building high end box - finance and gaming

[ig0r]

Hey guys,

I am about to build a fairly high end box, primary applications will be financial although I plan to play games on it as well.

Money is not really an object here, I need a near top of the line box, with high stability but not while sacrificing performance (I have backup boxes just in case). I don't need a server setup, my applications will be 32-bit.

As far as CPU, I'm going with conroe, e6700 or perhaps x6800 - my applications are very proc intensive.

I'm not too sure about mobo, although I'm leaning towards D975XBX. I need at least 6 monitors, so I'm thinking about having a 7800 GTX on the x16 for my primary two monitors and use that for gaming, and then have a nVIDIA NVS 440 for the other 4 monitors on the other x16 (x8 power) slot - on a side note, will this work alright?

For RAM, I guess any brand name 2x 1gb should be alright, should I get 800 mhz or go for 1066?

Case and PSU I'm least knowledgable about, I am open to getting a large case to fit everything in with plenty of cooling (perhaps a server case?) or something like antec p180. No idea about PSU, just brand name 600w or higher I assume?

For hard drives, I'm flexible again. Will probably just get 2 x 200-300 GB SATA or something along those lines. As far as optical, any decent CD-RW and a seperate DVD-RW should be fine.

If I'm forgetting a key component let me know. Open to suggestions and input in all areas, thanks.

 

[Ayah]

You'd probably want 4GB

 

[Howard]

Go with 2x1GB for now and upgrade later on (it's a simple process) if you see that memory usage is high.

With the kind of money you're talking about, it's hard to go wrong with a Lian-Li case. If noise isn't a concern go with this power supply.

Most of the Conroe mobos have PCIe 1x slots, so you can go with a PCIe 1x video card or even a regular PCI video card (or two).

 

[Crescent13]

CPU: Core 2 Duo X6800
Motherboard: Wait for Nforce 5 so you can use...
GPU: ...2 Nvidia Quadro 4500X2's. 4 Dual link DVI ports on each card, 2 of those = 8 Dual link DVI ports. Did I mention that each 4500X2 is 2 4500's? that means 4 Quadro 4500's in quad sli. Ultimate power. Info on cards
RAM: You're gonna want 4+ gigs.
CASE: Antec P180
PSU: PC Power and Cooling Quad SLI 1KW. You're gonna need the 4 PCI-e power connectors for the 4500x2's. I know some people will say "you don't need 4 connecters for quad sli", but that only applies to the 7950gx2's. the 4500x2's require it.
Hard Drive: 320GB Seagate Perpendicular recording HDD.

EDIT: You do know how much this is gonna cost right? this is how much the quadro 4500x2 costs. You're gonna want 2 for quad sli and 8 monitors.

 

[ig0r]

Originally posted by: Howard
Go with 2x1GB for now and upgrade later on (it's a simple process) if you see that memory usage is high.

With the kind of money you're talking about, it's hard to go wrong with a Lian-Li case. If noise isn't a concern go with this power supply.

Most of the Conroe mobos have PCIe 1x slots, so you can go with a PCIe 1x video card or even a regular PCI video card (or two).

I think I'll just buy 4 x 1gb, it can't hurt.

All the Lian-Li cases look nice, could you recommend one? Is there anything I need to consider? I realize that getting one that's too large can be an issue (heat building up) but anything other than that?

I need a good card for gaming, so this would be a 7800 or 7900 GTX, this will take up a x16 slot. For the other 4 monitors I just need something that can handle good resolution (1920x) and has good 2D performance. Also, I need a setup where the system won't have a problem switching to the monitors of the gaming card for gaming apps. I think this might become an issue if I were to buy 2x PCI or PCIe 1x cards for the other 4 monitors, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[ig0r]

Originally posted by: Crescent13
CPU: Core 2 Duo X6800
Motherboard: Wait for Nforce 5 so you can use...
GPU: ...2 Nvidia Quadro 4500X2's. 4 Dual link DVI ports on each card, 2 of those = 8 Dual link DVI ports. Did I mention that each 4500X2 is 2 4500's? that means 4 Quadro 4500's in quad sli. Ultimate power. Info on cards
RAM: You're gonna want 4+ gigs.
CASE: Antec P180
PSU: PC Power and Cooling Quad SLI 1KW. You're gonna need the 4 PCI-e power connectors for the 4500x2's. I know some people will say "you don't need 4 connecters for quad sli", but that only applies to the 7950gx2's. the 4500x2's require it.
Hard Drive: 320GB Seagate Perpendicular recording HDD.

EDIT: You do know how much this is gonna cost right? this is how much the quadro 4500x2 costs. You're gonna want 2 for quad sli and 8 monitors.

Yes I will most likely go with the x6800. How long until nforce 5 hits retail? I need this within 30 days. I don't need the quado line because for my financial apps I only need high performance 2D (NVS 440, the quad, will do fine for my 4 monitors - its like $450) - I will use a 7800 or 7900 GTX for the other 2 monitors and game on that. Six monitors is all I will need for this box.

As far as 4+ gb, I understand 4gb but anything more should be overkill on a 32 bit system, no?

Any reason to get the Antec P180 over a Lian-Li as suggested? Price perhaps?

I don't need SLI as far as I can tell, please correct me if I'm wrong. Again, to clarify, I plan to have 7800 or 7900 GTX on the x16 for gaming and 2 monitors, and a good 2D performance card like nvidia NVS 440 on the x16 (x8 power) for the other 4 monitors.

 

[Howard]

Well, your game speed depends on the resolution of the display you'll be using. Most games run fine at 1600x1200 with a 7900GT, and if they don't, you can always turn down the eye candy.

7800GT/GTX cards are old tech now and aren't good choices at all. I would suggest either a 7900GT or an X1900XT.

 

[ig0r]

I've decided on the following so far:
Core 2 Duo 6800X
Asus P5WD2-E Premium Edition
eVGA GeForce 7900GTX (for 2 monitors and gaming)
PNY Quadro4 NVS 440 (for 4 monitors, 2D only)
2 x Corsair XMS2 2 GB (2 x 1 gb) PC 6400 DDR2 800

Still up in the air as far as the case, going to go with either Antec P180 or a Lian-Li. Also, going to go with a 550 or 600 watt PSU, not sure which manufacturer is best though.
Also, I have no experience with using multiple graphics cards. Does anyone know if it will be an issue instructing the system to only use the 7900GTX for gaming?

Any comments or suggestions? Anything is welcome, this is actually the first PC I've bought all parts for and assembled myself

 

[Ayah]

You'd want a PC P & C if you can afford it.
I suggest the Lian Li v2000s. They're huge and relatively silent naturally.