I7 computer build

[lolcastle]

So, what do you guys think about this build?


Thermaltake Xaser VI VG4000BNSB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811133080

$179.99




3X Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136284

$299.97
($99.99each)




2X OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G2000LV6GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227424

$259.98
($129.99each)




DFI LP UT X58-T3eH8 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813136063

$269.99




COOLER MASTER V10 Hybrid TEC RR-B2P-UV10-GP 120mm CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835103056

$139.99




Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM

$224.98




ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ1300 1300W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Patent Piperock Modular Power ... - Retail
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

$495.00



Subtotal: $1,899.88





I intend to run a GTX260 in this from my previous build, atleast until Newegg gets a good deal for the 295, or perhaps I will go local and grab one or two. And, before you people start telling me to get thermal paste, the DFI LP board comes with Shin Etsu paste, so yeah. The four WD 1TB drives are going to run in a RAID 5 array, and YES, I know about the write penalty. Oh, and I already have two Blu-Ray RW drives sitting around in my current build.

 

[Outlander_04]

I think you are pouring money down the drain

The power supply is twice as powerful as you need

and absolutely no point in 12 gig of ram .
Have a look in the ram articles on this site about the effects of adding more ram . 6 gig is too much let alone 12

and vista ulimate ? ROF youre a gamer and you want to pay for a whole lot of stuff only useful to corporate networks?

samsungs 1 terabyte drive is faster than the wd

there are better mb's than dfi

 

[lolcastle]

Im only getting Vista Ultimate because of a good deal with my HD, cmon, only about 15$ more than a copy of Home Premium.
I know about the effects of adding more RAM, but I do run alot of virtual machines, about 5-6 at once.
I know that there are better MB than DFI, but I've tried ASUS, EVGA, and MSI MB, and I've not really been satisfied with them. I've also had good past experiences with DFI MB, so Im hoping that this one is as good as their past boards.
If you look at the power load tests, you will see that a build similar to mine, with two GTX295s takes about 700 watts. And, a equivalent power supply that is about 850-950 watts costs around 170-180, might as well pay 40 more dollars for a 1300 watt one.
I personally have had three out of four samsung drives die on me, all within a year....... I don't want to have to RMA anymore HDs, it takes too much time and effort.

 

[jay2tall]

^
Hey I have Ultimate. But then again I wanted and needed the Remote Desktop feature, Stupid Home doesn't have it. Media Center is also cool to play with.

Anyways, back to business.

1) PSU is TOTAL overkill and a waste of money.

2) The V10 is TOTAL overkill and a waste of money. Get the V8

3) Do you REALLY need 12GB of RAM? And DDR3 2000 at that? Look at those timings 10-10-10-30. That is horrible. I'd take 6GB of 1800 or 1866 with WAY better timing anyday. Plus, I've heard people have issues running 6 sticks of high clocked memory because the memory controller is now in the CPU. You sometimes need to deliver additional voltage to allow all 6 sticks to run. If you are already maxing out the OC of the memory now, all 6 sticks may NOT run.

 

[lolcastle]

Sorry for taking so long to reply, but my internet is really screwing around with me.

1. Ok, I probably agree with you on that, so what PSU do you recommend? Ive looked at Tom's comparisons, the GPU one, and on the power thing, it says that an I7 with two GTX 295s, which is what I intend to run, takes about 700 watts on load. This computer has slightly more than that one, so would a 750 watt PSU be enough? Because if it is, I can just take the Corsair TX750 I already have, and just drop it in this.

2. Yeah, so what if its overkill? The cooler the better.

3. Ok, then what about the OCZ Reaper? @9-9-9-30, DDR3. I know about the additional voltage, which doesn't matter much to me. Besides, I probably will run this memory around 1800, just to maximize the overclocking potential of my system. It's just good to know that this memory CAN run at DDR3 2000

 

[jay2tall]

1) Ok, if you are going Dual 295's then YES, a 750w is not enough. At least an 850w. But unless you are sure you are going down the Quad SLI route, I wouldn't waste the money.

2) It's better by like 1C and it cools your RAM. In my opinion if you are going to get the V10, you may as well just go Water cooled.

3) I'd just get a good set of 1800 or 1866 RAM then. It's cheaper and I'm sure you can run it faster with lower timing. My buddy had his 1866 Dominator RAM at 1950.

^
My suggestions are based on the assumption that you would like to be economical about your build. If money is no object, then just go all out. But most people here will steer you towards the best bang for your buck.