My New Gaming Rig

Darth Quorthon · Post by **Darth Quorthon** » 2006-08-11 12:26am

What case and power supply are you looking at? Those 1kw supplies are pretty expensive, IIRC - I think I saw one at Fry's for $500. My only suggestion when it comes to power supplies is to avoid those "no-name" brands and stick with brands like Antec and PC Power & Cooling.

That looks like a pretty impressive rig. The only thing I would change would be to ditch the DDR2-533 RAM and get some DDR2-800. You should still be well within your budget. One 2GB kit I looked at was about $140 more.

I think you'll like that Saitek eclipse keyboard. I have one and I love it.

Pint0 Xtreme · Post by **Pint0 Xtreme** » 2006-08-11 12:41am

Darth Quorthon wrote:That looks like a pretty impressive rig. The only thing I would change would be to ditch the DDR2-533 RAM and get some DDR2-800. You should still be well within your budget. One 2GB kit I looked at was about $140 more.

Changed the RAM and was surprising cheaper. Unless I missed something?

Post by **Beowulf** » 2006-08-11 01:04am

Cooler Master Stacker 830 looks like a nice case... Fucking huge though.

Dunno about power supply... how quiet do you want it?

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-08-11 01:39am

Darth Quorthon wrote:What case and power supply are you looking at? Those 1kw supplies are pretty expensive, IIRC - I think I saw one at Fry's for $500. My only suggestion when it comes to power supplies is to avoid those "no-name" brands and stick with brands like Antec and PC Power & Cooling.

So far all I've heard is anecdotal evidence (although I wasn't hearing any a few years ago), but another tech forum I frequent seems to be thinking that Antec is gradually slipping on their power supply quality control, and riding more and more on their reputation to carry sales.

PC Power & Cooling is still top-notch, but you pay top-notch prices for them.

If I were in the market for a new power supply, I would personally be looking at either Seasonic, Enermax, Tagan, or Fortron.

In any event, the most important value is not total wattage, but how much current you're drawing on the 12V line.

We can typically assume about 1A for fans and motherboard.
1A per optical drive.
2A per hard drive.
6.75A for the vid card (per xbitlabs)
4.33A for the CPU (per xbitlabs)

Roughly 15.1 amps on the 12V line. Best practice is to allow minimum of 10% breathing room, so about 16.1 amps total is the very minimum you'd want your prospective power supply to be able to deliver on the 12V line.

Post by **Edi** » 2006-08-11 02:36am

For a case, you will want this or this. Same model, two different colors. Easy to assemble, excellent airflow design and heat dissipation and very quiet, plus you don't need to fuck around with too many screws while putting your machine together. I'm getting the black one, though I need to buy it from a different store than the rest of the parts for my machine, because I'll be saving nearly €30 that way. The silver one looks really fucking ugly, like some kind of fridge, and there's no way in hell I'm going to look at it for several years, even if I have to pay some extra for the black one. It's fucking retarded, it costs €40 more than the silver one at the place I'm bying everything else from, 30 more at another place that would be easy to get to, but only 15 more at a third place. Obviously, that comparison is to the cheapest the silver one is going for, because every place but the first has them both at the same price.

Edi

Darth Quorthon · Post by **Darth Quorthon** » 2006-08-11 02:44am

Uraniun235 wrote: So far all I've heard is anecdotal evidence (although I wasn't hearing any a few years ago), but another tech forum I frequent seems to be thinking that Antec is gradually slipping on their power supply quality control, and riding more and more on their reputation to carry sales.

I had not heard that. Good to know.

I saw a Silverstone 750W PSU at Fry's when I was there but it was a bit out of my price range; howerver, it was certainly much less than the PC Power&Cooling 850W model. I haven't heard much about Silverstone PSUs, but what I have heard seemed pretty much positive.

I know Uraniun said that total wattage isn't the most important factor, but for the rig that Pint0 Xtreme showed, I wouldn't get anything less than a 600W PSU. Most good PSUs have at least two 12V lines now, and a number have three.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-08-11 03:47am

600 watts?! Jesus, man, why does he need 600W? The 7900GTX only uses 85W at peak, and the CPU a paltry 52.

With 600 watts I could drive my computer and my 21 inch CRT!

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-08-11 09:13am

My advice is for the video card is to get a single 7950GX2 for SLI, and then upgrade to two G80s when the come out in the next few months (looks like it will be in the September to November timeframe).

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-08-11 09:14am

You want him to buy What then buy what?!

Well, unless he really intends on purchesing a high res screen and keeping everything on max, then he's kinda roped into doing upgrades every year.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-08-11 09:37am

Hey, its still cheaper than buying two 7900GTX just have them outclassed in a couple of months...

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-08-11 10:14am

He COULD buy a single 7900GTX...

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2006-08-11 10:59am

Arrow wrote:Hey, its still cheaper than buying two 7900GTX just have them outclassed in a couple of months...

Like that's going to ever stop...

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-08-11 11:34am

Pint0 Xtreme wrote:This is what I've gotten so far

Motherboard
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131031
$278.99

Processor
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 - BX80557E6600 - Box CPU - Socket LGA775 - Ship on 8/14/06
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4893660
$357 (From Fry's Outpost)

Video Card (2X)
ASUS EN7900GTX/2DHTV/512M Geforce 7900GTX 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121002
$945.98

7950 GX2, dude. May not perform quite as well as SLI GTX's, but then again you'd be saving $446! And then you'd have the option to get another for Quad SLI and blow any other solution out of the water. Would only cost an extra $50, too. Getting 2 7900 GTX's instead would be positively insane.

Memory
pqi TURBO 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model PQI26400-2GDB - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820141064
$219.99

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6829102188
$121.99

Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KSRTL 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136039
$149.99

Keyboard
Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823175103
$41.95

Mouse
Logitech G5 Laser 931376-0403 2-Tone 6 Buttons 1x Wheel USB Laser Mouse - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6826104191
$51.99

DVD/CD Drive
NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827152058
$28.99

TOTAL CURRENT COST: $2341.31 (Yes, with taxes)

The DELL counterpart is currently at $4,354! The only thing I have yet to add to this figure is the monitor, computer case, power supply (thinking 1KW), and cooling unit.

So what y'all think so far?

Edit: Changed memory.

Even with Quad SLI, you'd need 1 kW the day after it snows in Hell. The ridiculously high wattage game is just a marketing gimmick and FUD. No one needs that much power. There are people running systems with Quad SLI on 420W PSU's without a hitch. As long as you get a quality unit, I wouldn't get anything past the 500-600 Watt range, as that would leave plenty of room. Not only would you be paying hundreds of dollars for nothing, but PSU's are actually quite a bit less efficient when you're only pulling a small fraction of their capacity, jacking up your electricity bill.

Pint0 Xtreme · Post by **Pint0 Xtreme** » 2006-08-11 12:21pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:7950 GX2, dude. May not perform quite as well as SLI GTX's, but then again you'd be saving $446! And then you'd have the option to get another for Quad SLI and blow any other solution out of the water. Would only cost an extra $50, too. Getting 2 7900 GTX's instead would be positively insane.

Sounds like good advice. Point noted.

Even with Quad SLI, you'd need 1 kW the day after it snows in Hell. The ridiculously high wattage game is just a marketing gimmick and FUD. No one needs that much power. There are people running systems with Quad SLI on 420W PSU's without a hitch. As long as you get a quality unit, I wouldn't get anything past the 500-600 Watt range, as that would leave plenty of room.

I looked at Edi's suggestion and while it's a good case, it honestly looked plain to me. But when browsing at cases, the first thing I saw was this and it has a combo feature with a 650W power supply. Looks like I might end up getting it after all.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-08-11 12:25pm

Combo power supplies are nearly always worthless even if it has an SLI sticker.

Pint0 Xtreme · Post by **Pint0 Xtreme** » 2006-08-11 12:34pm

Ace Pace wrote:Combo power supplies are nearly always worthless even if it has an SLI sticker.

Shit. I didn't know power supplies were such a big deal. Anything wrong with this one?

Pint0 Xtreme · Post by **Pint0 Xtreme** » 2006-08-11 12:38pm

Okay, new stats. Getting closer to the end.

Motherboard
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131031
$278.99

Processor
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 - BX80557E6600 - Box CPU - Socket LGA775 - Ship on 8/14/06
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4893660
$357 (From Fry's Outpost)

Video Card
eVGA 01G-P2-N592-AX Geforce 7950GX2 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Dual GPU Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130023
$499.99

Memory
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145590
$219.99

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6829102188
$121.99

Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200KSRTL 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136039
$149.99

Keyboard
Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823175103
$41.95

Mouse
Logitech G5 Laser 931376-0403 2-Tone 6 Buttons 1x Wheel USB Laser Mouse - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6826104191
$51.99

DVD/CD Drive
NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827152058
$28.99

Computer Case
Antec Performance I P180B Black Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129017
$109.99

Power Supply
ULTRA-QUIET PSU: SILENCER® 610 EPS12V
http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/ ... how=S61EPS
$159

Operating System
Windows XP Professional
http://www.csulb.edu/aux/49ershops/temp ... eflyer.pdf (WARNING PDF)
$89

TOTAL CURRENT COST (/w approx taxes): $2,282.85

Only thing left I see is the monitor. Dell's 24 inches advertised on their site are fucking expensive as hell. Where can I get those cheaper?

Edit (twice): Modified to reflect current list

Edit 3: Updated the price

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2006-08-11 12:43pm

The P180 is a fine case but not the easiest to work in (very quiet, though!) and the location of the PSU is a bit weird and thus requires longer PSU cables to the motherboard - so be wary. That case also is very good for those giant fanless heatsinks since there are two fans right next to the CPU socket.

Coolmax is an unknown to me, so that's a warning flag.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-08-11 12:51pm

And the 12v rails look weak to me. You'd be better off with a single 12v rail at that wattage. After abusing the fuck at PC Power and Cooling's 510w supplies (the non-SLI versions) at work, I'd say go for their 510w SLI. Single 12v rail @ 34amps should provide you all the power you'll need. Yes, its $100 more than the Coolmax, but it will probably be the last thing in your system to croak.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-08-11 01:31pm

Pint0 Xtreme wrote:
Ace Pace wrote:Combo power supplies are nearly always worthless even if it has an SLI sticker.
Shit. I didn't know power supplies were such a big deal. Anything wrong with this one?

With power supplies you want a respected name-brand with strong 12V output.

Recomputing for the increased power draw of the 7950GX2, I get a rough minimum of 22A on the 12V for any prospective power supply. Hell, Tagan makes a 380W power supply that would meet that, although for a mere $60 you can get an Enermax PSU at 420W which will meet your needs and then some (giving room for expansion) link.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-08-11 01:51pm

That is a very sexy case...

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2006-08-11 02:02pm

Why use a "real" sound card at all?
I may be a cheap bastard, but I never had any problems or feelings of shortcomings with the one etched on my motherboard.

And have you taken a look at a S-ATA burner? There are a few out there, and the less IDE cables the better in my opinion.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-08-11 02:10pm

[quote="Dahak"]Why use a "real" sound card at all?
I may be a cheap bastard, but I never had any problems or feelings of shortcomings with the one etched on my motherboard./quote]

That motherboard uses the same audio chip (Realtek ALC850) as my motherboard - IT SUCKS. Snap. Crackle. AND POP. The X-Fi doesn't do that, and produces far better, very rich sound.

Post by **Edi** » 2006-08-11 02:10pm

$110 for a P180 case?

*murders Pint0 Xtreme*

Fuck but you have it cheap there, that's roughly €86. The cheapest you can get the black case here is €139 (I should know, as I just bought and hauled one home today and it weighs a fucking ton), which is about $177. The processor has the same price tag in euros as you have in dollars and I suspect the same is going to hold true for that mobo once it becomes available here. No fucking wonder the cost of a new system runs so high...

The case is a bit unsual to work with, like phongn said, but it's quiet and it has a very good airflow and ventialtion system, which is why I recommended it. You don't need a crapload of extra fans and once you've got the power supply in place, you can work with the innards without it getting in the way.

Edi

Post by **Edi** » 2006-08-11 02:19pm

Pint0 Xtreme wrote:I looked at Edi's suggestion and while it's a good case, it honestly looked plain to me. But when browsing at cases, the first thing I saw was this and it has a combo feature with a 650W power supply. Looks like I might end up getting it after all.

It looks plain with the front door panel closed, but that's to optimize noise reduction. It looks a lot less plain with the front panel opened all the way so that it's flush against the side. Personally, I don't mind a plain looking case as long as it's elegant enough, and I positively loathe the overdone "bling" cases that have all kinds of extraneous shit on them to make them look cooler.

Edi