Making a workstation! (つ˚Д˚)つ

[Bardon]

O hai gaiz!

For those of you who've known me as the encoder/uploader on C-W, I've been pretty busy with something big/special over these last few months which made me drop back to the same old lurker mode as before. Its a bit of a long story but lets just say that in my "hunt" for a new career as well as finding the source of moola needed to buy more gear, I've decided to shift into the IT business of designing. Pretty sure neither of you were aware of me being a full fledged graphic designer in training, well now its finally come down to this as its no longer just graphics alone but software designing too.

Now what does that have to do with fulfilling my promise of providing all my shows to the leeching community you ask?

The work I'm going to be taking up requires me some heavy specs and as the title states, I'm making my very first rig! One that will serve up all my old shows/encodes via an IRCbot/Seedbox/FTP AND provide me with the power needed to run all my stuff for designing. At first I figured I'd get 2 machines instead and both specializing on different things (one for server and one for graphics) buuuut since I'm already short handed as it is, Imma not gonna push it.

Anyway, on with the specs:

• Processor - Intel Xeon E31220-v2 (3.x GHZ 8mb L3 cache 4-6 cores) - http://www.boston.co...20v2-sr0ph.aspx
  
• Motherboard - Intel® Server Board S1200BTL - http://ark.intel.com...-Board-S1200BTL
  
• RAM - 8 GB DDR3
  
• HDD - 1 TB (Western Digital 7200 rpm)
  
• Graphic card - Nvidia GTX 550 ti - http://www.geforce.c.../specifications
  
• DVD drive - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827135204
  
• Power supply - Cooler Master Extreme Power Plus 500W http://www.coolermas...product_id=3738
  
• Casing - Cooler Master Elite 370 http://www.coolermas...product_id=6656
  

All brand new and for $800. (3 yr warranty included)

Judging by the price, would ye call it a fair deal? Is it cheap/expensive/just about right or what? Earlier I didn't even had half the amount to spare but now thanks to my choice in career, I've finally been granted enough investment to get this thing. As I mentioned above, this is my first time building a rig piece by piece so I'm not completely certain if everything fits fine as it should. Same goes for my list of software if they will be as compatible/efficient as I may want them.

The main notable stuff I'll be using will be as follows:

Sony vegas pro 10/11/12 (with newblue FX)

Adobe Creative Suite master collection CS5/CS6 (namely photoshop, AE, premiere, flash, dreamweaver, illustrator etc)

Autodesk CAD, 3ds Max and Maya 2011/2012

FL Studio 10 (with batshit of VST plugins)

Vocaloid/Pocaloid/Utauloid 2/3

Corel Draw x5/x6

Cinema 4D

All my encoding gear such as Avidemux/Avisynth/Mediacoder/Minicoder/Video converter etc.

Steam (meaning plenty of heavy 3D gaming)

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 bit

VMware/VirtualBox

Gaming emulators (lots of em)

Game/App builders (such as RPG maker, Game maker studio etc.)

Note: I ain't silly enough to use different versions/collections of the same programs simultaneously. (lol)

Just to test which of em would be easier to handle is all.

The question to be asked here: Will my current setup be enough?

This mostly is aimed at my GPU as I'm not sure whether to stick with it or go for something better WHILE noting on my budget. I did a couple of digging and ppl say GTX 550ti is sufficient but when I look at some of the latest versions of software like vegas 12 or CS6 they imply I require higher for running a few exceptional features. Atm I'm interested in either GTX 570 or 470 but like I said, I'm on a budget so I need some more solid reasoning before I consider adding it.

Pretty much the same goes for everything else, plz feel free to give your opinion/advice/critics on what ye think might be best.

~Saankies

[dark4yoyo]

I don't really know anything about the difference server cpu's have with normal, same with mobos. But do you really need a workstation cpu and mobo ?

Also if you really need a workstation CPU, take the E31230V2, hyperthreading is a big plus in encoding and such cpu intensetive tasks.

Also I don't know about the software but for "Steam (meaning plenty of heavy 3D gaming)" and a gtx 550ti, don't expect to play in high quality.

Also, that PSU really doesn't seem very good, it's not even 80+.

With that case, I'd recommend getting a couple of extra fans, especially is this is a server rig (Note : you should have as much fans in intake as in output, 120mm is recommended, as the 80mm ones are noisy).

Edited November 9, 2012 by dark4yoyo

[Bardon]

I don't really know anything about the difference server cpu's have with normal, same with mobos. But do you really need a workstation cpu and mobo ?

Also if you really need a workstation CPU, take the E31230V2, hyperthreading is a big plus in encoding and such cpu intensetive tasks.

Main difference as far as I know between a normal and workstation is how much power they can give out at their maximum. Stuff like having more cores, dual processors, more extensions for HDD, more ram etc.

Another thing is that workstation CPUs are more built for 24/7 heavy usage which more or less depends on the number of jobs you'll be putting up on it simultaneously. In my case, it involves rendering, encoding, uploading, seeding and hosting my stuff which can very well go as far as doing it all at the same time and on a near constant basis. Not to mention having VMware on my list should've made it self explanatory since I'll also be experimenting with other OS like ubuntu.

*just noticed E3-1220V2 doesn't have hyperthreading*

/me headdesks

.....How the heck did I miss that one? >____>

Nice of you to point out. (note to self: next time check the official site for complete specs)

Half of the stuff here was actually recommended to me by a supplier based on my budget so I just copy/pasted it all without looking into it thoroughly and figured I'd have you guys filter out the bugs/improvements.

Also I don't know about the software but for "Steam (meaning plenty of heavy 3D gaming)" and a gtx 550ti, don't expect to play in high quality.

I really didn't expect any "high quality" as by your definition but my choice was actually based on picking something neutral to work with my software. But seriously though, this is my first time trying out GFX cards for gaming so would ye care to elaborate?

Also, that PSU really doesn't seem very good, it's not even 80+.

With that case, I'd recommend getting a couple of extra fans, especially is this is a server rig (Note : you should have as much fans in intake as in output, 120mm is recommended, as the 80mm ones are noisy).

Fans are a definite, as I'd be adding at least 2 of em alongside the preset ones.

80+ ? You mean 800 right? =P

Edited November 9, 2012 by Bardon

[RikuoAmero]

First off, get more than 8GB RAM. Since this is a workstation, you will need at least 16GB minimum, see if you can get 32GB.

I've looked at the mobo specs and PCI-E connectivity is not promising. It doesn't even have a single full speed x16 2.0 slot. It has a 2.0 x8 and a 2.0 x4 slot. At most, you can run a single graphics card in the x8 slot (there is a very small performance loss due to having a GPU in a x8 slot, but very few people notice that loss). I would recommend a GTX 570 or 580 (no point in getting anything weaker).

DO NOT get an Nvidia card from the 600 series. Most of them are PCI-E 3.0. Putting one of them in a 2.0 x8 slot would be the same thing as putting a 2.0 compliant card in a 2.0 x4 slot, you would lose a ton of performance in there. Same goes for Radeon HD 7000 series (I haven't yet checked to see if they're 3.0, but I think they are).

Power Supply wise, check here http://www.plugloads...erSupplies.aspx and click on "80 PLUS Power Supplies" at the top. Then look for your manufacturer and the model. Look for 80+ Silver or higher, Bronze isn't worth it. 80+ means the power supply has been tested to deliver at least 80 percent of its advertised wattage at 100% load (in case you don't know, no power supply in the world delivers 100% wattage at 100% load. Some of the wattage is always lost as waste heat. So, if you're using an 800W power supply at full load, you better make sure its able to deliver 640W (80% of 800))

I recommend getting an SSD for your boot drive (where you keep your operating system). Will improve boot times dramatically. If you can afford it, get two smaller ones (say two 120GB) and run them in RAID 1.

Lastly - Ask yourself are you really going to use a DVD burner? I've got a Blu-ray burner myself, but I haven't even so much as opened the drive in about five months. If you are cool. If you don't use optical discs anymore, no point in getting a drive. You can always get an external disc drive later if you do find yourself handling DVDs.

Edited November 9, 2012 by RikuoAmero

[ZeroPenguins]

I'm kinda busy and this is a quick post, so I will repost again with better details (if I have time) or someone else can fill me in...

For a work station I recommend a workstation GPU like the nVidia Quadro or AMD FirePro. The performance benefits with a workstation GPU is a lot better, than a gaming one. See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phZ3XMfzL5I

Also I wouldn't go with a server CPU for a workstation unless you really need the features of a server CPU like Virtualization or some virus protection crap....

I recommend the AMD FX-8350, performance wise it is a lot better in all areas. It make a perfect workstation CPU for anything that is multithreaded.

[dark4yoyo]

First off, get more than 8GB RAM. Since this is a workstation, you will need at least 16GB minimum, see if you can get 32GB.

Oh yeah I didn't notice that fact, indeed 16GB is a minimum if you plan on doing some heavy software stuff, 32GB is probably too expensive I think.

I've looked at the mobo specs and PCI-E connectivity is not promising. It doesn't even have a single full speed x16 2.0 slot. It has a 2.0 x8 and a 2.0 x4 slot. At most, you can run a single graphics card in the x8 slot (there is a very small performance loss due to having a GPU in a x8 slot, but very few people notice that loss). I would recommend a GTX 570 or 580 (no point in getting anything weaker).

The loss with pci-e 2.0 x8 is something like 1% with a HD5870, so with a gtx550 ti, I doubt it will even exist. About which cards to get see below.

DO NOT get an Nvidia card from the 600 series. Most of them are PCI-E 3.0. Putting one of them in a 2.0 x8 slot would be the same thing as putting a 2.0 compliant card in a 2.0 x4 slot, you would lose a ton of performance in there. Same goes for Radeon HD 7000 series (I haven't yet checked to see if they're 3.0, but I think they are).

Now that, sorry to say, is absolute nonsense. It does not matter that they are pci-e 3.0 compatible, it won't change the bandwidth on a pci-e 2.0 slot. I would recommend getting HD 7000 series or GTX 600 series (depending on your needs for CUDA or things like that), because they heat up alot less than the previous generations for the same performance.

Power Supply wise, check here http://www.plugloads...erSupplies.aspx and click on "80 PLUS Power Supplies" at the top. Then look for your manufacturer and the model. Look for 80+ Silver or higher, Bronze isn't worth it. 80+ means the power supply has been tested to deliver at least 80 percent of its advertised wattage at 100% load (in case you don't know, no power supply in the world delivers 100% wattage at 100% load. Some of the wattage is always lost as waste heat. So, if you're using an 800W power supply at full load, you better make sure its able to deliver 640W (80% of 800))

Eh what ? Where did you even find this crap ? Any good PSU delivers its full rated power in electricity, the efficiency is which percentage of power taken off the grid goes into the computer parts. 80 plus bronze/silver/gold is simply the efficiency of the PSU, its also somewhere a quality mark. See this for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Plus. And 80plus bronze is fairly good, especially on a budget build like this, you don't want to spend too much on a PSU.

I recommend getting an SSD for your boot drive (where you keep your operating system). Will improve boot times dramatically. If you can afford it, get two smaller ones (say two 120GB) and run them in RAID 1.

This is supposed to be a server I believe, so it will be on 24/7, I don't think boot time is something to consider, especially seeing his pretty tight budget.

Lastly - Ask yourself are you really going to use a DVD burner? I've got a Blu-ray burner myself, but I haven't even so much as opened the drive in about five months. If you are cool. If you don't use optical discs anymore, no point in getting a drive. You can always get an external disc drive later if you do find yourself handling DVDs.

For 20$, just get an internal DVD drive, you always use DVD's at some point, put it in the case and forget about it.

nVidia Quadro or AMD FirePro are probably out of budget, I believe these grahic cards cost alot, not to mention being crap in 3D games.

AMD FX-8350 is alright for heavy multitasking, but an overclocked i7 2600k(i7 3770k maybe, but they do heat up more) kills it at everything.

If you don't plan on overclocking the E3 1230V2 is quite cheaper than the i7, but I'm not sure if its compatible with normal motherboards.

PS : Sorry if its not very clear, please excuse that, it's 2AM.

Edited November 10, 2012 by dark4yoyo

[ZeroPenguins]

nVidia Quadro or AMD FirePro are probably out of budget, I believe these grahic cards cost alot, not to mention being crap in 3D games.

AMD FX-8350 is alright for heavy multitasking, but an overclocked i7 2600k(i7 3770k maybe, but they do heat up more) kills it at everything.

If you don't plan on overclocking the E3 1230V2 is quite cheaper than the i7, but I'm not sure if its compatible with normal motherboards.

They are not that expensive (you're thinking of the higher ends ones), and I don't think a workstation needs to be a gamer PC. I disagree, the AMD FX-8350 would beat the old Sandy Bridge architect when it comes to any applications that can take advantage of all cores. In fact it even beats the newer 3770K. Of course those assuming you don't overclock the 3770K or the AMD FX-8350.

Also the server CPU is a lot more expensive than the AMD FX-8350, so you might want to take that into consideration...

[dark4yoyo]

I said overclocked vs overclocked. i7 does win by quite a margin when overclocked

AMD FX-8350 is alright for heavy multitasking, but an overclocked i7 2600k(i7 3770k maybe, but they do heat up more) kills it at everything.

And actually looking at power consuption, a 4.5GHZ i7 is gonna use up as much power as a stock FX-8350 (http://www.overclock...iver-cpu-review), and you can see the FX-8350 only beats the stock intel a couple times, let alone an overclocked i7 (~25-30% faster).

Though if you're tight on budget, the FX-8350 would be a great choice at 200$.

And indeed the firepro and quadro aren't so expensive, but they don't seem to be a good choice for all applications (and are crap for 3D games), you'd need to check for every software you use though.

Edited November 10, 2012 by dark4yoyo

[RikuoAmero]

Eh what ? Where did you even find this crap ? Any good PSU delivers its full rated power in electricity, the efficiency is which percentage of power taken off the grid goes into the computer parts. 80 plus bronze/silver/gold is simply the efficiency of the PSU, its also somewhere a quality mark. See this for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Plus. And 80plus bronze is fairly good, especially on a budget build like this, you don't want to spend too much on a PSU.

I thought that was how power supplies worked. As in, my 1250W never delivers the full 1250W to the components, that some of the juice its sucking from the wall gets turned into waste heat and has to be exhausted using the fan (because of electrical resistance). My PSU, when at 100% load, is supposed to be 87.46% efficient. Meaning that at 100% load, it's sucking 1250W from the wall, but only 1,093.25W goes to the components and the rest, 156.75W, transforms into waste heat.

[dark4yoyo]

I thought that was how power supplies worked. As in, my 1250W never delivers the full 1250W to the components, that some of the juice its sucking from the wall gets turned into waste heat and has to be exhausted using the fan (because of electrical resistance). My PSU, when at 100% load, is supposed to be 87.46% efficient. Meaning that at 100% load, it's sucking 1250W from the wall, but only 1,093.25W goes to the components and the rest, 156.75W, transforms into waste heat.

Well it is somewhat how power supplies work, but a 1250W rated PSU can deliver 1250W (probably a bit more), when taking something like 1400W from the wall.

[ZeroPenguins]

I said overclocked vs overclocked. i7 does win by quite a margin when overclocked

AMD FX-8350 is alright for heavy multitasking, but an overclocked i7 2600k(i7 3770k maybe, but they do heat up more) kills it at everything.

And actually looking at power consuption, a 4.5GHZ i7 is gonna use up as much power as a stock FX-8350 (http://www.overclock...iver-cpu-review), and you can see the FX-8350 only beats the stock intel a couple times, let alone an overclocked i7 (~25-30% faster).

Though if you're tight on budget, the FX-8350 would be a great choice at 200$.

And indeed the firepro and quadro aren't so expensive, but they don't seem to be a good choice for all applications (and are crap for 3D games), you'd need to check for every software you use though.

That's all good and all, and I agree but however you're comparing those consumer CPUs. How about the server CPU, how does it stack up against the AMD FX-8350?

And see here

Nvidia Quadro 400 for $169 Outperforms GeForce GTX 580 by Five Times.

/>http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/graphics/display/20110406235438_Nvidia_Quadro_400_for_169_Outperforms_GeForce_GTX_580_by_Five_Times.html

[dark4yoyo]

That's all good and all, and I agree but however you're comparing those consumer CPUs. How about the server CPU, how does it stack up against the AMD FX-8350?

I believe the E3 1230V2 is the same as an i7 3770 (non overclockable), with a few extra things that I'm not sure he would use.

Server CPU's reallty get interesting when you have dual processors and 8 cores each, but that's not the same price range.

And see here

Nvidia Quadro 400 for $169 Outperforms GeForce GTX 580 by Five Times.

http://www.xbitlabs....Five_Times.html

That's only in specific uses, you would have to check for all the software he uses. And you cannot play 3d games on a nvidia quadro 400.

[ZeroPenguins]

^If that's true what you say, then nevermind. Just stick with that build....

[emjay911]

Just like to say....

That 1 TB HDD will not be enough. Get the new 3 TB instead.

Also the graphics card, Nvidia GT 550 is old and outdated, its good, but there are newer models released (GTX 650/GTX 670).

The power supply, increase is to 700 W just in case. Those new hardware eat more power more than ever.

Decent rig you got but those specs looks like a 2 yr old rig!

and Good Luck!

Edited November 13, 2012 by emjay911

[Bardon]

Ok for starters, just because I'm on a budget doesn't mean I won't be upgrading the thing in future. =p

My concern was mostly towards the stuff that wouldn't be as easy to replace/change, stuff that I may as well spend a whole year on without bothering.

Ram is easily upgradable when needed, I did ask for 16GB before but it slightly blew the budget. At the very least its enough to pass the first 2-3 months of my work. Same goes for my HDD which I'll be extending to 3-4 TB as secondary later on. Not sure about SSDs, this is honestly the first time I've heard about them. But yeah I think I need the capacity much more than improved booting. The DVD burner is for my ISO files, prefer to keep em on discs than hogging up my system's space. (though I'd still back em in my external)

Mobo and processor are a defo. Both of em lack stuff that I need and it certainly would've been a hassle later on if I had not been aware. I was originally going for AMD myself but they are kinda short-handed around my place and most markets here no longer sell em after a certain "disaster" regarding the older models overheating faster than a nuclear reactor in the summer season. >.> (speaking of which, exactly how much does weather effect the cooling/heating of machines?)

Power supply is going to be no more than 800W, I know my rig is going to take up a big load but certainly not as high as over 1000.....at least I hope not....

Quadros are absolutely OUT of the question. As dark4yoyo said, they are crazy expensive and its pretty much a fact that both Nvidia and the markets they are sold in take full advantage of how only professionals would go after them. (which indirectly is the reason why similar to amds they also happen to be rare at my place) The article Ang3lofDarkness posted has some comments along with another link which further proves it: http://www.techarp.c...rtno=539&pgno=0

Though the rig I'm building is mainly for my job, overall its still going to have everything else I do since thats where I'll spend most of my time in the day. And if anime is involved then why not gaming? Also despite popular belief, a GTX can run editing/design software rather fairly. I've peeked around the official sites like sony, adobe and autodesk and they had plenty of users with machine specs involving GTX cards. Sony and Adobe in particular have it mentioned in their system requirements that some selective GTX are certified to work in their latest software, one of those happen to be 570 which was the main reason why I've been considering of getting it in place of 550ti.

Btw is it possible to have more than one GFX card installed in a rig for switching of use? Regardless of how different they may be?

Some say it works when using one at a time for each software/game, some say they don't and require SLI or having the same identical card.....Idk.... ¯\(°_o)/¯

Edited November 13, 2012 by Bardon

[RikuoAmero]

Ok for starters, just because I'm on a budget doesn't mean I won't be upgrading the thing in future. =p

My concern was mostly towards the stuff that wouldn't be as easy to replace/change, stuff that I may as well spend a whole year on without bothering.

Ram is easily upgradable when needed, I did ask for 16GB before but it slightly blew the budget. At the very least its enough to pass the first 2-3 months of my work. Same goes for my HDD which I'll be extending to 3-4 TB as secondary later on. Not sure about SSDs, this is honestly the first time I've heard about them. But yeah I think I need the capacity much more than improved booting. The DVD burner is for my ISO files, prefer to keep em on discs than hogging up my system's space. (though I'd still back em in my external)

Mobo and processor are a defo. Both of em lack stuff that I need and it certainly would've been a hassle later on if I had not been aware. I was originally going for AMD myself but they are kinda short-handed around my place and most markets here no longer sell em after a certain "disaster" regarding the older models overheating faster than a nuclear reactor in the summer season. >.> (speaking of which, exactly how much does weather effect the cooling/heating of machines?)

Power supply is going to be no more than 800W, I know my rig is going to take up a big load but certainly not as high as over 1000.....at least I hope not....

Quadros are absolutely OUT of the question. As dark4yoyo said, they are crazy expensive and its pretty much a fact that both Nvidia and the markets they are sold in take full advantage of how only professionals would go after them. (which indirectly is the reason why similar to amds they also happen to be rare at my place) The article Ang3lofDarkness posted has some comments along with another link which further proves it: http://www.techarp.c...rtno=539&pgno=0

Though the rig I'm building is mainly for my job, overall its still going to have everything else I do since thats where I'll spend most of my time in the day. And if anime is involved then why not gaming? Also despite popular belief, a GTX can run editing/design software rather fairly. I've peeked around the official sites like sony, adobe and autodesk and they had plenty of users with machine specs involving GTX cards. Sony and Adobe in particular have it mentioned in their system requirements that some selective GTX are certified to work in their latest software, one of those happen to be 570 which was the main reason why I've been considering of getting it in place of 550ti.

Btw is it possible to have more than one GFX card installed in a rig for switching of use? Regardless of how different they may be?

Some say it works when using one at a time for each software/game, some say they don't and require SLI or having the same identical card.....Idk.... ¯\(°_o)/¯

Yes, it is possible. I remember how some games, like Skyrim, Oblivion and others, allow you to select which GPU you want to run on in their launchers. If you have the money, what I suggest you do is get two cards, connect them with an SLI bridge and then in the Nvidia Control Panel, enable/disable SLI as needed.

[Bardon]

Yes, it is possible. I remember how some games, like Skyrim, Oblivion and others, allow you to select which GPU you want to run on in their launchers. If you have the money, what I suggest you do is get two cards, connect them with an SLI bridge and then in the Nvidia Control Panel, enable/disable SLI as needed.

With a single monitor I hope? And can this be done when using software and a different card like quadro or radeon?

I'm also wondering if softmodding the card might be a possibility or if its any actual worth trying out.

Note: This "experimenting" as you may call it, is for future sakes. Nothing that I'll be doing effective immediate after getting my rig setup.

[RikuoAmero]

Yes, it is possible. I remember how some games, like Skyrim, Oblivion and others, allow you to select which GPU you want to run on in their launchers. If you have the money, what I suggest you do is get two cards, connect them with an SLI bridge and then in the Nvidia Control Panel, enable/disable SLI as needed.

With a single monitor I hope? And can this be done when using software and a different card like quadro or radeon?

I'm also wondering if softmodding the card might be a possibility or if its any actual worth trying out.

Note: This "experimenting" as you may call it, is for future sakes. Nothing that I'll be doing effective immediate after getting my rig setup.

Single/multi monitor yes. And yes with Radeon (since it's the game launcher that you use to select which card). Dunno about the softmodding, sorry.

[dark4yoyo]

You don't want to go SLI unless you have to, due to worse drivers. I suggest if you wanna put some extra in a graphic card, take a higher end one.

SLI (or crossfire) is only recommended when no single card option is availible.

And also, 500W is more than enough for an i7 and a gtx 550 ti

no use getting over, it's just wasting money.

It is entirely possible to have more than 1 GFX card even if they are not in SLI or anything. Not sure if it works with a radeon and a nvidia though.

But while it works for multiple desktops, I dunno if it can actually be exploited with software.

I'd recommend a stronger single card over any multiple card solution though, as all drivers & software are more optimized for a single card.

taking everything on newegg :

• Processor - Intel i7 3770k 320$
  
• Motherboard - Asrock Z77 Pro4 110$
  
• RAM - Corsair XMS3 16GB DDR3 1600Mhz 71$
  
• HDD - 1 TB (Seagate 7200 rpm) + PSU - Corsair CX600 115$ (and 10$ mail-in rebate)
  
• Graphic card - Evga GTX 550 ti 105$ (15$ mail-in rebate)
  
• DVD drive - LG 24x DVD burner 17$
  
• Casing - Cooler Master Elite 370 75$
  

Total 813$ without shipping (not counting mail-in rebates).

Or you could do a similar build but using AMD FX-8350 and an AMD mobo, and a GTX 570 for about the same price.

Edited November 13, 2012 by dark4yoyo

[Bardon]

Hmmmm......I've decided that maybe an i7 would be more effective for me compared to a xeon, since my work is more leaned towards multimedia than a server. The only reason why I was stuck on it was coz I figured it'd handle 24/7 usage more easily but now after having second thoughts, it doesn't seem that big a deal. Most ppl I know don't have xeon, yet they're content with keeping their systems open all the time. The main issue has often been related to overheating and I think I can manage that by just having some extra fans with a better filtered casing.

Anyway so this is the new updated setup:

• Intel core i7 3770K - http://ark.intel.com/products/65523
  
• Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H Mobo - http://www.gigabyte....spx?pid=4167#ov
  
• Corsair 8-16GB RAM DDR3
  
• HDD 1TB Seagate 7200rpm
  
• Cooler master 900W UCP (PSU) - http://www.coolermas...product_id=5197
  
• Nvidia GTX 570 (superclocked) - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814130595
  
• Asus DVD burner x24 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827135204
  
• Asus Casing - http://www.asus.com/.../TAM2/#overview
  

Total $1200

......I already know what you're thinking, how the heck did I jump from my earlier budget to THIS? =P

I ended up with some extra helping on my investment. Its really a good thing judging by the current difference in what I was formerly getting, except now I feel like the weight of paying it all back from my job just doubled on me... x_x (help)

Nothing completely final yet as I won't be ordering it until the end of this weekend so do tell whether you find this to be the better package for me or have something else in mind.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Bardon