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Building a workstation. Need advice.

V

veldi

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Messages
184
Hello everyone. My first post here. Looks like a nice spot to be :)

So I'd like to build a workstation. The purpose of it will range from 2d/3d, video and sound editing to gaming sometimes. I'd like it to handle various jobs at once like rendering stuff and encoding videos while still providing enough room to do demanding tasks.

Here's a list what i came up with in recent days but my knowledge of current technologies is limited therefore i ask for your tips on the config.

Having bit hard time choosing the mobo (which I would like to be an Asus) and memories for it (I'd like 4gb no less but the problem is to buy pairs 2x2gb).
Also I'm concerned about the hdd. There are similar models from Seagate and WD with former having 32mb cache and larger plate and later having 16mb cache and smaller plate. Imho the WD one would be better.
The cpu is a concern also, knowing that q9450 goes out pretty soon. Still I could get q6600 and sell it and change.

My budget is limited so I cant go with stuff like Quadro gfx cards or QX line of intel cpu's. Something about 2000euro would be reasonable for me. That is roughly $3000.


Mobo ASUSTeK Maximus Formula
Cpu Quad Q6600 or waiting for Q9450
Cooler cpu Zalman CNPS9700 NT --- is this a good choice for moderate clocking?
Ram Crucial Ballistix 2 Gb (Kit 2x 1 Gb) - not sure here. I'd like quality ram.
Hdd Western Digital RE2 500 Gb 7200 RPM 16 Mb - to RAID or not to RAID ?
Gpu ASUSTeK EN8800GT TOP - I want this. This owns :p
PSU Cooler Master Real Power Pro M850 - not sure here. I'd like reliable and preferably modular one.
LCD Samsung Gateway 24" FHD2400 -same here. This looks like great choice but i failed at finding the panel type on this lcd.
Case Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 - maybe something for less buck but with same cooling efficiency ? (Antec 182 ?)


Looks like I'm totally unsure :D Please help me :eek:
 
MoBo: Maximus Formula is overkill, look at the P35 chipset boards. I'm using a P5K WS and its very stable/incredible for overclocking.
CPU: Get the Q6600
CPU Cooler: Thats a very good cooler
RAM: I've got 4GB of the Ballistix Tracer (2x 2GB pairs). Works great.
HDD: I wouldn't bother with RAID. I would get this Seagate drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
GPU: Good card, you might consider an ATI Radeon HD 3870 or 3850. Similar performance, but lower price
PSU: Check out Corsair units, they've got great reviews. I'm using the HX 620:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002
LCD: No idea, I'm using a 32" Walmart brand TV and a 19" Viewsonic VX922 :)
Case: Whatever floats your boat
 
CPU Cooler: See if you can get the Tuniq Tower HSF instead. It cools much much better than that Zalman HSF and, at least in the U,S, costs a lot less. Link for reference:
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45

RAM: I recommend getting a 2x2GB set of DDR2 100 RAM. Here in the U.S, DDR2 1000 isn't that much more expensive over DDR2 800 RAM. So see if thats the same for you. With DDR2 1000 RAM, you do have plenty of overclocking headroom. Yes, any cheap set of DDR2 800 RAM is all that you need for the Q6600 but with the Q9450, you might need higher rated RAM to hit high OCs.

PSU: Corsair 620HX 620W PSU is all that you need

Case: The Antec P182 is a good choice. However, here are some other case recommendations though:
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $60
Lian Li PC-7B Plus II Silver ATX Case - $90
Gigabyte Aurora GZ-FSCA1-ATB ATX Case - $110
Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS Full Tower ATX Case - $130
Lian Li PC-A16A ATX Case - $150
Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS Full Tower ATX Case - $150
Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $150
Cooler Master Stacker RC-830-SSN2-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $150
Cooler Master Stacker RC-832-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case - $150
Lian-Li V1000A Plus II ATX Case - $180
Lian Li PC-V1200 ATX Case (Silver) - $210
Lian Li PC-V1200 ATX Case (Black) - $214
Lian-Li PC-V1100A PLUS II ATX Case - $220
Lian Li PC-V1200B Plus II ATX Case - $240
 
Thanks for replies guys. So a few more questions if you dont mind.

What is a difference between gaming mobos and workstation mobos from lets say Asus ? My guess and it would be also logical to say, that workstation have stable bios and there is no way the mobo can be a cause of BSOD ? I mean what do i gain by buying those two types of mobos ? If someone could explain it well please =)

Would it be more wise to buy DDR3 mobo and some really cheap memory and wait for prices dropping and upgrade it ?

Thanks again :D
 
Danny meant DDR2-800, not DDR2-100 (first sentence for RAM). :p

The foreseeable problem right now with the Yorkfield CPUs is that their multipliers are low. Furthermore, current P35/X38 boards have a hard time pushing 450Mhz and higher with quad core CPUs (its a piece of cake with dual cores). So, while the Yorkfield may be able to get to 4Ghz, a board you buy today might not get it there. However, if your OC'ing goals are lower, say, around 3.6Ghz - 3.8Ghz, you should be ok.

The Zalman is typically overpriced for less performance compared to its competition. Go for the Thermalright Ultra120 or Ultima90 if you can find one, and use an S-Flex 120mm fan or Panaflo Hydrowave 92mm. The Ultima performs similarly to the Tuniq that Danny mentioned, btw. Another option is the Scythe Ninja Plus Rev.B. Any of those 4 units would be better than the Zalman, IMO.

Asus tends to overprice their boards. Have a look at the Asus P5K-E (WiFi version available) and see if it fits your needs.

Workstation boards usually have features that mainly workstations need, aside from reliability. For example, the P5K WS that DeathFromBelow listed has a PCI-X slot, which is mainly used for RAID controller cards. I would assume more testing goes into the BIOS versions before release, since workstation/server grade parts are supposed to be more reliable than desktop parts. Another thing I would assume is the use of better quality parts (all solid state capacitors, etc). Server and workstation parts in general are known for better reliability, which is ideal for mission critical systems. If you're building a home system, you most likely won't need a workstation/server grade board, but the choice is yours.

WD RE drives were meant for RAID. If you don't intend to RAID, get the KS drives instead. Though you may not run into problems running the RE drives in non-RAID configs, I'd still suggest getting the KS drives instead because of the built-in error correction. The RAID optimized RE drives lack error correction because they rely on the RAID controller. So, if not used with a RAID controller, there will be no error correction on the drive level when using an RE drive.

DDR3 is not yet mature enough nor cheap enough to consider right now. It will most likely be ready, tech-wise and price-wise, by the end of the year, around the time Nehalem comes out.
 
Yeah, there's no need to spend extra for a workstation board unless you need a certain feature. I was just recommending that you check out the motherboards based on the P35 chipset.

DDR2 is so cheap right now that there isn't much point in buying a DDR3 motherboard/RAM. The speed increase isn't significant enough to warrant the extra cost. I would rather have 4-8 GB of DDR2 than 2 GB of DDR3
 
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