$6600 High End Build

[Serpius]

On 1/3/2017 at 3:56 AM, GosuBear said:

So i have been getting tips and pointers from a fellow linus forum member. I took his future build (Since he had 7700k and z270 board as part of the set up) and made it more present day (I will change out to that board and CPU when they do come out and have reviews of their own). And this is what i am thinking about getting. This is my first ever PC that i am building and of course i will be getting help from my fellow gamer friend who has SOME experience of building a PC. We are no where near Enthusiasts, So we will probably be laughed at for different placements and what not. Which i am not too worried about as i will certainly learn and hopefully be able to switch up the arrangements for better ventilation. Wire Management. Etc. Keep in mind that this PC will be used as a Home theatre AND a gaming Monster. Hoping to be able to play in ultra settings in, if not all, most games while maintaining very high frames. Some games in 4k with 60+ FPS (90+ if possible) while also being as low noise as possible (Liquid cooling is in the realm of possibilities but i am not yet confident enough to trust myself and my friend on making a custom loop on our own). Some games will be LoL, CSGO, H1Z1, CoD, BF1/4, Farcry, Crysis, Etc. (Also the next few years of games, 3-4 if possible).

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NBZbyf

 

P.S

A lot of critic is highly encouraged. Just dont go ape crazy about flaming. Since like i said it is my first build. I got that type of CPU for POSSIBLE future overclocking. I have no budget for the build as i plan on making it my career to work with computers. So DO suggest anything that could 

 

Credits to @Zyndo For the initial build idea.

 

No, no... there is absolutely no need to spend that kind of money on a computer build unless you were doing nuclear fission research. 

 

Like a few people already have stated, the returns on the investment starts to diminish above $3,000.

 

Here is my recommended computer build.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($342.98 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($46.95 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($126.28 @ Jet) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Transcend 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($179.95 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Transcend 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($179.95 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB NITRO+ Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($285.04 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB NITRO+ Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($285.04 @ Jet) 
Case: Corsair Carbide Quiet 600Q ATX Full Tower Case  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($20.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($129.95 @ Amazon) 
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-582 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.95 @ Jet) 
Monitor: Asus MG279Q 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor  ($551.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $2783.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-09 03:59 EST-0500

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Buzzsaw said:

No, no... there is absolutely no need to spend that kind of money on a computer build unless you were doing nuclear fission research. 

 

Like a few people already have stated, the returns on the investment starts to diminish above $3,000.

 

Here is my recommended computer build.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($342.98 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler  ($46.95 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($126.28 @ Jet) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($88.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Transcend 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($179.95 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Transcend 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($179.95 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate BarraCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB NITRO+ Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($285.04 @ Jet) 
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 8GB NITRO+ Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($285.04 @ Jet) 
Case: Corsair Carbide Quiet 600Q ATX Full Tower Case  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($20.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($129.95 @ Amazon) 
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: D-Link DWA-582 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.95 @ Jet) 
Monitor: Asus MG279Q 27.0" 2560x1440 144Hz Monitor  ($551.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $2783.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-09 03:59 EST-0500

That cooler is pretty useless for an unlocked cpu.

No need for 32GB Ram.

Why would you go with 2 x RX 480's when you can just get a single GTX 1080 for not that much more ?

No need for all the separate 1TB hard drives. A single 3TB works out cheaper.

No need for the Pro version of Windows or a sound card.

[Guest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i 104.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($110.04 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z270XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($145.66 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($93.99 @ Jet) 
Storage: Crucial MX300 1.1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($244.99 @ Jet) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.69 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 8GB AMP! Edition Video Card  ($580.66 @ B&H) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($87.71 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: Asus ROG SWIFT PG348Q 34.0" 3440x1440 100Hz Monitor  ($1129.39 @ Amazon) 
Total: $3032.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-09 11:56 EST-0500

[IHirs]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Jet) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($145.03 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($349.99 @ Corsair) 
Storage: Samsung 960 Pro 1.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($577.23 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.69 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case: be quiet! DARK BASE PRO 900 | BLACK ATX Full Tower Case  ($214.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($399.99 @ Jet) 
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.88 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($87.71 @ Amazon) 
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Monitor: Asus PG27AQ 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($812.99 @ Jet) 
Monitor: Asus PG27AQ 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($812.99 @ Jet) 
Other: Titan x pascal ($1200.00)
Other: Totan x pascal ($1200.00)
Total: $6594.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-09 12:42 EST-0500

[GosuBear]

On 1/9/2017 at 6:42 PM, IHirs said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.89 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($96.99 @ Jet) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($145.03 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($349.99 @ Corsair) 
Storage: Samsung 960 Pro 1.0TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($577.23 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.69 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($89.69 @ OutletPC) 
Case: be quiet! DARK BASE PRO 900 | BLACK ATX Full Tower Case  ($214.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i 1500W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($399.99 @ Jet) 
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.88 @ OutletPC) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($87.71 @ Amazon) 
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($29.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
Monitor: Asus PG27AQ 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($812.99 @ Jet) 
Monitor: Asus PG27AQ 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz Monitor  ($812.99 @ Jet) 
Other: Titan x pascal ($1200.00)
Other: Totan x pascal ($1200.00)
Total: $6594.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-09 12:42 EST-0500

Correct me if i am wrong. Would you not need a z270 motherboard for 7700k...?

[HungryHamster]

Nothing wrong with the z170-a, but it's pretty basic. For a build of this quality I'm surprised you aren't considering a higher-end ("enthusiast") board like a ASUS Maximus Formula, Extreme, Hero, etc. You won't get a big performance difference, but they look a lot nicer and some of their additional functions are quite useful in some cases. Also, I think the new models for 2017 just dropped at CES so i'd check them out.

[aithos]

As someone who works with computers and has been building custom PCs for over 15 years here is my input:

 

1) I think you seriously need to sit down and consider the purpose of your build before you go picking out parts.  I can tell you're not an experienced builder because some of the choices for parts just don't make sense, for example: you're running a 1TB high-end SSD but then you're buying two 5400rpm 3TB drives instead of the WD Black 7200rpm 4TB+.  Another thing is your choice of video cards, you're considering a 60hz monitor and virtually none of the games you play call for a pair of Titans.  That really makes it seem to me that you care more about appearance than functionality, like you want to wave the fact it's a $6600 build in people's faces more than you care about performance.

 

2) If you're going to do an "elite" gaming machine then don't skimp on other areas of your build.  I already mentioned the raid drives, but you should also seriously consider a different monitor (or two) and an entirely different audio setup as well.  If you intend to spend north of $6000 then I don't think there is any excuse for not getting a separate audio solution (dedicated amp/dac) and a real pair of HD headphones.  For $500~ you can get an o2+odac and some AKG K7XX or for a little more some Sennheiser HD650s that will utterly blow away whatever you'd run with the sound-card.  As for monitors: remember that native texture resolution is a thing and refresh rate for fast-paced gaming (FPS, MOBA, etc) is more important than a resolution increase.

 

What do I mean?  If you've ever played Skyrim in 1440p then you should be aware of the "high resolution texture pack" that Bethesda made available, so what was the purpose of that?  It's simple really: to give people textures that were natively rendered above 1080p, thus meaning that people running in higher resolutions wouldn't have to upscale that content.  Currently there are *VERY* few games rendering textures natively above 1080p, and as far as I know NONE that render in 4k because the engines need significant updates to handle that kind of content.  That means that whenever you're running in 4k you're doing some fancy image processing and upscaling, it's not quite like watching a DVD on a Bluray player but it's the same idea.

 

Until monitors are 4k 120hz+, game engines are capable of handling native 4k textures, and game companies are rendering in that resolution... it simply isn't worth gaming in 4k (IMO).  I would much rather be playing on a 1440p monitor with 120hz and ULMB, because it looks fantastic, is reasonable to maintain a good frame-rate with pretty high settings, and the lack of motion blur by eliminating frame permanence is a HUGE deal for the gaming experience.  Not to mention that having more frames also leads to more accurate visual positioning information and a better "feel" when playing fast-paced games, in my opinion it's a no-brainer.  You could offer me a 4k 144hz monitor with ULMB and I still wouldn't take it simply because it isn't reasonable to run at that resolution with modern hardware and the benefit to doing so isn't there yet.  Maybe in 6-8 years or so.

 

NOTE: if you do want to future proof and pick up the Asus 4k 144hz monitor when it releases later this year: feel free.  However, at the cost it's likely to launch it's pretty ridiculous and don't forget that if you find that you can't run in the native resolution you will be inducing SERIOUS input lag to lower the resolution.  Personally, even though I can afford the monitor and I'm putting together a new build this year... I will be sticking with my Asus ROG PG279Q.  Maybe for my next build I'll get the 4k version as my second monitor, we'll see.

 

Final Words: if you intend to work in computers (whatever that means) then the first thing you need to learn is logic.  Understand why you're doing something, what the pros/cons are and what the alternatives are.  As a general rule it isn't a good idea to throw money (or resources) into a project where you don't have a high level understanding, what you'll find is that your value (performance/money) is less than you expect and you will run into a lot of situations where you make the wrong decision.  The same goes for work as a computer build, if you approach a problem with limited understanding you're in for a bad time.