A new rig.....duuh :)

[Martin Moesby]

Hi everybody,

 

Long time follower, 1st time 'offender' here...

 

Being inspired by Linus different builds, and a long time wish to build a new rig - i have come up with a fairly high end system, which I hope will be suited for the needs in the topic-tags...

 

1. Budget & Location

 

Budget is around 20.000 DKK (as in DANISH) ~ 2.700€ ~ 3500USD (5.75DKK to 1US $)

As you have figured out, I live in Denmark.
 

2. Aim

 

To replace my old worn out rig, originally assembled in 2007, revitalized in 2011  with 128GB SSD and 4 more gigs of ram - maxing out the ram of the motherboard. This has prolonged it's life, but now has come to the end of the road and is getting ready for a nice retracted life as.....junk:)

My primary goal with the rig is Photo and video editing, (Premiere PRO, After Effects, Photoshop) and 3D rendering (3DS Max) with an occasional jump into WoW or SWTOR, StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 - not the dedicated heavy hitters on GFX-requirements, but still

 

3. Monitors

Currently equipped with a HP 30" 2560x1600 and a tiny Fujitsu 22" (1680x10....something) - Later upgrading to add 1 or 2 new 27" displays (and removing the 22", Thus ending up with 3 monitors: 1x30" and 2x27"
 

4. Peripherals

 

SSD : Intel 530 128 GB (OS only) - this is a keeper

HDD : 3 1TB WD Black Harddrives and 1 2TB WD Black Harddrive - all for keeps

 

Keyboard : Logitech G15 - I know, it's an ancient gaming keyboard, but it's got a lot of extra functionkeys on the side..and a monochrome display:D

Mouse : Logitech MX Revolution - that's a keeper - it's old, but it kindda fits snug into my hand

 

(Planning to later add a Wacom Intous Pro Large or an Wacom Cintiq22HD)
 

5. Why are you upgrading?

 

Well....why not ...no, I am upgraing because I can no longer spend more time waiting than working...it's as simple as that...

...and My hearing is getting imparied by the sound of a jetliner taking off everytime my PC gets hit by 220V DC:) (...at least I thinks it's DC....and not AC....)

And just to make certain - this is for recreational purposed only!!! - I have different PC for Work, which is mainly Databases and System/Software Development.

 

The proposed rig

Well, nevermind the AC/DC stuff,  with all the official requirements out of the way..I have (like another dane on the site) been using Linus' buildoff to assemble my proposed rig:

 

CPU :

INTEL Core i7-4930K 3,40GHz LGA 2011 Box

 

GFX :

2 x Asus GTX780 3GB PCI-E OC Direct CU II

 

RAM:

2 x Simm DDR3 PC2133 32GB CL10 Corsair Vengeance

 

MB:

Asus P9X79-E WS, Intel X79 LGA2011, CEB (P9X79-E WS)

 

PSU:

Corsair PSU 860W AXi ATX, Full Modular,Corsair Link

 

Case:

Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey

 

Cooling:

Noctua NH-U14S CPU Cooler (NH-U14S)
Noctua NF-A14 PWM Lüfter - 140mm (NF-A14 PWM)
Noctua NF-A15-PWM Silent Case 140mm Fan (NF-A15 PWM)
Noctua NF-F12 PWM Premium Fan - 120mm (NF-F12-PWM) 

 

 

And now you may be wondering, why I have created this post, since I seemingly already have made up my mind?? - Well, mostly because of the power supply....I am reading very different things - some say that I need 1000W PSU, other that I only need a 750PSU...but I dont wanna do this wrong...

 

So, Can you guys set me straight - HOW much juice is this rig going to require for a stable, low-noise operation with the occasionally boost of a 3d movie rendering....

 

Wheew, I'm guessing this is it....cannot think of any more ramblings.....

 

thanks for reading this and for all (if any) replies:)

 

/Martin Moesby

[Paralectic]

Get a 800W PSU and you'll be fine, the build is overkill but that's what you want ;-)

GO FOR IT!

[Dmon]

That PSU will handle this build perfectly fine under load.

 

I hope you create a build log with some screen shots of this beast

[Swegly]

"Fairly High end". Lmao That is more than fairly high end.

[Cryptonite]

-snip-

no problems there, if you were buying the HDDs now though I'd tell you to not go below 2 TB otherwise the cost per GB is too damn high.

[Martin Moesby]

Thanks for the inputs...

 

Gues the PSU should be able to handle it then

 

BTW - on PCParts-something, the combination of the motherboard and CPU comes up with a warning...."Motherboard might need an BIOS update to support Ivy-bridge"? Anyone have an opinion on this? It wasn't mentioned in the "Ultimate Video Editing Rig"-video from Linus....

 

 

On a different note - I might be trying to get involved in StarCitizen, so I am guessing the 2 GTX780's won't hurt in that direction

@Dmon: I was planning to do a non-spoken, time-elapsed build video of me building the rig, and running some tests on it, but I might just stay with the Photos

 

@Swegly: hehe - yeah I know, but I'm thinking ahead - in 2 years it'll be middle-class and in 3... it'll be in the discount-counter in your local RadioShack

 

@Cryptonite: I am planning to expand with 4 4TB's - once the funds are replenished

[Donnan]

"Motherboard might need an BIOS update to support Ivy-bridge" don't worry about that, the cpu will work just fine with that motherboard.

[Naty722]

Yeah, they might not have updated their database with the -E version that you have listed. Older LGA 2011 boards need a BIOS update for Ivy-Bridge-E but that one should be fine.

 

And you basically have my dream rig! If I didn't need to move my system around so much, this is pretty much exactly what I would build. I would probably get a Titan Black now, instead of dual graphics since I want all the Cuda cores I can get (and 6GB of VRAM) but since you game, dual 780s should be good. I might suggest maybe another SSD for the media cache. The frequency at which that is used would make it worth it since you seem to have the money. But since you seem to know what you're doing, I'm guessing you have your disk setup in mind already.

 

Awesome build and have fun!

[brob]

Thanks for the inputs...

 

Gues the PSU should be able to handle it then

 

BTW - on PCParts-something, the combination of the motherboard and CPU comes up with a warning...."Motherboard might need an BIOS update to support Ivy-bridge"? Anyone have an opinion on this? It wasn't mentioned in the "Ultimate Video Editing Rig"-video from Linus....

 

 

On a different note - I might be trying to get involved in StarCitizen, so I am guessing the 2 GTX780's won't hurt in that direction

@Dmon: I was planning to do a non-spoken, time-elapsed build video of me building the rig, and running some tests on it, but I might just stay with the Photos

 

@Swegly: hehe - yeah I know, but I'm thinking ahead - in 2 years it'll be middle-class and in 3... it'll be in the discount-counter in your local RadioShack

 

@Cryptonite: I am planning to expand with 4 4TB's - once the funds are replenished

 

Ivy Bridge-E required BIOS changes in X79 motherboards. The Asus P9X79-E WS motherboard has USB BIOS Flashback, an Asus feature that allows the BIOS to be flashed without memory or a cpu. So even if the motherboard requires an update you don't have to worry. Near as I can figure, pcpartpicker posts the message for any Ivy Bridge-E cpu and X79 motherboard.

 

If you are going to get 64GB of memory get an 8x8GB part. XMP profiles are based on the kit's total load and according to the Addendum at the end of http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/10 you may not be able to use the XMP profile if you install two kits.

 

I would suggest that you consider getting a larger ssd. Certainly it would be needed if the swap file is going to be kept on the ssd. Storing the swap file on an hdd would involve a performance hit. If you really do need 64GB of memory, not having a swap file seems unwise.

[TheNinjaNextDor]

Get EVGA ACX 780s.

[Martin Moesby]

Yeah, they might not have updated their database with the -E version that you have listed. Older LGA 2011 boards need a BIOS update for Ivy-Bridge-E but that one should be fine.

 

And you basically have my dream rig! If I didn't need to move my system around so much, this is pretty much exactly what I would build. I would probably get a Titan Black now, instead of dual graphics since I want all the Cuda cores I can get (and 6GB of VRAM) but since you game, dual 780s should be good. I might suggest maybe another SSD for the media cache. The frequency at which that is used would make it worth it since you seem to have the money. But since you seem to know what you're doing, I'm guessing you have your disk setup in mind already.

 

Awesome build and have fun!

 

Hmm - you mean, that I should get 2 Titan Blacks or just one? Because the Titan Black boasts a whooping 2880 Cuda Cores, and the 780 "only" 2304, but if I use 2 GTX780's in SLI, don't I get the advantage of 4606 Cores?

 

Another option of course would be a single 790 whichs puts out 4992 core....but a single TI Black instead of 2 780's - that'll  give me 500 more cores at a 33% savings (or am I completely off...?)

[Martin Moesby]

Get EVGA ACX 780s.

 

Good suggestion, but I am keen to hear some arguments as to why ??

 

I have on earlier builds have had problems when combining MBs and GFX from different manufactures... I once made a build featuring a Gigabyte MB and an EVGA gfx Card, and the system never ran optimal, so I tend to NOT combine manufacturers in the MB/GFX department, but if you have any arguments, I would love to hear them.

[TheNinjaNextDor]

Good suggestion, but I am keen to hear some arguments as to why ??

I have on ealier builds have had problmes when combining MBs and GFX frm different manufactures... I once made a build featuring a Gigabyte MB and an EVGA gfx Card, and the system never ran optimal, so I tend to NOT combine manufacturers in the MB/GFX department, but if you have any arguments, I would love to hear them.

Better cooler an EVGAs customer service and warranty is best. It doesnt matter to cross manufacturers.

[Martin Moesby]

Ivy Bridge-E required BIOS changes in X79 motherboards. The Asus P9X79-E WS motherboard has USB BIOS Flashback, an Asus feature that allows the BIOS to be flashed without memory or a cpu. So even if the motherboard requires an update you don't have to worry. Near as I can figure, pcpartpicker posts the message for any Ivy Bridge-E cpu and X79 motherboard.

 

If you are going to get 64GB of memory get an 8x8GB part. XMP profiles are based on the kit's total load and according to the Addendum at the end of http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell/10 you may not be able to use the XMP profile if you install two kits.

 

I would suggest that you consider getting a larger ssd. Certainly it would be needed if the swap file is going to be kept on the ssd. Storing the swap file on an hdd would involve a performance hit. If you really do need 64GB of memory, not having a swap file seems unwise.

 

You have a point regarding the RAM, but I was thinking, since the MB supports QUAD channels i was hoping that putting each set in corresponding channels, it wouln't make that much of a difference?

 

And you've got another point on the SSD's.... I actually hadn't given the Adobe Cache any real thought since I am plopping a whooping 64GB in the monster, but thinking more closely about it, I might plop in a new SSD, I was thinking a Intel 530-series 250GB - I would then swap the two SSD's and use the new one for the system and apps.....and the existing one as Cache disk for Adobe Applications...

[Naty722]

Hmm - you mean, that I should get 2 Titan Blacks or just one? Because the Titan Black boasts a whooping 2880 Cuda Cores, and the 780 "only" 2304, but if I use 2 GTX780's in SLI, don't I get the advantage of 4606 Cores?

 

Another option of course would be a single 790 whichs puts out 4992 core....but a single TI Black instead of 2 780's - that'll  give me 500 more cores at a 33% savings (or am I completely off...?)

 

No I was thinking just 1 Titan Black. Maybe it's because I use After Effects more, which has more limited GPU support, but as far as I know, Premiere's multi-gpu support isn't all that great. It doesn't use the second GPU at all during playback, and during encoding, I still haven't seen much GPU use with the new support for CUDA during final render. Again, it might be because I use After Effects a lot (which pretty much only uses the GPU for Fast Draft Preview or Ray Tracing), but I still think a stronger single GPU is better. Also, the 6GB of VRAM is great for future proofing if you think you'll ever end up doing higher res work like 4k. You'll have to chuck your 780s if you ever make that move, whereas you can just get another Titan which would hopefully be cheaper by that time, and when Adobe improves multi-gpu support. Again, just what I've experienced, so you may get better mileage out of multi-gpu setups. And don't quote me on this, but the Titan's unlocked double precision performance may be very useful in 3D applications (RayFire maybe?). Not too sure though.

 

 

Good suggestion, but I am keen to hear some arguments as to why ??

 

I have on earlier builds have had problems when combining MBs and GFX from different manufactures... I once made a build featuring a Gigabyte MB and an EVGA gfx Card, and the system never ran optimal, so I tend to NOT combine manufacturers in the MB/GFX department, but if you have any arguments, I would love to hear them.

 

If I may chip in, the EVGA 780s have seen the best performance amongst the 780s especially since they can be overclocked a bit more. He may be referencing that. Also I've never had any problems with MB and GFX card mixes. In fact, I don't think I've ever had ones from the same manufacturer. I don't think I've ever heard of such issues either. Perhaps I should look into that...

[brob]

You have a point regarding the RAM, but I was thinking, since the MB supports QUAD channels i was hoping that putting each set in corresponding channels, it wouln't make that much of a difference?

 

And you've got another point on the SSD's.... I actually hadn't given the Adobe Cache any real thought since I am plopping a whooping 64GB in the monster, but thinking more closely about it, I might plop in a new SSD, I was thinking a Intel 530-series 250GB - I would then swap the two SSD's and use the new one for the system and apps.....and the existing one as Cache disk for Adobe Applications...

 

As I understand it the issue is that the load of additional memory modules may change the electrical characteristics such that the XMP profile is not valid. Other than the short note I linked in an earlier post I haven't seen anything that provides hard data on the issue.

[Martin Moesby]

OK, after all your responses and carefully evaluating pros and cons, I have made some few adjustements to the build...

 

The parts I have come up with  are these:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  (€489.90 @ Caseking)
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  (€69.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard:  Asus P9X79-E WS SSI CEB LGA2011 Motherboard  (€332.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory:  Corsair Vengeance Pro 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  (€342.16 @ Hardwareversand)
Storage:  Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  (€159.85 @ Alternate)
Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card
Case Fan:  Noctua NF-A15 PWM 140mm  Fan  (€21.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan:  Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm  Fan  (€21.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan:  Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm  Fan  (€21.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan:  Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm  Fan  (€21.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Case Fan:  Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm  Fan  (€21.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Power Supply:  Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Total: €1504.30
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-21 22:21 CET+0100)

 

Now, I would like to bring a few comments to the adjustments:

1) Memory: Do I NEED 64 GB of memory? NO. Would I like to have 64GB? Yes, but I probably wont be needing them for quite a while, so I am downgrading to 32 GB, which should be more than adequate.

2) Gfx: A couple of wise men pointed me in a direction I probably wouldn't have gone otherwise (Thx Naty722 and TheNinjaNextDoor) and I decided to downgrade from two to one GFX, and instead upgrade from GTX780 to GTX780Ti and I have choosen the EVGA Superclocked 780Ti, mainly because it's running at a fairly high Core-speed....This also gives me the opportunity to add a second and a third GTX TI, once the prices go down. Still, there was a bit to be saved (apx. 300$ in total on the GFX)  and apparently the GTX780Ti have all of the Cuda cores available (2880) even if it's not a Titan Black

3) Storage: I have choosen to add a new SSD disk...well...just becaus I saved a bit on the new configuration

 

 

In total, this build (with the case not mentioned in the partslist) brings the build to just under 20K DKK (DKK19.562 at a single local dealer - I am sure, that if I wnt shopping around I could get the Price further down....). This amounts to apx. 3402 US$ at rate 5.75DKK to 1 US$...

 

All in all, I still think this will be a good rig and it's longevity should be 5-6 years....I hope

 

Again thank you all for the comments..

[Naty722]

Good call with the graphics. Yeah, the Titan Black is an update to match the superior 780Ti. If you don't need the VRAM or FP performance, it is definitely a better choice. The extra SSD will also be great for a cache when video editing.

 

Again, this is going to be an epic build. Have fun!

[brob]

@Martin Moesby, the latest build looks good.

 

If you plan to overclock Asus highly recommends a liquid cpu cooler on X79 motherboards. The principal reason is the fact that air towers tend to interfere with cooling on the X79's beefier power control components at the "top" of the board and between the memory and the i/o panel.

 

Not sure all those fans will produce a quieter system.

[Martin Moesby]

OK, Guys - FINALLY I'll start building this rig...

 

Made a few changes - the Danish IRS was kind enough to give me a 3000USD refund on paid taxes  so I am going fully liquid cooling on this baby - adding an 1500USD waterloop (incl. fittings, adaptors, plugs  and what not - those damn things are pretty expensive)

 

So for the cooling I have chosen the

• EK Supremacy CPU Waterblock
• EK GTX 780 Ti Acetal-Nickel full cover GPU waterblock with additional Backplate
• EX D5 X-TOP CSQ top (I have a practically unused Swiftech MCP655 pump lying around, I'll be using for this)
• EX RES X3 250 reservoir
• XSPC AX120, AX240 and AX360 radiators in white (I know, they're only 40 mm, but thickness is hopefully outweighed by the amount of radiators)
• 6 x Corsair SP120 Quiet edition fans
• EK CSQ PushOn fittings
• An assortment of EK / Bitspower rotatable adapters 45 and 90 degrees
• Primochill PrimoFlex Advanced LT Elegant White tubing

The computer is still the

• ASUS p9x79E-WS,
• i7 4930K,
• 32 GB 2133Mhz DDR3 memory in a 4-piece configuration,
• Corsair AX860i PSU
• EVGA GTX 780 TI
• 2 x 840 EVO 250 GN SSD's

Now, all of this should, by my own primitive calculations, fit into the Fractal Design ARC XL (maybe except the AX120 radiator, but I'll find out once the case arrives (tomorrow Friday 4th)

I am going for SILENCE instead of OC'ing, and hopefully this will be QUIET!!! Otherwise I might have a slighty use PC for sale sometime next week

 

The Intented colorscheme of this is Black/White and Blue -let me know what you think

 

So basically, I'm going to need a bit of advice regarding the fan directions and which should pull air into the case and which should push air out of the case - I still want to try to maintan a slighty higher pressure inside the case if possible (or nescessary)

 

I am planning on doing the build during the weekend (the last bits and pieces will arrive tomorrow) and hopefully I can supply you guys with some decent photos of the build...

[Martin Moesby]

Ok, finally assembled the components and have encountered a slight inconvenient issue: i cannot fit the gfx card with the backplate attached in pci-e slot 1, due to an extreme tight fit for that particular slot, so I am left with 2 options:

1) remove the backplate on the watercooled card and place the card in slot 1

2) place the watercooled card with the backplate in slot 3, 5 or 7 even if the manual recommends slot 1 for single card configuration.

So, are there significant disadvantages of placing a single gfx card in slot 3 instead of slot 1? Or should i remove the backplate on the card and place it in slot 1?

A quick response would be greatly appreciated, since this is the final step before priming the system:)

(For those unfamiliar with the p9x79e-ws motherboard, slot 1,3,5 and 7 are all full 16 bit pci-e slots)