Pixels and Power

[DevinJ.F.]

Link to build: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Devin.Frenette/saved/zpQFf7

 

Alrighty y'all, I have a very basic knowledge on computer hardware. I finally have a good job to afford a pretty nice machine, and IMO, my budget just for the tower and everything inside is a good amount. 

 

I'm looking at a top budget of about $3,000 for the station itself. I'm OK with going over if need be, but only if I see a good benefit for the specific part that would put me over. My main requirement, is pixels. I'm loving the state of 4k, and have seen some really great content and experiences on 4k. So, I'm building a 4k dedicated machine. Now obliviously, I screw around a bit with some 3d stuff, and photoshop and the works, but it's more of a once in a blue moon state. As such, I'm not too worried if said parts don't work in favor of the 'working' aspect of it. Just looking for a helluva gaming machine. 

 

1. Budget & Location.

Budget, again, for the station itself is $3,000 US. I know what peripherals I want, but I really just need help with the monitor setup, and the internal setup. So this build will mainly be about the tower, and monitors. The budget for the tower is $3,000, while I don't really have a budget for monitors. I think. And in all reality, the $3,000 is negotiable.

 

2. Aim

I plan on having a 3 monitor 4k ultra wide setup, that can range from around 27 inch, to bigger. Why? Cuz I can. Going to be making use of Track IR. So a 3 monitor, ultrawide (or not) setup, running at 2k, 4k, whatever. Anything over 1920x1080. I know immediately I'm going to be making use of the new GTX 1080 graphics card. I'm also an Intel guy, so there's that. NVIDIA GTX 1080, and Intel. This will be, again, a beast of a gaming machine, that can push some stupid power and pixles. So the 2 constants for this build, will be GTX 1080's, and Intel. I'm looking for max FPS at anywhere from high to ultra settings. I really enjoy playing Arma 3, and from what I understand, it's more so CPU intensive. The 3 monitors is because...well...I can. Always thought it'd be badass to do that. 

 

3. Monitors

Anything over 1080 resolution. Ultra wide preferred, as I'll also be building or buying a desk for the monitors. Big. Not like, 50 inch big, but I currently have a single Samsung LED 1920x1080 23 inch monitor.

I've done it for years now, and I love the state of 4k currently. I'd like some ultrawide monitors, and I'm looking at 3 of them. The $3,000 budget does not include the monitors, it is just for the tower and everything inside of it. I don't want to skimp on quality. I'd prefer small bezels, black, and some really great refresh rates. I've heard ASUS makes some really great stuff, as well as Samsung. I'm a Samsung whore kind of.

 

4. Peripherals

Not worried about this. I know what I want for this stuff. I will be using Windows 10 Pro.

I might need some help with the audio. I don't know whether I'll do a monitor setup for the audio, or just a basic 2.1 system. Is it possible to have an external amp power this stuff for a computer? Similar to a receiver and such, like my home theater? Would it be powered through USB? Would that require a bigger power supply? I always see these setups on YouTube where they have what looks like an external amp or something. As far as headphones go, would I plug them into the amp? I have an idea of what brand I like, which is Bose for the headset. They just came out with the QC35's, and I wonder if I could grab a boom mic attachment or what not for it. 

As far as a keyboard goes, I'll just be using a custom colored wireless Apple Keyboard. I use Logitech's G13 Gamepad for my games, as I can bind everything to it. Otherwise, I use a HOTAS Rhino for joystick and throttle. Mouse is a Logitech G700.

I might be interested in having an external backup, but not quite sure yet. I don't really have anything I work on, so maybe it's pointless. But I do want this whole experience to be a learning experience. I wanna have fun! 

 

5. Why are you upgrading?

I bought this 'custom' computer back in early '12, when I was 16. It has a Intel i5 2500k @3.30ghz. Running GTX 560ti's in SLI, with 8gb's of RAM. As I said before, it's from '12, and I finally have a good job to where I can afford a nice machine. This one has lasted me quite awhile, and I'm ready for something new, and super improved.

 

6. Notes.

I'd like to make use of RAID. I sort of understand it, and from what I understand, it's fast. Like. Stupid fast. Make use of Samsung's Pro SSD? Whatever will kick ass.

I will need both a wifi card, and an ethernet one that can handle anywhere from 100mbps, to gigabit. 

I'd like to kind of have this build as a learning experience, and a good kick in the ass to learn a crap ton about computers. I don't know if I'll get into overclocking, it just seems very shady. It's like supercharging a weak block in a 1992 Ford Mustang. There can be a failure so quick, and so disastrous. I'd just like to stay away from overclocking, not too interested in it. 

Also, I know they don't support 3-way and 4-way, but would having one card with 1 ultrawide monitor, and the second card for the other 2 monitors diminish performance in any way? Or do you run all 3 off of one? Does the connection matter whether it's DVI, Displayport, Thunderbolt, HDMI, etc.? I'm looking for maximum data transfer rates. This machine, like I said, I want it to absolutely be a beast.

 

***The reason for this build, is because I have some pretty bad anxiety issues. I was in an accident a few years ago, and had an extremely close encounter with the grim reaper. So for the times when I really need a distraction, either during the day or in the middle of the night, this is what will be doing it for me. It's an escape.***

 

So, with all that said, have fun! I'll post pics and everything. No idea is a stupid one, and I'm totally open to suggestions. Thanks in advanced, and I apologize for the long post.

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by DevinJ.F.
Added PC Partpicker link.

[DevinJ.F.]

Bump.

 

Added PC Partpicker link. Let me know what you guys think! I'm about a week or two out from buying things.

[Caolan.Kelly]

29 minutes ago, DevinJ.F. said:

Bump.

 

Added PC Partpicker link. Let me know what you guys think! I'm about a week or two out from buying things.

I'd recommend going with a water cooler cause you have the money for it and it looks nicer in my opinion than the hyper 

also linus does a great review on a case : the enthoo evolv tg it's a really nice case I would look into a bit

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, DevinJ.F. said:

Bump.

 

Added PC Partpicker link. Let me know what you guys think! I'm about a week or two out from buying things.

Hi

 

If you are mainly gaming (With a bit of 3D stuff on the side) then I would drop the ram down to 16GB. You don't need 32GB.

 

I also don't think you will see any benefit with Raiding the SSD's for gaming either (Unless you were running heavily modded games). In my opinion a single 850 EVO would do just fine.

 

Don't buy the founders edition of the GTX 1080. Wait for stock of the non reference versions such as the Gigabyte G1 or MSI Gaming X etc.

 

You shouldn't need the extra Intel network adapter as the motherboard has a 2 ethernet ports. Also what is the extra wireless adapter for ? Is your Router/modem in a different room to the pc ?

 

And lastly I agree with the point made above. A water cooler looks a lot nicer aesthetically than a big old air cooler. Maybe put the money saved from the Ram into a Corsair H110i GT or similar 240mm/280mm AIO.

[antisleep]

Not too familiar with $3000 builds but I'll see what I can come up with.

[antisleep]

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 

^Get the Cryorig H7 if you insist on an air cooler and cut costs. I suggest keeping it in case you change your mind on OC plus it's aesthetically pleasing.
Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($177.98 @ Newegg) 

^A $250 mobo when you're not overclocking is unnecessary. This one should provide you with everything you need, as well as handling gigabit internet - which means the intel wired adapter in your list is redundant.

^The ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming is a good cheaper alternative although a bit plain looking.
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($159.99 @ Newegg) 

^Best premium ram sticks for the price, not to mention the sick heat spreaders.

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($224.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($224.00 @ Newegg) 

^If you're planning to do raid, you should have 2 similar SSDs - size and model.
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($660.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($660.00) 

^These are out of stock atm, hopefully the price doesn't spike when they're back. And don't go for the founder's edition, the aib's are always gonna be better.
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($73.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

^850w for sufficient headroom for SLI
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 

^Maybe upgrade to blu-ray?
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($129.95 @ Amazon) 

^You can get $30 OS from other resellers: https://youtu.be/yXTqz3Fd28M -with a small catch*
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC68 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($92.96 @ Newegg) 
Total: $3065.80 / ~$3100

 

Apart from the OS, all parts are picked from Newegg. Stick to just 1-2 merchants for the shipping convenience and lesser costs.

 

[DevinJ.F.]

This is all really great stuff guys, much appreciated. I apologize for not replying sooner, work has just been cray! 

 

On 7/26/2016 at 4:03 PM, Caolan.Kelly said:

I'd recommend going with a water cooler cause you have the money for it and it looks nicer in my opinion than the hyper 

also linus does a great review on a case : the enthoo evolv tg it's a really nice case I would look into a bit

I think a water cooler would be a great idea. I've always been interested in them, however, liquid inside of a machine always makes me nervous...and I was always under the impression that they were so much more complicated than fans. Would it be better for the CPU due to the serious heat always coming off of them?

 

On 7/26/2016 at 4:19 PM, lee32uk said:

Hi

 

If you are mainly gaming (With a bit of 3D stuff on the side) then I would drop the ram down to 16GB. You don't need 32GB.

 

I also don't think you will see any benefit with Raiding the SSD's for gaming either (Unless you were running heavily modded games). In my opinion a single 850 EVO would do just fine.

 

Don't buy the founders edition of the GTX 1080. Wait for stock of the non reference versions such as the Gigabyte G1 or MSI Gaming X etc.

 

You shouldn't need the extra Intel network adapter as the motherboard has a 2 ethernet ports. Also what is the extra wireless adapter for ? Is your Router/modem in a different room to the pc ?

 

And lastly I agree with the point made above. A water cooler looks a lot nicer aesthetically than a big old air cooler. Maybe put the money saved from the Ram into a Corsair H110i GT or similar 240mm/280mm AIO.

Great idea! I'll drop it down to 32. And the raid would be made use of, due to Arma being a heavily modded game. I has all the mods.  

Good suggestion on the graphics cards. I'm more familiar on MSI's brand of stuff, but not so much Gigabyte. Any past experience?

Makes sense. Again, still pretty new to this stuff, so I honestly didn't know. It's great that you are actually looking at this build, thank you very much. And yes, the pc is in a different room from the router. Would it be smarter to have it in the same room?

 

On 7/26/2016 at 6:31 PM, antisleep said:

PCPartPicker part list

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 

^Get the Cryorig H7 if you insist on an air cooler and cut costs. I suggest keeping it in case you change your mind on OC plus it's aesthetically pleasing.
Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($177.98 @ Newegg) 

^A $250 mobo when you're not overclocking is unnecessary. This one should provide you with everything you need, as well as handling gigabit internet - which means the intel wired adapter in your list is redundant.

^The ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming is a good cheaper alternative although a bit plain looking.
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory  ($159.99 @ Newegg) 

^Best premium ram sticks for the price, not to mention the sick heat spreaders.

Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($224.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($224.00 @ Newegg) 

^If you're planning to do raid, you should have 2 similar SSDs - size and model.
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($660.00) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card (2-Way SLI)  ($660.00) 

^These are out of stock atm, hopefully the price doesn't spike when they're back. And don't go for the founder's edition, the aib's are always gonna be better.
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($73.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($117.98 @ Newegg) 

^850w for sufficient headroom for SLI
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 

^Maybe upgrade to blu-ray?
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit  ($129.95 @ Amazon) 

^You can get $30 OS from other resellers: https://youtu.be/yXTqz3Fd28M -with a small catch*
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC68 PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter  ($92.96 @ Newegg) 
Total: $3065.80 / ~$3100

 

Apart from the OS, all parts are picked from Newegg. Stick to just 1-2 merchants for the shipping convenience and lesser costs.

 

Fantastic! Just a few questions/comments:

The cooler: Would you recommend water cooling vs. fan cooling? Like I stated, this will be a workhorse. So if heat will be a major issue, then what would your suggestion be fore water cooling?

Storage: Makes sense. Didn't even think of that.

Video Card: Have you any experience with Gigabyte? If so, how'd you like it?

Case: This is kind of where I'm at. I really like the Fractal Design case I originally picked out. What's the reasoning behind choosing this one? Cost? Looks? Functionality?

 

 

Thanks to all who've commented so far! Much appreciated, definitely helping a guy out. 

[Caolan.Kelly]

On 26 July 2016 at 9:31 PM, DevinJ.F. said:

Bump.

 

Added PC Partpicker link. Let me know what you guys think! I'm about a week or two out from buying things.

Water cooling is not completely if you have the right case fans and the right cpu cooler they will run similar but a water cooler is great for cooling but as I said it would be okay with a good fan cooler 

[Guest]

On 7/29/2016 at 4:27 AM, DevinJ.F. said:

This is all really great stuff guys, much appreciated. I apologize for not replying sooner, work has just been cray! 

 

 

Great idea! I'll drop it down to 32. And the raid would be made use of, due to Arma being a heavily modded game. I has all the mods.  

Good suggestion on the graphics cards. I'm more familiar on MSI's brand of stuff, but not so much Gigabyte. Any past experience?

Makes sense. Again, still pretty new to this stuff, so I honestly didn't know. It's great that you are actually looking at this build, thank you very much. And yes, the pc is in a different room from the router. Would it be smarter to have it in the same room? 

If you can make use of Raid then cool. 

 

I don't have any first hand experience with Gigabyte gpu's (Only their motherboards) but you can't really go wrong with any of the main brands such as them or MSI, EVGA etc. Just go with the one you like the best.

 

You don't have to have the Router in the same room, but a wired connection is always better than wireless for gaming. If you can't have it in the same room, and you can't run a Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet cable then maybe look at Homeplugs (Powerline Adaptor), as they should perform better than a Wi-Fi adapter.

 

http://www.techradar.com/news/networking/powerline-networking-what-you-need-to-know-930691

[antisleep]

On 7/29/2016 at 11:27 AM, DevinJ.F. said:

Fantastic! Just a few questions/comments:

The cooler: Would you recommend water cooling vs. fan cooling? Like I stated, this will be a workhorse. So if heat will be a major issue, then what would your suggestion be fore water cooling?

Storage: Makes sense. Didn't even think of that.

Video Card: Have you any experience with Gigabyte? If so, how'd you like it?

Case: This is kind of where I'm at. I really like the Fractal Design case I originally picked out. What's the reasoning behind choosing this one? Cost? Looks? Functionality?

Water cooling isn't necessary if you're not doing any major overclocking. I went with gigabyte because they usually make some of the highest clocked cards while beating MSI's price most of the time.

 

The case, it's more of a personal preference. The psu shroud and included 6 slot fan hub at the back are just nice to have. And I'm not the biggest fan of FD's boxy, brushed surface, Scandinavian design. The silence is pretty good though.

[DevinJ.F.]

Alright guys, so I did a bit of homework as far as displays go. I couldn't decide if I wanted to really stick with SLI'ing the 1080's, or just use one. But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I'll be making use of Displayport obliviously, as it can handle better refresh rates on those higher grade monitors. I'll either be investing in the Acer X34 Predator (https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-UltraWide-Widescreen-X34/dp/B016GNX4SE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470682279&sr=8-1&keywords=x34+predator+gsync), or LG's 34UC98 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019O78DPS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1QPUK5XZN9B6P&coliid=I15PRS77RYS4YN&psc=1). 

 

I need to look into motherboards a little more, RAM, sound, and cooling. Maybe a different case option, if I'll be cramming in too much stuff into the FD.

 

I'm going to start looking at motherboards today, seeing what there is that I need specifically, and what extra tidbits I'd also be ok with having for future proofing this thing, or for further expandability. 

 

RAM shouldn't take too long.

 

Sound I might need a little more help with, for this part:

On 7/24/2016 at 7:32 PM, DevinJ.F. said:

I might need some help with the audio. I don't know whether I'll do a monitor setup for the audio, or just a basic 2.1 system. Is it possible to have an external amp power this stuff for a computer? Similar to a receiver and such, like my home theater? Would it be powered through USB? Would that require a bigger power supply? I always see these setups on YouTube where they have what looks like an external amp or something. As far as headphones go, would I plug them into the amp? I have an idea of what brand I like, which is Bose for the headset. They just came out with the QC35's, and I wonder if I could grab a boom mic attachment or what not for it. 

 

Cooling is self explanatory, but I need to figure what kind of fans I want, or if I should really think about water cooling, due to the noise that the fans would be putting out.

 

As far as the case goes, I don't care for, or need a window. Maybe a small one, so people could have an idea of what's inside? And I really do care about great IO features, and a very, very clean and simple design for the case. 

 

And one last thing: what is the purpose of monitors having USB 3.0? Besides maybe charging my phone? 

 

Thanks for following along so far guys!

[DevinJ.F.]

BUMP. 

 

Purchasing within the the next few days. Will post updated parts link. 

 

Decided to go with fan cooling, picked out a MOBO, and decided on some RAM. Opinions on all three are much appreciated. 

[DevinJ.F.]

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/HyF4d6