Coming Soon: New Build. But wait! First a critique?

[destrekor]

First, a quick overview, then I'll give comments on each one in the same order.

Snapshot:

i7 2600k
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe
Corsair XMS3 (2x4GB) DDR3 2000 (9-10-9-27)
Crucial M4 256GB SATA III SSD
x2 WD Caviar Black 2TB
GPU: undecided


Detailed:

i7 2600k: nothing to say here, except that I want it for the speed and overclocking.

ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe: I want the extra rear USB ports, extra PCI Express lanes (in case I do decide to go SLI or CFX) to preserve full connectivity possibilities. Plus other qualities about the board itself, or so I've been led to believe.

Memory: not much to say other than performance is desired but not ridiculously costly performance.

Crucial M4 256GB: I want to assure myself with a reliable and consistent drive, one with respectable speed and capacity, and it seems this is the drive that matches that desire.

WD Caviar Black 2TB (x2): I want to run a RAID now that I'm creating a whole new build, but don't want to break the bank. I also want performance, and I want 2TB of storage (at least).
Speaking of RAID, in this case I want to run RAID 1 on the SATA II ports. Is this the best choice, and in what ways will I gain/lose performance?
My original idea was to use 3x1TB drives in RAID5. Should I still go that route? It's also cheaper.
However, if I go RAID5, I'm wondering... can I also elect to not save any money and get another SSD (of a smaller capacity) to act as a cache for the array. Is it bad, this idea?

GPU: I'm having trouble deciding, half because I haven't decided if I'm going to complete a triple-monitor setup. I plan on it though, so in that case I need the ability to at least be able to do it without doing anything drastic.

I could buy one GPU now, and get a matching one later to allow more monitors and also help make sure I can run them (could do this with one Radeon card).
But I'm also debating starting out with a SLI or CF configuration. Having trouble figuring out the best setup to meet my needs. Don't necessarily want to play all games using triple-monitor, but some will be played that way I imagine. Main one is for racing and general awesomeness of multi-tasking using a ton of desktop space.
I've even been strongly tempted by the GTX 590 and the Radeon 6990.
Main thing is, I want the possibly to jump into 3D if I do ever feel like it (assuming I don't decide to buy one with these parts). I'm catching a trend in reading that suggests Nvidia is the go-to for 3D, not sure though.
If at all possible, I'm trying to keep to EVGA simply because of the 90 day trade-up for cards with lifetime warranties. Though some of the cards I was looking at for a more-affordable SLI option, don't have the lifetime warranty.

All that rambling supports the notion that I have no clue what I'm going to do for the GPU. It's going to be the most on the whim decision in this entire system, even though I've been researching what GPU(s) would work best for my usage for the longest time.

Additionally, does any of this sound possible on my current PC Power & Cooling 750W PSU? I'm eyeing PCP&C's Silencer 910W [80Plus Silver] PSU, planning on getting it but just want to find out if it's unnecessary.


Opinions and comments, please? Specifically any suggestions toward better parts for the same money or less(!) if possible.

 

[Shikyo]

Get 2500k instead as it seems you won't be using hyperthreading.

128gb SSD should be enough for you, what exactly are you putting there that would fill that up?

board seems overpriced and I think extreme4 should have everything you need.

Getting 7200rpm drives is a total waste of money and energy, you only need 5400 rpm drives when you have SSD as your OS drive. You can buy quality 2TB 5400rpm drives for 80$ each on newegg, this should save you at least a hundred and likely more.

RAID5 also sucks, with this kind of drives either don't RAID them or buy double the drives and RAID0.

For RAM, I'd say get 2 4gb sticks of the cheapest 1333mhz DDR3, should be about 40$. If there's 1600mhz RAM for like 45$ or cheaper you can get that, otherwise the difference is too tiny to notice.

If you play at a 1080p resolution, Crossfiring 6870s is enough to run everything smoothly and it'll nicely futureproof your system as it can run even Metro2033 maxed smoothly and it'll only cost like 330$ total.


The PSU should be 650-700W if it's a quality PSU, there's no need to overkill unless you get a good deal. Never buy a cheap PSU like Diablotek. The PSU you're looking at is probably overpriced.

Why does everyone seem to love wasting money on things they don't need?

 

[destrekor]

Get 2500k instead as it seems you won't be using hyperthreading.

128gb SSD should be enough for you, what exactly are you putting there that would fill that up?

board seems overpriced and I think extreme4 should have everything you need.

Getting 7200rpm drives is a total waste of money and energy, you only need 5400 rpm drives when you have SSD as your OS drive. You can buy quality 2TB 5400rpm drives for 80$ each on newegg, this should save you at least a hundred and likely more.

RAID5 also sucks, with this kind of drives either don't RAID them or buy double the drives and RAID0.

For RAM, I'd say get 2 4gb sticks of the cheapest 1333mhz DDR3, should be about 40$. If there's 1600mhz RAM for like 45$ or cheaper you can get that, otherwise the difference is too tiny to notice.

If you play at a 1080p resolution, Crossfiring 6870s is enough to run everything smoothly and it'll nicely futureproof your system as it can run even Metro2033 maxed smoothly and it'll only cost like 330$ total.


The PSU should be 650-700W if it's a quality PSU, there's no need to overkill unless you get a good deal. Never buy a cheap PSU like Diablotek. The PSU you're looking at is probably overpriced.

Why does everyone seem to love wasting money on things they don't need?

Reliability is never cheap. I've gone a long time without doing data backups and whatnot, and I need to put that to a stop and get into good practices.
And I've had enough parts fail throughout various system builds in the last decade or so to know all about the fine line between "just right" and "cutting too many corners."

RAID 0 is the opposite of what I'm looking for. There's no redundancy and a higher chance of data loss.

Larger SSD is so that I can try and get the majority of my apps and games onto that drive. Some are still inevitably going to be forced to reside on the HDDs.

Oh, and I won't be using HyperThreading? You know this, how?

And this build isn't about it being "good enough", I'm aiming for a ton of performance.

 

[lehtv]

TL;DR
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

After six years on the forum you should be aware of this

 

[Zap]

Corsair XMS3 (2x4GB) DDR3 2000 (9-10-9-27)
Memory: not much to say other than performance is desired but not ridiculously costly performance.

Get some cheap DDR3-1600 that is 1.5v and call it a day.

WD Caviar Black 2TB (x2): I want to run a RAID

RAID is not a backup. If you think that RAID 1 will prevent you from ever losing data, GLHF

All that rambling supports the notion that I have no clue what I'm going to do for the GPU.

We have no clue what games you want to run and at what resolutions.

Additionally, does any of this sound possible on my current PC Power & Cooling 750W PSU? I'm eyeing PCP&C's Silencer 910W [80Plus Silver] PSU, planning on getting it but just want to find out if it's unnecessary.

Yes, 750W is fine even with SLI/Crossfire (single GPU models). PCP&C aren't necessarily the best choice in PSU.

 

[destrekor]

TL;DR
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

After six years on the forum you should be aware of this

I rarely pay attention to the stickies.

And it is the norm for me to earn TLRs. It's how I roll.
:biggrin:

I plan on ordering today, so I wasn't trying to invest a whole lot of time in putting a post together. In truth, I forgot about this little part of AT, wish I would have remembered earlier so I could get some opinions.

To revisit:

I'm a gamer, and I tend to want to get the most visual quality out of a game as it possible, so long as the framerate is smooth and acceptable.
I'm a multi-tasker, and often have quite a few windows open permanently throughout the day, with a ton of tabs.
I'm an enthusiast and power-user. I like having a lot of performance in reach, but I do get actual use out of it. There are a lot of things that I don't do every day that definitely can take advantage of more system resources. Media/file conversions, photo editing, virtualization, might also get into coding/development to play around some.

I'm impatient, so if anything I do can be done faster, I generally like that very much. I'm also stubborn and kind of a hoarder, so I don't uninstall and reinstall things. I also have no idea how long I may go without playing certain games, and when I'll have a sudden desire to play a game I haven't touched in a few months, or even a few years. Sometimes I uninstall them when I think it'll be a long time out, but I like to keep them where they are if I don't have any storage issues.

I will be overclocking, so that's also a consideration.

I will be playing games at 1920x1080 resolution, and will be trying to squeeze out every last bit of visual glory that I can without impacting the experience.

I will either be making a tri-monitor setup immediately, or plan to do so in the near-future, and will want to play some games with all three monitors. I know whenever I do get three monitors, iRacing.com is going to definitely be played across all monitors. But I have a feeling most games I will not play on all three, simply because I'd rather have a more silky-smooth framerate with awesome graphics on one display, versus dropping visual quality to allow a smooth experience at 5760x1080.

 

[lehtv]

OK for your uses I think either of 2500K or 2600K is fine, it's a matter of budget. Overclocked, both are beastly. I'd pair that with a Scythe Mugen 3 cooler.

Your current PSU will handle any single-GPU setup, as well as 6950 crossfire or 560 ti SLI or lesser. If you're going to OC the CPU and GPUs alot, you'd be better off with 850W to 1kW. But 750W can handle a moderate OC.

I don't think Asus P8P67 Deluxe is worth paying for. P8P67 Pro would be just fine, or a Z68 board like Asrock Z68 Extreme3 or Extreme4, Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H or Asus P8Z68-V.

For GPUs, 6950 2GB crossfire would be my pick for smooth fps on high/ultra settings, anything more is certainly overkill (and would require a new PSU to be comfy). It would also play most games in Eyefinity with decent image quality and fps.

Not sure why you need 256GB of SSD space. Would be simpler to just get one 64GB for your OS and main programs, and another 64GB for SSD caching your HDD raid (Z68 chipset).

 

[destrekor]

Get some cheap DDR3-1600 that is 1.5v and call it a day.

Do current systems not get any performance benefits between DDR3-1600 and -2000 or even -2133? If it's a 3% gain, then I agree it's not worth it... but if there's a >10% gain in FPS, I'd argue it's worth the extra cost.

RAID is not a backup. If you think that RAID 1 will prevent you from ever losing data, GLHF

That much I know. It's not a backup if it's still stored on the same system, because anything catastrophic to the system itself could render both drives useless. But it's an insurance policy. I'd like minimal downtime if an HDD just decides to take a shit on my day. Also, I plan to do a weekly Ghost of the SSD.
To be honest, I was debating having a single HDD and getting an external drive to serve as the storage of a weekly backup.
Would one more strongly suggest that route versus a RAID1 array (where I may still have invested in an external drive or NAS to store backups) ?

We have no clue what games you want to run and at what resolutions.

Like I just typed in the previous post (you posted before that one):
iRacing @ 5760x1080, max detail if possible
BFBC2 and BF3 at 1080p
CoD:MW series, resolution to be determined by system capability
sometimes play Starcraft 2 or similar games, will be getting Diablo 3, and would like to have as much visual detail as permitted.

It seems at this point I prefer Nvidia, but I don't know how their current GPUs in SLI are performing with various games. Besides benchmarks, which do look good, is there any microstuttering or other issues with SLI and current games?

As for other games, there are quite a few coming out, and in general, a lot of the graphical wonders I tend to enjoy playing too. I might get around to Rage sometime, been known to play the Crysis games, etc etc.

Yes, 750W is fine even with SLI/Crossfire (single GPU models). PCP&C aren't necessarily the best choice in PSU.

What would be a better recommendation? I was looking at Seasonic, but they seem prohibitively expensive. I'm going to research this one, I do want a good and reliable PSU.

 

[destrekor]

OK for your uses I think either of 2500K or 2600K is fine, it's a matter of budget. Overclocked, both are beastly. I'd pair that with a Scythe Mugen 3 cooler.

Your current PSU will handle any single-GPU setup, as well as 6950 crossfire or 560 ti SLI or lesser. If you're going to OC the CPU and GPUs alot, you'd be better off with 850W to 1kW. But 750W can handle a moderate OC.

I don't think Asus P8P67 Deluxe is worth paying for. P8P67 Pro would be just fine, or a Z68 board like Asrock Z68 Extreme3 or Extreme4, Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H or Asus P8Z68-V.

For GPUs, 6950 2GB crossfire would be my pick for smooth fps on high/ultra settings, anything more is certainly overkill (and would require a new PSU to be comfy). It would also play most games in Eyefinity with decent image quality and fps.

Not sure why you need 256GB of SSD space. Would be simpler to just get one 64GB for your OS and main programs, and another 64GB for SSD caching your HDD raid (Z68 chipset).

As for PSU, that's seems about in line with what I was expected. It could eek by, but depending on my GPU choices (if I get a powerful single card now and go SLI later, or get SLI now, for example) I expect it would be an issue.

Motherboard, I agree it's a little costly, but I should be able to get it for $180 at Microcenter (going to drive there today to pick it up, along with the 2600K). So for that price, I feel it's worth it. I've been eyeing that ASRock, but I've heard Customer Support at ASRock is a nightmare... plus, I like the extra IO ports on the Deluxe in comparison to the other offers. That, and the UEFI bios I want, and the Gigabyte Z68 boards don't have it.

SSD storage, that's something I keep debating in my head. I just don't know. I thought about that route, say, getting a 120GB for OS and main games/programs, and utilizing a SSD cache for the HDD(s). It could kind of work because once I get into playing one or two games, I tend to keep playing only those ones until I decide I want to play something else, and then it could be a long time before I load up the older one again, if ever.

 

[Zap]

I'm a gamer, and I tend to want to get the most visual quality out of a game as it possible, so long as the framerate is smooth and acceptable.
...
I will be playing games at 1920x1080 resolution, and will be trying to squeeze out every last bit of visual glory that I can without impacting the experience.

Now we're getting somewhere.

I'm impatient, so if anything I do can be done faster, I generally like that very much.

Okay, so your choice of using an SSD is good.

I will be overclocking, so that's also a consideration.

Your choice of a 2500K or 2600K is good. You'll need an aftermarket heatsink. Pretty much any that uses a 120mm fan and 3+ heatpipes will work. That means you probably won't get a better overclock out of an $80 heatsink over a $30 heatsink. The reason is that Sandy Bridge overclocks are not determined by temperature as long as cooling is decent.

I will either be making a tri-monitor setup immediately, or plan to do so in the near-future, and will want to play some games with all three monitors.

Okay. This means you will need two Nvidia cards for SLI, or one AMD card (but probably 2 anyways, for the performance).

Do current systems not get any performance benefits between DDR3-1600 and -2000 or even -2133? If it's a 3% gain, then I agree it's not worth it... but if there's a >10% gain in FPS, I'd argue it's worth the extra cost.

10% actual gaming FPS gain between DDR3-1600 and 2133? Hah. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

I'd like minimal downtime if an HDD just decides to take a shit on my day.

So the stuff on your HDDs is safe... what about SSD? If you lose your HDD, you just can't use anything stored on it until you get a replacement. If you lose your boot SSD, your entire system is down until you get it replaced.

As for PSU, that's seems about in line with what I was expected. It could eek by, but depending on my GPU choices (if I get a powerful single card now and go SLI later, or get SLI now, for example) I expect it would be an issue.

Your existing PSU shouldn't be an issue, unless you get two GTX 580 and run Furmark for entertainment.

SSD storage, that's something I keep debating in my head. I just don't know. I thought about that route, say, getting a 120GB for OS and main games/programs, and utilizing a SSD cache for the HDD(s).

I suppose you can do both, if you really need your HDD to be fast. What will you put on it that won't fit on a 256GB Crucial m4? Note that MOST GAMES DO NOT BENEFIT THAT MUCH FROM SSD, if at all. For instance I run LoL (League of Legends) off an SSD (256GB Indilinx) and my wife runs off a HDD (Samsung F3 1TB) and we're pretty much tied loading the game. However, my SSD will benchmark a lot faster!

That is not to say that NO games will benefit from an SSD. WoW (World of Warcraft) is well known for benefiting from running off an SSD. However, MOST games do not. The other thing is that some games in multiplayer have timers so you can't really do anything once loaded, until timer reaches zero. Thus, doesn't matter if you are in first.

Here are my recommendations.

Core i5-2500K
Save $100 to be used towards graphics and SSD. Really, when overclocked to 4.5GHz (NOT guaranteed, but possible) for your listed uses it is every bit as good as the 2600K, which doesn't overclock any higher AFAIK.

8GB dual channel DDR3-1600 1.5v kit
No, faster RAM won't magically give you 10% higher framerates in games. A faster graphics card will.

Asus P8Z68-V Pro
This combos with the 2500K at Micro Center for $40 off. What does the Deluxe have that this doesn't?
Coaxial SPDIF (both have optical)
Second NIC provided by Realtek chipset (both have primary Intel NIC)
Second eSATA that is powered (both have one unpowered eSATA)
Different audio chip (can anyone tell us what the actual difference is besides part number?)
I don't know about the audio chip, but the other stuff is very likely not needed.

Aftermarket CPU cooler
Yes. Besides that, anything that fits socket 1155 or 1156, with a 120mm fan and with 3+ heatpipes should work fabulously. Serious! People are overclocking like crazy on those Cooler Master Hyper 212+ heatsinks purchased on sale for $20, or the Corsair A50 on sale for $10 (though I wouldn't recommend it, too noisy). Just get something cheap and available. The other important thing is to get one with a 4-pin PWM fan (that's what the A50 is missing) so it doesn't sound like a jet engine.

Dual GTX 560 Ti in SLI
Since you said you preferred Nvidia. You will need dual cards to run triple monitors. The GTX 560 Ti is a pretty good performer, roughly similar in performance to a 1GB Radeon 6950. It wins some, loses some. I think overall it may be a hair slower. It is very sufficient for running 1080p resolutions.

Crucial m4 256GB SSD
Can't go wrong with this.

Hitachi 1TB 7K1000.D hard drive
Not sure if you actually will need 2TB at a time, but this is probably the fastest desktop HDD money can buy. The reason is that it uses a single 1TB platter, for sequential transfer rates competitive with SSDs from a couple years ago. Also, $65 is really cheap for THE FASTEST 1TB HDD.

Two more Hitachi 1TB 7K1000.D hard drives
Use these as images of the two drives in your system. Get some eSATA enclosures to use with these. This does TWO things. First, it is a backup, since it will be physically separate. Second, if a drive catastrophically dies, you can just swap it in for a quick fix. Note that once this happens, you won't have a backup. However, chances of two HDDs dying before a replacement shows up is pretty unlikely. Basically if a drive dies, order a replacement (or run to Micro Center) right away. When you get the replacement, put that in the external enclosure and that becomes your backup. Note that it would be cost prohibitive to use an SSD to back up your Crucial m4 256GB. The HDD would just be a working image to use while you RMA the original drive. When you get replacement back, image to it and swap it back in.

 

[mfenn]

I agree with lehtv and Zap, though I would personally get a couple of Twin Frozr II 6950 2GB's and try my luck with the unlock to 6970s. At worst, they don't unlock and you are left with two really fast cards.

Overall, it's much better to spend the money where it affects performance (GPUs, CPUS) than on "bling" that doesn't really do anything (fancy RAM, fancy mobo, 1KW PSU).

 

[lehtv]

Twin Frozr II doesn't have a dual BIOS switch :/ Is there a workaround if the flash fails (apart from using a secondary GPU)?

 

[mfenn]

Twin Frozr II doesn't have a dual BIOS switch :/ Is there a workaround if the flash fails (apart from using a secondary GPU)?

That's why you've got 2! You can do a blind-flash pretty easily, but honestly using the other GPU or the IGP is the way to recover.

 

[lehtv]

^ Another reason to go for Z68

 

[mfenn]

^ Another reason to go for Z68

Intel HD Graphics, now with patented Radeon Recovery technology!

 

[Zap]

Intel HD Graphics, now with patented Radeon Recovery technology!

:thumbsup:

 

[destrekor]

So, what's the opinion on backing up the system/programs SSD as an image or something onto the 2TB drive. That was my original concept of the RAID 1 2TB system. So 256GB dedicated to backup on that still leaves me with over 1.5TB for more programs and games, and the gamut of media.
In the future I'll probably get another, but less expensive, 2TB drive specifically for media.

Although I am thinking about getting a 64GB SSD for caching purposes thanks to the Z68.
Debating whether I should drop down to a 128GB m4 along with a 64GB m4.
If I went that route, should I use the smaller for boot (OS, handful of a handful of applications and games) and the 128GB for cache with the majority of my games and programs (and documents, downloads, media) on the 2TB RAID 1 array? In that instance, I might have to go ahead and get an external backup drive or get a cheaper 2tb to hold media plus the system SSD image.

 

[mfenn]

So, what's the opinion on backing up the system/programs SSD as an image or something onto the 2TB drive. That was my original concept of the RAID 1 2TB system. So 256GB dedicated to backup on that still leaves me with over 1.5TB for more programs and games, and the gamut of media.
In the future I'll probably get another, but less expensive, 2TB drive specifically for media.

My opinion is that that's a very good idea. Make sure that you get an image-based program where you can put it on a schedule. Do daily incrementals and weekly fulls and you will never again have to worry about malware, Windows Update, PEBKAC, etc.

Although I am thinking about getting a 64GB SSD for caching purposes thanks to the Z68.
Debating whether I should drop down to a 128GB m4 along with a 64GB m4.
If I went that route, should I use the smaller for boot (OS, handful of a handful of applications and games) and the 128GB for cache with the majority of my games and programs (and documents, downloads, media) on the 2TB RAID 1 array? In that instance, I might have to go ahead and get an external backup drive or get a cheaper 2tb to hold media plus the system SSD image.

I see two problems with that plan. First, you can only use 64GB for cache. Second, if your OS and AppData folders are on the SSD, then you've accomplished 95% of the benefit of having one. Caching a few game files isn't going to get you much.

 

[destrekor]

My opinion is that that's a very good idea. Make sure that you get an image-based program where you can put it on a schedule. Do daily incrementals and weekly fulls and you will never again have to worry about malware, Windows Update, PEBKAC, etc.



I see two problems with that plan. First, you can only use 64GB for cache. Second, if your OS and AppData folders are on the SSD, then you've accomplished 95% of the benefit of having one. Caching a few game files isn't going to get you much.

Well I got the 256GB SSD on the way from Newegg, along with a large portion of the parts. I'll be heading to Microcenter (sadly, is over an hour drive... through and to the North of Detroit) tomorrow after work to pick up some more things. Newegg order should arrive Thursday.

Did not know that about the 64GB limit if used as a cache drive, bummer. I figure some games, even if on a 256GB drive, won't make it onto the main SSD... but could be played for a few straight weeks almost exclusively (that's how I tend to do things). I'm unpredictable with games, sometimes I'll play them for a few weeks, stop and ignore them for a few weeks, and then get back to him; sometimes, I stop after a few weeks, and never load them up again. Hell... sometimes I load games up after not playing them for months or even years. I hate uninstalling games if I feel I have enough space to let them sit for awhile, because I'll uninstall them if I feel like I might not ever get around to them, but sometimes I feel like I will probably load a game up again and fully realize I'll play it for a few weeks yet again and then put it down for an unknown time.. when it's like that, I like to keep it around for convenience. But not when I'm limited to less than 200GB of multiple games and programs.
Cache works beautifully for those times. If I start playing a 20GB game that I've had sitting around, and stop playing a different game... the cache will figure this out and speed up file access for the current game.
The larger drive will help, since my Steam folder alone is quite large (over 120gb iirc). I could uninstall some Steam games that I haven't touched in awhile, or I could even just grab the data and move it over to the storage drive until I want to play it again (having Steam games installed in multiple locations is a PITA and/or impossible if I've understood forum posts correctly).

Second, you bring up something I didn't even consider.
My plan is to have all of my documents on the HDD. My initial idea was to have the Users folder (Documents) located on the HDD... but that means the AppData folder is thus located on the HDD.
So, is it easier to just leave the Users (User Accounts, My Documents, etc) folder along with the rest of the OS files, and when it comes to managing documents and files, I take that up on my own and establish Libraries on the HDD?

Also, I planned on doing Full backups bi-weekly or monthly, and incremental backups weekly. Since I like to keep my computer in Sleep mode whenever I'm away from it for an extended period of time, it would be easier to dedicate one workday or night to this process... as opposed to scheduling it everyday.
For that, now I have to figure out the best program to handle this task.

For GPU, even though I kept getting tempted by the EVGA 590 popping up as in-stock a couple times today at Newegg, I decided on 2x EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2gb. On both, I'll be purchasing the $15 Extended Warranty plans (2 years additional for total of 5 years, $15/each for GPUs under $300). This way, I qualify for EVGA's Step Up program; in the event no mid-to-top tier next-generation GPUs are pushed out by Nvidia in-between now and 90 days out, I'll trade them in and pay the difference for either the GTX 580 3gb cards, or for the GTX 570 2.5GB cards.
Since I do expect to go triple-monitor, I need the SLI configuration (or a double-GPU card), and really need 2GB VRAM. Thing that sucks about the reference 570s, 580s, and the 590, is that in Surround Mode (triple-monitor) you only get what each GPU has available, not the sum. Go a 3GB, dual-GPU card only has 1.5GB available, and same thing for SLI configurations.. only what one card has available. 5760x1080, with any kind of visual benefits that require VRAM, basically demands 2GB or else those settings have to be toned down, or suffer performance loss.
And Newegg was sold out of the 2.5GB 570 cards, and the 3GB 580s were ridiculously expensive.

 

[mfenn]

(having Steam games installed in multiple locations is a PITA and/or impossible if I've understood forum posts correctly).

Nope, actually it's quite easy. Steam Mover.

Second, you bring up something I didn't even consider.
My plan is to have all of my documents on the HDD. My initial idea was to have the Users folder (Documents) located on the HDD... but that means the AppData folder is thus located on the HDD.
So, is it easier to just leave the Users (User Accounts, My Documents, etc) folder along with the rest of the OS files, and when it comes to managing documents and files, I take that up on my own and establish Libraries on the HDD?

Yes, the easiest thing is to leave the users folder where it is. Unless your Documents folder is huge, you can leave that alone, but establishing libraries isn't hard either.

Also, I planned on doing Full backups bi-weekly or monthly, and incremental backups weekly. Since I like to keep my computer in Sleep mode whenever I'm away from it for an extended period of time, it would be easier to dedicate one workday or night to this process... as opposed to scheduling it everyday.
For that, now I have to figure out the best program to handle this task.

Doing a daily incremental with a good program like Acronis literally takes about 10 minutes. You will hardly even notice it running. I don't know about you, but having a weekly RPO (recovery point objective) would drive me nuts if I ever lost anything.

I highly suggest scheduling and forgetting about it because otherwise you will forget to do it. If your computer is sleeping or off all day, there is no reason to do an incremental on that day because nothing will have changed. Acronis handles that situation with aplomb.

For GPU, even though I kept getting tempted by the EVGA 590 popping up as in-stock a couple times today at Newegg, I decided on 2x EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2gb. On both, I'll be purchasing the $15 Extended Warranty plans (2 years additional for total of 5 years, $15/each for GPUs under $300). This way, I qualify for EVGA's Step Up program; in the event no mid-to-top tier next-generation GPUs are pushed out by Nvidia in-between now and 90 days out, I'll trade them in and pay the difference for either the GTX 580 3gb cards, or for the GTX 570 2.5GB cards.
Since I do expect to go triple-monitor, I need the SLI configuration (or a double-GPU card), and really need 2GB VRAM. Thing that sucks about the reference 570s, 580s, and the 590, is that in Surround Mode (triple-monitor) you only get what each GPU has available, not the sum. Go a 3GB, dual-GPU card only has 1.5GB available, and same thing for SLI configurations.. only what one card has available. 5760x1080, with any kind of visual benefits that require VRAM, basically demands 2GB or else those settings have to be toned down, or suffer performance loss.
And Newegg was sold out of the 2.5GB 570 cards, and the 3GB 580s were ridiculously expensive.

Every card has to have the full scene in memory for SLI to work (Nvidia Surround is just a terrible hack on top of SLI), so there's no getting around that. I would hold off on any ridiculous SLI setups until you actually get the three monitors though. GPUs depreciate really really fast.

 

[destrekor]

Nope, actually it's quite easy. Steam Mover.

Oh? :hmm:
nice

I really need to get back to really knowing OS commands. That's something I'm going to like about Windows 8, in Windows Explorer all (or most) of the underlying commands are readily accessible from the GUI.
But I do need to brush up on my Windows CLI knowledge. It's been very rare that I ever have a need to go into the CLI, and it is definitely a perishable skill.
Off-topic: I really want to dual-boot with a Linux distro from Day One this time around. I like playing around in Linux every now and then (it seems doing anything simple still requires a bit of work, and thus even trying to customize anything ends up producing learning moments ), plus it could prove advantageous as I try and get into developing... I want to get into developing for the web and for Android, though Java will be a little tricky as I have minimal coding experience. I have a fundamental knowledge through a class and self-teaching of VB.NET and HTML.. but that's about it. I'll understand the way the language flows probably somewhat quickly, but everything else will be a challenge.
I say this... whether this happens is another thing.

/digression

Yes, the easiest thing is to leave the users folder where it is. Unless your Documents folder is huge, you can leave that alone, but establishing libraries isn't hard either.

Documents folder in current system is indeed massive.
But I'll copy the files into new Libraries and folders based entirely on the HDD in the new system. And then just make it a routine to always use those folders instead of the default User folders.

Doing a daily incremental with a good program like Acronis literally takes about 10 minutes. You will hardly even notice it running. I don't know about you, but having a weekly RPO (recovery point objective) would drive me nuts if I ever lost anything.

I highly suggest scheduling and forgetting about it because otherwise you will forget to do it. If your computer is sleeping or off all day, there is no reason to do an incremental on that day because nothing will have changed. Acronis handles that situation with aplomb.

Well then. My preconceptions are officially shattered. And my laziness in regards to safeguarding my data shall persist no longer. :biggrin:

Every card has to have the full scene in memory for SLI to work (Nvidia Surround is just a terrible hack on top of SLI), so there's no getting around that. I would hold off on any ridiculous SLI setups until you actually get the three monitors though. GPUs depreciate really really fast.

That's the nice thing about EVGA. Sadly, all of their cards are no longer offered with a lifetime warranty. If a card doesn't come with a lifetime warranty, you can purchase an extended warranty. With either an extended or lifetime warranty, you can use the Step Up program. They will buy your EVGA cards for the price you paid (you need the invoice from reseller/retailer of choice), and pay you in credits toward the purchase of a card that has a performance upgrade (and different GPU).
I get 90 days. I've never done it before even though I've had their cards for the past few generations, but this time I have my mind set in stone: I'll be able to afford an upgrade then, so I can use 90 days to get comfortable with this level of performance, and then pay the difference toward the full performance I intended. I'm hoping the GTX 600 series mid-to-high level chips are released by the second week of January, but I seriously am doubting it, so I'll probably try for the 580 3GB SLI... as I'm also hoping prices start to drop a little bit (and this hurts more since you are paying full MSRP at the manufacturer, versus random deals across the net). I'll have to try and dig up more research, but if I can't afford that, I'll at least aim for 570 2.5GB SLI if I can verify it's worth it through benchmarks (difficult to find for the one-off specific models that only offer more memory) and testimonies.

 

[mfenn]

Sounds like you've gotten things figured out for the most part.

:thumbsup: for running Linux. That'll teach you how a computer actually works! :awe:

 

[destrekor]

Sounds like you've gotten things figured out for the most part.

:thumbsup: for running Linux. That'll teach you how a computer actually works! :awe:

I've ran with Linux on a few occasions, and typically leave it in a dual-booting configuration. Problem is, it tends to be a PITA if you install it after Windows is already installed.

Though that process taught me about bootloaders... and I think I've now learned how to not trash said bootloaders. Finding out you can't get into any OS you have installed is not a happy moment.

Speaking of which, what's the best approach: use Linux install utility to both partition a part of the HDD for itself and obviously install the OS... and then install Windows 7? Will I get the Windows bootloader then, with it correctly recognizing the Linux filesystem? Will their be a single bootloader, correctly located on the SSD? Can I have Linux on the HDD but force it to start a bootloader on the SSD, and then follow up with the Windows install and have it take over bootloader duties on the SSD?
Looking for dual-booting to be as pain-free as possible. Windows has never played nice in that regard, and for some reason I always end up screwing something up (wrong choice in a dialog box, missing one, installing to wrong location, etc etc ... I've done most of it most likely).
And I can fix the Windows bootloader just fine, so long as I can boot into Windows to do so.

I don't want Linux on the SSD for the simple fact that I'll rarely boot into Linux. Most often, Linux has only been used on my desktop as an alternative OS so that I may continue to use my desktop until I repair my main OS. :biggrin: With it being on the HDD, I can thus have satisfaction in knowing that no SSD space was wasted by something I may in fact never use. Hopefully I do make use of it, but regardless... I figure I'll most likely want to actively use it one day, which would lead me to dual-booting anyway. Might as well just install it now, especially if installing Linux first and Windows second is the best way to go about it.

also: most parts are on the way.

Final configuration (some parts in hand now, Newegg order arrives tomorrow :awe

CPU:
-i7 2600k
Motherboard:
-ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe (Microcenter saves the day: buy that CPU, get $80 off a mobo. $280 for the CPU, $185 for the Mobo)
RAM:
-Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 1.5v (CL9 :|)
Storage:
-Crucial M4 256GB SSD
-WD Caviar Black 2TB (x2): RAID 1
GPU:
-EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2GB (x2): SLI
PSU:
-Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000W
Case:
-Corsair Carbide 400R

so excited

Now to figure out this triple-monitor business. Can't decide what route to go, guess I'll see once I see the new one in action (part of newegg order). An ASUS 23" 1080p IPS (8bit) monitor w/6ms GtG response time.
Depending on how it looks with fast-paced gaming in terms of motion blur (and if input lag is noticeable), that will have sway in my decision. If it can't hang as a gaming monitor, I'll probably grab another and have those flanking a more gaming-friendly monitor in center. I figure if I go that route, I'll pick up a 120hz Nvidia 3D-friendly monitor as the centerpiece, and the IPS displays for media, documents, and any development and/or editing.

 

[mfenn]

Well, I think that I can safely say that you've probably spent too much already! I can't agree with getting a 1KW PSU just for SLI, and especially not a somewhat poor one like a Cooler Master. Also, the WD Blacks are slower and more expensive than the Hitachi 7K1000.Ds. The ASUS Deluxe and Vengeance memory are also another $75 or so extra for no real benefit.

As for bootloaders, Windows will always trash any other ones that it sees. Generally you'll want to install Windows first and then Linux second. If you want to keep the SSD with a "pristine" Windows bootloader, you'll have to install GRUB to one of the HDDs and then have it chainload back to the SSD to get the Windows bootloader. Then, in the BIOS, set the HDD first in your boot priority.

Oh yeah, and mobo FakeRAID doesn't work very well on Linux, especially not as a boot device, so you'll probably want to scrap that idea.