Graphics Cards to run a Dell u2711

well ive only just turned 18, and im going to University as a graphic and web design student in the new year, so I will be short on funds for around 4 years :/, so thats why i want a rig that will last me and keep up with all my design work and games obviously changing things when i need to, should i list what i have planned? and you can all let me know how it shall do? thanks for the help appreciate it, Luke.

 

Go for it. Be aware that better stuff WILL come out, but that wont mean your stuff wont keep up. two 580's in sli with a 2600k (id go for the i7 for optimum future proofing, you could get a 2500k) will max games for years to come

I also 18 and a student I feel you on the need for a good pc.

 

Just to give you an idea, I literally just ran an fps test in single player with a combat mission, threw some nades and fired constantly whilst under fire etc etc.

Using i7-2600k and 2 x EVGA 1.5GB GTX580 Hydrocopper 2's with everything at stock settings I got 35 - 40 fps on ultra settings with max resolution on the u2711.

Perfectly playable and as I say silky smooth gameplay. I imagine if I overclocked everything the results would be nearer 45 - 50fps at a guess.

Anyway hope it helps you.

 

I remember when Crysis first came out - because of the motion blur, 25fps was totally playable; any more than that was pure e-peen/bragging rights for the 8800 Ultra owners

60fps for certain games is asking way too much IMO. Since upgrading to the U3011 I'm getting about 40fps in most of my games at native res compared to nearly double that at 1920x1200, and I don't notice any difference at all.

 

you have to remember you have talking about like £600 worth of graphics cards there lol. comes at a price

 

how about this...

MAIN PARTS

-dell u2711
-2700k
-asus maximus iv extreme-z
-16gb corsair vengence
-crucial m4 128gb
-Haf-x
-corsair ax 850watt gold

CPU LOOP

-rx 360
-d5 vario
-ek hf
-unsure which compression fittings, black preferably
-case fans, need help with these black with red blades if possible
-black tubing

and most importantly 2x 6970's? or 2x 3gb 580's ?

 

your parts there look great and will last you for a very long time indeed. you will get people saying get a 2500k, only get 8gb ram etc. at the end of the day its your pc and if you want it to last as long as possible just get the best you can atm which is what you seemingly have chosen to do.

i dont watercool so someone else iwll be able to advise you on your parts there

if you can afford it, id go with the two 3gb 580's

why not, if you want it to max games as long as possible and you have the funds.

 

Those GPU's were actually £1200 for both and that is because of the integrated water blocks.
If you are serious about driving a u2711 on max res with ultra settings then you need to be thinking about that type of GPU solution.

Also if you are thinking of spunking £600 on a monitor then you should not be skimping on the base unit itself. This is in the realm of enthusiastic computing where 'intelligent' money gets results.
Next you'll be concerned about cooling those air GPU's to get the performance you want. And on and on! I spent £4000 on my full system and even now they have moved from my 1.5GB cards to 3GB.

However you can intelligently invest in a machine capable of being top tier for some time, the trick is quality parts and an extensible design.

If you invest less you'll get less (That rule isn't entirely iron fast but the point is for ultra settings with that monitor it is going to cost for what you want).

 

ehh, so watercooling the gpus would also be the best bet? an rx 360 will not be able to handle all that heat?

 

You can still achieve great results at U2711 resolutions without going overboard on the expenditure!

 

ok man, will a 850watt psu do ? for say 2x 580's?

 

there was a thread on this a few days ago and got mixed responses.

personally, id go for a 1000w for that. cos it will cover any future upgrades and the rest of your proposed build is pretty high end as well

some people will say 850w is fine, thats cool. id still go for the 1000w

 

Seriously, you're 18. Save the money for freshers.

Freshers > high fps

 

This is so true, you can get great results from the cheaper AMD cards and don't have to spend crazy amounts of money (That was just what I could afford and I like, very much personal preference and circumstances).

Water cooling as I found is a slippery slope and you can't / shouldn't go cheap on it. It starts with the blocks then the tubing, then fittings (compressions are expensive), then pump, then res, then rad etc etc and it is regular maintenance of the loop. Before you know it you've spent a fortune and then have to commit to regular maintenance to boot.

I think 1000w is the sweet spot for dual SLI. I opted for a Corsair AX1200 as they weren't that expensive and I got a good deal on it. Never skimp on your psu!

Make sure on your card choice you get a good warranty like EVGA's for Nvidia. The Sapphire 6970's look nice as well and they have a good track record for decent air cooling with their vapour chamber.

 

That's why I've avoided it, plus I'm always tipping my case all over the place to deal with upgrades so that and water wouldn't mix! Just about got my air cooling nailed and then my PSU died on me, go figure!

 

Water cooling is one of those things you really have to go in with your eyes open and do your research. It cost me £500 in remedial work to fix issues with my initial project due to poor choice of modifications, case design for my needs and loop layout.

To be fair sometimes you just have to learn by doing but it was a pricey way of learning
It also escalates so fast in cost especially if you're an amateur. Everyone will tell you a different way of doing it, that this is right and that is wrong. There is truth in it all but it is so very unique to the individual build and individual.

My own experience was fraught with the EK Full Nickel issue, high restriction of the EVGA blocks and poor decisions on case modding to fit the rads etc.
Doing it again I'd save £100's but hindsight is wonderful. You often forget all the extra's you might need like the right fans for the rads, case airflow in the absence of traditional air cooling, compartment space for all the equip.

I don't regret it now but I don't envy anyone doing it from scratch like I did. Forums can be a wonderful aid but also sometimes lead you down the garden path so to speak. Take the wisdom on offer but always trust your own instincts.

It's all overkill anyway for overclocking and low temps. There is nothing wrong with air cooled and it's not inferior and nor do you have to overclock everything like a mad scientist. Too easy to overspend in the tech market for toys you won't fully utilise.

I just threw togetehr a build for the wife on scan and it came to something like £1400 without HDD (OTT pricing atm).
FT02 Case, i5 2500k, Gigabyte UD4 Z68, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, Corsair 120GB Force GT SSD, Sapphire HD6970 Flex, Antec H20 920 Cooler, AX850 PSU, Windows 7 Home, Asus Xonar DG and samsung optical. Comes to £1491.55 with VAT and I reckon that'd be an awesome rig.

Mainboard and GPU is debatable but still a smashing unit for that price and all the core goodies of current tech.

 

i dont need wc. i wouldnt say no to it, but im achieving good temps with my noctua

 

if i choose the larger 1000watt psu (recomendations?) then would 3 6970's be better? or still the 3gb 580's?

 

also are there any issues with this monitor? lag, ghosting etc?

 

Not noticed any on my U2711. The only thing you will notice initially is the anti-glare coating. This fades from your mind once you get used to it however. Also when you learn to sit back from such a big screen!