Please Help Me Build a Desktop

[georgetok]

Hi,
I am putting together a Desktop for watching stock market charts.
I will be connecting 12 Monitors ( Dell U2412M x 24 inch, 1920x1200 ) to this desktop.

Mostly I will be using 2 stock applications & couple of Word Docs & some webpages simultaneously.

OS will be Windows -7 ( Ultimate )

I will be using three ATI FirePro 2460 Graphics cards. ( I did a lot of research & chose these Low Profile cards ) AMD has specifically designed these cards for stock market applications & are used by many professionals.

I am not sure but Intel i7 2600 3.4 GHz processor should be enough ?

I am thinking about 8 GB GB DDR3 RAM

I need one DVD-RW

I guess Onboard Sound would be good enough.

Although I don’t have a budget restriction & want to build the best system, I am limited to the parts available where I am located. So you guys need to pick the parts from the following 2 websites. I am importing graphics cards since they are not available here.

http://www.theitdepot.com/
http://www.deltapage.com/

Thank You all.

 

[Proximon]

Most boards that come with an LGA 1155 socket don't have enough PCI-E slots, so you will have to spend quite a bit on the MB. This is unfortunate because you'll get a lot of features you don't need.

Asus Maximus IV Extreme-Z 32GB DDR3 Intel Motherboard
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-Asus+Maximus+IV+Extreme-Z+32GB+DDR3+Intel+Motherboard_C13P11044.html

G.skill RAM
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-G.skill+Ripjaws-X+8GB+%282+x+4GB%29+DDR3+1600Mhz+Desktop+Ram+%28F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL%29_C6P10666.html

DVD burner
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-Sony+24X+High+Speed+DVD+Writer+%28DRU-880S%29_C8P8840.html

Seagate 1TB Drive (one or two depending on needs)
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-Seagate+Barracuda+1TB+7200+RPM+32MB+SATA+Desktop+Hard+drive+%28ST31000524AS%29_C12P10232.html

SSD
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-SanDisk+120GB+Ultra+Solid+State+Drive+%28SDSSDH-120G-G25%29_C12P12239.html

Corsair 800D case
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-Corsair+Obsidian+Series+800D+Full-Tower+Computer+Case+with+Window+%28CC800DW%29_C5P10024.html

Seasonic 560W Modular Power Supply (SS-560KM)
http://www.theitdepot.com/details-Seasonic+560W+Modular+Power+Supply+%28SS-560KM%29_C14P11631.html
The video cards seem to have very low power requirements, so we need to keep the PSU fairly small. This is one of the best.

 

[georgetok]

Would following Motherboard work ?

Asus P8Z68-V Intel Z68 ATX

If above board works, then which Case would be best ?

Can I have 12 GB RAM or do I have to go for either 8 GB OR 16 GB ?

Thanks

 

[Proximon]

There are several different Asus P8Z68-V, but it makes no difference as all of them have two PCI-E slots.

You have said you will run 12 monitors from 3 PCI-E cards, so you will need 3 PCI-E slots.
A less expensive option would be the ASRock P67 EXTREME6. It's not available at either place you listed or any other site I know of in India.
I did find a less expensive gigabyte board:
http://www.theitwares.com/gigabyte-gap67aud7b3-1155-intel-sata-6gbs-intel-motherboard-p-2246.html

In theory you could have 12GB of RAM, but I recommend buying a matched set to avoid any hassles. 16Gb is not so expensive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429

 

[georgetok]

Yes, I am going to use 3 Video Cards & they need three PCIe x16 slots.

I am little confused.

Asus P8Z68 V has following :

http://www.theitwares.com/asus-p8z68v-1155-intel-hdmi-sata-6gbs-intel-motherboard-p-2240.html

What is that Black PCIe x16 slot ? With it doesn't it make a total of 3 PCIe x16 ?

Expansion Slots
PCI Express 2.0 x16
2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (single at x16 or dual at x8 / x8 mode)
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot [black] (max. at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe x1 and x4 devices)
PCI Express x1
2
PCI Slots
2

Also one company selling PCs for traders uses same 3 video cards & Asus P8P67 Pro motherboard. It also has similar slots.

http://www.theitwares.com/asus-p8p67-revision-1155-intel-sata-6gbs-intel-motherboard-p-2091.html


Expansion Slots
PCI Express 2.0 x16
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16* [Black] (max. at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe x1 and x4 devices)
*The PCIe x16_3 slot shares bandwidth with PCIe x1_1 slot, PCIe x1_2 slot, USB3_34 and ESATA12. The PCIe x16_3 runs at x1 mode by default for system resource optimization.(PCIe x1_2 will be disabled.)
PCI Express x1
2
PCI Slots
2


How do they do it ?

Just trying to learn & appreciate all your help.

 

[g-unit1111]

12 monitors???

Anyway I'd suggest a Crossfire setup similar to this one. The thing is I'm unsure if you can run Crossfire in a triple card configuration - especially when the most basic level motherboards only support 2 x PCI-e 2.0 slots like you indicated. I'd go with an Eyefinity setup at the very least. The Radeon 6990 is the only consumer-level card that will run up to six monitors with one card, but they're currently pretty pricey but you could check it out at least:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102927

Or alternately, you could move to a professional level card like the Fire Pro 9800 but they're insanely expensive and running two in Crossfire mode, that costs more than most used cars do.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195102

 

[Proximon]

That's covered by the cards he's getting, please read the thread

Georgetok, I'm just not sure. The description from Asus says that slot supports x1 and x4 devices only, and the cards are X16... but should be backwards-compatible. I know the boards I have linked will do the job because they have a special controller on board that handles the PCI-E bandwidth more efficiently.

That controller mostly benefits gaming rigs that link cards together via crossfire or SLI technology however. I imagine the ATI FirePro 2460 does not actually use x16 bandwidth or even x8... but will it work without it? I don't know.

 

[georgetok]

That's covered by the cards he's getting, please read the thread

Georgetok, I'm just not sure. The description from Asus says that slot supports x1 and x4 devices only, and the cards are X16... but should be backwards-compatible. I know the boards I have linked will do the job because they have a special controller on board that handles the PCI-E bandwidth more efficiently.

That controller mostly benefits gaming rigs that link cards together via crossfire or SLI technology however. I imagine the ATI FirePro 2460 does not actually use x16 bandwidth or even x8... but will it work without it? I don't know.

Thank you Proximon.

You have raised some serious questions & I have already ordered three FirePro 2460 from ebay & they are on its way. So there is no going back on them.

Now question is do I want to take Risk ordering wrong motherboard ? If it doesn't work I cannot get money back or exchange it here in India. Here once you pay it is yours & no returns or exchange.

So paying more sounds a better deal & might save me lot of trouble down the road.

I still did more digging around & it seems Asus P8P67 Pro is very popular & someone is using Intel DX58S0 with 3 FirePro 2460 Cards.

I am lost.

 

[Proximon]

Isn't Intel DX58S0 an LGA 1366 motherboard? The X58 chipset handles PCI-E bandwidth better, and such a board would work. You would have to use a different processor though. Last gen i7s.

The P8P67 Pro has the same setup as the P8Z68 V. I use the P8P67 Pro myself, but I only have one video card If someone is successfully running three cards on one I would say that's a good sign.

 

[georgetok]

Isn't Intel DX58S0 an LGA 1366 motherboard? The X58 chipset handles PCI-E bandwidth better, and such a board would work. You would have to use a different processor though. Last gen i7s.

The P8P67 Pro has the same setup as the P8Z68 V. I use the P8P67 Pro myself, but I only have one video card If someone is successfully running three cards on one I would say that's a good sign.

Is it possible to plug the video card you are using in that Black PCIe x16 slot & see if it works ?

Most places are describing it as 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot [black] (max. at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe x1 and x4 devices)

So may be it is 3rd PCIe x16 slot that functions at only 4X ?


If that is the case, may be FirePro 2460 functioning at 4X might be good enough for my stock market applications & that is why some people are recommending it ?

 

[Proximon]

Yes, might, may be, etc. That's what I'm saying. How about we get some more opinions at least? Start a thread in the Motherboard section and ask specifically about the board and three ATI FirePros running in non-crossfire mode.

Post a link to the thread here and I'll make sure others with knowledge pay attention to it.

I would probably title it "Three workstation video cards on a X16, x8, x4 board?"

Then give specifics.

 

[georgetok]

Yes, might, may be, etc. That's what I'm saying. How about we get some more opinions at least? Start a thread in the Motherboard section and ask specifically about the board and three ATI FirePros running in non-crossfire mode.

Post a link to the thread here and I'll make sure others with knowledge pay attention to it.

I would probably title it "Three workstation video cards on a X16, x8, x4 board?"

Then give specifics.

Good idea. Let me just do that.

Thanks

 

[georgetok]

Yes, might, may be, etc. That's what I'm saying. How about we get some more opinions at least? Start a thread in the Motherboard section and ask specifically about the board and three ATI FirePros running in non-crossfire mode.

Post a link to the thread here and I'll make sure others with knowledge pay attention to it.

I would probably title it "Three workstation video cards on a X16, x8, x4 board?"

Then give specifics.

OK it is done & here is the link.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/299049-30-three-workstation-video-cards-board

By the way, thank you for that "theitwares" site. I did lot of googling but never came across that.

 

[g-unit1111]

That's covered by the cards he's getting, please read the thread

Georgetok, I'm just not sure. The description from Asus says that slot supports x1 and x4 devices only, and the cards are X16... but should be backwards-compatible. I know the boards I have linked will do the job because they have a special controller on board that handles the PCI-E bandwidth more efficiently.

That controller mostly benefits gaming rigs that link cards together via crossfire or SLI technology however. I imagine the ATI FirePro 2460 does not actually use x16 bandwidth or even x8... but will it work without it? I don't know.

I did actually - OP wants to run 12 monitors across three cards, but the motherboard he's getting only has 2 x PCI-e x2.0 slots correct? So if the 3 cards all require the same slot, then wouldn't one of them take a significant power hit? So why don't you run the 6990 which can configure six monitors on one card, and six monitors on the other card. You can get a lesser PSU (650 - 850 watt instead of a 1200 watt) and save money that way. Problem solved.

 

[Proximon]

It's $710 US for a single 6990 and $705 US for all three ATI Firepro cards... So you actually save $715 US by NOT using 6990s

The power requirement of all three of those cards will be less than two 6990s at idle.

 

[g-unit1111]

So how many monitors does that typical Fire Pro card support? I couldn't find it on Newegg.

And I wasn't referring to the power required by the PSU, I meant to say power - performance wise, because I've ran PCI-e 2.0 cards in 1.0 slots on the motherboard, and the performance drops drastically. So my question is wouldn't running the third card in the last slot cause the performance of the third card to drop?

 

[Proximon]

Here you go

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195099

No, not likely because it's just 2D applications and they are not going to use much bandwidth. The problem is actually a bit more technical. The third PCI-E slot on the less expensive boards does not even go through the same controller.

The first two slots are controlled by the CPU directly. The third slot is controlled by the chipset, P67 or Z68 depending on the board.

 

[georgetok]

I did actually - OP wants to run 12 monitors across three cards, but the motherboard he's getting only has 2 x PCI-e x2.0 slots correct? So if the 3 cards all require the same slot, then wouldn't one of them take a significant power hit? So why don't you run the 6990 which can configure six monitors on one card, and six monitors on the other card. You can get a lesser PSU (650 - 850 watt instead of a 1200 watt) and save money that way. Problem solved.

Not so fast.

I looked at most 6 port cards.

ATI 6870 is half the price with 6 ports.

But due to lot of dust & humidity, I didn't want a card with moving parts like fan. I am having hard times with my window A/C & have to clean it really good every 2 months & same with PC fans. On top of that I won't get any support here.

ATI FirePro 2460 is designed for traders, no moving parts, small footprint & consumes less than 20 watts.

To top it I got a really good deal on them ( 30% Cheaper ) on ebay.

With that setup I will need less than 500 Watts PSU, though to be safer & expansion pupose I might get 750 Watts.

Now if all the geeks can agree on a Motherboard that will support this setup, I will be happy.

 

[g-unit1111]

Not so fast.

I looked at most 6 port cards.

ATI 6870 is half the price with 6 ports.

But due to lot of dust & humidity, I didn't want a card with moving parts like fan. I am having hard times with my window A/C & have to clean it really good every 2 months & same with PC fans. On top of that I won't get any support here.

ATI FirePro 2460 is designed for traders, no moving parts, small footprint & consumes less than 20 watts.

To top it I got a really good deal on them ( 30% Cheaper ) on ebay.

With that setup I will need less than 500 Watts PSU, though to be safer & expansion pupose I might get 750 Watts.

Now if all the geeks can agree on a Motherboard that will support this setup, I will be happy.

Why not go with an EVGA FTW series? I think that has at least 3 PCI-e 2.0 slots.

Go with the Z68 FTW - it has no less than six PCI-e x2.0 slots.

 

[Proximon]

I have suggested a few boards that will definitely support the cards. The problem is they are very expensive there. He has at least one Asus and one Gigabyte board available that have NF200 chips. (like the EVGA)

 

[georgetok]

Why not go with an EVGA FTW series? I think that has at least 3 PCI-e 2.0 slots.

Go with the Z68 FTW - it has no less than six PCI-e x2.0 slots.

Looks good but not available where I live.

Any other adavntage besides 6 slots ?

 

[georgetok]

I have suggested a few boards that will definitely support the cards. The problem is they are very expensive there. He has at least one Asus and one Gigabyte board available that have NF200 chips. (like the EVGA)

There is one more Gigabyte that has Z68

But still more expensive.

Any advantage of it Proximon ?


http://www.theitwares.com/gigabyte-gaz68xud7b3-1155-intel-sata-6gbs-intel-motherboard-p-2249.html

 

[Proximon]

No advantage with the Z68 in your case. The P67 version is all you need. I do have a few other online stores listed....

You know, perhaps we are doing this wrong. What if we change the platform entirely? Do you really need all that computational power?

Gigabyte 890FX AM3 board
http://www.theitwares.com/gigabyte-ga890fxaud5-890fx-sata-6gbs-motherboard-p-890.html

AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
http://www.theitwares.com/phenom-1100t-black-edition-thuban-33ghz-37ghz-turbo-512kb-cache-cache-socket-125w-sixcore-desktop-processor-hde00zfbgrbox-p-1944.html

There's a board that will support all three cards for less, and a 6-core processor that will do nicely. It's not as fast as the Intel CPU, but are you really going to be doing that much computationally?

 

[georgetok]

No advantage with the Z68 in your case. The P67 version is all you need. I do have a few other online stores listed....

You know, perhaps we are doing this wrong. What if we change the platform entirely? Do you really need all that computational power?

Gigabyte 890FX AM3 board
http://www.theitwares.com/gigabyte-ga890fxaud5-890fx-sata-6gbs-motherboard-p-890.html

AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
http://www.theitwares.com/phenom-1100t-black-edition-thuban-33ghz-37ghz-turbo-512kb-cache-cache-socket-125w-sixcore-desktop-processor-hde00zfbgrbox-p-1944.html

There's a board that will support all three cards for less, and a 6-core processor that will do nicely. It's not as fast as the Intel CPU, but are you really going to be doing that much computationally?

We are doing it right.

And yes, speed is extremly important especially when you are doing daytrading where many times you are in & out of a trade in less than 3 minutes.

More info very quick means more $ if you can analyze & interpret that info faster than your opponent & multi monitor systems do just that. When I started I thought 3 monitors would be great but with the latest development in software & hardware even 12 don't seem enough. Here I am talking about my analysis & style of trading but for some people even 6 monitors might be too much. It's a personal choice. I would rather have 6 extra monitors & faster rig than scrambling all over the place looking for the chart that would give me an edge & get me in & out faster & at a better price.

So every dollar spent on a hardware is worth it. You do want a rig better than your competitor. Besides it just feels good.

As I am spending more time with you guys, I feel compelled to build a powerful rig that won't go out of style in 6 months.

Right now the bottleneck is the motherboard & looking back I keep asking myself a simple question : Is it worth it to spend so much time to save $100.00 on motherboard ?

Your idea of going for a definite 3 or more PCIe x16 slot motherboard makes more sense.

If that is the case, what brand is better ? Asus, Gigabyte or EVGA ?

Gigabyte that we looked has 4 & EVGA suggested has 6 but I will have to order EVGA thru ebay.

I am open to suggestions.

Thank You.

 

[georgetok]

Sometimes back, there were quite a few traders in this forum. I hope they would come across this thread & share their experience.