Please check my FINAL parts!

[cr3flo]

Ok everyone, after much reading and research (my head hurts) I have decided to go with this final Setup:

Tower:
http://www.buyxg.com/store/item.asp?key=CS-130-117

Mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130159

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

Memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267
($25 mail-in Rebate)

GPU:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130337
in SLI ($60 total mail-in Rebates)

HDD:
3X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
2 in Raid 0, plus an extra for Data storage

DVD Drives:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153

PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288

OS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116493

CPU Cooling:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019
($30 mail-in Rebate)

Thermal Compound:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020

Case Fans:
4X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185060
2 for Exhaust, 2 for Intake

Fan Filters:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999208
To keep Intake fans from bringing in dust

Other Accessories:
5X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812123171
for the 2 OEM DVD drives and 3 OEM HDD, as I was told they don't come with cables


Here is a condensed version of the above:

Cosmos 1000 Silent Gaming Tower
MSI PN7 Platinum 750i Motherboard
E8400 Wolfdale Processor
4GB (2x2gb) pc6400 OCZ Reaper ($25 mail-in Rebate)
2x EVGA 8800GTS in SLI ($60 mail-in Rebate)
3x Seagate 7200.11 HDD (2 in raid, 1 for data)
2x Samsung 20x DVD Read/write
Silencer 750w PSU ($30 mail-in Rebate)
Windows Ultimate 64-bit OEM
Zalman CNPS9700 110mm CPU Cooler
Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound
4x Scythe SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fans
2x Generic 120mm fan filters (for intakes)
5x OKGear 24" SATA II Cables (for OEM HDDs and DVDs)


Total Cost (with shipping):
$1,984.60
- $115.00 in rebates

equals $1869.60 TOTAL!!!


I chose the MSI board because of it's 8 phase power design as well as solid state capacitors for better overclocking. Some people frown on the 8x PCI-E slots but they are 2.0 and no cards utilize that much bandwidth currently from what I'm told so there will be no performance decrease vs. an EVGA FTW, which I was also considering. All in all I think this build is solid!

What do you think? Should I "clicky-clicky" on the order button?

 

[godless]

i'd go for the vista home premium 64bit instead of ultimate

 

[Andrius]

I'd change the cooler to a XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 ($37).
The reason why is explained here http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

Your motherboard has 4 SATA ports from what I can see. You have 5 drives?
The easy sollution is to get an IDE or eSATA backup drive.
You also get 4 SATA cables with your motherboard so you might not need all 5 24" cables.

 

[aevm]

If the parts are FINAL, then why the heck should we bother checking???

Anyway, very nice. I'd just replace the cooler with the Xigmatek HDT-S1283.

Also, I'd replace one of the burners with a different brand, for example an Asus or LG. With two different drives you can figure out what each does best and take advantage of it. You might also get two different sets of software rather than two copies of the same thing.

 

[cr3flo]

The easy sollution is to get an IDE or eSATA backup drive.
You also get 4 SATA cables with your motherboard so you might not need all 5 24" cables.

Thanks for pointing that out, I will do the IDE on the third HDD and buy an IDE cable for it as well.

 

[Andrius]

The easy sollution is to get an IDE or eSATA backup drive.
You also get 4 SATA cables with your motherboard so you might not need all 5 24" cables.

Thanks for pointing that out, I will do the IDE on the third HDD and buy an IDE cable for it as well.

You get an IDE cable with your board.
Here's a list of what you get just so you know.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=13-130-159-07.jpg&Image=13-130-159-03.jpg%2c13-130-159-04.jpg%2c13-130-159-05.jpg%2c13-130-159-06.jpg%2c13-130-159-07.jpg%2c13-130-159-08.jpg%2c13-130-159-02.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16813130159&Depa=0&Description=MSI+P7N+SLI+Platinum+ATX+Intel+Motherboard

 

[aevm]

I bet the cables that come with the mobo are 18" long. Maybe the OP wanted 24" cables because the case is huge. It looks bigger even than the TJ-09, and I know I had some trouble with 18" cables reaching all the way. Oh well, I'd advise the OP to try the cables he gets with the mobo, and buy longer cables only if really necessary.

 

[Andrius]

^Agreed. Only buy them if necessary.
I know how big it is. I have a Stacker STC-T01.
The stock cables reach all 12 front bays no problem.
The hard drive bay is at the bottom of the case.
Even if you want to route the cables behind the motherboard the 18" should be enough for the HDDs. The ODDs might need 24" for neat routing if you place them at the very top.

 

[cr3flo]

Just an update for you all. Made a few changes that were recommended and here they are:

CPU cooler is being switched to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003
(XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler)


Also decided to go with the EVGA 750i FTW board instead of the MSI cause it also has solid state capacitors and will allow me to use this faster RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289


I'm going with the Retail Version of Vista Home Premium also.

 

[Andrius]

Thumbs up for the cooler change. So so for the motherboard but you know what you like. Mind that you get less cables so you might want to buy at least 2 24" SATA cables (like before). You still get the IDE cable and the 4 SATA ports.

The difference in performance will be very small with the faster RAM (a frame per second here and there maybe). You might reach a higher overclock with that RAM.

Good luck.

 

[cr3flo]

Ok guys, I'm about ready to finalize this build, but I have one more change to make on the PSU if you think it's a good decision:

Newegg.com - XIGMATEK MC NRP-MC751 750W ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V Ver. 2.92 Power Supply 100 - 240 V cUL, CE, TUV, FCC - Power Supplies

Since this has four six-pin connectors and it's modular won't this be better for upgrade ability in case I decide to go with higher-end video cards in the future (i.e. 9800GTX or possibly the 10 series)?

Anxiously awaiting your comments, so I can "clicky-clicky" on the order button soon.

 

[aevm]

I'd stick with your original PSU choice.

I think that Xigmatek is a pretty good PSU. However, the Silencer 750W Crossfire Edition is AFAIK the best PSU in the world in that power range. It's not just me, Anandtech gave it their Editor's choice for 2007 award too.
http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3186

If you get the Silencer, make sure you get the Crossfire Edition, not the Quad edition, to get the 6/8 pin connectors.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011&Tpk=Silencer+750W

The Silencer is $11 less right now at newegg too. Also, look at the fans. The Silencer blows the hot air out of the back of the case, while the Xigmatek tries to blow it vertically (through the floor, or through the CPU and GPU if you install it upside down; either way I don't like this approach much). The Xigmatek is modular, which is an advantage, but I think the Silencer's advantages are more important.

Being modular does nothing at all about upgradability. It's just a bonus when managing cables.

The PCI-E connectors are the same for both PSUs: two 6-pin and two 6/8 pin. This is a great combination.

 

[Andrius]

^I agree. Silencer 750W is the way to go.
aevm went long and wide. I'll just say it powers a QX9650 (@4.4GHz) DFI X48 and 2x HD3870, runs cool and makes the owner very happy.

 

[cr3flo]

LOL just ordered all the parts and this is the PSU I got:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009

It's not the crossfire version b/c I didn't catch your post in time, however if you think it would be better I can always RMA this one and order the crossfire version right now...I got the cash so it's no problem. What do you think?

Just got trigger happy =P

 

[Andrius]

I think you'll still get the same connectors. The owner of the upper rig ordered the same one and it has 2x 6/8 pin and 2x 6 pin connectors.
Check when you build and if you "care" switch it.
I couldn't be bothered with stuff like that ...

 

[joelg88]

good build but you can make some changes.
get vista premium instead of ultimate
change 1 of the dvds to ide keep the hdd's sata

 

[aevm]

No worries about the 6/8 pin stuff. The 8800GTS G92 cards need 6 pin connectors, so you're fine for a long time. In fact, 2 of those 8800GTS G92 cards should be fine for a VERY long time Your next cards will probably come with adapters (MOLEX to whatever PCI-E connector they need), which can fix the problem too. Here's a picture of a Molex to 6-pin PCI-E that comes with the 8800GTS G92, for example.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowI...Force+8800GTS+(G92)+512-P3-N841-AR+Video+Card



Excellent point joelg88. I totally missed that. I wonder why they make $150+ mobos with only 4 SATA ports, it sounds stupid.

 

[Andrius]

Excellent point joelg88. I totally missed that. I wonder why they make $150+ mobos with only 4 SATA ports, it sounds stupid.

I noted that in my post above but my advice was to get an external drive for data/backups or an IDE drive. I agree a IDE DVDRW might be a better sollution.

 

[cr3flo]

Parts have been ordered. Will post a list after I get back from work. Thanks to everyone who helped me in this decision making process, it is much appreciated!

 

[cr3flo]

My parts have arrived and here is the layout of my FINAL BUILD updated with correct links for your viewing pleasure!

Tower:
http://www.buyxg.com/store/item.asp?key=CS-130-117

Mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188026

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

Memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
($25 mail-in Rebate)

GPU:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130337
in SLI ($30 total mail-in)

HDD:
3X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
2 in Raid 0, plus an extra for Data storage

DVD Drives:
1X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154

and 1X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228
(IDE version)

PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

OS:
http://www.viosoftware.com/Windows+Vista/Windows+Vista+Home+Premium.html

CPU Cooling:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

Thermal Compound:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020

Case Fans:
4X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185060
2 for Exhaust, 2 for Intake

Fan Filters:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999208
To keep Intake fans from bringing in dust

Other Accessories:
2X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812123171



Here is a condensed version of the above:

Cosmos 1000 Silent Gaming Tower
EVGA FTW 750i Motherboard
E8400 Wolfdale Processor
4GB (2x2gb) pc8500 OCZ Reaper ($25 mail-in Rebate)
2x EVGA 8800GTS in SLI ($30 mail-in Rebate)
3x Seagate 7200.11 HDD (2 in raid, 1 for data)
1x Samsung 20x DVD Read/write w/ lightscribe SATA
1x Liteon 20x DVD Read/write IDE
Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750w PSU ($10 mail-in Rebate)
Windows Vista Home Premium Retail
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound
4x Scythe KAZE SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fans
2x Generic 120mm fan filters (for intakes)
2x OKGear 24" SATA II Cables (for OEM HDDs and DVDs)


Total Cost (with shipping):
$2034.00
- $65.00 in rebates

equals $1969.60 Total!


I know this is about a hundred more than I had originally. However I got trigger happy and ordered the original setup which included the 2 samsung SATA DVD drives, the OCZ Silencer PSU, and one IDE 7200.10 Seagate HDD.

On this final build I went with the Corsair 750w PSU, a Liteon IDE DVD. I think it will be a better setup than the previous. The Corsair PSU has more connections for upgrades, which is my main reason for switching. And instead of having one of my HDD on IDE I can have all 3 on SATA now.

So now I have an OCZ Silencer 750w PSU, a Samsung 20X SATA DVD Drive, and a Seagate 7200.10 IDE HDD that I am going to RMA back to newegg unless someone convinces me otherwise.

I've recieved all the parts except my Cosmos Case, which should be here tomorrow afternoon! Hopefully installation will go smooth and I can post my victory thread on my new system shortly after I get it built. Any final suggestions before I start building?

 

[aevm]

Wow... This will be a great PC

You do know about electrostatic discharge, right?

Take a look at this guide before you start:
http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671

 

[Andrius]

^I guess a woman with short manicured nails was hard to find. Those nails inside a computer case look like right at home. Like a snowflake in hell.

 

[aevm]

^I guess a woman with short manicured nails was hard to find. Those nails inside a computer case look like right at home. Like a snowflake in hell.

Oh, yes, I forgot the most important thing. You must NOT attempt to build a PC until your nails are at least as long as shown in the guide. Wait a month or two if you have to.

 

[Andrius]

Oh, yes, I forgot the most important thing. You must NOT attempt to build a PC until your nails are at least as long as shown in the guide. Wait a month or two if you have to.

Or even better. Ask your wife/girlfriend to do it for you (with nails like that).