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Thoughts on my proposed configuration?
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FingerCramp View Drop Down
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Joined: 19 Apr 2012
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Thoughts on my proposed configuration?
    Posted: 19 Apr 2012 at 1:03pm
I'm trying to build a system which I'll be using for:
  • highly-intensive data processing (using lots of memory)
  • video viewing
  • image editing
  • general web browsing
Here's my proposed build:
  • COOLER MASTER Storm Trooper (SGC-5000-KKN1) Black Tower Case, XL-ATX, 9 Slots, No PSU, Steel/Plastic
  • CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX HX Series Power Supply w/ Modular Cables, 850W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, 6x 8-pin PCIe
  • ASUS P9X79 PRO, LGA2011, Intel® X79, DDR3-2400 (O.C.) 64GB /8, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2+2*, SATA 6Gb/s /4, 3Gb/s /4, USB 3.0 /6, HDA, BT, GbLAN, ATX, Retail
  • INTEL Core i7-3930K Six-Core, 3.2 - 3.8GHz TB, LGA2011, 12MB L3 Cache, HT EM64T EIST VT XD, 32nm, 130W, Retail
  • COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler, Socket 2011/1155/1156/1366/775/AM3/AM2, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
  • ARCTIC SILVER Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound, Polysynthetic Silver, Electrically Non-Conductive
  • CORSAIR 32GB (4 x 8GB) Vengeance™ Black PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL10 (10-10-10-27) 1.5V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
  • EVGA GeForce® GT 520 810MHz, 1GB GDDR3 1000MHz, PCIe x16, 2x DVI+mini-HDMI, Retail
  • WESTERN DIGITAL 2TB WD Caviar® Black™ (WD2002FAEX), SATA 6 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 64MB Cache
  • WESTERN DIGITAL 3TB WD Caviar® Green™ (WD30EZRX), SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower™, 64MB Cache
  • RAID No RAID, Independent HDD Drives
  • SONY AD-7280S Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, OEM
  • STARTECH 35FCREADBK2 Black 22-in-1 Card Reader, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
  • D-LINK DFE-530TX+, 10/100 Network Card, PCI
  • CREATIVE Sound Blaster® Audigy® SE, 7.1 channels, 24-bit, 96KHz, PCI, OEM
  • ADESSO AKB-131HB Desktop Multimedia Keyboard w/ 2-Port USB Hub, 12 Function Keys, 104 Normal Keys, Black, Wired, USB
  • KINGWIN Mini 3D Optical Mouse 800dpi, 3 Buttons, USB, Black
  • NONE No Operating System (Choose OS or subject to Limited Support)
  • WARRANTY Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)
Any thoughts, suggestions?

Why do I have an extra sound card and network card even though the motherboard already has these functionalities?   Not for any good reason.  More out of habit, than anything.  It became habit in the past because it doubles my chances that networking and audio will work out of the box when I load linux on it.  (Ubuntu or Mint)  The very last thing I want is to find out the on-board networking/audio aren't completely supported and then have to order another card and wait wait wait for my new system to work the way I want. :)

Case: My main concern is spaciousness and ease of removing/installing hard drives when they inevitably fail.  I currently have an Antec P180B case and I like that it  has a drive cage that slides out on rails, and each drive slides into the cage quickly on rails.  And of course proper cooling is a must.  I'd consider alternatives to what I've selected here, as long as it supports USB 3.0.  A mid-tower would be find as long as I have room to work inside it.

Cooling: Will I be okay with cooling?  I have little interest in overclocking, FWIW.  I don't know jack about liquid cooling or any hassles/maintenance that might come with it.  (I don't like hassles or maintenance. :-)

Power supply: Is 850W reasonable here or overkill?  I expect I might have up to 6 hard drives in it, eventually.

RAM:  I chose 4 x 8GB instead of 8 x 4GB because I want the option to expand to 64GB in the future.

I wanted to keep it around $2000, and this one comes in at $2,243 shipped, so I've stretched my budget enough here.

Thanks,

-Mike



Edited by FingerCramp - 19 Apr 2012 at 2:15pm
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Jmundy View Drop Down
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2012 at 3:25pm
Hello FingerCramp,
 
 
That is one excellent configuration you have compiled! I was going to ask why you added expansion cards with functionalities that the motherboard provides, but if you're seeking linux support then that is your best bet.
 
Cooler master cases are definitely ones that I recommend, I understand that some have had grounding issues, but we also keep our production environment ESD safe, so that is a definite plus. We have not had many complaints within the past year, so I can only assume that Cooler master has improved that area of their manufacturing and design.
 
Cooling, oh yeah, you're definitely okay! Cooler master actually tends to over-do it with their cooling designs, but there's nothing wrong with that at all. The more, the better, and better safe than sorry.
 
850W is great if you plan to add another graphics card in the future.  The card you selected is not very demanding to begin with, so if you don't plan on using any high-end graphics cards then you could drop down to a 650w comfortable.y Even if you decide not to, your power supply will love the fact that it will never have to reach it's maximum output, thus keeping it cool and reliable.
 
Smart move on the RAM!
 
Yes, stretching the budget can sometimes be necessary to obtain the specifications you want/need. As long as that extra stretch is worth it to you, that's all that matters!
 
Feel free to post any additional questions you may have!
Joseph Mundy
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2012 at 3:52pm
Heh, thanks for the reply, Joe.

While I'm somewhat disappointed you don't have any excellent suggestions for improvement, I'm also happy I did a good job putting things together myself. Tongue

I could spend months tweaking the configuration, constantly reading reviews and second-guessing my choices.  At some point I just need to pull the trigger, I guess.

About the Storm Trooper case...the drive cages seem a bit awkward with the fans attached to them.  How easy is it to remove and replace a dead drive from a running system?  (It's relatively easy with my Antec P180B).  Any recommendation on which way to install the cases (fans blowing front to back, or side to side) for ease of use?  I don't want to have to unplug anything but the dead drive in question in order to make the replacement...

Thanks again,

-Mike



Edited by FingerCramp - 19 Apr 2012 at 4:12pm
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Apr 2012 at 4:07pm
Hello Mike,
 
 
I apologize if your disappointed; I'm only willing to make recommendations on problematic configurations, or components selections that don't make sense. If I had to make ANY suggestion, which will unfortunately cost you more money, it would be to consider an SSD. They are increasingly becoming more popular with high-end systems, and go a long way. Intel or Crucial SSDs will treat you right!
 
The Storm Trooper HDD bays can be rotated in several positions. That being said, I would have the bay rotated so the hard drives are exposed and the HDD ports face the left-side panel of the case. Then, you can easily open the case and remove only the failed HDD in questions. The fans can be blowing from front (right fan) to back (left fan) to keep the natural airflow of the case.
 
Feel free to post with additional questions!
 
 
 
Joseph Mundy
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joseph.mundy@avadirect.com
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Apr 2012 at 4:17pm
Originally posted by Jmundy

I apologize if your disappointed; I'm only willing to make recommendations on problematic configurations, or components selections that don't make sense. If I had to make ANY suggestion, which will unfortunately cost you more money, it would be to consider an SSD. They are increasingly becoming more popular with high-end systems, and go a long way. Intel or Crucial SSDs will treat you right!


Sorry, I wasn't _really_ disappointed.  Poor wording on my part.

Anyway, I haven't stopped researching, and as a matter of fact I began looking into the possibility of getting an SSD just a few minutes ago, so I'm pleased that we're on the same wavelength. :)

Any particular brand of SSD you recommend?  For me, reliability and warranty are the most important factors for disks.

Appreciated,

-Mike



Edited by FingerCramp - 20 Apr 2012 at 4:43pm
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2012 at 10:34pm

Well....budget, schmudget, apparently. Here's where I am now:

  • COOLER MASTER Storm Trooper (SGC-5000-KKN1) Black Tower Case, XL-ATX, 9 Slots, No PSU, Steel/Plastic
  • CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX HX Series Power Supply w/ Modular Cables, 850W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, 6x 8-pin PCIe
  • ASUS Sabertooth X79, LGA2011, Intel® X79, DDR3-1866 64GB /8, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2+1*, SATA 6Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 3Gb/s /4, USB 3.0 /6, HDA, GbLAN, FW, ATX, Retail
  • INTEL Core i7-3930K Six-Core, 3.2 - 3.8GHz TB, LGA2011, 12MB L3 Cache, HT EM64T EIST VT XD, 32nm, 130W, Retail
  • COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler, Socket 2011/1155/1156/1366/775/FM1/AM3/AM2, Copper/Aluminum
  • ARCTIC SILVER Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound, Polysynthetic Silver, Electrically Non-Conductive
  • CORSAIR 32GB (4 x 8GB) Vengeance™ Black PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL10 (10-10-10-27) 1.5V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
  • EVGA GeForce® GTX 550 Ti 900MHz, 2GB GDDR5 4008MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, 2xDVI+mini-HDMI, Retail
  • OCZ 240GB Agility 3 SSD, MLC SandForce SF-2281, 525/500 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, Retail
  • OCZ 240GB Agility 3 SSD, MLC SandForce SF-2281, 525/500 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, Retail
  • WESTERN DIGITAL 3TB WD Caviar® Green™ (WD30EZRX), SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower™, 64MB Cache
  • WESTERN DIGITAL 3TB WD Caviar® Green™ (WD30EZRX), SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower™, 64MB Cache
  • WESTERN DIGITAL 3TB WD Caviar® Green™ (WD30EZRX), SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower™, 64MB Cache
  • RAID 1 mirroring on two SSDs
  • SONY AD-7280S Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, OEM
  • STARTECH 35FCREADBK2 Black 22-in-1 Card Reader, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
  • D-LINK DFE-530TX+, 10/100 Network Card, PCI
  • CREATIVE Sound Blaster® Audigy® SE, 7.1 channels, 24-bit, 96KHz, PCI, OEM
  • ADESSO AKB-131HB Desktop Multimedia Keyboard w/ 2-Port USB Hub, 12 Function Keys, 104 Normal Keys, Black, Wired, USB
  • LOGITECH B120 Black Optical Combo Mouse, 800dpi, USB, PS/2
  • BELKIN BP112230-08 Pivot-Plug Surge Protector, 12 Outlets, Black, 125V/15A
  • NONE No Operating System (Choose OS or subject to Limited Support)
  • WARRANTY Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)

SUBTOTAL:     $3082.05
COUPON CODE:     
DISCOUNT:     $0.00
SHIPPING:     $91.03
TAX:     $0.00
TOTAL:     $3173.08

One of my main concerns with a system is having my main drive go kablooey, since it usually means I have to go through the hassle of reinstalling the OS and configuring everything all over again (even though everything is backed up). So my plan here is to have a two nice fast SSDs as the system drive and have them RAID1 mirrored. This way, if the main drive dies I'm safe.

-Mike



Edited by FingerCramp - 21 Apr 2012 at 10:36pm
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2012 at 11:07am
Hello Mike,
 
 
I'm happy to continue assisting you, and I do have a specific recommendation, depending on the route you decide to take after considering my recommendations. First, if you want a highly reliable SSD I suggest you stay far, far away from OCZ. Their SSDs have many problems, and considering the price tag, it goes without saying "you get what you pay for". At this time, we can truly recommend two brands: Intel and Crucial M4.  Choosing one or the other will eliminate your need for RAID 1, however if you still want the redundancy you will be forced to use the Intel 710 series SSDs, which are designed specifically for RAID. SSDs can only be setup in RAID 0, for performance, based on their fundamental functionality. Normal SSDs cannot be used in RAID 1; they caused too many problems, which defeats the purpose of RAID 1 all together. The catch: Intel 710 SSDs are expensive, very expensive, so your best bet is to choose a large, reliable SSD and create an image of the SSD every few months. Store the image on a hard disk, and partition enough space on a hard disk to load the backup image, should your system ever fail. This is one of the most reliable backup solutions, and less costly, than you can look forward to.
 
I know this is a lot to process, so feel free to think about it and post your thoughts!
 
 
 
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2012 at 11:48am
Thanks again for the continued assistance.

In discussing this with colleagues over the past couple of days, I do think I'm scrapping the RAID 1 idea and I'll simply continue doing daily backups (copying system drive to small traditional hard drive) and if my main drive dies I'll just boot from the backup.

My main concern is not having to reload/reconfigure the OS in the event of a system drive crash.  I need to minimize downtime, so if I can be back up and running (on backup drive) within 20 minutes I'll be OK.

Given this, do you have any additional SSD recommendations, or should I just pick the Crucial or Intel SSD that suits my space requirements/desires?

Also, since SSDs have much more limited write/erase cycles, what do you think about putting /var and /tmp on separate partitions to extend the life of the drive?

Thanks!

It looks like I'm on the precipice of spending ~$3000 at AVADirect. :)

-Mike
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2012 at 12:22pm
Hello Mike,
 
 
It's a pleasure to assist you, and I do still recommend Intel or Crucial M4 SSDs, regardless of which setup you decide. You should not have to worry about the /var and /tmp paths on a different drive. I consistently clean them up in my own system and CrystalDskInfo still tells me my SSD has 100% health and expected death of Nov. 2020. :-)
 
 
 
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2012 at 2:55pm
Originally posted by Jmundy

Hello Mike,
 
It's a pleasure to assist you, and I do still recommend Intel or Crucial M4 SSDs, regardless of which setup you decide. You should not have to worry about the /var and /tmp paths on a different drive. I consistently clean them up in my own system and CrystalDskInfo still tells me my SSD has 100% health and expected death of Nov. 2020. :-)
 
 


Thanks, Joe.  I'll be rsyncing my main drive hourly so I should be good to go. 

Surely I'll be pulling the trigger on this soon, unless I find something else to tweak/research.  Wink

-Mike

P.S. I can't help but wonder why, if OCZ is so terrible, does AVADirect even offer them.  :)
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 10:48am
Hello Mike,
 
 
I'm happy to help in any way that I can!
 
Good question, and the answer is we're a true custom builder. That being said, we must offer everything, even if we don't recommend it! We still have customers that are willing to take those risks, based on price, regardless of our recommendations. All we can do is inform and advise, but our customers are the true decision makers.
 
 
 
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Posts: 431 		  Quote crypt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 12:54pm

Wow that is an impressive rig great job?  I love CM cases.

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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 12:59pm
Originally posted by pdwe

Wow that is an impressive rig great job?  I love CM cases.



Thanks, I look forward to loving mine in about 10-14 business days.  Big%20smile
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Posts: 1357 		  Quote Jmundy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 1:27pm
Originally posted by FingerCramp

Originally posted by pdwe

Wow that is an impressive rig great job?  I love CM cases.



Thanks, I look forward to loving mine in about 10-14 business days.  Big%20smile


 
Lol, nice way to quote our website! (or me) LOL
 
 
 


Edited by Jmundy - 24 Apr 2012 at 1:27pm
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Posts: 431 		  Quote crypt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 1:52pm
I just noticed why did you switch to Sabertooth MB? Just curious is all great choice
 
 
 
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Posts: 8 		  Quote FingerCramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 1:56pm
Originally posted by pdwe

I just noticed why did you switch to Sabertooth MB? Just curious is all great choice
 
 


I went through the list of motherboards and checked the reviews for all of them.  The Sabertooth got the best overall reviews from what I was able to find.
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Posts: 431 		  Quote crypt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr 2012 at 2:56pm
Originally posted by FingerCramp

Originally posted by pdwe

I just noticed why did you switch to Sabertooth MB? Just curious is all great choice
 
 


I went through the list of motherboards and checked the reviews for all of them.  The Sabertooth got the best overall reviews from what I was able to find.


 
Thanks
 
It is the board I'm getting whenever I can pull the trigger money wise.
 
 
 
 
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