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Finally settled on a rig

Post Date: 2007-11-25
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Clouded View Drop Down
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Posts: 15 		  Quote Clouded Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Finally settled on a rig
    Posted: 25 Nov 2007 at 1:44pm
Hi there, tomorrow I plan on ordering this setup:


http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=97084

Specifications:
Case: Digital Storm Twister LITE (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 560W SilverStone Strider (Model: ST56F) (Silent)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz (1333MHz Front Side Bus) (4MB Cache)
Motherboard: nVidia 680i Core 2 Quad (By: eVGA) (nForce 680i SLI) (A1 Revision)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz XMS2 (Dual Channel) (Performance)
Floppy / Card: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 1: 320GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks
Raid Option: - No Thanks
Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB (By: eVGA) (PCI-Express)
TV Tuner: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Motherboard Multi-Channel High Definition Audio (7.1 Channel)
Physics Card: - No Thanks
Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 2 (Silent Artic Cooling Heat-sink (Copper Heatpipes)
Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Green Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes)
Round Cables: - No Thanks
User Manual: Personalized Platinum Digital Storm Binder (Includes Paperwork/Benchmarks/CDs
/Manuals)
Overclock Processor: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my processor
Overclock Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Overclock Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Pre-Install Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty
Support: Lifetime Toll-Free Platinum Care Technical Support



I'm curious on a few issues:
-If I overclock the PC myself, is my warranty with DS voided? I don't plan on pushing it far at all and will stick to the safer stable side but it's still something I chose the config around, being able to self-clock.

-Is the 560W silverstone going to be fine? I don't plan on ever using SLI.

-Is the monitor going to be compatible with this PC?

-Is the A1 revision of the 680i worth the extra cost? I don't plan on going for SLI but I do plan on overclocking if it isn't going to void my warranty and I hear it's a much better stabler option of a mobo. Hopefully if I go with it I won't see any future complications if I decide to upgrade my DDR2 ram?

-Is the 15$ extra for the Pro case worth it, and is that case even in stock? (I've heard that it wasn't). Namely will the temperature be lower with the extra breathing room and run slightly better?

If there's any other compatibility issues or general improvements I could make, any help/tips are appreciated. (my price limit for the rig is definitely not above 1700$, and the cheaper the better.)
    Thanks in advance
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skyR View Drop Down
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 25 Nov 2007 at 2:32pm
Get the Corsair 520W, much better PSU imo. And yes it is more than enough, you can even run SLI with it =x

You didn't select a monitor.. but any monitor can be hooked up to the GT because you will be given adapters.

A1 is a better overclocking motherboard than the LT. And I do believe overclocking voids the warranty but call to make sure =x
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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Tyler Lowe View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyler Lowe Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 25 Nov 2007 at 2:46pm
1. There's a clause in the warranty that allows DSO some discretion in this regard. The official answer has been "no, it will not void the warranty". The clause in the warranty refers to unauthorized modification. I believe it's there to protect DSO from someone who repeatedly fries components by pushing them too far, or does something outside the bounds of common sense and then tries to hold DSO accountable. Running your own conservative OC should not be a problem.
 
2. Yes, the 560W PSU is going to more than cover that configuration.
 
3. Not sure which monitor you mean, but you should be able to plug pretty much any monitor into that GPU: with an adaptor worst case.
 
4. The 680i Mobo is rated for higher memory speeds than either the LT or the 650i boards (up to 1200MHz). It may not be compatible with the new Penryn quads, but it is compatible with the soon to be released Wolfsdale core duos. This leaves some upgrade room, and  better/easier overclocking.
 
5a. Yes
5b. I'm not sure whether it's in stock, check when you place your order.
5c. The temps will not be that much lower with this case, but working inside of it will be easier, and in terms of quality, the difference is alot for a mere $15.
 
6. Ask about extra fans for the Pro case. At $10 each, if I should have done anything differently with my own system, that would have been it.
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Posts: 15 		  Quote Clouded Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 26 Nov 2007 at 9:48pm
Thanks for the help, If they have the Pro case in stock I'll try and go with that, otherwise I guess the Lite will do. I'll also be sure to ask about the additional fans.

One thing I noticed new when browsing the config again today is the new motherboard, the Asus one. I also saw that the new Wolfsdale 45nm Core 2 Duos are coming out soon, is it worth waiting for them? I'm curious about the performance benefit/cost though since after trying to find some info nothing came up except Penryn numbers which I'm not interested in atm (quad-core, I mean). I really want to have this comp finished and shipped out to my location (New England) before Christmas though, so if it will be another few weeks I'll forget about it.
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 26 Nov 2007 at 10:02pm


Those prices are for quantities of 1000.

They are stated to release sometime in Jan 08. So you probably won't be getting one of these if you want the computer by Christmas.

The prices for these will be more expensive than the current 65nm chips just because it's "new stuff".
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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Posts: 272 		  Quote Nomad Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 26 Nov 2007 at 10:13pm
$999 for a processor alone?!?!
That's some pretty crazy stuff LOL
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz
2GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz XMS2
320GB Western Digital
nVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB
Windows Vista Home Premium
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Posts: 15 		  Quote Clouded Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 26 Nov 2007 at 10:50pm
Is going with the Asus maximus mobo a better idea since I don't plan on going SLI and it's the same price? Looking at some reviews I hear it's going to be more compatible with future hardware and is just as fast and stable for OCing. After thinking about it in the future I might consider going for the new quad-cores as well, is it going to be compatible with them or no?

I'm wondering what some of the articles are talking about when they say the mobo is water-cooled though. Or is that only the special edition of it? Would that require any maintenance/resupplying the cooling liquid or am I wrong  about it entirely (probably)?
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Posts: 2220 		  Quote skyR Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 26 Nov 2007 at 10:53pm
Priced exactly the same, it is better to get the Maximus Formula if you do not plan on doing SLI.

The Maximus Formula does support the 45nm quad cores.

The mobo has the option of being water cooled but it can be run fine perfectly without water.
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star.
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Posts: 15 		  Quote Clouded Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 27 Nov 2007 at 10:56pm
Thanks again for all the help, there's just one more thing I want to consider before I place the order - should I grab a cheap soundcard? (the least expensive one is the only one I could grab without breaking budget iirc) Will I see much improvement in fps/sound quality playing games or even enhanced playing music?

I've tried finding some info on the Asus Maximus internal soundcard but it seems that all the reviews which come up are only about the special edition of the mobo even when I don't search for it.


Edited by Clouded - 27 Nov 2007 at 10:58pm
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Tyler Lowe View Drop Down
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Posts: 0 		  Quote Tyler Lowe Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 27 Nov 2007 at 11:14pm
Any soundcard is going to provide better quality than onboard sound. More expensive cards will have better signal to noise ratios, higher fidelity and wider frequency response range, but even a $30 card is an improvement to sound quality.
 
From the reviews and guides I have read, the FPS gain isn't going to be huge, no matter which card you go with. 1-2 FPS is average. 
 
Just given the improvement in audio, especially if you plan on listening to music, a cheap soundcard is a good buy IMO. Just remember to use analog headphones, not the USB type, or you bypass the card.
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Posts: 262 		  Quote commast Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 28 Nov 2007 at 12:41am
Originally posted by Tyler Lowe

Any soundcard is going to provide better quality than onboard sound. More expensive cards will have better signal to noise ratios, higher fidelity and wider frequency response range, but even a $30 card is an improvement to sound quality.
 
From the reviews and guides I have read, the FPS gain isn't going to be huge, no matter which card you go with. 1-2 FPS is average. 
 
Just given the improvement in audio, especially if you plan on listening to music, a cheap soundcard is a good buy IMO. Just remember to use analog headphones, not the USB type, or you bypass the card.


Exactly. The sad thing is that there are a lot of people who thinks the built-in audio sound really good Ouch
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