9 replies to this topic

[graylion]

Hi folks

 

I recently read this article on Tom's Hardware which shows that for multi screen layouts CPU performance, especially with AMD GPUs, CPU power still plays a significant rôle. In that light I have been playing around with an idea for the ultimate gaming machine. I hasten to add that this box is way out of my budget, being around 20k$, but if anybody wants to join in the exercise for its entertainment value I'd be happy :-) I also am not sure that the buil, especially the cooling, would workthe way I designed it, so any input is welcome.

 

The underlying assumptions are:

 

you want to play on a 3 monitor eyefinity setup. Why only three monitors? Because from the looks of it this is the highest you can go while still playing in the high or ultra modes of most games (let's ignore Metro2033 OK?).

 

Monitors: 3x1920x1200 (Eizo has nice 22" ones).1920x1200 also happens to be the highest resolution that single DVI will support. One could control 3x2560x1600 30", but I have my doubts that this would work with maximum graphics features - even with this system.

 

Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2

Board: Asus Z9PE-D8 WS

CPU: 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2687W

GPU: 4 x Sapphire  VAPOR-X HD 7970 GHz Edition 6GB GDDR5

   remarks: 6 GB in the light of the expected resolution, which after all is 6.9 megapixel

RAM: 2 x Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 16GB Quad Channel Kit

   remarks: 1600 is all the mobo supports and tests have shown thatany kind of overclocking is extremely iffy, so 1600 and lowest possible latency it is.

Storage: 2 x 512 GB OCZ Vector in Raid 0

   remarks: for OS and games. Data gets to live on a NAS. If you want it internally, add 3 x 4TB WD RE4 in Raid 5.

PSU: Lepa G Series 1600W

   remarks: 2 CPUs@150W each and 4 GPUs@300W each - just about right.

 

Cooling: I am going to seperate this out, since I am thinking water cooling, otherwise the fans are going to kill you.

 

This obviously needs a beast of a rad:

Radiator  Watercool MO-RA3 9x140 Pro black 

   remarks: actually the 18x140 version, but there seems to be no English page for it.

Pump: Laing DDC

Control: Aquacomputer poweradjust 2 USB, ultra-series

CPU Block: EK Water Blocks EK-Supreme LTX - Nickel CSQ

GPU Blocks: EK Water Blocks EK-FC7970 Lightning - Acetal+Nickel with EK Water Blocks EK-FC Bridge QUAD Semi-Parallel CSQ

Reservoir: Aquacomputer aqualis ECO 880 ml, G1/4

 

Audio:

Speakers: Magnepan Mini Maggie

Amp: Wadia 151PowerDAC mini

Subwoofer: Rel R-218

 

And that's it! I don't think I have left anything out to make this the most lunatic system possible A true Rolls Royce! I have forgone 3D, since I have no real opinion on that yet admittedly. And please start picking holes into it people - looking forward to learning.

 

All the best and thanks for your attention!

 

 

Edited by graylion, 03 February 2013 - 02:34 PM.

[EuroFight]

You could probably add something like a 660Ti to allow the build to support PhysX.

Thinking about this, in 5 or so years, this kind of build could be pretty much standard...

[graylion]

I'm right out of slots and doesn't AMD by now have an equivalent to PhysX? And you think we'll go dual CPU on the desktop again?

[EuroFight]

You could replace one 7970 with a 670/680 then :tongue:
AMD does not have an equivalent to PhysX unfortunately, closest they get is parallel processing with OpenCL. That isn't generally used in games though. NVIDIA only have PhysX because they bought a company (Aeiga IIRC) that were developing that technology.
I doubt it will be dual-CPU, but certainly 32 cores and upwards

Edited by EuroFight, 03 February 2013 - 02:55 PM.

[WarWeeny]

I doubt it will be dual-CPU, but certainly 32 cores and upwards

 

you mad?

most games dont even support 4 let alone 32 lol

[AZNguyen]

What you should do is build 20 computers at ~$1,000 that can run 3x 1080p just fine. Then giveaway 19 of them.

[graylion]

 

I doubt it will be dual-CPU, but certainly 32 cores and upwards

 

you mad?

most games dont even support 4 let alone 32 lol

 

not yet. But the name of the game is adding cores, as we already see. We have pretty much reached the end of scale for individual cores, that is why we are seeing CPUs with increasingly more cores. Games developers will have to follow suit. Skyrim seems to support multi core pretty well for instance.

[hornybluecow]

I read dual CPUs is slower for gaming because both CPU can see the L3 cache causing some lag to happen. I think it was an anandtech article but it was very detailed. I just don't see anyone needing for tham a 6core intel for gaming.

 

edit: You are wasting a few grand if you building that just for gaming. I hope you realize this. each Xeon E5-2687W  cost as much to build me a GTX 690 gaming rig lol.

Edited by hornybluecow, 03 February 2013 - 10:44 PM.

[EuroFight]

you mad?
most games dont even support 4 let alone 32 lol

not yet. But the name of the game is adding cores, as we already see. We have pretty much reached the end of scale for individual cores, that is why we are seeing CPUs with increasingly more cores. Games developers will have to follow suit. Skyrim seems to support multi core pretty well for instance.

+1
My thoughts exactly, as games and software becomes more complex, developers will begin to use multiple cores more, for example, instead pig just shoving all the load onto two or four cores, let one manage terrain, another manage physics etc. Not only this but software too.

[hornybluecow]

My thoughts exactly, as games and software becomes more complex, developers will begin to use multiple cores more, for example, instead pig just shoving all the load onto two or four cores, let one manage terrain, another manage physics etc. Not only this but software too.

 

 

 

yeah in 3-5 years more than 4 cores will be fully used but by than this rig won't really fastest anymore