Check parts list please?

[ZoroLives]

Here is my selection. I have already posted that I don't know what is best for the video selection. Hopping to get some answers on another post before final selection. taking a best guess here. Otherwise, pre shipping, $920.89 is a pretty good deal for a new Mac running a quad core intel at 3.0 and 8 gigs ram.

 

Anyone see any problems with this selection? Suggestions. Additions? Sound is important to me and I don't know if anyone makes a sound card I should consider. Apple always handled that part so well I never gave it much thought. (Oops, forgot Leopard. Making it honorable is my best choice).

 

Thanks

 

-----------------------------

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - $119.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - $189.99

EVGA 512-P3-N879-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - $174.99

CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - $56.99

 

(2) Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3750330AS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $159.98 ($79.99 each)

 

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - $27.99

Nippon Labs ICR-EE All-in-one USB + FDD1.44" Card Reader w/ 3.5" FLOPPY DRIVE - $24.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - $5.99

 

Combo:

XCLIO A380BK Fully Black SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $159.98

 

Subtotal: $920.89

 

Calculate Shipping

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[Craig4]

I mean I don't know how worried you are about the future but I was able to build an i7 computer with ddr3 for around 1300-1400 after rebates and all. Otherwise looks to be a great setup, a lot of support on here should be able to get you a retail install on that.

[ZoroLives]

I mean I don't know how worried you are about the future but I was able to build an i7 computer with ddr3 for around 1300-1400 after rebates and all. Otherwise looks to be a great setup, a lot of support on here should be able to get you a retail install on that.

I would love to make it an i7 machine, it's what I really wanted. First I had to see what I had to do to get this far. Then I can see how far I would have to go to take her to the next level (i7). As I read the news, i7 seems a breakthrough in design in the way it accesses memory on the chip. It isn't just faster - its the future - or one possible future anyway.

 

However, I am a beginner, a noob if I had any idea what that term meant. i7 seems more cutting edge than bleeding edge as there is a long and growing thread suggesting that it may be doable after all.

 

The last bit of research I need to do is to see what I need to do to set it all up for the install with printed instructions before I make the order. When I do that my final choice may become more clear?

 

What Mobo did you choose? I read on that thread that the X58 was being returned by some?

[Synaesthesia]

What Mobo did you choose? I read on that thread that the X58 was being returned by some?

It's in his signature, the Gigabyte EX58-UD5

[ZoroLives]

Thanks, I see it now. I am seeing problems still with the X58. The last post is about a malfunction in one that seems unknown to all. I will go on with the posted shopping list on this thread. I admit freely to being a wimp as to bleeding edge problems. All of this is new and for my first system, I prefer reliability (I have work to do).

 

One problem I still have is that, I have had no replies to a separate post about the graphics card. I would like to find out if the one I selected is a good choice? I don't ask everyone to do my research for me, but I know enough to know that just because a card is a Geoforce (for example) there may be six different ways that card is assembled by six different product lines and not each way will work in this hack.

 

I also know that what I want is great photography results so I want only as much as will drive multiple (two) monitors, likely both flat screen, with clarity, depth, great color and fast redraws.

 

It appears that I could spend over $200 for a card, or spend under $100 for a card. I really don't understand;

 

A: which manufacturers or card version to get and

B: How much card is needed? Overbuilds to a certain extent is all right and I really don't want the just barely good enough card.

 

Any thoughts?

[THEHAWKs]

i really like EVGA a EVGA 512 9800GTX+ is good enough you dont need to spend over 200$

 

and about your build it would mkae more sense to go for a intel i7 setup looking at your setup you can build one for about 1200$ but what you have is good enough for what you want to do.

 

oh and if i were you i would try to get 2 0r 3 500gb HDDs to put in raid mode. and have a 1TB hdd for storage

[ZoroLives]

I really like EVGA a EVGA 512 9800GTX+ is good enough you don't need to spend over 200$

Thanks, I will check that card out.

 

One thought; on Newegg there are several versions of just that one cards. Each with a faster version of it's clock. Does it matter which speed version I get? I don't imagine I Care that much about slight differences in clock speed. I care more about knowing that all versions of the card you mentioned actually are stable in this project phase of OSX.

 

... and about your build it would make more sense to go for an Intel i7 setup looking at your setup you can build one for about 1200$ but what you have is good enough for what you want to do.

I would love to go for the top end now, i7. I am starting from scratch so I can get what I want. Just yesterday however there is a post on the i7 thread about a mysterious dead X58 board. It sounded like the poster knew what he was doing too. That made me a little nervous. I do want stability. I am not afraid of following others instructions and fixing problems but the overall goal is to achieve a pretty solid and fast machine.

 

... oh and if I were you i would try to get 2 0r 3 500gb HDDs to put in raid mode. and have a 1TB hdd for storage

I was skimming the forums to start - I haven't looked for hard drive RAID options as I thought RAID was not doable in some systems? Or maybe it was RAID 1 or 0 but not both that did not work? I haven't done RAID yet anywhere. I forget which is which but one makes drive access faster as it gangs two drives and in effect doubles the window for read and write access. And the other stripes two (or more) drives together so that if one ever fails, you have an instant copy safe and secured. This second is what server applications would use if I understand this correctly as those set ups cannot afford downtime.

 

IS RAID doable in these configurations - either for the board that I Listed or the X58? And if so do I need a RAID card or what would I be looking at to make RAID work in a setup such as I have proposed? For professional photography, maintaining secure backups are very important although not necessary in real time. IF RAID would make accessing a large RAW file on the disk twice as fast - or certainly much faster than not, I would definitely consider this option.

 

Thanks

[ZoroLives]

New Parts List:

 

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

EVGA 512-P3-N879-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

XCLIO A380BK Fully Black SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

(3) G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F1-3200PHU2-2GBNS - Retail

(2) Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3500320NS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

(1) Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM

Nippon Labs ICR-EE All-in-one USB + FDD1.44" Card Reader w/ 3.5" FLOPPY DRIVE - Retail

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

Subtotal: $1,332.87

 

It appears that the X58 boards are quite sensitive to RAM. I am putting in a more costly type - but recommended as higher quality and therefore stable with this board. I am planning on taking a couple of days to ski and when I return I Plan to pull the trigger on the order. By then I think the raid question and all the rest will be more clear to me.

 

I welcome any comments or concerns about my choices. The case and PSU came as a deal and I just liked the case. I don't mind saving money at all. And still I want this to be a stable, quality built system that will allow me to work, and perhaps later upgrade, with complete confidence. The only unknown (besides the raid question) is about sound. I do have a Focusrite DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and I do write music on occasion. I am assuming that this set will have at least Mac quality sound (24 bit)? But how can I tell? And if not, are there add on sound cards that I Can at least consider adding later to this build (or now).

 

Thanks much

 

ADDED: RE: (3) G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F1-3200PHU2-2GBNS - Retail

I might have screwed up on the memory I selected. I understand this X58 board uses triple channel ram and reading the blurb again, the G.Skill sticks are all dual channel. Can some one please enlighten me as the the best memory for this set up?

[THEHAWKs]

your list of parts look good but you have the wrong RAM you can get a 6GB kit of 3GB kit

 

SUPER TALENT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit $139.99

 

SUPER TALENT 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit $87.99

 

or you can take a look at this list

 

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWi...tNumber=8812925

 

you can drop the two 500GB HDDs to 320GB or 250GB HDDs if you want to lower the price

[ZoroLives]

your list of parts look good but you have the wrong RAM you can get a 6GB kit of 3GB kit

or you can take a look at this list

you can drop the two 500GB HDDs to 320GB or 250GB HDDs if you want to lower the price

Su-weeet!! Thanks much, exactly what I needed. You picked the Corsair DOminator. Any reason of differences there? (personal preferences allowed)

 

So, does my board do raid, 1, 0? Do I Need added v\cables when I order for that? I am used to seeing folks buy a RAID card to do RAID on a Mac. Does this board already have that built in so why not just go for it? Or, would I have to get a card first?

 

Thanks