Calling all PC builders!

[Cigarjohn]

Sorry, I haven't posted on here in a long while.

Although I do watch almost every video that Tiny Tim Logan produces as I get constant email alerts of his great, informative videos, I hardly post on the forums unless I need some good advice from all the experienced PC builders out there.

Which brings me to this posting. I need some advice on my next PC build which will be in the late Spring to Mid Summer of 2016 depending on the new technology coming out.

Here is the break-down on what I will be purchasing for this build.

My budget is around $10,000.00 or less. Preferably less. My goal is not to build an exact $10k rig but I want to give some freedom to my build.

The new Intel 750 series 1.2 TB Non-PCIe card slot version. For all my games. Might partition it for some productivity software.

If I go with an additional M.2 as a windows boot up drive, I would partition it instead of the Intel 750 and put my productivity software on it instead.

Windows 7 64

Processor? 4, 8 or the new 10 core that supposed to come out in 2016.

Motherboard: X99 or Z170? Preferably ASUS. It all depends on the advice I'm getting from the forums.

GPU: Waiting for the new Pascal Video cards to be released. Want two for a SLI Setup.

PSU: Probably an EVGA 1200 Super Nova P2

DDR4 RAM: 16 gigs, possibly 32 gigs. Again need advice from the experienced builders out there. Have many questions that need answered to the best of their knowledge and experience.

I will be using my older Viewsonic VP2655wb LCD monitor which has a 27" screen size from top left corner to bottom right corner. And will be setting graphics at 1920x1200 at 60hz refresh rates.

I also will be using my existing external water cooling system on the CPU and dual video cards. Koolance: ERM-3K3UC - rated at 2400 heat watts.

Now I know what most of you are going to say, "Two video cards for just one monitor that's under 30"? Yeah, I know it's way overkill, but to be honest, it's kind of like peace of mind for me. I've had many video cards from Nvidia when they did make video cards back in the 80's that have failed me. I did have an Alienware custom system built 11 years ago that had dual 6800 Ultras in it and one of the cards did burn up after a year while under warranty with no overclocking. And had them replaced with two 7800's which one of the cards lasted 2 years before burning up as well. So I figure; with two video cards, if one dies on me, I still have another card to use until I get the damaged card replaced. And also I won't have any gaming downtime. Peace of mind, that's what I'm mainly after and willing to pay the price for it.

On another note: I will be using my newly system for PC Gaming and will be overclocking my processor and video cards. Most likely concentrate more on my processor for overclocking.

The productivity software I most use is Word, Excel, Powerpoint sometimes and Adobe Photo and Video editing software. I play many disc games as well as online games such as: GuildWars2, Battlefield4, Starquest 2, Company of Heroes 1 and 2 and Warframe to name a few. I mainly play with others in my gaming clan.

So here are my questions: All advice given would be greatly appreciated.

1) Motherboards: There's so many different types out there to choose from. One can build an Enthusiast System as well as a Gaming System. I've had two gaming systems in the past. One custom from Alienware and one that I built that recently stopped working due to the Antec PSU HCP-1200 that decided to die on me. Very thankful that it died before the warranty was over. Unfortunately, the free replacement, HCP-1300 was DOA so I'm waiting for it's replacement to be used in a backup system build.

So I was pushing towards a more enthusiast build, but a non-enthusiast build would be fine as well.

2) Processors: Definitely 4 cores unlocked with hyperthreading. But will my gaming benefit with a 6, 8 or more core processor? And if not, what would benefit with more cores.

3) DDR4 RAM: Is there a minimum speed I would need for better stable overclocks? Was looking at 2400mhz but should I go for 2666 or 2800 instead?

Also; latency, I see latency levels from 9 to 16. Does latency really make a difference in games or overall performance?

And what about sticks. You can purchase 1 to 8 sticks to achieve 16 gigs or more memory. For example: 32 gigs of ram. Is it better to purchase two 16 gig sticks, four 8 gig sticks or eight 4 gig sticks. Does it make a difference?

And from my internet research, it seems that 8 to 12 gigs is sufficient for games. My built system used 16 gigs and was thinking to trying 32 gigs for my next build if needed.

4) PSU: Any advice between multiple rails and a single rail. I'm sure this would be a bias answer as I'm sure both are good and up to the users preference.

5) GPU: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 gigs of ram? What's needed for gaming and the future of gaming. Also Mhz speeds for gaming as well.

6) And finally, OS: I'm happy with Windows 7 64. I've never used 8.1 and now we have 10. Is 10 much better for gaming or should I stick with 7. My windows 7 Ultra isn't supported anymore but I see that windows 7 Pro will continue to be supported to 2019. So I will be purchasing win 7 pro.

Here is the system I was using until my PSU died on me:

Lian Li PCX2000F Case
Asus Miximus IV Extreme Z68
Intel i7 2600k
Mushkin Redline 16 gig (4x4gig sticks) 7-8-7-24-2T
Two EVGA GTX-580 Classified Hydro Copper
Three Crucial M4 256 SSD's
Asus Xonal Xense Sound card
LiteOn Scribe Blu-Ray Burner
Antec HCP-1200
Logitech G510 Keyboard
Logitech G502 Mouse
Logitech G13 Gaming Mouse Pad
Viewsonic VP2655wb LCD
Windows 7 64 Ultra
Creative Soundworks 7.1 Speaker System
Koolance ERM-3K3UC external liquid cooling

Whoever takes the time in reading my post and giving me advice, I want to thank you for your time. Any advice given will be greatly appreciated. I'll accept all advice given, even if one individual has a conflict with another individuals post. Your PC building experiences and what works for you is what really matters to me and for my future builds.

Thanks again and I hope this post finds all of you with good health as well as many years of prosperity.

 

[Kushiro]

Do you want price/performance or just performance? As even Enthusiast builds can be tamed a tad. Also the size of the display does not effect the processing power required, only the resolution and refresh etc does. The RAM wont be effecting your gaming to a particularly big extent all in all.



1) For your budget go with X99 or the next chipset. At the moment I am a big fan of the Asus X99 Deluxe M/Bs, however a Rampage would be better. Though it would be better to wait until you actually purchase a specific CPU before you grab a M/B since an enhanced version may be released.

2) Go for the supposed 10 Core Broadwell-E if you are going to wait anyways. Otherwise the 5960X is quite nice.

3)Go for 2800 not much of a reason not to.

4) I prefer multi, however each to their own. I personally think it would be much safer given the amount people are investing into their components.

5) minimum for gaming is aprox 4-6GB depending on your background apps. Just grab a 32GB kit with 4x8GB modules, cant hurt to have too much ram.

6)It would be better to go with W10, you can always upgrade from W7 if you wish to until next year anyways.

 

[WYP]

Well, given that you say that you want ot build this PC several months from now I'd say looking at prices ETC will be rather pointless, given how more parts etc will be released in that time and hopefully DDR4 memory will become cheaper.

With such a high budget listed I would say to upgrade your monitor with everything else, since G-Sync and FreeSync are very nice to have and how far panel technology has evolved in the past few years.

Right now CPU core wise you are best off with a strong Quad core, since not many games benefit from more cores right now. By the time you build this PC Broadwell-E might be out, so maybe the upgrade might be worth it if the price is right and if your budget allows it.

RAM wise I would say you need 8GB minimum these days, 16GB preferably and if you want to not even need to consider RAM for the next few years and have the money to lay down 32GB. Speed wise get as high as you can with decent price/performance, which is 2800Mhz or so right now, but will change in time and more kits become available.

SSD wise the Intel 750 is a phenomenal performer, but if you need the U.2 version your choice in motherboard will be restricted to the ultra high end. If you need extra SSD space the best SATA drive right now is the Samsung 850 Pro, but most SSDs are limited by SATA these days.

 

[Excalabur50]

Who's Tiny Tim Logan?

 

[Cigarjohn]

Do you want price/performance or just performance? As even Enthusiast builds can be tamed a tad. Also the size of the display does not effect the processing power required, only the resolution and refresh etc does. The RAM wont be effecting your gaming to a particularly big extent all in all.



1) For your budget go with X99 or the next chipset. At the moment I am a big fan of the Asus X99 Deluxe M/Bs, however a Rampage would be better. Though it would be better to wait until you actually purchase a specific CPU before you grab a M/B since an enhanced version may be released.

2) Go for the supposed 10 Core Broadwell-E if you are going to wait anyways. Otherwise the 5960X is quite nice.

3)Go for 2800 not much of a reason not to.

4) I prefer multi, however each to their own. I personally think it would be much safer given the amount people are investing into their components.

5) minimum for gaming is aprox 4-6GB depending on your background apps. Just grab a 32GB kit with 4x8GB modules, cant hurt to have too much ram.

6)It would be better to go with W10, you can always upgrade from W7 if you wish to until next year anyways.

Thank you for your insight and for taking the time in giving me your thoughts on my post. Your advice is noted and appreciated.

I'm mainly interested in performance, price isn't really an issue to some degree, but I'd hate to get something that I will never use.

I know price really isn't a factor here for me, but If I don't need 8 or 10 cores for my needs, why should I get it. I'm not trying to impress everyone on my block and I'm not the one to brag.

If I will benefit from an ethusiast build for my gaming and other uses listed in my post, then that will be the route I will take and be satisfied. Even though I can expand my budget beyond $9k if I have to, I really don't want to if I don't need to.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here.

Obviously, your system build benefits from the x99 chipset and a 6 core processor as your running a 3 card and possibly a 3 monitor setup. But using a single monitor under 30", 2 video cards and overclocking, will my usages benefit from a 8 or 10 core setup.

It's like buying a car with 5 sets of tires and trading it in every year for a new model. It's nice to know you have spares incase something happens, but if your trading in your car every year, then those extra sets of tires are a waste. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

I would love to get the 10 core processor and hopefully Asus releases an updated version of the Rampage V to a Rampage VI next year, but do I really need to go that route? I'm not going to be doing any 3D Modelling, Animation or extremely high end video editing at the 4k level to utilize the 6, 8 or 10 core processors out there.

So, what it really comes down to is my peace of mind. Is a 4 core good enough for my needs or should I opt for a x99 extreme build. I want to sleep at nights knowing that I made the right decision without any doubts. I don't want to purchase something that I really don't need or can take advantage of no matter what costs. Or at least for now, not knowing if future games will require 4+ cores to play. I usually build a system every 5 years as that's the time my warranties and extended warranties stop. I try to build the latest system offered. I know as soon as I build my new system, it will be obsolete probably the very next day which doesn't bother me.

And in answer 2) did you mean Haswell-E or is the new 10 core going to be a Broadwell-E?

Thanks again for your great advice.

 

[NeverBackDown]

You are sticking to Nvidia SLI even though your past cards keep burning up on you? And you want an extra just incase one burns up? Either you have really bad luck or you are doing something very wrong if it has happened since the 80's repeatedly. Could try AMD cards but I have a feeling you would likely get another burn result Are you sure you are putting the blocks on correctly? Could be a reason?(just a question, not blaming you or anything).

1) Well since you have such a massive budget and are even contemplating spending that amount, I see no reason why to not go for X99 and Broadwell-E next year when you build. Newer boards will come out next year for the new CPUs so it's kinda a waiting game to see what comes out. ASUS are good boards and probably have the best BIOS, won't go wrong with any of there X99 boards.

2) Well since you are more than likely getting Broadwell-E, I say the 8 core is probably the one to get. Even 6 cores would be fine but 10 cores is if you really just want it. I wouldn't recommend it even with that budget as you won't really be using it to it's full potential.

3) For memory speeds 2800 is probably the sweet spot before you need to go into the BIOS and get everything set up manually. Memory speeds have next to 0 impact on performance. At best you get 1FPS more even from 1600 to 2133mhz with DDR3.

4) I prefer single. It's also more popular and multi rails are less common. Personally it's just easier and less of a hassle. Depending on your setup, a 1000watt would be a solid choice. If you get next gen GPUs, depending on how power efficient they get, you could probably get away with 850watt unit.

5) Well for X99 the minimum would 16GB because you need a quad channel kit(4x4Gb) I'd say 2800mhz.

6) Get W10. It's faster but performs better in games as well.

Get the least amount of drives possible but the biggest capacities.
Intel 750 series 1.2 TB Non-PCIe card slot version- if you want this you mine as well get the PCIe version tbh. It's kinda the point of it. Then get the Samsung 2TB ssd. I personally avoid partitions. Just creates a big ol' mess imo.

 

[Cigarjohn]

Thank you for your advice. Very much appreciated. I'm just now doing research and deciding which route I should take. The more information I have, the better my decision will be when my build happens.

Have a great day.

-----------------------------

Tiny Tim Logan is that guy that's on all the OC3D Youtube Videos. He's constantly testing out computer systems as well as video advice on new products such as video cards, mobo's, ram, cpu's, PSU's, ets. I think he's from the UK.

You ever see his videos?

 

[Kushiro]

Thank you for your insight and for taking the time in giving me your thoughts on my post. Your advice is noted and appreciated.

I'm mainly interested in performance, price isn't really an issue to some degree, but I'd hate to get something that I will never use.

I know price really isn't a factor here for me, but If I don't need 8 or 10 cores for my needs, why should I get it. I'm not trying to impress everyone on my block and I'm not the one to brag.

If I will benefit from an ethusiast build for my gaming and other uses listed in my post, then that will be the route I will take and be satisfied. Even though I can expand my budget beyond $9k if I have to, I really don't want to if I don't need to.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here.

Obviously, your system build benefits from the x99 chipset and a 6 core processor as your running a 3 card and possibly a 3 monitor setup. But using a single monitor under 30", 2 video cards and overclocking, will my usages benefit from a 8 or 10 core setup.

It's like buying a car with 5 sets of tires and trading it in every year for a new model. It's nice to know you have spares incase something happens, but if your trading in your car every year, then those extra sets of tires are a waste. I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

I would love to get the 10 core processor and hopefully Asus releases an updated version of the Rampage V to a Rampage VI next year, but do I really need to go that route? I'm not going to be doing any 3D Modelling, Animation or extremely high end video editing at the 4k level to utilize the 6, 8 or 10 core processors out there.

So, what it really comes down to is my peace of mind. Is a 4 core good enough for my needs or should I opt for a x99 extreme build. I want to sleep at nights knowing that I made the right decision without any doubts. I don't want to purchase something that I really don't need or can take advantage of no matter what costs. Or at least for now, not knowing if future games will require 4+ cores to play. I usually build a system every 5 years as that's the time my warranties and extended warranties stop. I try to build the latest system offered. I know as soon as I build my new system, it will be obsolete probably the very next day which doesn't bother me.

And in answer 2) did you mean Haswell-E or is the new 10 core going to be a Broadwell-E?

Thanks again for your great advice.

Hey mate,

I do understand where you are coming from, I only recomended the best since you say you want it to last. You dont NEED a 10 core etc, however it is nice to have one if you dont intend to upgrade for a while. For your use even a mainstream skylake i7 build would be sufficient.

Also in the post you quoted I have already said that the amount of processing power does not corrolate to the screen size but the resolution and refresh etc instead.

Tiny Tim Logan is that guy that's on all the OC3D Youtube Videos. He's constantly testing out computer systems as well as video advice on new products such as video cards, mobo's, ram, cpu's, PSU's, ets. I think he's from the UK.

You ever see his videos?

The irony..


Emphasis on the Tim.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Thank you for your advice. Very much appreciated. I'm just now doing research and deciding which route I should take. The more information I have, the better my decision will be when my build happens.

Have a great day.

No problem. Just take your time, most of we have talked about doesnt come out until next year so no rush

Tiny Tim Logan is that guy that's on all the OC3D Youtube Videos. He's constantly testing out computer systems as well as video advice on new products such as video cards, mobo's, ram, cpu's, PSU's, ets. I think he's from the UK.

You ever see his videos?

It's Tom not Tim. He was just messing with you
And yes he has seen his vids, everyone here has, he owns this website

 

[coffeefoot]

You are sticking to Nvidia SLI even though your past cards keep burning up on you? And you want an extra just incase one burns up? Either you have really bad luck or you are doing something very wrong if it has happened since the 80's repeatedly. Could try AMD cards but I have a feeling you would likely get another burn result Are you sure you are putting the blocks on correctly? Could be a reason?(just a question, not blaming you or anything).

1) Well since you have such a massive budget and are even contemplating spending that amount, I see no reason why to not go for X99 and Broadwell-E next year when you build. Newer boards will come out next year for the new CPUs so it's kinda a waiting game to see what comes out. ASUS are good boards and probably have the best BIOS, won't go wrong with any of there X99 boards.

2) Well since you are more than likely getting Broadwell-E, I say the 8 core is probably the one to get. Even 6 cores would be fine but 10 cores is if you really just want it. I wouldn't recommend it even with that budget as you won't really be using it to it's full potential.

3) For memory speeds 2800 is probably the sweet spot before you need to go into the BIOS and get everything set up manually. Memory speeds have next to 0 impact on performance. At best you get 1FPS more even from 1600 to 2133mhz with DDR3.

4) I prefer single. It's also more popular and multi rails are less common. Personally it's just easier and less of a hassle. Depending on your setup, a 1000watt would be a solid choice. If you get next gen GPUs, depending on how power efficient they get, you could probably get away with 850watt unit.

5) Well for X99 the minimum would 16GB because you need a quad channel kit(4x4Gb) I'd say 2800mhz.

6) Get W10. It's faster but performs better in games as well.

Get the least amount of drives possible but the biggest capacities.
Intel 750 series 1.2 TB Non-PCIe card slot version- if you want this you mine as well get the PCIe version tbh. It's kinda the point of it. Then get the Samsung 2TB ssd. I personally avoid partitions. Just creates a big ol' mess imo.

As usual Mr. NBD gives great advice. I agree with most of what he said. I would suggest waiting a little while in 2016. Don't buy anything until you can research some reviews. As you well know, TTL is one of the best. If you go with the upcoming Nvidia cards, why not upgrade your monitor ? From the specs predicted, you will have no problem, no matter what monitor you buy, and, if you want, you can double up at a later date if you feel the need.

 

[Cigarjohn]

Well, given that you say that you want ot build this PC several months from now I'd say looking at prices ETC will be rather pointless, given how more parts etc will be released in that time and hopefully DDR4 memory will become cheaper.

With such a high budget listed I would say to upgrade your monitor with everything else, since G-Sync and FreeSync are very nice to have and how far panel technology has evolved in the past few years.

Right now CPU core wise you are best off with a strong Quad core, since not many games benefit from more cores right now. By the time you build this PC Broadwell-E might be out, so maybe the upgrade might be worth it if the price is right and if your budget allows it.

RAM wise I would say you need 8GB minimum these days, 16GB preferably and if you want to not even need to consider RAM for the next few years and have the money to lay down 32GB. Speed wise get as high as you can with decent price/performance, which is 2800Mhz or so right now, but will change in time and more kits become available.

SSD wise the Intel 750 is a phenomenal performer, but if you need the U.2 version your choice in motherboard will be restricted to the ultra high end. If you need extra SSD space the best SATA drive right now is the Samsung 850 Pro, but most SSDs are limited by SATA these days.

Thank you for your advice. Very much appreciated. I'm just now doing research and deciding which route I should take. The more information I have, the better my decision will be when my build happens.

Have a great day.


Posts merged - Please do not post multiple times in a row

Who's Tiny Tim Logan?

Tiny Tim Logan is that guy that's on all the OC3D Youtube Videos. He's constantly testing out computer systems as well as video advice on new products such as video cards, mobo's, ram, cpu's, PSU's, ets. I think he's from the UK.

You ever see his videos?

Posts merged - Please do not post multiple times in a row

Hey mate,

I do understand where you are coming from, I only recomended the best since you say you want it to last. You dont NEED a 10 core etc, however it is nice to have one if you dont intend to upgrade for a while. For your use even a mainstream skylake i7 build would be sufficient.

Also in the post you quoted I have already said that the amount of processing power does not corrolate to the screen size but the resolution and refresh etc instead.



The irony..


Emphasis on the Tim.

I know m8. LOL, I fail. I sometimes put my foot in my mouth at times. LOL.

Posts merged - Please do not post multiple times in a row

As usual Mr. NBD gives great advice. I agree with most of what he said. I would suggest waiting a little while in 2016. Don't buy anything until you can research some reviews. As you well know, TTL is one of the best. If you go with the upcoming Nvidia cards, why not upgrade your monitor ? From the specs predicted, you will have no problem, no matter what monitor you buy, and, if you want, you can double up at a later date if you feel the need.

Thanks for your advice. I love the OC3D site. Always find good information here. I use to frequent Tom's Hardware, but OC3D seems more up to date and the quality of users seem more superior, well at least to me when advice is needed.

 

[Excalabur50]

His name is Tiny Tom Logan!

 

[Cigarjohn]

Now, no one has mentioned anything about latency. So, will it really make a real difference between 9 and 16?

STOP DOUBLE POSTING BEFORE I KICK YOU IN THE NADS

Who's Tiny Tim Logan?

Correction, my bad, I fail, it's Tiny Tom Logan.

 

[JR23]

Nobody goes for Tony, I never understand why it's always Tim.

This whole thread feels a bit BB troll esque so i'm reluctant to invest my time into replying. It's too far in advance to discuss the choice of particular components, no doubt the generation which follows Pascal and Broadwell-E will be better! The fact of the matter is the previous 3 generations have been sufficient to elegantly deliver 60fps 1080p performance with a single card at a long way short of $10k USD. Set your standards a little higher particularly for 6 months time!

JR

 

[Cigarjohn]

Nobody goes for Tony, I never understand why it's always Tim.

This whole thread feels a bit BB troll esque so i'm reluctant to invest my time into replying. It's too far in advance to discuss the choice of particular components, no doubt the generation which follows Pascal and Broadwell-E will be better! The fact of the matter is the previous 3 generations have been sufficient to elegantly deliver 60fps 1080p performance with a single card at a long way short of $10k USD. Set your standards a little higher particularly for 6 months time!

JR

Ok, will do. Thanks for your input. Appreciated.

 

[Davva2004]

If I were putting together a money no object build today, it would look a bit like this...

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/zwQx8d

Add on another grand for a full-on custom loop, overclock the hell out of it, then take a holiday with the rest of the unspent budget.

But with new products and platforms due to launch next year, I'd hold fire until the new Intel enthusiast chips come out - rumour has it the new 10 core will be cheaper at launch than the 5960X.

 

[Kushiro]

That's the best you got?

 

[Davva2004]

Even though it's money no object, it's still value for money. I could cram in a dual Xeon 36 core monster with four Titan X cards if I wanted to, but it would be ridiculous for anything that doesn't involve rendering the universes expansion since the Big Bang, or trying to calculate why people like Justin Bieber.

 

[Kushiro]

Cause hes a Fa**** + hes got money and fame. Whats not to like.

If I had a kid that liked him I would probably slap them straight regardless of how I felt about doing so.


Wow that filter works good.

 

[Davva2004]

I have specced up a new build for OP, and I may have gone slightly over budget. But you should get a solid 60fps at ultra settings in Farmville.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/