My next (wanna-be) build

[stretch0069]

So......how is this??????

-CHIEFTEC BRAVO BA-01B-B-B Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
-EVGA E758-A1 3-Way SLI (x16/x16/x8) LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
-three.....EVGA 01G-P3-N981-TR GeForce 9800 GT 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Cards
-PC Power & Cooling T12W 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
-Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601950
-CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model HX3X12G1600C9 G
-six....SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
-two...SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223C
and running it all in perfect harmony....Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders

any changes?????? criticisms????? btw...the OS is not an option

[Topcat]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

gets a thumbs up from me.

[Per Hansson]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

I'd can the 3x9800GT cards and install just one of ATI's latest 5870 card (your board does support both SLI and Crossfire so you can buy several 5870 cards too...)

Reason is that while 2-way SLI (and crossfire) has some merit 3 and 4-way have so diminishing returns it is just silly
Plus the 9800GT is already 1 generation behind, and in a couple months when nVidia release their Fermi cards it will be two generations old

(What I'm saying is that for most games one single ATI 5870 will beat 3x nVidia 9800GT cards, and you will have one hell of a lesser headache getting it to work properly

Same really with the harddrives, there are bigger harddrives with just as good value / gigabyte that would allow you to run the system with less harddrives
Oh, and if you're thinking about using the built in RAID, atleast before you do please read about all the fun I had with that and then maybe you will reconsider :P

[etnietering]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

Looks pretty good to me. One suggestion though, you might want to get a CPU heatsink better than the one Intel provides. I don't know if you're planning on overclocking or anything, but if you really get 3 9800s and 6 hard drives your case is going to be running pretty hot, and you don't want to have to worry about the CPU overheating.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

Failure rate seems higher on drives 750GB and over. I'd keep the 500GB.

Samsung and hard drive in the same sentence don't give me a warm fuzzy but those have a 3 yr warranty so maybe okay.

Check EVGA card for Sacon FZ caps when you get it.
They've been sighted on various EVGA 7600 thru 8800 cards.

Yes, if you want RAID I'd look for a 3Ware 95xx or above type card vice using the onboard.
.

[Smellydeli]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

Get an i7 920 with D0 stepping. Overclock it yourself and save some money and get aftermarket cooling for it (i.e Promilatech Megahelms, Thermalright Ultra Extreme aka TRUE, etc)

12GBs of RAM is kinda overkill for a system used primarily for gaming.

If the budget allows for it, get a SSD using an Intel or Indilinx controller for OS/applications.

[kikkoman]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

no idea if PC's point about failure rates is valid, but for a little more money (0.09 vs 0.08 €-ct\GB over here) you get 1TB WD caviar blacks that have 5year warranty (if i remember correctly).

besides that..... OVERKILL!

[370forlife]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

I agree with Per with the 3x9800gt's. I would just get a radeon 5870. About the same price too. Then you can always buy another and SLI Instead of having to buy 3 9800's now then buy 3 or 2 new cards later on.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

A fairly cheap [anymore] performance trick if you do go with an add in RAID card.
-
Pick up an old 36GB Raptor [or alternately any decent 40GB 7200RPM drive] and install it to the unused mobo controller. Dedicate that drive to handle ALL of your Page File [Swap File] duties.
-
That means the heads in you OS/Software RAID drives never have to take any time out to deal with the Page File.
Also cuts down on the traffic [bandwidth] through the RAID controller a bit since all the Page File crap is going through the on-board controller instead.
.

[toastygoodness]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

agree with getting the radeon hd 5800 series... isn't a 1200w a little too much?

and throw in an arctic cooling freezer pro 7 cpu fan, the one that comes stock blows

and does evga use poly or japanese caps now? they had a bunch of kz* last i saw

[stretch0069]

Re: My next (wanna-be) build

Thanks for all the input...guess I should have given a bit more info...

My previous build using the Abit IX38 Quad GT (from this little issue ) has been running the onboard RAID5 with the same drives. I can have one set of spares to handle both big-boys. No problems thus far, but I haven't yet been transferring my videos. Good project starter......baaaaaaaaaaad project finisher.

Not going to overclock......too lazy to learn the finer points. When it comes to that, I don't mind throwing money at it. I will, however, get an aftermarket HS/fan.

as for the 12GB RAM and 1200W PS being overkill.....thats sort of my unofficial middle name.

I thought three 9800s because the two I have in two separate boxes now fold like crazy I thought (quite possibly incorrectly) that I could have two of the video cards folding and the other for my regular old video card duties....again....I meant to ask that in the original post. I have two dual core boxes....one Intel and one AMD. I stuck the 9800s in them. They run fine, but it seems the normal everyday display is a bit choppy with the Folding client running. I want to get away from this. So if I can't run one video card for normal everyday stuff and the other two to fold, I'll probably do a complete redo of the system. I'm looking at replacing the two dual core processors and this everyday P4. The electricity bill sucks. Its fine in the winter...I just open up all the windows and it stays a comfortable 65 degrees.