$2,000 SLi Stereo 3D gaming PC (first build)

[steve71]

In a nutshell I want this to run my favorite car racing sims (iracing & Live for Speed) in 1080p/stereo 3D, never dropping below 120 fps (60 per eye) - quality settings maxed and with a full grid of cars.

Secondary use will be for HD video editing and perhaps as a HTPC. I'm sure I'll also try out the latest FPS games at some point, although the last time I played them, it was Quake III arena & Unreal Tournament.

Here's what I've come up with so far, not sure if it's all going to meet my expectations. Hell, I'm not even sure if it'll all work together.

Any suggestions to improve performance and/or save money are very welcome. So far the build totals $1981 after MIRs.

Noise is also a concern, I want this PC to be reasonable quite, but I guess if need be I can look at 3rd party cooling options after the fact.



Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower $49 (after MIR)

PSU: KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-1000MA1S 1000W ATX / BTX SLI BRONZE Certified Modular Power Supply $140

Mobo: BIOSTAR T5 XE CFX-SLI LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard $115

CPU: Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache Quad-Core Processor BX80601950 $295

RAM: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $120

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" $75

Pri Optical: LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support $80

Sec Optical: LITE-ON Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM DVD-ROM $22

VC: 2 x GIGABYTE SOS GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 $400 after MIR

Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid Black/orange 23.6" 2ms Widescreen 1080p 120Hz 3D LCD Monitor $370

3D Glasses: NVIDIA 3D Vision Glasses Kit $175

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $110

Keyboard: KeyTronic DESIGNER-P2 Black 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Standard Keyboard $30

[flanzig1]

For a PSU would look to a Corsair or Antec,
For the motherboard would look to an Asus.
For the HD, look to the WD Black and if you need a lot of storage add a big WD green.

[Nikon]

ok, few things:

60 fps is is the max your eyes can see. higher is pointless, and you dont add them together, they see the same set of images/second most monitors only go upto 60fps anyways.

you chose a socket 1156 mobo and a socket 1366 cpu, that wont work, they are physicly different. your best bet for cpu is the i7-870. this is a socket 1156 cpu.

a better choice on mobo would be the asus p7p55d-e pro for SLI. now on the sli note:
as good a value the 460 is, you are better off getting something like the 570, you want the single most powerful card you can get, then if you need more, get another one.

the memory you picked is tripple channel, for use with the 900 series intel chips. 800 series uses dual channel memory, a-data, kingston, crucial, and corsair are preferred brands.

the best hdd for gaming would be a wd caviar black. sata 6gbps is preferrable.

ehhh... ill edit later if i see more.... cooking atm =D

[steve71]

Originally Posted by flanzig1 For a PSU would look to a Corsair or Antec, For the motherboard would look to an Asus. For the HD, look to the WD Black and if you need a lot of storage add a big WD green.

Thanks for the reply flanzig1!

I had originally picked out an Asus mobo and Corsair PSU combo (see below), but was trying to save some cash. I know that mobo and PSU's are not the place to skimp, but the one's I selected above seemed to get great reviews on newegg.

So should I go with this combo deal (PSU & Mobo) ?

Corsair CMPSU-1000HX & ASUS P6X58D Premium Mother Board

There seem to be a few different WD black drives with varying specs.

How does this one look? 650GB should be plenty for me.

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6402AAEX 640GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

[glc]

Edited below to reflect my suggested changes:

Originally Posted by steve71 Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower $49 (after MIR) PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W ATX12V v2.3/EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply Mobo: Newegg.com - ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870 RAM: Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive Pri Optical: LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support $80 Sec Optical: Newegg.com - ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners VC: Newegg.com - ASUS ENGTX570/2DI/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (ONE for now) Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid Black/orange 23.6" 2ms Widescreen 1080p 120Hz 3D LCD Monitor $370 3D Glasses: NVIDIA 3D Vision Glasses Kit $175 OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $110 Keyboard: KeyTronic DESIGNER-P2 Black 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Standard Keyboard $30

[steve71]

Originally Posted by Nikon ok, few things: 60 fps is is the max your eyes can see. higher is pointless, and you dont add them together, they see the same set of images/second most monitors only go upto 60fps anyways. you chose a socket 1156 mobo and a socket 1366 cpu, that wont work, they are physicly different. your best bet for cpu is the i7-870. this is a socket 1156 cpu. a better choice on mobo would be the asus p7p55d-e pro for SLI. now on the sli note: as good a value the 460 is, you are better off getting something like the 570, you want the single most powerful card you can get, then if you need more, get another one. the memory you picked is tripple channel, for use with the 900 series intel chips. 800 series uses dual channel memory, a-data, kingston, crucial, and corsair are preferred brands. the best hdd for gaming would be a wd caviar black. sata 6gbps is preferrable. ehhh... ill edit later if i see more.... cooking atm =D

[edit] Looks like GLC has chimed in with most of the answers

Thanks for the input Nikon.

Since this PC is going to be stereoscopic 3D, utilizing LCD shutter glasses, I will need 60 fps for each eye, so 120fps in total. The monitor I've chosen supports 120hz refresh and is designed to work with the nvidia 3D glasses.

I've been using nvidia's stereoscopic 3D for sim racing since 2003. Time to update though, and ditch that monster 120hz CRT.

I'll check into the memory and CPU suggestions, but I guess I better decide on a motherboard first... any thoughts on the Mobo and PSU as per the post above? Or should I go with the asus p7p55d-e pro as per you suggestion. Your suggestion would be $45 cheaper so maybe I just answered my own question.



Cooking eh? I love to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food.

[steve71]

Originally Posted by glc Edited below to reflect my suggested changes:

Err. wow, you've done all the hard work for me. Thanks a bunch, much appreciated.

Will the 950w psu provide enough power if I add a second ASUS GeForce GTX 570?

[steve71]

Checking out some stereoscopic 3D benchmarks of two GTX 480 (SLI) vs a single GTX 580, the results show better FPS for the 2 x GTX 480's...

Am I missing something, or should I go with the two 480's?

SLI in Stereo 3D - 3D Vision Blog

[David M]

SLI is not as reliable as a single card. A single card also gets you more bang for the buck since two cards in SLI will be less than twice the power of a single equivalent card. You also lose graphics lanes on a per slot basis when you have a second card on an 1156 board.

[glc]

See how a single 570 works, you can always add a 2nd one for a KILLER rig. I wouldn't use 400 series cards in a high end rig, the 500's are what the 400's should have been. The 400's are pigs in comparison.

Each card will run at x8 on a 1156 board - that won't hurt anything.

The Corsair 950 is certified for two 480's and two 580's, so it will handle two 570's fine. The cert list isn't out yet for the 570.

[steve71]

Thanks a bunch glc. I've modified my order to reflect all your changes as per post #5. It should total about $2005 after the MIRs.

A second Asus gtx 570 is probably out of the question for another 6-12months and/or until they drop below $200. But as you suggest, I might not need one at all.

Once again I can't stress how much I appreciate all the help. In the past I've gone with cheap/no name brand PSU and motherboards and had to live with random reboots, and error messages.

[steve71]

Original thread is here but unfortunately by the time I came to order, a bunch of it went out of stock. I also though I'd wait for the new Sandy Bridge processors to come out.

The graphics card in the original thread (Asus GTX 570) is not longer available at New Egg, except as a package deal, so was thinking two Asus gtx 470's would do the trick.

New Egg doesn't mention that the mobo (see below) is SLI ready, but other sites state that it is. Can anyone confirm?

BTW besides a SIM racing rig (iracing, LFS & rfactor) this will be used for some video editing and perhaps as a HTPC.

All suggestions welcome. Budget is about $2100 or so after MIRs.


Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $69

PSU: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W SLI Ready Power Supply $140

Mobo: ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $189

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 $225

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $120

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $89

Pri Optical: LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support $80

Sec Optical: SUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD $19

VC: 2 x ASUS ENGTX470/2DI/1280MD5/V2 GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI $480 after MIR

Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid Black/orange 23.6" 2ms Widescreen 1080p 120Hz 3D LCD Monitor $370

3D Glasses: NVIDIA 3D Vision Glasses Kit $175 (no longer in stock - will buy somewhere else)

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $140

Keyboard: KeyTronic DESIGNER-P2 Black 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Standard Keyboard $36

[glc]

Threads merged.

If you want Sandy Bridge, I'd hold off a couple months till the dust clears. But yes, the Pro board supports SLI with both slots at x8.

For just a few bucks more than you are paying for that pair of 470's, you can get a 580. Get Asus or EVGA. Yes, I know that technically the pair of 470's can outperform a 580 in certain ways, but the power consumption and heat will be ridiculous.

I also see EVGA and Asus 570's in stock.

Please read Khalil's post in this thread:

Sandy Bridge Gaming Rig (need suggestions)

This guy has built thousands of computers, he's in the business.

[steve71]

Thanks for the response glc. I wasn't sure if i should have started a new thread or not, so cheers for sorting that out.

I found a good discussion on a single 580 vs SLI 470's. Heat and power consumption were key concerns as was the hassle involved with SLI.

However the 470 will handle 30% OCing and the 580 only about 10-15%. So there is the potential for 30-50% better FPS with the SLI setup. And since stereoscopic 3D drivers support SLI, I should see a pretty even performance from game to game. At least this is what my research tells me - I'm no expert.

For reference the thread is here

[Edit] - Just wanted to add that ambient heat should not be a problem. PC will be used in a large (28x25x8.5ft) room that never gets above 80deg. More often than not, I find the room too cold, even in summer - I live high up in the rocky mountains.

I also plugged in the numbers into the new egg PSU calculator. IIRC it came up with around 850 watts. Do you think I'd need to upgrade to something great than 950watts? I don't mind spending a bit more on a 1200w PSU since it's unlikely to become obsolete anytime soon.

As far as the heat goes, I upgraded from my v1 build to a case with more fans. I don't mind extra fan noise when gaming... Still not enough?

Sim racing tends to tax a CPU more than most games, so I though the SB i5 2500K might be a good idea. At around $200 it's cheaper than a i7-870 and should give better performance for video editing, no?

Arggg this whole thing is making my head spin....

[glc]

Hold off on the Sandy Bridge for just a bit - you might want one of the i7's. We are waiting for stability and compatibility reports.

The 950 will be fine. The Corsair 750 is certified for a pair of 470's.

[steve71]

Originally Posted by glc Hold off on the Sandy Bridge for just a bit - you might want one of the i7's. We are waiting for stability and compatibility reports. The 950 will be fine. The Corsair 750 is certified for a pair of 470's.

Thanks glc, when do you expect the reports to roll in?

[glc]

Keep an eye on the forums and other review sites.

[steve71]

Go it, thanks!

[glc]

Khalil has built a P67 and a H67 machine with Asus and has reported no stability issues. It's still very early in the game though.

[Nikon]

just a chime in on the 470 note, my cousin runs one of those and has seen temps as high as 105 (no joke) in WoW... i would avoid them unless you keep trck of the temps constantly.

[steve71]

Originally Posted by Nikon just a chime in on the 470 note, my cousin runs one of those and has seen temps as high as 105 (no joke) in WoW... i would avoid them unless you keep trck of the temps constantly.

105 is pretty high alright, what case does he have?

I'm getting ready to order tonight and I was going to go with a CM HAF 932 case in the hopes that all those fans (and extra space) would keep things pretty cool.

[Edit] to ask what his ambient temps were at the time. I live high up in the rocky mountains and have relatively cool indoor temps - about 65-70, so at least I'll have that going for me.

[steve71]

Originally Posted by glc Khalil has built a P67 and a H67 machine with Asus and has reported no stability issues. It's still very early in the game though.

Thanks for the update.

[steve71]

Originally Posted by glc If you want Sandy Bridge, I'd hold off a couple months till the dust clears.

[glc]

No kidding - the dust storm just hit full force!

The P67 is okay as long as you use only the SATA 6.0 connectors. I'd still wait for the mobos with the revised chips to get out there. I don't know about other vendors, but Newegg has pulled all P67 boards and Sandy Bridge processors.

[steve71]

Yeah, I need to confirm that I connected the HDD and SDD to the 6gb/s ports.

It might work out for me as the mobo I wanted (asus ws revolution) went out of stock right before I placed my order so I reluctantly bought a Gigabyte UD7 since I had talked myself into a 3 way sli mobo.

I might end up getting a refund on the UD7 and buying the Asus when the new boards come out. Still it's a PITA to have to rebuild the PC so soon. At least that HAF case is really nice to work with.

FWIW I'm getting temps in the high 70's on the lower Asus Geforce 470 and high 80's on the one with restricted airflow.

Of course since the mobo is 3 way SLI I can separate them some to get the temps down. I could create custom fan settings to keep the noise down some, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

FPS stays at a solid 60 per eye in iracing and the demo for metro2033. That's with everything maxed in stereo 3D.

SSD is worth it's weight in gold with all the inevitable reboots when getting a new system up and running. For some reason I had a really hard time getting the 3D glasses to play with the nvidia drivers. Took almost 14 hours and a million reboots to finally get it working.

[glc]

Have you looked at the Asus Sabertooth P67? I really like that concept, it's supposed to help a lot with cooling.

[steve71]

Sure is a nice looking mobo, but no 3-way sli on the sabertooth. The Asus WS Revolution was the cheapest mobo with the n200 chip on it that I could find.

My thinking was to add another 470 if I go with a three 3D monitor setup in the future.