What do you chaps think? How should I change this?

[Music Guy123]

I have probably posted this in the wrong area so if I have, I apologise and could a mod please move the thread for me?

I have figured out vaguely what I would like to have in my pc, I will be using it for coding, 3D modelling and very, very heavy duty multitasking! I don't game very often, if I do, it will be COD4 or flight simulator. Flight sim is fine, my chose cpu will give me good enough quality on it, my gpu should ace COD 4 so I should be fine there. I have a rough budget of around 2K all inclusive. The cpu will always be on max as I will be folding the whole time as well and I may conisder an o/c! Anyway, here is my spec, I have just posted links to sites where I can get the part but I don't really know whether the sites I have chosen are a good choice or not, I am in the UK by the way! Anyway, please tell me what you think and what I have missed! Here is the spec:

Case: I will be building my own out of 10mm acrylic, it will be open! Does this sound OK, I will build it after I receive the parts to allow it to fit everything!

CPU: Intel i7 3930k Intel BX80619I73930K Core i7-3930K 6-Core Processor (3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo), Socket 2011, 12MB L3 Cache, Turbo Boost 2.0): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Mobo: I am still not certain on this part! I am thinking Asus P9X79 pro?http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-P9X79-PRO-Motherboard-Intelligent/dp/B006665HCS

RAM: 4 x 4GB corsair vengeance quad channel ddr3 @ 1600mhz http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...X3M4A1600C9)+?productId=48126&source=googleps

GPU: 2GB AMD 7850 HIS HD 7850 2GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI Dual Mini DisplayPort.. | Ebuyer.com

1st HDD: 90GB Corsair Force GT http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005HG4T...de=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B005HG4T0E

2nd HDD: 1.5TB caviar black http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004CSIF...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004CSIFG2 Will probably add another of these later, would it be possible to RAID them in RAID 0?

Disk Drive: Really don't know what to get! Anything cheap and simple, recommend something guys! Just needs to be able to re-write CDs and DVDs!

PSU: Not certain here, I am sure 1000w is overkill but it seems a good psu at a decent price: OCZ ZX Series 1000W 80+ GOLD PSU Fully Modular Single.. | Ebuyer.com Not a great fan of the brand but you can't have everything!

CPU cooling: Am still tossing up between liquid and air! Liquid cos it is quiet, air for peace of mind! I think I would rather go with air! Possibly this: Noctua NH-D14 Dual Radiator Quiet CPU Cooler - Aria Technology Am really not sure though! Please advise me!

Thermal compound: Am thinking mx-4? Any ideas? I want something easy to apply! Might get this one in a local shop rather than the internet.

Sound card: I probably don't need one but I do like my music! How about the asus xonar DG? It is supposed to be a great card and it has a good price. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003ZXDO...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B003ZXDOL6

OS: Win 7 home premium...no need for any higher!

1st, 2nd & 3rd monitors: iiyama ProLite E2473HDS 24 inch I like the look of these monitors, what do you think? I have used an iiyama before and loved it! Iiyama ProLite E2473HDS 24 inch LED Monitor - PLE2473HDS-B1 - CCL Computers

4th Monitor: Now, this has to be a touch screen! I researched it and apparently optical touch is the best. I am open to opinions here but I do like the look of the iiyama T2451MTS-B 24". Iiyama ProLite T2451MTS-B 24" Widescreen MultiTouch LCD Monitor - Black [T2451MTS]

Keyboard, mouse etc: I have a mouse, I would need a wireless keyboard, something relatively cheap please! What do you guys recommend?

I think I ought to explain how this is going to work! I am going to build a whole workstation for myself ! I am going to build a desk that will accomodate the tower or maybe shelf on the left with plenty of cooling! Then on top, three monitors at the back. At the front, in front of where I would sit would be a touchscreen monitor embedded into the desk so that it is flat and I look down upon it. I am hoping I can put the iiyama flat or embed it somehow but I still need to look into this! I also have a surge protector at home. finally, I realise I will need to eyefinity display adapters, I couldn't find where to get these, help here would be appreciated! I also have some speakers. Now, what have I missed?! Any help would be much appreciated!

This would all come to ~£2,150 which is just about OK, I will wait for IVY bridge to arrive for the cpu to drop in price. Is there anywhere you guys think I could save some money? I am considering dropping the touchscreen entirely.

 

[Music Guy123]

Any ideas?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you are trying to be on the cutting edge for a few hours, you might wait till the end of April when Intel's Ivy Bridge processors and motherboards will be released.

Sound card: I'd forget it until I felt onboard sound was inadequate, unless you are recording on the PC. Think more about your speakers or headphones.

Motherboard: as long as you have a good brand with no identified issues, I generally think you should just get the cheapest one that has the features/slots you need. That typically means something in the midrange of the company's line. You give up bragging rights.

Power supply: OCZ is dubious anymore from what I hear. Get something between 500 and 600 watts from Corsair, XFX, or Seasonic.

Cooler: For all but the last bit of overclocking capability, everyone says the Coolermaster Hyper 212 is excellent and inexpensive. You give up bragging rights.

Thermal compound: it matters little, it's all marketing hoopla. The old standby is Arctic Silver 5, but get whatever you can get easily and cheaply.

SSD: I'd probably try to steer you to Samsung, Intel, or Crucial.

 

[Dwarf]

As regards your motherboard, check to see what its features are, in particular as regards compatibility with your RAM and CPU (although you should do this the other way round, i.e. decide on a motherboard and choose RAM and CPU to match). Another thing to be aware of is what sort of driver support can you expect for the motherboard? For example, what audio chipset is installed and are the drivers easily obtainable? My recommendation here is Realtek (others might disagree), as the drivers are relatively easy to obtain (even if the website is slow, which it is most of the time). For other audio chipset solutions, you might be limited to what the motherboard manufacturer has in the way of drivers. This also extends to other hardware included on the board, such as built-in graphics and LAN.

 

[UsernameIssues]

.........
Case: I will be building my own out of 10mm acrylic, it will be open! Does this sound OK, I will build it after I receive the parts to allow it to fit everything!
~~~

See here for some considerations on static/dust/EMI.

 

[Music Guy123]

Thank you chaps, am busy for an hour or two, will have a look in detail when I am finished!

 

[Music Guy123]

Thank you very much everyone for replying, much appreciated! Have some rep! I do not need bragging rites, just something that is upgradeable and will last a little while. I am afraid mobos are something I really do not know a lot about! I quite like the look of the one I chose but please do show me some options! This whole pc needs to be future proof and upgradeable. For the sound card, I think I will just drop it entirely, I don't really need one! I can always get one later! Onboard is very good now days anyway. For the psu, I think I will get the corsair 650w enthusiast series Product name is something like TX650 V2-80 I think. I will be adding another gpu in the future so this does need to be future proof! I might get a modular psu, the 750w modular one corsair do is pretty good. Its product name is something like HX750... I can't remember! For Cpu cooling, I looked at your recommendation and tbh, it didn't look that great a cooler! I like the noctua but I have just realised it doesn't fit with a 2011 socket...oops! Will have to find another one! Recommendations please! I will look into the thermal compound when it gets nearer the time. For the SSD, you mention stay away from corsair? Why? I can understand your preference for Intel, I am just looking to save money! Why Crucial or Samsung? Finally, for the acrylic, thanks for that link! It was interesting. Because I will be building a desk to support the pc, I might put a shelf for the mobo, a shelf for the other stuff on the left side of the desk if that makes sense! I will work the desk around the cooling!

As for Ivy bridge, I see its benefit for cooling and power consumption, however, for performance, I don't think it is going to be massive, my aim would be to wait for ivy bridge to come out, if I decide it is a huge amount better than sandybridge, get it, the way I am thinking at the moment is use it to knock down the prices for my sandybridge stuff.

3 recommendations still needed then! Mobo, Cpu cooler and keyboard any suggestions?

Thanks again very much guys!

Oh and where would you recommend I got these parts? Don't forget I am in the UK!

 

[Music Guy123]

Any suggestions on the above?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

The Noctua is an excellent cooler---but: it weighs nearly 3 pounds and is over 6 inches tall. Do you have an extremely demanding cooling situation in mind??

I just looked at Newegg. It seems there aren't many socket 2011 coolers, so you may have a limited choice. You might try Frostytech for reviews.

What do you prefer: low noise and temps of x or high noise and temps of x minus 10? Cooling is a tradeoff. Some are obsessed with driving temps down. Others aren't.

Modular PSUs are a big help in reducing clutter inside the case. I'd never go back to non-modular.

I haven't made a study of SSDs and am just going by what I generally pick up from this forum and whatever reviews I come across. Any SSD will be a big improvement over any HDD. The published specs don't mean much in real-life. I'd be more concerned about reliability, support, and price. I can't recall hearing anything bad about the Corsair you mention. There is some recent buzz about issues with Crucial M4 series, but I'm not sure how widespread it is.

Yes, I don't think Ivy Bridge will be a major leap, but I'm not sure you will see significant price reductions in Sandy Bridge stuff. Ivy Bridge will have a new chipset and that might make me reluctant to just dive in quickly.

Not sure about "future proof and upgradeable". If something is future proof, which would you be concerned about upgrading? I don't really believe in "future proof". It's a buzz-word.

Motherboards:

Here's all the socket 2011 boards at Newegg:

Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Motherboards, Intel Motherboards, LGA 2011

I'd decide what features I wanted (eSATA, Firewire, USB 3, etc) and buy accordingly in the midrange from Asus or Gigabyte, subject to reviews I could find. It looks like they begin above $200, which is ridiculous. They might come down over time.

 

[Music Guy123]

Yes, I realise that 2011 sockets are demanding price wise and research wise! I have been looking at frosty tech and am coming across a couple of options! I want something to be fairly quiet but give enough cooling for o/cing. As I said before, the CPU will be working 100% all the time the pc is on so I need something that will keep temps down. The thing is, I have a design for a fan that will be next to silent but I can't get it manufactured...it is so hard! I also have a slight feeling part of the design may be patented but there definately is no fan with this design on it! The corsair force GT is supposed to be pretty reliable but SSDs are often hit or miss! Future proof, I mean being able to o/c, add another gpu, possibly change the gpu etc.

I have just found a cooler I think could be perfect! Have a look: Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler - Blue: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

I will now go have a look at mobos! Thank you very much for your help! I tried to rep you but I couldn't because apparently I need to spread the rep first!

 

[Music Guy123]

Here is a review for that cooler, looks amazing!

Phanteks PH-TC14PE Review - Overclockers Club

 

[Music Guy123]

I have had a look at mobos and they aren't much cheaper, if cheaper at all than the one I picked. My choice also has tonnes of features so I think I will stick to it! So, mobo sorted, cpu cooling sorted! Only thing left is keyboard, my RAM probably needs attention but I can sort that out later, that is very easy.

 

[Music Guy123]

Updated spec, what do you guys think? I have a couple of points still to address!

Case: Will build desk around components, do you using wood would be a problem?

CPU: Intel i7 3930k Intel BX80619I73930K Core i7-3930K 6-Core Processor (3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo), Socket 2011, 12MB L3 Cache, Turbo Boost 2.0): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Mobo: Asus P9X79 proAsus P9X79 PRO Motherboard (Socket 2011, Intel X79, DDR3 Quad Channel, ATX, PCI Express 3.0, Dual Intelligent Processors 3 with New DIGI+ Power Control): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

RAM: Quad channel DDR3 16GB. Haven't decided what yet, something relatively low profile.

GPU: 2GB AMD 7850 HIS HD 7850 2GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI Dual Mini DisplayPort.. | Ebuyer.com

1st HDD: 90GB Corsair Force GT http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005HG4T...de=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B005HG4T0E

2nd HDD: 1.5TB caviar black http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004CSIF...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004CSIFG2 Will probably add another of these later, would it be possible to RAID them in RAID 0?

Disk Drive: Really don't know what to get! Anything cheap and simple, recommend something guys! Just needs to be able to re-write CDs and DVDs!

PSU: Will probably get a corsair 750w modular psu. Product name: HX750-80 Corsair CMPSU-750HXUK HX 750W Modular Power Supply (PSU) - Scan.co.uk

CPU cooling: Phantek PH-TC14PE Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler - Blue: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories Will decide colour later!

Thermal compound: Haven't decided, will deal with that later!

Sound card: Not going to get one

OS: Win 7 home premium

Keyboard: Still need some ideas here! Please help!

Thanks for the help everyone so far! Still got to get some help on keyboard (cheap and wireless!) what do you recommend? Disk drive...something cheap suggestions? Possibly help with RAM and thermal paste but I can always sort them out later!

 

[Music Guy123]

Hang on, just did a power supply calculation and with o/c, two gpus and a couple of other things, I got recommended around 1000w power! Surely this can't be right?

 

[C32C3]

MusicGuy123,

It sounds like you are going to build a real mean machine! Please post some pics when its built.

I've been looking at the Asus P9X79 myself and from what I have read from some professional reviews online, its a dependable, richly capable board. I think you have made a good choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9LYw0Mg-Oo

If I was going to put some serious demands on my system I would not consider overkill in buying a PSU. I would rather purchase a PSU that has more capability than I need than to find out later that the opposite is true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFtngmN8-ZI

My only question is, why are you buying from amazon.co.uk? Have you purchased from them before?

 

[James7679]

Hang on, just did a power supply calculation and with o/c, two gpus and a couple of other things, I got recommended around 1000w power! Surely this can't be right?

What calculator are you using?

Thermaltake Power Supply Calculator

 

[Music Guy123]

Yes, I have purchased from amazon before, usually they are very good, generally, you have to make sure it is amazon supplying the part, not another company using amazon. If that makes sense! I don't know really where the best places are to buy in the UK, where would you recommend? @James 7679, I used this: http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

I think I will just get the 1050w version of the psu in my most recent spec.

 

[James7679]

Yeah Music, it's the same calculator. It's actually very accurate. You want to allow for 50-100w more than what the recommended is.

 

[Music Guy123]

Seems to have changed, I must have put something in wrong! It now comes to 682w with an o/c, cf of 7850s but NO fans! So I think the 1050w will be fine.

 

[James7679]

This one should be plenty. Silverstone SST-ST1000-G Strider 1000W Power Supply - Scan.co.uk