Maximum PC

So, I have been trying to put together a new PC build from scratch for a little while now, but just earlier today I found an article on this website listing a $2000 build which I really like. The article is here for the "Tax Refund PC".

I would like to try to shave a few dollars off the price if possible, but seek the approval of all you experienced builders before I go and blow a ton of money on this. My goal for the rig is to be able to run modern games at max graphics (Skyrim, Diablo III, etc) as well as properly utilize some recording software and photoshop and the like (I actually already made a topic on this here, but figured now that I have a framework for what I'm doing I should post separately).

I will not need to buy the OS (I already have access to an extra copy of Windows 7 Home Premium x64, and don't intend to upgrade to Professional immediately), but I DO need to buy a monitor. Also, I do not know exactly what I need in terms of a sound card, but as I mentioned I would like to do recording on this computer. Without further ado, here are the parts specified in the original article (for your convenience):

Motherboard:
ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU:
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820

GPU:
VisionTek 900491 Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

Case:
NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-B1 Red Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Cooler:
NZXT RC-HV120-01 120mm HAVIK 120 Dual Fan CPU Cooler

ODD:
LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support WH12LS39 LightScribe Support - OEM

RAM:
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B

HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Green WDBAAY0020HNC-NRSN 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

SSD:
OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

PSU:
CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Monitor:
ASUS VH232H Glossy Black 23" 5ms Widescreen Full HD 1080p LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 w/Speakers & HDMI


...Now factoring in current promotions and shipping, the total for this on NewEgg is 2,048.81. Assuming it is capable of doing everything I want it to, that's not a bad price. That said, I would really like trim a little off that if possible. Here are my specific questions regarding this, and if anyone has any additional input I would love to hear it.

1) - How much of a performance boost will I be getting from running an SSD with my HDD? Can I afford to cut the SSD altogether, or at least downgrade it?

2) - Do I need a $480 GPU? I see that this motherboard and PSU should be able to support two GPU's, could I get away with a somewhat cheaper GPU in the mean time and then add a second one when it's necessary, or is the VisionTek Radeon HD 7970 really a necessary/a solid investment? Also, if I run two GPU's will I need a better cooling system?

3) - Do I need a sound card for this? As I've mentioned I few times I'd like to do some recording on the computer. If so, what are some decent cards I can look at?

4) - Is the monitor decent? I'm a fan of Asus in general, and it sounds worthwhile, but I don't know if there are any important details I'm missing.

5) - I don't really need a Blu-Ray player on my PC, what would be a cheaper alternative?

6) - Are than any other ways I could shave a little money off the final price? All suggestions are extremely helpful.


Thank you for your time! I really hope I can figure this out and maybe come out with a little pocket-change left over. I greatly appreciate your help.

An SSD only improves loading times and streaming response. The latter means that if data must be streamed from secondary memory, the lower seek times of an SSD make it react much quicker than an HDD.


Multiple GPUs are only good if the cost/performance ratio makes them valuable. For instance, two GeForce GTX 560 Ti's routinely outperformed a single GTX 580 while costing either the same or less. Otherwise, if you desire raw performance, a single GPU setup is more of a worth while investment than two mediocre GPUs. And usually you won't need a better cooling solution even if you get two.

But do you need a $480 GPU? That depends. Do you desire to play at maximum detail and resolution (1080p or higher, or even with something like EyeFinity)? A $300 GPU can drive most games at maximum detail at 1080p at 30FPS or greater. It really depends on what you want.


It depends on how much you care about the quality/clarity. But I'll let someone else who's more of an audiophile answer this.


A monitor's a monitor, really. If you don't care about the bestest color reproduction, then it kind of doesn't matter.


DVD/CD combo drive. Blu-Ray is only useful for movie playback. Using it as a data disk is kind of silly considering the disks are $3-$5 a piece and you can just get a 32GB thumb disk for $30 if you know where to look. Or an external hard drive.


The processor is overkill, to start. You can get really good performance with an overclocked Core i5-2500K (-$100 right there) and a $120 motherboard (-$200). Or whatever the Ivy Bridge equivalent is.

So in theory the effects of having an SSD are only applied to applications stored in the SSD unless it's used by the motherboard for caching, is that correct? I see that my motherboard does support caching with any size, so does that mean that this could theoretically provide a performance boost to anything I use? Sorry, I'm just a little hazy on the details.


Well, that is exactly what I want, haha. As far as stat concerns for a GPU go, do I need to be worried about more than just the number of Stream Processors, Memory Size, and Memory Interface? I see that the one I currently have selected seems to be relatively high end in comparison to a lot of the other GPU's I'm seeing. What stats would it take to push 1080p graphics at a high framerate for the current benchmarks, if this is potentially overkill?

Also, side question; if I ever want to run a multiple-monitor setup, am I correct in thinking that I would need multiple GPU's?


Fair enough, thanks. But it my motherboard, case, and PSU could easily fit a soundcard?


I can handle that. I'm just used to assuming there are dozens of important numbers associated with every piece of hardware


Simple enough. Muchas gracias.


I had looked at the i5-2500k before, and liked what I saw. That said, on ever computer I've ever run my processor has wound up being my bottleneck, I feel like that's the one thing I can justify overkilling, haha.

I see that the Motherboard is indeed more than I need. I can tell that it supports significantly more memory (64gb) than I ever intend to run, and has a lot of ports/connectors/etc that I probably won't need. That said, while I am (clearly) somewhat uneducated when it comes to hardware, so what would I be losing out on by downgrading, and what is a viable alternative?

Finally, a few new questions (I'm persistent, I'm sorry):

7 ) I would be hoping to overclock the CPU. I saw in the article from which I took this build that under the current settings it hit 4.7ghz with ease. Will a better PSU or cooling system increase this number, and if so how risky is it to push the CPU further?

8 ) Can/Should I put in more cooling? My greatest concern with dropping this much money on a new toy (for *cough* strictly scholarly purposes *cough*) is that the components will break down quickly. If I were to invest MORE money in this I'd most be willing to drop in some more cooling components, like either a liquid cooling system or more fans if that seems prudent. Will my case/components support this, is it recommended, and if so specifically what would be ideal?


...Sorry to keep adding more layers of my own ignorance to this. I am getting the impression that this rig is more than capable on its own, and that if I ordered it as-is right now everything really would work perfectly and I would be completely happy, I'm just trying to make it my own while saving a little bit for less frivolous endeavors. As always I greatly appreciate any opinions or help offered!

Yes. However if you use an SSD as a cache drive, you're going to have to run the program several times before you get a benefit because the OS prioritizes caching based on frequency of use usually.


You can only compare cards if they're from the same GPU maker. Basically, you can't compare NVIDIA cards directly to AMD cards. And like I said, a $300 could comfortably push any game at maximum detail at 1080p at 30+ FPS. After that, it's just how much average/minimum FPS you want. You want 60+FPS average/minimum across the spectrum? Bump it up to a $400 card. Note this is for games, you're probably going to need a beast of a system to get 3DMark 11 to happily run at 60FPS.

And if you're going to run a multi-monitor setup for playing games, then yes, you should probably get another GPU.

It depends more on if you have a spare PCI or PCI-Express slot.


A better cooling system would be a higher priority. But then there's the question of if this is the maximum period before the frequency/power consumption curve ramps up or what. You can only go so far.


No, unless you plan on overclocking. I'm going to pull something out of my ass and say that for the most part, PC hardware is designed to last at least 5 years under normal operating conditions and 'normal' I've seen is idling at 40C-45C, which is already "NEED BETTER COOLING" for a lot of enthusiasts. And even then when hardware fails, it's either going to jump off the cliff right away, or keep on chugging along.

Alright then, it looks like I'm happy with the build, and will start ordering pieces! I downgraded the BluRay player to an Asus DVD/CD combo for $18 (that's $60 saved right there). I'm on the fence with graphics cards yet, so this will hopefully be my last question:

9) I looked up Benchmark information on my GPU on this website, and it seems like most of the other items on this list are approximately the same price, but draw less power, don't get as hot, and make less noise. Is there any reason I should prefer the VisionTek to, say, the HIS IceQ X2? Assuming the benchmarks are accurate (and I found the right GPU; I notice the one on NewEgg doesn't specify "Turbo" or "Turbo X." Cause for concern?), is there any reason not to get the ones with better results for the same(-ish) price?

Thanks so much, again, for all your help. I can't wait to start ordering the pieces!

Company reputation. For example, if someone asks for an NVIDIA card, I always recommend an EVGA part. I've yet to have a problem with them (my last three NVIDIA cards that I've kept were EVGA). As for AMD's manufacturers, I'm not sure about them as much since I'm biased to NVIDIA.

But a lot of this just may be brand loyalty and fanboyism. You may not have a problem with either or at all.