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I highly recommend Antec Cases and Power Supplies. I have only ever had one Antec case fan fail and I have never had an Antec Power Supply fail. The Antec 300, 900 and 1200 series cases have the best cooling I have seen, except for the Antec Skeleton I had for a while. (Cats and the Antec Skeleton do not get along.)
It's very aesthetic with me, I really like how Corsair approached it. I have a Lian Li that has made its way into my last two builds and it's about 10 years old. Other than a sticky power button it's been an amazing aluminum box that was built well.
...WD40 is conductive in case anyone had a suggestion.
Here is a new list compiled from newegg.com.
Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced - High Air Flow Full Tower Computer Case with USB 3.0 and All-Black Interior
N82E16811119160 169.99
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
N82E16822148834 89.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 770 DUAL SuperClocked 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support Video Card 04G-P4-3774-KR (SPLURGE!!!)
N82E16814130945 409.99
CORSAIR HX Series HX850 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
N82E16817139011 149.99
CORSAIR Vengeance Pro 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMY32GX3M4A1600C9R (Red)
N82E16820233545 334.99
Intel Core i7-4930K Ivy Bridge-E 3.4GHz LGA 2011 130W Desktop Processor BX80633i74930K
N82E16819116939 579.99 (NEED HEAT SINKS)!!! No stock fan...
ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
N82E16813131801 319.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit (Slim Envelope) - OEM
N82E16832416804 139.99
LG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model UH12NS30 - OEM
N82E16827136268 49.99 (Do I need a CD/DVD drive with this?)
Corsair Force Series GS CSSD-F360GBGS-BK 2.5" 360GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
N82E16820233313 299.99
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM
N82E16829102003
28.99
Dynatron R16 80mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
N82E16835114129 36.99
Questions and Observations:
1. I still need to check compatibility, etc. NOT A CONFIRMED LIST!!!
2. Id rather be a bit over-spec than a bit under-spec.
3. The CPU has no heat sink or fan (the only cons in the reviews). This is something I am unprepared for. If anyone has recommendations id love to hear them. Also, liquid cooling sounds very interesting but I am not in a hot weather environment. It only gets hot maybe two months out of the year so Im not sure liquid cooling is for me.
4. I went to an 850 W PSU instead of 750. Should I go higher than 850 with a setup like this?
Kinda Scary...
I wouldn't say Overclocking is just for gamers. It usually is done in order to get more out of your hardware. But to get something stable and problem free involves knowing what you do and choose components accordingly. And even though you need a bit of luck for some components
Nowadays you could buy some overclocked Graphic Cards which are designed to work over the initial constructor's specs. The Cpu's are already auto adapting their clock in order to slow down and consume less energy or working at full speed when you need it depending on your activity on the computer
Just forget that. You don't need to bother. Sidenote : if you burn your hardware because of overclocking, your warranty is void. So don't even try with your new and shiny computer
Thanks for starting this thread, and for all the guys replying. My old computer just burned out, so im looking to replace it very soon.
I have a question: is it at all posible to get a good laptop to render on? Lets say i need a powerfull machine to use for rendering (daz and poser), lots of heavy photoshop and videoediting... Could i do that effectively on a laptop? Or do i have to go the workstatipn way?
I highly recommend Antec Cases and Power Supplies. I have only ever had one Antec case fan fail and I have never had an Antec Power Supply fail. The Antec 300, 900 and 1200 series cases have the best cooling I have seen, except for the Antec Skeleton I had for a while. (Cats and the Antec Skeleton do not get along.)
Antec does look interesting. I'll do some comparison with Cooler Master, etc.
Antec does look interesting. I'll do some comparison with Cooler Master, etc.
I've used Antec cases and PSUs on my last two builds, though the Antec PSU on the older build did suffer a whistling capacitor and had to be replaced before it became an exploding capacitor.
I have one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118074&RandomID=15114502011104220140417125817 on my 8 core AMD. I also put one on my Girlfriend's 8 core and DAZ3D's Art Director has one on his Render Machine. I highly recommend it.
The Sound on the ASUS Sabertooth series Motherboard is at least as good as the audio card on your list, in fact IIRC it is better.
Take the money you save and get a Hybrid 2TB drive for your data drive instead of the one you have listed, you will thank me later. LOL. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178380)
For that, due to cooling, I recommend the ASUS G750 series. There is a new one about to come out which has absolutely stupid stats for a laptop, but it will set you back at least half again as much as a Desktop and won't be as powerful.
Antec does look interesting. I'll do some comparison with Cooler Master, etc.We have a pair of the 902's at the office, and 3 of the 300's. The only custom built desktops in the office and even with a pair of Alienware Computers still the fastest ones in the office. :) ) At home it is a 1200, a DF85 (No longer available.) and a 300. (We prefer full towers at home due to being easier to get at things. LOL.)
What DAZ_Spooky said about the sound Card
The PSU is more than enough if you don't go for 2 x 500 W Graphic Card later
For the CPU cooler you could buy a Noctua http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608024
Liquid cooling is not necessary
@ udgang99 : What DAZ_Spooky said (again). I have a HP i7 Workstation and DS and other creative tools work without problem. It's just not as powerfull as a desktop and when rendering the fan noise could be annoying and the notebook is getting hotter.
On Laptop use, for rendering as noted, your going to pay more to have the power, that power alone means heat. But they do make Laptop cooling stations that are made IMHO just for such uses. Set up the Render, start the render and keep it on the cooling pad to increase the air flow and cooling. Of course the cooling pad works best when built for that type PC as in model, and is a secondary cost at the start.
When I first started putting together a desktop system, I went out of my way to get a bigger CPU heatsink and fan than was originally intended, partly concerned about heat right away and partly under the theory that the heat sink is gradually turning into a giant fuzzy dustbunny with time and thus becoming less efficient at dumping heat and I didn't want to have to scrub it out every 6 months. However, with my most recent build, I'm just running on the small stock heatsink. I have had no overheating problems, even running all 6 cores at 100% during a Bryce render lasting over a week straight. I do occasionally blow the bigger dust chunks off, and lately my fan seems a tiny bit louder than I recall, although it could be my imagination or the fan, so it might be time to actually really clean it well for the first time ever. I may not bother with bigger heatsinks and fans for future builds anymore unless it turns out to actually start being a problem someday. Of course conditions may vary, maybe I have an unusually efficient CPU or heatsink, or keep my apartment cooler, or have better airflow (it's in a giant tower server case, which is mostly air really) or just got lucky.
For power supplies, I have two Enermax Liberty power supplies, and they've worked great. In fact, one of them is the very first power supply I ever bought, still running fine, neither has ever failed or given me the least bit of trouble. They have more power connectors and available power than I need, even today, although I'm short on the actual cables themselves so I'll have to improvise if I ever need to make use of those extra connectors. I don't think they make either model anymore, unfortunately.
agreed about the soundcard, not necessary for gaming, but curious how much a $500+ CPU outperforms a $300+ CPU. Are you paying for a sight bump in speed or is there something a little more significant?
and slightly OT: I just rendered a facebook banner for a client using 48 Xeon cores, it took about 1:05 in Lux, layers of glass on glass. I need a home farm like this.
Well, I was just paying to get a little more speed out the CPU but if the boost is really not that impressive then i'll do without and go with the cheaper CPU. There wasnt really anything more significant that I wanted to do with it other than what I've already stated. I would've figured that it would have been much faster.
I'll ditch the sound card.
Here is the list that my wife and I came up with. We did our research so everything should fit correctly and be compatible. If anyone sees any red flags I would appreciate hearing about it. Items are from newegg.com.
Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Unbeatable Gaming Case
N82E16811129100 169.99
WD BLACK SERIES WD2003FZEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
N82E16822236624 159.99
EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2765-KR GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support w/ EVGA ACX Cooler Video Card
N82E16814130932 259.99
CORSAIR HX Series HX850 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular
Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready
N82E16817139011 149.99
CORSAIR Vengeance Pro 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMY32GX3M4A1600C9R (Red)
N82E16820233545 334.99
Intel Core i7-4820K Ivy Bridge-E 3.7GHz (Turbo 3.9GHz) LGA 2011 130W Desktop Processor BX80633i74820K Quad Core
N82E16819116940 324.99
ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
N82E16813131801 319.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit (Slim Envelope) - OEM
N82E16832416804 139.99
ASUS Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E818AAT (DVD-E818AAT/BLK/B/GE) - OEM
N82E16827135304 18.99
SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE500BW 2.5" 500GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
N82E16820147249 264.99
ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX-B 135mm Long life bearing CPU Cooler Blue LED
N82E16835118074 54.99
Thanks again for everyones help. Should be around 2500 USD after taxes.
Looks pretty good. You may want to consider putting in a second 2TB hard drive. With this type of hobby and/or profession it runs out quickly. I have 2 2TB in mine and 1 1TB and 1 3TB external and I'm thinking of getting another 3TB.
Good to know, thanks. I've got an external HDD that ill use for now. Ill add another in the future.
Now that you have all of your components selected, I'll chime in with a few bits of advice for a first-time builder.
1. ESD - electrostatic discharge. That's what most folks call static electricity. It is the silent killer of computer components. Chances are you'll never even be aware that it happened. Computer components are designed to take up to 12 volts of current, and many far, far less than that. Imagine sending a charge through them 10 or 100 times that. So, either get and use a grounding strap during assembly, or at least regularly ground yourself on the metal of your case before handling components. Do not assemble your new computer standing on a carpet.
2. Oily fingers. I know some folks who actually wear cotton gloves during assembly, but that may be extreme. Just take care not to touch any contacts, such as those on your ram or video card when handling them. The oil from your fingers is corrosive.
3. I recommend assembling the basic system outside the case. That is to say prior to installing the motherboard. It is a real pain to discover a problem after everything has been mounted inside. To function, all you need is the CPU and heatsink installed, at least one stick ot ram, the video card and the power supply. That should enable you to boot to your BIOS and ensure everything is working properly. You will need to install the CPU and heatsink before mounting the motherboard in the case anyway, since installing a large heatsink assembly with the motherboard inside is difficult at best, and often impossible. When testing, ensure that the motherboard is resting on a non-conductive surface. The box your motherboard came in will do in a pinch. The I/O plate for the video card can hang over one edge. Ideally, a spare switch should be used to turn the power on and off to the motherboard, but if you are extremely careful, you can use a small flat-bladed screwdriver to short the two power pins. Just make certain that you touch the correct ones and only the correct ones.
4. If everything checks out so far, you can now disconnect the power supply and remove the video card and install the motherboard in the case, along with all your other components. It is best to do this with the case resting on its side with the open side up. Remember to keep yourself grounded. Once everything is installed and you are certain that all the necessary cables have been connected (check twice), you can power the system up and do a second check. I recommend that you run diagnostics on both your hard drives and memory before going further to ensure that there are no problems there. These utilities can be downloaded from the manufacturers in the case of drives, or Memtest in the case of memory, and can be run from a removable boot device like a thumb drive.
Lastly, if you have a friend with experience in building PCs, you might want to invite them over to assist during the whole thing, as doing it the first time can be a little daunting. Just make sure that it isn't someone that is inclined to cut corners.
If I have sounded a little dictatorial here, I apologize. It is not really a difficult task if it is done properly, but it also something that should not be done in a cavalier manner. I hope everything goes well.
Edit: One more thing that I forgot to mention - never, ever under any circumstances work on your PC with the power supply plugged into the wall socket, even if the PC is turned off. The reason for this is that the power supply is designed to provide a standby current to the motherboard at all times to save on battery power and supply the necessary power to maintain your BIOS settings. Working with the power supply plugged in risks shorting a component.
Thanks SixDs,
I plan to read through the entire procedure at least once before attempting this. I would like to keep this post alive while I'm putting the computer together. I figure that way I can continue to chart the process for anyone else who is interested in doing this and get advice/help should I run into any snags.
It may be a couple weeks or so before I get to that point as I dont intend on rushing this. I'm not going to purchase anything until I am convinced that this sounds like the right thing for me to do. Worse comes to worse, i'll have a local shop put it together.
Is there a particular reason you like that Hard Drive?
Seagate Hybrid Drive ST2000DX001 2TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s NCQ 3.5" Desktop SSHD @$119.99 is cheaper and from what I read should have faster access.
A couple of things you are missing that you might want to consider. A UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) and a backup system for your data.
For a Home Build as stated be 100% sure you work static free. I own a Stat Guard mat from my old days of doing it myself. If you are into home upgrades and the like a Static Pad will pay for itself the first Chip it protects.
We looked at a few sites that had reviews. The general feedback was that the WD was more reliable and had a better warranty.
Any recommendations for the UPS? How do I determine what type I need? Do I base that off of the PSU, 850 W PSU = 850 W + UPS?
I've got the backup, will get more eventually.
For a Home Build as stated be 100% sure you work static free. I own a Stat Guard mat from my old days of doing it myself. If you are into home upgrades and the like a Static Pad will pay for itself the first Chip it protects.
Hmmm, static free could be challenging. Dust free (or as close as possible) is going to be a challenge as well... Cats :).
More research...
Remember your UPS will need to to power more than just your computer itself. For example, you probably want to power the monitor as well, or you won't be able to save your work before you use up the last of your battery unless the power happens to come back on before then. If you are depending on an external drive and any networking equipment, that might also need to be on the UPS to allow you to save.
You'll need to decide how long you want to keep running, and ensure that the battery can supply the power you are using times that time. And your battery will gradually get weaker with time, reducing how long you can stay up and running, so unless you want to replace the battery constantly, you'll need that extra buffer. (Incidentally, price replacement batteries before you purchase so you don't have a heart attack when it becomes time to replace it.) I have mine sized basically so if the power fluctuates briefly I don't loose my work, and if it it looks like it's not coming on in a few minutes, I can save my work and turn everything off. I have an OptiUPS 1500C, and I think on a test it didn't make it more then about 10 minutes, and I'm perhaps on the average end of power consumption. Incidentally, it was cheaper to buy a second new UPS then new batteries when mine ran out, because I HAVE NO IDEA. Sheesh. But now I have a spare I suppose. It gave me a chance to modify one of them without fear, and I successfully determined that it still works if you remove that annoying super-loud beeper so it can't wake me up in the middle of the night if the power blinks.
Here's more than you want to know about UPSs perhaps: http://www.jetcafe.org/~npc/doc/ups-faq.html (but possibly a bit dated). Or check support at one of the companies that sells them.
This isn't an approved or guaranteed method, but in a pinch, touch some large metal object (perhaps your metal case) immediately prior to picking up anything static sensitive to get that spark to jump and discharge you for a moment, and hold things in a way as to not touch any of the electronics (side of the drive or board, etc.)
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2049100/how-to-avoid-common-pc-building-mistakes.html
cat hair and dog hair can cripple the ventilation of a computer, mostly laptops but do not think desktop fans are immune to pet dander.
The only question I'd ask regarding your config is the PSU. Right now it is well over dimensioned regarding your components. I'd say your config will need around 450-500W at full charge at most which leaves more than 350 W for room which is only needed if you plan to later get a dual TITAN SLI and a few more HDD and a water cooling system for example
If you don't plan to get any of those and will only add some HDD later, you could take a smaller PSU (650 W is enough)
Depending on the PSU and what additional hardware you want to protect, you'll have to size your choice for the UPS. For 850W you'll have to get a 1500 VA model (usual unit measurement for UPS is Volt-Ampere). Some vendors sometime indicate the max wattage of their products
You could buy an APC : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842301289
Never had problems with that one. There is an other version with an SMT battery wich is more expensive but the battery will last longer