The beast lives...

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 23 Dec 2005, 08:16

... Yes, my new PC is working again, after going through a difficult, open-case, power-supply replacement.

</drama>

The final specs are:

AMD 4400+ X2 CPU (dual core w/ 1MB cache each)
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium motherboard
2GB RAM OCZ Platinum Dual Channel memory
Leadtek WinFast Extreme 7800GT 256MB video card
2x 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 HD (SATA300 in RAID0)
Pioneer DVR-110 DVD burner
Enermax Noisetaker 600W power supply
CoolerMaster Stacker full tower case

Coming soon: Another Leadtek WinFast Extreme 7800GT 256MB video card next month to finalize my SLI setup and a LCD display when my current CRT gives up (or I kill it).
That whole thing is very silent compared to my old PC. The hard disks are ABSOLUTELY silent, you have to touch them and feel the slight vibration to actually know they're working. Even when doing random seeks all over the disks you can barely hear them working, and it's not because the noise is drowned by something else.

I'm very impressed by the CMStacker case, which in addition to being very well engineered, includes enough screws of all types that you coud really fill the 11 drive bays and add a gazillion fans everywhere and not need to go out looking for more screws. Same thing with the motherboard, ASUS included pretty much everything you could think about connecting to the motherboard, including (at least) 8 SATA data cables, a few Molex-to-SATA power adaptors and 2 IDE (PATA) cables, among lots others things, in addition to being an overall great motherboard.

Finally, I said a while back that I wanted to put Hitachi 7k250 drives in that beast and that was true until just a few days ago. It looks like Hitachi hard disks are a real PITA to get in Canada (not many distributors), and my order was pushed back from early december to mid-december and now mid-January, and I'm not counting the times when they just could not give me an ETA. Well, I now have Seagate 7200.9 hard disks in my hands for less money...

Benchmark scores are coming up in the next few days...

carrera · Post by **carrera** » 23 Dec 2005, 18:10

Holy smokes Bilbo.I have one word for that machine..."overkill"...LOL.
I'm running an x800 xt and there is no game I can't run maxed.You must obviously have some real cash or a good credit rating to get that kinda machine....I think we can all say...you have the top machine in NAR now.
Bilbo with a big smile on his face as he starts up "the beast"...yep makes an interestin mental picture..LOL....
carrera

meoPHOENIX · Post by **meoPHOENIX** » 23 Dec 2005, 18:16

nah overkill would have been a ASUS 8V with a 64 bit cpu lol

I bet this will be the 1st upgrade he will go for in the future hihi

but his mashine is indeed a nice damon hehe.

now get rF and move ya ass on track

... have a nice day! ... have fun! ... I DO!

meo

Steve · Post by **Steve** » 23 Dec 2005, 22:28

he has a 64 bit CPU meo, a dual core 64 bit CPU, lol Looks like i'm running a distant 2nd place, 0r 3rd, 4th, who knows? in the "PC War" now, lol < Although, if i was Bilbo, i'd have went for an ATI card

>

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 24 Dec 2005, 01:22

Hehe... "Overkill" today, guano tomorrow!

Overkill would have been to go with an FX-57 CPU (single core at twice the price of my dual) or a 512MB 7800GTX (or X1800, to please Steve

). It's the first time I buy "premium" memory, so yes, that's probably overkill. With the current high-end video cards and CPUs power drain, I could not play cheap with the power supply. About the case, I've got a very great deal on it, almost half-price of what it is advertised in stores. And both the case and PSU are compatible with the ATX and BTX standards as I've tried to make this machine as future-proof as I could (without waiting for the upcoming M2 socket though), so some of the money will likely be "recovered" in my next "upgrade" (hopefully not anytime soon!).

Oh, and about ATI, justified or not, I still don't trust them. I've had too many of my friends "burned" with crappy ATI products and/or drivers in the past to trust them now. And the SLI setup still brings me some memory of my 3dFX days (I was a big 3dFX fan and still hold a bit of grunge at nVidia for just killing them).

Steve · Post by **Steve** » 24 Dec 2005, 01:37

well m8, i'm sure that 7800 will run everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat, thats for sure, lol, install rFactor, run it in DX9 mode, and crank up the settings ingame, it looks AMAZING

i run it at 1280 X 1024 < most my crappy monitor will do > everything except spec effects and shadows on full, although once in a while i do run shadows full, 4 x AA 4 x AF and get good FPS with my X800XT-PE usually over 100

download Interlagos V2_01, it is an amazing conversion, you'll love it m8
http://forum.rscnet.org/showthread.php?t=235275

Kaali · Post by **Kaali** » 30 Jan 2006, 21:55

How is that PSU you got? Is it quiet?

Yeah it's really an ok avatar ...

Steve · Post by **Steve** » 31 Jan 2006, 01:53

if you want the absolute BEST PSU, nothing is better than PC Power And Cooling, i bought one, and paid out the ass for it <$195.00 USD > but i know i will NEVER have to worry about a PSU problem again

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:28

My Enermax Noisetaker AX 600W is really quiet, even with the fan speed dial set to the max. It's so silent that there's no point setting it any lower. I ended up building a quiet PC almost by accident as, while I paid attention not to get the noisiest parts, that was not my overall priority.

The noisiest part of my PC is the video card fan, and it's definitely nothing compared to the vacuum sound my previous PC was making. I mostly "hear" it only when it slows down after some intense gaming. Only then do I notice it was making any noticeable noise...

Flow · Post by **Flow** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:37

I have a silent computer also, you cant imagine BIlbo, its more silent that yours : I HAVE KIDS... Do you think i hear my computer ?

Kaali · Post by **Kaali** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:39

Ok Steve

Does it have active or passive cooling Steve?

And to Bilbo; I try to get a silence PC as possible and I appreciate quiet and solid PC stuff. Great that yours turned out to be that silence.

Regarding that VGA cooler. Is it a stock cooler? I dunno if you have heard about Zalman. I have Zalman VGA cooler, CPU cooler and PSU (only 350 Watts tho so to be replaced when I buy a new system which is why I asked if yours is ok quiet). Try to check Zalman site http://www.zalman.co.kr/. They really have good stuff. But warranty goes up in the blue air if you change e.g. your VGA cooler tho but I can live with that.

Bilbo · Post by **Bilbo** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:46

I've heard a lot about Zalmann products. I would have gone that way if my system had turned too noisy for my taste. But what it turned up to be was more silent than anything I could have wished for, so I see no need for me to go passive (other than the built-in chipset heat pipe/heat sink of the ASUS A8N-SLI premium which I got because, from experience, the ASUS chipset fans on other boards inevitably start getting noisy after a few months of usage).

Kaali · Post by **Kaali** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:51

Ok, cool Bilbo. Just for the record, I wouldn't use passive cooled PSU. They should be just fine if you use your PC for office programs like only but if you are a gamer, not good. I've read PC with passive cooled PSU's shut down just like that when overloaded.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » 31 Jan 2006, 02:52

http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/ ... show=T51DX thats my PSU