High-End personal Workstation Guidance

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It's a dam good thing, for Taylor, that he butted into THIS thread, when he did ..

.. He ended up doing a micro-ATX Athlon-II x3 rig, with a $70 9800GT Recert.

... He paid like, exactly $500 and will retask as a media server, as soon as Sandy-Socket-2011 is out and well-hammered.

Smart guy!.
 


Well, hopefully it'll keep going AT LEAST as long as the technical info is useful. The more general advice is timeless.
 
Yeah ... I hate to get all "self promotional" (in quoting my own self, ad nauseum) ...

... But (quite obviously, and not surprisingly) ... This "likely platform bug" (Cougar) comes like an archtypical "burlesque drum-hit", with precision comedic timing (if it were not so tragic and costly ... nothing funny about it ... I own INTEL stock !! ... Unchanged).

But, yes ... tho I am not comfortable with being seen as self-promoting, I feel that I must exploit and leverage this incident, to maximum effect, for my own sake, as WELL as that, of the community ... because ... As these abstracted quotes do attest ... I am paddling up-river, with frequent injury, by hyped-up fan-boiz .

I am definitely getting too fat ... This soap-box is creaking, in protest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc3TOm4oYhc

 


For that build you just did ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYzIOFUl3VM

Thanks, for sharing, NATE ! You are very generous ... I really like your delivery !

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html#whatiscpuz

Search YouTube on the term "temperature monitoring software" ... TONS of good vids.

... don't forget this ! (Best of Luck!).

http://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Fire-Extinguisher-Wall-Single/dp/B0036AU0UG

.

 


OK, but come on, admit it, I'm finally starting to get the hang of this youtube thing!
 
OK ... I admit it ... but lets keep it phresh !

I took classes in Film Mass Psychology, at UT, or, rather, ... I took several lower and middle division classes in which this was a fundamental component.

Narrative Strategies, was one of the more interesting ones.

While Seinfeld and McFly are anything but "phresh" ... Some Cliche' is required when communicating with the broader base ... As "collectively common" references.
(you all knew that).

Content *CREATION* is ... [crank reverb] ... "The New Global Literacy ! ".

Welcome to The Millenium !

 
hey guys i got my 1366 950 rig built... stressed it and tweaked it for about 8 hrs.... POP went a transistor on the mobo. sooooo lame.
Basically wanted to say amazon is my new best friend for electronics. The are sending me a new one tomorrow, i have 30 days to get mine back, AND they pay for all shipping and stuff.
Asus offered to rma it but they had to have my board first and they were going to send me back a re-manufactured board. how lame is that. the board was 3 days old and had roughly 8 hrs on it.
Nothing was tweaked to excess at all. I think it was actually a weak board. Perhaps it was even an open box since it had a few finger prints on the back of the socket which made me say .. hmmmmmm
 
Under 30 days ... back to the seller ... if it is DOA or instant fail ... most every case.

Don't worry if ASUS sends you a recert ... just get your board registered, with them, by serial#.

... A reworked board can often be better than a new one . Upgades on components which may have proved faulty or marginal ...

... Someties, a particular run gets a shipment of bad caps, etc. ... They track all that, back at the mfg.

 
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/298743-28-bridge-22nm-works

so this happens. Intel says that Ivy Bridge will be compatible with H67 + P67 sockets... I'm still not sure what's happening with the Z67 sockets or exactly what they are for but they are talked about. Does this mean if I did jump on the SB band wagon asap I could easily upgrade to IB with minimum setback... besides, of course, the major recall that SBs have had recently. Is it safe to be shopping around for deals on P67 stuff and assuming I will be using this platform? Is Panther Point going to require the new platform? Is that what i need to wait for? Or do i just scratch this intel anxiety and buy some Bulldozer when it happens? Gosh...
 


So your tellin' me that Socket 2011 is still gonna happen? That thread i posted scared me in the thought that Socket 2011 isn't really real. Rather Socket 1155 is gonna be universal for all future 'bridges' whether it be sandy or ivy. Is the Socket 2011 gonna be for that Panther Point or am i'm not understanding what the heck is going on anymore?

I'm gonna wait for Socket 2011... at least if i know it's coming.
 
man i hope my 1366 does not get trumped as a workstation in like 2 months! It seems like they have to do something else with 1366 before they just kill it.
 
Man, I am going to get ripped apart for this but here we go.

Alvin / Puff / Iliya - I started reading this post about 45 min ago and I'm currently at the 4th page and I can't tell you how MUCH i love all this information! I'm already bookmarking this page and after i read the whole thing, will re-read it again so i can start to understand parts of it!

That being said i'm a undergrad student in my final semester and im looking to build a machine that can handle work in 3DSM (modeling, rendering, etc), Mudbox, Adobe suite (Photoshop, sound booth, premier pro, & after effects) and i'm looking for some solid advice on what i should do. I have been bouncing around this forum for not too long now and I have learned tons, but its very apparent that i have LOTS MORE to go!

If your feeling up to it, or just feel sympathetic to this young grasshopper I would love some input.

I have a few parts already as i was waiting for Sandy Bridge to come out but i'm completely lost as to if i should or not anymore...

Here is what i have so far

oh, crap, i should mention (here comes the catch) i have a budget of $1,200....thats all i can afford for this (broke student using tax return + blood money lol) so i have been finding things on rebate and with promo codes and doing the best i can...hopefully i have not already screwed myself

ok here is what i have being delivered tomorrow and tuesday

POWER SUPPLY:
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

THERMAL PASTE:
MASSCOOL G751 Shin-Etsu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080

HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6402AAEX 640GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136544

***I have a preference for WD drives, they have never failed me, but i hear a lot of good things about the spin-points***

CASE:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

MONITOR:
ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059

POWER SUPPRESSOR: (i figured i should protect my investment)
CyberPower 850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812120401

ALREADY HAVE:
Wireless Keyboard (Solar powered from Logitech - its really awesome!)
Mouse (MX 518 mouse from a while back - still love it though)

I would like to experiment with over clocking so i was budgeting for a 2600K and decent memory but i am not sure if i should go with newer tech or stick with older more reliable tech. This rig is NOT FOR GAMING if i wanna play games (if i find the time between busting my arse) i'll dust off my N64.

As for an optical drive im just picking up a DVD-RW for around $20-$25 no biggie

For the graphics card - GPU - I HAVE NO CLUE but i know i cant afford a 300$ card, its just not in the budget...hoping you can help?

I know i will need a CPU cooler for OC

I really hope we can find something that i can use to create portfolio work outside of school to help me find a job...then the REAL computer fun can begin....so really this computer is very important to me and it needs to live long and work well.....im not expecting to create the next transformers movie, just need a rig that will get the job done without starting a fire / exploding / or just being too slow to be useful

I have around $800 left to spend...i hope im not trying to buy the moon for a nickel...

With great hope and respect

-Ryvin
 
Also i can pull this trigger tomorrow or wait until April...whichever is best...but i need to have some kind of plan to keep my sanity!
 


Let me try this one. Hopefully it can give Alvin a little reward money (it's only figuratively, sorry man) since I put him through the grind with every little new piece of info i learn.

You don't want the 2600k. It's not stable and not upgradeable professionally. You want the X58 chipset (i7 950) or you want to wait for the LGA 2011 platforms to drop. Both of these are Alvin approved for professional workstations. The LGA 1155 is wimpy stuff.

I'd recommend waiting since the new platforms will host a whole slew of upgradeable benefits for future builds:
Sata III connecctions
new platform for future CPU upgrades
quad channel memory sync compared to the current triple channel syncage going on
probably a whole bunch of other stuff too... i'm just running out of juice here.

but if you want to work your arse off now, and it has to be on the computer, then I could see dropping the moo-la for an immediate X58 justifiable and well worth it. Also, waiting will most likely take much more chunks of green out the pocket when LGA 2011 hits the streets, so hopefully you'll save a few bucks before that time comes (This is what i'm trying to do).

so try this build:

CPU: i7-950 ($200 in store @ microcenter right now if you are so fortunate for such a place near you, otherwise $295)
CPU Fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 + extra fan $40
MOBO: Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 $200
Memory: G Skill (4x4gb) 16gb DDR3 PC310666 $200.00 (If you find a little extra cash I might suggest bumping this up to a hexachannel set (6x4gb) PC310666.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231441
GPU: GTX 560 Ti $250 (you can upgrade this to SLI in the future. Spend a total a $500 and get better specs than a gtx 580!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604

Total: $890.00 still a little over budget but i think this will get you groovin'. You get 12gb of memory but all the other stuff i think is necessary.
 
just built this rig for around 1600

Case = Lancool K62 (Love it but no external firewire)
Mobo = Asus Rampage III Formula
Cpu = I7 950
Cpu cooler = Hyper 212 + (bought another identical fan for push pull) you also need an adapter to hook up 2 fans to the same header
RAM = Mushkin 998805 (12gb)
PSU = Coolmastr silent pro gold 1000 w (overkill but the price was right)
GPU = EVGA 570
HD = Samsung HD103sj (cheap fast drive) eventually i will upgrade to SSD

It was smoking fast for the 8hrs before a transistor failed on the mobo. it hit 4ghz no problem on air. I guess quality control is somewhat of an issue with this board but I have terrible luck and LOTS of people love this board so hopefully the new one that will be here tomorrow has no issues.

If you want to experiment with overclocking SB is not much of an experiment. Pretty much 2 settings to tweak. 1366 has WAY WAY more to tweak but its got a steep learning curve. For me overclocking is something you do for a day or two and then your done. You find max, daily use, then totally safe over stock and hopefully nothing explodes in the process lol. I say get the K series no matter what if you go SB just because you can make it go faster! K series must be pared with a P67 mobo to overclock though.

This whole SB thing has had my head spinning. SO FAR i'm VERY glad i went 1366.
This could change very quickly though.
Its a very tough time to make the choice. In my opinion its literally impossible to say one is better then the other for a workstation build.

You have tried and true on one hand and new and improved on the other. Both are going to rock.

SB clocks higher but not by much at safe overclock. all gulftown (6 core I7) still beats out SB i think.
1366 has triple channel ram (more ram slots) while SB has Duel
Apparently Ivy Bridge is going to be compatible with P67 mobos (makes me wonder if SB will soon destroy all 1366 CPU) I didnt know this when i bought my parts!
most 1366 mobo's will do 16X by 16X pci-e but this does nothing for ADOBE (it will help 3D apps though

price is nearly the same for each

You kinda have to wait or just go with one....
My main deciding factor was what intell says about Sandy. They do not say its for high end workstations. Rather they say its for media centers and laptops.

This whole Ivy bridge working with p/h67 is kinda making me wonder if computers aren't about to take a really really big leap this year. The kind where clock speeds double in less then a year. Where a media center machine will destroy a 6 month old workstation. Where the next workstations will make the build i just did look like a speak and spell :/ Logic and experience tells me this can not happen but i have to admit i'm a little worried my giant e-peen may get laughed at in about 8 months lol.

Im trying to look at it like "i have a sick computer that is going to crush any task i throw at and its going to keep doing this for many years to come."

Not sure if any of this helps but
 



DUDE! what are you thinking. first X58 is not duel channel. You may be able to get 4 sticks to work but for a new build you should be looking at 3 or 6 sticks. I could understand if you were just trying to get away with using some ram you had laying around but if your buying new get what maxes out your performance. (balanced triple channel) epic fail on ram choice. look for a cas 6 or 7 triple channel kit or 2
Second. SLI is of no benefit FOR ADOBE but it help in view port rendering for 3D apps. I wont flame you for this because i was thinking the same thing with 460's but its a fact. Adobe cant use sli. and sli is of no benefit for rendering 3D scenes unless its real time.
 


Yeah i'm totally wrong on the memory. You should get triple channel sets (3x4gb) Mushkin 998770 sounds about right. $130
SLI might help if you are getting into real time rendering my friend. It's the wave of the future. I'm pretty sure there's some value to SLIing these things. Also adding CUDA cores never hurt anything workstation graphics wise. and comparing the two:

graphics card: gtx 560ti (x2) vs. gtx 580
processor cores: 384x2= 768 vs. 512
memory size: 1gbx2= 2gb vs. 1.5gb
price: $250 now --> $500 upgraded vs. $500 now

and keep in mind his budget. I think it's a good decision to do the 560 Ti(s).

The new memory brings your grand total down to $820. Dude, your in the money, make it happen.

I might just do the same... I'm getting antsi and worried about the price of LGA 2011 stuff. I think it'll all get jacked up super high but then again good things come to those who can wait. I like to draw and build models anyway!
 


I eat my words about 3D apps not benefiting AT ALL from sli. It does help with viewport rendering and interface smoothness (ive edited my previous post to reflect this fact)🙁
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=120947
Adobe however will not use sli at all.

I say go big on one card now then sli later if you need it. At the end of the day this makes the most sense for a workstation and upgrade path. keep in mind you will need mucho power for sli down the road though

motion builder has the option to do real time rendering if your getting into motion capture stuff. sli might benefit that a lot.

I picked up my 570 for 349
cpu cooler was 25
My 12 gb of mushkin 998805 was $205
6-8-6-24 timing at 1664mhz (cas6). its nice nice stuff
picked up my mobo for 289
cpu was 289
puts you at
1157

PSU was 199
my case was 118
hd was 61
extra fan was 11
artic silver was 9
total = 1494
 
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