6-monitor system build

krot · 03-21-2008, 12:41 AM

Hi:

I need a system for my business and personal use that will not hold me back - fast, spacious, upgradeable, able to handle 6 monitors.

So I want to build a very fast system, largest RAM available, with many USB ports (10?) and many card slots for future expansion (3?).

Here's the data you requested. I have built a few systems before. Thanks for helping.

Tork

Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? $3000 (or more if necessary)

Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? Altec case preferred

Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? 90%

Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? 5 hours/week - latest MMO games (EG: Matrix Online, Guild Wars)

Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? Musical composition (Notion 2.0) (10%), InDesign (5% max.)

Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much? No overclocking

Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? 2 x 500Gb min; Data, music, video (1 disk for system & apps; 1 disk for data)

Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? PS/2 keyboard (but can change this to USB)

Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? XP Prof or Vista (please advise re my apps: InDesign, Quickbooks, Notion 2.0, Progression 1.1, Web App development, Games)

Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it? Altec preferred; size not an issue

Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? No

Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? Maybe PS/2 MS keyboard, and mouse (USB Logitech cordless optical mouseman)

Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen? Have Samsung LCD: 4@22", 1@19", 1@17" (Web app development)

Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from? CanadaComputers.com, but open to others such as TigerDirect.ca

Location: What country do you live in? Canada (Ontario)

krot · 03-21-2008, 01:39 AM

Oops! Read Antec where I have Altec ..

199312051993 · 03-21-2008, 02:01 AM

Im guessing your storing tonnes of data instead of gaming alot. so... with your budget expectations i reccommend the following.
Here are hardware:

Case: Altec NRG. Otherwise a Thermaltake Armour (seeming you prefer an altec)

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP35-DS3P

CPU: Q9300 (Newest Intel CPU atm)

GPU / VGA: 9800GTX or (if this is going to be over budget) 8800GT
because you are wanting 6monitors get
4x 9600GT sonic edition

HDD (Hard drives): 1TB Seagate 7500rpm, 32m (your main)
2x 500 Seagate 7500rpm, 16m (backups / other data recommended)

Cooling: If you want water cooling, Thermaltake Big water
Air: stick as much fans as possible lol (just use $5-20 fans)

CPU cooling/heatsink: Thermalright 120 xtreme

PCI extras: 10dock USB
TV tuner (i would get seeming you have 6 monitors)

PSU: 1000w antec (any version)

krot · 03-21-2008, 01:02 PM

Hey 199:

Thanks. What's your reasoning behind these recs?

**TheMatt** · 03-21-2008, 06:56 PM

I would look at the PC Power & Cooling 860W since the Antec Quattro units aren't made by Seasonic like the Antec Trio units are.

MSI P7N SLI Platinum Nforce 750I LGA775 ATX 3PCI-E16 2PCI SATA2 RAID Sound GBLAN 1394 Motherboard
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...SI%2FMicroStar

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB Retail
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=Intel

OCZ Platinum XTC REV.2 PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...Z%20Technology

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR MFR Warranty (x2)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Seagate

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Seagate

Pioneer DVR-115DBK DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL 12X Black OEM IDE DVD Burner No Software
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Pioneer

GeForce 8800GT 512MB Overclock
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=MSI%20Video

Geforce 8400GS 256MB Heatsink (x2)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=MSI%20Video

PC Power & Cooling 860W ATX 24PIN ATX Eps 64A 12V Power Supply W/ Voltage Adjust
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...0%26%20Cooling

MassCool 8WA740 CPU Fan For Intel LGA775 with Heat Pipe
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...cture=MassCool

Antec TriCool 120MM Case Fan 3-SPEED 1200/1600/2200RPM 25/28/30DBA 39/56/79CFM 3 & 4PINS
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC

ANTEC CASE EXHAUST FAN 22CFM 28DBA 2200RPM *PCI SLOT REQUIRED*
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC

Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC

-or-

Antec P182 ATX Black Mid Tower Case 4X5.25 1X3.5 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB Audio Firewire
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC

**linderman** · 03-21-2008, 07:29 PM

I really like the looks of this beast

http://forums.legitreviews.com/about12946.html

use the one PCI expansion slot wisely

krot · 03-21-2008, 08:29 PM

Thanks guys! I'll study this - I'm sure to have questions. If I want more PCI slots for expansion, any advice on the best MB option? Also, what are your views on OS: XP Pro or Vista?

**linderman** · 03-21-2008, 08:35 PM

the board I linked has PCI express 1.0 expansion slots ?

Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6

199312051993 · 03-21-2008, 08:52 PM

most of the parts in there are the best money and quality comparisons.
so its basically u get what u really pay for that offer best performance.

most things are top of the range atm
and it is very good for ur suggested use

krot · 03-22-2008, 03:57 AM

Hey Matt:

Wow! I should be tucked up asleep :)
I researched your recs and they look impressive. I'm not concerned much about looks or gimmicks (fancy case), so I appreciate the options you gave. My governing parameters are performance, reliability and quality.

1. From what I've been reading, since I use my system for 8-15+ multi-tasking, do you think I might be better to get a quad cpu, eg the Q6600?

2. Also, bearing the future in mind, would I be better to get DDR3?
I really want to be able to whizz through my projects instead of waiting for the 100% utilization to slowly deliver. If I have to throw in more yen, then so be it - my time is more important since this is for business mostly.

3. Also, again bearing in mind future expansion/upgrades, would it be ok to get the PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 1200 PSU instead, or would this be unsuitable for the config?

4. Lastly, NCIX.com doesn't state the manufacturer of the video cards. TigerDirect.ca shows the Palit models:
Palit GeForce 8800 GT Sonic Video Card - 512MB DDR3, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Ready, Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, Video Card
(http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...&sku=P458-1050)
Palit GeForce 8600 GT Sonic Video Card - Sonic Overclocking Edition, 256MB DDR3, PCI Express, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, Video Card (x2)
(http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...IN#detailspecs)
I'm not knowledgeable about Palit. Is this a good make in your opinion, or should I be looking at another one - maybe you know what NCIX's make is?

Much obliged.

**TheMatt** · 03-22-2008, 05:14 PM

When the Quad core Yorkfield processors come out, yes, but unless all the apps are very CPU heavy then even a good dual core will do.

DDR3 is way ahead of it's time. DDR2 will be fast enough for today's and tomorrow's CPUs. As such chipsets will still be available for DDR2 in the future. I would stick with DDR2.

The Turbo-Cool 1.2kW is an industrial-grade power supply. Even the Turbo-Cool 1000W will be more than you need. It will also come at a much higher cost. You don't need it now, and I predict that as components become more and more efficient, the need for it in a home PC will become less and less. Decide for yourself if the higher cost will fit in your budget and be worth it.

I checked, and the manufacturers are MSI at NCIX (good manufacturer). I picked out those cards for a very specific reason. The 8800GT has a really well designed stock cooler and the two 8400GS cards are low profile in design.

Also, for the two secondary cards, there is no reason to even get an 8600GT. The 8400GS will handle dual monitors and won't be used for video acceleration so a higher end chipset is not necessary.

krot · 03-22-2008, 05:47 PM

Thanks Matt. That puts it all in perspective for me. Looks like the config will suit me just fine.

I like the Antec case with the audio and USBs at the top. How do I connect these to the mainboard, since it looks like the mainboard has rear ports only?

I see that the mainboard has 2 SATA headers. Yet I need 3 SATA ports. Does each header support 2 SATA ports? Are the 2 eSATAs in addition to 4 onboard ports?

Thanks again.

krot · 03-22-2008, 08:02 PM

And .. what are your views on XP Pro vs Vista for this type of config, use and performance requirement?

I guess that wraps up my questions!

**TheMatt** · 03-22-2008, 10:51 PM

The motherboard has headers for the front panel audio, USB, and firewire. The board also has 4 SATA ports for disk drives, and you can even add a SATA controller if you need more than 4 disk drives.

I would personally stick with XP now. With the amount of storage you have, you can easily dual boot XP and Vista later on. You will definitely see higher performance in games under XP. You will also tend to see better application compatibility under XP.

**blackduck30** · 03-22-2008, 11:49 PM

I couldn't keep under the $3000 and ended up at about $3600
I had you in at 8G of ram to allow for addressing required for 3X512mb video cards so i also added vista ultimate 64bit to allow for that as vista 64 has more drivers available than XP 64 bit
I also used 32mb cache hard drives
and a 1200W silverstone power supply
The only quad 45nm core i could find was the extreme edition

SilverStone Temjin SST-TJ09 Black Aluminum Big Tower w/ window side panel $284

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...032&cid=CS.220

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad-Core Socket LGA775, 3.0GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 12MB L2 Cache, 45nm (Retail Box) (BX80569QX9650) $1184

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...915&cid=CPU.84

Seagate Barracuda (ST3500320AS) 7200.11 SATA NCQ 3.0Gb/s 500GB 32MB Cache (OEM) $112 X2

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...cid=HD.443.877

Asus P5N-T Deluxe 3-Way SLI nVidia nForce 780i SLI Chipset Dual-Channel DDR2 667/800/1066 Mhz 3x PCI-Express 2.0 8-Channel $273
HD Audio SATA/eSATA GigaLAN 2x IEEE1394a Support Core 2 Quad Processor & 1333Mhz System Bus

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...934&cid=MB.157

XFX GeForce 8800GT nVidia 8800GT Chipset (600Mhz) 512MB (1.8Ghz) GDDR3 Dual Dual-Link DVI PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card $261 X3

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=999.243.390

Silverstone Decathlon DA1200 1200W 24 Pin Modular Power Supply ATX / EPS12V Active PFC 135MM Fan 90A $356

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...211&cid=PS.808

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 G PC2-6400 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory $153 X2

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit (OEM) $230

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...275&cid=SW.815

Pioneer DVR-115D(Black) IDE DVD-Writer 20x DVD+R/-R 8x DVD+RW/6x DVD-RW 10x DVD+/-R9 Dual Layer 40xCD-R 32xCD-RW OEM $31

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...493&cid=CR.184

Here are some hot fixes from MS for vista 64bit that could help your 64bit system when using large amounts of ram and performance in general, Altho i dare say these will all be addressed in vista SP1 which i think is out now or very soon

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

krot · 03-23-2008, 01:19 AM

Hey Blackduck30, thanks. That's an illustrious system there! I appreciate the time you put in, however, I have business apps that may not be able to run on 64 bit Vista (according to my last hour's research). Matt, are you recommending 32 bit XP Pro or 64 bit XP Pro?

Blackduck30, I may build this one for my son. He's a scary MMO player :). He's got friends all over, Australia too :)
Any changes to the config for an almost solely gaming rig?

**blackduck30** · 03-23-2008, 01:46 PM

Morning Krot,
Well for a gaming only system i would cut back on 1 video card and drop the power supply back to a 850W unit and ram back to 4G if staying with 64 bit.
Also I would consider dropping a hard drive if 1TB is not needed.
From what i can remember I think the extreme edition CPU's have the multipliers unlocked so that opens up some great overclocking possibilities as well.
Thats a shame on the business apps, if anything you would think they would be more inclined to use 64bit technology to help speed things up.

**TheMatt** · 03-23-2008, 07:49 PM

I would stick with 32-bit XP unless you have a specific need for 64-bit.

**blackduck30** · 03-23-2008, 08:22 PM

Matt is correct, if your programs you use are not designed for 64 bit you will not get any benefit.

Any of the above systems will work with 32bit XP pro and 2G to 3G of ram

Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 Matched Pairs 2GB kit (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240-pin Dual Channel Memory $59 ( after rebate )

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307

Corsair XMS 2 TWIN2X1024-6400C4 Matched Pairs 1GB kit (2x512MB) PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240-pin Dual Channel Memory $68

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307

krot · 03-23-2008, 08:39 PM

Awesome advice guys!

I'm waiting for Notion Music to get back on whether their apps need 32 or 64 bit. I'll post it for anyone interested.
http://www.notionmusic.com/

Thanks again!

03-21-2008, 12:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	6-monitor system build Hi: I need a system for my business and personal use that will not hold me back - fast, spacious, upgradeable, able to handle 6 monitors. So I want to build a very fast system, largest RAM available, with many USB ports (10?) and many card slots for future expansion (3?). Here's the data you requested. I have built a few systems before. Thanks for helping. Tork Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? $3000 (or more if necessary) Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? Altec case preferred Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? 90% Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? 5 hours/week - latest MMO games (EG: Matrix Online, Guild Wars) Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? Musical composition (Notion 2.0) (10%), InDesign (5% max.) Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much? No overclocking Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? 2 x 500Gb min; Data, music, video (1 disk for system & apps; 1 disk for data) Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? PS/2 keyboard (but can change this to USB) Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? XP Prof or Vista (please advise re my apps: InDesign, Quickbooks, Notion 2.0, Progression 1.1, Web App development, Games) Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it? Altec preferred; size not an issue Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? No Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? Maybe PS/2 MS keyboard, and mouse (USB Logitech cordless optical mouseman) Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen? Have Samsung LCD: 4@22", 1@19", 1@17" (Web app development) Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from? CanadaComputers.com, but open to others such as TigerDirect.ca Location: What country do you live in? Canada (Ontario)

03-21-2008, 01:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Oops! Read Antec where I have Altec ..

03-21-2008, 02:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
199312051993 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 7 OS: Windows XP SP2	Re: 6-monitor system build Im guessing your storing tonnes of data instead of gaming alot. so... with your budget expectations i reccommend the following. Here are hardware: Case: Altec NRG. Otherwise a Thermaltake Armour (seeming you prefer an altec) Motherboard: Gigabyte EP35-DS3P CPU: Q9300 (Newest Intel CPU atm) GPU / VGA: 9800GTX or (if this is going to be over budget) 8800GT because you are wanting 6monitors get 4x 9600GT sonic edition HDD (Hard drives): 1TB Seagate 7500rpm, 32m (your main) 2x 500 Seagate 7500rpm, 16m (backups / other data recommended) Cooling: If you want water cooling, Thermaltake Big water Air: stick as much fans as possible lol (just use $5-20 fans) CPU cooling/heatsink: Thermalright 120 xtreme PCI extras: 10dock USB TV tuner (i would get seeming you have 6 monitors) PSU: 1000w antec (any version)

03-21-2008, 01:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Hey 199: Thanks. What's your reasoning behind these recs?

03-21-2008, 06:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: 6-monitor system build I would look at the PC Power & Cooling 860W since the Antec Quattro units aren't made by Seasonic like the Antec Trio units are. MSI P7N SLI Platinum Nforce 750I LGA775 ATX 3PCI-E16 2PCI SATA2 RAID Sound GBLAN 1394 Motherboard http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...SI%2FMicroStar Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB Retail http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=Intel OCZ Platinum XTC REV.2 PC2-6400 2GB 2X1GB DDR2-800 CL4-4-4-15 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...Z%20Technology Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive 5YR MFR Warranty (x2) http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Seagate Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 3.5IN 500GB SATA2 8.5MS 7200RPM 32MB Cache NCQ Hard Drive http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Seagate Pioneer DVR-115DBK DVD+RW 20X8X16 DVD-RW 20X6X16 DL 12X Black OEM IDE DVD Burner No Software http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Pioneer GeForce 8800GT 512MB Overclock http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=MSI%20Video Geforce 8400GS 256MB Heatsink (x2) http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...re=MSI%20Video PC Power & Cooling 860W ATX 24PIN ATX Eps 64A 12V Power Supply W/ Voltage Adjust http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...0%26%20Cooling MassCool 8WA740 CPU Fan For Intel LGA775 with Heat Pipe http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...cture=MassCool Antec TriCool 120MM Case Fan 3-SPEED 1200/1600/2200RPM 25/28/30DBA 39/56/79CFM 3 & 4PINS http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC ANTEC CASE EXHAUST FAN 22CFM 28DBA 2200RPM PCI SLOT REQUIRED http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower Gamer Case 900 ATX 9 Drive Bay No PS Top USB2.0 1394 Audio http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC -or- Antec P182 ATX Black Mid Tower Case 4X5.25 1X3.5 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB Audio Firewire http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ufacture=ANTEC __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides Last edited by TheMatt; 03-21-2008 at 07:21 PM.

03-21-2008, 07:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,433 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: 6-monitor system build I really like the looks of this beast http://forums.legitreviews.com/about12946.html use the one PCI expansion slot wisely __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial Last edited by linderman; 03-21-2008 at 07:32 PM.

03-21-2008, 08:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Thanks guys! I'll study this - I'm sure to have questions. If I want more PCI slots for expansion, any advice on the best MB option? Also, what are your views on OS: XP Pro or Vista?

03-21-2008, 08:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,433 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: 6-monitor system build the board I linked has PCI express 1.0 expansion slots ? Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

03-21-2008, 08:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
199312051993 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 7 OS: Windows XP SP2	Re: 6-monitor system build most of the parts in there are the best money and quality comparisons. so its basically u get what u really pay for that offer best performance. most things are top of the range atm and it is very good for ur suggested use

03-22-2008, 03:57 AM	#10 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Hey Matt: Wow! I should be tucked up asleep :) I researched your recs and they look impressive. I'm not concerned much about looks or gimmicks (fancy case), so I appreciate the options you gave. My governing parameters are performance, reliability and quality. 1. From what I've been reading, since I use my system for 8-15+ multi-tasking, do you think I might be better to get a quad cpu, eg the Q6600? 2. Also, bearing the future in mind, would I be better to get DDR3? I really want to be able to whizz through my projects instead of waiting for the 100% utilization to slowly deliver. If I have to throw in more yen, then so be it - my time is more important since this is for business mostly. 3. Also, again bearing in mind future expansion/upgrades, would it be ok to get the PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 1200 PSU instead, or would this be unsuitable for the config? 4. Lastly, NCIX.com doesn't state the manufacturer of the video cards. TigerDirect.ca shows the Palit models: Palit GeForce 8800 GT Sonic Video Card - 512MB DDR3, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Ready, Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, Video Card (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...&sku=P458-1050) Palit GeForce 8600 GT Sonic Video Card - Sonic Overclocking Edition, 256MB DDR3, PCI Express, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, Video Card (x2) (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...IN#detailspecs) I'm not knowledgeable about Palit. Is this a good make in your opinion, or should I be looking at another one - maybe you know what NCIX's make is? Much obliged.

03-22-2008, 05:14 PM	#11 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: 6-monitor system build When the Quad core Yorkfield processors come out, yes, but unless all the apps are very CPU heavy then even a good dual core will do. DDR3 is way ahead of it's time. DDR2 will be fast enough for today's and tomorrow's CPUs. As such chipsets will still be available for DDR2 in the future. I would stick with DDR2. The Turbo-Cool 1.2kW is an industrial-grade power supply. Even the Turbo-Cool 1000W will be more than you need. It will also come at a much higher cost. You don't need it now, and I predict that as components become more and more efficient, the need for it in a home PC will become less and less. Decide for yourself if the higher cost will fit in your budget and be worth it. I checked, and the manufacturers are MSI at NCIX (good manufacturer). I picked out those cards for a very specific reason. The 8800GT has a really well designed stock cooler and the two 8400GS cards are low profile in design. Also, for the two secondary cards, there is no reason to even get an 8600GT. The 8400GS will handle dual monitors and won't be used for video acceleration so a higher end chipset is not necessary. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-22-2008, 05:47 PM	#12 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Thanks Matt. That puts it all in perspective for me. Looks like the config will suit me just fine. I like the Antec case with the audio and USBs at the top. How do I connect these to the mainboard, since it looks like the mainboard has rear ports only? I see that the mainboard has 2 SATA headers. Yet I need 3 SATA ports. Does each header support 2 SATA ports? Are the 2 eSATAs in addition to 4 onboard ports? Thanks again.

03-22-2008, 08:02 PM	#13 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build And .. what are your views on XP Pro vs Vista for this type of config, use and performance requirement? I guess that wraps up my questions!

03-22-2008, 10:51 PM	#14 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: 6-monitor system build The motherboard has headers for the front panel audio, USB, and firewire. The board also has 4 SATA ports for disk drives, and you can even add a SATA controller if you need more than 4 disk drives. I would personally stick with XP now. With the amount of storage you have, you can easily dual boot XP and Vista later on. You will definitely see higher performance in games under XP. You will also tend to see better application compatibility under XP. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-22-2008, 11:49 PM	#15 (permalink)
blackduck30 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Wollongong/Australia Posts: 4,230 OS: XP pro SP3/Vista Ultimate My System	Re: 6-monitor system build I couldn't keep under the $3000 and ended up at about $3600 I had you in at 8G of ram to allow for addressing required for 3X512mb video cards so i also added vista ultimate 64bit to allow for that as vista 64 has more drivers available than XP 64 bit I also used 32mb cache hard drives and a 1200W silverstone power supply The only quad 45nm core i could find was the extreme edition SilverStone Temjin SST-TJ09 Black Aluminum Big Tower w/ window side panel $284 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...032&cid=CS.220 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad-Core Socket LGA775, 3.0GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 12MB L2 Cache, 45nm (Retail Box) (BX80569QX9650) $1184 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...915&cid=CPU.84 Seagate Barracuda (ST3500320AS) 7200.11 SATA NCQ 3.0Gb/s 500GB 32MB Cache (OEM) $112 X2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...cid=HD.443.877 Asus P5N-T Deluxe 3-Way SLI nVidia nForce 780i SLI Chipset Dual-Channel DDR2 667/800/1066 Mhz 3x PCI-Express 2.0 8-Channel $273 HD Audio SATA/eSATA GigaLAN 2x IEEE1394a Support Core 2 Quad Processor & 1333Mhz System Bus http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...934&cid=MB.157 XFX GeForce 8800GT nVidia 8800GT Chipset (600Mhz) 512MB (1.8Ghz) GDDR3 Dual Dual-Link DVI PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card $261 X3 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=999.243.390 Silverstone Decathlon DA1200 1200W 24 Pin Modular Power Supply ATX / EPS12V Active PFC 135MM Fan 90A $356 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...211&cid=PS.808 Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 G PC2-6400 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory $153 X2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-Bit (OEM) $230 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...275&cid=SW.815 Pioneer DVR-115D(Black) IDE DVD-Writer 20x DVD+R/-R 8x DVD+RW/6x DVD-RW 10x DVD+/-R9 Dual Layer 40xCD-R 32xCD-RW OEM $31 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...493&cid=CR.184 Here are some hot fixes from MS for vista 64bit that could help your 64bit system when using large amounts of ram and performance in general, Altho i dare say these will all be addressed in vista SP1 which i think is out now or very soon http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en __________________ Blackduck30 Time is like money and milk, It's always running out Any Donations Help Keep TSF Free For All Last edited by blackduck30; 03-22-2008 at 11:50 PM.

03-23-2008, 01:19 AM	#16 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Hey Blackduck30, thanks. That's an illustrious system there! I appreciate the time you put in, however, I have business apps that may not be able to run on 64 bit Vista (according to my last hour's research). Matt, are you recommending 32 bit XP Pro or 64 bit XP Pro? Blackduck30, I may build this one for my son. He's a scary MMO player :). He's got friends all over, Australia too :) Any changes to the config for an almost solely gaming rig?

03-23-2008, 01:46 PM	#17 (permalink)
blackduck30 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Wollongong/Australia Posts: 4,230 OS: XP pro SP3/Vista Ultimate My System	Re: 6-monitor system build Morning Krot, Well for a gaming only system i would cut back on 1 video card and drop the power supply back to a 850W unit and ram back to 4G if staying with 64 bit. Also I would consider dropping a hard drive if 1TB is not needed. From what i can remember I think the extreme edition CPU's have the multipliers unlocked so that opens up some great overclocking possibilities as well. Thats a shame on the business apps, if anything you would think they would be more inclined to use 64bit technology to help speed things up. __________________ Blackduck30 Time is like money and milk, It's always running out Any Donations Help Keep TSF Free For All

03-23-2008, 07:49 PM	#18 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: 6-monitor system build I would stick with 32-bit XP unless you have a specific need for 64-bit. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-23-2008, 08:22 PM	#19 (permalink)
blackduck30 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Wollongong/Australia Posts: 4,230 OS: XP pro SP3/Vista Ultimate My System	Re: 6-monitor system build Matt is correct, if your programs you use are not designed for 64 bit you will not get any benefit. Any of the above systems will work with 32bit XP pro and 2G to 3G of ram Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-6400C4 Matched Pairs 2GB kit (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240-pin Dual Channel Memory $59 ( after rebate ) http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307 Corsair XMS 2 TWIN2X1024-6400C4 Matched Pairs 1GB kit (2x512MB) PC6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 240-pin Dual Channel Memory $68 http://www.canadacomputers.com/index...id=RAM.346.307 __________________ Blackduck30 Time is like money and milk, It's always running out Any Donations Help Keep TSF Free For All Last edited by blackduck30; 03-23-2008 at 08:26 PM.

03-23-2008, 08:39 PM	#20 (permalink)
krot Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 45 OS: XP	Re: 6-monitor system build Awesome advice guys! I'm waiting for Notion Music to get back on whether their apps need 32 or 64 bit. I'll post it for anyone interested. http://www.notionmusic.com/ Thanks again!