Help with a 3500euro rig.

DemonOfTheFall

I'm speccing out a PC for a mate of mine who wants to spend €3500 euro including a decent 17-19" TFT. I'm not too sure what to go for on a fair few of the things. I know that 2x 7800GTXs sounds like a no-brainer but he only wants one at first, will add a second in a couple of months.

I chose the case because he likes bling and doesn't like the stacker. Also, I won't let him get a thermaltake . It looks good for watercooling aswell, very easy to install with no modding.

Mobo - Is the SLI-DR expert much better than the SLI-DR. And is the SLI-DR much better than the SLI-D ? Theres a fair bit of money between them. I went for the DR non expert, should I move up to expert ? We plan on the most overclocking we can get out of it.

RAM - What to get ? Fairly stumped here. Ive allowed 300euro for 2 gigs.

Sound - Yeah I know, overkill, but he works with MIDI and recording stuff and also wants to game with all the newest EAX stuff. Seems to be the only option. Speakers are already covered with Z-5500s

Hoping to get it all from komplett for handiness, may stretch to ordering from some UK place though if enough components were wanted. Possibly the Swiftech APEX Ultra instead of Waterchill.

Case: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=311890&s=sc €145
PSU: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=314759&s=sc €160
DVD: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=314090&s=sc x2 €90
GFX: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=311291&s=sc €540
HDD: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=307498&s=sc x2 €280
Water Cooling: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=315129&cks=PRL €295
Mobo: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=310790&cks=PRL €215
Keyb/Mouse: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=313151&cks=PRL €138
Monitor: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=314536&s=sc €325
Processor: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=313937&cks=PRL €450
Sound: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=312207&cks=PRL €329

Now lets have some criticism! I'm arriving at €3000... maybe throw in another GTX ? What am I missing... Tear apart my choices here on everything plz! :v:

Endurance Man

With that amount of cash i would not get that Water Cooling, rather choose your own components .

Kintarō Hattori

Hi,

Just curious why your going for 2 x SATA150 HDD's instead of SATA300?

DemonOfTheFall

Went for the Waterchill because picking your own components basically seems to mean ordering from DangerDen. Which would work out even dearer than €300, and then the tax man could still smack me in the ass for some more. Surely there couldn't be that much of a performance diff ?

I know you can order DD stuff from a couple of UK places, but they're all like 90 euro for a water block

EDIT: That said, I would rather go for the Swiftech kit, seems better. Would involve probably quite expensive shipping from england however.

EDIT 2: Just realised I'll be in england over xmas, could always just pick up 1 or 2 bits over there., making scan/overclock/overclockers a viable options.

youcancallmeal

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

Mobo - Is the SLI-DR expert much better than the SLI-DR. And is the SLI-DR much better than the SLI-D ? Theres a fair bit of money between them. I went for the DR non expert, should I move up to expert ? We plan on the most overclocking we can get out of it.

See thread here for discussion on the expert m/b.

Also €138 for keyboard and mouse is far too much.

Endurance Man

youcancallme>al wrote:

Also €138 for keyboard and mouse is far too much.

Not really, if the guy has the cash to spend thats a very good keyboard and mouse , why skimp if he is going to be playing games?

DemonOfTheFall

Yeah, saw the the kit in peats, it's absolutely sexy. I know theres a lot to be said for a wired mouse for the weight and extra little bit of response, but doesn't really care about being uber-pro and getting a wired one for an extra couple of milliseconds response. I'd be the same, wireless is just too handy for sitting on the couch controlling the PC.

DemonOfTheFall

Just read a thread on the SLI-DR Expert on XS.... It's nuking people's CPUs all over the place. I'm not touching that thing.

masteroftherealm

K two main things!
You'll be wanting a GTX 512mb not a 256meg card for DEFINITE!!!
Dont touch the DFI EXpert go for the SLI-DR
Nice choice on processor
Watercooling........ EM NOOOO!!!! Its a premade kit(Read not effective) Get a full dangerden setup from here.. www.coolercases.co.uk any probelms with there PM me and I might be able to help(Can contact owner personally)
And go for samgsung spinpoint drives quiet and far far outperform those WD's.

I know thats more than to but meh!

DemonOfTheFall

I dno, it's about 200 euro extra to get a GTX 512... He is considering it though, just for the ability to drop in an extra GTX 512 at a later date. Which would be super pimping.

Trust me MOR, I would love to put a DD setup into this PC, but its coming up on 400 euro for a DD set with only 1 gpu block, and a 120x1 rad. I know DD are the ****, but I think you really do pay through the nose for it. Also, with 2 GTXs and an Opty 170 (hopefully at 2.6ghz or so) in the loop the single 120mm rad would be absolutely owned. I'm really thinking the dual rad Waterchill setup for 100 euro less would cool better, or preferably the dual rad swiftech setup. Anyone else got experience with this ?

masteroftherealm

Huh 400>>!!
I just configured a mid range setup for 225+25shipping!!

lomb

i think i got that keyboard/mouse combo for 30 euro on ebay...
the benq 1640 is better than the nec...
overclockers.co.uk are cheaper than komplett for high dollar stuff because they charge 17.5% vat versus 21 for komplett...
probably best to cut back there on something, and buy a bigger screen.

masteroftherealm

Custom Built Water Cooler
Athlon64 Lucite Top Block
Maze4 Acetal GPU Low Profile Block
Bay-Reservoir
Black Ice Extreme Hi-Flow Double
Blue UV 1/2" ID 6feet
Hose Clamps 16.9mm - 19.9mm x8
Laing D4 Pump

Total 152. Convert to Eur is 225.

DemonOfTheFall

Oh right, cheers masteroftherealm, I'd gone straight to their pre put together things and checked the prices there. They were astronomical compared to what u just worked out there. Didn't realise they'd rip off so bad just for the service of picking out some parts to go together. I think he'll be getting DD watercooling then.

He doesn't really want a bigger screen for day to day use, cos hes getting a 32" samsung HDTV for anything that needs big. It does 1366x766 native from the PC so very nice for games.

masteroftherealm

Yeah no problem yeah picking your own parts is sooo much cheaper!

DemonOfTheFall

This way is better too cos i get to pick out some nice fans, not get some piece of crap Adda fans that came bundled in a kit.

The 7800GTX 512 meg is looking like the way to go here. Will the RAM on that card suffer badly without active cooling ?
Could always ramsink it then have a slow 120mm hanging over it.

masteroftherealm

Just thow a set f Zalman sinks on it and itll be grand!

masteroftherealm

Just noticed you want a 2gb kit of ram.

Either these
http://www.gskill.com/f1-3200biu2-hx.html
or these
http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?ID=239

both round the 300mark from www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk with free shipping(Its in kildare)

gline

go with mushkin and why go watercooling, for that cash you could get a phasechange unit

jesus_thats_gre

What is the point in getting two 7800 GTXs and then getting a ****ty monitor that won't be able to cope with the resolutions that such a setup is designed to be played at?

youcancallmeal

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

What is the point in getting two 7800 GTXs and then getting a ****ty monitor that won't be able to cope with the resolutions that such a setup is designed to be played at?

What wrong with that samsung monitor? Looks ok to me.
What would you suggest

jesus_thats_gre

youcancallme>al wrote:

What wrong with that samsung monitor? Looks ok to me.
What would you suggest

Thats what is wrong:

Max Resolution1280 x 1024 / 75 Hz


An machine with two 7800's will only be utlised properly when running at high resolutions. He would be best off just getting one and not wasting the money if he stick with that monitor..

masteroftherealm

Ah ueah didnt think of that!!
Youll be wanting a nice 20 or 24inch baby for that

youcancallmeal

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

Thats what is wrong:

Max Resolution1280 x 1024 / 75 Hz


An machine with two 7800's will only be utlised properly when running at high resolutions. He would be best off just getting one and not wasting the money if he stick with that monitor..

True, forgot about that but at least he can push up all the aa and af.
Anyway thats why I'm only getting a 7800gt for my 19" tft

jesus_thats_gre

Makes sense...

DemonOfTheFall

Yeah I realised that sitting on the bus this morning. Was just thinking to myself that it'll be a sweet PC for playing in 1600x1200, then realised, oh wait, no it won't.

Will have to discuss it with him, see what he wants to do about it.

What phasechange unit that also cools 2 graphics cards can you buy for 300 euro gline? :P

gline

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

Yeah I realised that sitting on the bus this morning. Was just thinking to myself that it'll be a sweet PC for playing in 1600x1200, then realised, oh wait, no it won't.

Will have to discuss it with him, see what he wants to do about it.

What phasechange unit that also cools 2 graphics cards can you buy for 300 euro gline? :P

obviously the phase change unit would just befor the cpu :rolleyes:

DemonOfTheFall

I'm only messing. I don't think he wants phase really, not practical at all for bringing to LANs, or bringing anywhere for that matter. I think it's gonna have to be a Swiftech kit for the water cooling. The DD stuff from coolercases.co.uk is priced reasonably but they just don't have anything in stock really. Same problem as I had with them every time I've ever wanted to buy from them.

Cuddlesworth

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

What is the point in getting two 7800 GTXs and then getting a ****ty monitor that won't be able to cope with the resolutions that such a setup is designed to be played at?

Good point, if hes not benching there is not much point

With the watercooling most custom parts with good care dont devalue in the same range as other pc componants so its not a bad investment. On that note D5 or 50z for a pump and a triple swiftech PA rad. This rad is designed for 40% improvement with lowspeed fans which means you can stick some really quiet 120mil fans on it and still get some amazing performance out of it.

DemonOfTheFall

I've slightly gone off the idea of a triple rad as it would basically require a stacker or a Li-Li, neither of which he likes really.

I'm still leaning towards the Gigabyte case in my first post, with this WC kit €243 from overclockers.co.uk http://www.swiftnets.com/products/H20-220-APEX.asp . It seems to be up there with the big boys as far as performance is concerned. DD from coolercases is still an option though. I like the swiftech kit for ease of setup (Dual rad, everything I could need in the box, rad box, seems to have pretty damn good performance going by what I've read). Swiftech don't seem to be thrown in with the evil kit manufacturers on any forum I've read either. Main problem is their loud 78 cfm Delta fans they include with the kit...

Anyone have this kit and know if it's possible to use 120x38mm fans with the radbox ?

sutty

I got that case there yesturday. It seems good, nice design, non plastic front. Magnets for soft latches rather than a plug system. So no worries about something braking on the door.
Only problem I had with the case is that the 3.5 inch floppy bays dont have screw holes to the front of them. Meaning I cant install the wattage meter I got with the PSU, till I get my hands on a drill with small metal drill bit. Other than that its a very nice case. Also the screwless backplats hold very firmly in place. Which is nice compared to some TT's I've used that where utter crap. The skull comes to mind.

That said, it will be a tight fit with a water cooling system in it. The fans on the back wont fit a duel 120mm rad. So dont fool you-self on that one. You'll need to mount it on the case somewhere else.