To give a little backstory, I found some sensitive data on a computer I purchased used via a garage sale, and as one of the rewards for returning the (very very sensitive) data, they agreed to purchase any computer for me, up to $6000. However, I cannot order just parts from newegg or other similiar retail firms, it must be purchased as a unit from one of the places that build custom computers (Alienware, falcon-nw, cyberpower, digitalstormonline, etc.) I've never purchased a pre-built computer like this, I've always done all the research, purchased individual parts on sale, than eventually put the computer together myself. I don't see a need to get someone else to build it for me, but this company wants me to go through a "Alienware like site" to purchase the parts. I believe its because they want a invoice showing a built computer, and just not a invoice of random newegg parts I could just resell.
I have never spent more than $2000 on a computer, and like I mentioned above, I've never used one of these sites to configure one. There are so many sites, so many options, that I'm getting tired of looking. With a ridicolous $6000 price range, I thought it'd be super easy to purchase a computer, but its much harder because I can easily afford top of the line technology, but I got to decide where to stick the bulk of the money, and where its ok to go a little less on.
I'lll most likely order the recently released Geforce 690 GTX for it (I was looking at just maybe doing 680gtx in SLI, but the reviews stating the lower operating temperature and power usage, for a small decrease in performance, have kept me looking at the 690gtx). I have also been looking mostly at the 6 core i7 3730k. I've stayed away from the 3760k because its usually $500 more to add, for a jump of from 3.2 to 3.3ghz, plus the lv2 cache differences. I've debated going to the i7 3820, which is a 4 core at 3.6ghz, because its $400 less than the 3730k, but theres so many amazing reviews out for it, so I've just gone along with it. I can even put 64gb of ddr3 1333mhz in, but I don't know if theres any advantage to it versus 16gb or 32gb at 1800 or higher. I don't know a lot about solid state drives, so I just found a few reviewed high, crucial m4, ocz vertx 3, intel 320/520, and priced them in various builds. I don't really need a keyboard or mouse, or any other peripheral, but I have 2 aging 24" (1920x1200) monitors, so I've been putting a new monitor into the builds. I'm looking at 27 or 30 inch monitors. Most places don't have tha latest Dell Ultrasharp monitors, so I've been taking a closer long at some of the newer monitors that support Nvidia3DVISION2, but I don't know anybody thats played games in 3D, to tell me if it worths it or necessary to get a 3D monitor. I've always thought the next thing i'd buy is a large ultrasharp, but the 3D gaming intrigues me, and I had read plenty of positive reviews online, so I've been looking into it more.
I wrote this post to see if I could get advice on what kind of components to throw in this, ie:
Is the 3730k a good choice? Anything wrong with Asus Rampage IV Extreme motherboard? Should I get 16 or 32gb of faster, lower timing memory, or 64gb of slower, higher timing memory? Geforce 690 GTX? What kind of SSD? How is 3D gaming? What kind of 27/30 inch monitor?
I'm also highly interested if someone wants to create a build at one of these sites, and give me a link or list. I've been trying to keep it under $6000, but if it goes over slightly, it nots that big of a build. I initially emailed them a build that cost $4200 on Friday, but they called today telling me to go ahead and up it to $6000, so I'm looking again.
I highly appreciate any help or guidance on the matter.
Woah, $4200 is kinda high for a gaming rig. I built one for around $1000. As for the memory, I'd get the fast, lower timing memory, because honestly, you won't even use up to 16 gb of ram unless you just never reboot lol. I don't really do 3D gaming, so I can't help much with that. HDD vs SSD. You'll notice a difference, but it's not a difference to the point where you'll get frustrated over. Having a high RPM HDD will serve you perfectly. There's about a 6-10 second difference with boot time between the 2 but they both have pros and cons.
As for the processor, I'd do the i7 3820, mainly because Windows and many, if not most programs, aren't optimized for more than 2 cores. Yeah, there's a power difference, but the system isn't optimized for it yet. If you want to future-proof it, though, you can get the hexa-core, but you won't notice much of a difference. I'd through in a good liquid cooling system and overclock it well in the 4GHz area.
I'm not that knowledgeable when it comes to GPU's, so I can't help much there.
Don't Feed The Trolls Past Midnight
STOP!!! Before you post that question, 98% of your answers are --->Here<---
You are getting a super nice build!!!!
I don't see why they won't let you order seperate, as you can easily take out the parts and sell them.. But hey its free!
I am building a pc at different parts to see how it goes..
You can get dual GTX 690's... Dats BOSS
also: tell em I'll build it for you for $6,000 lol Ill make a website too...
Case 1 x CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case-Lava Red
Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i7 3960X Processor Extreme Edition (6x 3.30GHz/15MB L3)-Intel Core i7 3960X w/ Intel Performance Tuning Protection
Motherboard 1 x [3-Way SLI] ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
Memory 1 x 32 GB [4 GB X8] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 - 4GB-Single Card
Case Lighting 1 x Meteor Light w/ 8 Speed settings-Red
Power Supply 1 x 1600 Watt - LEPA G1600 80+ Gold
Processor Cooling 1 x Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-2011]-ARC Dual Silent High Performance Fan Upgrade (Push-Pull Airflow)
Video Card Brand 1 x Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA
Primary Hard Drive 1 x 2 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200rpm, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive
Data Hard Drive 1 x 60 GB ADATA S511 SSD-Single Drive - FREE Upgrade to 120GB ADATA S510
2nd Optical Drive 1 x [12X Blu-Ray] LG BLU-RAY Re-Writer, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive-Red
Optical Drive 1 x [12X Blu-Ray] LG BLU-RAY Re-Writer, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive-Red
Sound Card 1 x Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro-w/ FREE Creative Labs Fatal1ty Gaming Headset ($49 Value)
Speaker System 1 x iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System
Network Card 1 x Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card
Monitor 1 x 27" LCD 1920x1080 -- ASUS VG278H 3D-Ready 120Hz-w/ 3W x2 Stereo Speakers
Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard
Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse
Operating System 1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel)-64-bit
Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service
Rush Service 1 x Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee)-No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days
Video Camera None
Meter Display 1 x NZXT Sentry 2 Touch Screen Fan Controller & Temperature Display
Flash Media Reader / Writer None
2nd Monitor None
Free Stuff 1 x [Free] Corsair 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive-Free with Any System Purchase over $1499
Free Stuff 1 x [Free Game Download] - Mass Effect 3-with purchase of Intel X79 chipset based systems, or with Intel Core i7 3770K
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion None
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive 1 x PowerDrive Level 2 - Up to 20% Overclocking
USB Expansion None
Case Engraving Service None
Subtotal $5,839.00
overview:
-Intel® Core™ i7 3960X Overclocked and protected
-27" 3D monitor
-GTX 690 ( I couldn't find 2 )
-32GB Ram 1600
-2 Bluray Drives
-120GB SSD
-2TB HDD
-Windows 7 Ultimate
-3 Year warrenty
-1600W PSU incase you get another 690
My build was pretty much identical to what you posted, 2615863. I got the Asus VG278H as the 27 inch 3d monitor. Like I mentioned before, in normal circumstances there is NO way I would get a computer this expensive, or have someone else build it. The place wanted to spend $6000, so I'm not going to say no. With that price range you can get a very high end water cooling setup as well. Though I'm not sure the need for it currently, since it appears the 3930k/3960x, along with a gtx 690, can run anything at full details, AA, etc, barely ever dipping below 100fps. The monitor comes with the 3D NvidiaVision2 kit, and I've seen some reports that it can cut FPS in half, so I'm curious on how it goes. The bank who purchased the computer for me, prefered using OriginPC, so I went along with there.
Here is what they ended up with (pretty much all my choices, few changes had to be made so I didn't have to wait months):
DesktopTech: Intel X79
$1,868.00
Customizations:
Premium Case Charge: None
Case (Chassis): Corsair Obsidian 800D
CaseExteriors: Case Exterior: No Paint
CaseLighting: CaseLighting: Blue
CaseWindow: Case Window
The ORIGIN Difference: Truly Custom PCs. Want a component that is not on our site? Call or email us and we will include it in your system.
Case Fans: Noiseblocker Mutliframe High-Performance Ultra Silent Fans
Secondary Display: ASUS 27" VG278H 3D Monitor w/ Built-in Speakers and Nvidia 3D Vision 2 Kit
$735.00
Extras: FREE Mass Effect 3 with the purchase of an Intel Core i7 Sandybridge-E Processor
Product Subtotal:
$5,989.00
-----------------
The price tag, $5,989.00 still seems so ridiculous. While I'm looking forward to the new computer, I didn't even really need one. I have a q6600/gtx460 now that does well enough for anything. But it will be neat to have someone else build the computer for me, and build it with the kinds of components that I would never use in my own builds. I'm pulling hard drives, among a few other components, out of my current computer, so thats why I skipped a few parts in the build. I've been needing a sound card, because my current motherboard doesn't support digital output for my headphones (even though it has the connection...it comes out analog), so I bought a sound card for the first time in years. Its way overkill and unnecessary, but who cares. Not my money. Thats why I added other things like the touch screen temperature and fan monitoring system that will be on the front of the case.
If anyone has any suggestions on changes, I still have a few weeks to make any changes I want. I'm pretty happy with what I got. I stayed with the 3930k instead of 3960x because it was such a price jump for .1 ghz and cache differences. I'll be getting a free copy of Mass Effect 3, which I already own the collector's edition. Do either of ya need a copy? (2615863 or master737373, since ya responded) If not, I'll probably make a post later to see if a regular crunch member wants the voucher code.
My build was pretty much identical to what you posted, 2615863. I got the Asus VG278H as the 27 inch 3d monitor. Like I mentioned before, in normal circumstances there is NO way I would get a computer this expensive, or have someone else build it. The place wanted to spend $6000, so I'm not going to say no. With that price range you can get a very high end water cooling setup as well. Though I'm not sure the need for it currently, since it appears the 3930k/3960x, along with a gtx 690, can run anything at full details, AA, etc, barely ever dipping below 100fps. The monitor comes with the 3D NvidiaVision2 kit, and I've seen some reports that it can cut FPS in half, so I'm curious on how it goes. The bank who purchased the computer for me, prefered using OriginPC, so I went along with there.
Here is what they ended up with (pretty much all my choices, few changes had to be made so I didn't have to wait months):
DesktopTech: Intel X79
$1,868.00
Customizations:
Premium Case Charge: None
Case (Chassis): Corsair Obsidian 800D
CaseExteriors: Case Exterior: No Paint
CaseLighting: CaseLighting: Blue
CaseWindow: Case Window
The ORIGIN Difference: Truly Custom PCs. Want a component that is not on our site? Call or email us and we will include it in your system.
Case Fans: Noiseblocker Mutliframe High-Performance Ultra Silent Fans
Secondary Display: ASUS 27" VG278H 3D Monitor w/ Built-in Speakers and Nvidia 3D Vision 2 Kit
$735.00
Extras: FREE Mass Effect 3 with the purchase of an Intel Core i7 Sandybridge-E Processor
Product Subtotal:
$5,989.00
-----------------
The price tag, $5,989.00 still seems so ridiculous. While I'm looking forward to the new computer, I didn't even really need one. I have a q6600/gtx460 now that does well enough for anything. But it will be neat to have someone else build the computer for me, and build it with the kinds of components that I would never use in my own builds. I'm pulling hard drives, among a few other components, out of my current computer, so thats why I skipped a few parts in the build. I've been needing a sound card, because my current motherboard doesn't support digital output for my headphones (even though it has the connection...it comes out analog), so I bought a sound card for the first time in years. Its way overkill and unnecessary, but who cares. Not my money. Thats why I added other things like the touch screen temperature and fan monitoring system that will be on the front of the case.
If anyone has any suggestions on changes, I still have a few weeks to make any changes I want. I'm pretty happy with what I got. I stayed with the 3930k instead of 3960x because it was such a price jump for .1 ghz and cache differences. I'll be getting a free copy of Mass Effect 3, which I already own the collector's edition. Do either of ya need a copy? (2615863 or master737373, since ya responded) If not, I'll probably make a post later to see if a regular crunch member wants the voucher code.
I haven't played Mass Effect, but since I am also building a gaming, I figure I'll take it unless master wants it.. Thanks
Edit: Thats a sweet build mate, hope you enjoy it!
A bit envious of the gtx 690 :P
Before I got into this situation, I had been wanting to build a new gaming computer, but its a big cost jump since I would have to buy new motherboard, processor, and memory just to get started. I couldn't just swap in a new processor and graphics card and call it good. I was looking at reviews, getting envious of the kind of frame rates people were getting, than saw a price tag and thought no way. I mean, who in their right mind would spend $1024.00 on a GTX 690 in normal circumstances? Although, when I went through pictures, and saw all the metal and workmanship they used, I feel in love. It's beautiful. From the reviews I've read, a $500 GTX 680 (which is super expensive anyway) can run all of the top games with ultra quality settings and run without a hitch. The last time I spent so much on a card was my 8800 GTX in 2006? I end up spending majority of my money on my girlfriend, so there is no normal circumstance where I'd build a new computer that cost $1500, let alone $6000. I'm kinda glad I had to go through another builder, because if I got cash, I would of built a budget computer and put the rest into savings. Or if I had to buy parts, sell some of them for profit. While I could technically afford a $6000 computer, I would never spend that much on myself. This scenario is the only possible I'd ever get something like this.
This entire scenario came about, from me the cheap ass, scrounging through garage sales. I bought a box of electronics for $10, and it came with a crappy little computer. Right before I erased the hard drive, I noticed a hidden user account, and realized this computer was used in a bank. The amount of personal information for customers hidden inside was mind boggling. This build I'm getting is one of the "rewards" for turning their information back in, and saving their ass from the lawsuits and embarrassment that come with such a dumb data breach. So my shitty little $10 garage sale computer turned into a $6000 beast, I wish I could always get a 6000% return on investment.
I would highly recommend the Mass Effect games, if you have never played them. I've played the first two 3 times each. Haven't got to the 3rd one yet though. I think I'm going to wait til the beginning of June when the new computer gets here before I play it. Frankly I'm giddy like a school girl to get my "Christmas" present in.
If master wants it, i can flip a coin, otherwise, whenever I get the game voucher its all yours. I'm assuming its a online voucher. If it's a sealed game I can just mail it to you if still interested.
I'll be getting a free copy of Mass Effect 3, which I already own the collector's edition. Do either of ya need a copy? (2615863 or master737373, since ya responded) If not, I'll probably make a post later to see if a regular crunch member wants the voucher code.
Already own a copy. Thanks though.
Don't Feed The Trolls Past Midnight
STOP!!! Before you post that question, 98% of your answers are --->Here<---
Good enough, glad I can give it to someone. I'll try to remember to PM you here as soon as I get it, so I can pm you the code or mail you the box. If its the box, I'm not going to fret about a $3 shipping bill.
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Originally Posted by stock2255
Yep I'm A Dick
