Intel i5 VM-Surfing Build $2500

[wallajQAZ]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: (November 15. 2009)
BUDGET RANGE: ($2500) Before Rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: ( surfing the internet, VM, Web video watching movies, Audacity, Photoshop, SKYPE. Web radio, gaming,word processing, spreadsheet)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: ( mouse)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: ( newegg.com, mwave.com )

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: (United States of North America)

PARTS PREFERENCES:

CPU :Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131405

COOLER COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

POWER SUPPLY:CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail

CASE: COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

MEMORY: 8 Gigs total G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBRH - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231279

VIDEO CARD: ASUS EAH5850/G/2DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121349

USB KBD: Saitek PZ30AU Black 104 Normal Keys 4 Function Keys USB Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175103

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

DVD BURNER: Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

TV/VHS CARD:Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 ATSC/ClearQAM/NTSC TV Tuner MC-Kit 1183 PCI Interface - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116010

SPEAKERS: Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 Speakers - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006

MONITOR: Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI Monitor 500 cd/m2 800:1 Built-in Speakers - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254026

OVERCLOCKING: Yes
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Higher is better

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I understand Windows 7 has a VM for XP, I want to Dual boot with Ubuntu as my primary OS, XP my secondary and Windows 7 only when needed.

Will Windows 7 permit an additional VM for Ubuntu?

I would like to VM between all OSs. I will be A/Ding and cleaning up Vinyl LPs. Very light Photoshop cleanup of photographs. I would like a cool, quiet PC)

Do I need a fan in the port under the mobo?

 

[Shadow703793]

1. Since you are doing VMs I highly recommend going the LGA1366 route as you'll be able to put a 6 core CPU in there down the road.

2. Have you considered doing RAID (0+1)?

3. Windows 7 has an "XP Mode" which imo, doesn't work to my satisfaction. Run VirtualBox if you want a real VM. You WILL need to run VirtualBox if you plan to run Linux on Windows.

My recommendations given your $2500 budget:

ASUS P6T Deluxe v2
i7 920
3*2GB DDR3 1600
Core Contact Freezer Heat sink

Everything else the same.

 

[Shadow703793]

One more note: When installing the triple boot setup on a single HDD you must install them in the following order so the MBR doesn't get messed up:
1. XP
2. Win 7
3. Ubuntu (GRUB or LILO?)

I recommend having 3 different HDDs for installing 3 different OSes although it's not needed. This way, all the OSes are kept separately.

 

[blackhawk1928]

You can easily build a nice 1366 based computer with excellent parts and be well under your budget limit I think Try this
CPU:Intel Core i7 920 Bloomfield =288.99
MOBO:Asus P6T Delux V2 =289.99
RAM:Mushkin Enhanced Blackline =236.99
GPU:Saphire ATI Radeon 5870 =389.99
OS:Microsoft Windows 7 64Bit Home Premium =106.99
HDD:Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB x3 =69.99x3=209.97
PSU:Corsair 950TX =159.99

Now look, this is the majority of your build using good quality parts on the 1366 platform and so far the parts I gave you total at $1682.91 without rebates, deals, combos, taxes, and shipping. So you basically you have $817.09 + or - to spend on the rest of the stuff you need .
Here is also a couple of comments:
-I recommend 3 hard drives so that 1 is deticated for each OS and I would have recommend the samsung spinpoint but they are new and I don't really know of thier reliabilty so I just advertised the WD drives instead since I have a 100% good personal expirience with them.
-The ram has really high frequency and has excellent timings for its frequency.
-Your system could have probably been handled by a 750Watt but I gave you the 950watt since you have a lot of hard drives and you said you might do crossfire so you are going to need lots of juice and an extra couple watts never hurt.

 

[wallajQAZ]

One more note: When installing the triple boot setup on a single HDD you must install them in the following order so the MBR doesn't get messed up:
1. XP
2. Win 7
3. Ubuntu (GRUB or LILO?)

I recommend having 3 different HDDs for installing 3 different OSes although it's not needed. This way, all the OSes are kept separately.

==================================================
Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

I have heard that Windows can only boot from the C drive. How would the 3 HDD OS setup work?

I am not considering RAID. I am pretty good about backing them up to DVDs and remote. Past hardrive failures have been irritating but nothing of critical importance was lost. Just the time that it took to input the data.

What other RAID considerations are there?

I wasn't aware of Virtualbox. I was thinking in terms of VMware. Virtual looks like a real nice package though. I think that would now be my first choice.

 

[Shadow703793]

Ok here's how you install a different OS on each drive:

1. Plug in the SATA cable for the first HDD you want to install the first OS to. Make sure HDD 2 and 3 don't have their cables plugged in.

2. Install OS choice 1 on to HDD1.

3. Unplug HDD 1 and plug in HDD2. Install OS to HDD2.

4. Do above steps for HDD 3.

5. After all the OSes are installed plug in all the HDDs back on to the motherboard.

6. You can now boot in to each individual HDD using the quick boot method (Usually <F12> ). You just need to figure out which HDD is first and what OS,etc.

I wasn't aware of Virtualbox. I was thinking in terms of VMware. Virtual looks like a real nice package though. I think that would now be my first choice.

Try VirtualBox first (hell it's free!), if you arn't satisfied you can always try VMware or Virtual PC.

I am not considering RAID. I am pretty good about backing them up to DVDs and remote. Past hardrive failures have been irritating but nothing of critical importance was lost. Just the time that it took to input the data.

I was actually thinking about RAID 0+1 not RAID5,etc. RAID 0+1 would offer better read/write performance. NEVER run RAID 0. And YES keep your back up plan. RAID is NOT a backup plan. Glad to see some of the few people who do backups. You won't believe how many lazy/1d10t,etc people can't do a simple back up and come crying to here recover their important stuff, lol.

And +1 for blackhawk1928's build.