My "gaming" rig

[Slater]

Hey guys just here to get some opinions from everyone else with a build that i'm considering getting.

 

Budget = None/Unlimited

Location = Australia

 

Aim = Gaming is the main focus, along with video editing, photo editing, web browsing and word processing. As for what sort of games i play, i play a variety ranging from RTS, to RPGs, to FPS'. So essentially i need a system that is versatile.

 

Monitors = 3x 1080p IPS monitors (I intend on playing games at 5780x1080 whenever possible)

 

Peripherals = Need a mouse and keyboard

 

Why am i upgrading? = Simply put, my 6 year old laptop is showing its age, even more so everyday that i use it. And that is faster than the desktop i have in the home which is 10 years old.

 

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Here's the build/plan i've got so far (please note that i don't mind going all out since i've never had the experience of a really fast computer, all the one's i've got are average at best...=S ):

 

CPU = Intel i7 3770k  (wondering if i should be getting the 4770k instead when it comes out)

 

Motherboard = Asus P8Z77-V-Pro Thunderbolt Z77

 

RAM = Corsair Vengeance CML16GX3M2A1600C10 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 (1600MHz) (Already have)

 

SSD = Intel 520 Series 240GB (This shall be my boot drive)

 

HDD = 4x Seagate Barracuda 3TB ST3000DM001 (This will be in RAID10 for storage)

 

Graphics = 2x GTX Titans OR 2x GTX 780 (Not sure if the 3GB VRAM on the 780 will be enough for max graphics on most games at 5780x1080. Could someone please let me know?)

 

PSU = Corsair AX1200i Digital ATX Modular Power Supply

 

Case = Coolermaster HAF 932 Advanced Case (Already have)

 

CPU Cooler = Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler (Not a fan of watercooling...pun not intended)

 

Optical Drive = LG BH16NS40 16X BD-R Blu-ray Writer

 

Monitor = 3x Eizo FORIS FS2333 23in IPS Gaming Monitor (Feels like its going out of production so could someone please offer alternatives?)

 

Sound = Asus Xonar Essense One (Considering waiting to get the Asus Xonar Essense STU instead)

 

Mouse = Corsair M95

 

Keyboard = Corsair K95

 

OS = Windows 7 (Already have)

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So the main questions i have about this build are:

1. Whether or not i should wait for Haswell and get the 4770k and an equivalent motherboard?
2. With the release of the GTX 780, will the 3GB VRAM be enough to play games on max at 5780x1080?
3. What alternative IPS monitors can i get in the case that the FS2333's sell out completely here?

With the monitors question, the requirements for the 3 monitors are:

 

• Must be 23" or 24"  at 1080p (Although i don't mind 1200p if there's no alternative)
• Must have height adjust and tilt
• Must have VESA mounts
• Must at least have DVI ports
• A monitor with a low response time.
• As small of a bezel as possible (i am doing a triple monitor setup after all!)

Requirements above are ordered in priority.

 

Thankyou everyone that helps for your time! :)

 

[Godlygamer23]

Two 780s will be plenty. 3GB of VRAM(unless you plan to play Max Payne 3) will be plenty of VRAM. Personally, I'd wait for Haswell to be officially released and see if it's worth it to you after seeing some more benchmarks of the final product.

[WoodenMarker]

This isn't a gaming rig. This is a computer stolen from Nasa.

 

But really, you have a decent setup so far. Is there a place you shop where we can compare prices and optimize that. Everything looks quite solid.

And that pun with the NH-D14--you got me there. :)

[Slater]

This isn't a gaming rig. This is a computer stolen from Nasa.

 

But really, you have a decent setup so far. Is there a place you shop where we can compare prices and optimize that. Everything looks quite solid.

And that pun with the NH-D14--you got me there. :)

Haha yeah i'm aware its a bit more than a gaming rig hence the quotations around "gaming".

 

As for the shop i'm using most of the parts are from PC Case Gear the only thing missing as far as i know from that store is the Eizo Foris FS2333 which they seem to no longer sell. But i know that MWave still sells them and that's the only other store that seems trustworthy enough to buy from. So that's why i'd like to know if there's alternative monitors like the Eizo which i could purchase should the Eizo no longer be available.

 

As for that pun, i didn't realise i made it until i was proof-reading my post haha :)

[The1nf3cted0n3]

1]. Yes wait for haswell it comes out june 2nd it will be better performance (maybe not much) for the same price. 2) It should be. 3) I would recommend the asus pb238q. Not the thinest bezel in the world but it is a good monitor with a vesa mounting option at 1080p. Aus pa series would be better too except 1200p.

[Guest]

Are you sure you want to game on 3x1080P? 

 

I've got a friend who has a 3x1080 setup using a 670 4GB and plays games fine. I personally find that it sucks for actually gaming. Frame rates etc are fine however the screen environment seems too big and a lot of the interaction/menus aren't designed for multi-monitor gaming so your weapons/minimap/interactions all appear off to the side of the screen. 

 

I was looking at 3x1080 but have switched to 2x1440P and will be gaming on a single 1440p monitor. 

[Slater]

Are you sure you want to game on 3x1080P? 

 

I've got a friend who has a 3x1080 setup using a 670 4GB and plays games fine. I personally find that it sucks for actually gaming. Frame rates etc are fine however the screen environment seems too big and a lot of the interaction/menus aren't designed for multi-monitor gaming so your weapons/minimap/interactions all appear off to the side of the screen. 

 

I was looking at 3x1080 but have switched to 2x1440P and will be gaming on a single 1440p monitor. 

For me personally i've never actually experienced either scenarios but i do want to have three monitors since for me it would bug me having an uneven layout of the monitors. (I'm a bit OCD with symmetry). I want my monitors centered in from of me, so with two it would mean that the bezels would be directly in front of me and having one monitor on either side would bug me. Hence why i'd like to have 3x1080p, i need more than one monitor so that i can multi-task.

 

So what i'm getting from all the responses so far is that:

• 2x GTX 780s with their 3GB VRAM should be sufficient for triple monitor gaming (where applicable)?
• I should wait for Haswell and update the plan/build accordingly and
• I should take a look at the Asus PA series?

[Glenwing]

The PA series isn't really designed for multi-monitor, you want something with thin bezels like the Acer H236HLbid.

[Slater]

The PA series isn't really designed for multi-monitor, you want something with thin bezels like the Acer H236HLbid.

How thick are the bezels on the PA monitors? I can never seem to find the bezel measurements on any monitor listed anywhere. As long as its around 1cm in thickness then i can just hide 2 of the bezels of the left and right monitors behind the middle, kind of reducing the overall bezel i see. (Not sure how it will affect the FOV of games though.

[Glenwing]

It's almost 2cm.

[Slater]

It's almost 2cm.

Ah ok, that's not too bad in my opinion, i can live with that :)

[Glenwing]

Ah ok, that's not too bad in my opinion, i can live with that :)

 

Alright.  Just remember it will be a 4cm black space when you put them next to each other.  It'd be a bit difficult to hide the bezel of one behind the other since they're not the thinnest monitors either, and the USB hub makes it it thicker on one side than the other.

[Slater]

Alright.  Just remember it will be a 4cm black space when you put them next to each other.  It'd be a bit difficult to hide the bezel of one behind the other since they're not the thinnest monitors either, and the USB hub makes it it thicker on one side than the other.

I keep that in mind :)

[Pruxis]

I wasn't a fan of watercooling untill I tried it out myself, it really is a big improvement and if you can afford a fully watercooled system then it's super effecient and you wont even hear it whisper.

[Slater]

I might consider doing watercooling for my next build, i've seen some of the watercooled builds here on this forum and they look really awesome. I hope i might be able to match or come close to something like theirs :) But for now i'm most comfortable going with air cooling for the time being, i'll take a closer look at doing a watercooled build next time i build a PC.