First W/C Rigg

[Elderbree TM]

Hello every body :wavey:

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this here will be my first beast of a rig(mind you i had and have pretty good rigs in the past and present but non was W/C or OCed ) so you will have to bare with me and with alot of semi to outright stupid questions()

so without further ado lets begin

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First, Time Frame

well I'm contemplating on waiting for the MoBo until mid to late September as there is supposed to be the new X38 chipset ready by then and hopefully it will support SLI so....(if you think its wrong to do so please advise)

so I'll start ordering stuff that are not MoBo dependent(as in :can go on mosts MoBos out there) and once i decide on one I'll get the rest

Things i already have

6x Raptors (4x150 GB and 2x37 GB)(but I'll probably only use the 150 ones)

3x Assorted 250GB HDD

1x 24" Monitor (but I'm looking to buy a 30" [maby an HP LP3065]

looking for recommendations)

1x Sound Card X-Fi Elite Pro

8500x green papery things you use to buy things with in the states

I'll edit this post every time i get a new component

Things i need

first of all i can always use more of the green papers mentioned before

1x Digi Camera to take pics of the process and posts them here (advice is required as i know nothing of Photo shooting)

1x ENERMAX Galaxy EGX1000EWLScratch that i just read thy withheld a prize thy promised so i will be looking for a different PSU

1x 8800 Ultra GPU (should i go ASUS on this or is there a better option out there?)

2x sets of OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 FlexXLC Edition

the rest will be edited in as i get recommendations

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so here it is guys(both Male and Female) the ball is in your court now and do remember I'm a bit of a :noobsign: here so...

 

[Mr. Smith]

Hi there

Firstly, X38 will not support SLi - look

So, what do you want from this rig? Insaine gaming power? You have a budget big enough to get a QX6850, 8800gtx/ultra (if you want sli you need a 680i based mobo, the dfi 680i LT seems to play ball, as does the in9). Mobo wise, blitz extreme, grab some ddr3 2/4gb, you could even get a 32gb SSD to boot ($250 for 32gb - ouch). PSU has to be pcp&p, 750w will do or 1100w will mean you never ever ever have to buy a new cpu. Water wise, 2 loops. One with cpu and nb on a thermochill pa120.2 or 3. Second loop for gfx cards using a pa120.2 with a couple of nice pumps...

Personally, I'd get the powerful cpu, one 8800gtx, the blitz formula, 4gb ddr2, one water loop with the cpu and gpu cooled by a pa120.3. You'd have so much paper left you wouldn't know what to do with it.

Are you bothered that penryn (new intel cpus) and 9800 (new nvidia) are due xmas and November repectivly? (not to mention AMD's offerings)

Is this a no holds barred best of everything machine?

Edit:

1. What is the pc for?

2. Do you just want the best of everything regardless of what is coming in a few months?

3. What do you want to w/c - you only really need to cool the cpu/gpu. nb is an option. Everything else is pointless...

4. How big a case? I guess this will depend on your requirements...

 

[Elderbree TM]

hi and thanks for the quick replay so let me answer and then ask some more of my own

1. What is the pc for?

2. Do you just want the best of everything regardless of what is coming in a few months?

3. What do you want to w/c - you only really need to cool the cpu/gpu. nb is an option. Everything else is pointless...

4. How big a case? I guess this will depend on your requirements...

1.Gaming , Gaming and a bit of other low power stuff and of course I'll probably game allot as well

2.yes and no i am willing to wait a bit (hence the waiting to mid/end September part of my post) bot I really don't want to wait to long so...

3.I'll be looking for advices on that but i assume at least two loops as you recommended

4.big i like them huge(i don't move it allot ) i was thinking Mozart but i so somthing on this forum about a lilian that looked pretty large and roomy so I have not decided yet

Firstly, X38 will not support SLi

well its still not confirmed so I'm still hopping but if it will not support SLI (as it seems so far) I'll have to look into going ATI (will be my first time with them) because i prefer to go DDR3 for future upgradeability

PSU has to be pcp&p,

well I don't know since i read some bad reviews about them being to load as well as not featuring any new features like modular cables and so forth

i was thinking on this PSU from Koolance but i don't know yet

Are you bothered that penryn (new intel cpus) and 9800 (new nvidia) are due xmas and November repectivly? (not to mention AMD's offerings)

yes a bit bot I'm still reading about it but November/xmas seems so long from now so i don't know I'll probably be willing to wait for the GPU but will hold on until mid/end next year to change the CPU and go Qued for now. what is AMD offering please elaborate

anyway thanks for the quick replay

 

[Mr. Smith]

Firstly, the Penryn line is a die shrink – it’s a c2d with a few extra tricks, nothing groundbreaking – 10-15% performance increase clock for clock.

Secondly, 9800 (according a source under NDA) doesn’t support dx10.1 and you will see an average perf gain of 20% over an 8800ultra.

1.Gaming , Gaming and a bit of other low power stuff and of course I'll probably game allot as well

2.yes and no i am willing to wait a bit (hence the waiting to mid/end September part of my post) bot I really don't want to wait to long so...

3.I'll be looking for advices on that but i assume at least two loops as you recommended

4.big i like them huge(i don't move it allot ) i was thinking Mozart but i so somthing on this forum about a lilian that looked pretty large and roomy so I have not decided yet

1. Cool. You only need a fast dual core, but you have the money to overkill. This is up to you, you don’t need 4 cores, but you might want 4 cores. Crysis will use 4 cores as will some other future games. I ditched the quad core, a highly clocked dual core just feels faster and is faster in all the apps I use. You didn’t mention video editing so you seem like a dual core guy – I’m sure they have an extreme version to keep you happy

2. You are waiting until Sept for the X38 chipset? It seems very unlikely it will support SLI.

3. You will only need two loops if you get a big OC’d quad core and 2 very hot gfx cards. The smart thing to do would be one nice gfx card now – 8800gtx – one fast dual core – e6850 or whatever the xtreme is – and one loop with a thermochill pa120.3 will be fine. You could get 2 loops with 2 pa120.2 (btw – the .3 means tripple 120mm rad – 360mm, the .2 is double 120mm rad 240mm. Thermochill are the best rads, don’t consider anything else)

4. LOL cool. MountainMods UFO, that big lian li cube… I’m not a fan of the Mozart – each to their own.

well its still not confirmed so I'm still hopping but if it will not support SLI (as it seems so far) I'll have to look into going ATI (will be my first time with them) because i prefer to go DDR3 for future upgradeability

You want sli then… I would think hard about this. You need a 680i chipset if you go this route. Sli/CF aren’t great. Get a single card. Trust me on this one. If you must spend, one 8800ultra oc’d. The blitz extreme is ddr3 but not sli.

ATI’s (now AMD) 2900’s are a flop. The next revision is a refresh of the existing – kinda like presenting a turd to someone, being told it stinks, taking it back, spraying some air freshener on and re-presenting it hoping on one will notice. Atm stick with nvidia. If AMD pull it off then sure, buy them. Sli/cf is a waste of cash.

well I don't know since i read some bad reviews about them being to load as well as not featuring any new features like modular cables and so forth

i was thinking on this PSU from Koolance but i don't know yet

The psu seems a bit gimmicky. PCP&P don’t use modular for a reason – it is like having a weak point in a chain, if it’s going to go wrong, it will be there. Remove the weak link, you remove the risk. Sure this is debatable, sure modular is tidy, sure – there are good modular psu’s, just not that one you linked lol. Enermax/Tagan…

yes a bit bot I'm still reading about it but November/xmas seems so long from now so i don't know I'll probably be willing to wait for the GPU but will hold on until mid/end next year to change the CPU and go Qued for now. what is AMD offering please elaborate

Well, decide how long you wish to wait. Two strategies you could use:

1. Buy a decent ‘tide me over card’ like I did – 8800gts – then go all out in November, sell the 8800 and get the turbo card of the moment

2. Buy the best now – ultra – keep it and OC it, buy the next turbo card 6/12 months later – be it AMD/nvidia/who knows what could happen

AMD – Phenom – native quad core. Have a look at the news section google amd barca and phenom for more info.

anyway thanks for the quick replay

NP

In summary, if I had the cash, I would get the X38 or the blitz extreme, ddr3, one 8800 gts/x/ultra depending if you plan to keep or ‘buy to sell’ for impending upgrade and I’d get a sweet as dual core. One loop – cpu/gpu, nice tasteful case (no flashing lights here ) and with the money I saved I could upgrade once the dust settles with current developments.

P.S These are just suggestions, the decision is ultimately yours, I’m just offering advice.

 

[Elderbree TM]

so first of all thanks for the MountainMods reference thy have the best cases i have seen so far :drool: also i had a few more questions

1st. can a single 8800 Ultra handle a 30" screen on high resolutions and still offer good frame rates??

2nd. if i do use more then 1 loop is there a reason not to use the .3 exclusively as the price difference between the .1 .2 and .3 is not that big

3rd. can you recommend a specific PSU for the

rig ( 1 8800ultra a qued core CPU 4 raptors and 2 normal HDDs plus lets say for now 2 loops and lights on the x38 board) ?

( i wold prefer a high voltage one for long use [so i wont need to buy a new one once i do go SLi or Cross fire] )

as always thanks for the assistance

 

[Yeungster]

2) If you end up getting a mountain mods case, why not have more than 1 120.3? They have plenty of room for at least 2 PA120.3s as standard, and will aid any future loop upgrades eg 9800, SLi, Quad etc

 

[Mr. Smith]

You might be in luck mate, seem like certain over clockers are working on hacked drivers for sli on the x38 chipset...

Link

 

[Elderbree TM]

You might be in luck mate, seem like certain over clockers are working on hacked drivers for sli on the x38 chipset...

Link

yes I've heard about it but there are two problems I'm aware of with this specific board

1st the RAM slots get obstructed if you use a long Graphic card in the upper slot

2nd the PCIe x16 slots are too far from one another for the SLi bridge (and i don't know of any extended bridge at the moment)

also i need to know before i decide to go with a single GPU how will it affect my ability to use high res on big screens (30") i read along time ago(almost 3 weeks now ) on some review that you need a duel GPU in order to get high resolutions on big screens so... can anybody tell me if this is the case

 

[darkorb]

TBH i dont think it can with EVERYTHING MAXED

im sure all settings relatively high, but no AA

 

[Mr. Smith]

Yeas the problems you mention are specific to that particular mobo.

Other mobos will/may have better layout.

30" monitor, guess you actually need sli for playing games at max res/eye candy...

 

[JN]

A word on that PSU - its cr@p. Cant hold up the quoted output for love nor money.

 

[Elderbree TM]

A word on that PSU - its cr@p. Cant hold up the quoted output for love nor money.

can you recommend a different one (i prefer modular) to get ?