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Hey, first off, I'd like to say this is like my fifth build help request in like five years and I feel very lucky that we have guys like DannyBui and tirades to assist us in our builds. Thanks so much to those who put in the work and help other HardOCPers with their build requests.
This system is for me. I currently have no system at home after selling off my last machine way too cheap back when I needed some money and space in mid 2012. ( http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1695585 )
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Newegg parts have no tax for Texas residents, so they appeal more to me.
I have an Amazon card which gives me 0% interest on certain purchases, so I could mitigate the expenses over time with Amazon.
There is a Fry's in Austin. Closest Micro Center is in Houston, 160 miles, 2hrs and 40 minutes away. If the deal is incredible, I'd be willing to drive out there for it.
I'm also open to purchasing a pre-made, if it works best for me.
I want the machine to be able to push the latest games as close to 120Hz as possible. I plan on getting games like Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, and Hitman Absolution eventually . I own a lot of games that I've never played, so it's not pressing that I play the latest and greatest games. But I do want the best gaming experience I can afford for the games I do decide to play. I'll never go with three displays again, but may eventually want to upgrade to a second, higher definition monitor so that I can use that to program on, and the first to game on (from PC and consoles). WiFi is required.
==========================
Parts I have my eye on:
CPU - i5-3570K. Heard this one is good as my needs don't require hyperT. However, is this a good chip for Virtual Machines over VirtualBox on Win8?
Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 (heard it's really good)
Motherboard - No clue. Don't need firewire or eSATA, but those are nice. Would like a kick ass sound chip since I'll be gaming a lot with headphones. WiFi onboard would be nice but only with 5GHz support. SLI or Crossfire (leaning to SLI). No need for PCI or PS2 or Serial or anything legacy. Looking for a brand that is stable. Want the four sticks for 32GB support. Also, the board should have controllers that support trim SSD RAID-0. Two sets preferable.
Network - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2EUTVCJXLAJ4K Looks good to me. TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 Dual Band Wireless N900 PCI Express Adapter,2.4GHz 450Mbps/5Ghz 450Mbps, IEEE 802.1a/b/g/n,WEP, WPA/WPA2. It means I might be able to go high band with a airport extreme router from Apple.
RAM - 32GB DDR3 (4x8 or 2x16). I'd like to max out on the RAM for the virtual machines. Plus, I'll be running developer software for gaming, and won't have a HDD, so could use the extra GBs for scratch space using RAM Drives. Probably need low profile for compatibility with the Hyper 212.
GPU - Two 680s in SLI (no stuttering, get to max out games at 1080p trying to get up to 120Hz). I heard the 7870s are known to stutter when in crossfire. Also, heard the 690 has issues which cause systems to sound to pop, because of some kind of latency bug. ( Look at second review http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...dRating4=4&Keywords=(keywords)#scrollFullInfo )
PSU - As beefy as I need for the rig. Clean power. Huge preference for modular as I suck at cable management. I'll likely buy a surge surpressor for the wall, as I don't think I'll need the battery option. Or maybe I will if there is money left over.
Keyboard - Filco Ninja Majestouch or similar. The new Das Keyboard Pro are getting complaints about squishy spacebars. Don't like that.
Mouse - I'll take suggestions. Just want something that feels good in a medium sized hand, is super accurate, and has a thumb button. I used a kensington pro at work and that works fine for me, though I might need something with higher dpi for gaming. $60 max.
Speakers - When I'm not using my headset, I plan on having some fairly descent 2.1 speakers for sound. I'll most likely use the headsets often as I live in a small apartment and don't want to disturb neighbors.
Sound - Using headsets with no spatial processing. I'm guessing I can upgrade to better sound support later on when I can afford the space for 5.1s.
Optical - I'm torn. Not sure if Bluray is in my best interest. I have a PS3 already. An external optical drive will probably be better for me, since my little netbook, an Acer Aspire One has none. That way, I can share between them.
Monitor - Looks like the Benq XL2420T is the best 24" 120Hz out there. I want the smoothest, most responsive display. The lag input of the 1440p's scaler scared me off.
Case - I could care less about how pretty this thing is. I want space enough to support my SSDs. I could go for 5 1/2" bay converters if needed for the four 2.5" ssds. I want the case to be pretty quiet. The less fans the better, but obviously, need the system cool enough to be stable. I've enjoyed prior Cooler Master cases, though I really don't need the external eSata hard drive bay. Or any crazy lights or windows. Something easy to assemble and open to diagnose problems if need be.
There you go. Thanks for reading and hopefully the suggestions and dialogue will help others. I'll be on often, so please don't hesitate to ask questions at any time! Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
This system is for me. I currently have no system at home after selling off my last machine way too cheap back when I needed some money and space in mid 2012. ( http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1695585 )
=======================
Network programming across multiple VMs (most likely four linux VMs), Windows 8 programming in Visual Studio 2012, Trying to run a MacOS VM, Gaming - lots of it, Learning Photoshop, Video conversion (on occasion, to get rips to different mobile device standards), Some 3D programming, Unity and Unreal Game Development as programmer
$2500USD including tax. able to handle extra for shipping
Austin, TX, USA
CPU, GPU(s), Monitor, Motherboard, RAM, WiFi card, Case, PSU, optical, mouse, keyboard, cooler
2x Samsung SSD 830 (128GB), 2x Samsung SSD 830 (256GB), Logitech Gaming Headset G330
Yes, mildly to get most CPU clock without adding too much heat. No to GPUs at first, unless easy.
I don't have a monitor, but am opting to get a 1080p 120Hz over a 1440 60Hz. I might get another 1440p down the line if 120Hz models come out, or if I am pressed for desktop space.
Next three days, will overnight to get before weekend. Will buy online or in person, if needed.
I'd like a motherboard with SLI/Crossfire support. I'd like that the PC take advantage of the numerous SSDs I already have. From what I've read that means TRIM capable Intel 7 series boards. From what I've read, it doesn't seem that most boards support this on Windows 8... or maybe I'm wrong and the Google searches are out of date. I don't need all four SSDs in a two RAID-0 set with TRIM, but it would be preferrable. I want at least one set of RAID-O SSD with TRIM support for Windows 8 so I can use that set as the O/S drive. Preferrably, I'd be able to put the 128s together and the 256s together into two RAID-0 SSD sets with TRIM support for Windows 8.
Yes, Windows 8 Pro 64-bit
Newegg parts have no tax for Texas residents, so they appeal more to me.
I have an Amazon card which gives me 0% interest on certain purchases, so I could mitigate the expenses over time with Amazon.
There is a Fry's in Austin. Closest Micro Center is in Houston, 160 miles, 2hrs and 40 minutes away. If the deal is incredible, I'd be willing to drive out there for it.
I'm also open to purchasing a pre-made, if it works best for me.
I want the machine to be able to push the latest games as close to 120Hz as possible. I plan on getting games like Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3, and Hitman Absolution eventually . I own a lot of games that I've never played, so it's not pressing that I play the latest and greatest games. But I do want the best gaming experience I can afford for the games I do decide to play. I'll never go with three displays again, but may eventually want to upgrade to a second, higher definition monitor so that I can use that to program on, and the first to game on (from PC and consoles). WiFi is required.
==========================
Parts I have my eye on:
CPU - i5-3570K. Heard this one is good as my needs don't require hyperT. However, is this a good chip for Virtual Machines over VirtualBox on Win8?
Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 (heard it's really good)
Motherboard - No clue. Don't need firewire or eSATA, but those are nice. Would like a kick ass sound chip since I'll be gaming a lot with headphones. WiFi onboard would be nice but only with 5GHz support. SLI or Crossfire (leaning to SLI). No need for PCI or PS2 or Serial or anything legacy. Looking for a brand that is stable. Want the four sticks for 32GB support. Also, the board should have controllers that support trim SSD RAID-0. Two sets preferable.
Network - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2EUTVCJXLAJ4K Looks good to me. TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 Dual Band Wireless N900 PCI Express Adapter,2.4GHz 450Mbps/5Ghz 450Mbps, IEEE 802.1a/b/g/n,WEP, WPA/WPA2. It means I might be able to go high band with a airport extreme router from Apple.
RAM - 32GB DDR3 (4x8 or 2x16). I'd like to max out on the RAM for the virtual machines. Plus, I'll be running developer software for gaming, and won't have a HDD, so could use the extra GBs for scratch space using RAM Drives. Probably need low profile for compatibility with the Hyper 212.
GPU - Two 680s in SLI (no stuttering, get to max out games at 1080p trying to get up to 120Hz). I heard the 7870s are known to stutter when in crossfire. Also, heard the 690 has issues which cause systems to sound to pop, because of some kind of latency bug. ( Look at second review http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...dRating4=4&Keywords=(keywords)#scrollFullInfo )
PSU - As beefy as I need for the rig. Clean power. Huge preference for modular as I suck at cable management. I'll likely buy a surge surpressor for the wall, as I don't think I'll need the battery option. Or maybe I will if there is money left over.
Keyboard - Filco Ninja Majestouch or similar. The new Das Keyboard Pro are getting complaints about squishy spacebars. Don't like that.
Mouse - I'll take suggestions. Just want something that feels good in a medium sized hand, is super accurate, and has a thumb button. I used a kensington pro at work and that works fine for me, though I might need something with higher dpi for gaming. $60 max.
Speakers - When I'm not using my headset, I plan on having some fairly descent 2.1 speakers for sound. I'll most likely use the headsets often as I live in a small apartment and don't want to disturb neighbors.
Sound - Using headsets with no spatial processing. I'm guessing I can upgrade to better sound support later on when I can afford the space for 5.1s.
Optical - I'm torn. Not sure if Bluray is in my best interest. I have a PS3 already. An external optical drive will probably be better for me, since my little netbook, an Acer Aspire One has none. That way, I can share between them.
Monitor - Looks like the Benq XL2420T is the best 24" 120Hz out there. I want the smoothest, most responsive display. The lag input of the 1440p's scaler scared me off.
Case - I could care less about how pretty this thing is. I want space enough to support my SSDs. I could go for 5 1/2" bay converters if needed for the four 2.5" ssds. I want the case to be pretty quiet. The less fans the better, but obviously, need the system cool enough to be stable. I've enjoyed prior Cooler Master cases, though I really don't need the external eSata hard drive bay. Or any crazy lights or windows. Something easy to assemble and open to diagnose problems if need be.
There you go. Thanks for reading and hopefully the suggestions and dialogue will help others. I'll be on often, so please don't hesitate to ask questions at any time! Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
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