Could use some help with my first gaming rig build.

[Elysnoss]

@HAVOC
Well really i only want a computer beastly enough that it could handle playing multiple graphic intense games simultaneously. Though I prolly wouldn't be playing them at the same time I would like to be able to have more than 1 game open at a time watching them through dual-monitor so I can easily switch between them.

Although, yes I do play multiple games simultaneously yet not that graphically intense. I often run 6-8 web browsers at the same time because I play with a bunch of alts on a browser based game. Also on top of that I often run 1 bigger game like wow, tibia, minecraft, ect while keeping an eye on my browser game in my secondary screen.

 

[Roark]

Honestly I would start out with 1 16GB RAM kit and see how that works for you.
You will still have 2 slots open if you choose to add another 4/8/16GB.

CPU coolers are for people who want to overclock their CPU.
The stock Intel cooler that comes with it should allow for a 3.7-4.0GHz overclock, but anything over 4 you definitely want a cooler.
If you aren't planning on overclocking then I would say ditch the H100, as it is unnecessary.
Or, if you want to do a mild overclock over 4 (4.5 lets say) you can find something else for half the price or less.

As to the Windows question, its really up to you for what features you think you'll need.
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/windows-7-product-editions-a-comparison
It looks like Home Premium (64-Bit) is limited to 16GB of RAM, so might be worth it to go with Professional. Doesn't seem like you lose much between that and Ultimate.

 

[Elysnoss]

Ok great! I removed the cooler, took off the extra ram, and changed to windows 7 pro which brought the price down to $2,988 without tax or shipping. Should be able to just update the ram later and the cpu cooler too if I decide to overclock later on. Though I think I should be fine for a while without overclocking. I'm gonna do a bit more research and start shopping around to see if I can lower the price a little more.

Really appreciate the help!

 

[Roark]

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/
PC Part Picker usually manages to find the best prices on individual items.
That being said, it doesn't look for combo deals that may save you a few bucks.

If you want to save a few bucks I'd look at the PSU first.

GeForce GTX 580 - On your average system the card requires you to have a 600 Watt power supply unit.
GeForce GTX 580 SLI - On your average system the card requires you to have a 850+ Watt power supply unit.

A 1200W PSU is a little overkill, a good 1000W will easily handle what you're building (some options).

Also, unless you're an audiophile you can probably ditch the soundcard, on-board audio has come a long way.
Worse comes to worse if you find on-board doesn't cut it for you, you can always add it in later.

 

[Elysnoss]

Ok cool, thanks for the links. I think I'm going to stick with the same power supply unless that would cause some problems. That way I shouldn't have to worry about upgrading it for a while or anything.

I will bump the sound card down to bottom of the priority list though and see how it runs without it. Only reason I went for the sound card in the first place is because I already have a decent sound system for it.

Logitech Surround Sound Speakers Z506

Would I be able to connect both of my monitors as-is or will I need something extra to make that work? I use Ultramon for software when using 2 screens but I am also used to using laptops which already have 1 place to plug in a monitor for a second screen.

Most desktops I have seen only let you connect a single monitor so I'm not really sure what hardware I will need to make that work, but I was thinking that since I plan to get 2 video cards then maybe I should be able to connect 2 (Or possibly more) monitors without additional hardware.

If I could connect 4 monitors that would be pretty insane.


-Edit-
Looking at the Mobo I believe it has 1 VGA connector so that would be 1 monitor. I could be wrong here but looking at the video cards it looks like each of them also has 2 places to connect a monitor to so unless I am mistaken would I be able to hook up a total of 5 monitors to this beast? Cause that would be pretty nice.

I have a lot of desk space and with the Ultramon software I have, using multiple displays looks pretty sexy even on my puny laptop. It does things like letting me add a separate wallpaper, screensaver, taskbar, ect to each screen.

 

[Roark]

Nah, there is no downside to the 1200W other than the price tag.

That is a nice speaker setup. The on-board sound can handle up to 7.1, so you should be fine with 5.1.

The motherboard comes with the physical bridge to connect your two cards, so as long as you have cables to connect your monitors you'll be fine.
Reading around it looks like the GTX 580 can handle 2 monitors per card (even though it has 3 connections), so 4 monitors should be viable, 2 on each.

 

[KpCollins]

My rig played the Beta just fine and cost nothing near what your looking at spending. ( £1K ish ) If your interested inbox me if not forget it.

 

[Elysnoss]

Wow awesome. My friends would prolly freak out if they walk into my room to see the level 10 case connected to 4 or 5 monitors without even peeking inside the thing.

I already have 2 24" flatscreen monitors and can probably get a third for free. If 4 monitors is the max supported then I'll probably buy a 4th 24" screen and if it can support a 5th monitor then I'll probably splurge on a 28" or 30" main screen placing a 24" on either side of it and 2 above it.

-drools on self-

I also have a couple of spare 14" screens so can use those until I get the bigger ones to replace them later.


@KpCollins
For me I'm not just trying to get enough performance to be able to play any particular game. Just want to get good performance within my price range which is $3,000-$3,500 preferred and up to $4,000 max. Not sure how that translates to £. Want to make a beast computer that will last me a while and leave plenty of room for upgrading and so far this build is looking pretty nice to me though I still have a good bit of research/reading to do on my own.