Gaming and image editing pc

[Kyuzo]

Hardware

cpu: i7-2600K – $324

motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth P67 Motherboard B3 – $259

ram: Corsair CMP8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 – $145

ssd: Corsair Force Series 115GB SSD2.5" MLC – $230

hdd: Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 7200rpm – $59

gpu: Asus Radeon HD6990 4GB – $818

case: Silverstone Raven RV02-E – 185

psu: Silverstone 1000W ST1000-P Strider Plus – $209

odd: SATA LiteOn DVD burner – $29

cpu cooler: Noctua NH-D14 – $108

Sub-Total: $2366AU

Peripherals

monitor: 24” 2ms Benq GL2440HM – $199

monitor2: 24” 2ms Benq GL2440HM – $199

mouse: gigabyte ghost m8000x – $64

keyboard: logitech g110 – $70

Sub-Total: $532AU

Price before shipping: $2898AU

Shipping: $125AU

Total: $3023AU (Budget = $3,000-3,500)

Basically this pc will be for gaming (such as bf:bc2, cod, crysis etc) and image + video editing (ex. photoshop, illustrator, sony vegas) and perhaps some 3d modelling (blender, cinema4d). (Keep in mind i'm in Australia, thus all shops and prices listed are Australian).

I'm keen on the dual screening, may add a 3rd or 4th screen in the future to make use of eyefinity.

Unsure about the motherboard, is it suitable enough to handle the current specs?, if not what would you guys recommend?.

Bit worried about the gpu, judging by the review on the ttl channel and alot of users on other forums the HD6990 is really loud. Is it rather quiet when not gaming? (i.e movies, photoshop, web browsing etc), if it's just gaming it shouldn't bother me to much since i have my headset + mic on. Also would the 6990 perform better with water cooling? (if i went the water cooling route would the cooler master haf x be a better option?), or will the noctua and the current case handle it fine?.

May overclock in the future but at the moment i can't think of anything i'd need to oc for. Is overclocking viable with the 6990 with air cooling?, or is oc'ing not needed with the 6990 for my needs?.

Budget i'm willing to go to $3,500AU but i'd rather keep it closer to the $3,100AU mark so i have some cash left over to put towards a speaker system, new table (and perhaps a game or two =p). conversion rate currently is 1 Australian dollar = 0.648333637 British pounds. $3500AU is roughly equivalent to £2,200 pounds.

Buying parts from msy and what they don't have in stock is coming from from pc case gear.

 

[I Hunta x]

Linking to the stores isnt a problem if you want to edit the links in.

It all looks good except the motherboard wont work with your cpu choice, your going to want the P67 version of the sabertooth.

Other than that you will either have to move the fan on the D14 up slightly or take the fins off of the ram stick closest to the cpu socket which isnt a problem as it just unscrews.

Oh and it might be worth looking at the corsair AX850 powersuply, as its slightly more efficient and you wont need 1000w for a single 6990.

As for overclocking the 6990, a little bit shouldnt be to much of a problem aslong as you keep an eye on the temperatures for the first few days but i personaly would overclock it on the stock cooler as its a hot beasty and with being in AUS its going to have to put up with hotter ambient temps.

 

[Kyuzo]

Thanks for the reply Hunta =).

Ok switched to the p67.

That shouldn't be a problem. Would a silver arrow fit better?.

Msy don't sell the ax series, and pcg wont have it until the 17th of june, they do have the hx850 in stock though, any difference between the two?. I can get the ax850 from another store for an extra $30 than pc case gear has it.

What program do you use to check the temps?. (Apologies for my noobiness x_x)

 

[equk]

Nice build

The 6990 seems mental price

$818 (£532) for a GPU!

You must do some mental 3D design work to need that sort of power

Just noticed it says image editing at top tho

Guess I sort of wish I had the money to waste spend on something like that but tbh with 2 monitors wouldn't a 6950 unlocked to 6970 or a 6970 be cheaper and leave the ability for crossfire (if needed)? (or a 570/580 if u want CUDA etc)

I started using some stuff in photoshop that used CUDA also and think that's pretty amazing in the speed gains, altho hoping stuff will move onto OpenCL

Post some pics when u build it

looks epic spec.

Maybe if u have the time/patience/money you could watercool it if you're worried about noise?

 

[I Hunta x]

Thanks for the reply Hunta =).

Ok switched to the p67.

That shouldn't be a problem. Would a silver arrow fit better?.

Msy don't sell the ax series, and pcg wont have it until the 17th of june, they do have the hx850 in stock though, any difference between the two?. I can get the ax850 from another store for an extra $30 than pc case gear has it.

What program do you use to check the temps?. (Apologies for my noobiness x_x)

The HX850 is silver rated just like the silverstone unit you have listed so there not much difference there, if the corsair is a chunk cheaper than the silverstone then i would personaly go with it as there both good powersuplys but 850w is plenty for your setup, if there around the same price then stick with the silverstone as it will give you more head room for future upgrades.

As for the temperatures i usualy use HWMonitor as it has all the temps you would need on one screen LINKY

 

[Kyuzo]

Nice build

The 6990 seems mental price

$818 (£532) for a GPU!

You must do some mental 3D design work to need that sort of power

Just noticed it says image editing at top tho

Guess I sort of wish I had the money to waste spend on something like that but tbh with 2 monitors wouldn't a 6950 unlocked to 6970 or a 6970 be cheaper and leave the ability for crossfire (if needed)? (or a 570/580 if u want CUDA etc)

I started using some stuff in photoshop that used CUDA also and think that's pretty amazing in the speed gains, altho hoping stuff will move onto OpenCL

Post some pics when u build it

looks epic spec.

Maybe if u have the time/patience/money you could watercool it if you're worried about noise?

Thanks =).

Yeah do a fair bit of 3d work, mainly texturing, weapons, clothes and props. But i want to get into 3d character animation and will be learning some basics next semester in my course. However i do more graphic design than i do 3d design.

Yeah it's alot for a gpu, but my parents are paying for it so may aswell splurge while i can =p. I was originally thinking of dual 6970's but i hear there's some compatibility issues having the dual gpu's with some games. Looked into cuda aswell, does seem very handy, kinda lame its only for nvidia cards, if i was going to go that way would probably get the gtx590, similar performance than the 6990 and its apparently alot quieter.

Sure, will definitely post some pics =). Was contemplating getting some LED lights and putting them around the window of the case.

The HX850 is silver rated just like the silverstone unit you have listed so there not much difference there, if the corsair is a chunk cheaper than the silverstone then i would personaly go with it as there both good powersuplys but 850w is plenty for your setup, if there around the same price then stick with the silverstone as it will give you more head room for future upgrades.

As for the temperatures i usualy use HWMonitor as it has all the temps you would need on one screen LINKY

If its worth it i don't mind paying the little extra to get an ax850 from the other store. The hx850 is about the same price as the silverstone (only $20 less).

Thanks for the link =).

 

[chudley]

OC3D also have a folding team and the kit you listed would be an awesome addition to us

look it up in the OC3D Teams section.

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

For the love of god, don't get the 6990 over the 590. The 6990 is probably the most disgusting sounding piece of equipment made.

Just buy everything from PC Case Gear.

 

[Rastalovich]

Adobe* + Cuda = Fonzie

*Cuda editions

 

[Kyuzo]

So i should go with the 590 then?.

If i went with it would i need to change anything else to accommodate?.

pcg have the asus gtx590 for $950, and msy usually have it for $899(but once again they are not in stock >.>).

Also will a 64-bit windows 7 home premium be fine?.

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

So i should go with the 590 then?.

If i went with it would i need to change anything else to accommodate?.

pcg have the asus gtx590 for $950, and msy usually have it for $899(but once again they are not in stock >.>).

Also will a 64-bit windows 7 home premium be fine?.

Yeah man the home premium is fine. The only concern I have with the 590, is AFAIK, the P67 boards don't support 2x590s, so you'd essentially be wasting a lane. You'd be better off getting a single 580, which will run everything out at the moment at 60FPS no problem, then getting another one down the track, to save some cash

I gotta go out for a bit but if you want I can put a quick build together of what I'd honestly do, keeping the same case, cpu, and motherboard of course (It's the same case I recently did a build in)

 

[o0bananaman0o]

id say two 6970s ($319AU each @ MSY), a third monitor and have money left over rather than getting one 590

heres a good frame rate compare between the different eyefinity/triple monitor solutions, 5760x1080 resolution.

http://forum.amtech.com.vn/overcloc...s-sli-gtx580-vs-sli-gtx570-vs-cfx-hd6970.html

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

id say two 6970s ($319AU each @ MSY), a third monitor and have money left over rather than getting one 590

heres a good frame rate compare between the different eyefinity/triple monitor solutions, 5760x1080 resolution.

http://forum.amtech.com.vn/overcloc...s-sli-gtx580-vs-sli-gtx570-vs-cfx-hd6970.html

Why do that when you should always, and can, leave room for improvement? Especially with some new GPUs coming out this year sometimes the prices are sure to drop

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

Here you go man. I basically did up your list on PC Case Gear, then changed what I thought you could save money on, or improve.

CASE: Raven 2 - Evolution (Review) = $185

PSU: Corsair AX850 (Review) = $245

MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth P67 (Review) = $259

CPU: 2600k = $325

COOLER: Noctua NH-C14 (Review) = $109

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 1600 (9-9-9-24) 1.5v (Review) = $115

GPU: XFX Radeon 6970 2GB (Review) = $389

BOOT: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB = $269

STORAGE: Western Digital Green 2TB = $89

OPTICAL: Lite-On 24x DVDRW = $29

MONITOR: BenQ 24inch LCD @ 2ms x2 = $398

MOUSE: SteelSeries Ikari (Review) = $49

KEYBOARD: Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent (Review) = $149

SPEAKERS: Corsair SP2500 2.1 System (Review) = $259

TOTAL: $3102 w/shipping

 

[Kyuzo]

Yeah man the home premium is fine. The only concern I have with the 590, is AFAIK, the P67 boards don't support 2x590s, so you'd essentially be wasting a lane. You'd be better off getting a single 580, which will run everything out at the moment at 60FPS no problem, then getting another one down the track, to save some cash

I gotta go out for a bit but if you want I can put a quick build together of what I'd honestly do, keeping the same case, cpu, and motherboard of course (It's the same case I recently did a build in)

Thanks for your time =).

Ok will go with the home prem then. Couldn't i just upgrade the mobo to something that would support 2x590's?. Prefer having the extra clock rates plus i'd rather stick with a single gpu than dual (due to the stability and compatibility issues etc). Not to worried about saving the cash as long as i don;t go to far over the budget, parents are paying and have set a budget, if the build is under the budget i don't get the difference given to me in cash =D. If i go over the budget i pay for the extra. Poorly explained but in a bit of a rush =p.

Basically i want to go with either the 6990 or the 590 rather than dualing 580's or 6970's.

Here you go man. I basically did up your list on PC Case Gear, then changed what I thought you could save money on, or improve.

CASE: Raven 2 - Evolution (Review) = $185

PSU: Corsair AX850 (Review) = $245

MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth P67 (Review) = $259

CPU: 2600k = $325

COOLER: Noctua NH-C14 (Review) = $109

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 1600 (9-9-9-24) 1.5v (Review) = $115

GPU: XFX Radeon 6970 2GB (Review) = $389

BOOT: Corsair Force Series 3 120GB = $269

STORAGE: Western Digital Green 2TB = $89

OPTICAL: Lite-On 24x DVDRW = $29

MONITOR: BenQ 24inch LCD @ 2ms x2 = $398

MOUSE: SteelSeries Ikari (Review) = $49

KEYBOARD: Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent (Review) = $149

SPEAKERS: Corsair SP2500 2.1 System (Review) = $259

TOTAL: $3102 w/shipping

Sorry i didn't reply in time before you posted the build, like i just said i want to go with either the 6990 or 590, unless i can be convinced otherwise. If i got a 590 how long would it take till games started coming out that it can't handle?.

Few questions about this build though, why not the d-14? , and why downgrade the ram?. I already have 2 1tb seagates i was going to put in, so the Samsung spinppoint would be a better choice imo. As for the mouse i prefer the look of the gigabyte, the keyboard i don't need to spend that much on and definitely don't want to spend that much on speakers when it could be going elsewhere (already have a sony 5.1 surround sound for my plasma to watch movies and when i'm gaming i have the headset + mic on).

Screenshot of the current build order with the 6990 replaced by a 590 all from pc case gear (includes OS)

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/fullmetal567/ored.png

Total: $3307Au w/ shipping

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

So why do you want excess money for speakers then if you aren't going to use them? Also, that cooler will give you better temps on the Sabertooth as it is prefered to have a downward facing cooler. The only reason I suggest that mouse is because it is insanely comfortable. Not everything is looks. I downgraded the RAM because AFAIK the Vengeance actually have a better clock then the dominators. You also save a bit of cash.

You don't need a 590, a 580 and 6970 run all the games out these days at 60 FPS basically. You may aswell save the cash, wait for the prices to drop on 580s, then get another one when you start seeing lackluster performance, which will be atleast 2 years from now, and then two 580s will take you easily for another 2 years. Well I guess if you already have storage then the Samsung would be fine. As for the keyboard, if you don't want to spend money on a keyboad, I don't understand the point in getting an expensive keyboard at all. If you just want macro keys, then get a cheaper Logitech one. But, if you want the best keyboards on the market, then you will want to get a mechanical keyboard.

 

[Kyuzo]

The excess money is mainly for a new table and chair, current table won't fit two screens and my chair isn't comfortable at all. Then maybe some low end 2.1 speakers, been using a logitech 2.1 speaker system i bought about 4 years ago for $40 and they were great for what i needed of them and only replacing them because of some trouble with the sub, so looking to replace it with similar price range speakers. As for the mouse, fair enough, will consider going with it then, however is the scroll wheel problem very noticeable?. Is the ram you posted this one? I didn't think four sticks would fit o.o .

Ok then. The 580 seems to have a good 15-20 fps over the 6970 and it's quieter, thus would go with the 580 over the 6970. Will the smaller memory be an issue? and will the 580 handle 3d animation + rendering(will be running numerous 3d programs and either ps or illustrator at the same time) aswell as dual screen gaming at 8xAA (at max settings). Forget the keyboard then, will just use the one i have currently, have no need to go for a mechanical.

 

[rwiuviberwVFIUBER]

Yeah I honestly think that the 580 will be fine. The memory won't be much of an issue either. In regards to the mouse, I'd definitely say the scroll wheel problem isn't noticable. I know a lot of players used that mouse when I used to watch GSL, MLG, IEM. A lot of them use the Xai now, but that mouse is still widely respected.

 

[FunkyMonkey90]

If I was you I'd go for duel GTX580s as they would give you better performance over a 590 and would be better at 3d modelling due to CUDA, I think kinda Endzy is right about the NH-C14 as it would be more suited to the mobo. And as for keyboard and mouse it's all down to personal preference, I mean I could say "get a razer mouse they're the best one's I'VE ever used" but you may not think the same, so pick whichever you think will be best.

 

[Kyuzo]

Ok will go with a single 580, then down the road when the prices have dropped i will get a second one. I know it's not released yet but do you think the 580 would handle bf3?. Also which 580 should i go with?, is the Gainward GeForce GTX 580 3GB Phantom any good or should i get the MSI GeForce GTX 580 Lightning?.

You missed the question about the ram, will the four sticks fit with that fan, because they wouldn't with the d14 from what i heard.