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Future build - Critique it

EchoRomeoCharlie
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1.  Budget and Location - USA(no microcenters close...) and Around $1700 with monitor(looking for one up front, but I will go to two at some point)

2.  Aim - This will be an all purpose build..anything from web browsing and games to video editing, VM's, and software development

3.  Monitors - I will be getting a typical 24ish inch monitor, I don't need anything super nice but open to suggestions here

4.  Peripherals - Not needed.  I will be running Windows 7

5.  Why the upgrade - I'm currently working with a 6 year old HP laptop...it's stupid slow.  The last desktop I built was in 2004...still have it, but it barely boots anymore.

 

 

 

So here's my current list...I already have some RAM I bought because it was ridiculously cheap...$60 for some Crucial Ballistix Sport 1600 16gig 2x8gig.  I know it's not the best in the world, but it should work just fine.  If it doesn't play nice with my MOBO, I can probably sell it locally for at least what I bought it for.

 

 

Some notes, I want the k processor to dabble in overclocking hence the H100i.  I would love to go custom loop, but it's just not going to be in the budget this time around.  770 because the 780 is too rich right now...I would be interested in other possibilities 7970 maybe?  I just through an optical on there because I definitely will use it...i'll research them more in depth when i'm actually looking to buy.  I might switch the PSU out for a seasonic or an XFX depending on sales when I buy...

 

 

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($327.98 @ Outlet PC) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard:  Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.98 @ Outlet PC) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($122.99 @ NCIX US) 
Video Card:  Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card  ($399.99 @ NCIX US) 
Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($18.48 @ Outlet PC) 
Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($85.87 @ Outlet PC) 
Total: $1514.22
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-08 22:16 EDT-0400)
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Why don't you get a 300$ 7970? It has a higher Mem. Bus and higher Memory.

Andres "Bluejay" Alejandro Montefusco - The Forums Favorite Bird!!!

Top Clock: 7.889 Ghz Cooled by: Liquid Helium   

#ChocolateRAM #OatmealFans #ScratchItHarder #WorstcardBestoverclocker #CrazySexStories #SchnitzelQuest TS3 SERVER

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If you want to keep the gtx 770 this

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Microcenter) 
Motherboard:  ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($159.00 @ Adorama) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card  ($447.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($85.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $1577.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-08 22:24 EDT-0400)
 
Or Crossfire two 7970s/R9 280x
 
CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Microcenter) 
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($139.99 @ NCIX US) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($159.00 @ Adorama) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($299.99 @ NCIX US) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($299.99 @ NCIX US) 
Total: $1538.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-08 22:31 EDT-0400)

                                                                                                                                       # -_-     [Planned RIg AKA Project ARES]     -_-#

| AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core | Be Quiet DARK ROCK 2 57.9 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing | Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z  |G.Skill Ripjaws X 8GB | Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM |Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" SSD | Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB  |Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower|Gelid Solutions Silent 14 PWM 74.5 CFM 140mm x3 |Corsair RM Series 750 Watt ATX/EPS 80PLUS Gold-Certified Power Supply|

|Rosewill RNX-N250PCe | Windows 8  | Acer H236HLbid 23.0" |Corsair Vengeance K70 | 
Corsair Vengeance M65 Wired Laser | STEELSERIES QCK Black|Sennheiser HD 558| Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer         
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The 7970 is looking really good @ 300 bucks...

 

I'm typically not a fan of AMD..which is why I tend to lean towards Nvidia...but for the price/performance I don't think I can deny it.  Although, they might be dropping the prices on the 7xx series cards before I end up buying this system.

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I would stick with the Asus 770 rather than the Gigabyte one that Youbetternot suggested. It performs worse and costs more. (source, Linus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRy1I5Wto54)

 

And I'm okay with the switch to the Seagate drive, but keep in mind that if you want to stick with Western Digital (I believe they provide a longer warranty), you should actually get a WD Blue drive instead of Black. They  haven't updated the Black SKU in a while but they recently updated the Blues which makes them have better reads/ writes than the Black series (I know that sounds stupid, but it's true).

Corsair 900D | MSI MPower Max Z87 AC | i7-4790K @ 4.7Ghz | 1080 Ti SLI | 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro 2400 
XSPC Raystorm | EK-FC Nickel GPU block/backplate | 2x Alphacool UT60 480mm & XT45 240mm | 11x Linus Edition NF-F12
Schiit Modi/Magni 2 Uber | 5" KRK Rokit G3 | KRK 10S2 | Acer Predator X34 | Dell S2716DG

 

 

 

 

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What kind of vm's are you running? Type of program you are editing with? Content you are producing?

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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VM's are going to be for testing purposes...different flavors of linux or OSX...I'm not really sure at this point, its just something I'm looking into

 

Writing most code with VS2012 and most code will be for work, but I would like to get into some mobile app development soon

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I would stick with the Asus 770 rather than the Gigabyte one that Youbetternot suggested. It performs worse and costs more. (source, Linus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRy1I5Wto54)

 

And I'm okay with the switch to the Seagate drive, but keep in mind that if you want to stick with Western Digital (I believe they provide a longer warranty), you should actually get a WD Blue drive instead of Black. They  haven't updated the Black SKU in a while but they recently updated the Blues which makes them have better reads/ writes than the Black series (I know that sounds stupid, but it's true).

Interesting...didn't know that about the WD blue's...Thanks!

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Interesting...didn't know that about the WD blue's...Thanks!

No problem! I like the rest of the build. It looks like a nice computer to me. :P

Corsair 900D | MSI MPower Max Z87 AC | i7-4790K @ 4.7Ghz | 1080 Ti SLI | 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro 2400 
XSPC Raystorm | EK-FC Nickel GPU block/backplate | 2x Alphacool UT60 480mm & XT45 240mm | 11x Linus Edition NF-F12
Schiit Modi/Magni 2 Uber | 5" KRK Rokit G3 | KRK 10S2 | Acer Predator X34 | Dell S2716DG

 

 

 

 

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Think about a ROG motherboard, if you have nice headphones, and don't want to waste a PCI slot, get a ROG because of their onboard audio. Also, imo they are some of the best boards on the market

CPU: i7-4770k CPU Cooler: NH-D14 RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8gb GPU: EVGA Superclocked 780 ti MOBO: ASUS Maximus VI Gene PSU: Corsair RM 850 Case: Bitfenix Prodigy M

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VM's are going to be for testing purposes...different flavors of linux or OSX...I'm not really sure at this point, its just something I'm looking into

 

Writing most code with VS2012 and most code will be for work, but I would like to get into some mobile app development soon

You mentioned video editing. What kind of content are you producing and programs you are using to do so?

Is Windows included in the budget?

You need to quote a post or tag a member or else they won't get a notification you replied to them.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($339.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($97.25 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard:  MSI Z87-G55 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($142.86 @ Newegg) 


Storage:  OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($104.99 @ Newegg) 


Video Card:  Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($356.30 @ Newegg) 


Power Supply:  Corsair CX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($74.99 @ Microcenter) 

Optical Drive:  Asus DVD-E818AAT/BLK/B/GEN DVD/CD Drive  ($23.98 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($94.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Monitor:  BenQ GW2450HM 24.0" Monitor  ($159.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $1647.86

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-13 18:56 EDT-0400)

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CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($327.98 @ Outlet PC) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($97.25 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard:  Asus MAXIMUS VI GENE Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($200.19 @ Amazon) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.98 @ Outlet PC) 
Video Card:  Asus Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($316.13 @ Newegg) 
Case:  Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg) 
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor:  Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1496.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-13 20:20 EDT-0400)
 
Place 2 sickleflows on the h100i, 1 in the rear, 2 in front. Remove all current fans. 
If you don't like the RAM you currently have. Can always try to sell it for 60/70$ and then get the Corsair vengeance pro.
I wen't with m-atx because I doub't you will be able to fill an ATX board. And the 350D is sexy. 
I chose an RoG board because off their awesome on-board sound. But you could still fit in a sound-card if you really wanted to do that. Even with 2 GPUs in. Lot's off room for more HDDs or SSD.
For GPU the R9-280x has 3GB off VRAM wich is enough for a long while, has mantle. Sadly no on-board audio feature. But the audio from the board should do awesome regardless. 
IPS 23" panel. I really like these monitors for the price and 24" isn't something for 1080p in my opinion. It is perfectly fine for gaming and looks awesome when programming or video editing.

NZXT Phantom windowed, Asus Z77 Sabertooth, Intel 2600K, Noctua NH-D14, EVGA 780 Classified, Crucial Ballistic Tactical, Crucial M4 128GB + Samsung 850 EVO, Corsair RM850, Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Peripherals: Sennheiser HD598, FinalMouse Classic, SteelSeries Qck Heavy, Ducky Shine Zero (MX Brown), AOC G2460PF & Qnix QX2710

Build Log: Phantom - Antique Noctua

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You mentioned video editing. What kind of content are you producing and programs you are using to do so?

Is Windows included in the budget?

You need to quote a post or tag a member or else they won't get a notification you replied to them.

 

I don't currently do any Video editing so I'm not sure what programs I'll be using.  I have been taking video of some of my outdoor activities and am hoping to eventually be able to make some video's with cut in commentary, possibly some picture in picture, and other light stuff.  Again, I'm working on an old HP laptop, so I'm very limited in what I can currently do, so this new machine will be my door into some more creative things.

 

Yes, windows is included in this budget.  I would prefer to stick to 7.

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Yes, windows is included in this budget.  I would prefer to stick to 7.

 

Damn, haha - sorry I completely missed that part in my build, how high do you value sound in games? 

NZXT Phantom windowed, Asus Z77 Sabertooth, Intel 2600K, Noctua NH-D14, EVGA 780 Classified, Crucial Ballistic Tactical, Crucial M4 128GB + Samsung 850 EVO, Corsair RM850, Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Peripherals: Sennheiser HD598, FinalMouse Classic, SteelSeries Qck Heavy, Ducky Shine Zero (MX Brown), AOC G2460PF & Qnix QX2710

Build Log: Phantom - Antique Noctua

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I don't currently do any Video editing so I'm not sure what programs I'll be using.  I have been taking video of some of my outdoor activities and am hoping to eventually be able to make some video's with cut in commentary, possibly some picture in picture, and other light stuff.  Again, I'm working on an old HP laptop, so I'm very limited in what I can currently do, so this new machine will be my door into some more creative things.

 

Yes, windows is included in this budget.  I would prefer to stick to 7.

In that case, it doesn't sound like you're doing any professional work.

This will be plenty: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1OMJX

Crossfire ready. Use the ram you already bought. Ram is ram and 16GB for $60 is a nice deal.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($327.98 @ Outlet PC) 

CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($97.25 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard:  Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($192.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Storage:  A-Data Premier Pro SP900 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.96 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card:  XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($189.99 @ NCIX US) 

Video Card:  XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire)  ($189.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case:  Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($6.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Case Fan:  Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($6.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Case Fan:  Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($6.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Case Fan:  Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($6.98 @ Outlet PC) 


Optical Drive:  Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System:  Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($94.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Monitor:  Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor  ($147.58 @ Newegg) 

Total: $1733.59

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-14 16:33 EDT-0400)

AMD FX 6300 | ASUS M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ | HITACHI ULTRASTAR 1TB 7200RPM HDD | XFX RADEON HD 7950 3GB | 8GB DDR3-1600 MUSHKIN BLACKLINE | OCZ ZT 550W 80+ BRONZE PSU | ZALMAN Z5 PLUS CASE | LITE-ON iHDS118-04 DVD/CD DRIVE | BENQ GW2255 21.5" MONITOR


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Damn, haha - sorry I completely missed that part in my build, how high do you value sound in games? 

 

I like good sound.  I probably won't' be playing with really high end headphones...more likely just a run of the mill 7.1 speaker system...although, with kids, that may change

 

I don't need WIFI on the motherboard though, so I'm probably going to go with a ROG board...it has more features that I will utilize.

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In that case, it doesn't sound like you're doing any professional work.

This will be plenty: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1OMJX

Crossfire ready. Use the ram you already bought. Ram is ram and 16GB for $60 is a nice deal.

 

Thanks for the list!

 

I'm kinda stuck on Intel/Asus, it's my own personal bias because they have treated me well in the past...but the price/performance of the AMD really has my logical side thinking...

 

This thread actually made my decisions more difficult, lots of great approaches.

 

Thanks everyone!

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Are you going to use Open CL or Cuda?

My Build Log on PCPartPicker FX-6300, ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3, MSI 7870 GHz Edition, Corsair Vengeance LP 1x8GB, 1TB WD Blue, Fractal Core 1000 USB 3.0, Corsair CX600, and my most recent addition that I've had forever and isnt new is a 80GB WD800 for Linux, Lenovo ThinkPad X131e, ASUS Transformer TF300T, Galaxy Note 3 Sister dropped it in a puddle I now have to use a Samsung Brightside, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm version, Blue Yeti  #TheRealKEH-JEFF | "Sometimes, if were lucky, in Australia, a family has 2 kangaroos to pick up the kids with" - marto | Your entry here | Remember kids; just because Linus has a video on it, doesn't mean that its the best choice | ts3.wferr.com the best TeamSpeak | Abide by the CoC | Looking for build help? Read this before posting |
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