build My Dream Build, thoughts?

[Xerino]

that was a typo I meant the 780 ti OC edition

 

and to the person who asked what an opteron was.. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113320

[Luc2k]

It is not crappy

Stating it is crappy for starts.

 

If you search, you will see that every release of Windows has seen a different version of defrag.exe so saying it is "old software" is basically again FUD.

Defragging now adays really brings no added benefit except wear-and-tear. My Windows 7 installation runs basically like it ran from day 1. Why? Because NTFS has been further improved to reduce fragmentation and the above mentioned automatic defragging in Windows 7.

If you defrag at all in 2014, its basically because you are either paranoid, doing something terribly wrong, or your HDD is damaged and you think it is fragmentation.

Do you defrag your SSDs? Do you install Windows 7 on a schedule because you think it has taken a performance hit?

 

I never said that people with lower RAM were not gamers. Do not take my post and twist it. I simply said that since this machine was geared towards gaming, it should have the highest possible performing parts that the budget allows. Of course, if he is missing in, for example, PSU, he should spend it on that instead of faster RAM (for example)

Please point out where I said that every Windows version has the same defrag tool. What I meant is that the defrag is not updated after the release of a Windows version. So no FUD there. If you like windows defrag knock yourself out, but there are many better free options that are updated more often than every Windows cycle.

 

I think you're confused. First you state that you let windows defragment itself, but then say that "If you defrag at all in 2014, its basically because you are either paranoid, doing something terribly wrong, or your HDD is damaged and you think it is fragmentation". Do you or do you not defrag in 2014?

 

Is it that obvious that I defragment my SSD 24/7 and reinstall Windows every weekend? /s

 

So I went back to your original post and you added the fact that FSB ratio is not relevant to modern systems, which is true. So why do you still defend that point? And like I said, the GPU is a way better investment for that money.

 

Thank you everybody for your suggestions! I wish I could select more than one best answer!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i9Rw

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i9Rw/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3i9Rw/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($269.99 @ Micro Center)

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($69.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($154.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($207.95 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate  2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($119.67 @ Amazon)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card  ($699.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case  ($139.99 @ Micro Center)

Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($184.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $2003.55

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 19:14 EDT-0400)

Those huge radiators on the memory still look tacky to me, but the price is much better.

For the case I'd probably go with the Fractal Define XL for the noise absorbing foam, but there's no window version and I guess you want that.

[Andre S. Veteran]

Why did you decide to replace the Fractal Define R4 for the Corsair 750D?

[gohpep]

Why did you decide to replace the Fractal Define R4 for the Corsair 750D?

Riach told me it wasn't the best case. So, I went with a case I had before.

Please point out where I said that every Windows version has the same defrag tool. What I meant is that the defrag is not updated after the release of a Windows version. So no FUD there. If you like windows defrag knock yourself out, but there are many better free options that are updated more often than every Windows cycle.

I think you're confused. First you state that you let windows defragment itself, but then say that "If you defrag at all in 2014, its basically because you are either paranoid, doing something terribly wrong, or your HDD is damaged and you think it is fragmentation". Do you or do you not defrag in 2014?

Is it that obvious that I defragment my SSD 24/7 and reinstall Windows every weekend? /s

So I went back to your original post and you added the fact that FSB ratio is not relevant to modern systems, which is true. So why do you still defend that point? And like I said, the GPU is a way better investment for that money.

 

I think that this defragmenter conversation is getting out of hand. Windows defrag just works out of the box, and alternatives can be better. This is the same with almost everything on the system.

[gohpep]

Those huge radiators on the memory still look tacky to me, but the price is much better.

For the case I'd probably go with the Fractal Define XL for the noise absorbing foam, but there's no window version and I guess you want that.

Windows aren't a deal breaker for me.

[gohpep]

I think this is just right. Please tell me if I need anything else, and thanks for all the help so far!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ihvv
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ihvv/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3ihvv/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($269.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler  ($109.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate  2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($119.67 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card  ($699.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1989.58
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-28 23:31 EDT-0400)

[Andre S. Veteran]

Riach told me it wasn't the best case. So, I went with a case I had before.

The Fractal Design Define R4 is a very good case (just check out the glowing reviews out there), it has plenty of dampening and a high build quality. Get the version with a window if you like that aesthetic, without window if you prefer more sound dampening. I have the latter and I'm very satisfied with it. 

 

Anyway, the corsair 750D isn't in the same thing in any way, it's a much larger case and there's little sound dampening at all. It's optimized for fitting a large number of components whereas the Fractal R4 is optimised for silent operation, so they serve completely different purposes.

[Luc2k]

The Fractal Design Define R4 is a very good case (just check out the glowing reviews out there), it has plenty of dampening and a high build quality. Get the version with a window if you like that aesthetic, without window if you prefer more sound dampening. I have the latter and I'm very satisfied with it. 

 

Anyway, the corsair 750D isn't in the same thing in any way, it's a much larger case and there's little sound dampening at all. It's optimized for fitting a large number of components whereas the Fractal R4 is optimised for silent operation, so they serve completely different purposes.

He's changed to the NZXT H440, which looks like a nice alternative to the R4. I'd still go R4 myself since it has more wire management space and I have a lot of hard drives at the moment.

[Andre S. Veteran]

Case: NZXT H440 (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.99 @ NCIX US)

That's an interesting choice, you are aware that this has no externally accessible bays whatsoever, right? Also the abundance of fans on this means this is probably not as silent as the Fractal R4, and it seems more expensive, so I'm not convinced it's a better value, but it's a brand new case with not a lot of reviews yet so perhaps it's good. Probably a better choice than the Corsair 750D anyway.

[gohpep]

That's an interesting choice, you are aware that this has no externally accessible bays whatsoever, right? Also the abundance of fans on this means this is probably not as silent as the Fractal R4, and it seems more expensive, so I'm not convinced it's a better value, but it's a brand new case with not a lot of reviews yet so perhaps it's good. Probably a better choice than the Corsair 750D anyway.

I don't care for sound dampening that much, and I don't use externally accessible bays, as I use a few USB 3.0 drives. I'll change my case to the R4 as per your recommendations.

[riahc3]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2978/amd-s-12-core-magny-cours-opteron-6174-vs-intel-s-6-core-xeon

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2978/amd-s-12-core-magny-cours-opteron-6174-vs-intel-s-6-core-xeon/15

The bottom line is: is this twelve-core Opteron a good deal? For users waiting to use it in a workstation we have our doubts. You?ll benefit from the extra cores when rendering complex scenes, but in all other scenarios (quick simple rendering, modeling) the higher clocked and higher IPC Xeon X5600 series is simply the better choice

Ah OK, its interior tech. Understood :)

 

Please point out where I said that every Windows version has the same defrag tool.

The defrag in W7 is based on really old software.

What I meant is that the defrag is not updated after the release of a Windows version.

More FUD:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Defragmenter_(Windows)

Every Windows version's defrag tool has changed

 

I think you're confused. First you state that you let windows defragment itself, but then say that "If you defrag at all in 2014, its basically because you are either paranoid, doing something terribly wrong, or your HDD is damaged and you think it is fragmentation". Do you or do you not defrag in 2014?

You answered your own question: Windows defrags itself so you, the end user dont have to.

I think you are the one that is confused; Your Windows isnt fragmented.  Like I mentioned, Ive had countless Windows 7 installs on not only my PCs but other PCs and there is no need to defrag on a Windows 7 machine.

 

 

 

 

Riach told me it wasn't the best case. So, I went with a case I had before.

I never said such a thing. I just felt that windows cases looked horrible after a while. There are some great window cases out there :) For the case, you can pretty much go with anything that cools correctly, with or without a window. Thats is personaly preference. Im just stating that I got tired of a window after years.

 

I think that this defragmenter conversation is getting out of hand. Windows defrag just works out of the box, and alternatives can be better. This is the same with almost everything on the system.

The problem is that a user is trying to convince someone else that you need to defrag from Windows standard tool and/or using third part software. That is NOT neccesary anymore in 2014 as it is done automatically in the background and is unnoticable to the user.

Here is my Windows 8.1 machine:

We are about 5 months in. Is 5 months where I program, test VMs, website, etc. enough to frag my drive? Or do you want to see it in another 12 months where it is going to say EXACTLY the same thing?

[T3X4S]

Someone said SSDs are a waste of money ??  LOL 

My next system wont have ANY rotational drives...  and I wont waste a thing... especially time.

[psionicinversion]

I don't care for sound dampening that much, and I don't use externally accessible bays, as I use a few USB 3.0 drives. I'll change my case to the R4 as per your recommendations.

 

Dont listen to all these fools get whatever case you want, most of the time its down to personal preference. As long as it got a good cable management system so there isnt 1000 cable in you case and a cpl decent fans your fine.  Also the hybrid drive as a storage drive wont make any difference to speed as the flash memory in it stores commonly used things for faster execution which only really applies to windows and programs. Remember that for storage the drive is only as fast as the slowest part which is the mechanical platters. HD's have a "boost" where it can write at well over 100MB/s but it cant be sustained so will always drop down to 70-80ish during long writes.

 

With the sound card it depends on what speakers youve got if there really good id get a xonar if not onboard is fine. If you use good headphones alot then get a soundcard with a headphone AMP and the cheap xonars have that built in (the expensive ones should do to but have a look)

[Ambroos]

On the RAM: Tweakers.net (Dutch site) recently did a very extensive test and noticed that for Intel systems there is pretty much no difference between RAM speeds and latencies.

https://tweakers.net/reviews/3330/5/de-grote-tweakers-geheugentest-sneller-geheugen-en-games.html

 

My advice: go with some cheap 1600Mhz bars. You won't notice the difference and it's money better spent on something else.

[gohpep]

Dont listen to all these fools get whatever case you want, most of the time its down to personal preference. As long as it got a good cable management system so there isnt 1000 cable in you case and a cpl decent fans your fine. Also the hybrid drive as a storage drive wont make any difference to speed as the flash memory in it stores commonly used things for faster execution which only really applies to windows and programs. Remember that for storage the drive is only as fast as the slowest part which is the mechanical platters. HD's have a "boost" where it can write at well over 100MB/s but it cant be sustained so will always drop down to 70-80ish during long writes.

With the sound card it depends on what speakers youve got if there really good id get a xonar if not onboard is fine. If you use good headphones alot then get a soundcard with a headphone AMP and the cheap xonars have that built in (the expensive ones should do to but have a look)

The hybrid drive is cheaper than the 2TB black caviar drive, and I might be storing some large files on the hard drive.

I will probably use sony studio headphones and monitor speakers, but it will vary time from time.

[Luc2k]

The hybrid drive is cheaper than the 2TB black caviar drive, and I might be storing some large files on the hard drive.

I will probably use sony studio headphones and monitor speakers, but it will vary time from time.

Speaking of storage drives, you may consider this. Technically its purpose is not storage but I've been using the 3TB variant for 3 months and I haven't had any problems with it so far. It's among the fastest 7200RPM drives and it has a very good price/GB ratio. You can check my topic for more details and what other members had to say about it.

[tsupersonic]

I don't care for sound dampening that much, and I don't use externally accessible bays, as I use a few USB 3.0 drives. I'll change my case to the R4 as per your recommendations.

If that is the case, then why are you bothering with the Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler? Get something cheaper. You can also get a cheaper PSU that carries a 80+ Platinum rating. Consider this - Seasonic 660W 80+ Platinum (fully modular) for $120 AR.

 

I get this is your "dream" build, but remember computers get outdated, and they're not worth sinking huge amounts of money into (imo). Don't want to say how you should spend your money, but there is a way to get that kind of performance for way cheaper! Anyways, you put together a nice build, I'm sure you'll enjoy it! 

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

$2k is nowhere near your dream build actually is it? My AMD dream build* came close to $4k already, Intel must be a lot higher.

[Andre S. Veteran]

Thread cleaned, please keep your off-topic comments and insults for yourselves. 

[T3X4S]

$2k is nowhere near your dream build actually is it? My AMD dream build* came close to $4k already, Intel must be a lot higher.

IMO there is 2 kinds of "dream PC" - there is the dream PC where it is possible it might become a reality, and then there is the "priced be damned, Im going nuts with this build"

$4000 which is crazy, but doable - then $20,000 just going nuts.

[riahc3]

Thread cleaned, please keep your off-topic comments and insults for yourselves. 

Thank you and I apoligize for making this go off-topic.

 

Also, alwaysonacoffebreak, you just paid for a server. A gaming machine cost nowhere near that :)

[gohpep]

If that is the case, then why are you bothering with the Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 93.3 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler? Get something cheaper. You can also get a cheaper PSU that carries a 80+ Platinum rating. Consider this - Seasonic 660W 80+ Platinum (fully modular) for $120 AR.

I get this is your "dream" build, but remember computers get outdated, and they're not worth sinking huge amounts of money into (imo). Don't want to say how you should spend your money, but there is a way to get that kind of performance for way cheaper! Anyways, you put together a nice build, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

I'll look into the power supply, thanks. I just got a recommendation from someone, and I thought it would be very good, since I don't to install anything giant like the h100i, and it still cools quite well, and on the plus side, it is quiet.

Thanks, I sure will enjoy it. I'll be sure to make it flexible for upgrades in the future, along with future proofing as necessary. Thanks again.

[gohpep]

$2k is nowhere near your dream build actually is it? My AMD dream build* came close to $4k already, Intel must be a lot higher.

It's not my ultimate dream build. This is my practical dream build.