Ok, so I want my PC to be red/black/gray themed, I think i got it looking pretty good.
I pretty much got my mind set on an AMD CPU for the best bang for the buck, as well as best future proofing for the MOBO. (AMD doesn't change their CPU sockets like hot plates.)
Here is the link, check it out. (now updated from comments so far)
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/MaskedSmitty/saved/25OM
I plan on replacing the case fans and the CPU heatsink fans with those sexy corsairs! (with red snap-ons)
Also want to spray paint the white sli slot-holders on the case matte black, maybe get some darker tint on the glass/ plastic panel then highlight it with some red L.E.D strips, one on top and one on bottom.
The choice of video cards can be open for discussion, but I feel I got a pair of badasses right there.
Aside from my personal tastes, I would like some feedback on what the reader's opinions are on things like part compatibility. Is there a better price/ performance ratio on a certain part, a question I have in particular would be a concern about the new corsair vengeance pro RAM sticks maybe having space issues with the huge ass heat sink.
LETS DISCUSS...
Personally i would go for the ASUS GTX 680 which is the single card solution, then save for SLI if you do see it necessary
Yai think you will be better of with a 680 and adding an ssd http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1nI3r
you could also go with a slightly cheaper cooler (just as good) and then get a more stoarge oriantead drive http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1nI5r
Don't get a 680. The 770 is it's equivilant BUT!! it's cheaper, and has a much faster base memory clock. [Pardon that one 680 that's under $400... the rest are over priced. But yes that 680 may be better]
A single GPU is usually better. A single 770 is infact is enough to play 99% of games on max 1080p settings. That and if you really need that performance down the road you can get another one. Where as the SLI config will bottleneck at 2 and 2+ card because of amds limited PCIe lanes.
But if a 760 SLI combo costs $100 more and gives way more performance (comparible to the 780) I don't see how the 770 is a better choice for price/performance ratio.
I actually had a 770 on the parts list before I saw a video on the benefits of lower end SLI.
not every game supports sli and some games have spotty support.But yes two 760's can net you better fps. than conventional line of thought is to get the fastest single gpu you can for your build unless you can afford two high end gpus ie two 780's or two 7970's. I think we would have an easier time recommending 2 760's if you got two 4 gb cards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125470&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=)
with this http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1nP0D you would be able to play on more than one monitor with a good vram head room.
Yes it does offer a much better price to performance ratio but think about it. Are you going to see a difference between 80fps and 120fps on what i'd assume he has to be a 60hz monitor? Not at all,
SLI will perform better but it'll consume more power, Be overkill in the majority of games, output more heat, and it doesn't allow for expandability as much as a single card purchase.
Point being a single 770 is a fantastic choice and the extra $100 you spend could be put towards otherthings, or just put in the bank- Everyone loves saving money right?
That and know the 8350 only has 24PCIe 2.0 lanes the 2nd card will be running on 8x 2.0 (A slight bottleneck) assuming he doesn't have another card (E.G. sound card) taking up other lanes
This would be sick, and you can add sli later. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1nQtW
I would get this though and just upgrade the card in 3 years or so. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1nQA1
The Arc Midi R2 comes tinted.
Damn, really? The top tier AMD CPU can't use SLI efficiently? If you're right, that's a bummer.
EDIT: Should I go for an Intel CPU after all?
I really like the look of that cooler! :D But it looks a little slimmer than my orignal one.
Is the 4gb necessary? I was considering adding 4gb originally but I had a second thought that the performance of the GPU would run out before the Vram.
Yea, I do like that CPU cooler. Thanks for the idea. :D
The community really seems to like the Dark Knight CPU cooler, hehe.
You got me thinking maybe Intel could be a possibility, I just don't like the fact that they disrespect their consumers by changing the CPU socket every release (making fans have to buy a new CPU AND MOBO) It just don't sit right with me....
4 gb is not necessary for 1 monitor but it will help if you want to run 3 monitors you should have more than 2gb per card. if you plan to only run 1 monitor with those gpu's 2gb is fine. it just depends what you want our of your system.
the dark knight cooler has a ceramic coating on it that makes it perform close to an Noctua NH-D14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMB93_upUmI
Thanks for your comments bros!
But now I am conflicted on the choice of CPU, right now I have it on the 6300 because it seems to still be a good price/performance ratio.
My question is do I need a more powerful CPU to run SLI, would Intel be better suited?
Well, IDK if this counts... I plan on having two monitors but only one to display games with a desktop monitor to watch youtube videos and read forums. So does that count as a two monitor setup, and does it put more strain on the cards?
Go for an i5: you'll most likely enjoy its amazing chipset features and performance
With the i5 you'll be using x8 3.0 when in SLI or CF which at current is NOT a bottleneck for games. It's fast, so you really won't need to overclock much if at all... I'm using a 7970 with 3570k and there is no need for me to overclock for games... yet. on the z87 chipset you get tons of sata 3 ports which is nice! and it's really just a robust chipset all around when compared to 990fx.
As for you not liking the inability to upgrade easily, well, to be fair there is no need to upgrade when they push out a new chipset and getting a new motherboard every two or three years isn't that bad IMHO. But go with what sits well for you.
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Killerfrenzy96/saved/262C
That's my try on it.
The ceramic coating does not improve thermals, it improves looks, and increases thermals.