|
|
|
The Ultimate Dream Computer
|
|
|
Neverhap
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
9. June 2007 @ 14:44 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by ddp:
my 1st ibm type pc was a xt turbo clone, 640k of ram, 5.25" fh floppy, monochrome monitor & dos 3.
My first IBM PC was a PC I in 1982, with 64KB of memory, however, I added a 265KB expansion board, 2 5 1/4 floopy drive ($500 a piece), and 20MB HD (external) and tape backup, DOS 1.X, and mono monitor. Couldn't wait for DOS 2.0, which overcame the 2048 max number of files the OS would allow.
Oh, price $12,000.00.
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
9. June 2007 @ 15:45 |
Link to this message
|
|
1.65Vcore does sound a little high, it'd be more reassuring to hear you can run the system with it lower. My NB Vcore is that high, but the lousy BIOS means I can't really be bothered to find a setting where a lower voltage will work.
15414 is an outstanding 3dmark score, well above double mine, hope you can utilise all that power!
|
Senior Member
|
9. June 2007 @ 15:46 |
Link to this message
|
|
hey frank, thats a damm nice setup you have got there and doing it your self (the pc build :P) should make you proud. what you should do now is run some benches and post the results in the oc thread and make us all cry :)
take it easy.
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
9. June 2007 @ 15:53 |
Link to this message
|
|
I'd say 15,586 in 3dmark06 is a pretty good start. How about 6755? <whimper> <sob>
|
|
docTY
Member
|
10. June 2007 @ 00:48 |
Link to this message
|
@fasfrank
with a little bit of tweaking, i am certain you can catch up to my 3DMark06 score (and even surpass it) since i lowered my cpu speed to 3.6ghz to run the tests, also, i brought my 8800gtx's in SLI back to stock speed for a more "fair" test to compare and demonstrate what a good balance of components can achieve.
my own was illustrated here:
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/160/344865#3093359
when i had my cpu at a hair higher than 4.0ghz (wasn't completely stable mind you, it crashed before i could save the screenshot) i was ALMOST @ 20,000 3DMark06 score and both my 8800gtx's were overclocked too, it's not something i could brag about simply because the system was NOT stable enough to claim 24/7 usability, i just wanted to see what i could get "maxin" every component out :)
just changing a few settings now i could easily attain 17,000+ 3DMark06 scores but it's never been about "benchmark racing" for me, it's interesting for me to see what others are getting though with similiar components, as with overclocking, it's become more of a 2nd nature to me and i do it on EVERY system i build, but each with it's own limits/goals depending on WHO will be using the system primarily. :)
it's all in good fun and i build high end rigs. as a hobby in what little spare time i have. much like you, i work long hours, 6 days/week in fact, and can only dedicate the little extra time i have to putting a build together and then "testing" it later and "OC'in" it even later. all in all, if i were to TRY to calculate/approximate the total time spent from start to final finish -including build time, installation of OS and all programs, testing, tweaking, OC'in, modding the mobo, swapping out diff. components in hopes of find the "best" one to do the job, fine tuning to what i consider "perfect" specs, etc...i could honestly say, we looking at about 40 hours total- you can add another 10 hours to that figure once you get into water cooling, ie. leak tests/filling/draining/properly fitting/cutting the tubing, etc. (which is more than double of what you spent on this most recent very nice build of yours) :)
nothing wrong with being meticulous about your rig., i look at it as time well spent to do it RIGHT the first time, so you won't have to do it again in the near future should something happen...good luck!
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
10. June 2007 @ 18:05 |
Link to this message
|
|
Hi Doc,
It's always good to get your input. I appreciate it. I just started so there are a lot of unknowns I have to work through. Reading yours and others posts has helped a lot.
I did manage to get a 3DMark06 of 15714 after tweaking the 8800GTS cards up and pushing the FSB a bit harder. I think I'm right at the pre-supernova point though so I backed things down. I managed Orthos for about 20 minutes until the 65 core temp worried me and I stopped the test. I don't know what the upper temp limit is and really don't want to find out by roasting my new parts.lol.
Cheers,
Frank
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
10. June 2007 @ 23:12 |
Link to this message
|
|
65 for the CPU or GPU? For the CPU that's obviously too hot, for the GPU that's barely more than idle, my X1900XT's load temperature with the stock cooler was about 90-91C, that's about average.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
15. June 2007 @ 00:07 |
Link to this message
|
|
Hi Sam,
You know when Orthos runs it hits those different test points and at one point it jumped from 59 up to 65. I didn't like that at all so I took all the settings back to default and now I'm working my way back up again. 3.6 Ghz @1.575 Vcore and 50°C Max. Orthos stable for 2 hours. Seems a bit more reasonable. I can probably lower the Vcore a tiny bit but I'd rather raise the FSB. I 'll probably just leave that as it is and work on the memory speed/timings.
Cheers,
Frank
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
15. June 2007 @ 01:55 |
Link to this message
|
|
Interesting, because the reviews I've seen of the Ultra 120 Extreme show it doesn't even break 50C all the way up to 3.8Ghz. I do however know that upping the Vcore makes a huge difference, my case has a lot more hot air to expel since upping to 3Ghz and needing to raise the Vcore to 1.42.
|
|
docTY
Member
|
15. June 2007 @ 17:40 |
Link to this message
|
fasfrank
there are 2 major factors that come to mind when trying to analyze your setup and they are as follows:
1. i would surmise that your particular stepping for your cpu has been "nerfed" in a way compared to the older Core 2 duos, ie. meaning, the OC' potential might not be as high as the older revisions/batches AND it might require more vcore to reach those higher speeds, as it's been reflected by your findings...
2. you MAY want to consider lapping your cpu AND the base of your ultra-120 extreme (if you feel adventurous of course, as it definitely VOIDS your cpu warranty and is time consuming) most people don't take it to that extreme and i haven't lapped my own cpu at this point yet either because my own batch/binning is good enough to hit 4ghz without the procedure, but if done correctly, you could take 4C-10C off your cpu temp by doing so...i am going to try it on my future builds once newer chips are released and see if it proves advantageous in lowering temps. :)
here is a lil guide written and made by a friend of mine, his overclocking "extremeness" actually puts MY OWN efforts to shame, i've learned a lot from him and when we've spoken on the phone, he's given me tips and advice to get me to the 4ghz mark on the C2Ds :)
http://www.thetechrepository.com/showthread.php?t=71
i suppose you could say he's been MY "mentor" of sorts in helping me push my rigs. past the norm and closer into the range of the "phase change OC'ers" out there~ :) i obviously can't hit the numbers and temps that phase change users do, but i can easily surpass MANY water-cooler OCer's on my own custom H2O system~ :)
hope that gives you something to consider on your own system, as i mentioned before, your vcore is a bit high for a c2d (even if that is what is required to keep YOUR cpu stable) and the temps of a Conroe that you've given is closer to the temps of my quad-core...
i HAVE lapped my heatsink/fan unit (ultra 120-extreme) though, it took me like an hour using 220grit sandpaper first...then followed by 400 grit, then i simply went 800--->2000---->finished with 2500grit at the very end. i bought the small packs of various grit sandpaper very inexpensively @ Home Depot here in the U.S. and have plenty leftover for future heatsinks, total cost < $7 :)
since my camera is still in the shop for repairs, this is a picture i found showing what the end result looks like, it's almost identical to my own ultra-120 extreme with the shiny COPPER finish. :)
there ya go :)
docTY
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
16. June 2007 @ 01:22 |
Link to this message
|
|
I can understand smoothing down the heatsink base, but the CPU too!
|
|
tripplite
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
16. June 2007 @ 05:20 |
Link to this message
|
|
hmmmmmmm, so tasty, Buffalo Firestix ram is a must for gamers, i had 2gigs upgraded to two 2gigs of firestix and..... the difference is out of this world, therE!!!!! GREAT
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
16. June 2007 @ 05:28 |
Link to this message
|
|
Can't say I've ever heard of it. It could just be you've upped to lower latency high speed RAM, in which case any brand would do.
|
|
docTY
Member
|
16. June 2007 @ 07:58 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by sammorris:
Can't say I've ever heard of it. It could just be you've upped to lower latency high speed RAM, in which case any brand would do.
that is EXACTLY the case, the Firestix are made no better than ANY of the other brand of manufacturers (ie. Corsair, OCZ, Mushkin, Kingston, Crucial, G.Skill, Patriot, etc...) i am willing to guess that perhaps you went from pc2-5300/5400 (ddr2-667) to pc2-6400 (ddr2-800) in your upgrade tripplite, 2gigs or not of equal size, but higher speed and possibly lower timings as sammorris stated :)
im glad they work well for you and that you are so ecstatic about them, if they make you happy, that's what counts.
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
16. June 2007 @ 08:31 |
Link to this message
|
|
As for me, I think I'll stick with Corsair.
|
|
docTY
Member
|
16. June 2007 @ 08:34 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by sammorris:
As for me, I think I'll stick with Corsair.
as will I :)
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
16. June 2007 @ 10:17 |
Link to this message
|
|
Hi Doc,
I lapped the Thermalright Ultra 90 on my quad core rig a few days ago and used some carefully applied AS Céramique.
It made it a couple of degrees cooler. Kinda dissapointed. I'm not going to lap the cpu though just because I'd rather not get it around water mixed with finely ground metal particles. I've got enough problems, lol.
Hey Doc, I'm going to continue this over in the overclocking thread... Seems I'm getting off the Dream Computer topic. Hope to see you there.
|
|
PacMan777
AfterDawn Addict
|
19. June 2007 @ 17:20 |
Link to this message
|
|
FasFrank
You're working with the renowned doc, so you appear to be in good hands. There's nothing wrong with savoring the build experience.
The ceramic improves a bit as it cures, but you probably won't get over 1 or 2 degrees C improvement from curing. If you already have an improvement of a couple degrees, then you're not doing too shabbily. It's all the little things you do that add up in the end.
As for myself, I still prefer the regular AS paste or the new Zalman liquid. The regular AS cures faster and transfers heat as well. The difference is that the ceramic isn't conductive. So be careful and don't use a gob and you get the cooling results faster with the regular AS. Some beginning builders have used too much compound and allowed it to ooze out onto circuits (causing problems). With ceramic it only looks a little messy. From what I've seen ceramic is more a safety precaution than a more effective heat transfer material.
Lapping? I can see where it would be useful, but I've not needed it yet. The top end coolers are already smooth and shiny and I've not met any CPUs that needed lapping. I've not been building any exotic water cooled units or using phase change.
On the memory, I'll stick with docty and sammorris. Corsair is a well liked brand for a reason. I'll have to say I like some of the offerings by OCZ as well.
|
|
docTY
Member
|
19. June 2007 @ 17:55 |
Link to this message
|
|
thanks for the compliment PacMan777, i also like some of OCZ's memory offerings as well and STILL use a few kits of their DDR models today for my AMD socket 939 rig :) i actually tested their "flexXLC" model (with the built in water cooling heatsink that you can choose to hookup if you have a water cooling rig. or just use passively on air) on their DDR2 kit, it's very well built and has decent timings that remain stable, but when dealing with HIGH end memory kits, i still prefer Corsair Dominators on air or G.Skill kits for their even MORE aggressive timings "out of the box" :)
OCZ's FlexXLC kits are very innovative and i give them credit where credit is due, but personally when dealing with high end memory, i would prefer more aggressive timings using specially binned/picked Micron chips...over that of exceptional cooling to the memory itself :)
@fasfrank
i just popped up in the overclocking thread, been very busy over the past week, let's see what we can do with your current setups :)
|
|
PacMan777
AfterDawn Addict
|
19. June 2007 @ 18:23 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
thanks for the compliment PacMan777,
You're welcome, but your rep usually precedes you here at AD.
Your comment as to the "why" with the RAM was well put and to the point.
|
|
senseitx
Newbie
|
3. July 2007 @ 14:50 |
Link to this message
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
3. July 2007 @ 17:54 |
Link to this message
|
|
I've got the same motherboard and have nothing but good things to say about it.
I'd get a SATA DVD burner instead of the IDE one you have listed.
Are you going to overclock?
The current quad cores run hot as hell, maybe the new ones won't. I like the Zalman and I have one on an E6700, but for a quad I'd go with the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme. It will fit the EVGA board and clear the chipset cooler. Add a 1600 RPM Scythe fan to it for about the best air cooling you can get.
You power supply is overkill for one 8800GTX video card. Awesome none the less. I use an Enermax Galaxy 850W with two 8800GTS in SLI.
For me, I'd skip the webcam, downgrade the keyboard, headphones, monitor and get another GTX video card. I'd also have just two WD150 Raptors. If you really need another HDD then you could add it later. That's just me though. I go for the performance first and then add other stuff later.
BTW all your Newegg links seem to be broken. You may have to re-copy/paste them in again from Newegg product pages. Kinda like you copy/pasted them from your first post... Which broke them.
|
|
senseitx
Newbie
|
4. July 2007 @ 02:18 |
Link to this message
|
|
|
|
docTY
Member
|
4. July 2007 @ 04:21 |
Link to this message
|
|
everything looks good on your "final" list with the exception of your change in mobos...i would def. suggest you stick w/ the eVGA (i believe fasfrank got it after my suggestion, i've had it since it was first introduced on the market- older AR revision, which i RMA'd for the A1 version due to me getting a quad-core Q6600) :)
anyways, i don't know what made you change your mind on the eVGA, but i can tell you right now it's far more "mature" in terms of BIOS revisions and familiarity among enthusiasts than that Abit mobo...not saying that the Abit isn't any good, i'm sure it's quite good, i was actually going to try it about a month ago before i decided against it to build my server PC.
everything else, even the Silverstone 1000w monster (something I would go for myself, i've used the Zeus (SST-ST85ZF) 850 Watt model before and it was fantastic in terms of stability and power range.)
i've already got 2x 8800gtx in SLI like you plan on doing, if going stock, it DOES get quite warm so make sure your choice in cases is well ventilated and has sufficient space/room to install properly. THermaltake Armor series definitely fits the bill :)
in terms of cpu, if the price is around $300 as purported, i will pick one up myself (E6850), only reason for me doing so is to test out the 1333mhz bus advantage, the stock cpu speed starts at a nice even/round number which is nice, but given my affinity to overclock anything i get my hands on, i will try for a stable 4.0ghz 24/7 daily running machine once it's available. if it's priced as you suggested, that would make a terrific processor to base your new build around, overclocked or not, it's already "up there" in terms of speed for a decent price ($300-$350 is fair, anything more i would opt for a lower less expensive E6x50 model chip and OC the hell outta it, using the 1333mhz bus of course)
all in all, your build on paper sounds very good and it's very close to my current dual core build (C2D machine) spec wise, once completed, you will have yourself a MONSTER of a machine, both in bragging rights AND in the real world performance sector. good luck
docTY
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
4. July 2007 @ 05:59 |
Link to this message
|
|
I too agree you should go with the EVGA over ABit. I also heard that Abit are in financial issues?
|
|
