My current comp has been great but it won't run any of the newest games, so it's time to upgrade. I will be using it for poker, gaming, as well as video rendering. Here is what I'm thinking:

-($420) Intel Core i7-6800K 15M Broadwell-E 6-Core 3.4 GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W BX80671I76800K Desktop Processor

-($276) ASUS X99-M WS mATX Dual Intel LAN with M.2/USB 3.1/ 3T3R Wi-Fi Onboard Workstation Motherboard

-($650) GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming GV-N1080G1 GAMING-8GD Video Card

-($319) SAMSUNG 950 PRO M.2 512GB PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-V5P512BW

-($195) G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3333 (PC4 26600) Intel Z170 Platform

-($120) EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 220-G2-0850-XR 80+ GOLD 850W Fully Modular EVGA ECO Mode

-($123) WD Black 2TB - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache - WD2003FZEX

-($55) Noctua NH-D9L 92mm SSO2 Low-profile Premium CPU Cooler, NF-A9 PWM Fans


I'm currently running (2) 1920 x 1200 monitors but I would like to have the option of running (2) 2560 x 1440, (2) 3840 x 1080, or (1) 5120 x 2880.

My questions are:

1) Will one video card be sufficient to run any of these monitor configs?

2) Will the 6-Core i7-6800k be a good choice to render video, or would it be worth the huge price jump to go with the 8-core 6900k? Or should I consider the 6850k which has 12more lanes of PCIe? Or is there another processor altogether I should be considering? I would like to stay in the sub $600 range if possible.

3) I'm having a hard time settling on a good Mobo. Reviews on most x99's seem okish, and there are just so many options these days it's kind of overwhelming. I want 4 dimm slots, and room for 2x video cards + 2 more pci-e slots. Dual Ethernet is a bonus, but not necessary.

4) Is a run-of-the-mill CPU cooler be fine, or should I get a nice one? I will not be overclocking.

5) Are there any foreseeable compatibility issues between mobo, cpu, ram, and GFX card?

6) I want a good power supply capable of running 2x GFX cards, 2x SSDs, 2x HDDs, and 1x DVD/BDROMs. If I can save money here, that would be great.

7) Overall is there anywhere I can either save a few $$ without loosing performance, or spend a few extra $$ to get a significant performance boost?

Thanks!

1) A GTX 1080 will run any of those combinations, no need for 2.

2) That chip is more than fine. I mean yes you can spend more money and you'll render faster, but is seconds here and there worth a significant price increase?

3) Honestly that motherboard is fine, but I personally never go with micro ATX. Asus has a nearly identical board, the X99-A that is standard ATX that is about $60 cheaper. You do lose the second LAN port, built in Wifi and USB 3.1 (X99-A has 3.0 standard). The X99-A does have 8 dimm slots though so you could more cheaply upgrade RAM later and with more flexibility.

4) Run-of-the-mill is fine in theory, however I always prefer a closed loop water cooler like the Corsair H100 or H110 just for that added peace of mind that heat and throttling won't be an issue. If you do decide to overclock conservatively you have the option.

5) No

6) The PSU you've chosen is fine. I wouldn't go any smaller or bigger even with the parts you specified in your upgrade path. You'll be right in the 70% utilization curve where most power supplies are most efficient.

7) That's all high end stuff so no matter what you buy unless you plan to spend another 2 or 3k on a Xeon build, you'll see no difference whatsoever. As far as saving money, the only way to really do that without losing any performance (even fractionally) is downgrade the motherboard or power supply. The motherboard (see above) and the power supply is right at the sweet spot so no.

Regards