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A Ninja Killer it is not, but I think I done good

Post Date: 2010-07-06
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parallox View Drop Down
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Posts: 48 		  Quote parallox Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: A Ninja Killer it is not, but I think I done good
    Posted: 06 Jul 2010 at 6:59pm

I had posted a while back about building a ninja killer, a system so silent, so powerful, so deadly, it could outwhit a ninja.  Well, with the economy the way it is, I decided to make a few cuts.  I think for the price, I did pretty good.  Below is my config. Let me know what you think.  I special ordered a Crutial 128 GB SSD drive.

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P6X58D Premium SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series  (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Digital Storm Certified (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Highly Recommended) 
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Crutial Balistics 128 SSD SATA 6 GB
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX  (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed)
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 1.5GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooler (240mm Radiator) (High-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: FREE: Hot-selling game with a NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 or above graphics card
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: FREE PROMO: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Hassle-free Hardware Service
Ninja
 
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DST4ME View Drop Down
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 06 Jul 2010 at 7:09pm
change mobo to evga, change cpu to 930, change psu to 1250w enenrmax for dual sli or 750w corsair for single card.

You are better off with an intel ssd.

Asetek sucks go with Noctua D14.

Noise Suppression Package is pointless and counter active, trap noise, trap heat, its also goes oposite direction of the case you have picked, HAF (high air flow) case, can't have any airflow ifts all closed up by noise package.

you forgot to oc the cpu, that is the biggest deal, you better choose it, otherwise cpu cooler is pointless, no matter which, and a 930 will endup much faster with a oc then a 960 stock and the faster 930 will do it for cheaper.

if you want xp support get win7 pro.

Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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parallox View Drop Down
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Posts: 48 		  Quote parallox Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 06 Jul 2010 at 8:03pm
Thanks for the feedback, but at this point I can't really change much.  I like the Asetek cooler cause it seems to be low maintenance and relatively quiet.  I wanted a beefier processor since I am not overclocking anything.  I like the Asus board, it seems to have all I really need.
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WardTheSteak View Drop Down
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Posts: 605 		  Quote WardTheSteak Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 4:43am
No seriously, e-mail digital storm and have them change it because if its still with them they will change it for you.  It is not even worth it buying from them if you don't choose the overclock.  That will jump your performance insanely, and that is the reason its best to buy a custom computer especially from digital storm.  The 960 stock will fail to compare with an oc'd 930.  If your worried about how long your cpu will last you, it will still last you at least 10 years even oc'd with good cooling.  The asetek is horrible I would really have that changed for sure, low maintenance and quiet maybe but it will suck at cooling your cpu which you need it to do.  The noctua I believe would actually be quieter than the asetek if I'm not mistaken and will keep your cpu way cooler.  Also the evga board would be much better.  And I repeat I cannot emphasize how much you should at least call and have them oc your cpu if you fail to change any of the other stuff, trust me you will want it.
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Dragoonseal View Drop Down
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Posts: 2247 		  Quote Dragoonseal Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 6:57am
Originally posted by parallox

I special ordered a Crutial 128 GB SSD drive.

Hopefully you mean the Crucial RealSSD C300 128GB, because that's the only 128GB sized SSD that isn't a complete piece of trash. An Intel 80GB or 160GB SSD would of been a much cheaper and reliable solution though.
Originally posted by parallox

Processor: Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz (Quad Core)
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooler (240mm Radiator) (High-Performance Edition)
Boost Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor

There are a number of smaller issues with your configuration, but these are the biggest ones and need to be addressed. Don't feel you're locked into what you configured just because you ordered, DS is great about accommodating last minute changes to orders, they get them all the time. If it hasn't shipped yet you can change it, and they don't even charge a rewiring fee unless its a big last minute change such as changing the case or motherboard, and the rewiring fee is only like $30 anyway.

So you know, a 930 and 960 are the exact same chip, the 960 is just factory overclocked a tiny bit and Intel charges hundreds of extra dollars for it, go figure. Seeing as they both overclock exactly the same and perform exactly the same at identical overclock settings, as they are indeed exactly identical chips, go with the 930 and save yourself exactly $305. And then pat yourself exactly on the back. Exactly.

And the Asetek Liquid CPU cooler is just LC for the sake of saying it is LC. Its cooling pales terribly compared to real LCing, even good air coolers such as either of the Noctua models offered by DS will outperform it, especially the larger Noctua NH-D14. It isn't exactly known for its construction quality or reliability either.

So drop the 960 for a 930, drop the Asetek for one of the Noctua coolers, and add the free overclock back on. DS fully warranties their overclocks, so they never push them into hot temperatures and stick with mild overclocks. The Core i7 line overclocks ridiculously well though, especially with the exceptional Noctua air coolers, so a "mild" cool running overclock from DS will still be about 3.8GHz, which is a huge gain over a stock 930 or 960.

If you want future dual SLI video card expandability you might also want to select a 1200w or 1250w power supply, as a 1000w PSU isn't enough for dual GTX 480s.
Lilim
Intel Core i7 920 @4.2GHz
HAF 932 - Dual SLI Nvidia GTX 480s
3x Intel X25-M G2 (80GB) SSD RAID0
R.I.P. Sinbad the cat (November 16, 1996 - April 18, 2011)
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 7:12pm
Dragoonseal pretty much explained it all, you are not getting a beefier cpu, you just paying more for the same one, the cooler is not great all, Noise Suppression is just contradictory as I mentioned, and for sli you need a better bigger psu.

instead of wasting your money on all that pointless stuff, instead spend the money on a 5 year warranty so with the oc and all, for the next 5 years you are covered.

Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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Dragoonseal View Drop Down
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Posts: 2247 		  Quote Dragoonseal Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 7:26pm
Originally posted by DST4ME

instead of wasting your money on all that pointless stuff, instead spend the money on a 5 year warranty so with the oc and all, for the next 5 years you are covered.

Actually they don't offer that warranty anymore (it happened while you were away).

First they dropped the Special Deals section prices significantly but also dropped the 3 year Platinum warranty for a 1 year parts warranty. After a good bit of debate about it on the forum and voicing our concerns about that they started offering a 2 year parts warranty for +$99. Then later on they changed the Special Deals section to the Special|OPS section and added in all the configuration options that used to be exclusive to the Black|OPS section. More recently they dropped the Platinum 3-5 year warranty deals from the Black|OPS section completely and changed the whole pricing structure to be the same as the Special|OPS section, but with different case selection options (just the high end expensive ones). Very recently, probably in the last week, they just added a 3 years parts warranty to both sections for +$199.

With the big price drops from awhile back a Special|OPS configuration with a 3 year parts warranty (for +$199) is still a good bit cheaper than an identical configuration in the old Special Deals and old 3 year parts Platinum, so that's great for the Special Deals section but unfortunately the Black|OPS is still devoid of any 4-5 year parts warranty options.
Lilim
Intel Core i7 920 @4.2GHz
HAF 932 - Dual SLI Nvidia GTX 480s
3x Intel X25-M G2 (80GB) SSD RAID0
R.I.P. Sinbad the cat (November 16, 1996 - April 18, 2011)
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 9:30pm
Oh man, thats no good, the blackops should atleast have the 5 year warranty.

thanks for the info

Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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parallox View Drop Down
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Posts: 48 		  Quote parallox Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 07 Jul 2010 at 11:58pm
Yeah, I ordered the SATA 6 GB/s (supposidly SATA III) Crutial drive.  From what I hear, when it is paired with the ASUS board I order, it's one of the fastest drive/board combinations out there.  Plus I wanted USB 3.0 support, this board has it.
 
As for the processor choice, I do not want to have it overclocked.  I rather just use the intel self clocking feature to boost performance, and I rather get it intel optimised out of the box.
 
As for the CPU cooler, I have researched it some more and see your point, there are some mixed reviews.  I figured it was a pretty safe bet for a CPU cooler cause EVERY OEM uses it.  I imaging in part cause it's an easy LC setup, but also cause it is not prone to have the maintenance problems regular LC has.  But I will ask DS about this again tomorrow to see what they suggest.
 
As for the PSU choice, I am not sure I will run SLi in the future, mainly cause I am going to connect this to an 1080P HDTV, and it's not like my resolution wil get any higher.  I figure by the time it's ready for a video upgrade, nvidia will have something that is twice as powerfull and probably quieter than the current line.  I figure I would just swap cards to a that single card, and the 1000W PSU would be enough.   I do agree, 1200W PSU is really needed for 480s in SLI, but in all honesty, the lights would probably start flickering in my room if I had to use up all that wattage. LOL
 
 
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Posts: 2247 		  Quote Dragoonseal Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Jul 2010 at 12:49am
Originally posted by parallox

As for the processor choice, I do not want to have it overclocked.  I rather just use the intel self clocking feature to boost performance, and I rather get it intel optimised out of the box.

Heh.

You don't quite seem to understand. You will have it overclocked regardless, the 960 is just an overclocked 930. I mean this very literately, I don't mean that an overclocked 930 will "perform similarly" to a 960 with a higher clock speed, I mean that an Intel factory will quite literately produce 50 or so 930s, take one out of the bunch and overclock it by 0.4GHz, and stamp the number 960 on it instead of 930. And then they charge you twice as much for it.

Why do you think the 920 on Newegg has 2200 (!) customer reviews, its newly released successor the 930 has 200 customer reviews, and the 960 has.. 40 customer reviews?

I can't stop you from getting the 960, you can do whatever you want with your money, but I want you to understand that if you get it you are just flushing over $300 down the toilet and getting absolutely nothing for doing so. As long as you can understand that then I'll be happy.

Course, if you say you fully understood that but end up getting it anyway then I won't believe you, but oh well. Smile
Lilim
Intel Core i7 920 @4.2GHz
HAF 932 - Dual SLI Nvidia GTX 480s
3x Intel X25-M G2 (80GB) SSD RAID0
R.I.P. Sinbad the cat (November 16, 1996 - April 18, 2011)
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<8) slunK parade View Drop Down
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Posts: 798 		  Quote <8) slunK parade Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Jul 2010 at 1:19am
i didnt realise they dropped the standard 3 year upgrade to 5 warranty.
that was really the only reason i was thinking about being a potential customer

anyway, you should stick with the changes the others have recommended, as you will save some $ and get the same performance
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Posts: 605 		  Quote WardTheSteak Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Jul 2010 at 4:22am
Yeah man, of course its your call because its your money.  But, here's the rundown.  On one hand you're paying more money for less performance, and on the other hand you would pay significantly less and get wayyyy more performance.  I'm not kidding the difference will be huge.  DS overclocking will far surpass your idea of wanting the intel optimization out of the box.  Truthfully you should let them overclock it.  Just give one reason why you don't want it overclocked.  Do you think it isn't safe?  Because, if that's the reason I highly suggest you reconsider it, because even with the overclock its going to last a really really long time.  Truthfully I don't think you understand, because any sane person who understood the situation I believe would keep the money in the pocket and get wayyyy more performance.  But, I may be wrong.  If I were you I'd tell them to switch to the 930, and oc it.  Or at least allow them to oc your 960 man. And, seriously you won't need any maintenance for your noctua, drop the asetek and go with the noctua.  The asetek is just pure rubbish.
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FrankW View Drop Down
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Posts: 2254 		  Quote FrankW Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 08 Jul 2010 at 11:42am
Parallox said: "I think for the price, I did pretty good."

It seems to me you didn't do very well for the price. What you did do is get a system that you like or wanted irregardless of what would provide the best and most reliable performance for the money. As long as you are happy I guess that is the most important aspect of buying a computer.

Frank
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