New PC build

[OutlawStar]

My 6 year old computer needs replacing because its old and just not very fast anymore.

The parts I intend on re-using are
Corsair 850w PSU
AMD 6950 GPU
older Thermaltake Armor case
And 2 caviar black 1tb hard drives. (maybe the 69gb raptor?)

The parts I am considering purchasing are
Core i7 -3820
ASUS Rampage IV Gene LGA 2011 Intel X79 Micro ATX Mobo
Another AMD 6950 for xfire
Samsung 830 128gb SSD
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
And a Noctua 140mm dual fan cooler

Total cost after CA sales tax and shipping: $1,338.02

I want to play games, stream things on livestream, record and edit video game footage, and use it as a primary multimedia device (I have 2 monitors currently). I will be overclocking after initial setup.

Could I do better without spending more?
Should I spend less and get 95% of performance?
Will 2 6950's be a smart thing in my position?
Is this a good CPU choice, or should i wait a couple months for intel's next offering?
I assume an optical drive isn't necessary anymore these days since i haven't used mine since the last OS install: I'll try a thumbdrive install this time around.
Is there a way I can bypass the ~$90 in CA sales taxes through another site or source?

Thanks!

[OutlawStar]

I wouldn't mind paying tax if everyone else in the world had to do it, or if it were going to a competent government that spent it effectively and frugally. But we know that's just not going to happen.

Here's a pic for those who are a little more visually oriented:

[lowriderryda]

Get the intel 2500k I have that CPU it can be over clocked I play games with no issue at Mac settings. Maybe buy one good video card.

[OutlawStar]

I made a bit of a gaff and didn't realize the "k" series is the one with the unlocked multipliers and the i7 3820 isn't unlocked. I'll have to swap out the CPU to a 2500/2600/2700 K series.

While I understand the difference between the three, is there a realized and measurable benefit to the higher binned 2600 or 2700? Will I get a higher overclock out of them than the 2500?

Any word when intel's next offering is to be released?

[Merc1138]

Intel's next CPUs are launching on the 28th, some retailers already have the boards in stock(but can't sell them yet due to street date restrictions).

The jump from 2600->2700 is so minimal it's not worth the cost difference. Haven't seen any reports of a 2700k OC'ng any better than a 2600k either. But with a couple weeks to go until the replacement is on the shelves, it's kinda pointless to upgrade this exact moment.

[OutlawStar]

I found the 2550K which looks like a higher binned part without an IGP albeit lower L3 cache than the 2600k and $70 cheaper.

Is it Ivy bridge that is launching in May? is that LGA 1155? I honestly haven't been paying attention to CPU stuff and don't know which sockets will be available.

[Merc1138]

I found the 2550K which looks like a higher binned part without an IGP albeit lower L3 cache than the 2600k and $70 cheaper.

Is it Ivy bridge that is launching in May? is that LGA 1155? I honestly haven't been paying attention to CPU stuff and don't know which sockets will be available.

28th as in April 28th. The core i3 version of ivybridge isn't launching until the fall(and who cares about that version) with an apparent delay in the mobile version(last I read) that might push that one into May.

edit: I heard 28th, slashgear says 29th.

http://www.slashgear.com/intel-ivy-bridge-launch-confirmed-for-april-29-27220313/

[OutlawStar]

Well April 28 is a saturday and so close to May. So I just "rounded" the release date to next month.

But anyway I'll just wait the 3 weeks to see if ivy bridge is much better considering the new prices, or stick with the 32nm build at the lower price points.

[Merc1138]

Well April 28 is a saturday and so close to May. So I just "rounded" the release date to next month.

But anyway I'll just wait the 3 weeks to see if ivy bridge is much better considering the new prices, or stick with the 32nm build at the lower price points.

Much better plan. I wasn't necessarily saying to go run out and buy an i7-3770k, but with the launch so close it just doesn't make sense to buy right now when you only have to wait a few weeks and see what's going on with reviews of ivy bridge and pricing on sandy bridge. The last report I saw on pricing was that Intel actually cut the cost of the new board chipsets by a pretty significant amount, and that the CPUs themselves were priced roughly the same as current sandy bridge processors.

[OutlawStar]

I can't imagine a die shrink being a bad thing from intel but the deciding factor will be the introductory prices and price drops of sandy bridge.

It seems like the gen3 1155 boards will be accepting the new ivy bridge however, which is always nice.

[JDay]

If you can wait a little longer Ivy Bridge is just around the corner (June). The RAM and SSD you selected are a good choice. I have the same amount of that Corsair RAM and it is pretty speedy. Just the other day I installed the 256GB version of that SSD into my workstation and couldn't be happier with it, if you could use the space its only another $110.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402625,00.asp

[OutlawStar]

I can always use the extra space and subsequent speed boost, the issue is extra cost until GB/dollar gets closer to HDD levels. But yeah, I think I'll wait things out until ivy bridge is out and about.

[castgold]

When I built mine, I heard some mixed reviews about mixing Intel CPU's with ASUS (or any non-Intel) boards. Maybe that was just Intel propaganda? I buy my stuff from MicroCenter. Found some good deals on things when I was there at the right time.

Have fun with it. Looks fast.

[Merc1138]

When I built mine, I heard some mixed reviews about mixing Intel CPU's with ASUS (or any non-Intel) boards. Maybe that was just Intel propaganda? I buy my stuff from MicroCenter. Found some good deals on things when I was there at the right time.

Have fun with it. Looks fast.

I'm pretty sure Intel doesn't care, since outside of the OEM market most people build with non intel boards anyway. Besides, if it were an actual issue then I think it'd be a bit more obvious with Gigabyte, EVGA, Asus, MSI, and others having been in the business for years with no issues.

There are some manufacturers I'd steer clear of, but that's not due to problems with Intel CPUs(more like issues with the boards themselves... ECS, Biostar, ASRock, and a couple others).

Heck, it's only recently that Intel has even produced a couple of models that could even be considered "enthusiast" boards.