I7-2600 muliple display build

sorry, will also need a DVD RW

You don't need the extra network card - the one built into your motherboard will be just fine.



No need for a sound card.

Try this:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Seasonic X750 Gold - $159.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P - $179.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B - $59.99
RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 1.5V - $78.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $199.99
HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 - $149.99
Optical: LG BD-R - $59.99
Video card: 2 x Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 - $269.99 each ($559.98 total)

Total: $1773.89

Thanks for the reply. I actually do need the dual NIC, because part of the time, I will be using it as a VMWare host, and the other part will be using it as my home PC.

The case is nice, but looks huge. Seems like a nice case though.

The video cards are overkill I think. The 2600 allows onboard graphics, so for the one display, that will be fine...I need a second video card, for my normal pc display (I will only be using 1 monitor).

I won't be using this for gaming at all.

Oh OK if you need it the motherboard I chose is the same one I have - it's got plenty of expansion cards.

The thing about the case thought is that a small micro ATX or Mini-ITX build won't allow for future expansion. The Carbide is one of the best cases on the market for that very reason - it has plenty of PCI-E slots and drive bays (to add future HDs and backup drives), and the airflow and cable management are top notch. You'll probably need at least a mid tower for this build - micro ATX builds are difficult to achieve and get working properly especially if you want to run multiple displays.



I only included the two since you said you wanted to run multiple displays - this is one of the best cards on the market for that since you can run multiple displays in true HD (1080p) and Sapphire's software and tweaks allow you to do so without adapters.

The thing about using onboard video is that you can only run one display at a time - and depending on what you're going to be using this for it can be a huge bottleneck in your system.



You can use gaming hardware on a workstation build but not vice-versa. The thing is that the best gaming hardware is also the most expandable. But the workstation hardware doesn't include things like built-in video, LAN, or sound card - you'll need all three of those. The "gaming" boards do include those. I can reconfigure this with workstation hardware - and it would probably look something like this:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Seasonic X750 Gold - $159.99
Motherboard: Asus P8B WS - $209.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B - $59.99
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 1600MHz 1.5V - $78.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $199.99
HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - $149.99
Optical: LG BD-R Burner - $59.99
Video Card: ATI Fire Pro V7900 - $699.99

Total: $2019.84

If you just need two monitors, get a cheap Radeon 5450.

If he's going to be doing any sort of high end video editing, that wouldn't be the best choice. Those are meant for HTPCs where you won't be running any high end applications on them - just for basic movie viewing, web browsing, and things of that nature.

The integrated supports 2 monitors but he only needs one. And he didn't list any uses that needs more than integrated. A low end 5450 is fine since he just needs a second card for vt-d. You could cut the rig price in half.

Hey everyone, thanks for the reply. g-g-g-g-gunit, I understand what you mean on the case. For the motherboard, I was looking at the same Gigabyte one you posted. I couldnt decide on that one or the Asus P8Z68-V.

I probably should have clarified more on my graphics needs. My plan is to boot the computer using a USB disk, that will boot into VMWare ESXI (I plan to use integrated video for this, since quality doesnt matter, it's just a console screen). Once that is loaded, it will start a virtual machine, that will pass the 2nd video card using VT-D (more specifically, VMware DirectPath IO). I don't do any gaming, and doubt that I will, but I do watch videos and would like to be able to watch HD videos).

By doing it this way, I won't need another computer to manage the VMware side of it.

Also, I think I mentioned, but in case I didnt. I only have 1 monitor. I'm assuming that I won't need two monitors. I would just like to be able to switch between the different inputs if possible.

750W power supply still recommended, even without those high powered video cards?

I guess I should also ask, do the 2 boards mentioned support VT-D.

Gigabyte and asus z68 do not support vt-d. If this is all on one rig, you don't even need it nor do you need dual nic. Asrock and msi boards look like they do support it. BTW the integrated is plenty for hd videos. You do not need 750w. Have you ever run vmware before?

I just actually saw per the board manual that the asus z68 doesnt support VT-D. I did see that the AsRock Z68 Extreme 3 and Extreme 4 do but I have no experience with those boards and their quality. I have heard MSI makes crappy boards.

Yes, I was previously running vmware on an old quad core machine. I currently have one esxi host running on a Shuttle SH67H3 using i7-2600 and VT-X and VT-D are supported.

This is for my second host.

I dont really NEED a dual nic + the onboard, but I need at least 2, because I have one dedicated to my NAS storage, although, I can accomplish the same with VLANS. I may skip the dual nic card for this box, but I have a dual nic on my shuttle. I was originally just going to get two of the same shuttle machines, but in my one shuttle, I do not have local storage, or a DVD rom.

Btw, the plan is, if I only need one host up, I'll use the Shuttle, and use this 2nd machine as my main machine, I'll boot to the local hard disk and all is good. However, if I need 2 hosts up, I'll boot via USB Flash Drive, instead of local disk....when I do that, without VT-D, I'd need a 3rd computer to be able to manage the hosts, check email, etc etc....so with VT-D and 2nd video card will allow me not to need the 3rd computer.

It's all about saving power  

That goes way beyond my abilities... someone else will have to help you there.  



Acer and Asus monitors both have amazing capabilities for switching between multiple inputs. For a while, I had my Playstation hooked up to HDMI, I had my laptop hooked up to VGA, and my desktop hooked up to DVI. And you can switch between them no problems.

And if you're not using high powered video cards you can get away with a 430W power supply. But I'd probably go with 600 just to be on the safe side in case you do later on.



Asrock is fine - I've heard mixed reviews but they're getting better. I am not a fan of MSI though - I got an AMD 870 board of theirs and it completely died not even three days after I got it installed, I wound up sending it back to Newegg for an Asus replacement.



I'm not entirely sure what you mean by not having the second video card but the easier it to switch between everything you need, the better.

thanks for the feedback. I guess what I dont like about Asrock is they only offer a two year warranty, while others are 3

Yeah that could potentially pose problems down the road but the way I see it as long as it works past the first 60 days you should be good.  

yes exactly...but I'd rather 3 year warranty anyway  

5 years ago I would have said that a sound card is an absolute must, but to be honest, good quality modern motherboards have onboard sound that will more than suffice for just about any level headed gamer.

Again, 5 years ago the difference was night and day. Today, it takes someone who is just used to amazing sound quality to notice a difference, and I can imagine it's very small.

Sound cards...what a waste.

I completely agree. All I've ever used - or need to use - is the onboard audio. The only time a sound card would make a difference is if you're hooking up your PC to some really high end audio equipment, but the average user doesn't, so yeah they're pretty much a waste anymore.

Yep. The only I way I would consider one is if I ever want to upgrade to 7.1 Surround Sound. But I am pretty sure I can get 5.1 Surround Sound on board, and regardless, right now I have it hooked up to a pair of Sony Speakers (stereo) and that is more than fine. I would never dream of wasting money on a dedicated sound card at this point. No way. If I had $150 to throw away (on a decent one), I would save it towards an SSD.