New 3k build

[Hippogriff]

Sorry for the long post, but I hope you can help me. I built my last computer several years ago, so I am not really updated about the existing hardware. Now that I’m moving to the US and money will pour in, I decided to build a new computer with a budget of around $3000 including monitors but excluding other peripherals (keyboard, mouse, etc..). I’ll build it probably this summer, so I’m not looking for a definitive list.

My primary use will be statistical/numerical analysis (Matlab, R, Stata, SAS, NumPy/SciPy, etc..). I will be able to use university servers for very demanding analysis, so I’m not looking for a high-end workstation with a Xeon processor, a Tesla K20 and a lot of RAM. I just want a computer that can run quickly even a quite complex analysis.

My secondary use will be gaming. I won’t have actually a lot of time to devote to that, so I would like to be able to use very well my limited time. In few words, I would like to play smoothly games like GTA V or BF4 on high details at 2560x1440.

My list:

CPU: I would like to oc the cpu to 4.5-4.7.

Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)

Motherboard: MSI Z87 MPOWER ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Amazon)
I prefer black motherboards.

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($127.48 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.99 @ NCIX US)

Video Card: Gigabyte GV-N770OC-4GD ($449.99 @ ????)
Waiting for a 4GB Asus or EVGA

Case: NZXT Switch 810 (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($145.47 @ Amazon)

CPU Cooler: XSPC EX360 D5 Kit ($150 @ uncle)
6.5ft XSPC High Flex Hose 7/16″ ID, 5/8″ OD (15.9/11.1mm) ($15 @ ????)

Case Fan: 3 x Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan ($56.97 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
I prefer white or black/white PSUs

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.49 @ Newegg)

Monitor: Dell P2212H 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($167.58 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($599.99 @ NCIX US)
A cheaper alternative would be the Auria @ Microcenter.

Total: $2656.92 ($2455.92 with Korean monitor)

Opinions? Suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Noshei]

So I misread your post and thought you said that you were looking for a high-end workstation with a Xeon and a Tesla K20 and $3000 and just cracked up.

Your list looks pretty good, though I would recommend waiting for the 4xxx series CPU's to come out if you can. You won't be able to easily upgrade from any 3xxx CPU to 4xxx due to different sockets, thiw would require you to get a new motherboard.

 

[EarthDog]

Let's talk in the summer... the landscape will change a bit by then with Haswell's release as well as the new Nvidia GPUs...

That said, as far as what you listed, this is my opinion...

1. 3820 CPU - I dont like this choice as you are buying old technology (Sandybridge) on an expensive plaform (X79).
2. Mobo is solid on that platform
3. Ram - slid
4. SSD - I would go with Samsung 840 Pro or OCZ Vertex4/Vector
5. SOlid choice on the GPU
6. Case = all you
7. PSU - A quality 500-600W PSU will be PLENTY for a single card and overclocking both the CPU and GPU. Perhaps a Seasonic 550-600W, or Corsair.

If you have a microcenter, use it to get the CPU's as they are at times cheaper than newegg... but it depends on the CPU.

If I was in your shoes, I would get a Haswell CPU (4770K which will smoke the 3820 by 10-20% depending) on Z87 platform. You stated the heavy computational stuff will be on the servers, and the cost difference to go 3820 then IB-E next year may not be worth it as to just going with a 4770K here shortly. I mean that is almost $900 in CPUs versus $330 that should last you a while. Not to mention the higher cost to get a quality board on X79 platform versus Z87. Not to mention, post IB-E that platform is dead, versus Haswell just coming out, you have another CPU to go.

EDIT: Looks like you live around me, I am between Bmore and DC.

 

[PolePosition]

Yeah, since you're looking to do this build in the summer, I would wait until Haswell is released and build on the 4XXX CPU and Z87. Its always best to go with the latest and the greatest at the time you do the build, and within your budget of course.
Stay away from Z77 and the 1155 socket, since it is a dead platform come next month.

 

[Hippogriff]

Your list looks pretty good, though I would recommend waiting for the 4xxx series CPU's to come out if you can. You won't be able to easily upgrade from any 3xxx CPU to 4xxx due to different sockets, thiw would require you to get a new motherboard.

SB-E and IB-E are not both LGA2011?

Let's talk in the summer... the landscape will change a bit by then with Haswell's release as well as the new Nvidia GPUs...

That said, as far as what you listed, this is my opinion...

1. 3820 CPU - I dont like this choice as you are buying old technology (Sandybridge) on an expensive plaform (X79).
2. Mobo is solid on that platform
3. Ram - slid
4. SSD - I would go with Samsung 840 Pro or OCZ Vertex4/Vector
5. SOlid choice on the GPU
6. Case = all you
7. PSU - A quality 500-600W PSU will be PLENTY for a single card and overclocking both the CPU and GPU. Perhaps a Seasonic 550-600W, or Corsair.

If you have a microcenter, use it to get the CPU's as they are at times cheaper than newegg... but it depends on the CPU.

If I was in your shoes, I would get a Haswell CPU (4770K which will smoke the 3820 by 10-20% depending) on Z87 platform. You stated the heavy computational stuff will be on the servers, and the cost difference to go 3820 then IB-E next year may not be worth it as to just going with a 4770K here shortly. I mean that is almost $900 in CPUs versus $330 that should last you a while. Not to mention the higher cost to get a quality board on X79 platform versus Z87. Not to mention, post IB-E that platform is dead, versus Haswell just coming out, you have another CPU to go.

EDIT: Looks like you live around me, I am between Bmore and DC.

Prices/brands/availability in Europe are very different, so I was trying to understand what I can do with around €2500 when I will be in the US.

Obviously I will consider a 4770k, also because those gold/black Asus mobos are gorgeous. However, it looks like an expensive option compared to a 3820 (release price of the 3770k in Europe was around $450).

Regarding the SSD, I heard that Intel ones are very very reliable.

PS: I am moving to the US in July but I don't have an house yet
It will be probably somewhere in PG/Montgomery counties, so Bethesda seems relatively close...

 

[EarthDog]

So wait, are you buying in the US or in Europe.. I'm confused...you mention pricing in europe, but will be here in the summer and... yeah confused!

Intel SSD's are quite reliable, sure. However its write peformance is low compared to the drives listed. The difference in its reliability isnt much at all (see link in my sig about reliability).

If you move to PG/MT county, the company I work for is who gives you the water!

 

[Noshei]

SB-E and IB-E are not both LGA2011?

So looks like I was mistaken, IB-E is set to be 2011. But I don't think those chips are expected until the end of the year or later. Haswell (the majority of the 4xxx series) are 1150.

 

[PolePosition]

So wait, are you buying in the US or in Europe.. I'm confused...you mention pricing in europe, but will be here in the summer and... yeah confused!

Intel SSD's are quite reliable, sure. However its write peformance is low compared to the drives listed. The difference in its reliability isnt much at all (see link in my sig about reliability).

If you move to PG/MT county, the company I work for is who gives you the water!

When it comes to SSDs, I only trust Intel for my data being reliable even though I do regular backups, I don't want some drive to go haywire or fry just because it was a little faster and cheaper. Besides, nothing reads and writes an Intel SSD like an Intel CPU.

 

[EarthDog]

When it comes to SSDs, I only trust Intel for my data being reliable even though I do regular backups, I don't want some drive to go haywire or fry just because it was a little faster and cheaper. Besides, nothing reads and writes an Intel SSD like an Intel CPU.

Yeah, there is a BIG difference between the Intel and Samsung i suggested...03%.

- Intel 0.45% (against 1.73%)
- Samsung 0.48% (N/A)

I shouldnt have suggested the OCZ's though as they are around 5% AS A BRAND, but MOST of that was a model I didn't suggest either. The new Vector is MUCH more reliable than anything they have had, so it seems. In house controller and FW and better in house testing. Only time will tell, but still.

Also, Intel to Intel or Intel to Samsung/OCZ, whatever doesnt matter in the least . Thats crazy talk at best.

EDIT: The Intel drive is actually just about as fast throughput wise, the but IOPS are almost half that of the Samsung 840 Pro and OCZ Vector. Oh and they cost about the same. I should also mention the Samsung is $20 cheaper for 16 more GB (240 vs 256GB), same with the Vector. I would easily grab one of those, Samsung first, over the Intel even with data reliability in mind.

 

[Hippogriff]

So wait, are you buying in the US or in Europe.. I'm confused...you mention pricing in europe, but will be here in the summer and... yeah confused!

My budget is 2500€ since I will use saved money to buy the components. However, I will buy the components in the US as soon as I settle there. I converted my 2500€ to around $3000 (it's $3200 actually).

However a 2500€ budget in Europe doesn't buy the same things you can buy in the US with $3000. For instance, my $2800 build would cost around $3400 in my country. So, I was trying to understand if my budget was enough to build a good computer in the US.

Besides, a friend of mine lives in the US. So, if there're some very good offers (e.g. a $400 GTX 780 Classified ), I could buy some parts before arriving in the US.

Sorry if it wasn't clear.

When it comes to SSDs, I only trust Intel for my data being reliable even though I do regular backups, I don't want some drive to go haywire or fry just because it was a little faster and cheaper. Besides, nothing reads and writes an Intel SSD like an Intel CPU.

This what I heard. However, I'm also going to get a 1TB IoSafe Rugged Portable from the university to store "precious" data.

 

[Knufire]

I'd still opt for a faster drive than the Intel. The Samsung drives are extremely reliable.

My advice would be similar as EDs...go for Haswell when it comes out.

The Switch 810 is definitely a great watercooling kit...I'd grap that + the XSPC kit that you mentioned since you'd have the ability to very easily add your GPU into the loop if you wished in the future.

550W would be more than enough if you're planning to stick to single GPU. 4770K + GTX780 + water cooling is probably just under 400W with no overclocking.

 

[Hippogriff]

550W would be more than enough if you're planning to stick to single GPU. 4770K + GTX780 + water cooling is probably just under 400W with no overclocking.

What if I want to have the power for an hypothetical future SLI? 750W?

In any case, it seems that under 750W the only choice is the Silence MKIII if I want a good modular/semi-modular white/white-black PSU. The smallet NZXT Hale 90 is 750W and the FD Newton is not cheap at all.

 

[Knufire]

4770K seems to have a 84W TDP, but that's including the intergrated GPU and I have no idea how much wattage will go up with OCing. On Ivy Bridge (which was a 77W TDP including the iGPU) you were hard pressed to make it draw over 100W with air/water cooling. So, my reasonable guess would be about 110W for the OCed 4770K.

780 is 250W stock. Reading the review here, there seems to be a hard voltage cap, so I'd assume that you can't make the power draw dramatically increase. Maybe 280W for an OCed 780?

Rest of the system is about 40W....but that's a system that doesn't include WCing. I'd say 20W extra for the pump, so go 60W on top of the CPU and GPU (more rules of thumbs, not really based on any mathematical evidence I know of).

110+275+275+60=720W, Remember that this mostly on the 12V raill...find a picture of the label on the PSU and that'll tell you the max wattage on the 12V rail. With high quality PSUs, most of the wattage can but put on the 12V rail, but with lower quality PSUs, there could be a bigger gap between max advertised wattage and max 12V wattage.

Also, you'd have to be running everything (CPU, GPUs, HDDs, pump, all fans) at max load possible to reach that number as well.

So yeah, in short, good 750W should be fine. I most definitely would not go with less.

 

[Hippogriff]

Thanks everyone!

I edited my list with a 750W PSU, a 840 PRO SSD and the XSPC kit. I talked with my relative and he told me that the radiator is an EX360. I will buy new tubings since I don't like red ones. Really hope that watercooling isn't too difficult!

When Haswell is out, I will consider it. In that case, I would probably go for a P8Z87 since I'm an Asus fanboy

 

[Knufire]

Fanboyism is stupid, regardless of what brand it's for.

 

[Hippogriff]

Fanboyism is stupid, regardless of what brand it's for.

I was joking! Actually, I would probably buy an ASRock mobo since they seem to be often the best choice.

However, honestly, Asus is the only brand that has never betrayed me. I have a seven-years-old laptop that is still running although I dragged it around the world.

 

[Knufire]

I'll freely admit that ASUS is one of the top, if not the top motherboard manufacturer, and I definitely admit that I would trust them over any other prebuilt brand, I just really don't like the toleration/acceptance of fanboyism for no reason other than the brand name, sorry if I was a bit harsh.

 

[Hippogriff]

I just really don't like the toleration/acceptance of fanboyism for no reason other than the brand name, sorry if I was a bit harsh.

Completely agree!

 

[Diddykong]

The build in my sig came in at around £1600 ($2400) and with a dell u2713hm (2560x1440) monitor that will make it a cool $3k.

 

[Theocnoob]

The build in my sig came in at around £1600 ($2400) and with a dell u2713hm (2560x1440) monitor that will make it a cool $3k.

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