General

[quote=MangoTangoFox]One question, the side panel fans don't have dust filters do they? If not, what would you recommend I use to make my own dust filters?[/quote]

Wire mesh.

I will definitely be adding more fans. I'm not going to fill all 10 or so slots the 690 has, but a good bit of them.
One question, the side panel fans don't have dust filters do they? If not, what would you recommend I use to make my own dust filters?

Knowing your budget and what gaming titles you play alongside your aforementioned media creation applications would be helpful to evaluating your build.

[quote=SoulXIV]a 6970 because those don't stutter in Crossfire unlike the 6950's.[/quote]

All dual SLI and Crossfire X setups, including dual-GPU cards, suffer from microstuttering. The issue is a hardware problem and not caused by drivers, although some driver optimizations can reduce the phenomenon. Configurations using weaker video cards and overly demanding games exacerbate microstutterring. In gaming scenarios where either dual 6970s and dual 6950s are overkill, the microstuttering results are identical.

[quote=SoulXIV]The FX-8120 is bad because the 8150 can barely keep up with the Phenom II X6 1100t.[/quote]

Both the FX-8120 and the Phenom II X6 handle Adobe's media creation applications better than the i5-2500K. Without knowing the TS's budget and the applications involved, Sandy Bridge could be the less desirable option despite the i5-2500K's reputation as a well-rounded processor.

[quote=MangoTangoFox]I plan to add an additional matching 6950 later down the line

What I will be using it for:
Gaming of all sorts
3D Rendering (Mainly Cinema 4D)
Other editors (Adobe Ps Ae Pr Ai)

A few questions:
Would I be better off with an Corsair H100, over the Zalman?
Is the power supply overkill? Even if I plan on the second 6950 down the line?[/quote]

The HD 6950 has been out of production for months. Inventories are drying up in the wake of the retail release of the 6950's successor, the HD 7850. Once the remaining 6950s have sold out within the coming weeks, the easiest way to add an additional 6950 in the future will be to obtain a used card.

3D rendering and media editing is not dependent on the GPU. Certain Adobe features that utilize the Mercury Engine can be accelerated by an Nvidia Geforce GPU, but the rendering is still handled by the CPU.

A 1000 watt PSU is overkill for an enthusiast dual GPU system. An 850 watt PSU is adequate for two 6970s/6950s. A 750 watt PSU is adequate for two 7850s.

The Zalman CNPS 9900 MAX and the Corsair H100 are not in the same price category. A fair assessment as to which is better for you cannot be made without knowing how much you are willing to spend on an aftermarket cooler and the overclocking performance you intend to realize.

[quote=SoulXIV]Look here, the $30 cheaper Hyper 212 Evo does literally JUST AS WELL as the $75 Zalman CNPS9900MAX. http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-EVO-CPU-Cooler-Review/1407/6[/quote]

There is no agreement across different benchmark reviews to reasonably conclude that the Hyper 212 EVO can match the cooling performance of the CNPS 9900 MAX.

[quote=MangoTangoFox]I specifically went with the FX because its better than comparable cost intels in full load, multicore processing.
And I definitely do plan on overclocking, so I wanted serious cooling, without a full watercooling setup.
I definitely cant afford a 7970, my current build is already really pushing it. And that's why I am getting the second 6950 later down the road.
About what wattage power supply should I shoot for, with room for the second 6950, and plenty of case fans?[/quote]

Look here, the $30 cheaper Hyper 212 Evo does literally JUST AS WELL as the $75 Zalman CNPS9900MAX. http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-EVO-CPU-Cooler-Review/1407/6
The FX-8120 is bad because the 8150 can barely keep up with the Phenom II X6 1100t. I would use the money that you save with the cooler to get a 2500K. If you do choose to get a 2500K, you should get a ASRock PRO3 GEN3 motherboard. With the money you save on the motherboard, get a 6970 because those don't stutter in Crossfire unlike the 6950's.

Based off my little experience, with a second 6950, i'd aim for 650w-750w.

I specifically went with the FX because its better than comparable cost intels in full load, multicore processing.
And I definitely do plan on overclocking, so I wanted serious cooling, without a full watercooling setup.
I definitely cant afford a 7970, my current build is already really pushing it. And that's why I am getting the second 6950 later down the road.
About what wattage power supply should I shoot for, with room for the second 6950, and plenty of case fans?

The PSU is very overkill (i believe so)
Not sure about the Zalman, but i know the H100 is great.

Unless you're overclocking or something, i don't see the need for that Heatsink though.

6950's are known to have stuttering in Crossfire. Go all or nothing with a 7970, or a GTX 680. I wouldn't get that CPU if you really do that much rendering, as the AMD FX processors suck. I would get something from Intel, depending on your budget for that. It'll probably end up being a 2500K or 2600K. You don't need 16GB of RAM, 8GB will give you the best value. Get a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo instead of the Zalman, which is more than you should be spending on a heatsink.