Building John Henry - It's Tight

S

SylarPowers

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,263
I'm starting this build log for fun (not build help). I'm going to build the very best PC I can - then teach it morals so it doesn't become the next Skynet and nuke us all. My John Henry. I was going to build a budget system, but I had trouble living with that, so I decided what I really needed was a crowbar to pry my wallet open! So I am allowing 3 thousand US dollars to morph into liquid metal and reform into a "Tight" PC Rig. Come with me if you want to live.

If you don't get the Terminator Sara Chronicles references, we can't be friends. I'm truly sorry. Lucky for us that does not preclude becoming forum buddies. So to start with I already ordered some great parts for John Henry:

Dell 2009WA Display ($220 Delivered - Dell)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/dells-2209wa-lcd-monitor-reviewed-deemed-king-of-22-inchers/
http://www.cnet.com.au/dell-2209wa-339294389.htm
This E-IPS LCD is fantastic, IPS technology for hundreds less than normal. At 22" widescreen it lacks the size/resolution of a 24" display, there's no 1:1 ratios to be found here, but it is a steal for the money. This will allow me to spend more in other areas and to see into John Henry's soul.

Silverstone TJ10 Nvidia Edition Chassis ($330 Delivered - Amazon)
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/TJ10-WNV.php
http://www.3dgameman.com/content/view/10628/103/
Best chassis out there IMHO. Stylish metal with Nvidia artwork, 5 green LED fans, unique high end mid-port cooling, removable motherboard tray, high mod potential (everything unscrews apart easy). A solid aluminum foundation - John Henry needs high grade metal.

After redonkulous research at CDFreaks, Sony Optiarc 24x Sata DVD Burner ($30 Delivered - Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030
Best burner and ripper out there bar none. NEC Chipset. Now I can back up John Henry's source code.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound ($10 Delivered - Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007
Keeps John Henry "cool". His future so bright, he's gotta wear shades.

Cat-6 50ft Ethernet Cable ($10 Delivered - Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16812189038
Cheaper and faster than Wi-Fi, let's John Henry jack into The Matrix.

Will post more once I receive "intelligence" from the future, but I call it intel for short. PSU choice is now imminent. The shortlist includes the Antec Signature 850w and the Enermax Revolution 85+ 850w/950w/1050w PSU's.
 
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lol..supposedly being discontinued. I admit to being a fan though...

might as well go with enermax's 1050 if you're going all out
 
SylarPowers said:
I was going to build a budget system, but I had trouble living with that, so I decided what I really needed was a crowbar to pry my wallet open! So I am allowing 3 thousand US dollars to morph into liquid metal and reform into a "Tight" PC Rig. Come with me if you want to live.

Dell 2009WA Display ($220 Delivered - Dell)
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/dells-2209wa-lcd-monitor-reviewed-deemed-king-of-22-inchers/
http://www.cnet.com.au/dell-2209wa-339294389.htm
This E-IPS LCD is fantastic, IPS technology for hundreds less than normal. At 22" widescreen it lacks the size/resolution of a 24" display, there's no 1:1 ratios to be found here, but it is a steal for the money. This will allow me to spend more in other areas and to see into John Henry's soul.
Click to expand...


I'm not quite sure I get your logic here. You're going to blow $3k USD on a computer which is a ludicrous amount, IMO, considering how little good [H]ardware goes for these days if you're OK with having 90% of the fastest machine out there. The first thing you cut major corners on is the display. The display is the device on which you view EVERYTHING this redonkulous PC is going to do for you, and well-purchased monitors will last for a couple of PCs (just like good lenses for SLRs). I've only purchased four monitors since 1987 or so, and they've generally been the single most costly part of my workstation rig.

IMO, if you want to blow $3k on an e-peen computer, don't cheap out on the important parts. You could go buy a nice 30" IPS panel, and still be able to overspend rediculously on the rest of John Henry. That way you can have the largest e-peen of all of your friends without even turning it on...

If anyone is curious - I've had a NEC Multisync II, traded to a NEC 3D, Viewsonic PT770, Sony GDM-F400 warranty-replaced with a GDM-F520 (8 years with the GDM-F) and in the last six months now a NEC 2490.
 
The only "best" I see on that small list so far is the AS5, really. ;)

If the OP were truly serious about building the best machine, I simply can't imagine a 22" at 1680x1050 would ever be on the list unless it was being used as a secondary monitor. Anybody not grabbing a 1920x1200 (you pick the size, because there's a 22" that can do it, several 23"s and mostly 24" and higher) in this "High Definition" age needs to have their head checked...

$330 for a case? My god... grab an Antec Three Hundred for $70 and be happy...

And that Sony/OptiArc drive is far from the best, like lightyears far. Might wanna look into the Lite-On iHAS series of drives, they get far better reviews at CDFreaks, and better custom firmware too.

50 ft of CAT-6... bleh, $7 at Fry's, same cable.

Bleh.
 
Surly73 said:
I'm not quite sure I get your logic here. You're going to blow $3k USD on a computer which is a ludicrous amount, IMO, considering how little good [H]ardware goes for these days if you're OK with having 90% of the fastest machine out there. The first thing you cut major corners on is the display. The display is the device on which you view EVERYTHING this redonkulous PC is going to do for you, and well-purchased monitors will last for a couple of PCs (just like good lenses for SLRs). I've only purchased four monitors since 1987 or so, and they've generally been the single most costly part of my workstation rig.

IMO, if you want to blow $3k on an e-peen computer, don't cheap out on the important parts. You could go buy a nice 30" IPS panel, and still be able to overspend rediculously on the rest of John Henry. That way you can have the largest e-peen of all of your friends without even turning it on...

If anyone is curious - I've had a NEC Multisync II, traded to a NEC 3D, Viewsonic PT770, Sony GDM-F400 warranty-replaced with a GDM-F520 (8 years with the GDM-F) and in the last six months now a NEC 2490.
Click to expand...

This. I just built 4 i7 workstations for our publications department easily for $5k for everything excluding the monitors. IMHO if you want this computer to be considered seriously then you need at least a 26"+ (preferably a 30") display. Then there are video cards, a single nice video card these days can easily run a 20" multiple video cards would just be a waste. What does this leave you with? Nothing more than an average PC with a tiny monitor. Seriously my GRANDPARENTS have a 24" wide screen LCD.
 
Fry's here in Vegas has 50 ft of CAT-6 for $6.49, I just bought a section last week, blue in color, standard stuff. Same thing in 25 ft sections is $3.99, I grab this stuff constantly for clients when I do installs, and the price hasn't been different for over a year now.
 
Joe Average said:
Fry's here in Vegas has 50 ft of CAT-6 for $6.49, I just bought a section last week, blue in color, standard stuff. Same thing in 25 ft sections is $3.99, I grab this stuff constantly for clients when I do installs, and the price hasn't been different for over a year now.
Click to expand...

:eek: Lucky you... Fry's in LA aren't that cheap w/ networking cables (they're like triple that price). :(
 
Time to defend the resistance!

I know I said I'm going to build the very best PC I can. However, ultimately this build has to become the best PC for me. The PC I want to build. This build log is just for fun, I'm really not in competition with anyone's build balance or benchmarks. I prefer some things such as a premium chassis and I'm willing to divert money there when others are not. The TJ10 chassis is one of best enclosures out there and it will last for many builds. It's an investment. It has a build quality, feel, look, and feature set that I really enjoy. Some put their PC on display with pride. To some a box is a box and they hide it under a desk - this high end enclosure was not meant for you.

On LCD's, I only do IPS panels and there are only 4 IPS displays on my short list right now (based on reviews I have read so far): The $300ish Dell 2209WA, the $600ish HP LP2475w, the $1000ish NEC 2490, and the $2000+ NEC 3090 (I'm quality over quantity on LCD's). Fact is I bought the Dell before I upped my budget, or I would have bought the HP for sheer size. The NEC's will not fit nice within my 3k budget for this year, not with all the other stuff I want. That said, the Dell does not leave me wanting, it's a landmark IPS display for the price. I wish it was 24", but it's so good I will happily use it until I can reach for that NEC 3090.

All my prices are rounded off to the nearest 5 dollar mark, include tax/shipping, and I didn't bother shopping around for the Ethernet Cable (it's a tiny purchase).

Now I'm not a DVD Burner supergeek, but those guys at CDFreaks are. I had some trouble following the high tech talk at CDFreak's Forums (perhaps John Henry could decipher it). However I did pick up on the fact that the NEC Chipset based burners are held in high regard, no matter who rebadges them. The old Optiarcs where not NEC Chipset based, but the new ones are - and from what I heard the new LiteOn will be NEC based as well. They still say get like 3 separate drives as no one drive does it all equally well, but the NEC based ones seem to have the best balance for a single drive. If I'm wrong it's a cheap $25 fix.

John Henry will be powered by the Enermax Revolution 85+ 1050w Power Cell ($275 Delivered - Provantage)
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=138
http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3452
AI's draw lots of power, but at least I will be green and 85+ efficient.

I am old enough to have seen the world, to fall in love, drink and buy a PC - beyond that it should not matter. John Henry is under 1.
 
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http://www.hulu.com/watch/67385/terminator-the-sarah-connor-chronicles-born-to-run Watch this, it's tight. Do it! Do it knoaaww! A breakthrough episode - this is what I call a season finale. Besides Heroes and Sci-Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica this was/is the coolest sci-fi show on. Can't believe they might cancel it. And I can't decide who's hotter: Cameron or Sarah. Ok Cameron. But Ms. "Because only Spartan women give birth to real men" has her charms too.
 
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Hmmmm, haven't watched a new episode since episode 14 of this season.

Time to catch up :)
 
i find that show very confusing sometimes. but i cant wait to see what happens next. if there is a next of course. and cameron is WAAAYYYYYYY hotter. good luck with your build.
 
yeah..the wackiest episode involves sarah at a sleep center..was just really weird for me. Then there's the moment with John's draw dropping at seeing Cameron.
 
I realize that a 22" widescreen display is not mind blowing in resolution or size, I really do, but don't dock it too many points for that - it's still an IPS panel: super wide viewing angles, great color, and low lag for an IPS panel, ETC. The next real IPS screen option is 24" and $600. I paid a a paltry $220! It's a hands down steal at this price. I would rather have this small but quality screen than a shifty $400 24" TN panel.

In any case I bought the display before I upped my budget or I would have bought the HP IPS 24" Display.

As far as the TJ10 Enclosure/Revolution 85+ PSU, it's like I said, it's an investment. There are things I want to upgrade later, like the monitor - and there are things I just want to nail the first time around, like the TJ10 Enclosure/Revolution 85+ PSU. I could always use a second LCD when I upgrade that part, but what am I readily going to do with another enclosure or PSU? Also monitors come and go, but this enclosure/PSU will last a very very long time. I will have like half a dozen other monitors before I need another enclosure/PSU. Paper thin OLED Displays will come out in the near future and we will all need new monitors anyway.
 
Judgment Day: John Henry's Final Parts List (The new budget is $4000):

1. Asus Rampage II Gene Mobo ($260)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131371&Tpk=N82E16813131371
John Henry in ROG threads. Will you join us?

2. Intel 920 i7 CPU ($280)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
This CPU is a 4-core learning processor with tri-channel ram support. I am not shitting you.

3. XFX ATI 4890 Xtreme GPU ($180)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150360
Displays fraggers with stunning graphics as you terminate them. They'll Be Back.

4. Corsair XMS3 (New Heat Sink Style) 6GB DDR3-1600 i7 RAM ($105)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236
Give me your boots, your RAM, and your motorcycle.

5. WD Caviar Black 1TB Sata HD ($100)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
I have detailed files...

6. LG GGC-H20L Blu-Ray Sata Drive ($110)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136133
Used to backup John Henry's source code. THX HD Source Code.

7. Enermax Revolution 85+ 1050W PSU ($280)
http://www.provantage.com/enermax-erv1050ewt~7EMAX01E.htm
Used for John Henry's Power Core.

8. Water Cooling Kit (Ballpark Unresearched Estimate $500)
http://www.waterparks.com/
Cools off the CPU without harming any human lives. Trust me. They'll live.

9. Thermal Interface Material ($10)
http://www.fox.com/blogs/terminator/2009/04/17/no-fate-but-what-we-make/
No Fate But What We Make: Choose your own TIM.

10. Zip Ties ($10)
http://terminatorwiki.fox.com/thread/1133253/Sex+with+a+Terminator?t=anon
John ties Cameron down every night with these. I would.

11. Silverstone TJ10 Nvidia SE Enclosure (Amazon/$330)
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/TJ10-WNV.php
Metal Framework for John Henry. Solid Metal.

12. NEC LCD2490WUXI Display ($1100)
http://www.amazon.com/NEC-Computers...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242864417&sr=1-1
A window into John Henry's soul.

13. Razer Mako Speakers ($285)
http://www.amazon.com/Razer-Mako-2-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242864495&sr=1-1
Relax... They are great speakers for the money... RELAX!

14. MS Sidewinder X6 Keyboard ($60)
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-AGB-00001-SideWinder-X6-Keyboard/dp/B001DWI4FM
Enter Skynet launch codes here... press the red button.

15. Logitech G5 V2 Mouse ($45)
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Lase...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242875833&sr=1-1
Talk to the Hand.

16. Razer Destructor Mouse Pad ($35)
http://www.amazon.com/Razer-Destruc...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1240682356&sr=1-2
Makes you a far more effective killing machine.

17. Cat-6 50 Foot Ethernet Cable ($10)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189038
John Henry's jack to The Matrix.

18. MS Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit OS Retail (Not Out Yet $285)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116473 (Vista Equivalent)
This OS became self aware at 8:29PM on May 20th 2009.

This includes everything (taxes/rebates/deals/shipping/OS). This counts the original prices of the parts I already have and current pricing of the parts I don't have yet - but does not count the parts I have to discard. I had to estimate the water cooling parts and I got a very good deal on that video card that I most likely can't repeat anytime soon. Again, I have John Henry up and running now with some decent placeholder parts. For my endgame setup, I currently need items 4 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 16 / 18.

BTW, I didn't get a D0 Stepping CPU - but since I don't really overclock that much, no biggie. I can't say enough about the Asus Rampage II Mobo. Great Performance, high end intergrated audio, and attractive pricing (for an Asus ROB i7 Mobo). It's short on PCI slots, but are you really going to use more than two high end PCI slots?

Well that's all for now. Time to self terminate this thread - but don't worry, I'll be back.
 
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Looks like they went and cancelled my show. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ran two short seasons. I was hoping this thread would save it somehow. Come with me if you want to blog... or something.

They terminated Terminator and Dollhouse was renewed. Fox has a sense of humor.
 
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I read that T4 is decent but nowhere near the movie that T2 was. Looks like my Terminator Blu-Ray collection will hold steady with T2 and two seasons of The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Anyway, I updated John Henry's Final Parts List (a few posts above this one).
 
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