Anything but Mac Super PC

Sassafrasquatch · 08-16-2004, 02:08 AM

Hello, I'm trying to build the ultimate computer for around $2200. I'm using the computer for high-end 3d animation, video editing, photoshop, and games.
I loathe Macs and have assembled a list I believe will do the trick through neweegg. com. (I've bought from them before, and love the service) I was wondering if someone could give me some feedback on this because I'm not all up to date on compatibility issues and have'nt built a computer like this before. Any help on problems I might have with these specific parts or there interaction, or any comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Thermaltake VA3000 Dream Tower Black Tsunami VA3000BWA ATX Case with Transparent X type side panel window -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid Tower
Color: Black
Material: Aluminum
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4/0, 3.5" x 2/5 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2 x USB2.0, 2 x audio, 1 x IEEE1394
Power Supply: N/A
Cooling System: 1 x 120mm front fan, 1 x 90mm side fan, 1 x 120mm Blue LED rear fan
Motherboard Compatibility: Mini ATX, ATX, Full ATX (Dual CPU)
Dimensions: 19.5" x 8.3" x 18.9"(HxWxD)
Features: Mirror coating, Lockable safety side-panel more info-> N82E16811133132 $125.00 $125.00

MSI "K8T Master2-FAR" VIA K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for Dual/Single AMD Socket 940 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket 940 for Dual AMD Opteron 200 or Single Athlon-64 FX51/Opteron 100/200 Processors
Chipset: VIA K8T800 + VT8237
RAM: 4x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 8GB(See Details)
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP Pro 8X, 4x PCI
Ports: 2xPS/2,1xLPT,2xCOM,1xLAN,6xUSB2.0(Rear 2),Audio header
Onboard Audio: Avance Logic ALC201A CODEC
Onboard LAN: Broadcom BCM5705 GbE
Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813130436 $220.00 $220.00

Aspire 520W 12V Black Triple Fan Aluminum Power Supply, Model "ATX-AS520W BLACK" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 520W
Material: Aluminum
Dimensions(DxWxH): 150x168.5x86mm
Shipping Weight: @pc 4.5 lbs / 8pcs Per Box
Features: ATX 520 P4 Aluminum Power Supply w/2*8 cm UV Blue Fan Intake Heat w/1*8 cm UV Blue Fan Exhaust Heat w/4 Blue Led Multi-Color Coated Components & PC Board Green UV Sensitive Wiresleeve & Connectors w/Fan Speed Adjuster w/ I/O Switch Cable-Tube-Tied Wires for Neatness w/Gift Box more info-> N82E16817148008 $55.00 $55.00

2x AMD Opteron Model 242, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - OEM
Supports Dual Processor Opteron Motherboards
Specifications:
Model: AMD Opteron Model 242
Core: Hammer
Operating Frequency: 1.6GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L2/ 1MB
Voltage: 1.65V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 940
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: OEM(Processor Only) more info-> N82E16819103388 $203.00 $406.00

OCZ Enhanced Latency Series Dual Channel Kit 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) ECC Registered DDR PC-3200
Specifications:
Manufacturer: OCZ
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Registered
Cas Latency: 2-2-3-6
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 64M x 72-Bit
Special Features: Specially Engineered and Optimized for the AMD Athlon64 FX platform
Warranty: Lifetime This product has been specifically designed for use on the AMD Athlon64 FX platform and should not be used on any other desktop platform. more info-> N82E16820146940 $286.00 $286.00

DIY Blowout Sale!
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD,

SAMSUNG 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model SP1614C, OEM Drive

DIY Blowout Sale!
NEC 8X Beige Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive, Model ND-2510A, OEM BULK

Optorite IDE/ATAPI 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive, Model CW5201, Retail
I have a 6800 gt and a 6.1 soundcard to throw into the mix. (already deducted from my $2200 budget)

Joefox · 08-16-2004, 07:51 AM

I have been building PCs from newegg for quite a while. I built one a few months back for around 3000. Remember not to sell yourself short on fans and cooling. You are after all running an AMD cpu, and judging by the looks of things you will also need to invest in a video card. Onboard VGA will not cover it. I assume you're going to be listening to a surround sound system also, hence the need for the 6.1 sound card. What sound card, an audigy2? In regards to the surround sound, it is not a must, but a digital encoder is usually a good thing to have, especially if you want to utilize the speakers for other devices such as a DVD player. I see you went all out on the processor. That may be a good plan, or that may not be. Generally the newest processors are always sickly overpriced, but then again so are all parts. I do think buying the dual layer nec burner is a good plan, seeing as how memorex and other companies will be coming out with dual layer media in the near future. You may want to invest in a CD burner that can read DVDs also. You never know when you may want to back something up by making a 1:1 copy, be sure it's your own bought and paid for stuff.

Anyway, if graphics is your main priority, you may want to think about waiting a while for the PCI express VGA mobos, they will surpass the AGP 8x architecture by a means you can't even imagine. Dual rendering VGA mobos, etc. So what am I saying? You could probably do yourself a favor, and wait a while, but if you're going with something now, then go heavily on ram, maybe look into if your mobo has a gigabyte lan, having a high speed broadband connection is always good, lots of fans (try finding a turbo fan, one that you can adjust to spin super fast in/out of case to cool your pc down in a hurry), even liquid cooling would be useful, also for increased airflow when it's all said and done I suggest tying your wires together in some way to increase the airflow. And buying a digital readout controller with a temp gauge may not be such a bad plan either, especially if you plan on overclocking.

As for VGA, getting a 256mb stick of memory on your card will ensure you are ready for the future. Although that may not be viable as when future games come out your actual complete system setup may not be up to par anyway, and you will eventually have to build another rig years down the road. Do what's within your budget, but 256mb would be better in my opinion. Make sure you run your operating system on the faster harddrive, I'm sure you knew that. Games will also run faster on your 10krpm hard drive, like if you're playing everquest, or any mmporg, the loading time between zones has to do mainly with your seek time. Check out the seek time on all hard drives. The smaller the seek time the faster you will be loading.

By the way, you don't need ECC registered memory. Go with some Corsair XMS highspeed memory. If your mobo can handle dual channel ddr ram then go with a paired pack of 512x2. Remember that DDR2 will be coming out soon, so again you may want to wait.

Joefox · 08-16-2004, 07:58 AM

Also, I would suggest using a full tower case if you can fit it in your budget and room. They are a lot easier to work with, more forgiving on airflow, etc. Be sure not to sell yourself short. I am obviously biased toward full towers, but for graphics acceleration I think it's important to keep it in mind.

**Praetor** · 08-16-2004, 08:02 AM

Quote:

I'm using the computer for high-end 3d animation, video editing, photoshop, and games.

How high end are you talking about? Quadro/FireGL? Or Oxygen/Wildcat? Because after a certain point, "high-end animation" and "Gaming" are done on separate computers.

Quote:

Anyway, if graphics is your main priority, you may want to think about waiting a while for the PCI express VGA mobos

Nothing has yet to stress the AGP8X spec yet and furthermore, if he's into high end animation, odds are DX/OGL will be running in compatability mode (if at all) as animation and such is cocerned with pixel precision as opposed to speed. (HEIDI is ur friend!

)

Quote:

As for VGA, getting a 256mb stick of memory on your card will ensure you are ready for the future

Most high end video systems have come standard with 256MB for the last 6 years or so ... 512MB is probably normal

Quote:

Games will also run faster on your 10krpm hard drive, like if you're playing everquest, or any mmporg, the loading time between zones has to do mainly with your seek time. Check out the seek time on all hard drives. The smaller the seek time the faster you will be loading.

True but unless you're talking SCSI, for most people there wont be more than 5 seconds of end difference ... you're better off with more memory as not to have to rely on the HDD to start with

Quote:

By the way, you don't need ECC registered memory

Yes you do. If you're running an Opteron board -- you'll want one.

Quote:

Optorite IDE/ATAPI 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive, Model CW5201, Retail

This is definitely something i'd avoid at all costs.

Joefox · 08-16-2004, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Most high end video systems have come standard with 256MB for the last 6 years or so ... 512MB is probably normal

I meant for the video card itself

Joefox · 08-16-2004, 08:23 AM

When PCI Express technology reaches consumers, it's Video cards will have the edge over 8x AGP slot cards, wouldn't you agree though Praetor? I am sure they won't be taxed for a while however

**Praetor** · 08-16-2004, 08:31 AM

Quote:

I meant for the video card itself

So did i. Most workstation cards come with 256MB as standard.

Quote:

When PCI Express technology reaches consumers, it's Video cards will have the edge over 8x AGP slot cards, wouldn't you agree though Praetor? I am sure they won't be taxed for a while however

When they get to a mass production kinda deal yes I do agree as development for AGP cards and the porting-to of AGP cards wont be as advanced but for the next year I'd say, AGP wont be wiped out. Even when it is wiped out, the new standard, equivalently AGP16x, wont really be taxed for "neccesary" as it will be quite some time before AGP8x is seriously outdated

72montecarlo · 08-16-2004, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praetor

Most high end video systems have come standard with 256MB for the last 6 years or so ... 512MB is probably normal

i didnt know any graphics cards came with that much onboard memory, how bout that.

**Praetor** · 08-16-2004, 04:19 PM

Quote:

i didnt know any graphics cards came with that much onboard memory, how bout that.

http://www.superwarehouse.com/3Dlabs...0-XXX/p/332241
And the ATi/nVidia people thought they had 256bit memory first

... it's been in the industry for god knows how long

Sassafrasquatch · 08-16-2004, 07:40 PM

:O 512mb video card... damn... dual dvi... for less than the price of a
6800 ultra

08-16-2004, 02:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sassafrasquatch New Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2	Anything but Mac Super PC Hello, I'm trying to build the ultimate computer for around $2200. I'm using the computer for high-end 3d animation, video editing, photoshop, and games. I loathe Macs and have assembled a list I believe will do the trick through neweegg. com. (I've bought from them before, and love the service) I was wondering if someone could give me some feedback on this because I'm not all up to date on compatibility issues and have'nt built a computer like this before. Any help on problems I might have with these specific parts or there interaction, or any comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks. Thermaltake VA3000 Dream Tower Black Tsunami VA3000BWA ATX Case with Transparent X type side panel window -RETAIL Specifications: Case Type: Mid Tower Color: Black Material: Aluminum Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4/0, 3.5" x 2/5 (external/internal) Expansion Slots: 7 Front Ports: 2 x USB2.0, 2 x audio, 1 x IEEE1394 Power Supply: N/A Cooling System: 1 x 120mm front fan, 1 x 90mm side fan, 1 x 120mm Blue LED rear fan Motherboard Compatibility: Mini ATX, ATX, Full ATX (Dual CPU) Dimensions: 19.5" x 8.3" x 18.9"(HxWxD) Features: Mirror coating, Lockable safety side-panel more info-> N82E16811133132 $125.00 $125.00 MSI "K8T Master2-FAR" VIA K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for Dual/Single AMD Socket 940 CPU -RETAIL Specifications: Supported CPU: Socket 940 for Dual AMD Opteron 200 or Single Athlon-64 FX51/Opteron 100/200 Processors Chipset: VIA K8T800 + VT8237 RAM: 4x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 8GB(See Details) IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Slots: 1x AGP Pro 8X, 4x PCI Ports: 2xPS/2,1xLPT,2xCOM,1xLAN,6xUSB2.0(Rear 2),Audio header Onboard Audio: Avance Logic ALC201A CODEC Onboard LAN: Broadcom BCM5705 GbE Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1 Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813130436 $220.00 $220.00 Aspire 520W 12V Black Triple Fan Aluminum Power Supply, Model "ATX-AS520W BLACK" -RETAIL Specifications: Type: ATX Maximum Power: 520W Material: Aluminum Dimensions(DxWxH): 150x168.5x86mm Shipping Weight: @pc 4.5 lbs / 8pcs Per Box Features: ATX 520 P4 Aluminum Power Supply w/28 cm UV Blue Fan Intake Heat w/18 cm UV Blue Fan Exhaust Heat w/4 Blue Led Multi-Color Coated Components & PC Board Green UV Sensitive Wiresleeve & Connectors w/Fan Speed Adjuster w/ I/O Switch Cable-Tube-Tied Wires for Neatness w/Gift Box more info-> N82E16817148008 $55.00 $55.00 2x AMD Opteron Model 242, 1MB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - OEM Supports Dual Processor Opteron Motherboards Specifications: Model: AMD Opteron Model 242 Core: Hammer Operating Frequency: 1.6GHz FSB: Integrated into Chip Cache: L2/ 1MB Voltage: 1.65V Process: 0.13Micron Socket: Socket 940 Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+ Packaging: OEM(Processor Only) more info-> N82E16819103388 $203.00 $406.00 OCZ Enhanced Latency Series Dual Channel Kit 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) ECC Registered DDR PC-3200 Specifications: Manufacturer: OCZ Speed: DDR400(PC3200) Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM Error Checking: ECC Registered/Unbuffered: Registered Cas Latency: 2-2-3-6 Support Voltage: 2.6V Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s Organization: two 64M x 72-Bit Special Features: Specially Engineered and Optimized for the AMD Athlon64 FX platform Warranty: Lifetime This product has been specifically designed for use on the AMD Athlon64 FX platform and should not be used on any other desktop platform. more info-> N82E16820146940 $286.00 $286.00 DIY Blowout Sale! Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD, SAMSUNG 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model SP1614C, OEM Drive DIY Blowout Sale! NEC 8X Beige Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive, Model ND-2510A, OEM BULK Optorite IDE/ATAPI 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive, Model CW5201, Retail I have a 6800 gt and a 6.1 soundcard to throw into the mix. (already deducted from my $2200 budget)

08-16-2004, 07:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
Joefox Bronze Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Miami, Florida Age: 23 Posts: 62	I have been building PCs from newegg for quite a while. I built one a few months back for around 3000. Remember not to sell yourself short on fans and cooling. You are after all running an AMD cpu, and judging by the looks of things you will also need to invest in a video card. Onboard VGA will not cover it. I assume you're going to be listening to a surround sound system also, hence the need for the 6.1 sound card. What sound card, an audigy2? In regards to the surround sound, it is not a must, but a digital encoder is usually a good thing to have, especially if you want to utilize the speakers for other devices such as a DVD player. I see you went all out on the processor. That may be a good plan, or that may not be. Generally the newest processors are always sickly overpriced, but then again so are all parts. I do think buying the dual layer nec burner is a good plan, seeing as how memorex and other companies will be coming out with dual layer media in the near future. You may want to invest in a CD burner that can read DVDs also. You never know when you may want to back something up by making a 1:1 copy, be sure it's your own bought and paid for stuff. Anyway, if graphics is your main priority, you may want to think about waiting a while for the PCI express VGA mobos, they will surpass the AGP 8x architecture by a means you can't even imagine. Dual rendering VGA mobos, etc. So what am I saying? You could probably do yourself a favor, and wait a while, but if you're going with something now, then go heavily on ram, maybe look into if your mobo has a gigabyte lan, having a high speed broadband connection is always good, lots of fans (try finding a turbo fan, one that you can adjust to spin super fast in/out of case to cool your pc down in a hurry), even liquid cooling would be useful, also for increased airflow when it's all said and done I suggest tying your wires together in some way to increase the airflow. And buying a digital readout controller with a temp gauge may not be such a bad plan either, especially if you plan on overclocking. As for VGA, getting a 256mb stick of memory on your card will ensure you are ready for the future. Although that may not be viable as when future games come out your actual complete system setup may not be up to par anyway, and you will eventually have to build another rig years down the road. Do what's within your budget, but 256mb would be better in my opinion. Make sure you run your operating system on the faster harddrive, I'm sure you knew that. Games will also run faster on your 10krpm hard drive, like if you're playing everquest, or any mmporg, the loading time between zones has to do mainly with your seek time. Check out the seek time on all hard drives. The smaller the seek time the faster you will be loading. By the way, you don't need ECC registered memory. Go with some Corsair XMS highspeed memory. If your mobo can handle dual channel ddr ram then go with a paired pack of 512x2. Remember that DDR2 will be coming out soon, so again you may want to wait. Last edited by Joefox; 08-16-2004 at 07:56 AM.

08-16-2004, 07:40 PM	#10 (permalink)
Sassafrasquatch New Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2	:o :O 512mb video card... damn... dual dvi... for less than the price of a 6800 ultra

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08-16-2004, 07:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
Joefox Bronze Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Miami, Florida Age: 23 Posts: 62	Also, I would suggest using a full tower case if you can fit it in your budget and room. They are a lot easier to work with, more forgiving on airflow, etc. Be sure not to sell yourself short. I am obviously biased toward full towers, but for graphics acceleration I think it's important to keep it in mind.

08-16-2004, 08:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
Joefox Bronze Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Miami, Florida Age: 23 Posts: 62	When PCI Express technology reaches consumers, it's Video cards will have the edge over 8x AGP slot cards, wouldn't you agree though Praetor? I am sure they won't be taxed for a while however