Quick Build ReviewPost Date: 2008-05-14 |
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Tripwire 
Newbie 
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36 |
 Quote Reply
 Topic: Quick Build ReviewPosted: 14 May 2008 at 1:35pm |
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Long time listener, first time caller...
 I tried contacting DS through the "Personalized Help" e-mail but didn't get a response - it may not be working, so I'll try by phone at some point. I was hoping someone could review this build and let me know if there are any obvious incompatibilities or concerns from a video/cooling/processor standpoint. Any feedback is much appreciated:
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos S (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache) Motherboard: nVidia 750i SLI Core 2 Quad (nForce 750i SLI) Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance) Floppy / Card: - No Thanks Hard Drive 1: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive 2: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Raid Option: - No Thanks 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) (LightScribe Edition) Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (nVidia GeForce 8800GTX 768MB) TV Tuner: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (Recommended) Physics Card: - No Thanks Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans) Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables (Blue Cables) 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 (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) 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: Microsoft Multimedia Desktop 2.0 (Multimedia Keyboard + Optical Wheel Mouse) 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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jimbo
Groupie 
Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 14 May 2008 at 3:32pm |
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I like it.
Curious why you selected stage 3 coolinig and not requesting overclocking the CPU. Also if you overclock the memory you get the additional colling fans on the memoy.
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Life's too short
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SunfighterLC
DS Veteran 
Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1527 |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 at 5:45pm |
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He probably plans to do the overclocking himself. That is a very solid system, i cant see any real flaws in it. Though sorta curious with the money spent on why a 750 vs a 780i mobo. And maybe another debate on using a 88GTX vs a 98GTX, but i assume he knows the differences already, and made an educated decision on taking the 88
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E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra 1000W Corsair HX 2 280 GTX EVGA FTW 4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz 250-80-300GB VR HD Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers Asus Xonar 7.1 Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor |
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jimbo
Groupie
Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 at 6:49pm |
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Yep, only he knows and can tell us
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Life's too short
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sargeman
Newbie
Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20 |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 at 7:09pm |
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Check and make sure the power supply is big enough for sli and two hd's.
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Kelly
Senior Member 
Digital Storm Customer Service 
Joined: 13 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 791 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 14 May 2008 at 7:56pm |
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that power supply isn't strong enough for 2 GTX's. Unfortunately the next PSU we offer is the 1000w.
But other than that, it is a VERY solid system. :)
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SunfighterLC
DS Veteran
Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1527 |
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Posted: 14 May 2008 at 8:51pm |
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How come you guys dropped the 850W ?
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E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra 1000W Corsair HX 2 280 GTX EVGA FTW 4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz 250-80-300GB VR HD Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers Asus Xonar 7.1 Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor |
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Kelly
Senior Member
Digital Storm Customer Service
Joined: 13 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 791 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 3:09am |
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I really don't know. I wish we could bring in the new PcPower and cooling 860w ESA Psu...
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!ender_
DS Veteran
Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 6:45am |
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with a system like that i would go for 9800gx2 or at least gtx, the 9 series cards may not be as good as they should but the gtx is going to start losing ground to the g92 imo, not very future proof tiny tip, id get 2x lightscribe, the other drive you picked is IDE and it makes for a less clean case interior... and its what, $9 for sata on the lightscribe?
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Tripwire
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 8:56am |
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Thanks so much for the feedback, I knew I came to the right place...
Jimbo and Sunfighter: You guys give me entirely too much credit.
 I was trying to piece together a system that I thought would give me the best performance without overheating or breaking the bank. I wasn't sure if overclocking would result in some serious smoke coming from the case with this configuration. I appreciate the suggestion and changed the configuration accordingly. I also went with the 780i Mobo.Kelly: Thanks for the power supply tip. I thought it may be pushing it with the 750w, but didn't know if 1000w would be overkill. Change made!
!Ender: I switched to dual Lightscribes - thanks for the "cleanliness" tip. That's one of those things you just couldn't know without actually seeing the thing in action.
In summary, you guys rock and I really appreciate the help and suggestions. This is what the new config looks like, but it's starting to get to the "wife's gonna kill me" price point.
Any other "bang for the buck" tips?
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos S (Black Aluminum Edition)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache) Motherboard: nVidia 780i Core 2 Quad (nForce 780i SLI) Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 1066MHz Dominator DHX (Extreme-Performance) Floppy / Card: - No Thanks Hard Drive 1: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive 2: 500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Raid Option: - No Thanks Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) (LightScribe Edition) Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) (LightScribe Edition) Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Quad (nVidia GeForce 9800GX2 1GB) TV Tuner: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (Recommended) Physics Card: - No Thanks Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans) Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Round Cables: Enhanced Interior Air Flow (Optical Drive & Floppy Cables (Blue Cables) 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: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Overclock Memory: Yes, Overclock memory timings (Includes Corsair Dominator Airflow Fan Upgrade) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) 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: Microsoft Multimedia Desktop 2.0 (Multimedia Keyboard + Optical Wheel Mouse) 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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Kelly
Senior Member
Digital Storm Customer Service
Joined: 13 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 791 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 9:47am |
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I personally would ask in regards to the graphics card:
do you want the best or do you want the newest?
As it stands, the 8800GTX/Ultra is better than the the 9800GTX/GX2.
The only thing that is better than the 8800GTX/ULTRA is the upcoming RT200. And it's not even guaranteed to be released this year. Edited by Kelly - 15 May 2008 at 9:51am |
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Tripwire
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 10:11am |
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I'd probably prefer the best, with an eye toward the future. Not that I'm a complete technophile that has to have the latest and greatest every year, but I would like this rig to last a little while. I currently have a 5+ year old Alienware, so if I can get that life out of this machine I'll be happy! I saw the video performance chart and it looks like the 8800 GTX is tops in the dual configuration, so maybe that's the way to go...
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Tyler Lowe
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 15 May 2008 at 11:44am |
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I agree with Kelly on the overall performance of the 88GTX vs the 98GTX... however- the performance is fairly close in most situations. If you do reach that "wife danger zone" in terms of pricing, the 98GTX is slightly weaker than the 88GTX, but also less expensive. Like so many other things, it's a trade off of price and performance.
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Tripwire
Newbie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 3:03pm |
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Thanks Tyler - I appreciate the reply. Now, I just have to get everything in order and muster the nerve to click the "Order" button...
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SunfighterLC
DS Veteran
Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1527 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 3:11pm |
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Honestly the only thing holding back the 98's is their starved memory bandwidth. At high rez + AA, they will run out of video memory and slow down. The 88s dont have that problem as they have a larger bandwidth + overall memory. If you dont run into that problem though, the 98s are slightly faster FPS wise.
Honestly though, if you check out skyr's post in general, the new cards are expected now less then a month away, if you can hold on that long it maybe worth it, that or you could request EVGA cards, and then do their trade up thing.
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E8500@ 4.03Ghz
XFX 790i Ultra 1000W Corsair HX 2 280 GTX EVGA FTW 4GB OCZ Reaper 1800Mhz 250-80-300GB VR HD Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers Asus Xonar 7.1 Hanns-G HG 281D 28" HDMI Monitor |
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Kelly
Senior Member
Digital Storm Customer Service
Joined: 13 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 791 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 4:22pm |
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guys, don't spread false information here.
There are NO facts stating the new cards are coming out when and where and what the specs are. Everything that is out now are speculations at best.
I was at the NVTech conference last monday and tuesday, and i can assure you that there isn't coming out until q3 or q4 at best.
Do you all remember when the 8800GT and the 9 series cards were "supposed" to be released vs. when they were ACTUALLY released?
That's right... Nvidia never meets their projected release times.
So anyway, try to keep a general rule of thumb when it comes to computer hardware and software... It's not getting released until it's released. Edited by Kelly - 15 May 2008 at 4:23pm |
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e.fruman
Groupie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 140 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 7:44pm |
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you should run your hard drives in raid 0 and to save you some buck your not going to need 1tb of data thats ridiculous imo go with two raptors in raid 0 for the best performance or reduce those to 250-300
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e.fruman
Groupie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 140 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 7:56pm |
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Case: Digital Storm 850Si (Black Anodized Aluminum Finish)
Power Supply: 1000W SilverStone Strider (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Model: ST1000) (Silent) Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache) Motherboard: nVidia 780i Core 2 Quad (nForce 780i SLI) Memory: 4GB DDR2 Corsair at 800MHz Dominator DHX (High-Performance) Floppy / Card: - No Thanks 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 hard drive 2 in a Raid 0 Stripe Configuration (Expert) 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) (LightScribe Edition) Network Card: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: nVidia GeForce 8800ULTRA 768MB TV Tuner: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE Physics Card: - No Thanks Cooling: Air Cooled Stage 3 WindTunnel (Copper Heatpipe Heatsink & Zalman Case Fans) Case Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Blue Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Round Cables: - No Thanks 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: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Overclock Memory: Yes, Overclock memory timings (Includes Corsair Dominator Airflow Fan Upgrade) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) 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: Microsoft Multimedia Desktop 2.0 (Multimedia Keyboard + Optical Wheel Mouse) 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 this would be my build its under 3500 |
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gdhart
Senior Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 131 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 8:22pm |
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One thing to keep in mind when using a RAID-0 is that if one drive fails you loose everything on both drives as happened to me about 2 weeks ago. It might be better to use a single Raptor as your OS and a second non-raptor large disk to store your other documents. Or optiminally a Rapter for your OS and a pair of larger non-raptors in a RAID-1 for storing more important files and documents. |
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850W PSU/Pro Case
Q6600-G0 2.7GHz nVidia 680i A1 Revision 4GB 800MHz XMS2 1x500 GB WD, 2x500GB WD RAID-1 2x500GB Ext nVidia GeForce 8800GTX 768MB ATI TV Wonder 650 Air Cooled Stage 3 |
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e.fruman
Groupie
Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 140 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 15 May 2008 at 10:35pm |
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or raid o and an additional hardrive for backup/misc files
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