling the graphic card(s) do not buy the 800D. In general Corsair cases look
fantastic but prove to be pretty weak for any air cooled environment. If you want a solid air cooled case, with
the option of going with watercooling later on, do check out the CoolerMaster HAF X. Personally I'd forget
about the water cooling, and stick with the best air cooled cases, which are at the moment made by SIlverStone.
The SilverStone Raven RV03 or Fortress FT02 are worth to look at.

If you are buying in Britain I'd highly recommend going to scan.co.uk and choosing a bundle which is already
overclocked: http://www.scan.co.u...clocked-bundles

And since I own the Dell 27" I can tell ya it's a great monitor. It's only quite hot. That's the only problem I've
noticed so far.

[dirtylarryuk]

mihapiha, on 30 August 2011 - 10:38 PM, said:

A couple of pointers. The Corsair Obsidian 800D case sucks at air cooling. it's meant as a water cooling case.
If you do not plan on water cooling the graphic card(s) do not buy the 800D. In general Corsair cases look
fantastic but prove to be pretty weak for any air cooled environment. If you want a solid air cooled case, with
the option of going with watercooling later on, do check out the CoolerMaster HAF X. Personally I'd forget
about the water cooling, and stick with the best air cooled cases, which are at the moment made by SIlverStone.
The SilverStone Raven RV03 or Fortress FT02 are worth to look at.

If you are buying in Britain I'd highly recommend going to scan.co.uk and choosing a bundle which is already
overclocked: http://www.scan.co.u...clocked-bundles

And since I own the Dell 27" I can tell ya it's a great monitor. It's only quite hot. That's the only problem I've
noticed so far.

I 100% recommend the scan bundles I'm using one of there 2600k bundle been running 4.9 since jan and I'm on one of the evil REV 1 P67's (still not had a issue). More and more games are using more threads, so if you have the budget the extra £60 is not somethig you will regret in time to come for 8 threads vs 4 cores. THe budles are pretested and OC'ed and all you have to do is screw them into the case then attach a PSU, storage and GPU and install Win7.

GPU wise look at for single the 6990-590 or 580 3GB or 570 2.5 GB or 6950-70 2GB depending on your budget all of those will work on a 750W corsair PSU (which is £70 these days).

Case wise i 100% recommend the HAF X raven 2-3 and Fortress 2, nothing comes close to these for air cooling temps. They can be 10-20c cooler (GPU wise) than almost all other cases. 800D as mip said is fine for H20, aweful for o2.

[jfrydom]

dirtylarryuk, on 31 August 2011 - 12:44 AM, said:

Case wise i 100% recommend the HAF X raven 2-3 and Fortress 2, nothing comes close to these for air cooling temps.

TJ11 comes close for just a few hundred measly $ more.

Edited by jfrydom, 31 August 2011 - 12:54 AM.

[dirtylarryuk]

jfrydom, on 31 August 2011 - 12:54 AM, said:

TJ11 comes close for just a few hundred measly $ more.

It's alot more in the UK.

Raven 3 is £107
TJ 11 £467

That's the extra price of a GTX 580.

[Maximilian]

Yeah I'm getting the same feedback elsewhere on the case choice. Tis a shame as I really don't rate the looks and layout of the Silverstones as well as the Corsairs.

I already have the H50 cooler for the CPU and was hoping to watercool my GPU after a few months, but will I really see huge temp increases on the GPU with the 650D/800D whilst still on air?

This worries me, I am not adverse to investing in a few decent fans to mod the 650D/800D with to try and improve airflow however, I can always re-use them on a possible dual/triple rad in the future.

I cannot deny the better airflow design of the Raven/FT series, but I love the looks/rigidity/cable management/layout of the 650D/800D.

[mihapiha]

Well if you want the 800D I believe I have one of the rigs which show what that case is good for, but that doesn't mean I'd recommend it...
Here the Link to my rig if you're interested.

I would like to point out that this is not the case I would decide to go with even with water cooling. For real water cooling I can't recommend anything but LDcooling and Case Labs.
I want to point out that these are custom cases and therefore really intended for these types of environments. I'd actually give the edge to Case Labs since I don't know exactly what you're planing on doing.

If you don't intend on fully water cool your entire rig, I would seriously consider some of the alternatives. Crosair cases are nice but really heavy and suck at air cooling. My GTX480 air cooled in that case hit 102°C even with the fan on 100%!
I hear people with better air cooled cases can keep the GTX480 pretty quiet in their cases. Impossible for Corsair. Keep in mind that maintaining a GPU temperature over 80°C can lead to damages on the graphic card... So the graphic card should stay under 80°C at all times.
I couldn't keep the damn GTX480 under 100°C @ stock settings. A friend of mine overclocks his 24/7 in the CoolerMaster HAF X case and it never gets annoyingly noisy. Now from what I hear, SilverStone cases are even better...

CPU temperature wise the Corsair case can keep up, IF you turn the back panel fan and make it an intake fan.

It really about the GPU temperatures... There is no way of having SLI or CrossfireX in that case without water cooling it!