MGMCCALLEY
[H]ard DCOTM SEP 16 / NOV 17
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2012
- Messages
- 361
Hey all. I've been looking to build a dual 2011-3 system for a while. I have a couple of systems crunching already, but this one is going to be special. I'm retiring my 1366 main system this year after almost 8 years of faithful service. This new rig will not only be crunching for WCG, but hosting at least two 1080 Ti cards for F@H.
The goal is to start small, with maybe two 2620 V3s, and expand into faster v3 or v4 chips when those start flooding EBay. I may consider some ES versions if they're the right price, but I'd need a confirmed source and guaranteed motherboard compatibility.
These two articles sparked my interest late last year:
http://www.techspot.com/review/1155-affordable-dual-xeon-pc/
http://www.techspot.com/review/1218-affordable-40-thread-xeon-monster-pc/
Both excellent articles.
Now I know the case I want it to be in (because I already own it), and it supports up to HPTX:
http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=eng/product_a1_1_1&lv0=2&lv1=55&no=179
but it makes no mention of SSI EEB. You'd think that it being smaller, it would fit, but can anyone find confirmation that it would? I'm no good at modding and don't have time anyway.
A motherboard size comparison:
https://lanoc.org/review/motherboards/5791-motherboard-sizing
shows that I should have plenty of room for an SSI EEB if the case supports HTPX, but will it work on that case?
Also, I've been eying this board:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132268
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z10PED8_WS/
The 7 full PCI-E slots (yes, some of them are X8 electrical) give me tons of options for expansion and cooling. The M.2 slot will go pretty far in providing fast boot speeds and a great primary drive. I don't really need the on-board SATA, as I'll have an 8 drive RAID6 installed, but they're nice for other things. The all solid caps and the heatsink layout is nice for a top-venting system.
The goal is 3 or 4 1080 Ti cards when they're released, will likely have to be the blower style fans without backplates if I have 4, but likely I'll only have 3 because I need a slot for my RAID card.
Power will be the other issue. The cards can pull 1,000 watts on their own, and add another 300 for two high-end 2011 chips, plus memory, drives, etc. I'm thinking the math comes out to just under 1,500 watts. I'm a big fan of Corsair PSUs, and like their new USB link that I use on another server to monitor fan speeds and temps, so I'm looking at this PSU:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139079
Fully modular is almost implied these days. The efficiency is nice, and I can still put it on a 15 amp outlet and protect it with a battery backup (assuming 1,500 watt output, not 1500 VA). I have a 20 amp outlet available, so I'm likely going to be using that just in case.
Long post, I know. but there are still many details to has out. I'd love to hear from you guys on the idea, the parts choice, suggested HSF if anyone has this board, the fit for the case, and the PSU requirements. It's by far my most complex build for my own computer to date, and I'd like to get it right the first time. I'm also hoping for another 5+ year run on this rig, so I'd like to get the base components as solid as possible without resorting to Supermicro or other custom motherboards, cases, etc.
The goal is to start small, with maybe two 2620 V3s, and expand into faster v3 or v4 chips when those start flooding EBay. I may consider some ES versions if they're the right price, but I'd need a confirmed source and guaranteed motherboard compatibility.
These two articles sparked my interest late last year:
http://www.techspot.com/review/1155-affordable-dual-xeon-pc/
http://www.techspot.com/review/1218-affordable-40-thread-xeon-monster-pc/
Both excellent articles.
Now I know the case I want it to be in (because I already own it), and it supports up to HPTX:
http://www.enermax.com/home.php?fn=eng/product_a1_1_1&lv0=2&lv1=55&no=179
but it makes no mention of SSI EEB. You'd think that it being smaller, it would fit, but can anyone find confirmation that it would? I'm no good at modding and don't have time anyway.
A motherboard size comparison:
https://lanoc.org/review/motherboards/5791-motherboard-sizing
shows that I should have plenty of room for an SSI EEB if the case supports HTPX, but will it work on that case?
Also, I've been eying this board:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132268
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Z10PED8_WS/
The 7 full PCI-E slots (yes, some of them are X8 electrical) give me tons of options for expansion and cooling. The M.2 slot will go pretty far in providing fast boot speeds and a great primary drive. I don't really need the on-board SATA, as I'll have an 8 drive RAID6 installed, but they're nice for other things. The all solid caps and the heatsink layout is nice for a top-venting system.
The goal is 3 or 4 1080 Ti cards when they're released, will likely have to be the blower style fans without backplates if I have 4, but likely I'll only have 3 because I need a slot for my RAID card.
Power will be the other issue. The cards can pull 1,000 watts on their own, and add another 300 for two high-end 2011 chips, plus memory, drives, etc. I'm thinking the math comes out to just under 1,500 watts. I'm a big fan of Corsair PSUs, and like their new USB link that I use on another server to monitor fan speeds and temps, so I'm looking at this PSU:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139079
Fully modular is almost implied these days. The efficiency is nice, and I can still put it on a 15 amp outlet and protect it with a battery backup (assuming 1,500 watt output, not 1500 VA). I have a 20 amp outlet available, so I'm likely going to be using that just in case.
Long post, I know. but there are still many details to has out. I'd love to hear from you guys on the idea, the parts choice, suggested HSF if anyone has this board, the fit for the case, and the PSU requirements. It's by far my most complex build for my own computer to date, and I'd like to get it right the first time. I'm also hoping for another 5+ year run on this rig, so I'd like to get the base components as solid as possible without resorting to Supermicro or other custom motherboards, cases, etc.