Building a multimedia "battlestation"

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web, Gaming, Movies, Streams, Music, Light Photoshop/Video editing.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I'd like to keep this as most bang for budget as possible, I'll be happy with 97% performance at a fraction of the price. With that being said, I'm hoping to keep it around $1,500 if possible

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
USA, Delaware - I live 50 minutes from Microcenter.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Monitor (1) -
Monitor (2) -
Monitor (3) -
Case -
Mobo -
CPU
GPU (1) -
GPU (2 - optional) -
Memory -
SSD -
DVD Burner -
PSU -
Mouse -
Mousepad -
Keyboard -

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
HDD - Already own a Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
HSF - Already own a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ Plus

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
(3) 1920x1080p

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as the build is finalized, I've been scouring for deals everyday.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Crossfire/SLI support, USB 3.0, Sata 6.0Gb/s, HDMI

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

Here is what's on my mind right now:

$150 Monitor (1) - ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
$150 Monitor (2) - ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
$150 Monitor (3) - ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
$150 Case - Undecided
$180 Mobo - ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3
$180 CPU - i5 2500K
$245 GPU (1) - XFX HD-695X-CNFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB
$43 Memory - G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
$177 SSD - Crucial M4 128GB
$18 DVD Burner - Lite-On 24X SATA
$90 PSU - Corsair HX650
$42 Mouse - Logitech G400
$10 Mousepad - Steelseries QcK
$100 Keyboard - Undecided

~Total = $1,685

Questions:

Do I need to go to a two video card solution to be able to have all 3 monitors, and a TV hooked up at one time?

Is going with a GEN3 motherboard even a smart futureproof decision? In the case I upgrade the GPU's later on etc.

 

[tiraides]

Answering your questions first:

1) With a Z68 board, you may be able to use the onboard GPU to connect the TV to your system. Your video card will support three monitors on its own, but one of those monitors must be connected using the DisplayPort. (May I ask why you want four monitor connnected at the same time? What will you use for gaming?)

2) A GEN3 motherboard will offer PCI-E 3.0 support, but you also need a PCI-E video card (so far, only the new Radeon HD 79xx cards) and an Ivy Bridge processor (Sandy Bridge only has an embedded PCI-E 2.x controller).

What features are you looking for in your case and keyboard? Some of the newer keyboards with mechanical switches may cost more than $100.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

Answering your questions first:

1) With a Z68 board, you may be able to use the onboard GPU to connect the TV to your system. Your video card will support three monitors on its own, but one of those monitors must be connected using the DisplayPort. (May I ask why you want four monitor connnected at the same time? What will you use for gaming?)

This computer will be in a centralized location with a Home Theater/Speaker setup. My goal is to have fully functioning 3 monitor PC, with a feed from the PC to my receiver/TV to have a forth display which is likely to be either a movie, or another internet stream etc. Something along the lines of this.

2) A GEN3 motherboard will offer PCI-E 3.0 support, but you also need a PCI-E video card (so far, only the new Radeon HD 79xx cards) and an Ivy Bridge processor (Sandy Bridge only has an embedded PCI-E 2.x controller).

So just for clarification, in order to receive benefit from PCIE 3.0, you not only need a 3.0 GPU, but you also will need a Ivy Bridge processor? I was just trying to future proof myself as much as it seemed logical seeing as a majority of this computers use will be for gaming.

What features are you looking for in your case and keyboard? Some of the newer keyboards with mechanical switches may cost more than $100.

I'm currently looking at $132 Corsair 500R. That is currently highest on my list. At that price point, I'm not sure if spending an extra 30-40 bucks gets me to another level.

I've also never owned a mechanical keyboard, but I know everyone and their mom swears by them - I'm interested in purchasing my first one. $100 was just a ballpark, I'm still up in the air on them as I haven't done a ton of research yet.

 

[Dangman]

My goal is to have fully functioning 3 monitor PC, with a feed from the PC to my receiver/TV to have a forth display which is likely to be either a movie, or another internet stream etc.

Now are you planning on gaming using all three PC monitors at the same time or will you be gaming only on one monitor?

So just for clarification, in order to receive benefit from PCIE 3.0, you not only need a 3.0 GPU, but you also will need a Ivy Bridge processor? I was just trying to future proof myself as much as it seemed logical seeing as a majority of this computers use will be for gaming.

Correct. However do note that it'll be a long while before PCI-E 3.0 will be really needed if you're talking about a single GPU setup.

 

[tiraides]

I'm currently looking at $132 Corsair 500R. That is currently highest on my list. At that price point, I'm not sure if spending an extra 30-40 bucks gets me to another level.

Out of your list, what are your three favorite cases?

I've also never owned a mechanical keyboard, but I know everyone and their mom swears by them - I'm interested in purchasing my first one. $100 was just a ballpark, I'm still up in the air on them as I haven't done a ton of research yet.

Take a look at the Mechanical Keyboard Guide for some ideas.

 

[Dangman]

Oh and btw: If you get that mobo from Microcenter at the same time you buy the 2500K, MC will knock off $50 off the motherboard's MC cost. So the motherboard you chose will actually be about $135 plus tax as shown here (in the middle of the left hand side):
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/57e09b6d#/57e09b6d/27

EDIT: You can technically get PCI-E 3.0 capability right now if you go for a Sandy-Bridge E setup. However, the cheapest Sandy Bridge-E CPU costs around $600. And then there's the $400+ motherboards.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

Now are you planning on gaming using all three PC monitors at the same time or will you be gaming only on one monitor?

Correct. However do note that it'll be a long while before PCI-E 3.0 will be really needed if you're talking about a single GPU setup.

As of right now, I will only be gaming on one monitor, however if it's practical I'd like to have the future possibility of gaming on all 3.

Noted.

Out of your list, what are your three favorite cases?


Take a look at the Mechanical Keyboard Guide for some ideas.

The 500R, 650D, and P280 seem to be pretty good cases. I didn't want to spend more than $150ish on a case, and I don't like fancy bling LEDs etc. I've always owned a Lian Li, I'd like something different.

Oh and btw: If you get that mobo from Microcenter at the same time you buy the 2500K, MC will knock off $50 off the motherboard's MC cost. So the motherboard you chose will actually be about $135 plus tax as shown here (in the middle of the left hand side):
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/57e09b6d#/57e09b6d/27

EDIT: You can technically get PCI-E 3.0 capability right now if you go for a Sandy-Bridge E setup. However, the cheapest Sandy Bridge-E CPU costs around $600. And then there's the $400+ motherboards.

That's awesome news on the saving of $50, I don't think that motherboard can be beat for the price. Although I am now considering the -V LX. It appears to have pretty much everything except it only supports Crossfire and not SLI.

 

[Dangman]

As of right now, I will only be gaming on one monitor, however if it's practical I'd like to have the future possibility of gaming on all 3.

If you're planning on playing on all 3 monitors, you may have to turn down the settings to a mixture of medium to low. If you want high settings, just make sure that the motherboard you're going supports Crossfire as you'll probably need a second HD 6950 if you're planning on only buying one HD 6950 for now.

That's awesome news on the saving of $50, I don't think that motherboard can be beat for the price. Although I am now considering the -V LX. It appears to have pretty much everything except it only supports Crossfire and not SLI.

Don't bother with the -V LX: It appears that it is not as reliable as the -V/GEN 3 as shown by these Newegg reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Even if the -V LX was as good as the -V/GEN 3 in terms of quality, in terms of features, the -V LX doesn't have a lot compared to the -V/GEN3:
- The -V/GEN3 has better overclocking capability IIRC.
- The -V/GEN3 comes with a better quality and faster LAN transferring NIC thats easily worth an extra $30 alone.
- The -V/GEN3 comes with two onboard internal USB 3.0 ports. As such, if you get a case like the 500R which has two front panel USB 3.0 ports, you'll actually get USB 3.0 capability out of those front ports
- Rear eSATA port
- Two extra rear USB 2.0 ports
- SLI Support
- Bluetooth support
- When using Crossfire, the first and second PCI-E x16 ports operate at x16 and x4 speeds respectively. With the -V/GEN3, both PCI-E x16 slots operate at x8 speeds each. As such, you'll get higher Crossfire prformance with the -V/GEN3

So you get all of that plus higher quality and stability for an extra $50

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

If you're planning on playing on all 3 monitors, you may have to turn down the settings to a mixture of medium to low. If you want high settings, just make sure that the motherboard you're going supports Crossfire as you'll probably need a second HD 6950 if you're planning on only buying one HD 6950 for now.

Don't bother with the -V LX
So you get all of that plus higher quality and stability for an extra $50

That was my thought process on the video card. My concern is the HX650 won't be enough to power everything and two 6950's if I did decide to crossfire. Might I be better giving myself more headroom from the get go? I'd say there is probably only a 30% chance that I go for Crossfire.

With the Z68 chipset, is it possible to have the three monitors powered by the 6950, and the HD 3000 on the 2500K power the TV? I'm not exactly sure how that works. AFAIK the video card can only support 3 active displays.

Point well taken on the motherboard, the extra money does seem well worth it.

I'm also still undecided on case. I went into a local CompUSA today to check out what they had. They actually have the 500R for $110, I saw it in person and while it looks nice, I wasn't entirely blown away. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I'm still considering all options on a case.

 

[Dangman]

That was my thought process on the video card. My concern is the HX650 won't be enough to power everything and two 6950's if I did decide to crossfire. Might I be better giving myself more headroom from the get go? I'd say there is probably only a 30% chance that I go for Crossfire.

Yeah might as well give yourself more headroom from the get go. Especially if it's cheaper: If you don't need a modular PSU, this is an excellent deal for 8GB of RAM and a good 750W PSU:
$128 - G.Skill Sniper F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Corsair 750TX V2 750W PSU Combo

Yes the Corsair 750TX V2 is more than enough for HD 6950 Crossfire.

With the Z68 chipset, is it possible to have the three monitors powered by the 6950, and the HD 3000 on the 2500K power the TV? I'm not exactly sure how that works. AFAIK the video card can only support 3 active displays.

Yes it is possible. I'm doing something similar myself: One of my monitors is connected to the motherboard's onboard video and the other two are connected to the dedicated card. It's basically as if you have two video cards in the PC.

I'm also still undecided on case. I went into a local CompUSA today to check out what they had. They actually have the 500R for $110, I saw it in person and while it looks nice, I wasn't entirely blown away. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I'm still considering all options on a case.

Some other options to look at:
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$125 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

Any insight on modular power supplies? I'd like to stick to that route. The obvious choice is HX750 and HX850, sometimes the 850 is even cheaper from a coupon and such. 850HX is 135 after MIR on the Egg.

 

[Dangman]

The HX750 is a tad overpriced right now at its shipped price of $156. If you're willing to buy outside of Newegg, I recommend these PSUs:
$125 - XFX PRO750W XXX 750W Modular PSU
$140 - NZXT HALE90-750-M 750W Modular PSU

However if you want to go really overkill and can buy immediately, there's a $15 off promo code (EMCNJGJ33) for the Corsair HX850 that knocks it down to $155 that expires today:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

But you honestly don't need a 850W PSU, even for HD 6950 Crossfire.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

I just picked up a HX750 for $126 shipped, and it has a $20 MIR on Newegg right now.

What do you guys think of the Corsair 500R? I can pick it up from my local CompUSA for $109. If I can find a good deal on a 650D that's probably my #1 right now, but they don't seem to be on sale anywhere or in the past. That or I could just save $50 bucks and pick up a decent Lian Li. They have served me well in the past, it's all I've ever bought.

I'm also considering the realization of how little I will probably end up triple monitor gaming. I might go down to dual monitors, but I'm not sure since monitors are so cheap for how much I'd watch/use them. I like the look of some of those new GTX 560 448 cores. Honestly, I'd like to stick to nVidia just because I prefer them. If I stick with a triple monitor setup, I'm more or less bound to ATI, correct?

 

[Dangman]

What do you guys think of the Corsair 500R? I can pick it up from my local CompUSA for $109. If I can find a good deal on a 650D that's probably my #1 right now, but they don't seem to be on sale anywhere or in the past. That or I could just save $50 bucks and pick up a decent Lian Li. They have served me well in the past, it's all I've ever bought.

The 500R is an excellent case, especially at $109.

I'm also considering the realization of how little I will probably end up triple monitor gaming. I might go down to dual monitors, but I'm not sure since monitors are so cheap for how much I'd watch/use them. I like the look of some of those new GTX 560 448 cores. Honestly, I'd like to stick to nVidia just because I prefer them. If I stick with a triple monitor setup, I'm more or less bound to ATI, correct?

No. Nvidia also allows you to play games across three monitors. Their version is called Surround. However the key difference is that you need to have two Nvidia cards to do so. At least with an AMD card, you can play on all three monitors using just one card, albeit at lower settings. Also, there's a possibility of running into VRAM issues with Nvidia cards depending on the game and settings. But you may have better driver Surround support with newly released games compared to AMD's Eyefinity drivers.

If you do want to do triple monitor gaming, want to stick with Nvidia, and don't mind turning down settings to avoid VRAM issues, this is the cheapest setup I can recommend:
$213 - Gigabyte GTX 560 TI 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$213 - Gigabyte GTX 560 TI 1GB PCI-E Video Card
---
Total: $426 shipped.

If you want higher performance:
$300 - eVGA 012-P3-2066-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores FTW 1280MB PCI-E Video Card
$300 - eVGA 012-P3-2066-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores FTW 1280MB PCI-E Video Card
-----
Total: $600 shipped.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

I'm interested in triple monitor + TV, and only single monitor gaming while sticking with Nvidia.

 

[E4g1e]

I'm interested in triple monitor + TV, and only single monitor gaming while sticking with Nvidia.

Current nVidia cards support only two monitors per card. Thus, you will need two cards in order to use three monitors.

 

[Dangman]

If you get a Z68 mobo that has DVI and HDMI, I think you can connect one monitor and TV to that.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

Just figured I'd update everyone on my thread, I've made a few purchases:

Monitor (1) - ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
Monitor (2) - ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
Case -
Mobo -
CPU -
HSF - Cooler Master Hyper 212+ Plus
GPU (1) - MSI N560GTX-Ti 448 Twin Frozer III
Memory - G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
SSD - Crucial M4 128GB
HDD - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
DVD Burner -
PSU - Corsair HX750
Mouse - Logitech G400
Mousepad - Steelseries QcK
Keyboard -

I've opted for only dual monitor for now, with the extension of the HD3000 for a third display which is likely going to be hooked up to my TV. Will be making my trip up to Microcenter this weekend for the 2500K and ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3. Still haven't had a chance to look much into mechanical keyboards, and I haven't pulled the trigger on a 500R yet, but still looking around.

Edit: I just called Microcenter, and they are telling me the 2500K is no longer eligible for bundle, only i7's. Can anyone confirm this? The sales associate on the phone said they just released a new ad, and that the 2500K is no longer included. This would be a big bummer for me

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

It appears correct

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/750770a3#/750770a3/27

Hmmm...

 

[Dangman]

Well that sucks.

 

[engiNURD]

Give it a month or so, maybe it'll come back.

 

[Topweasel]

I would shoot for a 2600k anyways. With all your doing a couple of those can get a benefit of hyper-threading and if your doing anything else while gaming hyper-threading should help negate the chance of a sever drop in frame rates as tools are competing for CPU cycles.

 

[Dangman]

The price difference between the 2600K and 2500K is about $50 once you factor in the $50 off deal for mobos purchased with the 2600K. Kinda worth it at that point.

 

[PrometheuSBoxeR]

Build is complete, running like a champion.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Nice. Looks good.

 

[Dangman]

Very nice. The color scheme kind of works together there.