New Wish List Build - Time to get saving

[Scott]

I've been on the edge of buying a new system for a LONG time. There just hasn't been enough of a jump in performance/options to pull me away from my 3770k. I've almost taken the plunge so many times that my spec choices has changed dramatically over the course.

I'm in no way a huge gamer. I literally dabble. To that end this spec will seem rather extreme but when it comes to technology I always like high end kit. Additionally, having recently got an HTC Vive set up and running my gaming preference has been turned upside down. I now want to absolutely maximise this platform as much as I can afford and also prepare myself for the next generation of the technology.

Storage isn't an issue for me. I've only chosen the M2 drive as I need to select something and I don't have any spare at the moment. I would go for a higher end unit but it'll effectively only be my OS on there so there's little point. Games and etc will all be stored on current storage media that I have.

I've selected the 1080ti for reference but I would be sourcing it separately.

I love the look of the 7280X. It seems a fantastic performance/price point for an Intel based system. I won't be buying before Threadripper and Vega have been launched so I'm hoping there will be savings to come once they are out, there may even be a change to AMD across the board if they tick the right boxes.

Thoughts?

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ AIR 740 GAMING CASE
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™i7-7820X Eight Core (3.60GHz @ up to 4.6GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X299-E: ATX, USB 3.1, SATA 6 GB/s, RGB
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
NOT REQUIRED
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG SM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3100MB/R, 1400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price £2,358.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-x299-overclocked/cKzqjdbYKS/

 

[Oussebon]

Looks tasty.

If you might consider SLI in the future would the 1000W RMx be worth a look?

I might be tempted by a PCS liquid system for the Skyake-X family though. They seem quite toasty. Otherwise it might be an argument for the H110 and its 280mm radiator.

 

[Scott]

Looks tasty.

If you might consider SLI in the future would the 1000W RMx be worth a look?

I might be tempted by a PCS liquid system for the Skyake-X family though. They seem quite toasty. Otherwise it might be an argument for the H110 and its 280mm radiator.

As much as I would love to SLi a pair of 1080Ti's I can't even justify one of them at the moment.... I'm just putting my fingers in my ears while saying "la la la" when it comes to that particular spend :whistling:

I wouldn't rule out the 1000w PSU though, they are cracking units. Although I've noticed that the RX are getting more scarce in favour of the HX models (C-Link I believe?)

I'm thinking more along the lines of the H115i to be honest, same as the H110 just with some upgrades ,similar to the V1/V2 H100. I just chose the H100V2 as it's the modern choice with that particular build. I would likely source the cooler along with the GPU and just go with the bottom spec options for the build itself. I doubt it would reach the overclocking capabilities with PCS with the stock cooler but I would be dabbling myself once I got it anyway so no real loss.

I went with the 740 case as I have my eye on a custom loop system in the future. I would love to tinker with that sort of thing as I've only dabbled in the past. The components don't really change so it's the sort of thing I could build up a bit at a time to extend the spending over a few months. It's a very expensive thing to do in one sitting though and adding in labour and setting up it adds a fair whack of money to the build that I simply cannot afford. I would want a GPU plate as well as the CPU and a couple of beefy rads & fan sets to set it all off, it would likely come under the "Extreme" kits which are very costly.

 

[Oussebon]

It can't just be C-Link since the RMi is the RMx with C-Link (and a better fan iirc).

I think I've seen the odd review where the 540 outperformed the 740. The 740 is also pretty ugly in my eyes. The 540 wears the Borg Cube image well. The 740 is like if the Borg branched out into mini-fridges. Though I suppose that would go well with liquid cooling as it would look like you were chilling your milkshakes

 

[Scott]

It can't just be C-Link since the RMi is the RMx with C-Link (and a better fan iirc).

I think I've seen the odd review where the 540 outperformed the 740. The 740 is also pretty ugly in my eyes. The 540 wears the Borg Cube image well. The 740 is like if the Borg branched out into mini-fridges. Though I suppose that would go well with liquid cooling as it would look like you were chilling your milkshakes

Yeah there are a few changes. It's platinum efficiency, better fan and weighs almost double. I'm not sure if the weight thing is accurate though

It's not the prettiest, that's for sure... neither are TBH. It'll be living in a cupboard out of site anyway so it's definitely function over form for me. My issue with the 540 is the lack of 3.5" drive options. I currently have 6 in my PC, I'm dropping down to 4 as soon as I have a new system but the 540 only accommodates 2. The Dual Chamber design of both chassis is right up my street though.