Build Review Request #67422

[anonymousvkfan]

Moving on August 1st and will need a new PC. I posted about a month ago about this topic and got suggestions. Now that I have researched everything, I just wanted to post my final decisions and get another round of insight. As always, any feedback is appreciated.

System will be used primarily for audio recording, but also used for gaming and video editing to a lesser extent.

First off, I'm planning on getting an AM2 X2 after the price cuts occur. Anywhere from the 3800+ to the 4400+, depening on the severity of the cuts.

No, I haven't heard of Conroe, so don't bring it up . Actually, I can't wait (read: I don't have enough time) for them to be made available before I move.

Motherboard: Asus M2N-E
Heatsink/Fan: Zalman PS 9500
Power Supply: Seasonic S12-500
Memory: Corsair 2GB DDR2 800 ( 2 x 1024 MB )
Hard Drive: Seagate 320GB SATA w/ PR
Disc Drive: NEC 16X DVD Burner
Sound Card: X-Fi Platinum
Video Card: Sapphire X1800XT 256MB
Case: CoolerMaster Centurion 5
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2

Headphones: Sennheiser HD555
Software: McAfee VirusScan 2006, Oblivion, FarCry

Ordering everything from newegg. Rather than post a link for each item, it's easier just to say that. Including the processor, the total price of this build after rebates should be about $1600. Thanks again for feedback.

 

[Howard]

Go with the Scythe Mine instead of the Zalman 9500. Are you planning to use the stock cooling for the X1800XT?

 

[Operandi]

Keep the Zalman 9500, it's a great HS/F.

I would however move to a better case, something in the Lian Li family.

Drop the X-Fi, waste of money, the M2N-E has HD audio on board.

*edit*

Unless you plan on gonig SLi or Crossfire in the future there is no reason to go with the 500 watt S12, the 380 or 430 watt version will give you plenty of power.

 

[Howard]

Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

 

[bamacre]

The unavailability of C2D when it is released has been exaggerated.

If you don't even bother to consider looking at C2D, prices, and availability before you go with an X2, you're not very bright. Even the E6300 is murdering the X2's.

 

[videogames101]

X-fi Fatal1ty is on sale for $200 at newegg, only $15 more then platinum. *Hint*get the fatal1ty*Hint*

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Howard
Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

Oh, I missed the audio recording bit; that I'm not so sure about. I would think it would most likely be fine unless you are doing semi-pro work, and then there are better choices then the X-Fi.

According to Frostytech and SPCR the 9500 is one of the best low RPM heatsinks there is.

 

[StevenNevets]

Which ram exactly are you looking at?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...=0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&Go.x=12&Go.y=30
__
____
You should probobly try a plan DVD drive on top of the burner - I heard burners don't read some disks right

DVD Drive: SONY Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s ? OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101131
$19.99

 

[anonymousvkfan]

Originally posted by: bamacre
The unavailability of C2D when it is released has been exaggerated.

Possibly, but I can't take that chance. I don't want August 1st to come around and not have access to a PC. If I fill up my tank today at $2 a gallon, it doesn't make me an idiot if two weeks from now gas is going to be $1.5 a gallon. I realize the timing is inconvenient, but it's the best I can do given the circumstances.

There's actually a conversation going on in another thread on the general board about sound cards for recording. I'm going to post my points there. I know some people get annoyed when users post the same thing in two different threads.

Howard, I have heard good things about Scythe, but I can't find the "Mine" on NewEgg and I'm not sure if it's AM2 compatible. Also, beyond a couple of case fans, I'm not planning on any additional cooling for the X1800XT (nor am I planning to overclock it).

Operandi, the Seasonic 430 doesn't have any PCI-e connectors, otherwise I would take your advice.

Thanks for the responses thus far. To add some more information, recording quality and CPU noise level are important to me.

 

[anonymousvkfan]

Whoa, by the time I finished my last posts there were three additional ones. I can't keep up with you guys.

This will slow you down: How many ways can you color a tetrahedron using three different colors?

StevenNevets:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145590
A customer with the same board left a review saying this worked. I know the M2N-E has some problems with memory timings. Your extra Disc drive isn't a bad idea and probably won't break my budget (which is getting unintentionally larger by the minute).

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

Oh, I missed the audio recording bit; that I'm not so sure about. I would think it would most likely be fine unless you are doing semi-pro work, and then there are better choices then the X-Fi.

According to Frostytech and SPCR the 9500 is one of the best low RPM heatsinks there is.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article267-page4.html

When the noise level is held constant, the clear winner is the Scythe Ninja, thanks to the quiet 120mm Nexus fan that was chosen. The Zalman 9500 is roughly on par with the XP-120, while the Zalman 7000 is simply not in the same league.

However, holding noise constant does not tell the whole story, either. At 22 dBA/1m, the Zalman 9500 is the quietest it can be in stock form; it is not possible to undervolt its fan any further without resorting to DIY solutions. By contrast, the fan on the Ninja is running at full speed at this level and can easily be undervolted down to below 18 dBA/1m.

It's safe to say that the Zalman 9500 is the most efficient of all heatsinks that use a 92mm fan. The basic design is brilliant, but it cannot completely escape the limitation of fan size. The blades of a typical 92mm fan has only a little more than half the area of those on a 120mm fan. The Scythe Ninja does better at a lower noise level because it has similar fin surface area and can be used with a quieter, larger fan. A quieter fan on the 9500 fan would certainly help, but we suspect it would still not match the Ninja for cooling performance at very low noise levels, simply because the airflow would always be lower because of the smaller fan.

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&number=11&artpage=1823&articID=419

Couple the performance at inaudible output with the fact that the Mine can be had for $35 after shipping while the 9500 AM2 is around $60 after shipping, and I think the Mine is clearly better.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: anonymousvkfan

Howard, I have heard good things about Scythe, but I can't find the "Mine" on NewEgg and I'm not sure if it's AM2 compatible.

The Scythe Mine installs on AM2 and can indeed be bought from Newegg.

Operandi, the Seasonic 430 doesn't have any PCI-e connectors, otherwise I would take your advice.

The Seasonic S12-430 does come with a PCIe connector.

Also, beyond a couple of case fans, I'm not planning on any additional cooling for the X1800XT (nor am I planning to overclock it).

You may find that the stock cooler on the X1800XT is too loud. Also, you don't need any more than 2 fans, and you can get by with just one 120mm fan acting as an exhaust.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: anonymousvkfan

Operandi, the Seasonic 430 doesn't have any PCI-e connectors, otherwise I would take your advice.

The 430 watt S12 has always had a single PICe connector, just recently the entire line has gotten them, so no problem there.

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

Oh, I missed the audio recording bit; that I'm not so sure about. I would think it would most likely be fine unless you are doing semi-pro work, and then there are better choices then the X-Fi.

According to Frostytech and SPCR the 9500 is one of the best low RPM heatsinks there is.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article267-page4.html

When the noise level is held constant, the clear winner is the Scythe Ninja, thanks to the quiet 120mm Nexus fan that was chosen. The Zalman 9500 is roughly on par with the XP-120, while the Zalman 7000 is simply not in the same league.

However, holding noise constant does not tell the whole story, either. At 22 dBA/1m, the Zalman 9500 is the quietest it can be in stock form; it is not possible to undervolt its fan any further without resorting to DIY solutions. By contrast, the fan on the Ninja is running at full speed at this level and can easily be undervolted down to below 18 dBA/1m.

It's safe to say that the Zalman 9500 is the most efficient of all heatsinks that use a 92mm fan. The basic design is brilliant, but it cannot completely escape the limitation of fan size. The blades of a typical 92mm fan has only a little more than half the area of those on a 120mm fan. The Scythe Ninja does better at a lower noise level because it has similar fin surface area and can be used with a quieter, larger fan. A quieter fan on the 9500 fan would certainly help, but we suspect it would still not match the Ninja for cooling performance at very low noise levels, simply because the airflow would always be lower because of the smaller fan.

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&number=11&artpage=1823&articID=419

Couple the performance at inaudible output with the fact that the Mine can be had for $35 after shipping while the 9500 AM2 is around $60 after shipping, and I think the Mine is clearly better.

SPCR compared the Ninja to the 9500, not the Mine.

Madshrimps is not a source I personally put in the same category as SPCR and FrostyTech.

I'm sticking with the 9500.

 

[anonymousvkfan]

Originally posted by: OperandiThe 430 watt S12 has always had a single PICe connector, just recently the entire line has gotten them, so no problem there.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151023
Newegg doesn't currently list this. It does, however, list one for the 380. Seems odd. This is my first time with a PCI-e card. I don't know what the connector is supposed to look like. Can anyone confirm in the picture if there is a PCI-e connector?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: anonymousvkfan

Originally posted by: OperandiThe 430 watt S12 has always had a single PICe connector, just recently the entire line has gotten them, so no problem there.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151023
Newegg doesn't currently list this. It does, however, list one for the 380. Seems odd. This is my first time with a PCI-e card. I don't know what the connector is supposed to look like. Can anyone confirm in the picture if there is a PCI-e connector?

Then it's a mistake on Newegg's part. Thats the newest revision of the S12 (w/ sleeved cables); they all of have PCIe connectors.

From the picture it's hard to tell but I think I see at least one.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Howard
Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

Howard that is not accuarate,,,,

SPCR says otherwise....
In fact SPCR calls it the best Heatsink when running at low rpms!!
7V / 16 CFM: -- Performance is still excellent, dropping only two degrees from 12V.
5V / 11 CFM - This is exceptional performance with low airflow; many heatsinks lose between 10-15°C of performance when undervolted to 5V.

Then we had the heatsink round up from SPCR when the 9500 first came out...
Where the Ninja was blowing everybody away until they undervolted all the heatsinks and Zalman 9500 was the clear winner when it came to undervolting!!

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: anonymousvkfan

Operandi, the Seasonic 430 doesn't have any PCI-e connectors, otherwise I would take your advice.

The 430 watt S12 has always had a single PICe connector, just recently the entire line has gotten them, so no problem there.

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
Would the onboard audio be suitable for audio recording?

When the 9500's fan is running at low speed, its performance isn't so great. The Mine works better at lower noise, which is a plus, especially since he's recording audio.

Oh, I missed the audio recording bit; that I'm not so sure about. I would think it would most likely be fine unless you are doing semi-pro work, and then there are better choices then the X-Fi.

According to Frostytech and SPCR the 9500 is one of the best low RPM heatsinks there is.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article267-page4.html

When the noise level is held constant, the clear winner is the Scythe Ninja, thanks to the quiet 120mm Nexus fan that was chosen. The Zalman 9500 is roughly on par with the XP-120, while the Zalman 7000 is simply not in the same league.

However, holding noise constant does not tell the whole story, either. At 22 dBA/1m, the Zalman 9500 is the quietest it can be in stock form; it is not possible to undervolt its fan any further without resorting to DIY solutions. By contrast, the fan on the Ninja is running at full speed at this level and can easily be undervolted down to below 18 dBA/1m.

It's safe to say that the Zalman 9500 is the most efficient of all heatsinks that use a 92mm fan. The basic design is brilliant, but it cannot completely escape the limitation of fan size. The blades of a typical 92mm fan has only a little more than half the area of those on a 120mm fan. The Scythe Ninja does better at a lower noise level because it has similar fin surface area and can be used with a quieter, larger fan. A quieter fan on the 9500 fan would certainly help, but we suspect it would still not match the Ninja for cooling performance at very low noise levels, simply because the airflow would always be lower because of the smaller fan.

http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&number=11&artpage=1823&articID=419

Couple the performance at inaudible output with the fact that the Mine can be had for $35 after shipping while the 9500 AM2 is around $60 after shipping, and I think the Mine is clearly better.

SPCR compared the Ninja to the 9500, not the Mine.

Madshrimps is not a source I personally put in the same category as SPCR and FrostyTech. -- beat me to it!!
I'm sticking with the 9500.

exactly!! At lowRPM`s the Zalman 9500 wins clearly!!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Operandi
SPCR compared the Ninja to the 9500, not the Mine.

Madshrimps is not a source I personally put in the same category as SPCR and FrostyTech.

I'm sticking with the 9500.

Frostytech did not test the Ninja nor the Mine. How can you use that as a resource?

Why is Madshrimps not reputable?

 

[Howard]

There is a certain member in this thread who I have already told that I will not engage in pointless répartée with them. So, if you happen to be that member, do yourself a favor and stop wasting your time.

Operandi, do you really think the CNPS9500 is worth the ~$25 premium even though (so it seems) none of your trusted reviewers have tested both the 9500 and the Mine?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Howard
There is a certain member in this thread who I have already told that I will not engage in pointless répartée with them. So, if you happen to be that member, do yourself a favor and stop wasting your time.

Operandi, do you really think the CNPS9500 is worth the ~$25 premium even though (so it seems) none of your trusted reviewers have tested both the 9500 and the Mine?

(objective) Yes, I think it's worth it; I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise. SPCR and Frostytech are #1, and #2 when it comes to HS/F reviews in my opinion and when both of them say it's an excellent low noise cooler that?s what I'm going with.

(subjective) I am also simply a fan of Zalman's products; they have a long history of producing high quality heatsinks (among other things) that seemingly never disappoint. Scythe on the other hand haven't been around nearly as long and have produced a few questionable designs (in my opinion).

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
There is a certain member in this thread who I have already told that I will not engage in pointless répartée with them. So, if you happen to be that member, do yourself a favor and stop wasting your time.

Operandi, do you really think the CNPS9500 is worth the ~$25 premium even though (so it seems) none of your trusted reviewers have tested both the 9500 and the Mine?

(objective) Yes, I think it's worth it; I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise. SPCR and Frostytech are #1, and #2 when it comes to HS/F reviews in my opinion and when both of them say it's an excellent low noise cooler that?s what I'm going with.

That doesn't mean that the Mine is inferior, and you haven't proved why they're #1 and #2, so that statement (SPCR and FT are 1/2) belongs in the following category.

(subjective) I am also simply a fan of Zalman's products; they have a long history of producing high quality heatsinks (among other things) that seemingly never disappoint. Scythe on the other hand haven't been around nearly as long and have produced a few questionable designs (in my opinion).

The only problem I've heard about with Scythe is that some Ninjas have non-flat bases.

As for their designs, which ones do you find questionable?

anonymousvkfan, if you are placing the PC in the room you'll be recording in, how quiet is the room when nothing's on?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
There is a certain member in this thread who I have already told that I will not engage in pointless répartée with them. So, if you happen to be that member, do yourself a favor and stop wasting your time.

Operandi, do you really think the CNPS9500 is worth the ~$25 premium even though (so it seems) none of your trusted reviewers have tested both the 9500 and the Mine?

(objective) Yes, I think it's worth it; I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise. SPCR and Frostytech are #1, and #2 when it comes to HS/F reviews in my opinion and when both of them say it's an excellent low noise cooler that?s what I'm going with.

That doesn't mean that the Mine is inferior, and you haven't proved why they're #1 and #2, so that statement (SPCR and FT are 1/2) belongs in the following category.

(subjective) I am also simply a fan of Zalman's products; they have a long history of producing high quality heatsinks (among other things) that seemingly never disappoint. Scythe on the other hand haven't been around nearly as long and have produced a few questionable designs (in my opinion).

The only problem I've heard about with Scythe is that some Ninjas have non-flat bases.

As for their designs, which ones do you find questionable?

anonymousvkfan, if you are placing the PC in the room you'll be recording in, how quiet is the room when nothing's on?

Sorry, I'm leaving for the weekend....

To be contiuned. :music:

 

[anonymousvkfan]

I looked at three different places, and the one I picked was the quietest of the three. I probably couldn't accurately answer your question until I've been living there for a few weeks.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Howard
There is a certain member in this thread who I have already told that I will not engage in pointless répartée with them. So, if you happen to be that member, do yourself a favor and stop wasting your time.

Operandi, do you really think the CNPS9500 is worth the ~$25 premium even though (so it seems) none of your trusted reviewers have tested both the 9500 and the Mine?

(objective) Yes, I think it's worth it; I wouldn't have recommended it otherwise. SPCR and Frostytech are #1, and #2 when it comes to HS/F reviews in my opinion and when both of them say it's an excellent low noise cooler that?s what I'm going with.

That doesn't mean that the Mine is inferior, and you haven't proved why they're #1 and #2, so that statement (SPCR and FT are 1/2) belongs in the following category.

(subjective) I am also simply a fan of Zalman's products; they have a long history of producing high quality heatsinks (among other things) that seemingly never disappoint. Scythe on the other hand haven't been around nearly as long and have produced a few questionable designs (in my opinion).

The only problem I've heard about with Scythe is that some Ninjas have non-flat bases.

As for their designs, which ones do you find questionable?

anonymousvkfan, if you are placing the PC in the room you'll be recording in, how quiet is the room when nothing's on?

Sorry, I'm leaving for the weekend....

To be contiuned. :music:

Have lots of fun.