New System Build Input Request (Warning, lengthy)

[Mati71]

I just want to first say that I appreciate the input for my future project. Furthermore, I don’t necessarily have a fixed budget, but I don’t see spending $1100 on processer where I can spend $300 one that performs similarly over-clocked. My focus is to make a wise investment now on current technology with room for future component upgrades (I just don’t see the need to plunge money into a skulltrail system just for my epeen).

I apologize for the length of my post.

Computer Requirements: Full System Build

Background: First off, I currently work off of laptops (wirelessly) in my house that I mainly use for work, gaming and investing. The dilemma I’m facing is that I use various accounting software programs that require multiple windows to be opened and then forced to calculate. The problem I having now is that my current system doesn’t have the necessary power to support my needs and freezes my programs, which results to lost data at times. Secondly, I am a swing-trader. I normally have some sort of streaming financial data on my computer that I review frequently. Lastly, I like FPSer’s. When my eyes have crossed and the market is uncooperative, instead of throwing my computer out the window I choose to play EA’s battlefield or CoD4 (Or just go for a run).

My current frustration is when I play these FPS’ers I play aggressively, which translates into a lot of action on the screen. My current experience is poor frame rates and momentary pauses when I’m about to stab a guy in the back; all the while my opponent turns around and shoots me in the head.

Requirements (Thus far):

OS: Windows Vista Premium 64bit (Not even sure if I need the premium)

Monitor: This has been a difficult choice to make after reading the reviews between TN panels and S-PVA’s. I do not plan on watching movies with this monitor and it will be strictly for work, investing and gaming. I want to view my games in 1920 x 1200 resolution and I was thinking of the BenQ V2400W. Though, I wonder if I should wait to see the results of the Dell 2408WFP.

Motherboard: This is a hard choice, I want decent onboard sound because I use headsets for gaming (wife factor) and I will be hooking up 3.1 speakers (R, L, Center, Subwoofer) for general music and sound (or should I get a soundcard?). Secondly, I want a raid capable motherboard that can over-clock (mildly for now) on air. Thirdly, I want to run SLI/Crossfire. Lastly, it has to be Intel-based.

*side-note: I don’t mind spending a little more on the MB that will allow me the flexibility for future upgrades such as processor, memory, and GPU.

HDD: I’m was thinking about a 0+5 raid setup, but I wonder If I can just solve my problems with just two 10k rpm WD (raid 0) with an added storage drive for all my backup information. Keep in mind I am cost conscience and I wonder if I can see similar results with a 7500 rpm HDD instead of the 10k rpm HDD in raid 0.

GPU’s: I have to be honest with you I’m indifferent about Nvidia and ATI. I just want little to no frame rate lag and the video to look great. On another note, Should I wait for the upcoming ATI release? Do you believe it be better (maybe cheaper) than the current Nvidia 280? I plan on running SLI/Crossfire.

Memory: Is DDR3 the ... it, or will DDR2 be enough to meet my over-clock needs? Will 4gigs be enough or just take the plunge to 8gigs since I’m using the 64bit Vista?

PSU: I have no clue. Please advise.

Case: Li Lian or Antec

Optical Drive: No Clue, other than BD would be nice just in case I want to make backups. Is it best to have 2 drives?

Keyboard: Does a significant difference really exist? I want to be able to type and play games…

Mouse: I could never get into trackballs; I currently have the Logitech MX 518 for my laptop. Does a better one exist for gaming or is it more personal choice?

Sound Card: Do I really need one?

Media Interface: I have a USB memory stick that I use often plus I download my photos and video from my phone for backup.

Network: Should I get a network card or will the MB’s network card be good enough?

Am I forgetting anything else?

Sorry for being verbose and thanks very much!!!

 

[Mati71]

This is what I have so far for a Build Summary:

BenQ V2400W Black-Silver 24" 5ms, 2ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

DFI LANPARTY UT X48-T3R ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
- Tuniq Tower 120 Universal CPU Cooler 120mm Cooling Fan and Fan Controler/Heatsink
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

HIS Hightech Radeon HD 4870 H487F512P Video Card (x2 - Crossfire)

CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W Power Supply

Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (Raid 0)
Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (Raid 1)

Koutech IO-FPM220 3.5" Floppy Drive & Multi Card Reader Front Panel
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit English 1pk DSP OEI DVD for System Builders
Logitech 2-Tone Wired Gaming Keyboard
Logitech G5 2-Tone Laser Mouse
XTRAC Ripper Optical Mouse pad

Memory: ?
Case: ?
Raid Controller: ?

I still don’t know what case to get. I am not into all the flashing lights and color. A steel box with great airflow will work for me. I’m just not sure which one. There is one issue I’ve read about the CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W Power Supply (In that it has a longer body).

I’m not 100% on the CPU Cooler, it does look fairly bulky and I am wondering if I should just make a plunge to the Quad Core. And I’m not sure what memory to get.

Is it better to get a raid controller card for this HDD setup?

 

[tiraides]

I believe that you are spending too much money on this build. Everything seems to be geared toward making this build into the "Ultimate Gaming Rig" -- but you said earlier that you were a bit price conscious.

For starters, one HD4870 would be enough for your monitor -- especially if the most strenuous game you plan on playing is CoD4. With that in mind, you don't need an X48 motherboard -- get something cheaper, like the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R or the Asus P5Q Pro, instead. The P45 chipset supports dual x8 CrossFire (whereas the X48 chipset supports dual x16 CrossFire), so you still have options should you feel the need to use them later on. Chances are that you won't need CrossFire, let alone the second HD4870.

Onboard sound has progressed to the point that it's a good enough option for most users. Try it out first, and then consider a sound card if onboard's not to your liking.

Also, four hard drives? I could understand having the two 640GB HDDs in RAID 1, but instead of getting two VelociRaptors in RAID 0, use that money for an external backup solution. One of the Western Digital 640GB drives operates at near-Raptor speeds, which would show a noticeable improvement over what you're currently using. With your current system being, in your own words, "so slow," getting a better setup alone would solve most of your problems.

To save yourself some money right away, swap out the Corsair TX1000 power supply for its non-modular cousin, the VX750. It's currently being sold for under $110 right now, which makes it a very good deal.

If this build is (supposed to be) designed more for work than for play, then a quad core processor would benefit you more for multitasking. If you're willing to wait a few more weeks, the Q9550 is reportedly going to have a price cut to around $326 (though it may be a bit higher). The Q6600 and the Q9450 are also good choices should you go the quad core route (and/or you can't wait that long). That's not to say the E8400 is a bad chip -- it's great for gaming.

For a CPU cooler, right now the best price/performance HSF is the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 with its retention bracket.

For RAM, all you really need is a 4GB DDR2 kit of either 800MHz or 1000MHz RAM. The additional speed of the DDR2 1000 RAM would help you should you decide to overclock your system later on. But if you have no plans on doing that, just stick with DDR2 800 RAM.

Cases and peripherals are largely subjective, so I'll leave that up to you. For cases, you should make sure that the case is large enough to support everything you get (and have a bit more room for potential future upgrades) and can support excellent cooling (preferably in the form of 120mm fans, which cool more and run quieter than 80mm or 92mm fans). Cases like the Lian Li PC-7B plus II or the Antec P182 are good choices.

If you don't need the BitLocker drive encryption or the additional networking and security features Vista Ultimate has to offer, stick with Vista Home Premium instead. (You could find many freeware/shareware equivalents that would work just as well.) Get the 64-bit version so you have full access to all of your memory -- 32-bit operating systems are limited with being able to utilize 4GB of total system memory, and will subtract the amount of "usable" RAM by the amount of memory being used by other components (including, but isn't limited to, the memory used by the video card).

 

[xdivenx]

First off, a velociraptor is a huge waste of cash. Try one of these Samesung Spinpoint Drives, which are almost as fast for much much less.

Your choice of video card is a good one, although I think going with Visiontek for their awesome warranty is a better idea.

I reccomend a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme for a CPU cooler, that seems to be one of the best Air Solutions.

I don't think a Raid Card is needed for this setup, but If you really want to put your cash there, go ahead. Your board already supports 0/1/0+1/5 .

I also think your power supply is a little generous. However it wont hurt to have to much power, all that means is futureproofing. In any case, Corsair is the industry leader in power supplies, they are definately the brand to buy.


Just Read the post right before mine...

I would go with his suggestion on the motherboard, and this would allow you to spend less on ram while getting more. DDR2 is cheap as dirt, so 4gb (2x2) would be a good pick.
Ahh, Memory....
DDR3 is expensive and a waste of money because at the moment, it offers very little if any performance gain. Period. (I know im going to get quoted and argued with) Can't help you there.

As for a goodlooking case, I reccomend the Antec P182. It is going to be a little cramped however, but it is asthetically pleasing.

 

[tiraides]

For comparison's sake, could you give us the specs of your primary laptop (to include the video adapter)?

 

[Mati71]

Thank you for the responses (its appreciated).

I currently have 2 laptops. One is dell inspirion with a 1.6 Mhz centrino, onboard graphics, 1 gig of ram and a 17" screen.

My primary laptop is a Clevo brand laptop I bought locally from a shop (System info states x86-based PC):

Intel 2.1 Mhz (Can't remember the specific type)
Nvidia 7950 GTX
2 gigs of ram (unsure of the type)
Windows XP
5400 rpm HDD

 

[xdivenx]

[/URL]These are my reccomendations for your build. Im not up to date in the motherboard scene, so I have taken tiraides's suggestion.


BenQ V2400W Black-Silver 24" 5ms, 2ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Intel Q6600

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

TRUE HSF

VisionTek HD 4870

Corsair 750 Watt PSU

Two Samsung Spinpoint 500gb Drives In Raid 0 to replace raptors

Two Samsung 750gb Drives In Raid 1 to replace caviars

Antec P182 Case In Gunmetal

G. Skill 4gb (2x2) 1066 Ram. Good for Ocing =)

The mouse and keyboard are preference, get what you like. Hope this list helped you out. Oh yeah, your laptops clock speeds are in Ghz, not Mhz lol.

 

[AndonSage]

I just want to first say that I appreciate the input for my future project.

I would suggest listening to what tirades says You can't go wrong listening to him, Danny Bui, enginurd, or silent-circuit, here on [H]. They were very helpful when I configured my current computer (in my sig). I'll comment on stuff I haven't seen mentioned yet.

Optical Drive: No Clue, other than BD would be nice just in case I want to make backups. Is it best to have 2 drives?

Two optical drives are only needed if you want to copy CD/DVDs. Have you ever had a need for that function? In regards to back-ups, I think you're better off with an external hard drive. Those are much more convenient, at least in my experience. That said, I suggest if you want a DVD Burner (for music, videos, or permanent data back-ups) that you get a Samsung S203B (or D) if you don't want Lightscribe, or a Samsung S203N if you do. They are very good drives, and quiet.

Keyboard: Does a significant difference really exist? I want to be able to type and play games…

Personal preference, really. I love the Logitech G15 keyboard I have, but I also use the macro keys when I play Age of Conan.

Mouse: I could never get into trackballs; I currently have the Logitech MX 518 for my laptop. Does a better one exist for gaming or is it more personal choice?

Personal choice, but the MX 518 happens to also be _my_ personal choice. I haven't found anything better.

Network: Should I get a network card or will the MB’s network card be good enough?

The motherboard's network port will be fine.

 

[Mati71]

I feel very comfortable with the choices presented and I appreciate the sensibleness of everyones approach.

I believe I'm going to wait for the Q9550 to drop in price and then I'll make the buy based upon the Tiriades, xdivenx, and AdonSage suggestion.

Thanks for taking the time to post and linking your suggestions.

 

[xdivenx]

No problem, I enjoy this type of thing.

Mice are personal, but IMHO that I am using the logitech G5 mouse and I am in love with it. I am also using the Creative Fatal1ty Keyboard, which I like because it is eluminated.

Good Luck

 

[engiNURD]

My ADHD prevents me from reading all that. I typically agree with tiraides and AndonSage anyways, so you should be good. If there are any other questions, just ask (try to keep 'em short, lol).

 

[tiraides]

I have a few comments about some of the recommended parts....

TRUE HSF

While the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme (or TRUE 120) is (arguably) the best heatsink available in the market, the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 performs just as well yet is much cheaper (and comes with its own fan). (Plus, right now the TRUE is out of stock.)

Two Samsung Spinpoint 500gb Drives In Raid 0 to replace raptors

Two Samsung 750gb Drives In Raid 1 to replace caviars

Two things about the above HDD configuration... first, do you really need all of that hard drive space for what you're doing? You're talking nearly 2TB of available space for accounting, investing, and gaming software.

Second, it really doesn't matter whether you go with the WD Caviar 640GB HDDs or the Samsung F1 750GB HDDs... they'll both perform about the same -- each HDD is faster than one of the last-gen RaptorX HDDs -- so it's a matter of whether you want to pay a bit more for the extra space.

Personally, I don't see why you need so much space for what you're doing. My suggestion is to omit the RAID 0 pair and just stick with the RAID 1 setup. Purchase an external HDD to serve as a "remote" backup drive.

G. Skill 4gb (2x2) 1066 Ram. Good for Ocing =)

Again, if you don't plan on overclocking, stick with the DDR2 800 kit that I linked to earlier. If you see yourself overclocking the Q9450 at some point in the future, the DDR2 1000 kit will allow you to reach the same OC threshold as the more expensive DDR2 1066 kit. Plus, there's only a difference of 66MHz (actually, since the RAM is listed as double its actual speed, it's only 33MHz) between the two faster sets.

 

[Mati71]

I still plan on using your orginal suggestion for the CPU Cooler. I do want to overclock my CPU and was planning to use AdonSage's suggestion on the memory. But if it is possible to achieve the same result on DDR2, I'm all for it.

I plan to use the Two Samsung 750gb Drives In Raid 1 and a external backup... and that's it. Nothing in raid 0.

And yea, 2 TB is overkill for my needs.

 

[tiraides]

I still plan on using your orginal suggestion for the CPU Cooler. I do want to overclock my CPU and was planning to use AdonSage's suggestion on the memory. But if it is possible to achieve the same result on DDR2, I'm all for it.

AndonSage was agreeing with me -- and I recommended going with either DDR2 1000 or DDR2 800 RAM (depending on whether or not you were going to overclock the processor). It was xdivenx who was recommending DDR2 1066 memory, and I offered a rebuttal saying that DDR2 1000 RAM can reach the same OC thresholds for a bit less.

Looking at the prices now, though, going with either DDR2 1000 or DDR2 1066 isn't going to break you -- there's only around a $10 difference, once you factor in shipping costs -- so choose the speed you feel more comfortable with.

 

[Mati71]

AdonSage was agreeing with me -- and I recommended going with either DDR2 1000 or DDR2 800 RAM (depending on whether or not you were going to overclock the processor). It was xdivenx who was recommending DDR2 1066 memory, and I offered a rebuttal saying that DDR2 1000 RAM can reach the same OC thresholds for a bit less.

That is was. I applogize to AdonSage and xdivenx for my error.

 

[Proteos]

Do not buy the v2400w from newegg... get it from the benq store and use the promo code thankyou10 to get 10% off of it. Neweggs return policy for dead or stuck pixels sucks.

 

[Mati71]

Do not buy the v2400w from newegg... get it from the benq store and use the promo code thankyou10 to get 10% off of it. Neweggs return policy for dead or stuck pixels sucks.

I read that in the Display forum, thanks! But I might be changing my selection to a DoubleSight, but it really all depends upon when the Q9550 drops in price.