The time has come for a new system build.

[clifford_cooley]

• Here is my build list:
  • Thermaltake Dokker Mid-Tower Computer Case
  • CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W Power Supply
  • MSI P67A-G45 (B3) Motherboard
  • Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz Processor BX80623I72600K
  • G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 Memory
  • Acer 20" LED-Backlight LCD monitor
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM

• Plus a few things I currently have in use, that should correct the main issues I have with this system.
  • EVGA GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB Video Card
  • Seagate 1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
  • LG DVD Burner SATA LightScribe Support
  • ASUS PCE-N10 PCI Express Wireless Adapter

I will soon be hot on yodap's tail. :evil::evil::evil:

 

[brkkab123]

Hey Clifford check this G-Skill ram kit out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426

 

[clifford_cooley]

Thanks brkkab123!!
Do you prefer that series over the one I listed?

Both links are the same!

 

[Nibiru2012]

Looks like you'll have a nice system there Cliff! I am a little covetous to say the least.

Personally I prefer Muskin RAM as it has always been rock solid and all it's modules are hand selected. Plus they're assembled in the USA.

Whatever you decide will be the best choice for you however.

 

[clifford_cooley]

Hey Clifford check this G-Skill ram kit out. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426

You talked me into it.

I have now made my order and should have everything within 3 days.


@ Nibs: I don't know anything about Mushkin.
Your high praise has definitely got me looking at their merchandise and reading the reviews. It's only a matter of time before I buy some of their merchandise.

 

[yodap]

Nice! I better clean my rear view so I can see you coming.

A couple of things jump out at me.

I like the case very much with the docking station feature. You will probably need an aftermarket cpu cooler if you want to run higher than 3.8Ghz. Some of them are big (cover ram slots and such) so do your homework on them
I have the same monitor. :beer:
I took nibs advice on Mushkin ram for my first build about a year ago and have used it on 3 builds since. Solid product.

Consider another GTS-450 or similar for 50k ppd. I've been thinking about it.

Good luck my friend!

 

[tanner2]

I just bought my 1st corsair psu this year and I have to say for me it is unbelievable how much better it is compared to anything else I have had. You know I hurt them. I've seen gts 450's as low as $75 after rebate (evga superclock) new free shipping so they are quite doable. Now thats going to be a nice build.
I think it will be getting interesting between you and yodap

 

[brkkab123]

Your welcome Clifford. Can't beat that price for twice the amount of ram. I've got the DDR3 1600 kit of it. Timimgs are more than likely 9-9-9-24.

 

[clifford_cooley]

I like the case very much with the docking station feature.

The docking station feature is what sold the case. I've needed that feature several times the last year alone.

You will probably need an aftermarket cpu cooler.

I haven't made up my mind yet on what to buy.

I'm thinking about going with a water cooling solution. - CORSAIR H80 (CWCH80) High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Consider another GTS-450 or similar for 50k ppd.

I'm not sure about adding another graphics card. I would rather build another PC instead. Or possibly upgrade the GTS-450 to a GTX-560 or so. If I do upgrade the GPU, I think I will wait for the next generation of graphics.

 

[Nibiru2012]

Cliff - You might consider the less expensive water cooler from Corsair, the CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler. It get basically the same performance results and is a lot less money. $54.88 including rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015

OverclockersClub dot Com did a very good review 3 months ago; from the Conclusion Page:

Conclusion:
I have no problem making the statement that this water cooling unit offers a lot of "bang for the buck" as well as other features that can appeal to many. For all tests except overclocked load, it performed within a few degrees of the Noctua NH-D14, which is more expensive than the Corsair H60. It's very compact, requires little to no maintenance, is quiet, and performs well even for those who plan to overclock.

However, it may not be for those looking to perform very extreme overclocks, as the performance and effectiveness of the cooler begins to degrade as the heat output of the processor increases, and one would be better off purchasing a high-end air cooler that can keep up with the extreme heat loads. This is caused by what is known as "heat soak", which is when the radiator and the rest of the components heat up, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the unit.

Perhaps having another fan on this unit in a push/pull setup would help this, but with a radiator on the level of size of this one, as with any radiators, it's only effective up to a maximum wattage input at a given ambient temperature. Once the rate of heat input to the system exceeds the maximum effective dissipation rate of the radiator, this leftover heat input goes into increasing the temperature of the system until it is at equilibrium. This simply means a higher overall coolant (water) temperature, meaning a higher processor temperature. Long story short, don't expect excellent temperatures on an i7 930 at 4.5GHz!

Overall, I like this unit. It is very compact, quiet, self-explanatory, and little or no maintenance is needed (i.e. cleaning dust out of heatsink fins, draining/refilling the unit, etc). I am also one of those folks who love to work on the presentation of the interior of the computer case, and staring at the top of a huge heatsink takes away from the look slightly. I love the cleanliness and sleekness of the Corsair H60 and the way it makes the inside of the HAF932 look.

With all that said, for the price, it is well worth it and I hope Corsair keeps up the good work!

Full Review Here: Corsair H60 Water Cooling Kit Review

It received the OCC GOLD recommendation award!

 

[clifford_cooley]

Cliff - You might consider the less expensive water cooler from Corsair, the CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler. It get basically the same performance results and is a lot less money. $54.88 including rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015

There ya go, thats my next cooler. Thanks nibs, I like that one better.
I'll have to use the stock cooler for awhile though.

Side note:
They can shove that rebate where the sun don't shine. Rebates need to be a thing of the past.

 

[Nibiru2012]

I don't like rebates either, all they are is basically a marketing tool and that's it.

Just reduce the price of the product to the rebate's price and go from there. Plus the manufacturers wouldn't have to hire a rebate fulfillment company to screw everything up!

 

[TrainableMan]

Actually a rebate gives the company money to play with. They can take that, for example $15 along with thousands of other customers money and place it in a high yield fund for 90 days and earn money on it so in the end when they send you a check maybe instead of being out the $15 it really only cost them $14. If they didn't have your money they wouldn't have the excess capital to do that (or perhaps your extra capital added to theirs puts them in for a higher return percentage).

 

[Kougar]

Well, and a large number of people don't even get around to sending in the rebates to begin with...

That looks like a sweet build Cooley! I hope ya enjoy it!

How far were you thinking of overclocking the processor? I think a 3.6GHz OC they used in that review is pretty weak, considering they are testing some of the best coolers out there. SB chips can clock to 4.5 to 5Ghz on air, so I'd make sure the H60 can handle the heat load as well as the H80. And I've not seen anything that can match the Noctua DH-14's acoustics at its performance level, that review they maxed out the fans and didn't factor in noise at all.

 

[yodap]

Well, and a large number of people don't even get around to sending in the rebates to begin with...

That looks like a sweet build Cooley! I hope ya enjoy it!

How far were you thinking of overclocking the processor? I think a 3.6GHz OC they used in that review is pretty weak, considering they are testing some of the best coolers out there. SB chips can clock to 4.5 to 5Ghz on air, so I'd make sure the H60 can handle the heat load as well as the H80. And I've not seen anything that can match the Noctua DH-14's acoustics at its performance level, that review they maxed out the fans and didn't factor in noise at all.

c_c
Just as a reference, I'm running stable (and cool with a Zalman http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118059 air cooler) at 4.2Ghz.
I'd love to take it higher but can't keep it stable. Then I know nothing of OC'ing and adjusting voltage and ram timings etc. Better to be stable and folding than di---ng around and breaking something.

Until you get the cooler you should feel good at 3.8 and complete -bigadv without problems. Or just set the AC to max.

 

[clifford_cooley]

I'm up and running

Now to get this thing fine tunned.

Check the CPU-Z link in my sig.

 

[yodap]

Congratz Clifford.

What are your core temps @ 3.6? Are you going to fold a regular smp-2 unit to see how it goes? Did you get any sleep last night?

 

[Nibiru2012]

Nice One Cliff! Now it's time to change your computer specs in your Avatar box!

 

[clifford_cooley]

I'm running stable (and cool with a Zalman http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118059 air cooler) at 4.2Ghz.

Yodap, I'm not sure what kind of homework you did when looking for a CPU cooler. I'm finding the cooler that you purchased hard to beat in price/performance/noise. It's not far behind the Noctua NH-D14 for less than half the price. It would seem that better performance would come at twice the price or noisier fans.

EVGA Superclock CPU Cooler Review

 

[yodap]

Yodap, I'm not sure what kind of homework you did when looking for a CPU cooler. I'm finding the cooler that you purchased hard to beat in price/performance/noise. It's not far behind the Noctua NH-D14 for less than half the price. It would seem that better performance would come at twice the price or noisier fans.

EVGA Superclock CPU Cooler Review

I had seen that page when I was looking but didn't make my decision from it.
On the advice of someone else I ordered the Hyper 212 only to get an email that it was out of stock. I scrambled to find this one at about the same price. Price being the most important factor at the time. It has exceeded my expectations and I'm very happy with it. But it is big and I have 1 fan in the push set up and it blocks my first ram slot. Not a big deal for this rig.