new systemPost Date: 2007-12-15 |
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Jeffrey Wilens 
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 Topic: new systemPosted: 15 Dec 2007 at 5:25pm |
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Please comment on this new system for mixed gaming/school use by my kids (okay maybe a little by me too).
My concerns include adequate power supply and air cooling. I am limited to a tower less than 19" due to certain factors. I went with the OC on the CPU and GPU but am not sure which, if any, OC option should be selected on the memory.
Case: Digital Storm Twister PRO (Black Anodized Aluminum Finish)
Power Supply: 750W SilverStone Olympia (Dual SLI Compatible) (Model: OP750) (Silent) Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.00GHz (1333MHz Front Side Bus) (4MB Cache) Motherboard: nVidia 680i LT Core 2 Quad (By: eVGA) (nForce 680i SLI) Memory: 2GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz Dominator (Dual Channel) (High-Performance) Floppy / Card: Sony 1.44MB Floppy (Black Edition) Hard Drive 1: 150GB Western Digital Raptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive 2: 150GB Western Digital Raptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed) Raid Option: Setup hard drive 1 and 2 in a Raid 0 Stripe (Read and Write Performance Boost) Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD-ROM/CD-ROM (DVD Reader 16x / CD Reader 40x) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (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: - No Thanks Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables (Black Edition) User Manual: Personalized Platinum Digital Storm Binder (Includes Paperwork/Benchmarks/CDs/Manuals) Overclock Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability Overclock Video Card: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability 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 my keyboard comes with a mouse Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty Support: Lifetime Toll-Free Platinum Care Technical Support |
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Solo
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Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 395 |
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Posted: 15 Dec 2007 at 6:09pm |
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Hello. If you do go with that, the 2 8800GT's run pretty hot. You should call DSO and ask for additional fans to be put in the case. |
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Jeffrey Wilens
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Posted: 15 Dec 2007 at 7:27pm |
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Thanks I did not see an option for additional fans so I will call them about it. Any advice on the overclocking issues.
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Solo
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Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 395 |
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Posted: 15 Dec 2007 at 8:01pm |
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Well you dont REALLY need to overclock the GPU's at all. 2 8800GT is very powerful. I have them myself not overclocked and they handle every game maxed out. Overclocking them could possibly shorten their lifespan / cause more overheating problems.
Personally I would over overclock the CPU.
You can also get a pretty cheap soundcard to take a slight load off your cpu.
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commast
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Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 262 |
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Posted: 15 Dec 2007 at 10:28pm |
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I would go with the A1 revision motherboard instead--better OC and performance.
Go with a single card if you don't have a big monitor like 24" or more---less heat too since your case is not very big. It will be cheaper if you overclock the cpu and ram yourself. There are plenty of guides on the net. I wouldn't OC the video card though since you only gain a few frame rates in games but its performance in window is still the same even with the OC. Get a soundblaster card like audigy or x-fi instead of the built-in Realtek audio which is not that great. |
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 16 Dec 2007 at 2:23am |
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Well... That case is a mismatch with the components. You'll be much happier with an Ultra or Extreme case if you plan to SLI 8800GT's. I know, it's a big jump in price. If I could try to convince you of one thing, it would be the worth of a case upgrade over running SLI.
As Comast mentioned, SLI is of greater benefit to those running higher resolutions. If you are running close to the edge of your planned budget, I would seriously consider dropping a GPU and upgrading the case to something that can provide the sort of cooling those cards really need. You can always drop in a second GPU later. Replacing the case a touch harder
 .If you have a little more room in that budget, simply upgrade the case, and be sure to ask about additional fans (the 8800's crank out *alot* of heat). Overclocking the GPU's is something I would recomend against as well, especially if you are going to be running 100% air cooled and using the stock coolers on the 8800GT's. The only substantial gain you are apt to see is in temperatures.
If you would just rather have the professionals deal with your RAM and CPU OC's than deal with it yourself, personally, I would opt for the RAM speed increase if you are pairing PC6400 with a FSB that is likely to get close to the 1600 MHz mark. IMO, definately go for the A1 board if you want the RAM speed pushed. The LT isn't rated for higher than 800MHz RAM. Higher speeds may, or may not work correctly.
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Jeffrey Wilens
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Posted: 16 Dec 2007 at 5:34pm |
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I appreciate the suggestions from this forum, it's great.
I would get a larger tower if I could, but I cannot. I only have 19" of height available in my cabinet. There is plenty of width (not enough for sideways however) and depth with an open back.
I don't think I will OC anything except the CPU. Do I still need the more expensive Striker board?
As for the SLI set up, we are using a 50" Samsung DLP TV display with resolution of 1280x720 or 1980x1080. We will probably use the 720 resolution most often. Even at a lower resolution, SLI shows substantial improvements.
For example, on Tom's Hardware, using the same 1024x768 resolution for an outdoors Elder Scrolls setting, one OC 8800GT yields 57 FPS while two OC 8800GTs yields 107 FPS. Even though my 8800GTs will not be OC, I would expect a similar improvement in frame rate. While even 57 FPS is fine, I'm sure that at certain points the difference would be more significant like 25 versus 50 FPS.
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Solo
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Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 395 |
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Posted: 16 Dec 2007 at 5:49pm |
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No, you do not need the more expensive board, but from what I understand the boards like the A1 revision have more options in the bios so DSO has more to work with when OC'ing. |
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skyR
Newbie
Digital Storm Apprentice 
Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2220 |
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Posted: 16 Dec 2007 at 5:52pm |
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Solo said that he didn't overclock his GPU but he received a factory overclocked 8800GT.. I would assume you will get the same.
1280x720 is a really really low resolution and you won't see improvements with SLI for a lot of games... Here's one review on 8800GT SLI: http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/468/1/ |
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 16 Dec 2007 at 5:59pm |
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Yeah, sorry, I knew you had a limitation before I started writing that, just spaced it (forgive the pun
). Is that strictly a height limitation, or is this system going to be enclosed from more than one side?
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Jeffrey Wilens
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Posted: 17 Dec 2007 at 2:21am |
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The tower will be enclosed from the sides only and not front or back. And the sides are 14" wide so pushing the computer to one side means there will be plenty of air space on the side vent (assuming there is a side vent).
As for the time-honored debate on the efficacy of SLI, has anyone tried a SLI set up with Crysis versus a single more powerful card?
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Tyler Lowe
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Posted: 17 Dec 2007 at 1:12pm |
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DSO will build with cases not in their config screen, I looked briefly for some other case options and could only find Zalman's Z Machine which, tbh, seems a tad over priced at ~$400. So.. sticking with the Pro case, and trying to ensure best performance without going too far over what your original configuration priced out at:
I dropped the raid setup to save some cash, leaving a single Raptor. It's not *that* much slower for a software driven RAID setup vs a single drive. The $$$ I trimmed from the build went to a thermo-electric chill for the CPU, so that all available air flow goes to cooling the mem chipset controller, RAM, and GPU's. I also dropped the SLI in favor of a GTS, not for the additional resolution capability, but for the dual slot cooling solution. The second DVD ROM, was also sacked, in an effort to leave room for an additional front 120mm fan.
I also moved up to the better motherboard. This will get you a better OC on your CPU. Personally, I would look at the ASUS board and forget SLI for the resolutions you want to play at, since the ASUS board will support the Penryn quads, just in case you want to upgrade your CPU in a couple of years. I left it at a Nvidia board however, in case you decided later you want that second GPU.
That's my best stab at it. A nice fast HDD for your gaming, a large 7200RPM drive to store the kids' school projects and music files, enhanced cooling, and room to drop in a second GPU later if you really feel that the single GPU isn't enough.
Good luck  .Edited by Tyler Lowe - 17 Dec 2007 at 1:15pm |
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Jeffrey Wilens
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Posted: 17 Dec 2007 at 2:01pm |
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Thanks Tyler. I also spoke to a tech support person at DSO who assured me there are no heat issues with the 8800GT SLI in the tower case. However, he said they do not (cannot?) add fans to the Pro tower, but the ones are sufficient.
So a lot to think about and consider.
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 17 Dec 2007 at 11:04pm |
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Interesting. My 8600GT overheats with a slot fan located both above and below the card after about 2 hours of FarCry at max settings. I'm running that GPU at 100% stock speed, but with the fan duty cycle set to 100%.
My processor does put out more heat than the CPU you've selected. I don't know as I believe it puts out enough to equal 2*8800GT's, but I'm no tech so I'll leave my comments at that.
Heh, I lied.
One more item:
 This is a Scythe Kama Bay . It can be mounted into 3 standard 5.25" drive bays to provide an additional intake fan for any case with 3 empty bays available. DSO should be able to get one of these for you and install it in that case if you make the request. You would have to ask them about price. Edited by Tyler Lowe - 17 Dec 2007 at 11:59pm |
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Jeffrey Wilens
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 1:25am |
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Tyler, you have the A1 Revision board I notice and based on what the tech told me, I would not get a whole lot of OC from my C2D 6850 using the LT board. I'm thinking I may just scrap the SLI set up and either get a single 8800GT 512K or the just released 8800 GTS 512K. I suspect the latter is a little faster but whether its enough to justify the slightly higher price is not clear.
If I dump the SLI I don't really need the 680i board either and can use a more reliable board. Recommendations?
I realize that will preclude an upgrade to a SLI in the future but I don't care so much about upgradability because I don't tend to upgrade existing computers. We have several computers in the household and when I get the itch for a new system, I just buy it and the former king of the hill gets shifted down to another family member and so on. I don't like to mess with them once they are built and stable.
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sundowner
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Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 501 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 1:32am |
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If you're not going to go SLI go with the Asus mobo, you'll get a higher OC, more usb ports, the PCI slots are 2.0, and the CPU port is 45nm compatible. Out of all the boards available it's the best choice for future proofing. Also down the line if ATI catches up with nvidia you can go crossfire with it.
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Pro case with extra fan
Quad Q6600 2.4 OC'd 3.1! Nvidia 8800GT Asus Maximus Formula Mobo 2xgb 800mhz corsair xfire - xuntiltheendx |
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 2:24am |
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I like my system very much. But had the ASUS board been abvailable when I ordered, I would very probably have gone that way. There's a nice review on that board here.
As far as the two GPU's go, I pulled a chart from that same site that speaks to why I would look at the GTS over the GT. Check out the temps under load:
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sundowner
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Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 501 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 2:51am |
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My only question is if the temperature for the GT that they're showing is with it's fan at the default speed, if so that explains why it's so hot since the default is 25% I believe. |
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Pro case with extra fan
Quad Q6600 2.4 OC'd 3.1! Nvidia 8800GT Asus Maximus Formula Mobo 2xgb 800mhz corsair xfire - xuntiltheendx |
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Solo
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 395 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 3:26am |
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29 percent default. I have the same problem. I dont know how to install latest bios to fix it either, I called tech support they were pretty busy... didnt push them though because RivaTuner is a very easy fix.
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 11:47am |
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The GTS in the chart is an overclocked card vs a reference GT. Even if you were to increase the fan cycle on the GT, it in no way has the same cooling potential out of the box. The GT is an amazing card for the price, but without help (some of the partners are now replacing the reference fan) it runs *warm* to say the least.
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sundowner
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Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 501 |
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Posted: 18 Dec 2007 at 7:54pm |
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They also had time to make adjustments to the GTS once they realized how they screwed up the GT's fan.
What surprises me about that chart is the fact that the GTX is cooler at idle than the GTS.
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Pro case with extra fan
Quad Q6600 2.4 OC'd 3.1! Nvidia 8800GT Asus Maximus Formula Mobo 2xgb 800mhz corsair xfire - xuntiltheendx |
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