Rate my $4k dream machine

oldbushie · Post by **oldbushie** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:34 pm

I've been keeping a close eye on the new CPU's release, and created a setup that utilizes it to its full potential, I hope: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Publi ... er=7725125

Further on down the line I may add more video cards, and the motherboard supports both SLI and Crossfire so I should be fine there. Also, I may add a cpu cooler and a non-mobo sound card if I feel the system needs a boost in those regards. I'm also going to get a bluray burner post-build as I haven't seen a wide selection on newegg. I currently have a keyboard, mouse, and 26" monitor that are fairly new and I am just looking to get a solid system core up and running.

Thanks for any tips!

Post by **dosraider** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:15 am

As you go for Vista 64 double your RAM, can only benefit from that.
Certainly on a quad-core.
Even if most applics only can use 3GB max (32 bit ones anyway) when multitasking you'll get a system boost.

oldbushie · Post by **oldbushie** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:40 am

Well, due to the nature of the new CPU, I have the choice of 3, 6, 12, or 24 gigs of RAM. I could go for 12, since the RAM is on sale... I read that 6 gigs is more than enough for anything but I didn't take 64 bit into account.

Post by **dosraider** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:19 pm

RAM is the cheapest system performance boost you can get, really.
And as said, you'll be on Vista64, believe me, I've worked on such systems and plenty RAM is heaven. Even if you only run 32bit software, the system spreads the applic demands over the available RAM and can take fully advantage of the multi-core CPU. RAM is lightning fast compared to HD mapped memory.

Another thing that I would change in your config:
A smaller primairy HD 'system only' coupled with a large secundary HD for the rest.
Great advantage: a smaller HD is much easier in maintenance, and that also benefits the all-round system performance.

Those things are a small investment afterall, but a joy in your PC's lifespan.

Are the additional RAM and extra HD a must? Not really, it's your choice, just make the good choice.
The non-mobo soundcard is a matter of taste, modern onboard soundchips are excellent, you only need a seperate card if you're in the music scene of a real purist.

The extra cooling? Yes, a cool multi core CPU won't slow down, that's what they do when heating up: they switch in a lower gear, speedloss is the result.
Blu-Ray? Wait a bit, the best PC hardware for that is yet to come, and the prices will drop.

oldbushie · Post by **oldbushie** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:42 pm

Sales for the DDR3 are looking pretty good on Newegg right now, so I've opted for 12 gigs after all. $500 for 12 gigs of RAM is pretty sweet, and the motherboard supports up to 24 gigs. Besides, it's probably a good idea to have RAM that's all the same type.

Also, the motherboard I picked looks like it comes with a separate Creative Xi-Fi sound card that's optimized for the motherboard, so I'm all set there.

I changed the hard drives to the faster 300 gig drives because that's still twice the amount of space I currently have. I don't accrue nearly as much stuff as my friend so I should be fine with 600 gigs of fast space.

So I'm basically down to waiting on better blu-ray burners and Core i7 cpu coolers. There's really not much selection for either right now. At least they're easy to add on at a later date. I might also add more video cards later but I'll wait for prices to drop first.

Edit: I just ordered all the parts, and the RAM that I was hoping for came to Newegg a bit early.

I can't wait to put it together.