Advice on improvements/suggestions for Programming/App Dev (VM)/Server Build

MaverickZeroX

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Aug 31, 2013
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I'm in need of a PC to use for programming/app development (virtual machines), analyzing huge sets of data, use as a server (SQL for at least 1,000-10,000 users), and for heavy internet browsing (80+ tabs open simultaneously).
I rarely play any video games at all, I'll maybe play League of Legends once a month at best, if not once every 3 months. It's been 4 years since I've played World of Warcraft, and I won't be playing it or any other games (aside from LoL) within the next 3-5 years.
I've done as much in-depth research and iterative compiling of my parts list as possible within my field of knowledge, I would greatly appreciate any advice on improvements/suggestions to make my build better (More reliable, faster, more efficient/cooler).
This will be the first custom PC I build, as well as the last. Once my business/database grows large enough to require more computing power, I'll buy a dedicated server setup instead of a high-end PC.

Thanks in advance.

Approximate Purchase Date: No rush, by December.
I'll buy the parts as I stumble upon good deals on them.

Budget Range: $2,500-$3,000 (Upper limit, I'd prefer not to go over this amount)

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
-Programming/App Development (Android Virtual Machines)
-Server/Database (SQL, looking at 1,000-10,000 users to start off/up to 250,000)
-Stock Trading/Analyzing huge sets of data (>100,000 row arrays w/nested loops)
-Surfing the internet (Doing research, having 80+ tabs simulatenously open)
-Gaming (LoL once a month, WoW in 3-5 years when I have free time again)
-Watching Movies (Once in a blue moon when I rent a dvd)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, but that's further down the road so I can have 2 monitors, on a separate budget. One for work/programming and the other mainly for stock trading (e-mails, chatting and misc web surfing outside of trading hours)
That being said, I gladly welcome suggestions, preferably under $375.
The monitors currently on my list/radar are: BenQ XL2420T 24", Asus VG248QE 24", HP ZR2440w 24", Dell U2412M.

Parts to Upgrade: Everything except peripherals, completely new build.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, looking at the professional version of either Windows 7 or 8. Haven't gotten around to researching which would be better for my specific needs, however, I strongly prefer the Windows 7 interface (Start menu, no smartphone/tablet layout)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'm currently using PCPartPicker to compare prices.

Location: Houston, Texas.

Parts Preferences: CPU: Intel, Motherboard: Gigabyte, Storage: Western Digital, RAM: G.Skill, SSD: Samsung, Power Supply: Seasonic.

Overclocking: No/Maybe (If it improves performance for my specific needs)

SLI or Crossfire: No/Maybe (If it improves performance for my purposes)

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 (I have nothing against higher resolutions aside from the price tag on the monitors)

Additional Comments: I need a very reliable build, good security, low failure rates, and the best/fastest performance possible. I'd prefer my code to take minutes instead of hours to compile/run, and for my VMs to be lag-free/seamless. As an added bonus, I'd like to make my pc as cool/silent/efficient as possible without compromising any of the aforementioned.
I will be running a SSD for the OS and applications (Android Studio, Excel, JCreator, etc), 2 WD Reds in Raid-1 for my database, personal files, and backups, a WD Black for media and non-business related items (Music, Movies, Documents, LoL, etc). Lastly, I plan on getting something like the My Book Live for personal cloud storage, with backup and anywhere access.
I currently own a GTX 560, the only games I'll be playing in the near future are League of Legends maybe once a month or less, and World of Warcraft 3-5 years down the road once I have some more free time on my hands. That being said, I've looked into a new, good/decent graphics card for the build as well.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My desktop PC had been giving me constant BSODs, I tried checking connections/graphics cards/etc to see if I could identify the error with no luck. I've been using an Envy 4 Ultrabook ever since, which has been a nightmare in various aspects. With only 4GB RAM, the Virtual Machines are incredibly laggy, and my code takes hours to compile (granted, it's inefficient coding/loops through huge arrays).
That being said, I want to build my first and last PC, use it for work/programming and parallel stock trading (hence the second monitor), heavy internet use (80+ tabs open at once) for research, with gaming and media being lowest priority/on the side.

PCPartPicker List

Case: Cooler Master HAF X Blue ATX Full Tower ($149)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Platinum 1000W 80PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply ($215)
-I know I probably won't come close to needing 1000W, but it's the nicest power supply from what I've read, very efficient (platinum) and silent.
Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($303)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($162)
-10xSATA connections, Hyper-Duo, Dual-Bios and Dual-LAN sold me over Asus.
Heatsink: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($74)
-Not a big fan of the design/color, but I've heard nothing but great things about it.
Solid State Drive: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($213)
-Best performance/reliability from what I've read (MLC instead of TLC).
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (8-9-9-24 @ 1.5V) ($145)
-Best memory based on calculations [(latency/frequency)x2000].
I'm not sure how much RAM I'll need with my setup/server, but in the event I need 32GB, I found G.Skill Trident X 32GB (4x8GB) 1600MHz (7-8-8-24 @ 1.5V) to be the best.
Graphics Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($260)
Hard Drive (Media): Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149)
Hard Drive (Database): 2x Western Digital Red 3TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($270)
External Storage (Backup/Cloud): My Book Live 3TB Personal Cloud Storage ($150)
Total: $2,090

Questions/Concerns:
-About how many users would I be able to support with the aforementioned setup for a server using an SQL database (100, 1k, 10k, 100k?)
-What are the limitations of my 16GB RAM as far as aforementioned tasks being run simultaneously is concerned (VMs with code compiling/running in background and actively being used as a server). At which point would I need 32GB?
-What are the limitations of my 1000W power supply? At which point would I need something larger?
-What are the limitations of my 256GB SSD, at which point would I need 512GB?
-Would the GTX 760 improve my performance as far as League of Legends/World of Warcraft are concerned?
-What benefits outside of gaming would there be to the GTX 760, or any high-end graphics card for that matter?
-What benefits does Windows 8 Pro offer over Windows 7 Pro that would benefit me, and consequently, is there a way around the tablet-esque UI?
-Lastly, what computer components relevant to my build would be likely to go on sale during black friday (Micro center currently has an excellent labor day sale on CPU/MoBo combos)

Once again, thank you for your time and assistance, any suggestions/comments are greatly appreciated.
 
Solution

melharts

Distinguished
Nov 25, 2011
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18,640


-What are the limitations of my 16GB RAM as far as aforementioned tasks being run simultaneously is concerned (VMs with code compiling/running in background and actively being used as a server). At which point would I need 32GB?
I would recommend 32GB over 16GB in this build. This is strictly based upon the assumption that you will be primarily in a server run environment.


-What are the limitations of my 1000W power supply? At which point would I need something larger?
GPU's are the killers of PSU's... You only need a 750w based on your build, if you go with another GPU I would recommend 800-900, three GPU's 1000+


-What are the limitations of my 256GB SSD, at which point would I need 512GB?
Depends on how you use the SSD. Windows would only require about 30-40GB. If you move user-accounts/program files/temp files to your database/media drive, you would not even hit your your limitation of 256GB
edit: This is an awesome guide for SSD setup on a win7 machine... http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/seans-windows-7-install-optimization-guide-for-ssds-hdds


-Would the GTX 760 improve my performance as far as League of Legends/World of Warcraft are concerned?
Both of those games are not graphics intensive, my old GTX 260, can still run WoW on max settings with no issues. A 760 will have no issues running both at max settings.


-What benefits outside of gaming would there be to the GTX 760, or any high-end graphics card for that matter?
If you use the CUDA cores for high-end computation. There is plentiful information about using CUDA cores in a google search.


-What benefits does Windows 8 Pro offer over Windows 7 Pro that would benefit me, and consequently, is there a way around the tablet-esque UI?
You can disable the tablet-esque UI, youtube it. As far as the benefits go, I will send you here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/3001-73-windows-windows


-Lastly, what computer components relevant to my build would be likely to go on sale during black friday (Micro center currently has an excellent labor day sale on CPU/MoBo combos)
All of them? Cybermonday is a bigger day for computer components though, that is on Dec 2, 2013.


I wish I had more info on SQL so I could answer your first question, but I am not knowledgeable in what hardware specs are necessary for SQL, I only know how to use SQL =)

 
Solution

MaverickZeroX

Honorable
Aug 31, 2013
7
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10,510


Thanks! That helped a ton and answered 90% of my doubts/questions. I'd heard about using CUDA cores for high-end computation before, but I never looked into it. That being said, for my specific setup, do you think I would benefit from the GTX 770 (1536 CUDA as opposed to 1152) enough to justify the steep $140 premium?

Now the only two things between me and my build are the sql/database support numbers for my given spec, and suggestions on hardware improvements (or confirmations that I made the optimal selections for the given build).
 

melharts

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Nov 25, 2011
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18,640


[/quotemsg]

The $140 difference is for you to decide. If you do not plan on utilizing the cuda cores on a daily basis, I would say save your money. If you plan to use them all the time, then the $140 difference might not be enough, and you might want to consider a tesla unit. http://www.nvidia.com/object/tesla-servers.html this would be closer to $4000, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814132008 ... If you're going to be gaming as you have aforementioned. Stick with the 760/770/780, buy the one that fits your budget, they all preform very well.

I've looked into your sql question... a lot of information can be found here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143506.aspx They include hardware spec's. My only fear is that your database drives won't have enough read/write with only two. You might want to get 4x harddrives do a raid 5 setup with a raid card (PCI 4 or 8x), this would also give you a backup option in case one of the hard-drives fail. Raid 5 total storage requires 3 hard-drives, the total space is the amount of (HDD's * capacity) - (1 HDD * capacity), so if you have 4, 1 TB HDD's, your total capacity is 3 TB (4 * 1) - (1 * 1). Your primary concern with the SQL server, is your bandwidth to the outside world (Your upload more specifically). If you have less than 10m/bit upload, I would suggest NOT hosting anything at home, that would have more than 20 concurrent connections.

-Mel
 

MaverickZeroX

Honorable
Aug 31, 2013
7
0
10,510
Thanks for all the help! I've sorted out all the issues/concerns I had regarding my build's hardware, now all that's left is to pick two monitors, but I'll make a separate thread for that.
 

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