[t2r4ne]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to build upgrade my gaming PC which i had for almost 2 years now. Ive never done overclocking before but i will start as soon as i complete my new build. My target resolution is 2560x1440; 60 hz (still trying to choose the best monitor for it), I heard about the yamakasi catleaps but Im scared that there will quality issues or what not. But an overclockable to 120hz A- IPS 27inch 2560x1440 sounds amazing but too much of a hassle i think? :S

(out of curiousity is there any difference between an A- IPS and the IPS models from dell, samsung? Can you really spot the quality change in the images, resolution and stuff?)

These are the three monitors Im currently looking at:

Samsung S27A970 27" PLS Panel
Samsung S27A850D 27" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001523
Samsung Series 8 SyncMaster S27A850T http://www.cnet.com.au/samsung-series-8-syncmaster-s27a850t-339336768.htm

I might possibly get a 23 inch 120 hz monitor later, but currently I just want the new eye candy from 2560x1440 IPS/PLS panels

P.S: I Really hate the anti-glare coating on the dell u2713; So that is out of the question for me!
[Any recommendations would be much appreciated!]

Theres are my current computer specs:

CPU: QuadCore Intel Core i5-2500k @ 3.3ghz

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3

Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9

Storage: HGST Deskstar 3.5-Inch 500GB 7200RPM SATA II 16MB Cache Internal Hard Drive [I had an external harddrive too but i might have lost it]

Video Card: MSI N580 GTX Lightning

Sound Card: Realtek High Definition Audio (Internal High defintion Audio Bus)

Power Supply: Not sure since I havent open the box to check! lol: but i know i need to buy a new one since ill be running 2560x1440 resolution + having SLi Video Card Setup

Optical Drive: TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-222AB ATA Device

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Monitor: Acer S231 HL

Keyboard: Levatron Mech 5

Mouse: Mamba 2012 Elite Ergonomic Wireless Gaming Mouse

New Parts Im Considering:

CPU: Not sure if i should upgrade to i5-3570k since its not really worth it even though its next gen compared to my i5-2500k. Apparently its better to keep the i5-2500k and choose a great motherboard? & maybe wait it out with my i5-2500k till haswell comes out in 2014. (Suggestions????)

Motherboard: These are the 5 ones ive chose and considering (Really not sure what are the differences!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131818
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819 (not sure why the difference in price!)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131854
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157299

Memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233337 (4 x 8gb sounds awesome but pricey

)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233305
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233286 (two 8gbs and four 4gbs?.. which is better?)

Storage:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136792 (I only looked at this one; im clueless about storage devices)

Video Card: Will Be Doing SLi or maybe even 3-way in the future
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130801 (not sure which GTX 680 is the best but this has apparently good reviews)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/398342/04G-P4-2686-KR_NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_680_with_Backplate_4096MB_GDDR5_PCIe_30_x16_Video_Card (this is my 2nd option because im buying all my computer parts from microcenter and i think the classified is out of stock)

Power Supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182251 (this thing is a beast! but so expensive)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207017
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

CPU Cooler::
My first option is to do a custom water loop (going to pay microcenter to do it for me since i dont know squat about it lol)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032 (2nd option)

GPU Cooler::
http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=400-CU-G680-B2 (getting two of these)

Optical Drive: Do I need a new one?

Sound Card: I have surround speakers so not sure i need this too.

Operating System: Perfectly happy with Windows 7 unless windows 8 is superbly awesome (Any recommendations?)

Case: Suggestions? (Note that i will be travelling internationally soon and would be bringing along my PC; so hopefully not a big tower case but top quality one for all my parts to function properly)

Since Im a total newb at all this, I really would appreciate any help!.. But Ill be mostly using the computer for gaming, surfing, and downloading watching movies/tv shows. And Of course I want to MAX OUT Everything on ULTRA on all my games+future games [Like GTA V!!] with fps 60+ on my 2560x1440 resolution with no issues whats so ever. I probably wont need to spend as much as $4500 but I am willing to! I want the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST Parts for my budget!

 

[SageQi]

Monitor
A- panels are just panels that didn't make it through Dell's or HP's quality check. Usually they can come fine but if you do buy a korean monitor you expose yourself to the risk of receiving a panel that may have backlight bleeding or dead pixels (not that Dell and HP monitors don't experience it either)

If you're set on going 2560x1440, check the Yamakasi Catleap and Crossover Owner's Club for more information on the best ebay retailer.
CrossOver
Yamakasi

CPU
As evidence shows from this thread, upgrading your CPU will give you negligible benefit in gaming performance. However, if you plan to start streaming/video encoding down the line, than a LGA2011 motherboard might be a worthwhile investment.

Motherboard
Comparing the ASUS Pro v Deluxe...

• You get more PCI Express x1 slots in Deluxe
• You get 6 SATA 6Gb/s vs 4 in the Pro
• A second LAN chipset (why?) in the Deluxe
• Bluetooth 4.0 in the Deluxe

Not worth the premium. Depending on your case I would suggest a Gigabyte UP5 TH or the MSi Z77 MPower.
Gigabyte
MSi

Memory
Dominator Platinums are definitely not worth the premium. Get some Samsung Wonder Memory. Cheap and easy to overclock.
Samsung

Storage
WD Blacks are great for storage but I suggest you buy a Samsung 840 Pro 128GB for your OS and essential programs.
Samsung

Video Card
By looking at the GPU coolers it seems like you want to go into a custom water loop. Keep in mind that the case you are putting this into must have space for radiators that can efficiently cool a CPU and 2+ GPUs. In this case 360mm + 240mm (a simple mod for the Arc Midi R2, but if you fear modding then a 280mm + 240mm should fit without modding) radiators would be the average radiator sizes for your components. In lieu of EVGA rebranded swiftech waterblocks, which have high flow restriction, maybe an EK 680 waterblock(they don't have one for the Classified version) or a XSPC waterblock(they have a reference GTX 680 waterblock) will be the better option.

If you don't go into a custom water loop I would suggest 2x MSi GTX 680 Lightnings as they can be easily overclock with unlocked voltage and run extremely coolly + silently.
Lightning

If you are going watercooling, I would suggest the AMD 7970 over the GTX 680 as they OC very well under water and outperform the GTX 680 in most conditions at a cheaper price.There are not many options on newegg for the 7970 but you can find them here. Make sure to buy a reference card as a non reference card may not have a waterblock made for it.

Power Supply
The 1600W Hercules is complete overkill for your build. A nice 1000W power supply will be sufficient for any of your current and future builds with decent headroom for overclocking. If you do not plan to go to Tri-fire or Tri-SLI an 850W power supply will be enough.
1000W
850W

CPU Cooler
I have never heard of Micro Center putting a custom water loop before for customers, but if you do not go into a custom waterloop, I would suggest going for the Swiftech H220 AIO as it outperforms the H100i in most reviews. It is also easier to expand into a larger loop, if you decide to down the road.

Optical Drive
Unless you watch a lot of movies from DVD/Blu-Ray discs... skip.

Sound Card
A sound card could improve sound quality tremendously but if you're not too picky on sound, it is not really needed.

Case This is me being a Fractal fanboy

A good quiet case if you don't go into a custom waterloop:
Fractal Design Define R4
A good case case if you go into a custom waterloop:
Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 - not released on NewEgg but NCIX already has them listed on their site so it should be available soon...

Hope you read through this longggg post and good luck on your build!

 

[t2r4ne]

Great Stuff!

. Before i decide anything; heres what someone suggested to have for this build in another forum. Just want a second opinion over it. (probably a bit of an overkill; but it will have a lot bragging rights lol!

Quote:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($79.71 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 EATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($377.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($188.06 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1005.91 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($1005.91 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced ATX Full Tower Case ($171.10 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Samsung S27A850D 27.0" Monitor ($679.21 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $4311.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-28 18:35 EST-0500)

The 3770K & Gigabyte motherboard are just spacers for the New Haswells coming out by June 2nd.

With your budget you must get the SLI Titans. They are smoother than anything else out there, including the Ares II. Two Titans will give you a far better gaming experience than the Ares. And for only $500 more. The Titans are far quieter, draw far less power, and don't microstutter. Read up on Nvidia Titan SLI reviews and you will see how great they are.

With the Haswell coming out in three months, you may want to just stick with your current motherboard & processor until it comes out. The Haswell has many nice features that will show up over time with better and better multi-threaded applications. They operate with less power, yet have a greater power rating. Look for them to be quite overclockable.

 

[SageQi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by t2r4ne

Great Stuff!

. Before i decide anything; heres what someone suggested to have for this build in another forum. Just want a second opinion over it. (probably a bit of an overkill; but it will have a lot bragging rights lol!

Heh, I was tempted to suggest the GTX Titans but I always have the mindset of not going overkill. The Gigabyte board is WAY overkill if you plan to use it as a spacer for Haswell. The mobos I listed are ~$100 cheaper while performance is equal.

The HAF 932 is a Full Tower case which is pretty massive. If you are going to travel I suggest sticking to a mid tower case. Corsair C70 is a pretty rugged mid tower that you should consider as well.

 

[t2r4ne]

I did a little research about the titans and found out what if when directx12 launches with new features that 2 overpriced Titans can't use. It was like when dx11 hit and all dx10 GPU's were locked out of features like tesselation even though they were powerful. Is this true?

It would be a shame to waste $2000 worth of GPU when this happened and have to buy new cards with new features anyways :S

 

[t2r4ne]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($79.71 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z77 MPOWER ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($157.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($186.90 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($226.82 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1457.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-01 18:52 EST-0500)

So basically this is final decision on these parts; ive upped the mobo for now so that there wont be any bottlenecking problems for my GPU selections.

Im sticking with the i5-2500k. The monitor im deciding now between the samsung 850d & the yamakasi catleap 2B. (i think ill get a catleap off ebay or sth since a lot of people are recommending me those monitors; i think ill be happy with it).

For the GPUs: Im still very effy on dropping $2000 just on the GPUs so i might go with GTX 680 4Gb classified since i cant find the Ares II anywhere. But i dunno i might just end up getting the two Titans heehee :kaola:

But please tell me you guys think!

 

[SageQi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by t2r4ne

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($213.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($79.71 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z77 MPOWER ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($198.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($157.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($186.90 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($226.82 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($84.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1457.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-01 18:52 EST-0500)

So basically this is final decision on these parts; ive upped the mobo for now so that there wont be any bottlenecking problems for my GPU selections.

Im sticking with the i5-2500k. The monitor im deciding now between the samsung 850d & the yamakasi catleap 2B. (i think ill get a catleap off ebay or sth since a lot of people are recommending me those monitors; i think ill be happy with it).

For the GPUs: Im still very effy on dropping $2000 just on the GPUs so i might go with GTX 680 4Gb classified since i cant find the Ares II anywhere. But i dunno i might just end up getting the two Titans heehee :kaola:

But please tell me you guys think!

SLI Gtx 680s should be plenty for 2560x1600. But I suggest getting two Lightning or DCII cards as they run quieter and cooler than the Classified.