What I have so far: Advice/Recommendations

[Algnosis]

Hello all,

I've been a lurker on the forums for a while now and this is my first post, so thanks for all of your help.

I've built every PC I've every owned except for my last one (Alienware, see my system specs) and I won't be returning to them for their services. Although I have a basic knowledge of what hardware I need, a lot has changed since 2006 and I wanted to run this by some people much more experienced with modern builds than myself.

Objective:

To build a gaming PC for 1080p (1920 x 1080) that will be well above average, but not elite, in performance. Money is not a huge issue as I will purchase the parts a few at a time but I don't want to go crazy on spending either. Most all of my gaming is done on MMORPG's such as ESO, Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft, which I currently play at relatively high settings, but I would like to top them off while still achieving much higher frame rates, over 60fps. Currently, when playing in groups my fps dips into the 30's and 40's. I also play games like Shadow of Mordor and Far Cry and want the extra punch to be able to play them smoothly at high settings. 4K is a non issue for me, maybe a few years from now but it's simply something I'm not interested in so lets just rule that out for now. I also just want to get back into building for the enjoyment while also creating a system that is more capable than my current set up and can easily handle the gaming demands of the next few years.

Possible Hardware:

This is a list of the hardware that I've selected so far to attempt to achieve the stated objective.

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 760T Black Full Tower Windowed Case

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790k Haswell Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1150

Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VII Hero LGA 1150 Intel Z97

RAM: G SKILL Trident X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 @ 2400 MHz

GPU: Nvidia SLI using 2 Geforce GTX 970's

PSU: Cooler Master V1000

Cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H100i 240mm

Storage: I will initially use my 7200 RMP hard drives but would like to replace them slowly with SSD's.

Peripherals: I have all necessary peripherals

DiskDrive: I already own a CD/DVD drive that I was planning on using.

Questions and Concerns:

- I've read quite a bit about Solid State Drives but I see some that are very pricey. Just how "worth it" are they and does anyone with experience have a preferred brand and why?

-If I do overclock the processor it would not be extreme overclocking, maybe mid 4's. Is my cooling set up sufficient to handle this? From what I've read it seems adequate, but I'd like more input. I plan to mount this system on the top side of the case with hot air being sucked out. Is this a good set up or should I try a different mounting position? If someone could speak to their experience on this that would be great.

-On the note of cooling, will I need liquid cooling for the dual GPU's? I've read that the 970 is really friendly on power consumption and in my experience its a very quite card. Thinking of more powerful future cards however, maybe this is something I should look into?

-I'm pretty sold on the dual GTX 970 set up. I know all about the whole "ram gate" thing and am not worried about it. If there is a better set up however, or someone has a compelling reason that I should use a different brand please let me know your ideas.

-Is the stock fan set up in the Corsair 760T sufficient? They seem plenty capable but should I be looking to replace them with more powerful fans?

-1000W on the PSU seems sufficient from what I've read, but would 1200W or 1500W be a more comfortable set up looking into the future?

-The reviews on the ASUS Maximus VII Hero were mostly positive but there was also a noticeable amount of customers with defective parts. I've also looked into Gigabyte mobo's and wonder which might be better. The GA-Z97X-SOC Force LN2 for example is ready for Quad SLI, if I ever want to go that route in the future and seems to have a strong reputation. This however, is an area where I am very unsure of which direction to go in.

-I really like the i7 4970K and am not interested in 6 or 8 core processors right now. Should I be? Or have a I made a solid decision that will last for the next few years and work well with my hardware?

-Aesthetics are important to me. I know some people don't care for it but part of the reason I'm building my own PC is so that it can not only perform the way I need it to, but also look the way I want it to look. On that note, I want a completely black and red theme. Not every single piece of hardware has to be black and red, but I would at a minimum like red cables to go with the red lights on the front fans of the 760T case.

What is the easiest way to get the red look on all of the cables? I see options on NewEgg to replace power cords and others with cords that are red out of the box, but is this the best option? Or should I simply use the cords that come with the hardware and maybe wrap them up in a TechFlex red sleeve?

I would also be interested in a couple of red led strips to light up the case a bit but have no clue where to start on this, there are a ton of options on NewEgg. Any general recommendation would be helpful.


I know this is probably TLDR, sorry if it was too wordy. Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this and offer their help and advice. As my knowledge and experience grows I will pass it along to the rest of the community!

 

[peche]

an i7 its completely necesary, an i5 can easy handle hardcore gaming,
also you can reuse your current alienware case, PSU and liquid cooling, 32GB of Ram its a complete wasto of money, for sure,
also i prefer a strong card over SLI set up, GTx980 can handle your gaming over 1080p,
how much can you invest and wheredo you live are another 2 important questions...


Regards,

 

[Algnosis]

an i7 its completely necesary, an i5 can easy handle hardcore gaming,
also you can reuse your current alienware case, PSU and liquid cooling, 32GB of Ram its a complete wasto of money, for sure,
also i prefer a strong card over SLI set up, GTx980 can handle your gaming over 1080p,
how much can you invest and wheredo you live are another 2 important questions...


Regards,

peche,

Thanks for the reply! I know that the i7 is not completely necessary but as a personal preference I do not want to use the i5. I most definitely will not be using the current Alienware case as it is a bit junky and small. I want a full size tower with much better airflow. I will be keeping this computer and want to have it as a second option, so gutting it is out of the question. This will be a completely new build. The 32GB seemed like overkill, I'm guessing 16GB's would be sufficient? I like the GTX 980, but already have a GTX 970 that I can use and wanted to get even more out of my set up by running two.

I can comfortably invest $2,000 USD. I live in the Lafayette, Louisiana area in the United States.

 

[Hood]

You have done most of your research successfully, but I have a few comments for you.
1. You will never use more than about 8 GB RAM. I went to 16 GB when my 8 GB kit was occasionally being maxed out (under unusual torrent load). 2400 MHz RAM I consider to be the "sweet spot" for RAM performance/price. 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) is perfect, and you'll save about $200.
2. A modern system is fast, but may not "feel" a lot faster if you boot from a spinning hard drive. Definitely get an SSD for your boot and programs drive. It will load Windows several times faster (10-20 second cold boot-to-desktop), same with games or programs. But an SSD really feels much faster due to it's low latency (no seek time compared to a spinning platter). The best one to get is the Samsung 850 Pro (fastest SATA SSD, ultra reliable, great SSD toolbox, 10 YEAR WARRANTY). The 256 GB model is ideal, it has room for a few games as well as Windows and all other programs, and runs a bit faster than the 128 model.
3. Asus Hero seems to have a lot of problems and RMAs, I would avoid it. I've bought Asus boards for a long time, but their quality appears to be slipping lately. My latest board buy was an Asrock, and I was really impressed with their build quality, component choices, feature set, and price. Asrock also has great driver/firmware support and software. Asrock is my new board of choice.
4. Corsair 760T has front latch handle/rear hinge side panels, Corsair 780T has top latch handle/no hinges. Both are about the same otherwise. Many dislike the 760T hinge arrangement because it requires a huge amount of desk space to open and remove them. The 780T side panels lift straight off and require no clearance to remove. Worth considering if your desk space is tight.
5. Good luck with your modern build. Mine has similar parts, and it's very fast (see my system specs). Like me, you've done tons of research, and the only thing you overlooked was the importance of a fast SSD. Once you have one, you'll understand better. Life's too short to wait around on slow hardware, I've already lost years of my life I'll never get back..

 

[Algnosis]

Hood,

Thank you so much for the reply. I'm convinced on the SSD now. Also, the note about the RAM seems to be the consensus every time I have this conversation with people. I did not take into account the problem of limited desk space interfering with the swinging door of the 760T. HUGE thanks to you on that as desk space is an issue with my set up. I will be taking a look at the 780T now. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reply, very informative and to the point.

What do you think about SLI? I've been a single card guy all my life... Should I just grab a GTX 980 and be done with it? Or maybe still shoot for two 970's?

 

[Hood]

Hood,

Thank you so much for the reply. I'm convinced on the SSD now. Also, the note about the RAM seems to be the consensus every time I have this conversation with people. I did not take into account the problem of limited desk space interfering with the swinging door of the 760T. HUGE thanks to you on that as desk space is an issue with my set up. I will be taking a look at the 780T now. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reply, very informative and to the point.

What do you think about SLI? I've been a single card guy all my life... Should I just grab a GTX 980 and be done with it? Or maybe still shoot for two 970's?

I've never tried SLI myself, but opinion is divided on whether it's worth it, due to stuttering problems and whether performance scales up as expected with your favorite games, and having twice the hardware to possibly die and need replacement. I would go for the single 980, or maybe wait until April and hope the 980 Ti is released. I would also read all the 970 SLI articles I could find and see how they run in your favorite games. Soon it won't matter, we'll all be going to 4K monitors. We'll need 2 x 980 Ti's to game at 4K, possibly 3 if we want really good frame rates...

 

[XSI]

SLI 970. I would not go for 980 vs sli 970. I can't imagine the situation in which i would take almost 2 times more expensive card for 10-20% of performance. I had only one sli setup in my life, but i was soooo happy with it. I just had a blast with first crysis in 2008, when no single card could play it at that time at Very high settings.
I would not go sli if price/performance is about 15%-20% difference or less.
Actually even one 970 should be enough for 1080p. up to 2560x1440. 2 of them i think would be great for 3440x1400p gaming.
Regarding ram:16 GB plenty.
SSD recommended for sure. i think 256 GB good choice.
PSU you can get by with much lower PSU 650-700W. so no need for 1200W+ for this setup even with OC.
I agree, that 4690K (I5) could be good CPU. it can outperform 4790k in some games with 1-2 fps. difference is only Hyperthreading
i5: 4 cores (4 threads), i7: 4 cores (8 threads)
quad sli is almost never for gaming just benchmarks keep that in mind for few years maybe it will change in the future.
tri sli is not perfect solution atm. as well, little or no scaling except few titles.

 

[Ebo]

I would go with the I7, if the difference in price isent too big, better to have more treads than not having them .
16 GB's og ram is plenty, only a handfull og games use 6-8 today, so you are safe.
SSD, once you have it, you will never go back. Samsung 850, or Crucial mx100, thats 2 good choices
700-750 watt PSU(quality) is more than able to take even a SLI setup.

 

[Algnosis]

SLI 970. I would not go for 980 vs sli 970. I can't imagine the situation in which i would take almost 2 times more expensive card for 10-20% of performance. I had only one sli setup in my life, but i was soooo happy with it. I just had a blast with first crysis in 2008, when no single card could play it at that time at Very high settings.
I would not go sli if price/performance is about 15%-20% difference or less.
Actually even one 970 should be enough for 1080p. up to 2560x1440. 2 of them i think would be great for 3440x1400p gaming.
Regarding ram:16 GB plenty.
SSD recommended for sure. i think 256 GB good choice.
PSU you can get by with much lower PSU 650-700W. so no need for 1200W+ for this setup even with OC.
I agree, that 4690K (I5) could be good CPU. it can outperform 4790k in some games with 1-2 fps. difference is only Hyperthreading
i5: 4 cores (4 threads), i7: 4 cores (8 threads)
quad sli is almost never for gaming just benchmarks keep that in mind for few years maybe it will change in the future.
tri sli is not perfect solution atm. as well, little or no scaling except few titles.

Great info thanks so much for the reply. Since I already have one GTX 970, I would like to just pick up the second and run the SLI. If I go with this option should my listed fan and cooling set up be adequate to cover the heat from two GPU's and the CPU? I could always install another intake fan at the bottom of the case to really keep cool airflow directly over the cards.

 

[XSI]

choose a 970 with good aftermarket cooler and it will be enough 970 don't go too hot anyway.
there is no problem too add additional fans in the future if for your liking something goes too hot.

 

[64K]

I read through the thread and may have missed it but is your monitor 120 Hz or 144 Hz? If not then going over 60 FPS will not gain you anything. If you have a 60 Hz monitor then a single GTX 970 is plenty at 1080p.

 

[Schmuckley]

I wouldn't change a thing..except maybe losing one 970..
And add a good 120-128GB SSD for OS + games.
All looks very good!

 

[Potatoking]

SSD is a must for modern PC, if you dont have any preferences or special needs, samsung EVO is safe bet.
My current setup is 4790k stock, 16gb ram and gtx970 at 1440p monitor.
Unless you plan to go for 4K monitor, dont waste money on sli.

 

[L1amrob]

Definitely get yourself a SSD, even bit more than just 120Gb as these most recent games are getting quite heavy.
You can find awesome prices on great drives such as OCZ ARC-100 sub 100$ on a 240Gb drive.

 

[stevorob]

Questions and Concerns:

- I've read quite a bit about Solid State Drives but I see some that are very pricey. Just how "worth it" are they and does anyone with experience have a preferred brand and why?

Very worth it as an OS and program drive. I would save your HDDs for storage, and get a 250gb+ SSD (samsung EVO and Pro drives are solid) for an OS/program drive. You will see a difference in Windows boot times, and any games loading from that drive will be significantly quicker (my WoW load times are almost non-existent)

-If I do overclock the processor it would not be extreme overclocking, maybe mid 4's. Is my cooling set up sufficient to handle this? From what I've read it seems adequate, but I'd like more input. I plan to mount this system on the top side of the case with hot air being sucked out. Is this a good set up or should I try a different mounting position? If someone could speak to their experience on this that would be great.

H100i is enough to cool the 4790k on a mild overclock. Mounting to the top is probably the only viable solution as you might not have quite enough tubing to mount to the front with the case you have chosen, and will provide sufficient cooling by blowing hot air out of the top.

-On the note of cooling, will I need liquid cooling for the dual GPU's? I've read that the 970 is really friendly on power consumption and in my experience its a very quite card. Thinking of more powerful future cards however, maybe this is something I should look into?

Stock 970 cooling should be enough. The 9xx series consumes less power and runs significantly cooler than the 7xx series.

-I'm pretty sold on the dual GTX 970 set up. I know all about the whole "ram gate" thing and am not worried about it. If there is a better set up however, or someone has a compelling reason that I should use a different brand please let me know your ideas.

1080p@60fps with everything maxed should be no problem for a single 970. I would consider going SLI later down the road when the 970 prices come down, or if you suddenly decide to get into 1440p or 4k.

-Is the stock fan set up in the Corsair 760T sufficient? They seem plenty capable but should I be looking to replace them with more powerful fans?

For intake and exhaust fans, they are probably fine. If you have doubts, you can slowly replace them. I also have a black/red theme, and I have 4 of the BitFenix red LED fans, and they do the trick by moving air and being quiet.

-1000W on the PSU seems sufficient from what I've read, but would 1200W or 1500W be a more comfortable set up looking into the future?

Definitely enough. You would probably be fine with a high quality ~600W PSU. 750W would definitely be sufficient.

-The reviews on the ASUS Maximus VII Hero were mostly positive but there was also a noticeable amount of customers with defective parts. I've also looked into Gigabyte mobo's and wonder which might be better. The GA-Z97X-SOC Force LN2 for example is ready for Quad SLI, if I ever want to go that route in the future and seems to have a strong reputation. This however, is an area where I am very unsure of which direction to go in.

I'd keep those high end boards in mind, IF you were interested at really doing some extreme overclocking. Those are feature rich boards designed for enthusiasts that really want to push their gear. For any mild overclock, you can get something that doesn't offer all the bells and whistles of the pricier boards, but will overclock well enough and be stable for 24/7 use. If you're looking at Asus, I'd recommend the Z97-A and Z97-E boards (there are some others in that line, check them out). I can't speak to the GB board.

-I really like the i7 4970K and am not interested in 6 or 8 core processors right now. Should I be? Or have a I made a solid decision that will last for the next few years and work well with my hardware?

4790K is a great choice. Should last you for a long time.

-Aesthetics are important to me. I know some people don't care for it but part of the reason I'm building my own PC is so that it can not only perform the way I need it to, but also look the way I want it to look. On that note, I want a completely black and red theme. Not every single piece of hardware has to be black and red, but I would at a minimum like red cables to go with the red lights on the front fans of the 760T case.

What is the easiest way to get the red look on all of the cables? I see options on NewEgg to replace power cords and others with cords that are red out of the box, but is this the best option? Or should I simply use the cords that come with the hardware and maybe wrap them up in a TechFlex red sleeve?

Not sure about red cables. Sleeving is an option, or buying pre-sleeved extensions. FrozenCPU has quite a selection of pre-sleeved cables, and should work for your needs. http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g2/Cables.html

I would also be interested in a couple of red led strips to light up the case a bit but have no clue where to start on this, there are a ton of options on NewEgg. Any general recommendation would be helpful.

NZXT LED strips seem to have good reviews, and I've heard that they work well for the price. I was eyeing this as well as an attempt to get some more red into the case, but honestly with a few LED fans, you should get plenty of light.

 

[Algnosis]

Wow, thank you all for the tremendous responses, and special thanks @stevorob! Your post was extremely helpful. Frozen CPU has exactly what I am looking for.

I read through the thread and may have missed it but is your monitor 120 Hz or 144 Hz? If not then going over 60 FPS will not gain you anything. If you have a 60 Hz monitor then a single GTX 970 is plenty at 1080p.

Admittedly, I did not take into consideration the monitor's refresh rate. Thank you @64K for bringing this up! My current monitor is only 1680 x 1050 but I was planning on getting a true 1080p bargain buy monitor. After looking on NewEgg, would it be worth it to pay the extra $100 to $150 for a nicer 1080p with the 144Hz refresh rate? The advantage is that it cuts down on motion blur correct? I've got no problem paying for one of these, just want to make sure its worth it. I feel like this might be a similar situation to the SSD in that I was overlooking the inherent value of the hardware and focusing too much on the listed price.

 

[manofthem]

SSDs are fantastic and would hate not having one. One my rigs only has an hdd for boot, programs, and a few games, and I would love to throw in an SSD. I favor the Samsung drives as they're fantastic, but Crucial has some good deals on their drives with good reputations. Newegg had the 850 evo 500gb for $200, so that would be an awesome choice.

As @64K said, a single 970 is plenty for 1080p@60fps, but I am a fan of overkill so going 970 SLI would be awesome. If you go SLI, might as well get a 2560.1440 monitor though, as it looks much better, and the cards will power it just fine.

Also, 1000w is way overkill, snd despite being a fan of overkill, it's excessive for 970s. I think @BUCK NASTY is running 4 970s off 1000w.

 

[Schmuckley]

Wow, thank you all for the tremendous responses, and special thanks @stevorob! Your post was extremely helpful. Frozen CPU has exactly what I am looking for.



Admittedly, I did not take into consideration the monitor's refresh rate. Thank you @64K for bringing this up! My current monitor is only 1680 x 1050 but I was planning on getting a true 1080p bargain buy monitor. After looking on NewEgg, would it be worth it to pay the extra $100 to $150 for a nicer 1080p with the 144Hz refresh rate? The advantage is that it cuts down on motion blur correct? I've got no problem paying for one of these, just want to make sure its worth it. I feel like this might be a similar situation to the SSD in that I was overlooking the inherent value of the hardware and focusing too much on the listed price.

Don't order from them...They're going out of business. :/

 

[Hood]

@Algnosis - Don't bother with the NZXT LEDs,my blue ones are way too dim even on bright setting, and it's near impossible to aim them or arrange neatly (unless you want to fiddle with all the stick-on plastic clips for hours). They are too expensive for the # of LEDs you get. I tried many different LEDs and cold cathode tubes and they all disappointed me. The cold cathodes are nice and bright, but hard to fit in, don't last long, and the voltage converter box is unsightly. So after spending a lot on stuff that didn't work, I figured out the best way - buy 16 foot strips of 300 LEDs for $5 to $10, and custom cut to fit around the window and solder short wires at the corners (to go around turns). By this method I installed 96 LEDs all around my window and it's now nice and bright. Some minor soldering skill required, but the result is amazing.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ..._SMD_LED_strip_red-_-0SW-004G-00027-_-Product
I've done 2 blue cases and one green so far - I guess red is next, or maybe RGB (has 4 wires so it's harder to install). The above day/night shots show how bright they are...

 

[Algnosis]

@Hood thanks for the info. Thats exactly what I was looking for!

 

[Algnosis]

UPDATE:

I've finally ordered everything and it should be here by Tuesday (6/23/15). I wanted to thank everyone who helped on this thread so much, it really made a difference. I took everyone's advice into consideration and here is exactly what I have ordered as a result (Changes from original build in bold):

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 780T Black Full Tower Windowed Case, this was a change from the 760T as per the recommendation of @Hood

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790k Haswell Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1150

Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VII Hero LGA 1150 Intel Z97

RAM: G SKILL Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 @ 2400 MHz (Previously wanted 32GB now down to 16GB)

GPU: Nvidia GeForece GTX 970 (Using a single 970 as opposed to my original idea of using 2 until prices drop on 4k and I make the switch, then I will add another 970)

PSU: Cooler Master V1000 (Overkill, I know, but keeping it for future additions)

Storage: 1 Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD as per @Hood recommendation, along with 2ea. of Samsung 2TB HDD at 7200RPM for storage (This was my most significant change as I was overlooking the value of a SSD and did not originally include it in my build)

Peripherals: I already have all necessary peripherals: mouse, keyboard, speakers, gaming headset, etc.

DiskDrive: LG Black BluRay/DVD Optical Drive (Did not previously have one included in the build)

Display: 32" 1080p @ 60hz. Once prices come down I will entertain a 28" 4K monitor and add a second 970 in SLI. The second card is just unnecessary until I go 4K, thanks to @64K for the advice on this one.

Cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H100I and I purchased 5ea. of the Corsair AF120 Red LED Fans and 5ea. of the Corsair AF140 Red LED Fans. I will replace any fans in the case not having the Red LED Lighting and any extra fans will be kept as backups. This will also double as my Red/Black aesthetic requirement and I will forego Red LED strips and determine if the fans provide the lighting levels that I'm looking for, which I think they will.

Software: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, and MS Office Home and Business

I will follow up in a few days once it all arrives. Fingers crossed everything works well and starts up like it should. Either way I will be back to post screenshots and report on game performance. Thanks so much for the help on my journey thus far!

 

[Algnosis]

Guys, sorry it took so long. I had to travel for work the past couple weeks and needless to say the PC build was put on hold. Regardless, I've finally put it all together and with the exception of some tweaking, I have it working and ready to go.

A couple of notes: This was the first modern PC build I've done. I took it slow, watched lots of videos and definitely made a few mistakes. I got frustrated at one point, walked away for an hour and came back with a clear head and finished the build. In the end it was totally worth it. I definitely ordered the wrong 24 pin Corsair Red sleeved power cable for my PSU. I of course realized this when trying to plug it into the PSU and it would not fit. So initially all my cables were red sleeved except for the 24 pin. A minor annoyance and a lesson learned about paying attention to detail, however I rush ordered the correct one and now have my lovely black and red theme completed in my case.

I also learned that I should not put my GPU in until I've hooked up my sata cables for the SSD and HDD's. It was infinitely annoying trying to squeeze them in with the GPU covering them and blocking my view almost entirely. I removed the card, easily connected them and then proceeded.

Cable management was a little trickier than I had imagined. My first go round left the right panel bulging out of the side of the case with a lot of pressure on the locking latch as it struggled to remain closed. I knew that wouldn't work. I took it off, untangled the whole mess, cleaned it up with zip ties and twist ties by similar cables and proximity. I also rerouted some of my beefier cables like the 24pin to other openings and routed them better. Now the right side panel closes easily with only slight pressure being pushed against it due to the thickness of a few of the cables. It is vastly better than my first attempt however and now sits almost flush with the rest of the case.

The case looks amazing and the build quality is top notch IMO. Props to Corsair. The only (minor) annoyance is that when randomly grabbing the case to slide or move it, I frequently pop off the front cover which locks and unlocks with just a push. This is not a big deal as the ease of accessibility is also a plus, so no points off there, just an observation. Aesthetically, I am more than pleased. I'm sure there are sharper cases out there, but this one definitely sits near the top IMO.

The H100i is set up with a push pull configuration with SP120's. I did debate over how I should route the tubes for the liquid cooling, I ended up having them run up and to the right. I saw different opinions on this and not being entirely convinced either way, went with what I thought looked best.

The picture above is with the old 24pin cable (black). Below is the current look.

And of course the obligatory lights off pics:

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I did not originally want to go with the second 970 in SLI. I only wanted a 1080p monitor and wasn't ready for 4k just yet. Well, the money wasn't an issue so I grabbed a second one anyway. Obviously it is overkill for 1080p but there is (IMO) a very noticeable difference. Since I play RPG's and MMO's almost exclusively and don't really touch the FPS scene much anymore, the second card seems to have allowed me to boost to ultra all those juicy settings like SMAA, sun shafts, ultra shadows, etc. all the while maintaining a smooth 60fps. WoW (obviously) is running like a dream, the in game FPS reads something in the 80's with literally every setting cranked to ultra, Dragon Age Inquisition is managing roughly 60fps with ultra settings on 1080p as well. I'll be purchasing the Witcher 3 in a week or two and it will be interesting to see how that game holds up as well. My Heaven benchmark with ultra quality and extreme tessellation was a score of 2275. I'll be searching for a 4k monitor as prices adjust, but 2015 and 2016 will definitely be a 1080p year and I couldn't be happier.

I want to thank all the people who contributed to this build by offering their time and advice. It was a long journey and its finally complete. Now just time to enjoy the fruits of my labor.