Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Zazen13 on March 01, 2009, 03:11:33 PM
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I am about to hit "BUY NOW" on Newegg for a new build I am working on for AH and the other games I play. I just wanted to float my build out there to see if Skuzzy, Waffle or anyone else have had problems with any of the components individually with AH or just in general. I am primarily buying it for AH, as my 5+ year old Alienware box I had customized with the old 4 X AGP architecture and no Hyper-threading processor ain't cutting it very well now and definitely won't cut it at all soon. Even now, prior to the new AH graphics update, my FR's drop to the mid teens if there's a lot of planes (especially buff boxes), puffy AA and/or smoke & fire and that's with everything set to minimal settings and skins disabled.
Zazen's New Build:
Processor: Intel Core i7 2.66 Ghz Quad-Core
Motherboard: EVGA A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX
Memory: 12 Gigs of Corsair Dominator (6 X 2 GB) DDR3 1600 SDRAM PC3 12800 Triple-Channel
Hard Disks: 2 X Western Digital VelociRaptors 300GB in RAID 0 config.
Display: AOC 25 Inch LCD 3ms @ 1920 X 1200
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 285 FTW 1 GB 512 bit GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0X16
(debating whether it's worth going SLI on this, probably not based on the benchmarks I've seen, but maybe later)
Power Supply & Case: Non-Modular PC Power & Cooling 860W SLI ready in an Antec 1200 Full tower w/ excellent cooling system and circulation.
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 64 Bit for system builders
Let me know what you guys think about the build and if there's a lemon in there, compatability issues, a potential future bottleneck or something I missed I'd love some feedback before I sign the check.
Just FYI on this for anyone else looking to upgrade their box: I was originally just going to try a Falcon Northwest custom job, but after doing some research a $7,500 build by them was only $2,500 if I built it myself using almost exactly the same individual components from their builders worksheet.
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Looks great to me Zazen. However, I would really think about PC Power and Cooling for the power supply. It is very highly rated.
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I wouldn't touch an Antec power supply with a 10 foot pole. There was a time when they had excellent supplies, but not anymore. You cannot trust how they rate thier supplies.
You really do not want to mess around with a low quality supply when building high end systems.
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If you go with a Modular Power Supply, go Tagan. If not, go PC & Cooling.
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Great, fixed it on my build sheet. It's been about 7 years since I built a PC, back then Antec was King.
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Great, fixed it on my build sheet. It's been about 7 years since I built a PC, back then Antec was King.
Zazen, didn't you have an alienware computer? If you don't want to build check out some folks on the bbs.
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Zazen, didn't you have an alienware computer? If you don't want to build check out some folks on the bbs.
Yea, I wasn't very pleased with my Alienware. I paid like 7 grand for it 5-6 years ago and it shipped with a bad stick of ram, obviously they never tested it because it wouldn't pass post. I will never buy from them again. I was playing with the FalconNorthwest builder when I went ahead and did that self-build sheet component by component on Newegg.
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Not enough RAM :rofl
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I'd personally ditch the raid0 and go with a single larger hard drive. Too much can go wrong with raid 0 for so small of a payoff.
If you want to throw money at hard drives, get a sub-$100 boot hard drive and a small SSD drive for your games. You'd see better responses from the instant access to smallish files on an SSD than you'd get from the faster sustained transfer rates you get from raid 0. Raid 0 will do very little (for example) to help out loading ah skins during gameplay, while an SSD just *might* help get those suckers to load faster.
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If you're going to spend that much money on a computer, like eagl said, why not use SSD. I'd only stick with RAID 0 if you were on a strict budget which doesn't appear to be so. RAID 0 works great, but you have to remember to always back up your data because the failure chances are doubled.
Also, what programs are you going to be using that use 12gb of ram?
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All that and no sound card or SATA optical drive(s)?
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If you decide to go modular with a Tagan PSU you will need the 1100 or 1300 watt PSU the BZ 900 and under will not power the i7 boards without showing a graphics failure on the EVGA x58 boards.
Also WD has 640GB (WD6401AALS) drives that are alot less monies and are almost as fast as the Raptors for 1/3 the cost and double the storage (when in Raid 0) Some here suggested SSD drives. They are still high dollar and not reliable, very high failure rates. If you decide to go this route it almost pays for the 2nd video card.
Memory I prefer OCZ part number OCZ3X1600LV6GK Your going to have a hard time with 12gb of the Corsair getting it to actually run at 1600 at the rated timings using the QPI. You need Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP), to get 12gb to operate at rated speeds over the sold kit sizes (3gb - 6gb). These are profiles that are embedded in the memory and read by the BIOS and set.
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Suggested changes:
Antec 900 case
PC Power & Cooling 750w PS
XP Pro (saves 6 stix of ram & multiple headaches)
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Hard Disks: 2 X Western Digital VelociRaptors 300GB in RAID 0 config.
no RAID0 - doubles the failure rate of the drives, assuming a battery-backed hardware raid controller, for minimal usable performance increase. anecdotally the failure rate is way, way higher, presumably because most consumer RAID0 systems use software controllers.
2x300GB = 300GB RAID1 array if you want redundancy, 600GB if you need the space :)
also if you're going to use RAID, make sure the disks come from different batches too - reduces the chance of both disks dying at the same time.
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"Memory: 12 Gigs of Corsair Dominator (6 X 2 GB) DDR3 1600 SDRAM PC3 12800 Triple-Channel"
Do you have any specific application you need that kind of memory resources for? I had 8 Gb and dumped half of it since I have only ever managed to use only 75% tops of 4 Gb. I'd say everything over 4Gb is a waste of money unless you have application that specifically needs it.
-C+
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Do youself a favor and pm Tildeath. Let him build it for you. You will get more preformance for your money. And he is a pleasure to work with.
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Do youself a favor and pm Tildeath. Let him build it for you. You will get more preformance for your money. And he is a pleasure to work with.
He can install spellchecker too. :devil
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If you're going to spend that much money on a computer, like eagl said, why not use SSD. I'd only stick with RAID 0 if you were on a strict budget which doesn't appear to be so. RAID 0 works great, but you have to remember to always back up your data because the failure chances are doubled.
Also, what programs are you going to be using that use 12gb of ram?
From what I've read the SSD drives are still kind of a work in progress. I'd rather wait for that technology to stabalize and deflate in price. The traditional drives have reached their pinnacle of evolution in terms of storage space and speed. I can always add an SSD afterward.
As far as the ram goes, compared to the cost of everything else another 200 bucks to max out the ram is not a big deal. I remember when ram was $1,000 for a 256mb stick...The 12 Gigs of Corsair was only $375.00 total.
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All that and no sound card or SATA optical drive(s)?
I usually just go with on-board sound, my hearing is poor and with the wife and the new baby I have to wear a head-set all the time anyway, so money for a nice sound card is just wasted. I have two SATA optical drives selected, but as they had no impact on AH I just didn't list them.
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If you decide to go modular with a Tagan PSU you will need the 1100 or 1300 watt PSU the BZ 900 and under will not power the i7 boards without showing a graphics failure on the EVGA x58 boards.
Also WD has 640GB (WD6401AALS) drives that are alot less monies and are almost as fast as the Raptors for 1/3 the cost and double the storage (when in Raid 0) Some here suggested SSD drives. They are still high dollar and not reliable, very high failure rates. If you decide to go this route it almost pays for the 2nd video card.
Memory I prefer OCZ part number OCZ3X1600LV6GK Your going to have a hard time with 12gb of the Corsair getting it to actually run at 1600 at the rated timings using the QPI. You need Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP), to get 12gb to operate at rated speeds over the sold kit sizes (3gb - 6gb). These are profiles that are embedded in the memory and read by the BIOS and set.
Thanks, I appreciate that information. I changed my drive and ram selection selection to those.
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I usually just go with on-board sound, my hearing is poor and with the wife and the new baby I have to wear a head-set all the time anyway, so money for a nice sound card is just wasted. I have two SATA optical drives selected, but as they had no impact on AH I just didn't list them.
New baby! Congrats!
Sound card robs cycles the cpu uses. You will possibly get freezes during game play. Just get one with a head set attachment. Just my thoughts.
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Zazen, how's that build going? I need to live vicariously through you. :rofl :rofl :rofl
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Zazen, how's that build going? I need to live vicariously through you. :rofl :rofl :rofl
Always crack me up
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I've been Playing with the build based on the excellent feedback you guys gave me. This is where I am at now. This time I just cut n' pasted from my Newegg cart worksheet.
2 LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136152
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$45.98
($22.99 each)
1 NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811146047
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$119.99
$109.99
1 Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136319
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$79.99
1 Hanns·G HG-281DJB Black 27.5" 3ms with X-Celerate™ Technology HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height Adjustment - Retail
Item #: N82E16824254036
Return Policy: LCD Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$30.00 Instant
$419.99
$389.99
1 EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130446
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$49.99 Saving
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$359.99
$310.00
1 ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ1300 1300W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Patent Piperock Modular Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817814011
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$100.00 Instant
$499.99
$399.99
1 CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145224
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$199.99
$191.99
1 EVGA 132-BL-E758-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188046
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$269.99
1 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$288.99
1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
Return Policy: Software Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$109.99
$99.99
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Still don't see a sound card. Did I miss it?
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$400 power supply? Wow.
If you're spending that kind of coin, get a bluray player. Don't go OEM or you'll play hell trying to get playback to work right... Go for a retail package with decent software and support.
For that matter, get vista ultimate instead of premium. Premium leaves out some stuff that would be nice to have I think... That's one reason I still haven't bought vista, their feature list forces me to get ultimate and it's expensive. But I didn't get a $400 PSU either ;)
You won't find it at newegg, but you will want the thermalright ultra extreme "TRUE" heatsink for your cpu. Again it's not the cheapest but it's the best I've seen in dozens of reviews and it's only about $20 more than lesser heatsinks.
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I didn't look but make sure that monitor has a 5 ms or lower response rate otherwise you'll probably get ghosting.
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$400 power supply? Wow.
If you're spending that kind of coin, get a bluray player. Don't go OEM or you'll play hell trying to get playback to work right... Go for a retail package with decent software and support.
For that matter, get vista ultimate instead of premium. Premium leaves out some stuff that would be nice to have I think... That's one reason I still haven't bought vista, their feature list forces me to get ultimate and it's expensive. But I didn't get a $400 PSU either ;)
You won't find it at newegg, but you will want the thermalright ultra extreme "TRUE" heatsink for your cpu. Again it's not the cheapest but it's the best I've seen in dozens of reviews and it's only about $20 more than lesser heatsinks.
Actually ultimate doesn't bring anything on the table that he should pay the difference for. The ultimate 'extras' are a well known joke (there are almost none) so the only thing he would gain is support for enterprise networking. Which I highly doubt he'll need at home unless he's a masochist.
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Zazen, I would stay away from a modular PS. That's on a personal level and I would still go with the PC Power and Cooling power supply. I believe a quad will do the job with plenty left over.
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Actually ultimate doesn't bring anything on the table that he should pay the difference for. The ultimate 'extras' are a well known joke (there are almost none) so the only thing he would gain is support for enterprise networking. Which I highly doubt he'll need at home unless he's a masochist.
I think there was a system backup utility and some other items that are nice to have. The "ultimate extras" are a joke yes, but the premium version leaves out some stuff that the business version has, that I personally would like to have if I was switching to Vista.
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I think there was a system backup utility and some other items that are nice to have. The "ultimate extras" are a joke yes, but the premium version leaves out some stuff that the business version has, that I personally would like to have if I was switching to Vista.
If you need your computer for work then yes, otherwise home premium is enough for a home user. The price difference is better used in getting Acronis trueimage or similar product that really works.
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New baby! Congrats!
Sound card robs cycles the cpu uses. You will possibly get freezes during game play. Just get one with a head set attachment. Just my thoughts.
sound card or onboard sound robs cpu cycles?
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Onboard sound devices require far more CPU cycles and when they do anything at all, related to sound, the CPU has to stop and wait as they are all on the same bus. To alleviate the lack or parallelism, many sound chip vendors simply have the CPU do everything and the sound chip is nothing more than a multiplexor with preamps for the connection.
Add in cards use far fewer CPU cycles, and they can process sounds in parallel with the CPU due to most of the work being done directly on the sound card. They will normally be able to play a higher number of sounds simultaneously as well.
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Zazen's Build Revision v3.01
I never really thought about sound much as I have to keep quiet for the wife and kid. But, the idea of not having a sound card miffed me. Also, i nthe latest build I get convinced back to non-modular PS.
2 PLEXTOR 20X DVD Super Multi Qflix Drive Black SATA Model PX-806SA SW - Retail
Item #: N82E16827249037
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy -$5.99 Saving
$119.98
$108.00
($54.00 each)
1 NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811146047
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$119.99
$109.99
2 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136284
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$239.98
($119.99 each)
1 LG W3000H-Bn Black 30" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824005115
Return Policy: LCD Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$150.00 Instant
$1,249.99
$1,099.99
1 EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130446
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
-$49.99 Saving
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$359.99
$300.00
1 HT OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16829271001
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$89.99
1 PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817703020
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$40.00 Instant
$50.00 Mail-in Rebate
$599.99
$559.99
1 CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145224
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$199.99
$191.99
1 EVGA 132-BL-E758-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188046
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$269.99
1 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$288.99
1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
Return Policy: Software Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$109.99
$99.99
1 Patriot Xporter XT 8GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model PEF8GUSB - Retail
Item #: N82E16820220252
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $5.00 Mail-in Rebate
$19.99
1 Patriot Razzo 32GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model PSF32GRUSB - Retail
Item #: N82E16820220316
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $5.00 Mail-in Rebate
$64.99
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One last comment. I see your picking up a 1 Tb HD. Personally, I'd get dual drives; one at about 160-250 Gb for OS and applications and another larger drive for storage, back-ups, etc.
I realize you can partition the single drive but then everything has to spin up on, and be accessed by the single set of heads on that drive. Beyond that, if you have a drive failure you could lose everything with a single drive. With dual drives you'd likely only lose either the OS and apps or (heaven forbid) your data but the former would be more likely as you'd be accessing the OS/App drive on every boot and the storage drive only occasionally in comparison.
Most likely you won't experience a failure and this is all moot but better safe than sorry.
I've got a 250 Gb boot/app drive (SATA) and moved two old IDE drives into storage (200 Gb) and back-up (160 Gb) duty. If your not keeping your old machine intact then swap the old drives over. I did keep my old machine intact and in use but I also had three more HD's just lying around (I picked up a HD enclosure for the last one and now use it as a portable plug and play USB external drive for my 3 machines... very nice... don't even have to reboot; just plug it in and use it).
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One last comment. I see your picking up a 1 Tb HD. Personally, I'd get dual drives; one at about 160-250 Gb for OS and applications and another larger drive for storage, back-ups, etc.
I realize you can partition the single drive but then everything has to spin up on, and be accessed by the single set of heads on that drive. Beyond that, if you have a drive failure you could lose everything with a single drive. With dual drives you'd likely only lose either the OS and apps or (heaven forbid) your data but the former would be more likely as you'd be accessing the OS/App drive on every boot and the storage drive only occasionally in comparison.
Most likely you won't experience a failure and this is all moot but better safe than sorry.
I've got a 250 Gb boot/app drive (SATA) and moved two old IDE drives into storage (200 Gb) and back-up (160 Gb) duty. If your not keeping your old machine intact then swap the old drives over. I did keep my old machine intact and in use but I also had three more HD's just lying around (I picked up a HD enclosure for the last one and now use it as a portable plug and play USB external drive for my 3 machines... very nice... don't even have to reboot; just plug it in and use it).
Better option is to partition the 1TB drive since it's much faster than the small 200Gb one. The only way to protect data is to make backups on a separate media.
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A soundblaster audigy2 ZS will be a plenty fine soundcard and will probably cost less.
Still recommend a retail blu-ray optical drive.
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Zazen, you plan on powering lower Manhattan with that PS? That may be overkill. Just my thoughts.
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Zazen, you plan on powering lower Manhattan with that PS? That may be overkill. Just my thoughts.
Not really with all that RAM, video card, drives, usb peripheral devices, etc. especially if he's considering SLI in the future. If there's no thought of SLI then 750-1000 would probably do.
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"As far as the ram goes, compared to the cost of everything else another 200 bucks to max out the ram is not a big deal. I remember when ram was $1,000 for a 256mb stick...The 12 Gigs of Corsair was only $375.00 total."
My point is: Has anybody here over 4Gb of RAM in his PC and been able to utilize over 4Gb? If you have, with what? Professional audio programs, CAD designing, 3D modelling?
IMO its simply a waste of money to put over 4Gb RAM since probably only professional programs can really use it.
I don't know why since even with 8Gb Windows seems to run the disks quite a bit so despite of ample memory available Windows seems to use only the minimum amount a program needs and keeps the rest in reserve incase some other program would need memory at the same time. It rarely does though if you are playing etc. The same reason why you really don't need four cores in CPU but two is very much enough for anything you might want to do in normal home use.
Also somethin else to consider: you can only utilize Dual Channel-mode with certain memory configurations so I'd advice to select only such RAM configurations that do not disable Dual Channeling. Dual Channeling is usually available only in symmetric memory bank configurations, i.e. two or four more or less identical modules installed in certain memory slots. That is because if you cannot run in Dual Channeling mode your memory bandwidth is practically halved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-channel_architecture
-C+
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Charge, the Core i7 CPU's use triple channel memory accesses. To do so requires a matched set of 3 sticks of RAM.
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Charge, the Core i7 CPU's use triple channel memory accesses. To do so requires a matched set of 3 sticks of RAM.
X2
The flavors available are 3 x 1 GB 3 x 2GB. Some folks like to put in 12GB 2 sets of 6 but the system will NOT run at the rated specs of the memory no matter what you do. As of this moment they do not make Triple Channel sets in 12GB for purchase by consumers. You can get Dual channel in 2,4, 8 and 12GB matched sets.
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Ok, I have a follow-up question. I've been really putting some thought, energy and homework into my build. In the reading I've done specifically relating to CPUs and Video cards there seems to be an opinion that chips/processors privileged by the manufacturer were "cherry picked" from the best wafer and best QC test results to be pre-overclocked in "elite" fashion. So, while the end-user can probably overclock the basic version to a similar level, the pre-overclocked versions are actually internally superior and more robust even though their documented specifications are the same in the product description....Is this true or just computer geek lore?
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Ok, I have a follow-up question. I've been really putting some thought, energy and homework into my build. In the reading I've done specifically relating to CPUs and Video cards there seems to be an opinion that chips/processors privileged by the manufacturer were "cherry picked" from the best wafer and best QC test results to be pre-overclocked in "elite" fashion. So, while the end-user can probably overclock the basic version to a similar level, the pre-overclocked versions are actually internally superior and more robust even though their documented specifications are the same in the product description....Is this true or just computer geek lore?
Fact the chips are called Engineering samples
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Ok, after much reading, deliberating and backroom discussion with Tildeath, I think I have decided on this stuff for my build. Double check me to make sure everything looks ok. The theme for me was, high-end w/ biggest bang for the buck with room and framework for future improvement as newer stuff comes out and makes the current top tier stuff cheaper. I purchased the monitor locally ( 24 inch Samsung), so that If I get dead pixels or whatever I can just bring it back to exchange it. The cheesy DD2 memory is for my wife's Dell Dimension 4700.
4 SIIG 18" Serial ATA Cable - Right Angle Model CB-SATD41-S1 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812191060
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$5.00 Instant
$51.96
$31.96
($7.99 each)
1 StarTech 8" Power Extension Cable for 24 pin ATX 2.01 Motherboards Model ATX24POWEXT - Retail
Item #: N82E16812200121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$15.99
1 1ST PC CORP. 12" 4-pin P4 ATX extension cable Model CB-P4-P4 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812706005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$7.99
2 SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151173
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$49.98
($24.99 each)
1 COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119160
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$159.99
1 Western Digital RE3 WD1002FBYS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136313
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$169.99
$159.99
1 Western Digital RE3 WD7502ABYS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136316
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$139.99
1 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16829102006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00 Instant
$90.99
$75.99
1 PC Power & Cooling PPCT860ESA 860W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817703021
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$60.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$329.99
$269.99
1 Logitech 920-000264 Black USB Cordless Ergonomics Desktop Wave - Retail
Item #: N82E16823126033
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00 Instant
$84.99
$69.99
1 Logitech 904346-0403 Silver 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB or PS/2 RF Wireless TrackBall Cordless TrackMan Wheel - Retail
Item #: N82E16826104206
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$36.99
1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy
$8.99
1 Rosewill RTK-090 90 Piece Professional Computer Tool Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16899261004
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$49.99
$39.99
2 Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR667D2N5K2/2G - Retail
Item #: N82E16820134046
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$45.98
($22.99 each)
1 COOLMAX ThumbScrew SILV 10PK Thumb Screw (10 screws in a bag), SILVER Anodized - Retail
Item #: N82E16800881303
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$1.59
1 Link Depot LD-SCREWSKIT Screw Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16811989012
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$3.99
1 EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188039
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$299.99
1 CORSAIR Flash Voyager 16GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-16GB - Retail
Item #: N82E16820233042
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$49.99
$41.99
1 Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835608007
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$84.99
$76.99
1
EVGA 01G-P3-1287-AR GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130447
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227381
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$30.00 Instant
-$35.00 Combo
-$49.99 Saving
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$549.98
$434.99
1 Nvidia Gift - OEM
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$49.99
1
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227381
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$39.00 Instant
-$10.00 Combo
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$428.98
$379.98
1
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
Return Policy: Software Return Policy
Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies - Retail
Item #: N82E16837307002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$21.00 Instant
-$5.00 Combo
$139.98
$113.98
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Looks good to me Zazen. Actually looks great. I think taking your time in the matter is the way to go.
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Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies - Retail
Item #: N82E16837307002
:) Good thing it was with a combo deal.
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Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies - Retail
Item #: N82E16837307002
:) Good thing it was with a combo deal.
I just bought that as a counter-weight to the 1600+ page, "Scott Mueller's: Upgrading & Repairing PCs" 18th edition. I bought earlier at Books-a-million....Hehe
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Ok, after much reading, deliberating and backroom discussion with Tildeath, I think I have decided on this stuff for my build. Double check me to make sure everything looks ok. The theme for me was, high-end w/ biggest bang for the buck with room and framework for future improvement as newer stuff comes out and makes the current top tier stuff cheaper. I purchased the monitor locally ( 24 inch Samsung), so that If I get dead pixels or whatever I can just bring it back to exchange it. The cheesy DD2 memory is for my wife's Dell Dimension 4700.
4 SIIG 18" Serial ATA Cable - Right Angle Model CB-SATD41-S1 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812191060
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$5.00 Instant
$51.96
$31.96
($7.99 each)
1 StarTech 8" Power Extension Cable for 24 pin ATX 2.01 Motherboards Model ATX24POWEXT - Retail
Item #: N82E16812200121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$15.99
1 1ST PC CORP. 12" 4-pin P4 ATX extension cable Model CB-P4-P4 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812706005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$7.99
2 SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151173
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$49.98
($24.99 each)
1 COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119160
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$159.99
1 Western Digital RE3 WD1002FBYS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136313
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$169.99
$159.99
1 Western Digital RE3 WD7502ABYS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136316
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$139.99
1 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16829102006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00 Instant
$90.99
$75.99
1 PC Power & Cooling PPCT860ESA 860W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817703021
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$60.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$329.99
$269.99
1 Logitech 920-000264 Black USB Cordless Ergonomics Desktop Wave - Retail
Item #: N82E16823126033
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$15.00 Instant
$84.99
$69.99
1 Logitech 904346-0403 Silver 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB or PS/2 RF Wireless TrackBall Cordless TrackMan Wheel - Retail
Item #: N82E16826104206
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$36.99
1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy
$8.99
1 Rosewill RTK-090 90 Piece Professional Computer Tool Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16899261004
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$49.99
$39.99
2 Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR667D2N5K2/2G - Retail
Item #: N82E16820134046
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$45.98
($22.99 each)
1 COOLMAX ThumbScrew SILV 10PK Thumb Screw (10 screws in a bag), SILVER Anodized - Retail
Item #: N82E16800881303
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$1.59
1 Link Depot LD-SCREWSKIT Screw Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16811989012
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$3.99
1 EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188039
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$299.99
1 CORSAIR Flash Voyager 16GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-16GB - Retail
Item #: N82E16820233042
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$49.99
$41.99
1 Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835608007
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$8.00 Instant
$84.99
$76.99
1
EVGA 01G-P3-1287-AR GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130447
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227381
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$30.00 Instant
-$35.00 Combo
-$49.99 Saving
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$549.98
$434.99
1 Nvidia Gift - OEM
Item #: N82E16800999088
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$49.99
1
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227381
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$39.00 Instant
-$10.00 Combo
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$428.98
$379.98
1
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
Return Policy: Software Return Policy
Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies - Retail
Item #: N82E16837307002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$21.00 Instant
-$5.00 Combo
$139.98
$113.98
Not my choices on several items... putting a lot of monies into this build and not matching components properly. Same amount of monies and faster system can be built along with a more stable system, For instance the case... very nice looking case but a huge dust magnet since there are no filters on the fans, nothing in the front 5 1/4 bay covers... just open screening. Meaning a lot of cleaning and maintenance involved. As stated on the first page of this thread... the WD6401AALS much faster drive and for the price you can almost get two, check the benchmarks, for the 50 or so additional your spending on the 750 your gaining 110GB (98 or so effective) but losing performance. etc etc
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Not my choices on several items... putting a lot of monies into this build and not matching components properly. Same amount of monies and faster system can be built along with a more stable system, For instance the case... very nice looking case but a huge dust magnet since there are no filters on the fans, nothing in the front 5 1/4 bay covers... just open screening. Meaning a lot of cleaning and maintenance involved. As stated on the first page of this thread... the WD6401AALS much faster drive and for the price you can almost get two, check the benchmarks, for the 50 or so additional your spending on the 750 your gaining 110GB (98 or so effective) but losing performance. etc etc
The RE3 version of the WD drives are their "top of the line" supposedly. They are far more reliable and long-lasting than their "black" or "green" counterparts, or so says all the reviewers, thus the higher price. I'd rather pay extra to get some insurance against failures. The cast you recommended is just a mid-tower, not full-tower, I wanted a case that would grow with me, so I don't have to re-case my gear at some point should I add more stuff or video cards get any longer or wider. I intend to keep upgrading this for the next 7 years like I did my previous one.
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Yea, I wasn't very pleased with my Alienware. I paid like 7 grand for it 5-6 years ago and it shipped with a bad stick of ram, obviously they never tested it because it wouldn't pass post. I will never buy from them again. I was playing with the FalconNorthwest builder when I went ahead and did that self-build sheet component by component on Newegg.
Having worked for Dell as a pc builder I'm pretty sure all PC building companies do have quick tests at the very very least not to mention tests that are done while your system is plugged into a giant rack getting its software loaded onto it (QC is getting slacker and slacker as they all try become number 1), I've seen many pcs with a stick of ram just touching the DIMM socket or half in half out pass tests. It probably came loose in transit and got scratched. It would be mind boggling and totally not acceptable if that stick of ram was dead on arrival after passing test, if it didnt pass test or wasnt tested...boycott boycott.
Those companies are a total rip of anyway. PCs are easily built - up to 300 a day sometimes per person...I'd never ever buy a pre built system from a large company after seeing the insides of a pc building plant.
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Having worked for Dell as a pc builder I'm pretty sure all PC building companies do have quick tests at the very very least not to mention tests that are done while your system is plugged into a giant rack getting its software loaded onto it (QC is getting slacker and slacker as they all try become number 1), I've seen many pcs with a stick of ram just touching the DIMM socket or half in half out pass tests. It probably came loose in transit and got scratched. It would be mind boggling and totally not acceptable if that stick of ram was dead on arrival after passing test, if it didnt pass test or wasnt tested...boycott boycott.
Those companies are a total rip of anyway. PCs are easily built - up to 300 a day sometimes per person...I'd never ever buy a pre built system from a large company after seeing the insides of a pc building plant.
300 a day! Yikes
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The RE3 version of the WD drives are their "top of the line" supposedly. They are far more reliable and long-lasting than their "black" or "green" counterparts, or so says all the reviewers, thus the higher price. I'd rather pay extra to get some insurance against failures. The cast you recommended is just a mid-tower, not full-tower, I wanted a case that would grow with me, so I don't have to re-case my gear at some point should I add more stuff or video cards get any longer or wider. I intend to keep upgrading this for the next 7 years like I did my previous one.
My info comes from WD and the personal I deal with there along with tried and true systems built along with bench tests using HD Tune. Not reviews which are in a lot of cases favorable since advertising/sponsor dollars are involved. The Dimensions on the Cooler Master (W)9.0" X (H)21.5" X (D)22.7" The Tempest case specs are (W)8.3" x (H)22.1" x (D)20.5" I have placed 295GTX(s) in this case Tri SLI and still had room between the drives and the video cards. The Tempest case has the dust filters for all intake fans along with 6 fans included (hence the nickname Airflow King)
It also has the ability to add H2O without case mods needed for an internal 220mm Rad. We have build two of these systems one with a duel loop meaning two reservoirs two pumps. One cooling the CPU, NB, SB and the second cooling the Vol Regs and the Tri SLI 280GTXs. There was still room to add more but this had 4 HD's (8 max), 2 DVD's (5 max) FAN control unit and a dual light system. Not to sure what more could be added to a case.
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My info comes from WD and the personal I deal with there along with tried and true systems built along with bench tests using HD Tune. Not reviews which are in a lot of cases favorable since advertising/sponsor dollars are involved. The Dimensions on the Cooler Master (W)9.0" X (H)21.5" X (D)22.7" The Tempest case specs are (W)8.3" x (H)22.1" x (D)20.5" I have placed 295GTX(s) in this case Tri SLI and still had room between the drives and the video cards. The Tempest case has the dust filters for all intake fans along with 6 fans included (hence the nickname Airflow King)
It also has the ability to add H2O without case mods needed for an internal 220mm Rad. We have build two of these systems one with a duel loop meaning two reservoirs two pumps. One cooling the CPU, NB, SB and the second cooling the Vol Regs and the Tri SLI 280GTXs. There was still room to add more but this had 4 HD's (8 max), 2 DVD's (5 max) FAN control unit and a dual light system. Not to sure what more could be added to a case.
Not to interfere but that's impressive information.
I'm going to take a look at the tempest case. I'll leave the hard drive to you pros.
Addendum: Nice looking case. Reminds me a bit of the Antec 900. Good to see the on/off button on top too. Nice price as well, $80.00 after rebate.
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Well, after much deliberation, advice and consultation I bought all the components for my build listed below. I am working on it as we speak. The only revision is the DDR3 1600 Memory I exchanged for the new DDR3 2000 memory that became available later that day I hit "Submit" on my order. Also notice, the brand new, spiffy overclocker's paradise EVGA board became available the day I ordered, it's crazy cool. I will give a post build follow-up report on how it works with AH for use by those also considering a, "Way of the future..." upgrade motiff. I special thanks to Tildeath, Skuzzy and Avaro for all their advice and suggestions.
1 PC Power & Cooling PPCT860 860W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - Retail
Item #: N82E16817703013
Standard Return Policy
. 1 NZXT SEN-001LX Sentry LX Aluminum dual bay fan controller - Retail
Item #: N82E16811992004
Standard Return Policy
. 1 IMC IMC-black USB 2.0 Card Reader - Retail
Item #: N82E16820717001
Standard Return Policy
. 1 EVGA 141-BL-E759-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 Classified Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813188047
Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
. 1 NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811146047
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
. 1 Kingston HyperX 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KHX12800D3LLK3/6GX - Retail
Item #: N82E16820104092
Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
. 1 EVGA 01G-P3-1287-AR GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130447
Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
. 1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
Software Return Policy
. 1 Nippon Labs 0.5 Meter (1.64 ft.) one right ANGLE CABLE Model SATA-0.5MR - Retail
Item #: N82E16812816030
Standard Return Policy
. 1 AuzenTech AZT-FORTE X-Fi Forte 7.1 Low Profile PCI Express Sound Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16829156010
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835608007
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Rosewill RTK-090 90 Piece Professional Computer Tool Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16899261004
Standard Return Policy
. 1 CORSAIR Flash Voyager 8GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model CMFUSB2.0-8GB - Retail
Item #: N82E16820233037
Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
. 1 Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136283
30 Day Return Policy
. 1 Link Depot SCW-10-BK 10 Pack of Black Anodized Thumbscrews - Retail
Item #: N82E16811989004
Standard Return Policy
. 1 SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151173
30 Day Return Policy
. 3 APEVIA CF12SL-4C 120mm Multi-Color LED Case Fan - Retail
Item #: N82E16811998128
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Link Depot LD-SCREWSKIT Screw Kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16811989012
Standard Return Policy
. 1 D-Link DGL-4100 10/100/1000Mbps GamerLounge Broadband Gigabit Gaming Router - Retail
Item #: N82E16833127060
30 Day Return Policy
. 3 APEVIA CF12SL-UBL 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - Retail
Item #: N82E16811998121
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007
Consumable Items Return Policy
1 Delta FFB1212EHE-F00 120mm Case Fan - Retail
Item #: N82E16835213010
Standard Return Policy
. 1 LOGISYS Computer LNSBL 12" Blue Liquid Neon Thunder Pattern LED Light - Retail
Item #: N82E16800888038
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Logitech 920-000264 Black USB Cordless Ergonomics Desktop Wave - Retail
Item #: N82E16823126033
Standard Return Policy
. 1 Logitech 904346-0403 Silver 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB or PS/2 RF Wireless TrackBall Cordless TrackMan Wheel - Retail
Item #: N82E16826104206
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Looks good. What's the difference between a regular router and a gaming router?
Where's the sound card?
Addendum: Okay I see the sound card. Why that one?
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"gaming" routers use QoS so, in theory, the game packets get priority over other applications (web, mail, updates etc). This means that eg. if someone else on your network is downloading stuff or watching youtube, it wont cause lag in your game. :)
havent used them myself, but had good reports of the 4300 (the wireless version) :aok
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Looks good. What's the difference between a regular router and a gaming router?
Where's the sound card?
Addendum: Okay I see the sound card. Why that one?
Amazing reviews, better engineered and superior driver support to Creative crap...Plus I wanted a PcI-E one.
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Amazing reviews, better engineered and superior driver support to Creative crap...Plus I wanted a PcI-E one.
Just knew you didn't pick it out of the blue.
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Well, it's all done. It took me about 3 days at 3-4 hours per day to get everything built. I took it nice and slow and read all of the documentation. I will relate my general experience from inception to completion as there seems to be several others contemplating massive overhauls and/or complete builds right now.
Preliminary Shopping Phase:
As I mentioned earlier, my previous gaming rig was an Alienware I selected component by component through their online building interface. This time I went through Newegg and bought absolutely everything piece by piece, hand selecting each component down to individual cables very carefully. I spent about 3 weeks savoring that educational process during which time I conferred with Tildeath and others, read reviews, bought builder books and magazines, etc. I highly recommend taking your time during this phase, my original design concept I had in mind after plinking away with the FalconNorthwest kit builder only vaguely resembles what I ended up with and it's a good thing, in retrospect.
Case & Cooling:
This was very important. I almost messed up, but thanks to Tildeath's advise I didn't and ended up with the Tempest. I really wanted to be able to stick with an air cooled system for now and the Tempest is up to the job. I was unable to get an aftermarket CPU fan as I chose a brand new EVGA X58 Classified Extended form factor motherboard for which no CPU Heat Sink & Fan kit seems to fit yet. So, even with the stock Intel Fan & heatsink I have no cooling problems yet due to the tremendous air flow of the Tempest. The design of the Tempest is great, but the stock fans are very loud and don't push a lot of air. I replaced them all with great fans (not to mention pretty lights). The PC cooling 860 W power supply is cool to the touch. The Triple Hyper X 2000MHz ram is also cool to the touch w/o a dedicated fan thanks to very tall heat spreaders. My only con for the Tempest is the lack of externally accessable drivebays, it has only 3. So, I had to pass on the 2 bay LCD fan controller.
CPU & Memory:
Per my itemized breakdown previously posted I went with the i7 920, a very cost effective yet powerfull CPU solution. At the last minute I was able to get the latest/greatest ram, which I am glad I did as the heat sinks are much better and the timing is tight at 8-8-8-21, @ 2000MHz. For those that don't know what that means, let's just say that it's EXTREMELY fast. I am a coward about overclocking my expensive toys, but with the EVGA X58 Classified Board I am sure I could overclock both the RAM and the CPU generously. Although I would not want to with the CPU just yet with only a stock CPU fan & heatsink and no liquid cooling system. But, that will leave room for future improvement.
Video Card:
I went with the EVGA GTX285 SSC Edition(cherry-picked for quality and pre-hard-overclocked by the factory). Arguably, this card is the absolute best non-dual gpu, single card graphics solution for gaming available. I did not see the point in going with the extra expense, space, heat & power requirements for SLI. I selected that card because it is pre-overclocked, thefore it outperforms all but the newest dual-gpu cards but with less heat & power needs and compatability issues.
Overall Experience:
I must say, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I bought absolutely everything I needed for this build, including a 24 inch Widescreen LCD gaming monitor retail for well under $3,000. To build something like this through FalconNorthwest after tax and shipping would have been about 3 times that much. I had nothing but good experiences from my direct interactions with Newegg. They allowed me to RMA, for a full refund, the slower memory I had bought so I could instead buy the limited stock & faster memory, even though their memory policy is strictly equivalent/same item exchange only, no refunds. Their shipping was prompt and reasonable. I had to RMA several things, including the Noctua CPU Fan & Heatsink that wouldn't fit the motherboard and the dual bay fan controller that would not fit in my case. The entire RMA process was a breeze. I will never, ever buy a pre-made, custom built computer again, it was well worth the effort. I feel like a proud father of my computer.
New Gaming Rig in Aces High:
I got Aces High up and running at 1900X1200 with the high res texture pack, all possible settings completely maxed in wide screen mode. Aces High can't touch this rig, no matter what's going on... 50 planes, smoke, fire, buff boxes galore, whatever, this rig still pegs at max FR.
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Congratulations, and enjoy the new toy. :)
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Sounds good Zazen. Glad it all worked out.
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Fun to build your own, eh? Hope it's clear sailing for the next few years.
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Zaz, great build :aok
if you don't mind, what was the final cost?
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I had nothing but good experiences from my direct interactions with Newegg. They allowed me to RMA, for a full refund, the slower memory I had bought so I could instead buy the limited stock & faster memory, even though their memory policy is strictly equivalent/same item exchange only, no refunds. Their shipping was prompt and reasonable. I had to RMA several things, including the Noctua CPU Fan & Heatsink that wouldn't fit the motherboard and the dual bay fan controller that would not fit in my case. The entire RMA process was a breeze.
Top notch customer service. :aok
They get all my $.
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Zaz, great build :aok
if you don't mind, what was the final cost?
Absolutely everything for the build with the exception of the monitor from Newegg was $2,670 after Shipping and including instant & mailed in rebates. I purchased a 24" Samsung WS LCD from Sam's Club for $279.00. So, all totalled, under 3 Grand to go from an empty space on my desk to a gaming super-computer... To put that figure into perspective, the top of line line gaming pre-fab job, inferior to my build in every respect and only marginally customizable & upgradable, from Dell or Gateway, is around 4-5 Grand. A comparable computer from Alienware or Falcon-Northwest would be around 7-9 Grand. So, some thought, and about 15 hours of labor of love yielded me a net savings of roughly 2-5 thousand dollars.
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Zazen,
Need an update report so I can live vicariously through you. ;)
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Zaren
The OCZ Vendetta 2 will fit on that board. You will need the 1366 adaptor. Contact me if you need more info
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Zaren
The OCZ Vendetta 2 will fit on that board. You will need the 1366 adaptor. Contact me if you need more info
Yea, the cooling is an issue. The stock CPU fan is insufficient for even causal overclocking.
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So....what is max FR in full out max settings? ( Bout to build one ) :)
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Still don't see a sound card. Did I miss it?
Built in on the mobo.
Just my 1/2 penny here...you're going for high end but you cut some corners where you wouldn't have to if you didn't go i7...I know 2 (so far) people here at work who have tried the i7 setups and both had to return the parts because of glitches...(none of it was off brand either)...the second guy spent 3 weeks trying to get it up and running until he gave up.
You could get higher internal clock speeds with a socket 775 and 95watt quad core processor...then you wouldn't have to deal with triple channel memory configurations (that aren't needed by the average home user)...and you wouldn't have to buy a 1000+ watt psu...
Step down to the socket 775 configuration with a higher clock speed processor and do 4 gigs of ram in dual channel configuration...you won't need more than that before you build a new system.
Ditch the Hanns-G monitor. I have several where I work and the quality stinks...even the Acers are better.
If you're going to do 64bit OS, Windows 7 is the way to go...Vista is just another Windows ME failure.
Forget the raid 0...no benefit to it in reality.
Looks like you got money to spare...save yourself a lot of headaches and stay away from the "bleeding edge" hardware that hasn't been on the market very long...it's depreciation value is higher than 1 generation back without the visible benefits you would expect.