trying to hit the price/performance sweet spot! any suggestions (esp mobo)?

[letfeardomring]

Like it says... I am trying to hit the price/performance sweet spot (my idea of performance may be high but I want something that can multitask with ease and handle HD vid). It has been a long time since I have had a nice computer, and I am ready for one.

 

So the machine will be used for:

1. HD video editing -- hence the peculiar hard drive setup below
   
2. raw image editing and compositing large/high-res images
   
3. web work (running flash, photoshop, dreamweaver, mozilla, itunes @ the same time)
   
4. media pc
   

I need some hand holding here: I am looking for some advice before I submit my newegg.com order (see below)... I am ready with everything except the motherboard. But would still be open to advice on other things in addition to motherboard if there is something better (or a better value) you recommend.

 

I was looking for a mobo with 8xSATA (considering 6xSATA if it would make life significantly easier) RAID capabilities, but then I realized that many boards don't have more than a couple SATA ports working.

 

I was looking at (I think everything pretty much works out of the box and I could do software RAID. not sure if all 8 sata ports work?):

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 / $190 non egg / 1600 oc, 1333 fsb / 8 sata, 8 usb, 2x1394

 

...and also looking at (but this might be overkill and a lot of work to get working.. but worth it? will it support 16mb of ram in OSX?):

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DQ6 / ~$175 open box / 1600 fsb / 16 MB RAM, 10 SATA, 3x 1394, 4x gigabit

 

 

I have always worked on computers, but as I have never built a machine from scratch before, let a lone a hackintosh, I would like as much working out of the box as possible!

 

I have to say, also, this board and it's members are amazing. 1000 thanks for any recommendations!

 

 

HERE'S WHAT'S IN THE NEWEGG CART:

 

MOBO:

[none.. may have to get from somewher besides newegg. Any recommendations on a 8xSATA board with working RAID and most things out of box?]

 

CHIP:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor $189.99

 

GFX*:

EVGA GeForce 8800GT AKIMBO 512-P3-N807-AR Video Card - $124.99

 

RAM:

[2x2x2GB=8GB] OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $72.99 each after MIR, $145.98

 

HARD DRIVES:

5x [because they are fast and cheap] Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $84.99 each, $339.96

1x SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $149.99

 

arranged like this (it may be complicated but I hope to avoid any slow down from HDD bottlenecks -- any better suggestions?):

OS: 1x640 WD (I will partition that and maybe try to add a Windows boot later)

RENDER&SCRATCH DRIVE: 1x640 WD (also probably put a small partition with OS backup)

CURRENT PROJECTS: 2x640 WD (RAID 0)

CURRENT PROJECTS BACKUP: 1x640 WD (this will have to be external in enclosure since mobo is only confirmed to have 6 working sata ports)

MEDIA&DATA: 1x1TB spinpoint F1 (b/c i want to be able to stream mp3s during any task w/o slowing down)

 

DVDRW:

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-05 - OEM - $29.99

 

PSU:

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W Power Supply - $89.99 (after MIR)

 

CASE:

Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $59.95

(seemed like the best simple <$100 case that would take 6 drives)

 

-$15 (for RAM/GFX combo), -$5 (WD 640GB code), free shipping on all

 

TOTAL (w/o Motherboard): $1,310.83

 

I am sure I need some cords and thermal paste, but I will figure that out after I know which motherboard/what it comes with.

 

Many thanks again for any feedback!

 

PS - if you have any of these parts you want to get rid of I will buy your used parts.

 

*A couple reservations about the Vid card. I am a little worried about the graphics card cooler covering up a sata port or something on the mobo. This version is the same price as the low profile (but not as well cooled) version.

 

I want to add a 2560 x 1600 30" monitor at some point, but keep my 20inch Samsung Syncmaster 204b which I would turn on its side (thanks to kitkat54's inspiration). It has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 / 60 Hz. Will that video card be adequate?

 

I am not going to be playing games but would be doing HD video work.

 

Thanks again!

 

---

edit: removed one motherboard option, moved 1 wd 640 drive to external since GA-EP35-DS4 has only been confirmed to work with 6 sata ports.

[letfeardomring]

anyone? i hope it doesn't sound impatient, but i am trying to order parts and then get up and running ASAP here so i can move on with my life

 

the HCL generally only says "sata working" but not how many... and the HCL has little info about RAID working. that leaves mountains of forum info to dig through and it's easy to miss something and hard to keep it all straight. a few words and/or a couple links from those in the know could be really helpful right now.

 

for the motherboard, i was leaning to the GA-EP35-DS4, but w/ only 6 SATA ports working it looks like it might not be the best...

 

the only evidence i can find of any board (which mostly works OOB) with all 8 sata ports and RAID working is the GA-P35-DS3P (as stated in this signature/post -- which does not specify if all 8 and RAID work out of box). looks like this might require retail dvd according to the method posted by karaakeha1 -- and this method is for booting from a RAID which is not what I am trying to do. are there other ways of getting 8 sata and raid working using just kalyway that i have not found in my days of digging?

 

~pcwiz has a much simpler install for GA-P35-DS3P, but no mention of RAID or how many SATA ports work with this method. it also seems like there is less forum activity around this board than some of the others -- not sure how to interpret that.

 

please, does anyone know if this board will indeed work with all 8 sata and raid OOB? are there others, or is that THE option? many thanks!

 

also wondering if it is worth the additional energy to set up with a retail disc?

[letfeardomring]

approaching 200 views and no responses?

 

i still can't really find all the info about the 8xSATA and RAID issue...

 

i am also thinking now about making this system as future-compatible as possible.

 

is there any way to know what hardware snow leopard will work on when it comes out?

 

in its next life may be as a media pc, so perhaps i should opt for a video card that has HDMI out? that would not be the 8800GT. any other suggestions?

 

also i am a little confused about monitor resolutions. i probably won't ever drop the cash for a 30" monitor. the 24" are well within range, though. they have a resolution of 1920 x 1200. i was reading somewhere that this means they can display a 1080 HD signal natively (whereas a 22" with 1600 x 1050 resolution cannot).

 

i am also wondering about doing dual displays with 2 different monitors that have different refresh rates, etc. would i be better off adding a 24" (WUXGA) widescreen to my current samsung 20" (UXGA) or should i sell the current samsung 20" (UXGA) and opt for either 2 x 22" or 2x 24" (purchasing one at a time as cashflow allows...)?

 

thanks for your help...

[Oracle67]

Check my signature for an easy good and smooth working solution.

[theotherone]

i would recommend a serious Hardware-RAID-Card with the GA-EP35-P4 (my current mobo).

I have a Highpoint RocketRAID 3520 (roundabout 600 dollars) it screams with 8 SATA 500 GB Drives in RAID5 and is rock-solid! Forget about cheap onboard-raid, it's not meant for serious work and its mostly software-based...

 

 

approaching 200 views and no responses?

 

i still can't really find all the info about the 8xSATA and RAID issue...

 

i am also thinking now about making this system as future-compatible as possible.

 

is there any way to know what hardware snow leopard will work on when it comes out?

 

in its next life may be as a media pc, so perhaps i should opt for a video card that has HDMI out? that would not be the 8800GT. any other suggestions?

 

also i am a little confused about monitor resolutions. i probably won't ever drop the cash for a 30" monitor. the 24" are well within range, though. they have a resolution of 1920 x 1200. i was reading somewhere that this means they can display a 1080 HD signal natively (whereas a 22" with 1600 x 1050 resolution cannot).

 

i am also wondering about doing dual displays with 2 different monitors that have different refresh rates, etc. would i be better off adding a 24" (WUXGA) widescreen to my current samsung 20" (UXGA) or should i sell the current samsung 20" (UXGA) and opt for either 2 x 22" or 2x 24" (purchasing one at a time as cashflow allows...)?

 

thanks for your help...

[letfeardomring]

i would recommend a serious Hardware-RAID-Card with the GA-EP35-P4 (my current mobo).

I have a Highpoint RocketRAID 3520 (roundabout 600 dollars) it screams with 8 SATA 500 GB Drives in RAID5 and is rock-solid! Forget about cheap onboard-raid, it's not meant for serious work and its mostly software-based...

 

what are the on board controllers meant for then?

 

any suggestions for something that does not surpass the $1500 target so much?

 

thanks!

[letfeardomring]

i am slowly learning...

 

okay, apparently Asus P5W DH will do hardware RAID 0. However, it still only has 6 SATA ports, a slower bus, 8 mb max ram, and I am not sure if it will take 45 nm processors (anyone?).

 

also wondering: what if the mobo dies or you replace it? you'd have to get another mobo to use that raid as-is, right? otherwise you will have to reformat disks (not really that big of a deal if you are backing up, which theoretically you would be on a RAID 0 and cared about the data on it). if you have a separate hardware RAID controller (which is one more piece of hardware to buy and worry about combatibility of), you'd actually be able to just put that card and the harddrives on a new system -- provided you installed any necessary drivers/kexts -- right?

 

it may be a dream but is there no mobo that has:

8xSATA, 16 MB RAM*, onboard RAID 0 (and possibly other options), fast bus?

 

*OS X will recognize 16 MB RAM, right? ...are you better off buying more RAM or faster RAM? or does it depend on how you are using your computer?

 

my continual thanks!

[letfeardomring]

i plan to order everything as soon as i can pick a motherboard, today if possible... i still feel like i need a little guidance.

 

i am not sure about the p45 vs. x48 chipset options from gigabyte. anyone?

 

still wondering about a board that will support 16mb RAM vs. 8 MB of RAM. is 16 supported... haven't seen anything about that on the forum? people say even 8 is overkill, but it seems like final cut, after effects, etc would have no problem using all of that -- especially if you have itunes, a web browser, or a couple other misc things open too. thoughts?

 

also still not completely sure about 8x SATA + RAID 0. i wouldn't be opposed to a 6xSATA board if someone could recommend a cheap RAID card (i can't drop $400-600 on the RAID controller). i am a little weary about relying on the additional piece of hardware, though...

 

so i am now considering Gigabyte p45 boards w/ 16GB RAM possibilities and the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 after it was mentioned here. these are not so well documented though :\

 

with the gigabyte boards it almost seems like it is a choice between a new motherboard w/ new chipset from newegg.com that isn't as well documented (but has had a couple successful installs) or a discontinued/older board from elsewhere... e.g. GA-P35-DS3P.

 

finally... a couple edits in the build:

 

1. i am going to use this ram instead:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

 

2. i am going to swap one of the 640's for a 1TB and make the RAID 0 backup 1TB (as it is 2 640 drives)

 

3. going to go ahead and put all 6 hard drives in the case -- the Antec 300 is < $50 with free shipping before midnight with this code: EMCAKAECG. getting a case that has 4 front 5.25 bays and adding a hotswap cage was a thought, but it is more than i can think about now... so the $50 case is a good starter.

 

4. going for a 800 W instead of 750 W power supply (ABS Tagan 800W) that is also $20 less (after combo special with RAM)

 

...any final suggestions? thanks!

[MacUser2525]

i plan to order everything as soon as i can pick a motherboard, today if possible... i still feel like i need a little guidance.

 

i am not sure about the p45 vs. x48 chipset options from gigabyte. anyone?

 

I seen on the forum here that the p45 works without problems you end up with PCI-e 2.0 slot I believe with that chipset plus you will be able to put 16gb of DDR2 ram in it eventually.

still wondering about a board that will support 16mb RAM vs. 8 MB of RAM. is 16 supported... haven't seen anything about that on the forum? people say even 8 is overkill, but it seems like final cut, after effects, etc would have no problem using all of that -- especially if you have itunes, a web browser, or a couple other misc things open too. thoughts?

 

Possibly overkill I've got 8gb in my machine it never hits swap most times and OS X supports way more than 16gb so you can do it if needed not on a p35 or lower based board though.

 

also still not completely sure about 8x SATA + RAID 0. i wouldn't be opposed to a 6xSATA board if someone could recommend a cheap RAID card (i can't drop $400-600 on the RAID controller). i am a little weary about relying on the additional piece of hardware, though...

 

All eight work on my board (GA-P35-DS3R) this includes the Jmicron controller with them set to AHCI, the extra two in the ICH controller started showing up/working after the 10.5.3 upgrade if my memory serves me well.

so i am now considering Gigabyte p45 boards w/ 16GB RAM possibilities and the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 after it was mentioned here. these are not so well documented though :\

 

Not sure about that X48 chipset.

with the gigabyte boards it almost seems like it is a choice between a new motherboard w/ new chipset from newegg.com that isn't as well documented (but has had a couple successful installs) or a discontinued/older board from elsewhere... e.g. GA-P35-DS3P.

 

Have you found the thread that pops up once in a while about using the P45 boards?

 

finally... a couple edits in the build:

 

1. i am going to use this ram instead:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

 

Waste of money unless you think you will be overclocking with the FSB at 500mhz you really only need the normal 800mhz ram.

2. i am going to swap one of the 640's for a 1TB and make the RAID 0 backup 1TB (as it is 2 640 drives)

 

I have one of them 640s for my system drive its damn fast now with the new 1.5tb coming out here soon you may want to wait just a couple of weeks to see if the 1tb drop even more than they have I just recently got 3x Seagate 7200.11 1tb for $129 a piece on sale.

3. going to go ahead and put all 6 hard drives in the case -- the Antec 300 is < $50 with free shipping before midnight with this code: EMCAKAECG. getting a case that has 4 front 5.25 bays and adding a hotswap cage was a thought, but it is more than i can think about now... so the $50 case is a good starter.

 

I've got a Coolermaster CM690 Stacker it is a large heavy case but a real pleasure to work inside plenty of room plus it keeps my drives nice and cool with the decently quite 120mm fans that are in the stacker modules you put the drives in. Now it can be rather expensive buying it new but I got mine used on ebay for like $40 plus shipping plus an extra stacker module on there as well for something under $20 I believe it was. You would need the extra module to have room to mount anything over 4 drives you put in it.

 

4. going for a 800 W instead of 750 W power supply (ABS Tagan 800W) that is also $20 less (after combo special with RAM)

 

Never heard of that brand before your better off with the Corsair 750 you first mentioned I have it and its a great power supply. Its overkill for my needs and probably yours as well I got a Kill-A-Watt meter to see how much power I was using and with everything in my machine plus my 24" & 20" LCD monitor along with the router, phone and cable modem running through it I only use 400w idle, ~450w full load on all four cores. The monitors use ~100w the others outside the case another ~25w so basically everything inside the case is using ~275w idle so ~325w full load.

 

...any final suggestions? thanks!

 

Your welcome.

[letfeardomring]

alright, guess i am going with the ga-ep35-ds4. i want the support of knowing a lot of people are running that board, that there are a lot of posts, and thus also likely to be updated quickly for future updates to os x. that will also give me 8 sata now, and i can add a raid card later if i want to deal with it. it will also give me ability to oc the bus to 1600 vs. the ga-p35-ds3p 1333 limit.

 

@macuser -> thanks for the suggestions. i will take your advice on the PSU, holding off on the 1tb drives (stick with 4 640 WDs for now), and also on the 800 RAM -- though if i get the corsair (cas 4) it really only saves $10. off the G Skill. not sure if the corsair is worth it. maybe i will get a cheaper chip like the OCZ.

 

going to order everything tonight...

 

alright, guess i am going with the ga-ep35-ds4. i want the support of knowing a lot of people are running that board, that there are a lot of posts, and thus also likely to be updated quickly for future updates to os x. that will also give me 8 sata now, and i can add a raid card later if i want to deal with it. it will also give me ability to oc the bus to 1600 vs. the ga-p35-ds3p 1333 limit.

 

actually... going with the GA-EP35-DS3P, as it is basically the same board (i think?) and is $100 on ebay.

[MacUser2525]

alright, guess i am going with the ga-ep35-ds4. i want the support of knowing a lot of people are running that board, that there are a lot of posts, and thus also likely to be updated quickly for future updates to os x. that will also give me 8 sata now, and i can add a raid card later if i want to deal with it. it will also give me ability to oc the bus to 1600 vs. the ga-p35-ds3p 1333 limit.

 

Most of the p35 series of boards work pretty much out of the box as they say only needing patches for the audio and if wanting time machine then you need it patched as well but the 8111 nics work without it for net access. Those limits are artificial my DS3L which has an E6300 in it does 1600mhz (400FSB) to run the chip at 2.8ghz without problems no extra voltage everything set to stock except the FSB speed.

@macuser -> thanks for the suggestions. i will take your advice on the PSU, holding off on the 1tb drives (stick with 4 640 WDs for now), and also on the 800 RAM -- though if i get the corsair (cas 4) it really only saves $10. off the G Skill. not sure if the corsair is worth it. maybe i will get a cheaper chip like the OCZ.

 

going to order everything tonight...

 

If you never plan to overclock then you could go with the 667 ram it will still be higher than the FSB of a 1066mhz chip (266FSB) it would even still run 1:1 ram divider with a 1333mhz chip (333FSB) but get a quality name brand ram is essentially all the same really so whatever is cheaper at the moment.

 

actually... going with the GA-EP35-DS3P, as it is basically the same board (i think?) and is $100 on ebay.

 

Got my DS3R for $58 + shipping on there.

[kitkat54]

also i am a little confused about monitor resolutions. i probably won't ever drop the cash for a 30" monitor. the 24" are well within range, though. they have a resolution of 1920 x 1200. i was reading somewhere that this means they can display a 1080 HD signal natively (whereas a 22" with 1600 x 1050 resolution cannot).

 

OSX handles "odd shaped" resolutions just fine. I had my 20 normal for a time (2560x1600 next to 1600x1200), and that works fine. It was just a flash of realization that I figured out to rotate it (2560x1600 next to 1200x1600 == 3760x1600 rectangle). I personally love my 30" monitors (I have one at work, and one at home -- the 20" at home is mine, work supplies me a 20" at work), and consider them well worth the investment -- of course I got mine a couple years ago, and there still isn't anything better out.

 

i am also wondering about doing dual displays with 2 different monitors that have different refresh rates, etc. would i be better off adding a 24" (WUXGA) widescreen to my current samsung 20" (UXGA) or should i sell the current samsung 20" (UXGA) and opt for either 2 x 22" or 2x 24" (purchasing one at a time as cashflow allows...)?

 

again, OSX handles different monitors just fine. I'd personally keep the 20" and buy what you can afford/justify. I'll tell you from experience that a 30" workspace is awesome for work (lots of space to put windows without overlap).

[letfeardomring]

OSX handles "odd shaped" resolutions just fine. I had my 20 normal for a time (2560x1600 next to 1600x1200), and that works fine. It was just a flash of realization that I figured out to rotate it (2560x1600 next to 1200x1600 == 3760x1600 rectangle). I personally love my 30" monitors (I have one at work, and one at home -- the 20" at home is mine, work supplies me a 20" at work), and consider them well worth the investment -- of course I got mine a couple years ago, and there still isn't anything better out.

 

 

 

again, OSX handles different monitors just fine. I'd personally keep the 20" and buy what you can afford/justify. I'll tell you from experience that a 30" workspace is awesome for work (lots of space to put windows without overlap).

 

i don't doubt the majesty of a 30" screen, but for practical reasons i think i will add a 24" wuxga to my 20" wuxga for a 3520 x 1200 rectangle. that will still be a major upgrade for about $800 less. i will continue to covet the 30" though

[johnmvk]

Ok,

Go for Intel Server Motherboard S975XBX2 it will work for you.

 

Ok,

Go for Intel Server Motherboard S975XBX2 it will work for you.

[pbmac]

I just build up a video system with some of the components that you are looking at. I did get that board because I wanted to have the 16GB ram. Works nice.

 

GigaByte EP45-DQ6

E8500 OC to 4GHZ

I used 4 sticks of this memory OCZ XTC PC2-6400 8GB 2X4GB DDR2-800 CL5-6-6-18

Nvidia 9800 gtx

veliciraptor 300 drives.

 

I tried several install options.

 

Kalyway 10.5.2 - didnt work

Atkos v4i - worked ok

boot 132 - worked but I didnt like the need for a bootable cd

 

LSB_12 - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=115121

This is what I settled on. Worked fast, and easy.

On the last step I just used the OSX86 tools instead of efi studio to setup the gfx strings and everything worked out of the box.

 

 

It's fast also. http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc1=308394

 

 

The only thing that I am seeing is that with my firepod audio I'm getting some crackling for about 1/2 a second when new audio programs start. Have not experienced that on any of the other systems. I am looking at getting an pci card for firewire anyway as i need firewire 800 ports so that may go away. Other than that is sweet.

 

I also have a machine on an E35-DS4 and on an Intel975BX2. I have to say that the E35-DS4 is the most flawless install. I setup that for one of our editors with 8 gigs ram and he has not had a single issue.

[wingwing]

Hi, I reed your posting today first... - just my 2 cent:

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P with Kalyway 10.5.4 work with all 8 S-ATA port (I use them)...

 

---- --- -- - .

 

 

...

I was looking for a mobo with 8xSATA (considering 6xSATA if it would make life significantly easier) RAID capabilities, but then I realized that many boards don't have more than a couple SATA ports working.

 

I was looking at (I think everything pretty much works out of the box and I could do software RAID. not sure if all 8 sata ports work?):

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 / $190 non egg / 1600 oc, 1333 fsb / 8 sata, 8 usb, 2x1394

 

...and also looking at (but this might be overkill and a lot of work to get working.. but worth it? will it support 16mb of ram in OSX?):

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DQ6 / ~$175 open box / 1600 fsb / 16 MB RAM, 10 SATA, 3x 1394, 4x gigabit

...