Assembly is easy. Everything goes in the only place it'll fit. Shit, I'd put it together for you for free, it's that easy.
Also, I direct you to my second post on
this thread. It is a beast of a computer for around $1500, though it doesn't include an optical drive or a case, it is a VERY good pc. I will post a build to fit your specified budget on here(1500-2000).
EDIT,, and here it is
$999 -
Proc - Hex-core i7 990x @ 3.46 ghz (overclock-able to 4.5ghz on air, but since you've got liquid, 4.7 isn't impossible) I used passmark as a benchmark for this product, but it goes without say that it's a beast. It was number 4 on the list and number 1 and 3 were server processors with number 2 being the newer 995x. I would have chosen the 995x, however I couldn't find any well-known sites selling it.
$169 -
Mobo - 1366 socket. Supports 24 gb of RAM up to 2000mhz. USB 3.0 support. 6gb/s sata
$172 -
RAM - 12gb of tri-channel ddr3 @ 2000mhz. If you feel so inclined, you can purchase two of these for a total of 24gb, maxing out the mobo.
$549 -
GFX - 1.5gb GDDR5 memory. I use
passmark as a benchmark for my gpu's. This GPU is the same as their top ranked GPU, only clocked down a bit and with a little bit less memory.
$699 -
GFX 2 - This one however is better. It is about $150 more, but is overclocked and takes up less room. Better buy in my opinion. Once again, I used Passmark as a benchmark for this product.
$105 -
Cooling - Just a simple liquid cooler. Very easy to install and will keep the temperature down if you plan on overclocking your proc. I would definitely purchase this as you will need a lot of cooling for this machine, even if you don't oc.
$100 -
Power Supply - Simple power supply. 850 watts should suffice.
$30 -
Optical Drive - DVD+/-RW drive. Supports just about any disk and will connect through a sata 3gb/s port.
$85 -
Hard Drive - 2tb internal HD for all your shit. I recommend a SSD as a boot drive, so I will list a relatively cheap one below.
$83 -
Solid State Drive - A very reliable 32gb SSD made by Patriot. Use this for your OS.
Total without extra bullshit. (only 12 gb of RAM, the first GFX card, and no SSD) = Approx $2209
Total of a nearly unstoppable (built on a budget) monster (24gb of RAM, second GFX card, and SSD) = $2614
An alternative cheap GFX card @ $300 -
Radeon HD 6950 (number 7 on passmarks
list)
With your budget, you have the capabilities to get one of the best desktop cpu's currently on the market. If this machine is too expensive, I can try and make a cheaper build but I would definitely stick with the same proc and RAM.
Where I get my video card benchmarks -
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/
Where I get my CPU benchmarks -
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/
I always pick from the top of the high-end lists.