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New Workstation Arrived...

Allen Copeland
By Allen Copeland
in Build Logs
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I used to run on a Core i7 980x from a build back in 2010 and decided that 12GB of ram just wasn't enough given my new job means I work at home.

 

I needed something that scaled really well, and could run server class software (SQL Server Developer Edition, IIS, Asp.NET, et cetera), and when I needed to flex I didn't have to worry about the cpu power being there.

 

I thought at first of getting an octocore 5960x, but after reviewing my options, I decided I'd go a step further: workstation hardware.

 

What I ended up with was as follows:

 

  1. Dual Xeon E5-2680 v3 Dodeca-core processors @ 2.5 GHz  (24 physical cores with hyperthreading for 48 logical cores)
  2. 128GB Corsair Memory in 8x16 GB Memory Modules
  3. Samsung EVO 850-500GB SSD
  4. 1xEVGA GTX 980 Ti
  5. Haf-X Case
  6. EVGA Supernova 1300 G2 PSU
  7. Supermicro X10DAi

The hardest part was making the decision to offload the build onto a custom system builder out of New York (I built the i7 980x myself).  In spending that much on a system, I just didn't want to take the chance of botching the hardware, and the company used did over a week of burn-in testing with two days alone on the RAM (I... didn't really test mine when I built it, I thought: it boots! Didn't have an issue in five years.)

 

A majority of this is for the processing power.  I'm a programmer by trade, but I also like to code on my own time in a domain that lends well to manycore processing.  My goal was to go from processing times of two+ hours to 30 minutes.  In testing it fluctuates between 20-87% CPU usage (it's fast enough the 'sections' that utilize the cores don't last long!)  I also found that concurrency issues that would've occurred rarely with 12 cores (the original build) frequently to nearly always occur with 48 cores.  The RAM choice was due to frequently having Explorer say that I needed to close things or risk losing data, even in my day to day operations.  In my personal project, right after I ordered it, I implemented memoisation and the ram use dropped by an exponential factor (10GB-> Less than a few hundred MB, this also sped things up, the two hour runtime was 10 hour run times, also funny how I shaved more time off by optimizing than upgrading!)

 

I'm also happy with a Cinebench R15 score of roughtly 3200 (+/- a few based on background tasks.)

 

I've attached a few pictures for reference, the company was JNCS.  I admit they do better at cable management than I do. :(  The only real loose cable is the one on the side panel fan, which you can't do a whole lot with.

 

I would show a side view inside but the ... 288mm ( ? ) fan has a bad habit of disconnecting when removing the side.

post-257296-0-25775200-1441077225.jpg

post-257296-0-24322400-1441077230.jpg

post-257296-0-40040500-1441077236_thumb.

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Got to admit was about to make a, "Pics or it didn't happen" post, but then saw you already had pics. GG
Also, why didn't you build it?

My Rig:  CPU: Core i7 4790K @4.8ghz  Motherboard: Asus Maximus Vii Hero  Ram: 4x4GB Corsair Vengeance Pro 2400mhz (Red)  Cooling: Corsair H105, 2x Corsair SP120 High Preformance Editions, Corsair AF 140 Quiet Edition  PSU: Corsair RM 850  GPU: EVGA GTX 980 SC ACX 2.0  Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB, WD Blue 1TB  Case Corsair 760t (Black)  Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Chroma  Mouse: Razer Deathadder Chroma  Headset: ATH-M50X Mic: Blue Yeti Blackout

 

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More of a business decision than a fun factor decision.

 

It was replacing the system I use for my day job, so it had to be, above all else, stable, I don't overclock and my temps in my old build were atrocious.  I just don't have the time to invest in getting it 'perfect' on cable management or air flow.  The company used did a fantastic job, CPU in load hasn't breached the 50c mark.  The GPU fan almost never turns on.  It's super quiet (well, comparatively quiet), and my requirement towards stability was the real deciding factor.

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Why such an amzing system in such a shitty case? Those specs are beast! But why that case.... ouch.

Laptop: Thinkpad W520 i7 2720QM 24GB RAM 1920x1080 2x SSDs Main Rig: 4790k 12GB Hyperx Beast Zotac 980ti AMP! Fractal Define S (window) RM850 Noctua NH-D15 EVGA Z97 FTW with 3 1080P 144hz monitors from Asus Secondary: i5 6600K, R9 390 STRIX, 16GB DDR4, Acer Predator 144Hz 1440P

As Centos 7 SU once said: With great power comes great responsibility.

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Honestly I liked the case.  Though the second downside of a small outfit that builds workstations: there were ... like three case options.  This was the only one with a side window.

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Honestly I liked the case.  Though the second downside of a small outfit that builds workstations: there were ... like three case options.  This was the only one with a side window.

you should have bought the one I was selling on the classifieds, but its a bit older. That and I am sure you wanted something new.

Beginner's Guide To The LTT Forums

Donate Your PC's Unused Processing Power For Science!

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Why such an amzing system in such a shitty case? Those specs are beast! But why that case.... ouch.

outdated = shitty? It still serves it's purpose great and esthetics are obviously the lesser priority for such a build.
If one does not fail at times, then one has not challenged himself.

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The case ruins it for me, just looks "Extreme Gamer cutting edge 10 points Xbox Live points for CoD". Lol.

Mid-range Emulation Gaming and Video Rendering PC

[CPU] i7 4790k 4.7GHz & 1.233v Delidded w/ CLU & vice method [Cooling] Corsair H100i [Mobo] Asus Z97-A [GPU] MSI GTX 1070 SeaHawk X[RAM] G.Skill TridentX 2400 9-11-11-30 CR1 [PSU] Corsair 750M 

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That case honks more than a goose about to have its neck wrung for Xmas.

Area 51 2014. Intel 5820k@ 4.4ghz. MSI X99.16gb Quad channel ram. AMD Fury X.Asus RAIDR.OCZ ARC 480gb SSD. Velociraptor 600gb. 2tb WD.

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The case ruins it for me, just looks "Extreme Gamer cutting edge 10 points Xbox Live points for CoD". Lol.

 

You're welcome to not like it, but your "Extreme Gamer cutting edge 10 points Xbox Live points for CoD" doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

That case honks more than a goose about to have its neck wrung for Xmas.

 

This must be an esoteric anonymous gathering...

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You're welcome to not like it, but your "Extreme Gamer cutting edge 10 points Xbox Live points for CoD" doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

 

This must be an esoteric anonymous gathering...

 

It makes sense, it's just a tad satirical.

Mid-range Emulation Gaming and Video Rendering PC

[CPU] i7 4790k 4.7GHz & 1.233v Delidded w/ CLU & vice method [Cooling] Corsair H100i [Mobo] Asus Z97-A [GPU] MSI GTX 1070 SeaHawk X[RAM] G.Skill TridentX 2400 9-11-11-30 CR1 [PSU] Corsair 750M 

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Wow awesome specs I must say!

 

  1. 128GB Corsair Memory in 8x16 GB Memory Modules
  2. Samsung EVO 850-500GB SSD
  3. 1xEVGA GTX 980 Ti            

The things I would do to get those :D

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