OT: Hardware guru advice sought

[strykerpsg]

SOH team members,

I'm seeking advice on a potential build I'll put together if my deployment is put on hold while the current administration figures out what to do with so many warfighters gainfully employed overseas.

I am looking at:
Processor:
1) Intel Core i7 990X Extreme Edition Processor Socket 1366 (currently about $1000.00)

2) Intel Core i7 2600K Boxed Processor 2nd Generation Sandy Bridge CPU (currently about $300.00)

Mobo:
1) ASUS Rampage III Extreme Intel X58 1366 Motherboard

2) EVGA X58 FTW3 Intel i7 X58 1366 Motherboard 132-GT-E768-TR.

There's a huge price difference between the 2600K and the Extreme 990X, but apparently the 2600K is able to be overclocked to higher levels than the 990X stock. I haven't found if the 990X is overclockable, though sifting through Tom's Hardware to find the answer. I am looking for maximum graphics settings for the next few years on FSX and other future releases. Motherboards I am leaning more toward the Asus rig, as there are more video card slots and won't loose the pci-e slots by SLI configured video cards. Also want to add more than 6GB of memory for future releases. I will use my HDD's, video cards, memory and disc drives from my current machine, saving much money too.

Anyway, I know there are quite a few builders and modders that reside within these virtual walls, so your opinions are greatly respected and sought. Thanks in advance.

Matt

[warchild]

well, after going over the specs on the two processors i can see why the 990 is so much more expensive..
its base instruction set is more advanced than the 2600, and it can handle 8 gigs more memory than the 2700 ( 32 gigs as opposed to 24 . it can also run at 6khz faster than the 2700, BUT, it has no thermal monitoring, and neither does it have demand based switching available.. In fact, its missing a lot of things that are standard on the 2700K. Graphics included ( yup, the big expensive 900X has no graphics handling capabilities ). Looking at it over all, it doesnt seem worthwhile to own at all unless your planning on setting up a single cpu file server.. This thing can probably keep up with an SSD drive. But i personally doubt it would be so good with FSX.. My recommendation is to keep the extra 600 dollars and buy the 2700K.. Over all its a much more practical and useful piece of hardware.. Or, use the extra 600 dollars to purchase a refrigeration unit ( http://www.sotsyndicate.com/electronics-gadgets/21293-thermaltake-xpressar-first-micro-refrigerated-pc-case.html , http://www.bit-tech.net/news/industry/2009/01/21/thermaltake-xpressar-rcb400-series-the-bay-drive-unit-refrigeration-system-for-cpu-and-vga/1)..

Pam

[strykerpsg]

Thanks Pam, sorta what I was learning toward as well. Now, to find that Thermaltake LCS case. Fry's shoudl have it soon.

Matt

[txnetcop]

I build units for TecCorp for testing and we have found the 1366 socket boards are much faster on gaming than the new 1155 socket SandyBridge i7 2600 K processor/motherboard combinations, however if you consider price/performance Pam is right because you do get a lot of bang for the buck. You will have to switch to an 1155 socket motherboard for that 2600k neither of the X58 socket 1366 motherboards you mentioned will work with the i7k processors. If you want to save more money and still get a great performance consider the z68 1155 motherboards http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-P8Z68-Deluxe-6Gbps-Motherboards/dp/B0053HCOMM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317468241&sr=1-2 or the non Z68 http://www.amazon.com/SABERTOOTH-P67-REV-3-0-Motherboard/dp/B004K330KK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317468124&sr=1-3 (the Sabertooth boards are tough and can take extreme heat and very fast for the price) this board is also available at newegg. The Z68 boards are faster in that they have onboard SSD caching. I would also recommend the new Corsair Vengence memory 1600mhz or higher.
Ted

[strykerpsg]

Or, use the extra 600 dollars to purchase a refrigeration unit ( http://www.sotsyndicate.com/electronics-gadgets/21293-thermaltake-xpressar-first-micro-refrigerated-pc-case.html , http://www.bit-tech.net/news/industry/2009/01/21/thermaltake-xpressar-rcb400-series-the-bay-drive-unit-refrigeration-system-for-cpu-and-vga/1)..

Pam

Pam, I did a search and couldn't find this item, though found some very mixed reviews. They, thermaltake, seem to only make liquid cooling now. I was looking into their LCS case.

Ted, thanks for the additional personal insight. I guess I wasn't as informed as I thought. I noticed on both of your recommendations, there is not an option for triple or more video cards. I currently have two GTX 480 and may purchase an additional one at a later date. Also, need multiple PCI-e slots that won't get lost using the SLI. What's your recommendation? Also, apologies for thinking both chipsets were 1366/ Just found the 2600K in an article and totally glossed over the 1155 critical note. Do either of you (Pam included) think there's any value in the 1366 processors? Also, want maximum USB ports, since more and more items seem to run off USB and flight sims have almost everything added on as USB.


Thanks for the great info. I really appreciate the insider feedback. I've only built one complete system on my own, but upgraded dozens. It is very fulfilling to make your own setup though, so looking forward to the challenge again.

Matt

[txnetcop]

If you have the money to spend the stock 980X wipes the floor against the overclocked i7 2600k at 4.0Ghz even the sometimes available 2700k is no match for it by almost 25%. However every unit I have built or assisted in a build from the 960 and above has handled FSX with ease. There are several in here who will attest to this, including Nick N at Flight1 forums. But before you go spend a fortune I would suggest you wait until OCT 15 and look at the new AMD Bulldozer processors and they are going to be less than $300. I have been an avid Intel fan for several years as even the Phenom II 6 core processors could not come close to the Intel 6 Cores in performance. Bulldozer will change all of that. Because TechCorp tests for mfgs only we are not allowed to reveal our stats but I can tell you AMD Bulldozer is worth the wait especially when you consider price/performance.

http://www.redlinepctech.com/news/amd-fx-8150-vs-intel-core-i7-2600k-and-core-i7-980x/

http://www.zimbio.com/Computer+Hardware/articles/9rhnuH-wCoF/AMD+FX+8150+vs+Core+i7+980X+Test+Results
(http://www.redlinepctech.com/news/amd-fx-8150-vs-intel-core-i7-2600k-and-core-i7-980x/)

[Bone]

Processor:
1) Intel Core i7 990X Extreme Edition Processor Socket 1366 (currently about $1000.00)

I haven't found if the 990X is overclockable, though sifting through Tom's Hardware to find the answer. I am looking for maximum graphics settings for the next few years on FSX and other future releases. Matt

I have the i7 980X OC'd to 4.2 Ghz, liquid cooled, and she rips like a hot knife through butter. I didn't know there was a 990X out, but I'm going to guess it's over clockable too.

[txnetcop]

I have the i7 980X OC'd to 4.2 Ghz, liquid cooled, and she rips like a hot knife through butter. I didn't know there was a 990X out, but I'm going to guess it's over clockable too.

Actually we tested 995X CPU two months ago with a passmark benchmark of 10995 stock! The highest passmark of any processor to date even faster than dual Xeons...It is only sold by exclusive dealers. It easily beat out the AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer but we were told it would cost over $1500. It is a killer CPU that easily OC'd to 5.5Ghz

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Intel-to-Release-Its-Fastest-Desktop-CPU-Yet-the-Core-i7-995X-Extreme-Edition-193073.shtml

This will be the last of the 1366 socket processors...the emphasis now will go to X79 Express chipsets:
http://www.techpowerup.com/143179/Intel-X79-Enthusiast-Chipset-Sketched-in-Roadmap.html

How to purchase 995X on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/core-i7-995X-extreme-3-60Ghz-faster-than-980X-new-king-/140497917090?pt=CPUs&hash=item20b65414a2#ht_2491wt_995

Ted

hey Bone will ya send me your old 980X :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

[warchild]

::sigh:: and here i am still running on an old 780i with a q6600 in it.. cant afford to upgrade.. Oh well.. think i'll go play fable.. :::LOL::

Pam

[Bone]

hey Bone will ya send me your old 980X :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol:

I put this rig together only last March....can we wait till she's had her first birthday before calling her old?? Lol.

[Meshman]

A side note to processors and motherboards, pretty much everything I've seen on the i7 2600k and i7 2500k says that doing an overclock is pretty simple. Compare that to the motherboards for an i7 9xx where it seems like you need an advanced degree in Electrical Engineering to get a good overclock done?

Some where during my move north, something in my computer got rattled enough to where my i7 930 system now shows and recognizes the full 6gb of ram. Since that's cleared itself up, the next task is taking it up above stock settings. Simply setting a new multiplier like the 2600k won't do the trick. I'll set aside some time and hope things don't get fried... :kilroy:

[TuFun]

But before you go spend a fortune I would suggest you wait until OCT 15 and look at the new AMD Bulldozer processors and they are going to be less than $300. I have been an avid Intel fan for several years as even the Phenom II 6 core processors could not come close to the Intel 6 Cores in performance. Bulldozer will change all of that. Because TechCorp tests for mfgs only we are not allowed to reveal our stats but I can tell you AMD Bulldozer is worth the wait especially when you consider price/performance.


Interesting... going have to wait and check out Bulldozer.

[strykerpsg]

Interesting... going have to wait and check out Bulldozer.

You know, I have only tried the AMD processors once and that was abotu 15 years ago. If I recall, it didn't interact well with the Nvidia graphics cards well. Is that still true? If so, will stick with Intel for sake of having to invest another $1000 or more in two video cards to support my behemoth.

Also, with the advent of a new and faster AMD chipset, it may help drive down the prices of the latest Intel series as well, hopefully.

Thanks all for your input thus far. I guess I'll hold off on spec'ing a setup until after the new AMD chip is released. However, please feel free to contnue commenting on your experiences and recommendations. I'm taking them all in stride.

Matt

[strykerpsg]

So, getting back to my ignorance at hand, I may just go with a 1366 chipset, sans extreme. I can always upgrade to an extreme chipset later. Are the 1366's as easily overclocked as the 1165's? I did read the beauty of the 2700K is overclocking is a very simple affair. I have tried overclocking some of my chipsets and always had varied results. Of course, many of my chipsets were running on Dell mobo's, which are not user friendly and very proprietary in design, which is why I am considering the changes now, as my 720X XPS is starting to show age in it's memory limtations and expandability. So, if I could solicit the experience with 1366 chipsets user and builders, please feel free to comment.

Also, Ted, how do you feel about the EVGA FTW mobo's? Are they all gimmick, designed to appeal to those not so much in the know, like me? :) Anyway, it was the kids choice at the local Fry's that got me thinking about an upgrade, as it was an opened item and was no longer going to be carried by Fry's any longer, based on it's price. Thoughts?

Matt

[txnetcop]

What specific model EVGA motherboard? Yes the 1366 boards overclock easily. I also recommend 6 GB of Corsair Dominator 1600 mhz triple channel memory or higher. Get the lowest CAS number you can for RAM. Also read Nick N's guide before you decide to buy. We share the same expertise and ideology. One thing I need to clarify is I am not against the SandyBridge builds. I like the 1155 motherboards especially in light of the Z68 boards, which really makes for some great fps when you load FSX on a fast SSD like OCZ Vertex or Corsair. Either way you go, 1366 or 1155 there is plenty of upgrade path still in the works. However the Intell 995X is the last of the 1366 CPUs and it is KILLER! Z79 coming up! My favorite motherboards based on experience are ASUS and Gigabyte...EVGA has always been a bit quirky...but fast!

[wombat666]

As a matter of interest I've set up my I7-960 on a GA-X58A-OC M/B and it runs at a stable 4.2GH clock.................next stop will be a 995X on that board.
I can get some really 'interesting' FPS rates if I want to but who cares, I don't.
My only bottleneck right now are a pair of GV-R697OC-2GD/ graphic cards but I'm shopping around.
:jump:

[txnetcop]

Interesting things are happening:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?57550-AMD-Overclocks-FX-8150-to-8.4GHz-and-Bulldozes-into-Guinness-Book

Ted

[wombat666]

Interesting indeed Ted.
:kilroy:
I'm sticking with Intel for now, and as I refuse to be an 'Early Adopter' that means the I7 as there is too much money and time invested in getting to the stage I am now.
The trusty 960 is now running at 4.7GH with (I believe) more to come.
Just need to sort out a couple of new graphic cards that won't heat the room and are reasonably priced.

[txnetcop]

Since you are running crossfire you could run a pair of MSIGeForce GTX 560 Ti HAWKs in SLI MODE and cool things off and still have great performance. At worst it put out up to 65 C of heat when cranked up to full imaging but if don't mind a little noise from the two huge fans on it crank it up 80% or better and those fans still let you run full imaging graphics at a nice 55C. Love the GTX 560 Ti HAWK TWIN FROZER II by MSI. Even GTX 570s run cooler than the AMD Radeon 6950 and 6970, and talk about BANDWIDTH...WOOOOHOOOOO!

By the way the only thing you will need to do to that rig to run the pants off of Bulldozer is add a 990 or 995X why start over!

WOMBAT...ya know I was just thinking those ATI 6970s have more bandwidth available to them than the GTX 560 or even the GTX570s if heating is the problem you are aware you can turn the fan speed up on those video cards with the ATI Catalyst, right?

[wombat666]

No overheating problems with these Ted.
And yes indeed, fan speeds and temps can be tweaked via the CC.
I really have no cooling issues with anything, since I invested in my Thermaltake Level 10 GT it's more a matter of keeping stuff from being sucked into the case ................ :ernae:

50613
I was contemplating the temperatures that Asus' Radeon HD6990 generate, rather too toasty for my taste.
That aside, I hate really wide cards and just to put me off even more, the bloody thing is really noisy.
Until the price become a bit more realistic (currently around A$950.00) it's not on my shopping list.