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Future Venice build

CreamySoupUSA

I suck butt hole.
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
1,470
Assuming the Venice chips come out within the next month or so, I'll be building a computer with one of them. If they don't... I'll just build a winnie computer.

Anyway, just looking for further suggestions in my build.

All prices are from Newegg, because I'm too lazy to comparison shop until I'm ready to buy.

Mobo - DFI "LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR" -- $179
Processor - Either Winchester 3500+ or a Venice chip around $275-300, we'll just stick with $275 for this
HS - Thermalright XP-90 - 42.99
Memory - 1GB XMS - $159.50
HDDs - 74GB Raptor - $180, 200GB Seagate NCQ drive - $136 - all together $326
Optical - NEC 3520A $51.99, Lite-on CDRW - $25 - all together $76.99
Case - Cooler Master Praetorian - $108.50
Powersupply - FSP Group (Fortron Source) 530W -$79
Video Card - EVGA 6800 GT PCI-E - $379
MISC - Netgear wireless adapter - $39.99, Logitech X-230s - $35, all together $74.99
Total - $1700.97

This will be primarily for gaming.

I may get two raptors and put them in RAID 0 if someone convinces me to, but I don't really need to. Also, later I'm throwing in a 2005FPW just for funsies :D


Anyway, thanks in advance for any suggestions

EDIT: Any text in red means it was not originally in this post
 
Venice should be out this Friday/Monday from what the little birds have been telling me.

RAID 0 bad. RAID 0 waste of money. RAID 0 rapes your data. Don't do RAID 0.

XP-90 usually up for cheap from SVC.com, sidewindercomputers.com also good. Copper version on SVC for $40 if you want to go that way but it's fricking heavy and doesn't do THAT much better.

Get DFI nF4 UT, same price, better for OC. Maybe a little more effort doing first boot config depending on your parts, I didn't have any trouble with defaults. If you need it there's alot of stuff on their forum on what to set how.

Then since you have lotsa voltage headroom for the memory now, get 1GB TwinMOS TMSP/400 for $110ish.

Any reason why an Ultra and not a GT?
 
Ok thanks, I'll wait for a few more suggestions before I make any changes, as my internet is acting up (damn Comcast).

The main reason for getting an Ultra over GT is that I'm getting a hefty amount of insurance money from a car crash I was in, so it doesn't really break the bank, and it gives me a bigger e-penis.
 
i disagree, raid 0(when set up properly) isn't to risky... it is riskier, but its not like its garunteed to die...maybe setup two 36gb raptors in raid 0 then a seagate 250 ncq for anything really important... i would deffinately reccomend 2 drives in raid 0( OS, games, HD intensive tasks) and then another for big important files..
 
GT hits Ultra's clock levels pretty easy. I think the main difference is that, and Ultra runs at 1.4V instead of 1.3, which is supposedly pretty easy to flash-mod. Haven't tried, not very knowledgeable about vid cards.

Qwest, 1500 down / 1024 up. Err...forget how much it was, but good for DSL. Cable's usually cheaper, that's about all it has going for it. Comcast evil.
 
boardsportsrule said:
i disagree, raid 0(when set up properly) isn't to risky... it is riskier, but its not like its garunteed to die...maybe setup two 36gb raptors in raid 0 then a seagate 250 ncq for anything really important... i would deffinately reccomend 2 drives in raid 0( OS, games, HD intensive tasks) and then another for big important files..

36GB Raptors are slower, louder, and hotter than the 74GB version.

RAID 0 doesn't help gaming at all, it improves sequential transfer rate and I/O transaction rate. This means jack shit if you're not actively operating on a file that's many GB in size, or doing a lot more small operations than a single user is capable of generating. It has the chance of drive failure causing total data loss equal to both drives combined, plus chance of array failure causing total data loss for no other reason than that it booted funny that day. It's good for some things, for the things it was designed to help, but unfortunately no matter how many people got RAID 0 stuck in their heads, gaming is not something it helps with.
 
boardsportsrule said:
i disagree, raid 0(when set up properly) isn't to risky... it is riskier, but its not like its garunteed to die...maybe setup two 36gb raptors in raid 0 then a seagate 250 ncq for anything really important... i would deffinately reccomend 2 drives in raid 0( OS, games, HD intensive tasks) and then another for big important files..


OMFG!!! This will be about the 8th time I've posted on this subject this month!!! READ REVIEWS, GET REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE!!! RAID 0 does not help, actually, I take that back, it helps about 1% in SYNTHETIC BENCHMARKS which are generous in giving that 1% increase. RAIDed Raptors don't perform any better no matter what RAID controller you have them on, big cache or not, it simply doesn't matter. Read the StorageReview.com and Anandtech.com reviews, they both prove with REAL data that it's of no help whatsoever and all it does is increase the "chance" that you'll lose your data.
 
damn man, you posted while i was still typing.... oh well, reinforces the point ;)
 
Yup. I used to frequent StorageReview, and even though their FAQ is one of the most referenced on the topic it was still constantly coming up. Somebody did real good on the advertising judging by the number of people that still believe it.

Anyway, we should [/hijack] and stick with the "what do you guys think about these parts" topic. Anything to add to what I posted earlier about the config?
 
ashmedai: I don't think I'll go with that motherboard, as I don't want to pay extra for a PCI-E video card. Also, why that RAM instead of the XMS? Just wondering.

Also, I guess I'm not going RAID 0, hehe.
 
Doh. I keep forgetting about the PCI-E vs AGP thing. I deliberately went with PCI-E when I upgraded as an excuse to upgrade my vid card too, the old one while nice enough performance-wise had some schitzo crap that'd happen every few boots. Lemme do a bit of research, I think that it has an AGP counterpart.

As to the RAM: for one, it's cheaper by a significant amount...for another, it's CH-5 aka UTT which is the same stuff in OCZ's highly priced VX memory. It clocks to around 250-270 that I've seen, and does so at VERY tight timings. The only catch is you have to be able to do 3.2V to get it there. If not, Crucial Ballistix is a very good second choice, it doesn't require as much juice, but doesn't do quite as tight timings and costs more. Newegg had some refurb Ballistix for $88 per 512MB stick as of yesterdayish, which just means memtest the hell out of it first thing, which you should really do anyway. Check my sig for results on the TwinMOS memory, and that's with a Winchester CBBID's memory controller or I'd probably be running it faster.
 
There is apparently a pending DFI nF3 AGP socket 939 board that should be here sometime soon, but no definate date for it yet. Keep an eye out for it I guess, if it's out before you get your parts great, if not then oh well, MSI's a good second. I'm pretty sure it can do 3.3V as it is and there are alternate methods if needed.

The one advantage to PCI-E is that down the road when a 6800 isn't the new hotness anymore, you can pick up another of them and SLI the pair instead of shelling out the big bucks for the latest card. Gives it a little extensability (or e-peen for those that have the cash to do it now). The DFI nF4 UT (non-SLI!) is functionally the same as the SLI board, all you have to do is take a circuit pen from Radio Shack and play connect the dots. Although as with any mod it's not exactly under warranty at that point.
 
Go with PCIe. If you do go with the DFI Ultra-D mobo and a PCIe 6800 Ultra.

If you go with the DFI Ultra-D you will need a 24 pin power supply.

Also get a Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS.
 
Heh yeah, you have to spend around 4 digits on speakers before you start outgrowing (modern) onboard sound.
 
I'm exaggerating slightly. But not by very much.

Onboard sound solutions used to totally suck. Now they're very good. Some boards stop short of 7.1 so if you have your heart set on 7.1 for games and for some reason don't want to get a motherboard that supports it then an Audigy makes sense. Otherwise it's a waste and quite possibly a downgrade as far as sound quality in some cases. There are cards that are much better for music than Audigy, but unless you get a board that for some reason has a really substandard onboard solution you're unlikely to notice unless you're on very good very expensive speakers.
 
OK, I was thinking about it, and I'll pretty much need a PCI-E or SLI mobo to upgrade my card in the future, so I might go with the LAN Party, and probably a 6800GT, as the Ultras are quite a bit more as PCI-E


Anyway, I have a question, whats the difference between

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=13-136-157&DEPA=1

and

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-136-151&depa=1


Thanks



EDIT: Also I made some changes to the system and put them in the original post, those changes are denoted in red.
 
Ignorant troll, I usually just ignore them (or report them) because anything else just gives them an opening for what they want.

I have no clue what the difference is between those two motherboards...the specs look exactly the same. You might try emailing DFI to find out, or maybe someone will know...either way I'm curious even though I went with the $130 version.
 
PCI-E video cards use a special power connector, construction is similar to the mobo power connector in a 2x3 array. It doesn't appear that the PSU you mentioned has such a connector, but 1) I'm no expert on power supplies, and 2) adapters may be possible, 3) I'm just going off some quick photos from Newegg on "Fortron 530W".
 
That motherboard requires a 24 pin connector, instead of the mostly standard 20 pin, more and more are requiring this.
 
Some good ones are this forton bluestorm 500w power supply.

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104934

This Antec 480w neopower, power supply.

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103924

This OCZ 420w powerstream power supply.

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104150

Finally the OCZ 520w powerstream powersupply.

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104152

All are 24pin power supplie, and all are recommended by the guys over at dfistreet for the dfi lanparty nforce 4 motherboards.
 
ashmedai said:
36GB Raptors are slower, louder, and hotter than the 74GB version.

RAID 0 doesn't help gaming at all, it improves sequential transfer rate and I/O transaction rate. This means jack shit if you're not actively operating on a file that's many GB in size, or doing a lot more small operations than a single user is capable of generating. It has the chance of drive failure causing total data loss equal to both drives combined, plus chance of array failure causing total data loss for no other reason than that it booted funny that day. It's good for some things, for the things it was designed to help, but unfortunately no matter how many people got RAID 0 stuck in their heads, gaming is not something it helps with.

Wait a second... They do help gaming. Unless none of the games that you play have loading times. You can stripe your data anyway you want for the type of games you play. You obviously correct if you ment to say that your framerate won't increase... that's obvious. But as I said, loading times are just apart of games as anything else and lately they've been getting longer and longer! So raid 0, yeah it's your friend for games too!

A "Do-Your-Homework-Link
 
*2 month old thread bump*
OK, I'm finally getting around to buying my computer.

I'm just getting one final check from you guys to see if I should change anything:

Mobo - DFI Lanparty UT NF4 SLI-DR
Proc - Venice 3500
Opticals - NEC 3520A DL DVD burner, Sony black combo drive as a secondary
Case - Cooler Master Praetorian
HDs - 74 gig raptor, 250 gig Seagate barracuda SATA drive
PSU - Antec NeoPower ATX 480W
Video Card - EVGA 256MB 6800GT
Keyboard - Saitek eclipse (anyone know how good this feels? I think it looks cool, but I tried one at a store and some of the keys were squishier than others, but that may have just been cause it was a store model)


Thanks again.

EDIT: Do I need to buy a 80mm fan or something for this?
2nd EDIT: I did some reading and found out I do need a fan, what would be a good one besides the Panaflo 92mm one, as I'd like to order it all from newegg but they don't have that fan
 
I woudl say, if your spending that much on a processor, you would be better off getting a 3700+. If your into overclocking, the San Diego core has been doing much better. Venice is just as much of a toss up as whinnys are, you may get 2.8ghz, you may get 2.5Ghz. SD's have been pretty consistantly getting 2.8Ghz or better. 2.7Ghz on air is a give in. The extra cahce is nice also. Something to concider, if your paying up for a nice CPU might as well just spend a few bucks more to make it worth your while.

Link for 3700+ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103539. Only $48 more, and since your spending $1500+ already, I am sure that wont be a huge added expense.

EDIT: If you have a ZZF account, you can save 6 bucks and get it there. http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80719-5
 
Don't get that GT get a X800XL, I don't know why people never mention it look at the reviews..
 
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