Noob Tackling a Desktop Rocket :)

[freshfish]

Ok, so I'm a noob to this forum and a noob to PC builds...had a powerful PC for several years now having upgraded it along the way. I need a new pc and wanted to build my own to get the most bang for the buck.

Type of user:
- I'm ADD so I multi-task ALOT with loads of windows and firefox tabs open, usually have Photoshop open, etc. So I would call myself a power user
- Adobe Suite (Photoshop is almost always open)
- I tinker with loads of software including playing around with 3d (maya, swift) Always adding new software to test out for work and play
- I do web design work
- Average multimedia user (watch movies, shows, etc)
- light movie editing
- gaming: enjoy the latest games but not a hardcore gamer...but I do want to be able to run newer games like COD4 and COD5 at decent graphic levels ((not a must though))

Looking at:
- Core i7 or a quad core (~2.6 - 2.9 Ghz)
- 6 GB Ram (a tech buddy told me 4 GB is more than I need though so not sure about this)
- 512Mb Graphics Card
- 64 to 128 MB SSD for operating system and software
- (2) 500 GB HDD in RAID config

Not particular about the other essentials like case, PS, etc

Questions:
a) Would a higher Ghz quadcore make up for added performance of the Core i7?
b) Would 2 quad cores be overkill for my needs (remember, I'm ADD and hate waiting for stuff to open and to react to my spaziness)

Thanks for taking a look at my stuff...I had a pretty high budget as I was looking at the above specs at Dell/HP, etc and those were nearing $2k...so I dont mind spending $1500 on a custom build

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by freshfish Ok, so I'm a noob to this forum and a noob to PC builds...had a powerful PC for several years now having upgraded it along the way. I need a new pc and wanted to build my own to get the most bang for the buck. Type of user: - I'm ADD so I multi-task ALOT with loads of windows and firefox tabs open, usually have Photoshop open, etc. So I would call myself a power user - Adobe Suite (Photoshop is almost always open) - I tinker with loads of software including playing around with 3d (maya, swift) Always adding new software to test out for work and play - I do web design work - Average multimedia user (watch movies, shows, etc) - light movie editing - gaming: enjoy the latest games but not a hardcore gamer...but I do want to be able to run newer games like COD4 and COD5 at decent graphic levels ((not a must though)) Looking at: - Core i7 or a quad core (~2.6 - 2.9 Ghz) - 6 GB Ram (a tech buddy told me 4 GB is more than I need though so not sure about this) - 512Mb Graphics Card - 64 to 128 MB SSD for operating system and software - (2) 500 GB HDD in RAID config Not particular about the other essentials like case, PS, etc Questions: a) Would a higher Ghz quadcore make up for added performance of the Core i7? b) Would 2 quad cores be overkill for my needs (remember, I'm ADD and hate waiting for stuff to open and to react to my spaziness) Thanks for taking a look at my stuff...I had a pretty high budget as I was looking at the above specs at Dell/HP, etc and those were nearing $2k...so I dont mind spending $1500 on a custom build

A higher clocked quad core will compare pretty well with a low end Core i7; if you do heavy CPU stuff (like video transcoding and such; things that will take at least 5 minutes to complete), then the Core i7 is pretty good, otherwise a Phenom II X4 or Core 2 Quad can handle most applications and games fine; the performance for multitasking is also really good. 4GB of ram is fine for the most part; I still have yet to hit 2GB ram usage in XP (I'll get to about 2.75 in Vista from time to time when I'm running a lot of tasks at once). Here is a parts list for a computer that can handle your requirements:


LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS322-08
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106286
$25.49

NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146047
$94.99


2X Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320
$139.98

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128387
$109.99

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102801
$189.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005
$89.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231241
$44.99

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103471
$215.00

StarTech BRACKET25SAT Adapter/Cable to Mount 2.5" SATA HD into a 3.5" Bay
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812200176
$15.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116488
$99.99

SAMSUNG MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA00 1.8" 64GB SATA II SLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147056
$175.00

Subtotal: $1,201.40

[freshfish]

Thanks Masaki for those tips and links - after reading more about the quad cores I may even go with a solid Duo Core

[jdeb]

It sound like you need a workstation, I would wait until summer and check out the new I7 chip set (s).

the new quad cores are very powerful and should give you what you are looking for but ... The 3d rendering and multiple tasking is were the I7 is going to shine. Your video card will be the hardest selection. A workstation card might 3d render way better but not play the games so well.

a "new" dual quad workstation is not within your budget at this time.

as of today, in terms of a i7 board you may want to wait... if you can't wait, the one that best fits your needs would be this... it is more of a server board

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2167&Tpk=X8STE

http://www.supermicro.com/products/m.../X58/X8STE.cfm

[glc]

You don't necessarily have to have a server board for a high end workstation. I'm a bit leery of Supermicro - they make some excellent server equipment, but they can be VERY fussy.

Today's workstation graphics cards are pretty decent gamers, they support both DirectX and OpenGL. They use the same basic GPU's, the only differences are the bios and the drivers.

[freshfish]

To be honest my 3D rendering needs are minor (they would be experiments or simple tinkering) So I dont need a PC that focuses on 3D rendering...and I play games on a 256MB card right now and a 512 and or a 1GB card would be great for me (I'm not a die hard gamer either)

Here is the build I have so far based in part on Masaki's recommends and all the other advice and research I have done:
- LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L

- SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
((will handle my limited gaming and any 3d rendering projects I may take on and will be using CS4 so this will get utilized well))

- GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
((i know nothing about what boards to look for))

-AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX
((went quadcore, cant wait till summer, from what I could tell a higher clocked quad would be comparable to a lower clocked i7 and I save a bundle...and the quad looks to the future as ooposed to going with the Core 2 Duo))

-COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
((simple and inexpensive))

-CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

-OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
(($300+ but will help with opening and closing programs and keeping my OS robust...keeping my ADD at bay ))

Question
For scalability (future proofing), what would be a really good Motherboard that would be dependable and scalable? What specs should I look for (i7 compatible, etc)? I figured maybe I can pay more for a top end mobo and go with a dual-core for now and maybe scale up later simply replacing the processor...is that a silly idea?


Thanks again

[Masaki 7-11]

Regarding your question, from what I've read most current X58 motherboards won't be compatible with the upcoming 6 core Core i7 and the current LGA775 is more or less a dead end in terms of upgrading the processor as it is being replaced by the Core i5 and Core i7 sockets.

The motherboard I recommended for AMD is pretty future-proof, it works with all AM2, AM2+ (might not work with the 140W processors which are being replaced by 125W versions) and AM3 (ones currently out and upcoming) processors. AMD is pretty good when it comes to compatibility. I wouldn't bother with a dual core right now for a higher end PC, for your uses, you would definitely see the benefit of quad core and you won't need to upgrade the processor for a good while.

Regarding the SSD, I don't think you need to spend so much for the OCZ; the Samsung SSD that I linked to uses the faster NAND Flash (SLC) and 64GB should be enough for your OS and applications (Games are less sensitive to hard drive speed than the OS and apps; so you can put them on the hard drive). The hard drives I linked to are really fast, even if you didn't get the SSD the speed would still be really good.

[freshfish]

Another quick question about builds from scratch

What would be a good monitoring system to observe cpu/graphics card heat, cpu usage, etc?

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by freshfish Another quick question about builds from scratch What would be a good monitoring system to observe cpu/graphics card heat, cpu usage, etc?

Some of the monitors you can use include Gigabyte's EasyTune: http://www.giga-byte.com/Support/Mot...lity_List.aspx,
AMD's Overdrive: http://www.amd.com/us-en/0,,3715_153..._15359,00.html
and SpeedFan: http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

[freshfish]

Thanks for the info on the mobo...I guess the hardest part of this build is considering all these angles and although what you said made sense to me I probably wouldnt have come to the same conclusion with my research

Ok, so i will probably go with the 64GB SSD....I wont change the Mobo...but I am considering the Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz simply because it is Intel and have heard really good things about it (the price seems pretty good to given that it is intel and 2.66)

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by freshfish Thanks for the info on the mobo...I guess the hardest part of this build is considering all these angles and although what you said made sense to me I probably wouldnt have come to the same conclusion with my research Ok, so i will probably go with the 64GB SSD....I wont change the Mobo...but I am considering the Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz simply because it is Intel and have heard really good things about it (the price seems pretty good to given that it is intel and 2.66)

Both the Phenom II X4 and the Core i7 will work great for you; not sure though if the extra $200+ is really worth it for essentially bragging rights; the difference between the two is pretty small such that if you were to compare the computers without running benchmarks, you would have a pretty hard time telling the difference between them. From my experience AMD based computers have worked pretty well, running pretty stable and fast, in terms of quality they're pretty much the same as Intel.

[freshfish]

awesome, thanks for all the info and guidance...hopefully the build goes well

[freshfish]

Masaki, last question I swear
Would my SSD need an adapter? Its a 1.8" - I found one that would convert 2.5" to 3.5"

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by freshfish Masaki, last question I swear Would my SSD need an adapter? Its a 1.8" - I found one that would convert 2.5" to 3.5"

Can you provide a link to the SSD? The Samsung that I linked to above is a 2.5" and has adapters for it; haven't seen any 1.8" to 3.5" adapters yet; in either case you will need an adapter of some sort, duct tape isn't a very good option. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like/need; the more questions you ask now the less problems you will have later.

[freshfish]

Well I noticed the 1.8 in the description:
SAMSUNG MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA00 1.8" 64GB SATA II SLC Internal Solid state disk
Not sure if that is the size but I assumed

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by freshfish Well I noticed the 1.8 in the description: SAMSUNG MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA00 1.8" 64GB SATA II SLC Internal Solid state disk Not sure if that is the size but I assumed

My apologies, I assumed it was a 2.5" drive; a 1.8" drive is difficult to properly mount in a case, 2.5" is a much better option. Here is a good alternative: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231220

[tomtoon]

Originally Posted by freshfish Ok, so i will probably go with the 64GB SSD....I wont change the Mobo...but I am considering the Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz simply because it is Intel and have heard really good things about it (the price seems pretty good to given that it is intel and 2.66)

I have heard really good things about core i7 too, my nans partner's brother has an i7 extreme and he can encode a video within a minute.

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by tomtoon I have heard really good things about core i7 too, my nans partner's brother has an i7 extreme and he can encode a video within a minute.

You can do that faster with a HD4870 and you won't have to spend $1000+ for a CPU.

[tomtoon]

so it depends on the CPU and GPU then masaki?