Build to Learn - Not your average questionnaire

[INdr]

Goodday All,

Please forgive me for asking for so much in a first post but… you know what, Ill let the situation explain its self. Just be warned, this is going to be VERY text heavy.

STORY TIME!

About 6 Months Ago I decided that I wanted to build for the first time, a Desktop PC, I chose this for a number of reasons, the primary reason being I wanted to learn more about computers as a whole instead of just being a user of them (Otherwise I would have bought some “custom” prebuilt and been done with it). That said, I must say I am no novice at computers (three finger salute and all that), but it seems the PC Building side is a whole ‘nother world of computers I never really thought about (mostly because I didn’t need to, It just needed to work). That said I imagine from your point of view I'm going to say some pretty stupid stuff, so I ask for your understanding...just in case.

So...what are my requirements for my PC? Its rather simple really...Once I build it, it will last me a large number of years ( and with the help of overclocking- which at the moment I know nothing about – I will most likely add to those years). It must be able to run highest setting in any game that comes out in the year that I build it (Just about, it's the basic jist that I mean... I don't mean such a thing LITERATELY... Kind of.). It must be able to run 3dx Max, Photoshop, Zbrush…ALL of it, without any trouble. Rendering. Rendering. Rendering. Be it games of applications.

Basically put… I wanted to push it as hard and as fast I could. It's just me.

I know that such a monster no doubt would have a price a-bit higher than I would like, but I, being a very fortunate and blessed individual for the time, I could save up for it and I did. That’s right… I could buy most of the parts right now, than again “I could have” I think would be a better description now. Recently I had to use up my saved funds for something else…so all I have now is 6 Months of research and nothing to play with.

That just will not do.

So what am I doing here? I’m showing you what someone who 6 moths ago didn’t even know what a ATX or a 1155 had to do about computers. I’m showing you what I chose in the 6 months time so that you can with your undoubtly longer use and expertise in computers can tell me things a relative noob such as myself wouldn’t have seen otherwise due to lack of experience in this particular part of computers.

Than after all this is done and done, perhaps in another 6 or so months when/presuming I have at the funds again, I shall post here again, reference this post…and show what I have chosen in context to what I learn by posting this Massive Post here.

Oh! Also… not that I don’t trust that you all have an extensive know how in computers, but I have also C+P this post at two other comp-site forums. Chances are at least one of you frequent said other forum as well, so I wanted to let it be known now for future reference. All Prices are approx. as of date of post. All Links work as of date of post.

STORY END :Awwwww:

Allrighty let's get down to the topic at hand.

Case - Thermaltake - Level 10 GT Snow Edition - $ 289.99 Link

Reason: In all my research I saw things like “ATX” & “E-ATX” for Mobos. In finding out the answer I knew I had to choose my Case First. I chose this because I like the features it has (the fan door design is a nice touch) and I think I could make something out of the white case (Is it just be or is Red and Black the New Beige for computers…just an observation)

Mobo - EVGA - X58 Classified3 Motherboard - $ 344.99 Link

Thoughts: Now that I have a home for a Mobo, its time to actually get one. Since a Mobo is where most of the computer parts connect too I figured it wasn’t something I wanted to skip on. At this point now I know I want something with USB 3.0 and Perhaps Thunderbolt if one comes out next year with such. That said this is what I chose at the time. I have to say it took me a good month to choose a motherboard. This is where I learned about “Pin configs”. S-O-B… you could smell my brain smokin’ up a mile away. Ugh! I than had to dabble abit into CPUs while choosing my mobo, but found it to be too much at the time. So while I did choose an X58 in this round, I would like a Z77 if I can.
As for how I finally made a choice… I flipped a coin. Hows THAT for knowhow. Even with all I have learned, the Specs mean nothing to me and all I see is Marketing Yada Yadda.

CPU – Intel – Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Gulftown 3.46GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor- $999.99 Link

Thoughts: Intel…AMD…Intel….AMD….FUUUUUUUUUUU. Intel is faster? AMD is a better value? Can’t I get both? FUUUUUUUUUU. Coin helped here too ( CPU and Mobo Kissn’ In a TowerTree…).

(2?) Graphic Card – AMD – HIS 6990 Fan 4GB GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/4xMini DP - $ 800ish Link

Thoughts: *Brain Rebooting*

>
> * Random Computer Stuff that looks pretty fancy *
>
>
>/… Done.

MDOS Joke aside...I thought that the cpu and mobo would be the hardest thing to choose (since they kind of determine a lot more than most other components). Than I saw the “Mud” flying back and fourth about ATI (YES IT IS SHUT UP!) and NVIDA. This “Mud Slinging” did not help.
OooOo ATI can do “Crossfire” which I think has something to do about Two Video cards as one, but Nvida had “Cuda Cores” and Phizex or whatever its called. Is it valid or just marketing buzz words? Does the AMD…er…I mean ATI (YES IT IS SHUT UP!) have something comparable? Ugh. Nvida rep (Driver Problems?). Amd rep. Loss of words. Choose AMD only because that's what I have used before (technically).

Ram – Corsair – Dominator® GT with DHX Pro Connector and Airflow II Fan — 12GB (3 x 4GB) Triple Channel DDR3 Memory Kit - $ 339 Link

Reason: Seems to be some good repor for the company and I want to get the most memory I can for rendering (so much rendering). If I interpreted the larger numbers correctly this Ram seems large and fast (Giggity). Cheap Ram is Cheap.

Hard Drive (3)

OCZ – 60 GB Vertex 3 Series SATA III 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
- $129.99 – for C: Link

OCZ – 240 GB Vertex 3 SATA III 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive MAX IOPS 6.0 Gb
- $550.99 – for D: Link

WD – 600GB VelociRaptor SATA Harddrive -$279.99 – Backup/E: Link

Reason: Self explanatory? Raid- Unknown. 5?

Cooling – Corsair – Hydro Series™ H100 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler - $119.99 Link

Thoughts: Air. Water. Oil. Liquid Nitrogen. Heart! With these powers combined I still had to think for a-bit on how I would and Intend to be using the PC at its maximum and overclocked state. As you can tell if you looked at the case I chose I was thinking Big Air, even though I knew the Water would be the better (Oil was too Messy and LN is… Pricy). Let me tell you the max hard maintenance I want to have with the computer;

1.Open door (still awesome)
2. Compressed Air *SPHHHHHH*
3.?????
4.PROFIT!!!! ( Done )

With an open liquid cooled system I would have to feed my computer or risk melting and burning and so many other not good things. Not to mention the risk of the liquid splashing somewhere. So when I found something In the middle, I was ecstatic. Now I have Air Flow and Water Flow. Yay me.

Power!!!! – Thermaltake–Toughpower 1350W - $399.99 Link

Thoughts: POWUH!!!!!!!!

PCI EX SSD – OCZ - RevoDrive 3 Series 120 GB PCI Express 4 GB-s Slim Solid State Drive -$399.99 Link

Thoughts: If only I had the cash for a ioDrive Octal.

Peripheral – AeroCool – V12XT - $59.99 Link
Thoughts: Buttons. MMMMMMmm.

APROX. TOTAL PRICE Thus Far : $5,514.9

---------------- In the Air / Undecided ----------------

Blu-Ray Player - Plextor - PX-B940SA internal 12X BD Writer - $219.99 Link

Thoughts: I would get a Floppy Drive too If I could. I know I have star wars chess around here somewhere.

Network Card - Bigfoot Networks - Killer™ Xeno™ Pro - $47.00 Link

Thoughts: Spaeeeeeeeeeed!

Monitor – X – X - $???

Thoughts/Looking For: I have been eyeing Ostendo CDM43. Its fun to dream I could push it all the way and get one, but alas I can’t. I would Also Like the Cintiq 24HD
as a Main monitor in a set up, but I don’t see that happening either. SO! What am I looking for? Two/Three monitors at a high resolution ect ect for Games & Creative Applications. Need I say more?

Cable management, Lights & Other stuff – X – X - $???

Thoughts/Looking For: Million Dollar PC Cable management. I want it to look nice too. At this time I’m thinking a mix of white black and UV Ice Blue would look nice for cable management if done right. In the terms of lighting (that doesn’t already come with it), I’m thinking what would be best for low light/no light conditions. I immediately go for red with its lower feq. But I don’t want to do red. A mix of UV and a feint glow. I see a lot of nice stuff from A.C. Ryan & Vantec but It doesn't seem that they make that kind of stuff anymore. Sunbeamtech need to update their site (looks…dated and like a potential scam to me). Is Viso any good? And where do I go to find out how to do all this stuff properly. Is special paint a good idea?

Paranoid: The UV won’t cause harm will it?

-------------------------------------------

So there you have it. Behold my computer-tastic ambition. I hope it all compatible. I hope if I have made any errors (which I will most likely will not be surprised with), I ask that you explain my err in full. I'm also sure that there is a chance that some of these things might not have all the bang for the buck, take note that once I make my final computer...that it. Even with the modular capabilities of a PC I will not be throwing down more cash in till I get the very last drop usefulness in..."whatever". I'll be too busy with other things. That's just how it is. It's part of why I chose what I chose at that time. Case and point I still have & Use a CRT Monitor.

Thank You for any information you can give.

 

[shade2399]

You have a lot of good things going for you here but unless money is no object you are spending hundreds of dollars more for your case and PSU and ram then you need to be... RAM has taken a price dive. As for the PSU, the system you are building requires no more than an 800w.. 1000w would be more than safe and the 1350 you are buying could probably power your system twice.

I can't knock the choice of the corsair water cooling due to the fact that I use a H70 and love it and it does allow for a great amount of overclocking. The case you have chosen is extremely pricey... Unless you love the way it looks and can't find any case that you like better $300 is almost double what I'd pay for a case if I'm not contemplating external water cooling. Coolermaster, Thermaltake and Antec make cases in the 70-150 range that will fit everything you are talking about buying and provide excellent craftsmanship and cooling potential.

For what you are paying for your 600gb velociraptor and the two SSD's, you could buy a single SSD of 256GB for windows and important software... and then buy 4 1TB WD Caviar black drives and run them in Raid 10... not only would you not need a backup drive, it would outperform your single velociraptor by a lot (Even using SATA2) and eliminate your need for 2 SSD... Saving you almost $400 here...

Also curious about your choice of a PCI express SSD... Why spread graphic port bandwidth across your hard drive as well? (Especially if you are going to be running data/graphic intensive programs at the same time.)

I question your motherboard and processor choice... why go with the older processor style? the 990X is ridiculous in that it cost three times what the i7 2600k costs and it performs just barely better (If at all depending on the benchmark). On top of that the 2600k has huge overclocking potential and the motherboard will likely support future processors longer than the dated X58. (The only real reason to use an X58 series board at this point is for 4way SLI.. which you aren't considering.) By switching to a z68 or P67 board and 2600k, you can save yourself almost $700. I should point out also that if you were to at some point buy a second GTX 590 or Radeon 6990... you would be running 4 way SLI using 2 PCIe slots so you still wouldn't need the X58...


I guess I'm not even talking about bang for your buck potential... its more of is paying 60% more worth it to gain ~5% or less performance (and only in some applications). Also as I stated earlier.. the sandybridge 2600k is so friggen easy to OC compared to the 990 that if you are new to OC its probably better to start there (That way if you do something really stupid and destroy the chip, at least its only $300 dollars and not $1000.) Just to give you an idea, I am running a i5 2500k and I have it overclocked to 4.8ghz using the corsair H70 and it never hits more than 75c even when running Intel Burn test or Prime95. The 2600k has similar overclocking potential.

In the end, if you are building a system yourself, there is no need to spend over $2500 on it, you can literally have pretty much the best of everything for $2500.

Anyway, good luck! I wish you the best in your computer building endeavor! Take a look at the Enthusiast $2000 machine competition article on Tomshardware for ideas.

 

[vigilante212]

Most of this stuff depends on when your going to buy this PC.

CPU – Intel – Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Gulftown 3.46GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor- $999.99 - This is old Tech Go with the sandybridge chipset or wait for their newest ones to come out in a few months.


PCI EX SSD – OCZ - RevoDrive 3 Series 120 GB PCI Express 4 GB-s Slim Solid State Drive -$399.99 - you really dont need this unless you have huge databases that need super fast access. The reason to buy an SSD is just for your main programs and OS For everything else a normal HD will be fine you wont see much if any difference other then load times for your less used programs.

(2?) Graphic Card – AMD – HIS 6990 Fan 4GB GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/4xMini DP - Again these are dependent on when you can buy the computer if its months away wait on adding a gpu to the build even 2.

Power!!!! – Thermaltake–Toughpower 1350W - This is overkill unless your running 3 way SLI or if you can't find a 800-900 watt psu that has the required connectors.

Peripheral – AeroCool – V12XT - $59.99 - A waste of $60

Network Card - Bigfoot Networks - Killer™ Xeno™ Pro - $47.00 - A waste of $50 dollars The built in network card should be fine I have never had to tweak or block or check on game performance. Any issue that could crop up can be figured out online.

WD – 600GB VelociRaptor SATA Harddrive -$279.99 - You dont need this if your getting SSD Just get a 2 tb Backup drive For half the cost. - The only reason to raid is for data redundancy, but if your going to raid a 60, 240 and 600 gb drive youll only have 60 gb of storage space because a raid only allows for the smallest drive. Also using SSD for raid is overpriced RAID for storage fine, but do it with a standard mechanical drive Run 2 1 t drive in raid 5 and have the 240 gb SSD as your Boot drive and for your main programs.


Your ram is fine is you stick with the 990, but if you go to the newer i7 they use dual channel memory and you can find cheaper 16 gb sets than what your paying for that 12 gb set.

Your Tower is fine, but it doesn't have the airflow or cable management that the Haf-X case does.

 

[INdr]

Hmm. It seems I should have updated my picks...if only for the sake of the conversation. I am well aware that some of the parts are old by computer standards (Most of these came out during the early half of this year >_>). I do apologize for that confusion. I wanted to see if I had put down cash at that moment and bought all these things, if it would have been worth the cash (AKA get most out of every dollar). I am now glad that I didn't.

With that said...there is MUCH clarification to be done.

For the benefit of all I'm going to answer the mass of posts from all three forums into one post, and C + P it. In no particular order might I add.

Oh wow...where do I start.

Overclock Undertime

Before anyone chimes in I see 1 major mistake you have made. Somehow you think overclocking will increase the lifespan of your rig.

Sadly that isnt true. It will increase how long your rig will compete with newer released hardware, but will decrease its lifespan due to increased voltages and heat due to overclocking.

So actually in reality OCing decreases the lifespan of hardware. The good thing is newer hardware will out pace your setup faster than a decent OC will reduce its lifespan.

Noted. That said the reason I even had the thought that OCing my hardware would make it last longer is because I have done it once before...on a 2 1/2 old laptop (*GASP*). Yes Yes...I am well aware of the grand risk I took by overclockeing in a laptop ....I was young & naive! It worked too. That extra push along with an unlocked/unofficial ATI driver I made it so that my computer could see decals...like blood splatter. It was a good day, in till three years later my screen died. No biggy though...just plugged it into a CRT monitor.
---------------------------------

Case - Thermaltake - Level 10 GT Snow Edition

Ok so I ...admittedly sadly... have seen alot mentions of this case. The things I have seen have not been nessasarly good. A pity since I really have my heart set on this case. Here is some of what I liked about it:

-Easy to open- Yes that is a feature to me. Some of the desktops, like my old emachinesand gateway 2000 (HOLY S*IT IM OLD! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!!!) were nothing short of a pain in the neck to open... and then close. As such this is now a feature because of good design.

-I felt that it had good airflow- This has been one of the errs you all have mentioned:

That case has poor airflow and not a great feature set

Your Tower is fine, but it doesn't have the airflow or cable management that the Haf-X case does.

I'll get on the case recommendation in a moment... where was I ....ah! Airflow. I felt it had good airflow and so seeing the opposite stated surprised me. It has "one top 200mm exhaust fan, one front 200mm intake fan, one side 200mm intake fan and one rear 140mm exhaust fan." And you're saying to me that it has poor airflow?!? WHA 😵? Can at least someone explain this to me?

-Price- Ok...Ill admit it, this case is expensive for a case. My calling the price a feature I liked is a joke. Har Har. Aren't I cleaver. That said... I have no qualms for paying extra if those extra dollars are worth it. Even then... I just really like this case. Don't know why ...just do.

All that said, I looked at Haf-X case. It's a nice case. Its fans are bigger. Cool story bro. ^_^

All this Memory and I forgot something

PCI EX SSD – OCZ - RevoDrive 3 Series 120 GB PCI Express 4 GB-s Slim Solid State Drive -$399.99 - you really dont need this unless you have huge databases that need super fast access. The reason to buy an SSD is just for your main programs and OS For everything else a normal HD will be fine you wont see much if any difference other then load times for your less used programs.

you have 3 different solid state drives in this quote which makes no sense. The Revodrive is majorly fast if you want to take that route. However, any of those on your list would be sufficient, unless you want to install ALOT of programs which case you should not consider the 60GB. You really only need one of these drives choose one and loose the others.

You're harddrive configuration is a bit confusing. You'll be booting from the Revodrive if you utilize it, thus you will not need the 60Gb or the 240gb ssd's. Just buy a bigger Revodrive if you want more space. You don't need a Raptor for backups, it's a waste of money. Normally people utilize an SSD for a boot drive and store their data on a larger Harddrive. Your SSD really only needs to accommodate your OS, Games, and Programs.

For what you are paying for your 600gb velociraptor and the two SSD's, you could buy a single SSD of 256GB for windows and important software... and then buy 4 1TB WD Caviar black drives and run them in Raid 10... not only would you not need a backup drive, it would outperform your single velociraptor by a lot (Even using SATA2) and eliminate your need for 2 SSD... Saving you almost $400 here...

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! What a lovely mass of know how. All noted. I appears I really need to look in to memory more. My reasoning was based off a number of things. I hibernate more than even the laziest of bears. This is because I need to get on my computer fast. Cold boots are a very far anf few between. So... 60 GB SSD of C: for a quick boot, 240 GB SSD as D: to be used as my main. The 600GB VelociRaptor add my storage for things I still use. I would also have an external backup drive for things I wouldn't used but needed to keep. So... as you can see I had a chain of command in mind. All this is for a very good reason (which also will answer a question not shown here). Tons of 3dxMAX/Zbrush Files, all connected. Adobe Suit files connected. Lots of Tiff. Lots of RAW. Crysis, Metro, Rage. Kapeesh? Good.

I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to push it as hard and as fast I could. I have a very good reason for it. That's why I need to throw down the cash. I shall explain "why not just get a 'workstation'" later. Oh an I am aware of Window 8 apparent new boot speed.

As for the RevoDrive. I thought it would make the Hard Drives more efficient, no actually act as a hardrive. That's ...yea. In my desperation to understand I seem to have grabbed whatever straws I could find. I have a-lot to think about in this part of the computer. I just need it to be as efficient and quick as possible. A System within the system or else I won't find anything. That said I shall leave off with this:

... Also curious about your choice of a PCI express SSD... Why spread graphic port bandwidth across your hard drive as well? (Especially if you are going to be running data/graphic intensive programs at the same time.)

As much as I hate to admit it, you lost me. I know what you are asking is a very good question, but I can't seem to grasp the question. 🙁

I don't think a rewording is going to help.

The ultimate power in the universe is insignificant next to the power of the Force

That power supply is WAYYY overkill. Look at 750/850w PSUs with a single 12v rail. Corsair are good in this range. Personally Ive got an enermax 750 that has performed exceptionally for me.

Ditch the Thermaltake PSU. Go with Enermax or Corsair

Power!!!! – Thermaltake–Toughpower 1350W - This is overkill unless your running 3 way SLI or if you can't find a 800-900 watt psu that has the required connectors.

As for the PSU, the system you are building requires no more than an 800w.. 1000w would be more than safe and the 1350 you are buying could probably power your system twice.

k. Question: I am aware what happens when something has too little power ("Cyberpunk Still Life" 😛), what would happen if I gave it too much power/ more than required?

How will I know how much power is needed for an overall rig?

Something Cool and Clever goes here!

The H-100 is pretty good if your curious about watercooling but unwilling to put the effort fourth to build a custom loop. High end air is almost as good though so dont just dismiss it.

I can't knock the choice of the corsair water cooling due to the fact that I use a H70 and love it and it does allow for a great amount of overclocking.

YAY! I did something right! Does anyone know of any other types of closed liquid loops? Recommendations on High-end Air cooling solutions?

Dodge this

Your ram is fine is you stick with the 990, but if you go to the newer i7 they use dual channel memory and you can find cheaper 16 gb sets than what your paying for that 12 gb set.

That corsair ram is not bad at all, you would probably be served just as well buy a cheaper set though. There are a few great 1866 sets with cas 8 timings that you can hook up with @ ~$80 for a dual channel kit.

As you have read by the time you read this, I render ALOT. So I NEED ram like you would not believe.
The one shown was the largest fastest I could find at the time (taking note that it's in three sticks to get the total 12). Know of something better faster quicker than a Daft-Punk Beat? Let me know.

...and then we get to the videocard
Before I throw down the quotes let me first state "why not just get a 'workstation'". Originally I wanted to get one of those crazy priced Nivida Workstation cards (Quadro or Tesla), the thought being that I could get one card to kill two birds with one diamond. Oh!...but that would be too easy (of course it is). Unfortunately the drivers for the card would give cause for this to backfire. The drivers are made with the focus on work applications. Therefore any gains I might have with a game would backfire, and would be laggy due to the card not knowing what to do with the game engine(s). Unfortunate to say the very least, since it would be kind of nice to have an extra Teraflop or whatever of computing potential.

Quad crossfire will do nothing for you if you're gaming on a 24" monitor, save your money

there really is no need for dual 6990s one is completely sufficient for any game that is out or will be out in the next few years even with 2-3 monitors

The above explanation is why I have more than one video card. The hope is that with the extra cards it can be used for both games and processing potential. At this point I look forward to the 7990s 😉 and all the rumors swirling around it.
...oh and just one more thing

Why not the classified sr-2 mobo?

I have to admit... I did at one time originally consider it. If it wasn't for this I wouldn't have looked up what "E-ATX" meant and so forth. Can you image...TWO CORES! HAAHHAH! Yes. All that ram. I got all giddy. Then I realized what it was for. Bedsides the fact that I don't *think* that It would fit in the case mentioned, this board is made for server racks. As a server board it does have the ability to use XEON CPUs, which is awesome, but I found out one little tid bit that...if true...makes it a deal breaker. Server boards can't hibernate. If you have read this MASS-O-TEXT fully (and as such I applaud you), you know that is a big thing.
-----------------------
WHEW!!! Well that's it for now. I need to splash my hands in water before they combust. And fall off. Then Explode.

Thank You all for your words of wisdom and know how.

 

[vigilante212]

Noted. That said the reason I even had the thought that OCing my hardware would make it last longer is because I have done it once before...on a 2 1/2 old laptop (*GASP*). Yes Yes...I am well aware of the grand risk I took by overclockeing in a laptop ....I was young & naive! It worked too. That extra push along with an unlocked/unofficial ATI driver I made it so that my computer could see decals...like blood splatter. It was a good day, in till three years later my screen died. No biggy though...just plugged it into a CRT monitor.

Most chips will outlast the lifespan of their usefulness if they are at a moderate overclock. Say you buy the i7 2600k and overclock it to 4.8 on water cooling, it should last fine as long as the cooling solution keeps up.

---------------------------------


Case - Thermaltake - Level 10 GT Snow Edition

Ok so I ...admittedly sadly... have seen alot mentions of this case. The things I have seen have not been nessasarly good. A pity since I really have my heart set on this case. Here is some of what I liked about it:

I'll get on the case recommendation in a moment... where was I ....ah! Airflow. I felt it had good airflow and so seeing the opposite stated surprised me. It has "one top 200mm exhaust fan, one front 200mm intake fan, one side 200mm intake fan and one rear 140mm exhaust fan." And you're saying to me that it has poor airflow?!? WHA 😵? Can at least someone explain this to me?

There is nothing inherently wrong with that case, its just that the Haf-x has better cable management and airflow, because of this better cable management for a decent price. If you are really set on your case thats fine buy it, if you go liquid cooling airflow is not as important a concern.


All this Memory and I forgot something

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! What a lovely mass of know how. All noted. I appears I really need to look in to memory more. My reasoning was based off a number of things. I hibernate more than even the laziest of bears. This is because I need to get on my computer fast. Cold boots are a very far anf few between. So... 60 GB SSD of C: for a quick boot, 240 GB SSD as D: to be used as my main. The 600GB VelociRaptor add my storage for things I still use. I would also have an external backup drive for things I wouldn't used but needed to keep. So... as you can see I had a chain of command in mind. All this is for a very good reason (which also will answer a question not shown here). Tons of 3dxMAX/Zbrush Files, all connected. Adobe Suit files connected. Lots of Tiff. Lots of RAW. Crysis, Metro, Rage. Kapeesh? Good.

I still don't see the need to separate C: And D: Drives Just get a slightly Larger SSD. Again if your using the velociraptor for storage your just overpaying You wont notice any discernible difference between a velociraptor drive and a standard drive for storage applications.

As for the RevoDrive. I thought it would make the Hard Drives more efficient, no actually act as a hardrive. That's ...yea. In my desperation to understand I seem to have grabbed whatever straws I could find. I have a-lot to think about in this part of the computer. I just need it to be as efficient and quick as possible. A System within the system or else I won't find anything. That said I shall leave off with this:

... Also curious about your choice of a PCI express SSD... Why spread graphic port bandwidth across your hard drive as well? (Especially if you are going to be running data/graphic intensive programs at the same time.)

As much as I hate to admit it, you lost me. I know what you are asking is a very good question, but I can't seem to grasp the question. 🙁

I don't think a rewording is going to help.

What he means by this is that you have 16x PCi-e slot and if your run something else in the PCI E slot you will be taking bandwith away from your GPU

k. Question: I am aware what happens when something has too little power ("Cyberpunk Still Life" 😛), what would happen if I gave it too much power/ more than required?

How will I know how much power is needed for an overall rig?

Your power bill will increase. There are sites that will give you a power draw calculation based on your build you will need to google them though I dont know them offhand.

YAY! I did something right! Does anyone know of any other types of closed liquid loops? Recommendations on High-end Air cooling solutions?

The noctura nh D14 is one of the best air coolers. It may even cool better then the H100 loop look around online for reviews.

That being said pushing say an i7 2600k past 4.5 is going to require a custom liquid cooling solution.

As you have read by the time you read this, I render ALOT. So I NEED ram like you would not believe.
The one shown was the largest fastest I could find at the time (taking note that it's in three sticks to get the total 12). Know of something better faster quicker than a Daft-Punk Beat? Let me know.

If you decide to go with the better processor (i72600k) get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231473&Tpk=gskill

 

[shade2399]

I would go with the following...

i7-2600k w/ H80/h100 corsair cooler run it at 4.5 ghz.

Use an Asus Z68 or P67 Mobo... it doesn't really matter which one you pick... the z68's are nicer and a little more pricey but you won't see much diff really any of their models using these chips will do what you want equally well for the most part.

get 16 GB of ram, run it at 1600 with the fastest timings possible... 7-7-7-20 or better would be perfect (The reason for this is simple.. sandy bridge hits a limit at 1600mghz ram timings.. paying more for more mghz is pointless and wasteful, however timings are still mucho good.

Get the GTX 590 or Radeon 6990 if you want.. either will be great, you really can't go wrong here, I wouldn't reccomend sli/crossfire.. but if you really feel the need you could.

Get a corsair/Antec 1000w PSU you don't need any more than this

FOr storage... I still think a single large SSD followed by 4 Inexpensive regular drives in raid 10 will give you the best possible performance for what you are trying to do... Raid 10 will give you double the data rate of a standard HDD and will completely eliminate your need for a backup drive of any kind... If you don't understand please wikipedia raid 10.

Your case choice is fine, if you are in love with the case, get it... we are just saying there are slightly better cases for less money, but thats just splitting hairs.. it really comes down to, will the case keep your computer cool enough, yes... will it fit everything you are buying... yes... do you like it... yes.

As far as water cooling, if you aren't wanting to build your own loop (its a pain in the ass) the corsair H80/100 are the best on the market.

 

[INdr]

Thank you shade2399 & Vigilante212. Everything you have posted I will take into consideration. Its a pitty that more didn't post, but I suppose I will take whatever I can get at this point.

Have any thoughts or recommendations for a Double/Triple Monitor? Preferably with a Ultra-Slim Bezel (Like this TV-that-is-too-big-and-pricy-to-be-even-used-as-a-monitor) has if possible.

I'm thinking about getting some MDPC sleeves, but I know nothing on how to put them on, what I can and can't put them on...ect. Any help in that endeavor as well is appreciated.

Other than this site, any recommendations on sites where I could gather more info and learn?

As for what I'm thinking about getting in the future:

Motherboard - Z68 Compatible
CPU - Ivy Bridge/ Preferably Z77
CPU Cooler - Corsair Cooling H100 CPU Cooler
RAM - 16gig G.SKILL Ripjaws X 11-11-11-30 DDR3 2133Mhz 1.6v (Thx Vigilante212)
GPU - TBD
GPU Cooler - For those long(?) renders. TBD
Storage - ?Size OZD Revodrive/ ?Size OZD SSD (Or the Hybrid)
Case - E-ATX Compat. Something >_>
PSU - Depending on Final Calc. Need Corsair PS HX850W/ Enermax Platimax 1050W EPM1050EWT/Enermax MAXREVO 1200W EMR1200EWT
OS - Windows 7 Ult 64 or Windows 8
Peripherals - ?
Monitor(s) - ?
Speakers - ?

 

[shade2399]

the 2133 mghz ram with 11-11-11-30 will perform worse than 1600mghz ram with 7-7-7-20 timings with the sandybridge cpu's. using it is throwing money away for worse performance. Sandybridge hits a wall at 1600mghz with 7cas timing, anything faster is absolutely pointless.

 

[INdr]

the 2133 mghz ram with 11-11-11-30 will perform worse than 1600mghz ram with 7-7-7-20 timings with the sandybridge cpu's. using it is throwing money away for worse performance. Sandybridge hits a wall at 1600mghz with 7cas timing, anything faster is absolutely pointless.

Do we know if this is the case for ivy bridge too (yet)?