Hello - I have recently purchased all of my parts for my new gaming computer. This was my first complete build that I have done, and will be assembling it in 2 days (Christmas night fun.) Here are my parts:
CPU: Intel i7 3770k
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Formula USB 3.0
Graphics Card: EVGA gtx 680 FTW+ 4GB
Memory: G.SKILL Trident X @ 2400mHz
Storage: 2TB Seagate Constellation @ 7200 rpm
Boot Storage: 120GB Intel 330 SSD
PSU: Corsair HX 850w
CPU cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE Black
Optical Drive: LG BluRay R/W
Mousepad: Xtrac XXL (it's 36" by 18" - it is amazing)
And for poops and giggles, Case: Fractal Design Define XL Titanium Grey USB 3.0
I plan on gaming heavily, editing video and audio, and lots of programming. I will have it going into a 24" Asus LED 1080p monitor (I plan on getting 2 more later next year) with a Rosewill 9100 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech g600 mouse. This is my first build, and, given the cost - over $2000 - I want it to last as long as possible for my uses. What would you say, on a scale of 1 to 10 - 1 being the lowest - is the longevity and performance of this machine? I realize there are lots of threads here about "Rate my machine" and "How good is this?" but I would really appreicate the feedback. Any suggestions for upgrades, such as additional storage/SSD and HDD, sound cards, or anything else. Thanks for the advice.
1. No just kiddin'. 8 possibly? Don't forget that unlike a console, you can rip parts out of a pc and upgrade them and evolve them. So this will last you 3,4 maybe 5 years but afterwards you can simply upgrade. Couldn't you get the 690? Just a thought.
Well it's hard to tell how future proof a system is, mainly because there is no such thing as future proof as there will always be something better coming!
Though the system looks to be pretty ballin! If you plan on gaming on 3 monitors though, a second GPU would not go a miss.
You could hold out for Haswell on the 1150 platform. Instead of going for IvyBridge.
The 690 would have required me to cut out the quality of some of my other parts. My 680 was $549.99 and the 690 was $1049.99 (at the time.) It was more economical.
I have already bought all of these parts, Zanginator. I may build a second PC on the Haswell platform sometime next year, after I have time to save up some money and see the new series of CPU and GPU release.
There is no such thing as "future-proof" for high-performance tasks. Sure, if you're writing Word documents then this machine will be "future-proof" for decades.
It is more economical and a better value to buy a $1000 rig two years in a row than to buy a single $2000 rig and use it for two years in a row.
The only thing setting you back from a 10 is the fact that Windows 8 (and/or beyond) may reshape the type (not the performance) of computer hardware people use and you mentioned you did programming. Assuming you code for a living, you'll no doubt run into a client that will want a Windows 8 app at some point.
In terms of raw performance with gaming and video editing and shit like that, you're going to be set for at least 5 years before you can't play games at 1080p on high settings.
Also, the Fractal Design Define XL R2 is more of a downgrade than an upgrade from the original. There's more volume in the case but less places to put anything. It's basically a bigger R4 with the 2 more 5.25" bays or a bigger XL with 2 less 3.5" bays.