New Trading Computer components - first build in 8 years

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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I want to build a new trading computer but I haven't built a computer in 8 years so I am kind of rusty and will appreciate your help.

Approximate Purchase Date: this month.
Budget is around $2000
System is for trading - view charts, trade execution
I am buying two monitors to begin with - ASUS VS239H-P IPS
I will be using Windows 7 64 bit, MSDN license.
I will use Amazon and New Eggs for parts that I order online and Micro Center and Fry's stores for parts that I need urgently.
Location - Dallas, TX
I don't need over clocking.
SLI/Crossfire - not sure
Monitor resulition: 1920x1080

This is the list of components I want to use

Processor-Intel Core i7 3770K
Mobo -Asus Z77, not sure which one to use
Memory -G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series F3-1866C9D-16GXM 2X8GB
HD-256GB SSD Primary and 1TB HD Secondary
Optical drive - blue ray reader

I would like to start with 2 monitors, 4 monitors in about 3 months and maybe 6 monitors in the future.

Can I get recommendation for

1. an ASUS mobo that supports the configuration.
2. video card.
3. power supply.
4. A silent case. Can I get away with mini tower or do I need a mid tower?
5 Any cooling device system I need?
6. Any additional parts and supplies I need?

I would like to order all of my supplies online at once since Micro Center and Fry's are a bit far away from where I live.

Thanks for your help in advance.
 
if your going to do word and web stuff only a g820/i3 will have all the power you need and still be fast. if your going to do some light gaming look into getting a 3570 i5.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121643
x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819
with two video cards this mb has built in wifi so you dont have to use a usb wifi stick.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192
unless your a hard core gamer windows will use 40g of space then a little more for office and your web browser.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136783
if the data drive is not needed a green drive like this one will spin down till needed.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102
it a over sized power supply and gold rated..with a larger power supply with active fan speed control it be almost wisper quiet. the only other way would be to buy a fanless power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
use the speed wires to set the fans to 900 rpm..have output of 12db.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148663
with 16g on two sticks you want need to upgrade your ram if your running a lot of open windows.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083
plan case with top airflow.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811995079
put the pc on the floor next to the desk with one of these it lets airflow in for the power supply and any case fans on the bottom of the case.
also toss in a ups that rated for the wattage of the video cards and cpu. ssd if they lose power the wrong way can brick and you lose your data.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101493
i would buy another standard hard drive and some back up software and also use some free online storage to do back up too.
as a tech i seen people come in with fire damaged work pc and the data is toast on the drives. the cheapest backup are usb sticks then toss one or two into a home fire rated safe.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


You're not seriously recommending a GT640 with an 850W power supply are you? The GT 640 does not use that much power, you can get by with a 430W power supply. :heink:

Also I'm not sure that RAM will work with that motherboard. I definitely get the use of the UPS though - if this system is for business applications then you want no down time and you certainly don't want to lose any critical data. You also don't need the D14 if you're not going to overclock - and for the OP's uses you will not benefit from overclocking.

Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($228.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($67.41 @ Mac Connection)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($75.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($135.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1104.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-09 14:52 EST-0500)

The video card I included is the Sapphire Flex which will handle multiple monitor setups with relative ease - and on a trading workstation I'd definitely recommend that. With the difference you can get a couple of high res monitors that will easily work with anything you need.
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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Thanks for the response smorizio.

Which ASUS Z77 mobo would you recommend?

How many monitors can one GT640 support and how many can I add to ASUS mobo if I ultimately need to support 6 monitors?

Can I get away with a mini tower or is a mid tower mandatory because of the size of the mobo and cooling requirements?
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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Thanks g-unit1111.

How many monitors does the video card support? I see multiple connectors but I have also read that many video cards will support up to 2 monitors.

I am trying to look for a silent and cool case to avoid distraction. Will the case and the power supply be silent enough? Can I get away with a mini tower?
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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10,510
Let me make some clarification. I am most confused with video cards, as I am seeing PCI e 2 and 3 cards and I don't know if my mobo will have enough slots for the type I need since I want to eventually support up to 6 monitors. Also I am not sure how many monitors can any given card support since # of adapters doesn't really mean # of monitors.

The other thing is I would like to know what supplies and tools I will need to build my new computer. If I need adapters to connect my monitor of choice to any given video card, etc. I really don't want to have to spend a couple of hours for a trip to Fry's or Micro Center because I missed something.

 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Asus boards are good - if you go with them I would recommend the P8H77-V. Asrock started as an Asus subsidiary and their motherboards are just as good.

I'd go with a mid tower - mATX and mITX towers are tricky to build because of airflow restrictions - plus it really limits what hardware you're able to buy. They can be done but mid towers are usually preferred.

One GT640 can support two monitors, the Radeon Flex that I recommended can support up to three plus one DP for additional expansion.

I am trying to look for a silent and cool case to avoid distraction. Will the case and the power supply be silent enough? Can I get away with a mini tower?

Truly silent cases can get quite expensive. If you check the home page of Toms' they did a roundup of 9 cases that qualify for a "silent" build - but they can range anywhere from $120 (Cooler Master Silencio) - $275 (Silverstone FT025)
 

odiervr

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May 1, 2012
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A couple thoughts from a noob with two builds !

1. No overclocking - I recommend I5 3570
2. Z77 boards are for overclocking (you can use a non overclocking chip, but your paying for something you don't intend to use). Therefore I recommend ASRock H77 ... there are several different ones out there
3. Mircrocenter cannot be beat (pricewise) for a CPU & Motherboard combo. Only catch - you have to go to the store to pick up. You save approx $50
4. For quiet computer I recommend Coolermaster 212 Cooler. The stock Intel CPU fans can be noisy-the 212 is silent - esp when not working an overclock
5. I believe most modern GPU's can handle 2 monitors at a time
6. I have a Corsair and a PC Power and Cooling PSU. Both are silent. Seasonic is also a quality brand.
7. For PSU wattage I'd put my system into PCPartpicker.com (it will calculate estimated wattage) then double that number. This is just a rule of thumb. Also, if intending to CF / SLI keep that in mind as well
8. G unit's build looks nice, however I'd recommend Intel, Samsung, or Crucial for SSD's.
9. For the build itself youtube "newegg computer build parts 2&3". It's a step by step video of the build (2) and Win 7 (3) install.

Good Luck !!
 

bliq

Distinguished
As you use this machine to make money, why would you want to build your own computer? Buy a fast Dell or HP Desktop with a good support contract. When time is money, you don't want to be trying to figure out why your computer is not working.

Remember also that business support is not the same as consumer support. It is vastly better. I can order 4 hour response contracts on my servers. You can't get something like that with consumer gear.

Plus it's a lot easier to claim as a write off. If you get audited, you're just asking for headaches if you need to justify a homebuilt on your taxes.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
1. No overclocking - I recommend I5 3570
2. Z77 boards are for overclocking (you can use a non overclocking chip, but your paying for something you don't intend to use). Therefore I recommend ASRock H77 ... there are several different ones out there
3. Mircrocenter cannot be beat (pricewise) for a CPU & Motherboard combo. Only catch - you have to go to the store to pick up. You save approx $50

You can save an extra $40 by using the i5 3470 - there's almost zero difference in performance from 3.2 to 3.4GHz.

4. For quiet computer I recommend Coolermaster 212 Cooler. The stock Intel CPU fans can be noisy-the 212 is silent - esp when not working an overclock

The extra cooler is a waste of money if you're not overclocking.

5. I believe most modern GPU's can handle 2 monitors at a time

The Radeons and upper level NVIDIA cards can handle 3 monitors at a time. The Sapphire Flex cards can handle 3 monitors in HDMI and a fourth with a DP cable.

8. G unit's build looks nice, however I'd recommend Intel, Samsung, or Crucial for SSD's.

I have an OCZ Vertex 4 - it's a great drive. I've read nothing but good things about the Vector and it actually beats the Samsung 840 Pro in read - write tests. Sure you pay a premium but for performance it's a solid drive. I seriously have a massive problem with Intel drives and refuse to recommend them - I had one and it crashed my system left and right.

As you use this machine to make money, why would you want to build your own computer? Buy a fast Dell or HP Desktop with a good support contract. When time is money, you don't want to be trying to figure out why your computer is not working.

If you build it right the first time you won't need to worry about a service contract. The bad thing about Dell and HP is the crap components, watered down hardware, and proprietary form factors they use which make upgrading difficult or in some cases near impossible. A Dell or HP system has a shelf life of 2 years tops and will force you to upgrade if a part fails, if you build it yourself and do it right it will have a lifespan of 5 - 6 years or more. I built my own PC for work purposes and have not had a single thing wrong with it - and it's been running solid for almost two years now and I've only upgraded the CPU and the SSD.
 

odiervr

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May 1, 2012
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Shadowtrader,

1. Yup, I meant I5 3470.
2. As for the cooler - it is much quieter that the stock intel, however it is not req'd. You mentioned you value quiet. I do too. Therefore I rec CM 212 for no noise.
3. I have 2 intel 330, 180 GB SSD. No problems what so ever.

Good luck !!
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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bliq,

Thanks for the suggestion.

I have used Dell computers at works for the last 6 years and my computers would mysteriously slow down after two years of service. My company's policy allows me to get a new computer every two years but I don't want to have to buy a new Dell computer every two years for trading at home :na:

I have two relatively new laptops at home for personal use - one i7 2630QM with 8GB and one i5 2540M with 6GB. If I get audited, hopefully I can convince the auditor that this one is built specifically for trading purposes.
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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g-unit1111,

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

I looked up the video card you suggested. It has one DVI-I Dual-Link, one HDMI, and two Mini-Display Port.

My monitor of choice ASUS VS239H-P comes with HDMI , D-Sub and DVI-D.

Can you let me know how I can connect up to 4 monitors using this card and what adapters I need to buy?

I looked Radeon HD 7850 up on the AMD site and read that this card is capable of driving 6 monitors using Mini-Display Port. Do you happen to know how that's done?

Also, can I use the integrated GPU to add another two monitors on top of the ones driven by the discrete video card?

Thanks again for your great advice.
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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odiervr,

Thanks for your great advice.

I had a ZyXEL NAS sitting close to my computer before and the noise was driving me nuts so I definitely want my computer to be as quiet as possible.
 

shadowtrader

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Jan 9, 2013
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Thanks to everyone for your great input.

I came across a vendor selling an i7 3770K 4.5 GHz trading computer so I guess over clocking is useful for trading computers too.

http://tradingcomputersnow.com/all-trading-computers/

With the $50 difference between an i7 3770k and i5 3450K at Micro Center, I think I will go with i7 3770K and get hyper threading.

I have come up with a list of tentative parts. Would you like to comment on it?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wQ5N
 

odiervr

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May 1, 2012
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Only 'cause you asked: :) these are small items. Your build is solid

1. If you are overclocking - I'd go with 3570k.
2. I'd go with the ASRock z77 Extreme 4. Does everything you'd need and then some for 1/2 the price.
3. My wife has that keyboard. I hate it ! She loves it ...
4. The smallest item. Pls consider a Razor Death Adder mouse. I know it sounds crazy - but the ergonomic feel (very solid/substantial) is an amazing plus. It's a gaming mouse but I, my wife, and 2 of my 3 kids love it. (My daughter is too cool for desktops - she does not care :)

Good Luck !!