Trying to rein in a friends build - spec:
- Thread starter Plec
- Start date
I've gone for this slightly more expensive build. I have added an SSD for OS drive for an extra speed boost. This then allows the other 3 HDs to be run in RAID 5 for data and backup etc. 12GB of ram might be useful since he uses photoshop, which means he could then run it in a ramdisk which would be ridiculously quick.
Last edited:
Hehe, I'm trying to rein him in and you've just taken him off the leash, Happy. He's so far up the park i'll never get him back
I wish that was my build let alone his. That's a great call using the memory but then i would have to back track on all my sage advice about only needing 6 gig - he'ld never let me forget it.
This SSD keeps appearing - and i'm starting to get intrigued by it's speed benifits myself so i may pitch the idea to him, quietly (but no one mention an SSD raid again - otherwise he may think it's the norm.)
Thanks for the post Happy - i'll have a closer look at the NEC too - aesthetically it works and if it's as good as it's reviews he may reconsider the Dell.
He just has deep pockets - he still has limits, though i've yet to witness them.
True, and TBH, i don't know - i think it's just the general idea of something that big only being a foot or so away form your face. He's upgrading from a 19" monitor so the jump to 24" will be significant.
I'm going to mention the dual monitor set up to him as it's something i neglected to mention when discussing his options - he may well go for that set up.
Hehe - you guys are not helping my original cause here - the hint was in the thread title and the b***ard, that is my friend, has now found the thread.
sk3lph, he's read your post with interest and is probably cutting out paper in the screens dimensions as i type.
Well, the games well and truely up on the SSD although, even he bulks at the price to space ratio. I'll read some more threads on the hdd forums and try and work out what would be a happy balance for him. If he's going to get one he may as well do it properly.
I've explained the theory behind Happy's ram disk suggestion so 12 gig may be in the running again - although i'm still advising against it.
My concern with this, is the stability issue of using all 6 slots - memory and I don't get on, and buying six sticks of the stuff i'm bound to have one stick that's going to be a prima donna and be a pain to get operating as part of a sextuplet. As mentioned, it's not a done deal as i still think it's something that could be added at a later date when we know the system is fully stable. It would certainly make the build less stressful for me...
Thanks for the suggestions guys - they are all appreciated, jokes aside.
sk3lph, he's read your post with interest and is probably cutting out paper in the screens dimensions as i type.
Well, the games well and truely up on the SSD although, even he bulks at the price to space ratio. I'll read some more threads on the hdd forums and try and work out what would be a happy balance for him. If he's going to get one he may as well do it properly.
I've explained the theory behind Happy's ram disk suggestion so 12 gig may be in the running again - although i'm still advising against it.
My concern with this, is the stability issue of using all 6 slots - memory and I don't get on, and buying six sticks of the stuff i'm bound to have one stick that's going to be a prima donna and be a pain to get operating as part of a sextuplet. As mentioned, it's not a done deal as i still think it's something that could be added at a later date when we know the system is fully stable. It would certainly make the build less stressful for me...
Thanks for the suggestions guys - they are all appreciated, jokes aside.
Thanks for the reply, Happy.
Yes, only to approx 3GHz - and i'm only doing that to appease his appetite for the i940.
It's me being unreasonably pessimistic more than anything - i just don't like filling up all available ram slots:
Yes, only to approx 3GHz - and i'm only doing that to appease his appetite for the i940.
It's me being unreasonably pessimistic more than anything - i just don't like filling up all available ram slots:
- for the reason you have already stated
- it can even be a battle to get the system stable even with the system set at stock.
- did i mention that memory and i don't get on.
Should be a laugh building it anyway 
. Have you/he decided on a case yet? Kind of curious what appeals to him, Lian-Li/Silverstone maybe even one of the classic Coolermaster cases. You could have a look in the case gallery or in the Silverstone Fortress thread, as there are some cracking examples of each!
. Have you/he decided on a case yet? Kind of curious what appeals to him, Lian-Li/Silverstone maybe even one of the classic Coolermaster cases. You could have a look in the case gallery or in the Silverstone Fortress thread, as there are some cracking examples of each!
Last edited:
Cheers Happy, i'll take alook as it's the one thing i'm really undecided on.
He's going to take my lead on the case as i'll be the one working on it and upgrading it in the future - so i'm trying to fit both our needs.
And i'm actually getting pretty excited about the build - there's a flip side in that i'll probably want one and it would be hard justifying it to the wife - especially as i want to build a HTPC to replace our aging, modded, Topfield.
Edit: i just thought I could b*stardise my existing rig for the HTPC as the E5200 would be perfect for it - except i wanted a passively cooled system and a micro-atx... Hmmm, this may require more thought before i try and bamboozle her with technical nonsense which swings the arguement my way. Trouble is i've been doing this so long she's picked up enough aquired knowlege to judge if i was making stuff up...
He's going to take my lead on the case as i'll be the one working on it and upgrading it in the future - so i'm trying to fit both our needs.
And i'm actually getting pretty excited about the build - there's a flip side in that i'll probably want one and it would be hard justifying it to the wife - especially as i want to build a HTPC to replace our aging, modded, Topfield.
Edit: i just thought I could b*stardise my existing rig for the HTPC as the E5200 would be perfect for it - except i wanted a passively cooled system and a micro-atx... Hmmm, this may require more thought before i try and bamboozle her with technical nonsense which swings the arguement my way. Trouble is i've been doing this so long she's picked up enough aquired knowlege to judge if i was making stuff up...
Last edited:
Just unplug the ATX 24pin connector and tell her the motherboard capacitor memory has gone, and blown the cpu and how it would be just as cheap to build a new one then replace the old one.
Then 2 weeks later tell her you discovered the motherboard and CPU had some warranty left and they got replaced, so we can use this old box as a server after all!
The technology is pretty hot now. The south bridge can't cope with more than 3 vertex drives, the graphs over in the hardware section are astonishing. Photoshop in ramdisk is a bad call, simply because computers *cough windows cough* crash, power fails, fuses blow etc. All data gone isn't funny. Lost an hours work once, not putting important things onto ramdisk again.
I've got XP and ubuntu running off mine. Ubuntu is ludicrous, it's just completely unnecessary to run it on a ssd. I don't use photoshop, design for me is pieces of metal rather than colours. CAD programs feel a lot nicer on the ssd than on a hard drive, Rotation and so forth is the same, but saving/loading large files is much improved. Windows boot time is rather swift too, post takes longer than windows.
It's OCZ that have released the 'trim' tool which does this, but it'll eventually make its way into windows anyway. I'm not sure better than vertex would make a difference but do not know.
Hehe, tempting but i've grown accustomed to my genitals - i particularly like their location and that they're actually attached to my body.
Apart from losing parts of my anatomy i would have other, admittedly smaller, problems (that pun was not intended):
I've not done all the proper research yet but i'll be getting this case Antec Fusion Remote HTPC Case - so i would need a micro-atx mobo and i may be limited with cooling options, unfortunately. We're use to a very quiet pvr as i replaced the Topfield's harddrive for a 500gig sata western digital green - so my wife's only request is that it's as unobtrusive as what we have already - which is asking a lot as the Topfield has zero fans.