Evaluate my X-Mas Rig!!!

N

NeonBlackJack

Geek Trainee
This is a MAJOR upgrade for me, as I have had this same Gateway (POS) rig for about 4 1/2 years.
I'd really appreciate any comments/advice you guys want to give.
Thank a lot!!!

Antec Performance I P180 Silver cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$119.99


ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$196.99

BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXE GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
$599.99


Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 ATX12V 650W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail
$124.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
$309.00

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail
$284.00

TWO IN RAID 0 - Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$139.98

Saitek PK02 2-Tone USB Standard Eclipse II Keyboard - Retail
$54.99

ViewSonic VP920b Black 19" 4ms gray-to-gray (avg); 8ms white-black-white (typ) DVI Hight Adjustable LCD Monitor - Retail
$269.99


Logitech G7 931375-0403 Black 6 Buttons 1x Wheel USB RF Laser Mouse - Retail
$69.99


LITE-ON 20X DVD±R Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black IDE Model LH-20A1H-186 - Retail
$40.99


NEC 18X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black E-IDE / ATAPI Model 7170A-0B - OEM
$29.99

Creative SOUND BLASTER X-Fi Platinum 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
$178.99

ZALMAN 9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail
$59.99

Creative GigaWorks S750 700 Watts 7.1 Speaker - Retail
$429.99

GRAND TOTAL= $2,909.86

I can't wait!!!
But I want to make sure it is PERFECT, so I want your help.
Also, when Vista comes out, I plan on jumping onboard, hence the compatible hardware, but I need to know what the difference is between 32-bit and 64-bit. I have no idea what those terms mean.

This is my first-ever custom build as well!

Thanks again!!!
 
Looks good overall and it is all compatible.

There's one caveat of RAID 0: if one drive dies, you've lost all your data. On both drives. RAID 0 writes data across all disks the array, so in the case of 2 drives, half the bits and bytes are on one, half are on the other. Unlike all other RAID levels, there is no redundancy (what the R stands for in RAID). Fortunately, you do have a couple of alternatives on that motherboard with RAID levels. RAID 1 (mirroring) creates and maintains a working clone of the first drive on the second drive. One drive goes to hell? No problem...you've got a copy ready to go right where it left off. The con here is that instead of 500GB, you'll have exactly half of that. The other option is RAID 5. It's similar to RAID 0 in that it writes data across the drive, but you start off with 3 hard drives, with a parity bit written across all three along side the data. If one drive dies, you can pop in a new drive and go on your merry way as there's enough info to re-create the proper data on the replacement drive. The con here is that you will require a third hard drive (of the same size as the others in the array).

If you haven't, I would suggest checking out that monitor and speaker set to make sure you like them. Displays and speakers tend to be a bit subjective from person to person.

As far as the 32-bit, 64-bit thing: it's relational to the native maximum amount of addressable memory in a system. 32-bit limits it at 4GB without a combination of hardware extensions and OS support. 64-bit allows addressing of RAM into the terabyte realm.
 
Thanks for the info.
I think RAID 5 sounds like a good idea, but is it as fast as RAID 0? I know RAID 0 is supposed to be the "performance" configuration, and that RAID 1 is for storage safety. Is RAID 5 the best of both worlds?

Also, I've done my research with the Monitor and Speakers, the only problem I have there is that those speakers don't seem to be in stock anywhere... :(
Does anybody know of a store where they are in stock, or a comparable set of speakers??
Thanks..
 
For most people, RAID 5 is best because of the RAID 0 performance without the inherit hazards which multiply with each drive added. So, yes, RAID 5 would be a much better option, especially since it's available without purchasing anything else other than a 3rd hard drive.

As far as the speakers go this list would be a good place to start. I don't know how good some of these stores are, so you might want to check them out with Reseller Ratings.
 
That's a really high end system. You shouldn't have any problems there.

You may see a small performance increase if you go 64 bit, but you'll have to check that there are compatible 64 bit drivers for all your hardware before you decide to switch.
 
Okay, that sounds good, I'll go ahead and buy another Harddrive so that I can go with the RAID 5 config. Just wanted to make sure I'd see the same performance benefits as I would with RAID 0.

One more question, I have been told to go ahead and get a 680i chipset Mobo, so I'm planning on getting the EVGA 122-CK-NF68-AR Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

The only thing is, about 75% of people are having an awesome time with the board and love it to death, but about 25% percent are having troubles with setting up RAID and they say that there are BIOS issues.(I'm basing this statement off of Newegg.com reviews.) Somebody with almost my EXACT config has had a perfect time with the board tho, so I want all of your opinions on the board.
Thanks!
 
nVidia has had some issues with their storage controllers. While this has been an annoyance in the past, the 680i seems to be a poor choice right now. It's not on every 680i motherboard, but it's there. Don't get me wrong, it's a very high-end chipset, but if you're not looking for SLI, then stick with the Asus P5B. If you still want it, you might check out the Asus P5N SLI, which uses the nForce 590 SLI, which would be pretty similar to the 680i, sans the glitches.
 
Well, my ultimate plan is to get a second 8800GTX when the price has dropped significantly, that way I'll have a bunch of power with a pretty simple upgrade. The EVGA board seems really nice, depite the glitches some people have, but 3/4 of people have a GREAT experience with it, and a person using almost my exact hardware had a smooth ride, so I'm really not sure...How good is the Asus P5N SLI compared to the EVGA board, performance-wise? Can it overclock as high?
Thanks
 
The P5NSLI doesn't overclock as well, but the reviews I've read are a bit old, so a BIOS update might fix things. Additionally, if you wait a little bit longer, I just saw today that eVGA and nVidia have a new BIOS out that's supposed to address the issue.
I got a refresher with the P5NSLI. It actually uses the 570 SLI, which doesn't have the dual x16 PCIe slots, only dual x8 (electrically) on x16 slots.

If you can wait a little while longer, the i680 eVGA board might not be bad and the issues will likely be resolved. Also, DFI has yet to come out with an i680 board, and if you're interested in overclocking, that could be worth a wait.

Regardless, if you buy now, just be aware that the main issue with the i680 boards seems to lie with the storage controllers.

Also, since you're looking at dual 8800GTX SLI, you should probably look at the PC Power & Cooling 1KW (1000W) or Enermax Galaxy 1000W. The Enermax is around $350 and the PC Power & Cooling is around $500. Not cheap, but the 8800GTX requires 2 PCIe power connectors because of the power draw they have. They're top-end, and with the power they have, I'd definitely not shy away from a top-end PSU.
 
Wow, that's Hella Expensive for a PSU.
I don't plan on upgrading to SLI for a while, so I think I'll just go with the 650 Watt Antec. Plus, I already ordered everything :P
 
Be warned, that Lite-On DVD+R drive you ordered is cheap for a reason. I found it at wal-mart and thought "Neat!, this is 40$ cheaper than average...." Well, there is a reason for that.... It puts out bad burns, and I had a weird problem with the audio skipping when I tried to play DVD's on that drive. It works, just not all that well. You get what you pay for.
__
-Goodluck, Godspeed.
 
Thank you very much for the warning Tango, however, the rig I ended up ordering had some changes from the one I originally posted, one such change being a switch to a Samsung and an NEC DVD burner. So, thanks again, but I covered it!
 
NeonBlackJack said:
Also, I've done my research with the Monitor and Speakers, the only problem I have there is that those speakers don't seem to be in stock anywhere... :(
Does anybody know of a store where they are in stock, or a comparable set of speakers??
Thanks..
Click to expand...

I would purchase the Logitech Z5500 set, the subwoofer is alot more powerfull, got DTS, DD5.1 decoding etc...

Allthough it would be best if you went with a pair of nice standmount of bookshelve speakers and an amp, and expand on it at a later time.


Your rig looks awsome, i wish i had that :p
 
The PC sounds fantastic! One caveat, though:
NeonBlackJack said:
BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXE GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
$599.99

ViewSonic VP920b Black 19" 4ms gray-to-gray (avg); 8ms white-black-white (typ) DVI Hight Adjustable LCD Monitor - Retail
$269.99
Click to expand...
According to Newegg, that monitor has a maximum resolution of 1280x1024. With even the 8800 GTS able to handle Oblivion, Ghost Recon, Company of Heroes, and Battlefield 2142 at 1920x1200 with all details on full and antialiasing + anistropic filtering at high levels, the graphics card and monitor seem a little mismatched.

Perhaps go with an 8800 GTS and a larger monitor instead? That way you'd have excellent performance, support for DirectX 10, and headroom for drastically increasing performance in SLi, just as you would with the 8800 GTX, but at a lower price.
 
I am surprised the 19" monitor cant handle above 1280 x 1024, thats like the normal for 17", my 19" widescreen has a res maximum of 1440 x 900, so a 19" should have 1440 x 1024 i am guessing... but yea, the 8800GTS and GTX would take anything you throw at it at that resolution, still buy the 8800GTX just upgrade your monitor at a later date.
 
Willz said:
I am surprised the 19" monitor cant handle above 1280 x 1024, thats like the normal for 17", my 19" widescreen has a res maximum of 1440 x 900, so a 19" should have 1440 x 1024 i am guessing...
Click to expand...
It's crazy the number of 19" monitors with a native (and maximum) resolution of 1280x1024! The ones with higher resolutions carry quite a price premium. And if you want 1680×1050 or 1600×1200, you have to move up to the 20" units.
but yea, the 8800GTS and GTX would take anything you throw at it at that resolution, still buy the 8800GTX just upgrade your monitor at a later date.
Click to expand...
I suppose that makes sense. I'd go for the GTS since I prefer to stay one step behind the latest (though of course, I'd buy the GTX if I could get it for half the price ;)), but since this is a major upgrade, the GTX might be worth it.
 
Yea, my monitor was actually really cheap, 1440x900, 5ms, Acer, 19" Widescreen, all for £145 from argos, its a sale thats been going on for months lol.
 
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