Build Request

[gogogamer]

Budget -$2400 or less

Resolution I have an HD 32" widescreen monitor, so.. 1600 x 900 +??

Games / Settings DesiredUltra anything basically..

Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc) I'm going to school for Game Simulation so i will be 3D modeling and such, also i frequently multitask mmo's and downloading to even live streaming, or recording.. all while on Raidcall, ir perhaps skype..

Country USA

Parts that can be reused None..

Do you need an OS? - Have OS Disks

Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)? - Already have everything but the tower.

[Biernot]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($334.97 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($192.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($123.74 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($176.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($146.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($649.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 760W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2005.14
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-07 08:40 EDT-0400)


Options to modify:

Storage:
This combination should be quite good for nearly anything. If you need more storage space, add another hdd. A bigger SSD is also possible, but comes with a hefty price: 250GB -> 500GB will cost you +$200

RAM:
For gaming, 8GB would be enough, but i opted for 16GB, because that might come in handy with 3D-modeling. As i am using only 2 sticks, you can always add more later on.

CPU:
The i7-4770k will give some benefits for 3D-modeling over the i5-4670k, but not really in games.
Another option would be an i7 extreme (socket 2011). They have 6 cores (with HT), but cost a good deal more and only have benefits when you can load up all cores. No benefit in gaming whatsoever. The new generation (Ivy Bridge-E, i7-49xx) is in the process of beeing introduced right now, so if you want to go full out, wait a few weeks until they are available.

Motherboard:
Anything more expensive is only of interest if you prefer a certain look or need a specific set of connectors (which you probably won't). Theoretically you could go even lower without any real setbacks (e.g. Asus Z87-A for $130).

Heatsink:
This one is basically the top-of-the-line closed-loop water cooler (better than the Corsair H100i). But if you do not plan any heavy overclocking ( >4.5 GHz) then you could easily step down and get a cheaper model (e.g. Corsair H55 or a similar priced air cooler)

Video Card:
With your budget, you could also get an SLI/Crossfire setup (e.g. 2x GTX 770 or Radeon 7970), but i doubt i would be of much use right now. The performance increase in gaming is not that big and you would catch additional problems (more heat, higher electric consumption -> bigger psu needed etc.)

Case:
Chose what you want. The only thing you need to check is if the Kraken X60 will fit, because this one has a 280x140mm radiator and not all cases have room for that.

[tielknight]

snip

If the issues with the 7990 have been fixed(not sure if it only affected Crossfire or single-card setups as well), I would grab one of those. Same price(slightly cheaper if Newegg still has the $50 rebate/gift card) and better performance in most cases. > http://pcpartpicker.com/part/powerco...x79906gbd52dhj

Different RAM with lower CAS(and cheaper) > http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial...8g3d1609ds1s00

Different PSU (80+ silver 750W) > http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-pow...ply-p1750bnlg9

You can grab 2-2TB Barracuda's for the price of a single 2TB WD Black > http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate...ve-st2000dm001

[chazus]

It might be good to stick to one thread or the other regarding the same system so we can keep track of what's going on easier.