if you had to build a system tomorrow...

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05-15-2010, 12:01 AM
shmadz

if you had to build a system tomorrow...

what would you do?

sorry for new thread, but I'm gonna build a system this weekend come hell or high water and I've wasted most of my time trying to decide between amd and intel (been abusing amd since K6-2 and it's hard to break old habits), the new 1090T looks pretty sweet, but I don't do a lot of multithreaded apps, and the 920 or 930's that I see seem to hit 4.0+ pretty easily... this is for my everyday machine so it would be on air, and possibly putting in some water, down the road.

also the X58 seems like a mature platform, while the I've seen some issues with the asus crosshair board that remind me of the headaches my current board had (and still has)

so I'm 90% leaning toward intel, - amd fans please feel free to try to drag me back towards the light :) - but do I go 920 or 930? been trying to look for a consensus and can't find one.

my general feel from what I've had time to read is that there is little difference between the two. if I'm wrong on this please educate me :p: (links appreciated)

preliminary build: *note, price is less of an issue than availability, as we canadians don't always have local access to every brand available.

MB: Evga x58 SLI (classifieds are all sold out)
CPU: i7 920 ($30 cheaper than 930)
VGA: ?? (leaning ati, but I've seen some results from nVidia parts recently using new drivers that's making me wonder...)
Ram: ?? Patriot Extreme Performance Viper II Series is available in my area at $60 less than corsair dominator... haven't read the reviews yet though.
*storage* not really sure here, current drive is a SCSI at 15K but with old interface, I think ultra160? maybe not even that. it's pretty decent, but it does thrash from time to time, so I'm wondering if a solid state drive for the os and oft-used games and apps would be a worthy upgrade? ( reducing load times in games would be key, and seems to be the time the drive thrashes the most)

the rest will be canibalized from my current machine.

wow sorry about that, I was trying to keep it short, thanks for any and all input.

**P.S.** If I'm fortunate enough to talk my way into the cage and take my pick, is there a certain batch or range I should be looking for?
05-15-2010, 06:50 AM
trn

Looks like a good build list; maybe look at the Gigabyte x58 boards, they are good boards with a lot of overclocking features.
05-15-2010, 07:16 AM
Michowski

Intel 920
evga x58 classified
ati 5870
corsair hx1000
corsair dominator gt memory
ssd, probly myself would get 2 250gb if I could afford it

If you wanted to build just a really sweet machine I would run 2 video cards. Water cool everything and get a nice mountain mods case. If parts arent in stock just be patient. Good hardware is worth the wait instead of settling for something else.
05-15-2010, 07:19 AM
erikmorgan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michowski

Intel 920
evga x58 classified
ati 5870
corsair hx1000
corsair dominator gt memory
ssd, probly myself would get 2 250gb if I could afford it

If you wanted to build just a really sweet machine I would run 2 video cards. Water cool everything and get a nice mountain mods case. If parts arent in stock just be patient. Good hardware is worth the wait instead of settling for something else.

Pretty much sounds Perfect! :yepp:
05-15-2010, 01:03 PM
shmadz

Thanks for the input, I've sobered up a bit since I first posted and I guess it won't kill me to wait a few days, or even weeks to make sure I get it right. Still can't find an X58 classified, but I'm now leaning towards the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R simply for the usb3 capability.

Thanks again for the help :up:
05-15-2010, 01:34 PM
l0ud_sil3nc3

Quote:

Originally Posted by shmadz

Thanks for the input, I've sobered up a bit since I first posted and I guess it won't kill me to wait a few days, or even weeks to make sure I get it right. Still can't find an X58 classified, but I'm now leaning towards the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R simply for the usb3 capability.

Thanks again for the help :up:

the UD3R is a great board especially for how much it costs and what you get.
05-15-2010, 04:24 PM
erikmorgan

Have u looked @ newegg.com

EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED

EVGA E762 4-WAY SLI Classified
05-16-2010, 01:19 AM
coné

Hi, I wonder why you dont considder ASUS Rampage III Extreme, I heared some prommising things about it.

ASUS Rampage III Extreme
05-16-2010, 11:08 PM
Blauhung

I'll cast a vote in there for the Asus P6X58D-E, though a tad more expensive, it probably has better power regulation to the CPU. I don't have experience with the UD3, but I do know the Asus board is working very nicely for me.
05-16-2010, 11:12 PM
Movieman

I guess I shouldn't suggest a SR2?:rofl:
05-16-2010, 11:16 PM
sai

Since I'v been out of the game for a while, a little question on the mobo/cpu choices. Why i7 and not i5? I'm asking because actually I have to build a new system soon. ;)
05-17-2010, 12:29 AM
zsamz_

Quote:

Originally Posted by Movieman

I guess I shouldn't suggest a SR2?:rofl:

nope it suks 2 overclockin:p:

i'd go rampage extreme III
05-17-2010, 12:40 AM
ribonzz

intel i3, nVdia Gforce 9300, , well, the rest is your call. That's enough for me i guess..
05-17-2010, 02:14 AM
PatRaceTin

depend on your budget
05-17-2010, 02:41 AM
SoulsCollective
I'm going to go against pretty much everyone here and say that if you're only going to be gaming and running single- or lightly-multi-threaded apps, an X58 setup is an absolute waste of money.
- CPU: Phenom II 965BE
- Mobo: Spoilt for choice here. Try and grab something 890-based.
- RAM: 2*2GB DDR3-1600 CAS-7 or lower (in my experience AMD-based systems respond a lot better to tighter timings than to higher speeds)
- VGA: 2*ATi HD5850 (Crossfire)
- PSU: Again spoilt for choice. 850W+, 1kW if you can fit it in the budget to reduce system noise due to PSU load
- SSD: Something Sandforce-based. OCZ Vertex II, etc.
- HDD: At least a 1TB drive, my personal preference is for WD drives
- Cooling: 2xZalman ZF-1000 applied to 5850 cores (see eg. this thread) or equivalent, large tower-style CPU heatsink
As the owner of an i7 920 @ 4GHz system and system builder doing a lot of gaming builds, I can honestly say that if the only thing I was doing with my rig was gaming, office work and single-/light multi-threaded apps, I'd have wasted my money. On the many AMD-based systems that I've built as gaming rigs and compared to my i7 system, I've noticed no gaming performance difference whatsoever between the 920 @ 4GHz / 6GB DDR3-2000 and a 965BE @ stock / 4GB DDR3-1600 - but with the AMD system you save enough money to afford another graphics card and an SSD for performance boosts where it counts.
05-17-2010, 03:00 AM
Movieman
Quote:

Originally Posted by zsamz_

nope it suks 2 overclockin:p:

i'd go rampage extreme III

Be quiet you drunken Frenchman!:rofl:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoulsCollective

I'm going to go against pretty much everyone here and say that if you're only going to be gaming and running single- or lightly-multi-threaded apps, an X58 setup is an absolute waste of money.

CPU: Phenom II 965BE
Mobo: Spoilt for choice here. Try and grab something 890-based.
RAM: 2*2GB DDR3-1600 CAS-7 or lower (in my experience AMD-based systems respond a lot better to tighter timings than to higher speeds)
VGA: 2*ATi HD5850 (Crossfire)
PSU: Again spoilt for choice. 850W+, 1kW if you can fit it in the budget to reduce system noise due to PSU load
SSD: Something Sandforce-based. OCZ Vertex II, etc.
HDD: At least a 1TB drive, my personal preference is for WD drives
Cooling: 2xZalman ZF-1000 applied to 5850 cores (see eg. this thread) or equivalent, large tower-style CPU heatsink

As the owner of an i7 920 @ 4GHz system and system builder doing a lot of gaming builds, I can honestly say that if the only thing I was doing with my rig was gaming, office work and single-/light multi-threaded apps, I'd have wasted my money. On the many AMD-based systems that I've built as gaming rigs and compared to my i7 system, I've noticed no gaming performance difference whatsoever between the 920 @ 4GHz / 6GB DDR3-2000 and a 965BE @ stock / 4GB DDR3-1600 - but with the AMD system you save enough money to afford another graphics card and an SSD for performance boosts where it counts.
Can't argue that logic and the AMD 940 system I have is excellent for exactly what you describe.:up:
05-17-2010, 03:09 AM
SoulsCollective

Quote:

Originally Posted by Movieman

Can't argue that logic and the AMD 940 system I have is excellent for exactly what you describe.:up:

It's a shame we've all been bitten by the WCG bug. My wallet surely feels the pain, I'm struck with an inexplicable urge to check PPD production on my Blackberry when I should be paying attention in Uni, and the others in the house would certainly appreciate less of the heat and noise :p:
05-17-2010, 03:27 AM
Movieman

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulsCollective

It's a shame we've all been bitten by the WCG bug. My wallet surely feels the pain, I'm struck with an inexplicable urge to check PPD production on my Blackberry when I should be paying attention in Uni, and the others in the house would certainly appreciate less of the heat and noise :p:

I hear ya.. You should see my house with 5 dual socket machines and 2 singles.
There's a simple answer. EVERYONE on XS run one machine and then no one has to endure high electric or heat..:up:
05-17-2010, 06:16 AM
LennyRhys

What's in my sig is what I would build - it's more PC than I need and I love having all that power to spare, and for once in my life I honestly think I'll keep the same system for at least a year LOL. :D
05-17-2010, 09:07 PM
Frogeye

Amd Dragon
Truth Amd and gaming = more bang for your $$
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoulsCollective

I'm going to go against pretty much everyone here and say that if you're only going to be gaming and running single- or lightly-multi-threaded apps, an X58 setup is an absolute waste of money.

CPU: Phenom II 965BE
Mobo: Spoilt for choice here. Try and grab something 890-based.
RAM: 2*2GB DDR3-1600 CAS-7 or lower (in my experience AMD-based systems respond a lot better to tighter timings than to higher speeds)
VGA: 2*ATi HD5850 (Crossfire)
PSU: Again spoilt for choice. 850W+, 1kW if you can fit it in the budget to reduce system noise due to PSU load
SSD: Something Sandforce-based. OCZ Vertex II, etc.
HDD: At least a 1TB drive, my personal preference is for WD drives
Cooling: 2xZalman ZF-1000 applied to 5850 cores (see eg. this thread) or equivalent, large tower-style CPU heatsink

As the owner of an i7 920 @ 4GHz system and system builder doing a lot of gaming builds, I can honestly say that if the only thing I was doing with my rig was gaming, office work and single-/light multi-threaded apps, I'd have wasted my money. On the many AMD-based systems that I've built as gaming rigs and compared to my i7 system, I've noticed no gaming performance difference whatsoever between the 920 @ 4GHz / 6GB DDR3-2000 and a 965BE @ stock / 4GB DDR3-1600 - but with the AMD system you save enough money to afford another graphics card and an SSD for performance boosts where it counts.
05-18-2010, 06:42 AM
C4PPY

AMD
CPU: Phenom II 965BE
Mobo: ASUS Crosshair IV Formula
RAM: 2*2GB DDR3-1600 CAS-7
VGA: Sapphire ATI 5870 ( Vapor-X or Toxic )
PSU: Corsair HX850
SSD: Kingston SSD Now+ 2.GEN
HDD: At least a 1TB drive
Cooling: Noctua NH-U12P SE

Intel
CPU: i5 750
Mobo: ASUS Maximus III Formula
RAM: 2*2GB DDR3-1600 CAS-7
VGA: Sapphire ATI 5870 ( Vapor-X or Toxic )
PSU: Corsair HX850
SSD: Kingston SSD Now+ 2.GEN
HDD: At least a 1TB drive
Cooling: Noctua NH-U12P SE

For the Intel or AMD man in all of us :D
05-18-2010, 07:11 AM
slaveondope

If I was building from the ground up today I would do an i7 build yes I know blasphemy.
Never done an Intel build been all amd since K6 so Im curious as to whats going on over there sometimes.
With what components I couldnt tell ya..
05-18-2010, 07:40 AM
johnnymossville

For a gaming rig and general use PC?, AMD Quad or 6Core with a couple great graphics cards and an SSD.

For Intel, Microcentre's under $200 prices for the i7-930 are a pretty good place to start.
05-19-2010, 04:58 PM
shmadz

Quote:

Originally Posted by coné

Hi, I wonder why you dont considder ASUS Rampage III Extreme, I heared some prommising things about it.

thanks for the heads up. I've experienced quirky problems with my current ASUS board, and after 4 years, and countless bios updates, they were never addressed. so, after 10 years of all asus/amd builds, I've decided to go another route this time, variety is the spice and all that ;)
05-19-2010, 05:02 PM
shmadz
Quote:

Originally Posted by Movieman

I guess I shouldn't suggest a SR2?:rofl:

Hello Movieman :) Absolutely loved your SR2 review/saga

unfortunately, it's a little beyond my sub 2000 limit :(

EDIT ----
Thanks for all the replies and input, no flames but solid arguments for both AMD and intel sides.

Here's what I came up with, bought bits and pieces here and there over the past week, plan to build it this long weekend :)
- CPU = i7-920 D0 <- under $300 CDN - stepping 3916B089 - looks like good results from most of the late model 920's
- MB = Gigabyte X58A-UD3R <-has USB 3 and SATA 3
- RAM = Patriot Viper 1600 6G set <- low end ram, but the price was right, and the color scheme matches the board :rolleyes:
- HD = Patriot Torqx 64G <- not the best, but I'm cheap :)
- PSU = Corsair HX1000 <- I cheaped out on a lot of parts but after a few bad experiences, I refuse to cheap out on PSU.
- GPU = ASUS 5850 DirectCU TOP <- bang for buck? I hope? maybe a second one down the road?
came to $1682 CDN total, including OS (win7 pro) and tax - not including $40 bucks worth of mail-in rebates, which I hate, but hey, it's a couple cases of beer to keep me going while I OC this mutha :)

Thanks again for all the support and tips :)
05-19-2010, 05:31 PM
erikmorgan

Quote:

Originally Posted by shmadz

CPU = i7-920 D0 <- under $300 CDN - stepping 3916B089 - looks like good results from most of the late model 920's

Gigabyte X58A-UD3R <-has USB 3 and SATA 3

Patriot Viper 1600 6G set <- low end ram, but the price was right

HD = Patriot Torqx 64G <- not the best, but I'm cheap :)

Corsair HX1000 <- I cheaped out on a lot of parts but after a few bad experiences, I refuse to cheap out on PSU.

ASUS 5850 DirectCU TOP <- bang for buck? I hope?

came to $1682 CDN total, including OS (win7 pro) and tax

Thanks again for all the support and tips :)

I like what you've picked out. :up:
and I do expect some pics when it's all said and done :yepp:

Sidenote: I didn't see it until after I submitted, but this is my 100th post! Yay!
05-22-2010, 12:59 AM
shmadz

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikmorgan

and I do expect some pics when it's all said and done :yepp:

Pics huh? I guess since I came in a few hundred shy of my budget I can spring for a camera :D

Anyways... the weekend is here and I've started to unbox all the new toys.
I only upgrade every 4-5 years so I try to take my time and enjoy it when I finally get to build a system for myself - so not nearly "all said and done" but here are some preliminary pics... (I'm sure everyone's familiar with all these products but they're just so shiny and, well, blue that I just had to post 'em.)

The heart of the system,
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...obodefault.jpg

A really nice looking board, and those stickers sure are shiny, but I can't imagine that they don't drastically reduce airflow across the heatsinks, so off with their heads!
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...ersremoved.jpg
actually, to my eyes the naked heatsinks look better. those stickers are kinda gaudy. and that heatpipe looks to be entirely cosmetic as well. you probably can't tell from the pic but it looks to be simply hotglued to the two heatsinks. I don't imagine it serves much purpose.

*I stopped myself just shy of removing all the heatsinks and replacing whatever thermal paste or pads lie beneath with AS5, but I figure I should make sure the board actually works first. if anyone has re-done the heatsinks on this board, please let me know what effect - if any - it had on temps.

And now, power supply :)
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz317/shmadz/PSU.jpg
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...hmadz/PSU2.jpg
more blue, bonus!

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz317/shmadz/RAM.jpg
just a coincidence that the cheapest 6 gig set I could find was also blue... no really! :rolleyes:

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...sapointing.jpg
I was a little disappointed that I would have to rotate the cpu heatsink (or maybe just force the ram in at a slant :eek:) if I want to go with 12 gigs of ram... can you just install 10 gigs? or will it mess with ram timings?

And finally a shot of the HD
http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz317/shmadz/ssd.jpg
you'll never see it once the system is put together but hey, it's got blue on it too ;) and kinda dusty from a test drive in my current system for the past week or so

That's as far as I'm going tonight, maybe tomorrow I'll actually get it into the case :p:

***EDIT*** I just realized I neglected to acknowledge the excellent AMD build advice from SoulsCollective and others: I have had nothing but AMD+ASUS machines since the K6-2 days and I just felt like doing something a little different. Many thanks for trying to drag me back toward the light, but for the immediate future at least, this soul has succumbed to the lure of the dark side :lsfight:
05-25-2010, 05:04 PM
shmadz

The weekend was a complete gong show, but the machine is finally all in one piece!

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...adz/bottom.jpg
bottom half

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz317/shmadz/top.jpg
top half

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...madz/total.jpg
full box with the side on.

I tried taking some shots with no flash, but I could not get them to focus properly, let's just say, it's very bright!

*problems I ran into with this build:
- not sure I can run with 12 gigs of ram, even if I rotate the CPU heatsink.
- the side fan touches the top of the heatsink, it doesn't seem to be putting uneven pressure on the cpu, but I wonder...
- can't use my old IDE dvd drive. I was totally stoked that this board still had the old IDE interface (and a floppy port too) but cable will not reach to the top of the case :(

All in all, very happy with this build so far, and it's suprisingly quiet considering there are 9 120mm fans and 1 200mm fan, all you can hear is a soft low whoooosh. (can't hear it at all over the AC which will be going 24/7 'till sometime in sept.)
05-25-2010, 05:25 PM
OC Nub

Very nice build!! Congrats.

Clip the corner off the case door fan and it should fit under the HS. Just one side of a corner, the side that touches the HS. Measure first to see before chopping up a good fan.I had to do that with my antec 1200 when using a TRUE.
05-25-2010, 08:32 PM
shmadz

Thanks OC Nub, I can't believe I didn't think of that, should work like a charm.

now I just need to steal, err.. borrow, someone's dremel :p: