New workstation / gaming rig -

augusto · 17 Sep 2016 at 13:37

Hi OcUK!

I need to build a new workstation for work (and a bit of gaming). ATM I have a gen 1 i7 (950) which does its job well, but it's time to let it go. For work, I need the rig to be fast, with plenty of ram and fast disk access (for programming tools, servers + running a few VMs), but I also want the build to be quiet.

I'm looking for feedback about what is the best rig to build. So far I'm thinking of this (I'm not planning to overclock anything, I need a stable rig)

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (I don't feel comfortable with water cooling :S)
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
RAM:: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
Storage: 2 x Sandisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (to be used in raid)
Video: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GAMING Video Card
Case: Corsair Carbide 400Q ATX Mid Tower Case
Power supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Monitor: 2 x BenQ GW2765HT 27.0" 60Hz Monitor
Case fans: 2 x Akasa AK-FN058 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan

And I have a couple of very specific questions:
1) Do you think this is the best ram type? I know that for servers the wrong memory type can result in a considerably slower access to RAM.
2) Will everything fit in the case? My main concern is the video card and cooler.

FredFlint · 17 Sep 2016 at 14:28

For the work tools and VM's, X99 would be a better choice. The new Broadwell-E chips have some nice VM specific optimizations. X99 can also support more RAM and its quad channel. Also I would not bother with RAID (if its RAID 0). I use my PC for the same things as you have listed. What is your budget?

augusto · 17 Sep 2016 at 15:25

Hi Fred!

I did consider getting an 6800k with an x99 mobo. I'll see what I can find... and I didn't know that the Z170XP was dual channel, that's a big difference!!! (already *thanks* a lot!!)

My budget is £2k (including 2 monitors). Ideally it would be £1.6k, but I'm planning to use this heavily for the next 5-6 years (just like my current rig).

So, for the X99 build I would probably use
CPU: i7-6800k
MOBO: Asus X99-A II

FredFlint · 17 Sep 2016 at 17:08

I would get something like:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x Asus X99-A II Intel X99 (Socket 2011) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £249.95
1 x Intel i7-6800K 3.40GHz (Broadwell-E) Socket LGA2011-V3 Processor - Retail (BX80671I76800K)= £389.99
1 x EVGA Supernova GS 650W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply= £89.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 400Q Silent Midi Tower Gaming Case - Black (CC-9011082-WW)= £91.99
1 x Noctua NH-U14S Ultra-Quiet Slim CPU Cooler with NF-A15 Fan= £52.99
1 x Asus Hyper M.2 X4 PCI-E Mini Adapter Card - Black PCB= £19.99
2 x Team Group Elite 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C16 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (TPKD432G2400HC16D= £89.99
1 x Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+ 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express RGB Graphics Card= £199.99
1 x Intel 600P 512GB M.2-2880 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (SSDPEKKW512G7X1)= £149.99
1 x Intel 600P 256GB M.2-2880 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (SSDPEKKW256G7X1)= £79.99

Total: £1,504.85
(includes shipping: £0.00)

I would use the 256GB SSD for the OS/Applications and put the 512GB SSD in the PCE-E adapter and use it for the VM/Games storage. I also included 64GB RAM in the spec as the Team Group Elite 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 sets are silly cheap and it’s better to have 4 sticks for x99.