Would Like Feedback About Rig Before Building

Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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Decided to build a new rig that would be a big step up from my current system, and purpose the current system for what it was intended for when I built it (HTPC). Current rig (one in my sig) will lose the i7 3770k and the 6670's to the new rig and will have i3 2125 put back in it.

Any feedback on the new rig before everything arrives and I put it together? Rig will be used mostly for programming, running statistics simulations, and I plan to learn how to do photo and video editing.

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770k $246.73 (includes tax, in store only) Microcenter
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i $109.99 ($99.99 after rebate) Newegg
Case: Corsair Carbide 500R $115.98 ($95.98 after rebate) Newegg
PSU: Corsair HX750 $119.99 ($109.99 after rebate) Newegg
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $134.99 (plus free 8GB RAM) Newegg
Ram: Corsiar Vengeance 2x8GB DDR3 1600 $54.99 (1 stick was free with MB, bought the other) Newegg
DVD Drive: Samsung OEM drive $17.99 Newegg
SSD Samsung 830 256GB $173.62 ($153.62 after rebate) TigerDirect
Spinner: Have a 2TB WD Caviar Green that I may put in as a data drive
GPU: Already have 2 XFX Radeon HD 6670 1GB DDR5 that I will be using for now, as I don't game

For displays I have 2x Dell 2007FP and a Dell U3011 along the bottom in PLP, and a 32" 1920x1080 LED TV mounted right above the U3011.

Total before rebates: $974.28
Total after rebates: $914.28

Thanks!!!
 

ElFenix

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the HX750 is way overkill for that. unless you're overclocking (which from your program list, you shouldn't be doing), there's no way that system would reach even 400 watts. i'd replace it with whatever is in the stickied mid range system builder's guide currently.

the CPU cooler is the same situation. not needed unless overclocking and a lot of the integrated water coolers are just as loud as air cooling.
 

Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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I thought that overclocking would help when editing videos and/or when encoding stuff for the HTPC, and when running stat simulations?

I also plan on starting to game a bit this summer and will be upgrading the video cards (probably should have included that in OP).
 

ElFenix

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I thought that overclocking would help when editing videos and/or when encoding stuff for the HTPC?

i wouldn't overclock if programming or running statistics simulations.
 

Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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i wouldn't overclock if programming or running statistics simulations.

Thanks for making me think about this a bit more. Is the reason you would not OC stability and concerns with getting errant results?
 

Steltek

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Mar 29, 2001
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Thanks for making me think about this a bit more. Is the reason you would not OC stability and concerns with getting errant results?

Exactly that.

I also agree with the recommendation of going with an air cooler as well. I have a closed loop water cooler myself, but if I had to do it over again I'd have gone with air. The water cooler is actually a little nosier at times than a good air cooler would be, and doesn't cool any better either.
 

lehtv

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Dec 8, 2010
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Any feedback on the new rig before everything arrives and I put it together?

Wait, so you've ordered everything already? Are you prepared to make changes to the rig despite that?

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770k $246.73 (includes tax, in store only) Microcenter
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i $109.99 ($99.99 after rebate) Newegg
Case: Corsair Carbide 500R $115.98 ($95.98 after rebate) Newegg
PSU: Corsair HX750 $119.99 ($109.99 after rebate) Newegg
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $134.99 (plus free 8GB RAM) Newegg
Ram: Corsiar Vengeance 2x8GB DDR3 1600 $54.99 (1 stick was free with MB, bought the other) Newegg
DVD Drive: Samsung OEM drive $17.99 Newegg
SSD Samsung 830 256GB $173.62 ($153.62 after rebate) TigerDirect
Spinner: Have a 2TB WD Caviar Green that I may put in as a data drive
GPU: Already have 2 XFX Radeon HD 6670 1GB DDR5 that I will be using for now, as I don't game

Cooler - I don't think you need to OC. Just use the stock cooler, and if you later get an itch to play around with the clocks, upgrade the cooler. I agree with others that OC isn't a good idea for simulations, but it can be good for photo/video editing.
Case - Way overkill, all you need is a basic case. At the moment I'd recommend a compact and lightweight yet well built Lian Li PC-A05FNB $50 AR AP
PSU - Way overkill, you will have plenty of room for upgrades with a bronze 500w unit like XFX 550W $40 AR AP (sick deal; it's Seasonic built unit with 5yr warranty)
The rest - good
 
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Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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Nothing has actually shipped yet so it is easy enough to cancel. That PSU is a phenomenal deal, I just wish it was modular. Modular are so much easier to work with.
 

lehtv

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Dec 8, 2010
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For a 550W unit it's not a big deal if it's not modular. You'll be using the majority of cables anyway. I had a non modular 700W unit (Corsair GS700) for a short while while my X650 was in RMA; it fit into my Define R3 without much trouble, and that's not a roomy case by any means.
 
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Termie

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I agree with the comments above regarding the case and PSU, but both are excellent, and if you have the budget for them, they are great choices. I don't necessarily subscribe to the approach that you only spend what will get you the absolute minimum you need. The PSU happens to be an extremely high-quality, ultra-efficient model. That costs money, and if it's worth it to you, no $50 PSU will match it.

On the other hand, that water cooler is a bad choice. First of all, it's been replaced with the much better H110, which happens to be about the same price. Second, for your purposes, it adds nothing but complexity to your setup. A $30-40 air cooler will be more than sufficient.

By the way, I'd dump that 6670 Crossfire setup. I hate to say it, but I can't think of a single usage scenario where it makes sense to run such low-end cards in Crossfire. Keep one in your HTPC, where it belongs, and use the other one in your new rig until you start gaming, at which point you can ask for suggestions on the best video card choices for your gaming.
 

lehtv

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Dec 8, 2010
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Termie said:
That costs money, and if it's worth it to you, no $50 PSU will match it.

True but the amount you'd have to pay for a few percent more efficient unit will not pay itself back in any reasonable amount of time
 

Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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I'm not using the cards in Crossfire. I just needed two because I like to use >3 monitors.
 

mfenn

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I agree with the comments above regarding the case and PSU, but both are excellent, and if you have the budget for them, they are great choices. I don't necessarily subscribe to the approach that you only spend what will get you the absolute minimum you need. The PSU happens to be an extremely high-quality, ultra-efficient model. That costs money, and if it's worth it to you, no $50 PSU will match it.

My thought of buying the minimum sufficient component is not that you should do it just to save money overall (though that is valid for a lot of people). Instead, you should do so that you can reallocate funds to places where it makes a performance difference.

Maybe the OP would enjoy a bigger SSD, or more bulk storage, or an upgrade to the P parts of his PLP setup?

By the way, I'd dump that 6670 Crossfire setup. I hate to say it, but I can't think of a single usage scenario where it makes sense to run such low-end cards in Crossfire. Keep one in your HTPC, where it belongs, and use the other one in your new rig until you start gaming, at which point you can ask for suggestions on the best video card choices for your gaming.

It looks like the OP has 3 displays with only TMDS-style inputs, so he needs to have two cards just for the display outputs.
 

Sleepingforest

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Displayport 1.2 should be able to daisy chain monitors up to a total resolution of 7680x1440 at 60Hz. That's more than enough for four 1080p monitors or even four 1200p monitors. It should be possible.
 

mfenn

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Displayport 1.2 should be able to daisy chain monitors up to a total resolution of 7680x1440 at 60Hz. That's more than enough for four 1080p monitors or even four 1200p monitors. It should be possible.

I don't think that anything other than the Apple TB display actually has DisplayPort chaining implemented though.
 

mfenn

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If I upgrade my video card would this one be a good choice? http://redirect.anandtech.com/r?url...duct.aspx?Item=N82E16814202026&user=u00000687SAPPHIRE 100352-3L Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

I would like to be able to run all 4 of my monitors on one card (if I game, it would only be on a single monitor though probably the Dell U3011).

You can only do two TMDS-style outputs from a Radeon 7000 series card (or a Geforce for that matter). So what you want to do is get a card like that has two DP and two TMDS-style outputs. Then you'd use an active DP to DVI/HDMI adapter on the second DP output.

For example: Gigabyte 7950 3GB and this active mini-DP to DVI adapter. Please note that you only need something as powerful as a 7950 if you plan to game. Otherwise you can get a much less expensive card like the 7770.
 

Gronnie

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Jan 21, 2013
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Would it be possible to buy a 7950 or 7970 to run the 30" 1600p monitor, and use one of the 6670's to run the secondary monitors?
 

nsafreak

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Oct 16, 2001
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Would it be possible to buy a 7950 or 7970 to run the 30" 1600p monitor, and use one of the 6670's to run the secondary monitors?

Yep, you obviously wouldn't be able to Crossfire it but you could do that. You could also use the IGP on the i7 to run the secondary monitors.
 

aarontpx

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Apr 3, 2013
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The water cooler is actually a little nosier at times than a good air cooler would be, and doesn't cool any better either.
The reason I went closed loop cooler is because of space. Nor was I a fan of the way they look (enormous and bulky).