New Build

[JaidynM]

I read somewhere that the new AMD chips will fall well below Sandy Bridge. The article specifically said that they weren't made to compete but to sell. I can see where they're coming from though. AMDs top of the range processors fall short of some of Intel's mid-range processors. If AMD is releasing these new CPU's according to this, I see no reason for them to be any better then Sandy Bridge E or even the current SB.

EDIT: I found this thread on OC.net. You might found it useful in picking a CPU.
AMD bulldozer or sandy bridge 39xx - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net

Interesting comments.
I knew the SB_E was going to be socket 2011, and for some reason thinking Ivy Bridge would be on a different socket as well.

I didn't realize IB would be socket 1155.

Hmmm... So Im now thinking investing in a nice Z68 board now would be the the better idea.
Simply because I could opt for a i5 2500k now ... and mid year or so next year updragde to IB. Id have a nice MOBO in place to support it ..
or even the i7 2600 and still have a upgrader path sometime later

Hmmm... lots of choices here.


The more I read and investigate though, its looking like a Z68 board now. Unless Bulldozer really shocks us all when it releases, which I do not think will happen sadly.

Well, if Ivy Bridge is to come out on the 1155 socket motherboards, a Z68 board would definitely be the best option.

I've linked a couple of boards you might want to consider below.
GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD5 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX
EVGA Z68 FTW 160-SB-E689-KR LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX
ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX

 

[Wishmaster]

Well, Ive decided to hold off untill around 1st or Mid Nov.

this way I have time to see what Bulldozer does, x79 prices as well as the pricing and availablity of the i72700K.


At this point Im pretty well set in with:


Case- White 600T Corsair

CPU i2600k or possibly the i72700k if its available

RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL
or Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM
Leaning towards the 1866, only because its red and will match the setup better

Mobo: eVGA z68 FTW

OS SSD: Crucial M4 64GB
Im thinking going w/the 64GB version only becuase my 40GB has enough room, with 15GB left over free space. This would give more breathing room, yet be a bit more budget friendly.

CPU cooler Im a bit unsure of.
Been looking into the Corsair H60, Antec Kuhler 920 as well as eVGAs own air cooler.
From the results Ive seen, eVGAs actually cools better, and cheaper. unless im missing something.





Also I was thinking about using my Intel SSD as a cache drive for my Steam game drive (WD Black Spinner)
But Im wondering if Id be better off doing what I do now.

Install Steam and game on the spinner, but use the Intel SSd for the top 2 or 3 games Im currently playing (using a junction link to move them)
I know theres gains to be had cahing a OS drive, but not sure what to expect if the drive being cached is only holding games.


What does everyone think?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Excellent choices and logic !

 

[JaidynM]

Once again, I must point out that X79 will be very expensive. On top of that, a decent X79 motherboard will be twice the price of a Z68 board. I'll repost the prices if you want to have another look.

Motherboard looks good as does the case and SSD. The RAM is good as you've gone for higher frequencies over tighter timings. The reason the 2133Mhz memory is blue is because this:

When it comes to timings, there are 3 types of G.Skill Ripjaws RAM. These different sticks of RAM can be sorted by looking at the last letter of the model number.
H (sometimes D)
M
L

H (or D) stands for High, M for Medium, L for Low. High has the tightest timings, Medium has slightly looser timings and Low has the loosest timings. L is red, M is blue. Which is why the RAM you picked out is blue. If you were to go with the below RAM, it would be red as it is an 'L' stick. Sure, the timings are looser, but it doesn't really matter anyway.
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL11D-8GBXL

With CPU water cooling, you can't really beat Corsair. The Antec 920 was made to compete with the Corsair H100 so when it comes to temps, the H60 won't really stand a chance. This being said, the 920 is quite loud and probably not worth the extra money over the H60. You also said you'll only be keeping a stable OC of 3.8-4.0Ghz. A H60 should be fine but if you want want some headroom for higher overclocks, you could go with the H80 which is still cheaper than the Antec 920. Or you could get the H100 for $119 which isn't all that much more. If you have any spare cash, you would benefit from going for the H100. If not, anything from an H60-H80 will do you fine.

My two cents.

 

[beemac]

Its not the disc, but the licence number (COA) that

etermines how many computers you can install on.

 

[Wishmaster]

So, as I mentioned Ive pretty much narrowed down what I want at this point.

But I was thinking, and want to be clear about something.


The z68 eVGA FTW board does not have any Video out options on it, for the onboard CPU graphics.
This is perfectly fine by me, as its a feature I have no interest in what-so-ever, and would rather higher quality parts elsewhere instead.
Which is why I was going this route.


Which means the main feature is SSD caching.


So other than the SSD caching, is there anything else Z68 offers?
If I choose the P67 FTW for example, I save $20-30 and looks like I only loose the ability for SSD caching.

Is that really the only difference?



Now, from what Im reading, the difference overall isnt that big of a deal.
And considering my OS will be on its own SSD, caching would only be used on a spinner dedicated to games.
So I imagine any boost would even less in this case. Although I cant say for sure without testing it.


What I normally do, is simply move most played games (around 3 of them) to a secondary SSD.
This would probably be the best way to guarantee the most performance for certain games anyway, rather than a little improvement for all.


So Im curious about everyones opinion on this. Would my method be best, and just go with P67, or would z68 still be the better choice.

And thank for all the opinions. much appreciated.

 

[JaidynM]

Honestly, the Z68 does not have many more features over the P67 but from what I've read and heard, it's definitely worth getting a Z68 board. Some of the features may become more useful when Ivy Bridge comes out and some of the, like SSD Caching are already useful. It's definitely a good option to go with the newest chipset.

Also, could you by any chance update your first post with the changes you've made with RAM and cooling?

 

[Wishmaster]

So Ive pretty much got everything narrowed down, but waiting to see what the x79 boards will be priced at.

Im actually considering going that route.
But if I do, it'll be the the Quad core 3820 for now.
I can't find much info about it, but being as it it has more cache, it seems it may perform just as well as a 2600k, or slightly better.

From what I can gather though, OCing should not be a issue, it just cant been done by a simple CPU multichange.


At any count, this is one major consideration at this point. And then later next year (possibly) upgrade to a Hexacore after the newer ones release.
The main thing will be hhaving the main platform in place.
Whatever I build, I will be using the platform for a long time.



The only other thing Im really on the fence about atm is the cooling.
Im looking into the Antec Kuhler ... but Intel will be releasing thier own as well. Supposedly cools better than the H70/80 with only 1 fan .. but thats just rumor.

And, TBH, Im not entirely sure I want to go the a AIO Water loop.
My fear is a pump going bad, or worse, a leak.
Almost feel more comfortable staying with Air ....

 

[JaidynM]

The 3820 looks good but if you want to overclock it might not be the best option. The multiplier has a limited unlock so you might not be able to get it up very high. However, you should be able to get it up 200 or so Mhz which brings you to the speed you wanted anyway (3.8Ghz).

The X79 + LGA 2011 mobo sounds good. If you really need the extra speed, you can always upgrade to one of the hexa-core processors. Though prepared to pay a little more than the Z68 + LGA 1155 boards.

The Kuhler is a good option but a bit louder than Corsair cooling. As for Intel water cooling, I haven't heard much on it but Intel usually makes good products whatever it is. It'd be worth waiting for. This being said, I'm not entirely sure why you'd need water cooling. Unless you plan on doing some heavier overclocks in the future, you can easily get to 3.8Ghz on stock cooling. To be safe you could always get a couple of Noctua fans which would still keep your CPU at a low temps.

 

[Wishmaster]

From what Ive heard, although the CPU multi is locked, the 2011 work a bit different.
The CPU & RAM links are seprate from the system, although they still recommend leaving system at 100mhz +/- 10%

But supposed, theres multiplier switches at 1.25, 1.66 etc that affect only CPU and RAM.

So, if everything is at stock, and RAM is set to 1333...
Changing that to 1.25 "should" set the CPU to run at 4.5GHz, and the RAM would end up at 1667mhz, while the bus is still 100mhz.

Then multipliers can be lowered to fine tune.

That was my understanding of it, and why its considered "limited"


But, I have been doing some serious consideration on all of this.

I may very well try to increase the budget a bit, and go with either:
eVGA x79 FTW or eVGA x79 SLI Motherboard
And the 3930k Hexacore CPU.
The only downside is I wont be able to get all at once, and will need to get the other 1/2 of the build a couple weeks later if going this route.

I plan on having this build for a long while, so this may be the best bet.



... I cant make up my mind lol

 

[JaidynM]

If the budget allows, I would definitely go with the 3930k. And really, the time shouldn't matter if it's only a couple of weeks late. Now we just need to wait and see what X79 is like...

 

[Wishmaster]

Ok, so I have the Case and PSU.
Also, updated my first post to reflect how the build is looking to date.

For the MOBO, I Think I might go with the SLI version over the FTW version. Biggest reason, I really have no need for the NF200 chip.
Also, I want something that can run a single GPU @ x16, with a sound card. OR, SLi at x8/x8 native off the CPU + a Sound card.

It would seem, a sound card wakes up the NF200 on the FTW, and runs the GPU at x8.
So, Its really meant for SLI. Although this really isnt a issue if running a SLI setup .. Im not 100% positive Ill run a SLI setup.

While SLI is a very good possibility, I do not want my GPU running at x8 if I decide to stay with a single GPU. If that makes sense...
I have to have my sound card and wont part with it





On the memory, I was going to get the Gskill RipjawsX but ... ended up going with Mushkin Redline 1866 Ridgebacks.
I just like the look of them better for some reason.

 

[Wishmaster]

Well, just ordered the last of everything this morning

Now Im really anxious to get it all together,


And I ended up going with the PL-RS-6 Rheosmart Fan Controller:
Looks like its Leds are not that bright, or at least I hope not.
I wanted one of the fancier LCD type but ... for some reason after a lot of thought, I just think Ill end up liking good old fashion knobs in the long term, rather than a lot of push buttons.

 

[TVeblen]

I do hope you keep us informed on the actual build and the burn-ins!
Photos! Photos!

 

[Wishmaster]

I do hope you keep us informed on the actual build and the burn-ins!
Photos! Photos!

I updated the first post to reflect the current parts.

 

[JaidynM]

Wow, looks good. How's the 2700k?

 

[Wishmaster]

Not sure, still waiting for delivery ..
Im guessing it will be Monday UPS hasnt updated anything yet.

 

[A Guy]

Don't forget to refresh the UPS site every 10 minutes Looking forward to seeing it all together. A Guy

 

[Lebon14]

You ordered a creative sound card?
Dude! They have the worst drivers I've seen a long time. I would have selected a HT|Omega sound card instead :
Newegg.com - HT | OMEGA CLARO Plus+ 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

Oh wait... there's no PCI on the motherboard. Forget it then.
*goes to mail HT|Omega about that*

 

[JaidynM]

Don't forget to refresh the UPS site every 10 minutes Looking forward to seeing it all together. A Guy

+1

Pictures when you're done would be great.