Suggestions on Overhauling of Existing Setup/Equipment

[Desi4Life]

Hello Everyone,

Its been a while since I have visited and posted but I have been out of the hardware world for sometime now so need your expert help in getting back into it. Here is what I currently have.

Synology 2 bay NAS with 2 different desktop hard drives (1.5tb and 1tb not NAS ready)

Dell XPS 435MT Machine with following specs.
- Core i7 920
- 20 gb ram
- ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
- 640 gb hd
- DVD-RW

Currently, I am using the NAS as my storage for Documents, Music, Photos, Movies and I also use the NAS for streaming movies to my TV via Rasberry Pi/XBMC

I am thinking of upgrading the drives in Synology to 2 identical drives designed for NAS and potentially in RAID 0 setup to increase performance.

As far as backup goes, I have 2 external drives (1 usb and another Network Attached) which I can use to backup important items.

Now, moving onto the desktop I am looking to build something that is somewhat future proof as well as it can be used for multiple purpose (i.e. Code Development, Multiple Virtual Machines, Gaming (FPS & RACING), Video Editing, etc..)

I am looking for a solution that gives best bang for the buck. I am not a benchmark junkie nor an OC freak so I don't have problem living with stock speeds/config.

So, to sum it up I need to get following items and I could use your help in identifying specific model/make.

Storage - HDD/SDD
PSU
Case
Memory
CPU
Motherboard
Video Card

Thanks
D$L

 

[mjd]

A couple quick questions come to mind:
What's your budget (US$)?
What is your old machine doing poorly such that you feel the need to upgrade?
And have you considered filling out the template posted at the top of the forum for ease of advising?

-M

 

[Desi4Life]

Thanks for the response, here are the answers to your questions.

What's your budget (US$)?
800-1000 (flexible)

What is your old machine doing poorly such that you feel the need to upgrade?
Nothing specific, except for gaming it seems like its not able to handle it anymore. Maybe its PSU but I hear the sound change when playing games on the machine.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

All around multi-purpose (Code Development, Multiple Virtual Machines (Experiment with setups/softwares), Gaming (FPS & RACING), Video Editing, etc..)

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
800-1000 (flexible)

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
We can't be expected to scour the internet on your behalf, chasing down deals in your specific country... Again, help us, help YOU.
N/A

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
No preference, just best bang for the buck.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
None

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Mostly at default speeds unless I can safely and easily overclock without having to worry too much about power/blowing up stuff

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
2 x 21 or 23" monitors

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.

Planning to purchase the parts during the holiday (Black Friday) time frame

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

Already have Win7 license so no other software but might get a copy of Win8 depending on pricing/deal.

D$L

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I would get the GPU upgrade first this way you can see if you can hold off on a platform upgrade. I'm running a stock 920 with a GTX 670 and it runs UT3 pretty good.. a little overclocking and it's still in the ballgame with other games.

 

[mfenn]

You fall right into the use case and price range for my midrange builder's sticky. Since you're doing development, you probably want to drop the GPU down to the 7950 recommendation and get 16GB of RAM. This Team DDR3 1600 16GB kit is a great deal at $115 AP, if you can buy now.

If you have to wait until Black Friday (note that there are usually not good deals on a full computer's worth of parts), then it's far too early to make specific recommendations. Use my weekly build thread a general outline of the type of parts you should be looking at.

 

[Desi4Life]

I would get the GPU upgrade first this way you can see if you can hold off on a platform upgrade. I'm running a stock 920 with a GTX 670 and it runs UT3 pretty good.. a little overclocking and it's still in the ballgame with other games.

The problem with this approach is that I don't think my machine can handle the GTX 670 as the PSU is stock (whatever DELL puts in the XPS). So, that's why I am thinking of doing the full upgrade.

 

[Desi4Life]

You fall right into the use case and price range for my midrange builder's sticky. Since you're doing development, you probably want to drop the GPU down to the 7950 recommendation and get 16GB of RAM. This Team DDR3 1600 16GB kit is a great deal at $115 AP, if you can buy now.

If you have to wait until Black Friday (note that there are usually not good deals on a full computer's worth of parts), then it's far too early to make specific recommendations. Use my weekly build thread a general outline of the type of parts you should be looking at.

Thanks for the feedback and link to your thread. It is a great resource. I am not necessarily waiting for Black Friday but the intent is to identify the specific parts and keep an eye out for them so that I can grab them when a deal comes through...

Any thoughts/suggestions on the approach to the NAS setup? Specifically, recommendations on my approach and also make/model of the HDDs.

p.s. It seems that from your latest list on the midrange builder's sticky case is no longer available at 60...

D$L

 

[mjd]

Here's a good case for $59 AR AP. But you might have to be a newegg email member to get the promo code ($20 off w/ promo code EMCWXWR48, ends 10/21 ):
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Graphite grey and black ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139008

 

[Zap]

Dell XPS 435MT Machine with following specs.
- Core i7 920
- 20 gb ram
- ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
- 640 gb hd
- DVD-RW
L

What is your old machine doing poorly such that you feel the need to upgrade?
Nothing specific, except for gaming it seems like its not able to handle it anymore. Maybe its PSU but I hear the sound change when playing games on the machine.

It is normal for the fans to ramp up in speed under load.

What exact Radeon 4800 series is it? That will tell us how much power you have for a modern card. For instance I think the 4850 and 4870 both use two 6-pin PCIe power plugs. As long as you stay within that, you should be fine with a graphics card upgrade.

 

[mjd]

Depending on which part of the internet you believe, that machine has a stock 360W or 425W PSU and PCIe 2.0.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

The problem with this approach is that I don't think my machine can handle the GTX 670 as the PSU is stock (whatever DELL puts in the XPS). So, that's why I am thinking of doing the full upgrade.

Why don't you start from the problem it-self? You said it yourself. Why don't you start at the PSU and build from there, potentially saving yourself some money? There is nothing wrong with the 920, and if you don't like the results still then you can dive into a new build but that's going to mean a full OS install, also.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the feedback and link to your thread. It is a great resource. I am not necessarily waiting for Black Friday but the intent is to identify the specific parts and keep an eye out for them so that I can grab them when a deal comes through...

That's not really a good way to buy a full computer though. If you end up sitting on parts for too long, you'll end up outside the return window and be out of luck if you get a DOA.

Any thoughts/suggestions on the approach to the NAS setup? Specifically, recommendations on my approach and also make/model of the HDDs.

I would certainly not run RAID 0 on a NAS. The limiting factor really depends on the use case, but streaming performance to the drives it not it. You'll max out a gigabit network before you max out the drives. I'd buy a couple of standard 2TB or 3TB drives and run them in a RAID 1.

p.s. It seems that from your latest list on the midrange builder's sticky case is no longer available at 60...

Yep, deals change all the time. Mjd identified a good alternative

 

[Desi4Life]

Depending on which part of the internet you believe, that machine has a stock 360W or 425W PSU and PCIe 2.0.

Why don't you start from the problem it-self? You said it yourself. Why don't you start at the PSU and build from there, potentially saving yourself some money? There is nothing wrong with the 920, and if you don't like the results still then you can dive into a new build but that's going to mean a full OS install, also.

Ok, just confirmed it that my box has the max 360w PSU, so it seems maybe I can just go that route and update the PSU/Video Card and maybe even get an SSD if I am looking to get some better boot up times.

So, all you guys are saying is that there really is no added benefit for me to go from 920 to the latest haswell proc?

Also, I am seeing this deal on the PSU, please provide your suggestions on if I should jump on this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...151-088&cm_sp=

 

[mjd]

I didn't notice much performance increase while gaming or developing when going from an i7 870 to a Haswell Xeon. The SSD and video card and RAM are where I got performance increases.

I don't do video editing. If that's CPU bottlenecked for you and you have the budget, then a CPU upgrade will help. Especially if your editor and encoder take advantage of multi-threads.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

..... maybe even get an SSD if I am looking to get some better boot up times.

You definitely will see an improvement in daily uses. Games not so much.

So, all you guys are saying is that there really is no added benefit for me to go from 920 to the latest haswell proc?

Of course it will bring benefits. What area are you looking most for improvement in?

As for gaming, a mild overclock ~ 3.4-3.6Ghz and a new GPU (with a PSU upgrade) will bring positive results plus it will save you some money VS an entire platform upgrade.

Also, I am seeing this deal on the PSU, please provide your suggestions on if I should jump on this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...151-088&cm_sp=

Seasonic makes great PSUs I have the 2009 model of the Seasonic X 650w Gold. I suggest you read Jonnyguru PSU reviews. That's all I can do on this as I would jump on an Antec HCP 850w Platinum for my next PSU regardless of the price. Or the AX1200. I can say that the X650w Gold Seasonic is a nice PSU. I'm just not budget minded in this area. mfenn or lehtv could offer sound advice on this :thumbsup:

 

[Desi4Life]

Of course it will bring benefits. What area are you looking most for improvement in?

As for gaming, a mild overclock ~ 3.4-3.6Ghz and a new GPU (with a PSU upgrade) will bring positive results plus it will save you some money.

Well as far as improvement goes, I guess I am just looking for improvements that can be observed. As stated above if my boot up times goes lower, or better performance when running multiple VMs, etc. Video/photo editing is nothing that I do on daily/weekly/monthly basis but more on as needed basis which can be at times once or twice a year.

Thanks,

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Well as far as improvement goes, I guess I am just looking for improvements that can be observed. As stated above if my boot up times goes lower, or better performance when running multiple VMs, etc. Video/photo editing is nothing that I do on daily/weekly/monthly basis but more on as needed basis which can be at times once or twice a year.

Thanks,

Then the biggest improvement you will see will come from an SSD. The Samsung 840 Evo SSDs are great drives. Haven't researched too much on which is best these days but an SSD will bring you noticeable improvements on daily desktop uses.

 

[mjd]

Then the biggest improvement you will see will come from an SSD. The Samsung 840 Evo SSDs are great drives. Haven't researched too much on which is best these days but an SSD will bring you noticeable improvements on daily desktop uses.

This.

The two greatest observable performance improvements I have see throughout my history of building desktop machines were
1) upgrading my RAM from 512M to 2G for Windows 2000 (a long time ago)
2) Putting my OS and Programs onto a new SSD (in 2010 on XP, then eventually Win7)

 

[Desi4Life]

This.

The two greatest observable performance improvements I have see throughout my history of building desktop machines were
1) upgrading my RAM from 512M to 2G for Windows 2000 (a long time ago)
2) Putting my OS and Programs onto a new SSD (in 2010 on XP, then eventually Win7)

Thanks guys for the help. I think this makes more sense now and I'll probably save my self some money as well, which is always a good thing. Here is what I plan to do now.

- Upgrade the HDDs in NAS to be 2 identical drives (To be Identified which ones to get)
- Upgrade PSU, Video Card on the existing Dell XPS
- Get new SSD to boot from for the Dell XPS

While I am upgrading the PSU/Video Card, should I also think about getting a new case? Maybe better airflow/cooling? Just wondering if its something I should do as well.

D$L

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Thanks guys for the help. I think this makes more sense now and I'll probably save my self some money as well, which is always a good thing. Here is what I plan to do now.

- Upgrade the HDDs in NAS to be 2 identical drives (To be Identified which ones to get)
- Upgrade PSU, Video Card on the existing Dell XPS
- Get new SSD to boot from for the Dell XPS

While I am upgrading the PSU/Video Card, should I also think about getting a new case? Maybe better airflow/cooling? Just wondering if its something I should do as well.

D$L

Do you plan on doing a little overclocking on the 920? There is plenty of head-room on these 920s.. most will do 3.9Ghz... good chips will do 4.2Ghz so you see 3.4Ghz is easily obtainable.

I'm not sure on the NAS setup. Refer to mfenn's advice

:thumbsup: on the small upgrade steps, and if you decide to upgrade the rest it will be just as exciting : )

I almost bought a 120GB Samsung Evo today. Was at Micro Center and contemplated between the 840 128GB Pro VS the 120GB Evo. I considered the 840 Pro because I already have one.. thus an option for RAID 1 or 0 later on down the line ... Definitely get an SSD for yourself.

A case will last you a few builds so you gotta ask yourself what exactly you want out of a case. My questions: will you be seeing it, VS it being in a closet or in a place where no one can see it thus negating visually pleasing aesthetics? Do you feel small cases cramp your work space? I bought a Corsair 800D and while it provides the roomyness I like it has terrible airflow/cooling.

There are lots of nice cases out there. Best thing is to see them for yourself. If you don't have that as an option New Egg offers a great amount of pics to view a case you might be considering. I use New Egg in this way and then look for the best price on the case else-where.

So what do you want out of a case and what are you willing to spend on one?

 

[Desi4Life]

Do you plan on doing a little overclocking on the 920? There is plenty of head-room on these 920s.. most will do 3.9Ghz... good chips will do 4.2Ghz so you see 3.4Ghz is easily obtainable.

I'm not sure on the NAS setup. Refer to mfenn's advice

:thumbsup: on the small upgrade steps, and if you decide to upgrade the rest it will be just as exciting : )

I almost bought a 120GB Samsung Evo today. Was at Micro Center and contemplated between the 840 128GB Pro VS the 120GB Evo. I considered the 840 Pro because I already have one.. thus an option for RAID 1 or 0 later on down the line ... Definitely get an SSD for yourself.

A case will last you a few builds so you gotta ask yourself what exactly you want out of a case. My questions: will you be seeing it, VS it being in a closet or in a place where no one can see it thus negating visually pleasing aesthetics? Do you feel small cases cramp your work space? I bought a Corsair 800D and while it provides the roomyness I like it has terrible airflow/cooling.

There are lots of nice cases out there. Best thing is to see them for yourself. If you don't have that as an option New Egg offers a great amount of pics to view a case you might be considering. I use New Egg in this way and then look for the best price on the case else-where.

So what do you want out of a case and what are you willing to spend on one?

Well, since the machine I have is standard Dell with Dell case, I am thinking if I am upgrading some parts, maybe its worth also to get a new case for maybe better cooling. I don't really care for looks or anything but something that adds value from running it quieter or cooler then I would spend money for it.

I am definitely getting an SSD just need to realize what would be a good deal. Any thoughts on what per gig price for SSD and what's consider a good deal?

Any thoughts on following parts?

http://slickdeals.net/f/6345472-xfx...on-hd-7950-black-edition-3gb-179-99-ar-newegg

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/104...series-650w-80-plus-gold-modular-power-supply

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Well, since the machine I have is standard Dell with Dell case, I am thinking if I am upgrading some parts, maybe its worth also to get a new case for maybe better cooling. I don't really care for looks or anything but something that adds value from running it quieter or cooler then I would spend money for it.

In my experience the only thing that makes a case quieter is quieter fans. That means a fan speed controller plus some Cougar fans. For me a quiet PC is 12db or <, fans. With some of the fans I tried out I could hear the electrical whine. The result of my adventure for a quiet PC is I hear background noise or the ringing in my ears before I hear my main rig.

Sorry, I don't have any Case recommendations.

I am definitely getting an SSD just need to realize what would be a good deal. Any thoughts on what per gig price for SSD and what's consider a good deal?

I think price per gig is loosely connected because performance is also included as a factor but generally you'll find a range of ~ .90 cents to $1.10 per gig. The 120Gb Evo I was looking at was 99$ + Tax (OH) at Micro Center

Any thoughts on following parts?

http://slickdeals.net/f/6345472-xfx...on-hd-7950-black-edition-3gb-179-99-ar-newegg

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/104...series-650w-80-plus-gold-modular-power-supply

Those look like some great deals.

 

[mfenn]

Also, I am seeing this deal on the PSU, please provide your suggestions on if I should jump on this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...151-088&amp;cm_sp=

$70 AR AP is quite good for an X650. You should get that.

 

[mfenn]

Do you plan on doing a little overclocking on the 920? There is plenty of head-room on these 920s.. most will do 3.9Ghz... good chips will do 4.2Ghz so you see 3.4Ghz is easily obtainable.

You're not going to be overclocking on a Dell motherboard, and buying a new motherboard for the 920 doesn't make much sense. Since you can't OC the processor, there's also little reason to buy a new case.

 

[mfenn]

Any thoughts on following parts?

http://slickdeals.net/f/6345472-xfx...on-hd-7950-black-edition-3gb-179-99-ar-newegg

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/104...series-650w-80-plus-gold-modular-power-supply

The PSU deal is good as mentioned before but the 7950 deal is pretty so-so. The 7000 series XFX DD cooler is the worst of the lot and $180 AR is not spectacular. It is the lowest-priced 7950 right now, but given your budget you should be looking much higher. This MSI 7970 3GB for $280 for example.

As for SSDs, you should be looking to spend around $100 for a 120GB model or $180 for a 250GB model. The Samsung 840 EVO drives that BTRY B mentioned are good choices.