# My build for under $2,000. Advice and Suggestions welcome!



## theseeg (Jun 11, 2012)

Here is my list of components for my new project!!!

Motherboard:
ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU:
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820

CPU Fan/Heatsink:
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel ...

Memory:
2 x CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4X1600C9G

GPU:
DIAMOND 7970PE53G Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

PSU:
OCZ ZX Series 850W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 ...

Storage:
2 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case:
Antec Eleven Hundred Black Super Mid Tower Computer Case

Drives:
2 x LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS90 - OEM

Cooling/Accessories:
4 x Antec 761345-75026-4 120mm Red LED Case Fan 
3 x Antec Accent Lighting - Red

Total Cost: $1,962.37

What do yall think? I was aiming for a significantly powerful build under 2k

Any suggestions to keep power and maybe reduce cost even more!!!


----------



## puma99dk| (Jun 11, 2012)

what u gonna use ur pc for? if gaming is the answer i would take a LGA1155 setup with a Ivy Bridge i7-3770K, Z77 board and a GTX 680 gpu.


----------



## Dent1 (Jun 11, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Storage:
> 2 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive



Your HDD is overpriced. You can find a similar spec'd one much cheaper. 


It's refurbished but you get warranty.

Refurbished: Western Digital AV-GP WD10EURS 1TB 64...

You are not into refurbished stuff, you can get a 100% brand new one for $80, but you'll be dropping down to 32MB cache. But I doubt it will make a difference to performance.

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cac...

Also the Antec 761345-75026 120MM can isn't the best. I wouldn't buy anything that is over 20dBA peak, unless you dont mind noise!


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

puma99dk| said:


> what u gonna use ur pc for? if gaming is the answer i would take a LGA1155 setup with a Ivy Bridge i7-3770K, Z77 board and a GTX 680 gpu.



This build is for CAD work and gaming so I am kinda set on the Sandy Bridge set up


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Dent1 said:


> Your HDD is overpriced. You can find a similar spec'd one much cheaper.
> 
> 
> It's refurbished but you get warranty.
> ...



I would go with refurbished but they only have 1 in stock lol I am trying to RAID 2 1TB


----------



## LAN_deRf_HA (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> This build is for CAD work and gaming so I am kinda set on the Sandy Bridge set up



I've yet to see a benchmark that didn't put the 3770k ahead of the 3820. If you're not going to fork out for a 6 core it's probably more efficient to just get higher density ram on Z77.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> I've yet to see a benchmark that didn't put the 3770k ahead of the 3820. If you're not going to fork out for a 6 core it's probably more efficient to just get higher density ram on Z77.



What do you mean? Wont higher density RAM need me to overclock?


----------



## t_ski (Jun 12, 2012)

Higher density = more GB's, not higher speeds


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

t_ski said:


> Higher density = more GB's, not higher speeds



Oh gotchya

32gig aint enought for CAD?!


----------



## t_ski (Jun 12, 2012)

Depends on what you're cadding


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Building Infrastructure Modeling


----------



## Dent1 (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> I would go with refurbished but they only have 1 in stock lol I am trying to RAID 2 1TB



Don't bother raiding a mechanical drive, get an SSD as you are guaranteed reliable and consistent speeds without the read/write dropping. Also the access speeds will be instantaneous which is what you want for installing your OS and CAD software on.

Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Int...


I would just get a single 2TB just for storing your general files and backup.


PS found these 2TB drive Seagate Barracuda is the same price and spec as the 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black you had in your basket.


Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB *5900 RPM* 64MB Cache
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB *7200 RPM *64MB Cache



theseeg said:


> This build is for CAD work and gaming so I am kinda set on the Sandy Bridge set up



Why? Ivy Bridge is faster and newer

Note: View edits above.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Dent1 said:


> Don't bother raiding a mechanical drive, get an SSD as you are guaranteed reliable and consistent speeds without the read/write dropping. Also the access speeds will be instantaneous which is what you want for installing your OS and CAD software on.
> 
> I would just get a single 2TB just for storing your general files and backup.
> 
> ...



Thanks man! I think I will go with a 2TB storage

Now I need to find an SSD with enough space to hold the OS, Several CAD Softwares, and Diablo3


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

I have a similar build and I highly recommend faster memory vs more memory, SB-E handles 2133 to 2400 pretty well. Personally 4x4Gb of G.Skill Ripjawz at 2133 (9-11-10-28) runs really well and will run up to 2333 10-11-10-28-1T really well, also at least that way if you need more memory, you're already half way done with a faster set.




Dent1 said:


> Why? Ivy Bridge is faster and newer



Yes, it will also be outdated the second Haswell comes out. IVB-E is still on the way and my 3820 is somewhere between the 2700k and 3770k and if you're really pushing this CPU full power, the memory bandwidth is very helpful. X79 also has more upgrade paths where IVB stops hard and cold at the 3770k.

Obviously he likes the X79 platform, which really is a solid platform. Also Dent, just because the 3820 is "slower" than the 3770k doesn't mean it isn't a more feature filled platform. K edition IVB chips also don't support VT-d if virtualization is a big deal (which it is for me.)


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> I have a similar build and I highly recommend faster memory vs more memory, SB-E handles 2133 to 2400 pretty well. Personally 4x4Gb of G.Skill Ripjawz at 2133 (9-11-10-28) runs really well and will run up to 2333 10-11-10-28-1T really well, also at least that way if you need more memory, you're already half way done with a faster set.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I thought with the faster RAM needs the CPU to be overclocked? I was under the impression that if you dont over clock the CPU then the RAM will only run at the highest possible it can which is 1600 for my MB


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> I thought with the faster RAM needs the CPU to be overclocked? I was under the impression that if you dont over clock the CPU then the RAM will only run at the highest possible it can which is 1600 for my MB



My 3820 ran 2133 without any extra modification to CPU settings. Even stock VTT voltages were perfectly adequate for 2133mhz, just 1.65v on the DRAM, but that is what the sticks are also rated for. XMP kicked in no problem on my P9X79 Deluxe which I also recommend if you're not planning on doing LN2 clocking.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Dent1 said:


> Don't bother raiding a mechanical drive, get an SSD as you are guaranteed reliable and consistent speeds without the read/write dropping. Also the access speeds will be instantaneous which is what you want for installing your OS and CAD software on.
> 
> Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Int...
> 
> ...




Found this sick combo!!


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> My 3820 ran 2133 without any extra modification to CPU settings. Even stock VTT voltages were perfectly adequate for 2133mhz, just 1.65v on the DRAM, but that is what the sticks are also rated for. XMP kicked in no problem on my P9X79 Deluxe which I also recommend if you're not planning on doing LN2 clocking.



Right now I am working with the sabertooth x79


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Right now I am working with the sabertooth x79



Any particular reason? The Deluxe costs more (with more features,) but plenty of people like the Pro which is about the same price.

ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3...

I guess it is practically the same, do you really need the PCI slot on the Sabertooth because part of the reason why I like the Pro and Deluxe is because every slot is a PCI-E slot.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Any particular reason?



Reliability, warranty, and reputation 

since i wont be overclocking (for now) it seemed to be the best safe deal


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Reliability, warranty, and reputation
> 
> since i wont be overclocking (for now) it seemed to be the best safe deal



I think you need to check out Cadaveca's review on the P9X79 Deluxe, because he sold me on getting it and I absolutely love it. I was considering the Sabertooth and he convinced me out of it.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/P9X79_Deluxe/

Technically the Deluxe has 16 + 2 + 2 +2 power where the Sabertooth has 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 power but so does the pro. I'm just trying to sell you on what I have because I love it.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> I think you need to check out Cadaveca's review on the P9X79 Deluxe, because he sold me on getting it and I absolutely love it. I was considering the Sabertooth and he convinced me out of it.
> 
> http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/P9X79_Deluxe/
> 
> Technically the Deluxe has 16 + 2 + 2 +2 power where the Sabertooth has 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 power but so does the pro. I'm just trying to sell you on what I have because I love it.



Ive read it... You and him have sold me on it


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Ive read it... You and him have sold me on it



You won't be disappointed.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

now i need to find a video card... right now i have reduced my cost to $1,500 without video card.... what to do what to do


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> now i need to find a video card... right now i have reduced my cost to $1,500 without video card.... what to do what to do



Like nVidia? MSI N670GTX-PM2D2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bi...
Or AMD? MSI R7950 Twin Frozr 3GD5/OC Radeon HD 7950 3GB 38...

The 670 might be the better option if you can find it in stock, but I would go with a single powerful GPU over crossfire if you can avoid it since you're building this rig from scratch.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Like nVidia? MSI N670GTX-PM2D2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bi...
> Or AMD? MSI R7950 Twin Frozr 3GD5/OC Radeon HD 7950 3GB 38...
> 
> The 670 might be the better option if you can find it in stock, but I would go with a single powerful GPU over crossfire if you can avoid it since you're building this rig from scratch.



What about one tier down? Would that still produce enough for gaming and CAD?
like gtx5XX?


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

*Build change!*

Updated Build from input and more research:

Motherboard:
ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with USB BIOS

CPU:
Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820

CPU Fan/Heatsink:
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel ...

Memory:
2 x CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B

GPU:
MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

PSU:
OCZ ZX Series 850W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 ...

Storage:
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128D/AM 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit


Case:
Antec Eleven Hundred Black Super Mid Tower Computer Case

Drives:
2 x LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS90 - OEM

Cooling/Accessories:
4 x Antec 761345-75024-0 120mm Blue LED Case Fan
3 x Antec Accent Lighting - Blue

Total Cost: $1,687.18

I feel like this construct allows for more money in the pocket and still keeping a pretty powerful computer

Now what do yall think of the changed buil?


----------



## lilhasselhoffer (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> What about one tier down? Would that still produce enough for gaming and CAD?
> like gtx5XX?



That's not one tier down.  That'd be two tiers minimum.

The 5xx series is built on older manufacturing tech.  It is, necessarily, less power efficient, louder, and cheaper.  

Dropping from a x7x to a x6x series is generally one tier.  In all but the lowest end of cards, the underlying structure is likely to have changed (read: old 5770 AMD cards were rebranded to 6770, rather than updated), and thus this is only likely to be a slight drop in performance.


So, a 560 drops a minimum of two "tiers" when compared to a 670.  You'll consume more power, and produce more heat.  The 670 might be more up-front, but it'll likely do you way better in the future.


----------



## rectifryer (Jun 12, 2012)

I like all of it except for the fans.  I would pick up some noctuas as I recently have due to advice from this forum and they are quiet.  I'd probably opt for an aluminum Lian Li or NZXT case but thats just me.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

lilhasselhoffer said:


> That's not one tier down.  That'd be two tiers minimum.
> 
> The 5xx series is built on older manufacturing tech.  It is, necessarily, less power efficient, louder, and cheaper.
> 
> ...



I see your point... Now would you get a 2g 5XX or a 1g 6XX?

Ha they dont make 1g 6XX!


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

I believe I am going to go with EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card


----------



## lilhasselhoffer (Jun 12, 2012)

theseeg said:


> I believe I am going to go with EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card



You should read W1zz's review of the Asus direct copper 2 card: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_670_Direct_Cu_II/33.html.

If I was buying now, that'd be where I spent my money.


----------



## MxPhenom 216 (Jun 12, 2012)

lilhasselhoffer said:


> You should read W1zz's review of the Asus direct copper 2 card: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_670_Direct_Cu_II/33.html.
> 
> If I was buying now, that'd be where I spent my money.



No you wouldn't Evga FTW card is a better buy. its more reliable and my cousins is boosting to 1215 without touching anything. the DirectCU II GTX670 top cards are having a lot of issues. RSOD with GPUtweak and then not being stable at all at stock clocks.


----------



## lilhasselhoffer (Jun 12, 2012)

nvidiaintelftw said:


> No you wouldn't Evga FTW card is a better buy. its more reliable and my cousins is boosting to 1215 without touching anything. the DirectCU II GTX670 top cards are having a lot of issues. RSOD with GPUtweak and then not being stable at all at stock clocks.



Perhaps you can show me where you pull this assertion from?

If there's some information that I am missing, please enlighten me.  It sounds like you like EVGA, which is a 100% valid reason to buy a card.  Anecdotal experience on overclocking a single card from "my cousin" isn't realistically reliable.

I guess what I'm trying to say is "sway me."  W1zz does a fine job here, and I trust his results more than an unfounded assertion of superiority.  I'd love to know more, at the expense of being wrong, but I don't see the support...


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 12, 2012)

Since you have the extra money, I recommend spending a little more on the P9X79 Deluxe instead of the Pro. If you plan on overclocking and/or eventually upgrading to a 6-core (or 8-core if IVB-E ends up sporting that,) the Deluxe's 16 + 2 + 2 + 2 CPU Power VRMs will provide more consistent power. Voltage fluctuation on my Deluxe are practically non-existent and it is always happy to eat more power if it wants it. Also if the computer isn't going to be next to your router, the Deluxe comes with a Bluetooth and Wifi addon card that goes in with the I/O panel and it works very well and has Linux support out of the box if that is any interest to you. Also more VRM power phases means lower VRM temperatures.

Since you're already spending that much on the motherboard, I figured I might as well go with the nicest. I suggest the same since you have the a very wide budget with your current hardware selection and it will only cost something like 40 USD more than the Pro.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 12, 2012)

I would like to get the ASUS one but it is not available but i have looked into the EVGA 670 FTW and it actually looks pretty good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRKqGww5M-0&feature=related

This guy talks about it in this BF3 video....
This card is impressive


----------



## theseeg (Jun 14, 2012)

Thank you all for the input. I have put my order in today and here is my final build:

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with USB BIOS

Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820

EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel ...

4 x Antec 761345-75024-0 120mm Blue LED Case Fan

Antec Eleven Hundred Black Super Mid Tower Computer Case

Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

3 x Antec Accent Lighting - Blue

OCZ ZX Series 850W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7

total cost = $1,860.18

SUCCESS!!!!


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 14, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Thank you all for the input. I have put my order in today and here is my final build:
> 
> ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
> 
> ...



Just as a heads up, with that CPU and memory, you might have to flash the bios before the system will actually boot. You'll want to use the push-to-flash button on the motherboard before you do anything else after you put everything together, so don't freak out if it does't boot out of the box. This is what happened with me with the same CPU and Memory on the Deluxe, so I suspect the same might happen to you.

Good luck, you're about to build a beautiful computer. Throw us some pictures when you get the stuff and you start to build it.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 14, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Just as a heads up, with that CPU and memory, you might have to flash the bios before the system will actually boot. You'll want to use the push-to-flash button on the motherboard before you do anything else after you put everything together, so don't freak out if it does't boot out of the box. This is what happened with me with the same CPU and Memory on the Deluxe, so I suspect the same might happen to you.
> 
> Good luck, you're about to build a beautiful computer. Throw us some pictures when you get the stuff and you start to build it.



Will do pictures will probably be up next week!

What do you mean i have to flash the bios? Why do I have to do this?


----------



## nleksan (Jun 14, 2012)

I like what you have set up so far for your build, and I too was torn between IVB and SB-E but I went for the latter and don't regret it for a second! 
Have you considered any other cases? I imagine that you may entertain the idea of liquid cooling down the road, and if you do, there are better options in the same price range. 
I am partial to the NZXT Switch 810, and their HALE90 series of Power Supplies are superb! 
You may also want to consider stepping up a notch in equipment for air cooling, meaning better fans (not to sound like a fanboy, but nzxt fans are great; the Akasa and B-Gears are superb). 

Right now you can get the WD Cav Black 1TB for 99 on Newegg, so you might check that out. 

Everything else is pure, unadulterated Win! Good luck and enjoy in good health!


----------



## Aquinus (Jun 14, 2012)

theseeg said:


> Will do pictures will probably be up next week!
> 
> What do you mean i have to flash the bios? Why do I have to do this?



I'm not sure exactly what the BIOS that comes with the board has trouble with but when I booted it on my Deluxe, it was getting stuck of DRAM initialization. It's really Easy, just follow the instructions and it's as easy as plugging a USB drive into the motherboard and pressing the button. It can even do it without the CPU or RAM installed.



nleksan said:


> I like what you have set up so far for your build, and I too was torn between IVB and SB-E but I went for the latter and don't regret it for a second!
> Have you considered any other cases? I imagine that you may entertain the idea of liquid cooling down the road, and if you do, there are better options in the same price range.
> I am partial to the NZXT Switch 810, and their HALE90 series of Power Supplies are superb!
> You may also want to consider stepping up a notch in equipment for air cooling, meaning better fans (not to sound like a fanboy, but nzxt fans are great; the Akasa and B-Gears are superb).
> ...


He already bought the hardware. Also I'm perfectly happy with every Antec case I've bought.


----------



## theseeg (Jun 14, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> I'm not sure exactly what the BIOS that comes with the board has trouble with but when I booted it on my Deluxe, it was getting stuck of DRAM initialization. It's really Easy, just follow the instructions and it's as easy as plugging a USB drive into the motherboard and pressing the button. It can even do it without the CPU or RAM installed.
> 
> 
> He already bought the hardware. Also I'm perfectly happy with every Antec case I've bought.



so instructions on how to do it come with the Mobo?

And yeah im stoked with this antec case i have heard good things


----------



## theseeg (Jun 14, 2012)

Need help from all to start brainstorming names for this lil beast im about to put together


----------



## nleksan (Jun 15, 2012)

Actually I was considering the 1100, it's not a bad case by any means. I just felt like it didn't have the expansion I'd need.


----------

