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New system - Critique please

V

vsrdan

Gawd
Joined
Jun 29, 2005
Messages
663
I am planning to assemble a system to operate a scientific instrument in a chemistry lab. This would run almost 24/7 for long periods. The instrument will be connected to the PC via LAN (2+ LAN ports are preferred). Also, it should be a VERY solid system - that is, MUST run flawlessly during experiments - PC will collect data real time and it will also control the instrument. Intel platform is preferred (according to instrument mfg).

No overclocking. No OS required. Already have Win 7 license (Enterprise).

Here is what I thought of:


EVGA P55 SLI 132-LF-E655-KR LGA1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard = $169.99

Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) = $44.99

Intel Core i3-550 Clarkdale 3.2GHz 4MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor = $129.99

EVGA 01G-P3-1430-LR GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card = $69.99

LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW = 23.99

SIIG JK-US0312-S1 Black USB Mini Multimedia Keyboard = 19.99 (Picked this to save space)

Logitech LS1 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse = 21.99

SAMSUNG B2230 Glossy Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor = 149.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive = 89.99 (for data)

HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive = 38.99 (system)

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply = 89.99 (this could an overkill, but it is cheap)

Antec TWO HUNDRED S Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case = 44.99

Total = $894.88

Is there any way I could significantly reduce the total cost while staying within comparable performance? The ideal budget is around $700, but $850 is affordable.

Thank you for all comments in advance!!
 
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Why is a dedicated video card needed?
Why that overly expensive and poor choice of a mobo? I.e what features does it have that you absolutely need in a motherboard?
Also, do you really need a 21.5" monitor? Is there a minimum size or resolution needed for this usage?
 
Danny Bui said:
Why is a dedicated video card needed?
Why that overly expensive and poor choice of a amobo?
Click to expand...

I thought of the MB. None of the others I looked at (Intel P45 or P55) seemed to have good reviews. Can you suggest a better, cheaper option? I used Intel boards (with on-board video) for such purposes in the past, but they seem to give troubles after 1 year or so.
 
Yes, I like to have a large monitor - analyzing data involves large spreadsheets and charts.
 
vsrdan said:
I thought of the MB. None of the others I looked at (Intel P45 or P55) seemed to have good reviews. Can you suggest a better, cheaper option? I used Intel boards (with on-board video) for such purposes in the past, but they seem to give troubles after 1 year or so.
Click to expand...

I know you've had problems with Intel in the past but in this case, Intel is really the beter option:
$95 - Intel BOXDH55HC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI ATX Intel Motherboard

The above Intel mobo has two NICs, one of which is an Intel NIC. Intel NICs are far far faster and of better quality than many other NICs out there. Plus you can use the onboard video which saves additional money.

A simple mobo swap and now you've saved $145 right there. But a few more changes are needed:
- That Corsair 650TX is slightly overpriced and pretty much really overkill for your needs. I recommend this PSU instead:
$45 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU

Though if you want to do complete overkill, then I recommend this PSU instead:
$80 - Antec Truepower New TP-650 650W PSU

- For $10 more, you can get slightly larger sized Monitor:
$160 - Acer V233HAJbd Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor

1920x1080 is slightly easier to read on a 23" than a 21.5" monitor
 
Hmm... I work with scientists who have computers running 24/7 and all the computers are running Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron server type cpus. I think you should consider this type of setup as oppose to a desktop cpu build. Intel Xeon cpus are designed and spec'd to be ideal cpus to run 24/7. Also, should consider enterprise class harddrives for 24/7 operation with ECC (Error Check Correction) memory modules.
 
HardwareGuru said:
Hmm... I work with scientists who have computers running 24/7 and all the computers are running Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron server type cpus. I think you should consider this type of setup as oppose to a desktop cpu build. Intel Xeon cpus are designed and spec'd to be ideal cpus to run 24/7. Also, should consider enterprise class harddrives for 24/7 operation with ECC (Error Check Correction) memory modules.
Click to expand...
Taking that advice in hand:
Budget Workstation:
$120 - Intel Core i3-540 CPU
$168 - Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-O Intel 3400 mATX Motherboard
$51- Kingston 2 x 2GB ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 RAM
---
Total: $339 plus tax and shipping.

Better Workstation:
$210 - Intel Xeon X3430 CPU
$168 - Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-O Intel 3400 mATX Motherboard
$51- Kingston 2 x 2GB ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 RAM
---
Total: $429 plus tax and shipping.
 
HardwareGuru said:
Hmm... I work with scientists who have computers running 24/7 and all the computers are running Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron server type cpus. I think you should consider this type of setup as oppose to a desktop cpu build. Intel Xeon cpus are designed and spec'd to be ideal cpus to run 24/7. Also, should consider enterprise class harddrives for 24/7 operation with ECC (Error Check Correction) memory modules.
Click to expand...

Could I stay within the available budget with these options? Probably not, right?
 
vsrdan said:
Could I stay within the available budget with these options? Probably not, right?
Click to expand...

Read above :)

And just for the hell of it:
$240 - Intel Xeon X3440 CPU
$190 - Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O Intel 3400 mATX Motherboard
$51 - Kingston 2 x 2GB ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 RAM
---
Total: $481 plus tax and shipping
 
Danny Bui said:
Read above :)

And just for the hell of it:
$240 - Intel Xeon X3440 CPU
$190 - Supermicro MBD-X8SIL-F-O Intel 3400 mATX Motherboard
$51 - Kingston 2 x 2GB ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 RAM
---
Total: $481 plus tax and shipping
Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking. The Enterprise HDD consider something like the Seagate SV35.5 ST35004 10SV 500GB HDD for $49.99 as the primary drive and the Western Digital AV-GP WD15EVDS 1.5TB for $79.99 as storage. These would be ideal for collecting real time data over long periods.

We normally use Western Digital RE3/RE4 enterprise HDD in our servers but, it's going to cost more though. Heh, but I must say despite their Enterprise claim, 24/7 operation etc etc, they are prone to failure.
 
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Thanks guys. This many useful responses on this day of the week is truly impressive, and appreciated. I'll seriously consider going the server setup route.

Yes, I also agree on HDs - what I've selected were not that great.

Thanks again and have a great weekend!!
 
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