Non-Gamer System Build Advice

[Resh]

The title is a bit of lie in that I still use my computers for racing sims like rFactor and GTR2, but my primary uses are photography (CS3/Lightroom) and video/audio editing/encoding.

And while I've built tons of systems, I'm a little confused with all of the current options for chipsets.

This system will have to carry me through a 18 months to 2.5 years. Rock solid stability is key for me as are components that will last.

CPU: I'm going quad core, but not sure which to get, although I want a 45nm chip. My options are below if any of these aren't 45nm, please let me know

Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz 8MB/1066FSB S775 CPU, Retail $209CDN
Intel Core2 Quad Q9300 2.5GHz 6MB/1333FSB S775 CPU, Retail $285CDN
Intel Core2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHz 8MB/1066FSB S775 CPU, Retail $299CDN
Intel Core2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz 12MB/1333FSB S775 CPU, Retail $348CDN

RAM: Want to stay with DDR2 as I have 2x1GB of OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Revision 2 that I can use and until 64-bit Vista is compatible with some specialized software I run, having more than 2GB is a waste, so I don't want to make that investment yet.

Motherboard: Not sure what to do here. Have had great luck with DFI, Asus, and abit. Have no interest in MSI (never again). Don't intend to overclock, but love having the option and the conveniences of the DFI's Lanparty boards, so I was thinking about the DFI LANParty UT P35-T2R for $250.99CDN, but thinking that's a lot to pay for an older board, although one that appears to be very highly regarded. Also, the parts on it tend to be top notch, so I'm thinking it won't even be trying during general use. Also, love the passive cooling.

Video: Time to lose the 7800GTX. For replacement, I'm thinking ATI 4850 or 4870. Thoughts? Must have dual, dual-link DVI, and be DDC compatible.

Any feedback appreciated

 

[DSF]

Q6xxx chips are 65nm, not 45nm.

You're not overclocking, there are going to be a lot of boards that have passive cooling and would suit your needs for a lot less. What features are you looking for?

How big is your monitor?

 

[Resh]

Thanks DSF.

Are there any quad-cores in 45nm?

Features:
- Lots of USB 2.0 ports for card readers, external drives, graphics tablet, steering wheel, etc.
- GB Lan
- at least four SATA headers
- at least one IDE port
- passive cooling with heatpipes, etc
- solid layout with quality components, exceptional power regulation, and superb build quality
- onboard diagnosis LEDs are also appreciated
- ability to save bios settings is also appreciated

Monitors:

- one 30" 2560x1600
- one 24" 1920x1200

only the 24" is used for gaming at the moment

Thanks everyone!

 

[Mitwang]

Originally posted by: Resh
Thanks DSF.

Are there any quad-cores in 45nm?

Only the Q6600/6700 are 65nm, the others on your list are 45nm.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

at that res i'd do a 4870

 

[Resh]

Thanks guys.

needing some advice on the motherboard front. P35, P45, X38, X48???? which one and which board?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

A nice P35 or P45 board is all you need. An X38/X48 is unnecessary unless you plan to do a Crossfire setup.

Here are some models that should meet your criteria:
Asus P5Q http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131295
Asus P5K Pro http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131275
Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131295
Gigabyte EP45-DS3R http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128344

 

[Roguestar]

FYI Vista 64-bit still runs 32-bit appplications perfectly fine. I've got Vista Ultimate x64 and use Photoshop CS3 and a bunch of other programs with no hassle.

 

[Resh]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking P5Q Deluxe for as it gives me the option of keeping my 7800 GTX, which I know gets along well with my photo monitor and using the 4870 for the gaming monitor. Also the 16-phase power regulation looks appealing.

Any idea if the P5Q Deluxe runs well with OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum rev 2 and whether the mobo can provide a vDIMM of 2.2v?

Vista 64 runs everything but my monitor calibration/profile set-up. Unfortunately, I can't fathom going back to adjusting monitors by hand when the software can use DDC to do it for me.

I've also been reading the video card reviews and I'm wondering if I can get by with keeping the 7800 GTX as the boost in CPU might help it along. It runs relatively cool and quiet and avoiding a new video card would cut down on cost drastically. Again, playing GTR2 and rFactor and other sims at 1920 x 1200.

What do you guys think?

 

[Resh]

I've done some more research and price comparison (bear in mind newegg doesn't ship to Canada) and here is roughly where I stand, but I still have some questions:

Option 1: P5Q Deluxe with the OCZ RAM (2 kits of 2GB Dual Channel Kit P/N - OCZ2P800R22GK) I already own. Based on the QVL, the board won't necessarily work with 4 sticks, so I'll have to sell 2 of my 4 sticks until I ca afford a 2x2GB kit, and then I'll sell the last of it
Price: $199.99 CDN

Option 2: P5E Deluxe would be a price jump, but would offer the X48 (Crossfire option) and reports that the X48 can yield gains in video performance over the P45, even in single card configuration. I've also read that one can use the Rampage BIOS and on the board and it will become even more overclockable. Memory issues noted above apply here, too.
Price: $249.70 CDN

Am I misinformed on the pros/cons here? Is the option of Crossfire and the other features worth the extra $? How about the Rampage flash for the P5E?

Gigabyte was discounted as there is no information on compatibility with my RAM. DFI was discounted on cost grounds and general lack of reports on their performance -- also seemed cost was related more to tweaking options than necessarily performance.

For the CPU, I'm still set on the Q9450 and I'm hoping prices drop over the coming days, but there's no guarantee, I guess.

As I will likely have to change RAM in the coming months, what speed of DDR2 is best suited to the 1333MHz FSB? Is it worth going beyond PC2-6400 to a PC2-8500 like TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF? Would I see any real world gain?

Lastly, I'm intrigued by the 4870 X2 that is poised for release. Part of me says, go with the P5Q Deluxe and save the $50 to spend on the video card, but I'm not sure if it would be priced within reach. A 4870 is in reach in the short-term and then there's the crossfire option with P5E Deluxe.

What do you guys think?

 

[DSF]

I don't think Crossfire makes sense for you for one simple reason. Last I checked, a Crossfire system can't run dual monitors. I also don't think you really need the P5Q Deluxe unless the P5Q Pro doesn't meet one of your criteria. Spend that money on something that might actually influence performance, like bumping your RAM up to 4GB from the get-go.

If you're not overclocking DDR2-800 is fine, and would actually let you dabble a little bit if you so choose. If you're pretty sure that you will overclock a fair bit later on, then get DDR2-1000 or DDR2-1066. DDR2-1000 will let you push your FSB to 500 MHz, which is about as far as you're likely to get anyway. The "matching" speed for a 1333 FSB Intel chip is actually DDR2-667. The main benefit of high-speed RAM is overclocking headroom. There's very little in the way of direct performance improvement just by virtue of having faster RAM.

 

[Resh]

Thanks DSF. Much appreciated. No dual monitor on Crossfire?! Crap! Are you sure?

Thanks for the memory info, too.

will go read up on the P5Q Pro -- why doesn't it appear on Asus's website?

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: Resh
Thanks DSF. Much appreciated. No dual monitor on Crossfire?! Crap! Are you sure?

Thanks for the memory info, too.

will go read up on the P5Q Pro -- why doesn't it appear on Asus's website?

Incidentally, there are at least two other boards in that lineup, the P5Q and the P5Q-E. Newegg does a pretty good job of listing motherboard features, so that's one viable method of comparison. I don't recall the number of SATA ports on each, so you can decide which fits your needs best.

I went poking around a little more, and it looks like you can turn Crossfire mode on and off as necessary. While it's enabled, I'm not sure the second monitor is usable if that matters to you. To get around this, you could use a third PCI or PCI-e x1 video card to drive the other display. Another option would be to go with the 4870x2, which is basically Crossfired 4870s on a single board.

At any rate, I don't use Crossfire so I'm not 100% sure on the nitty gritty details. I would run this by the people in the Video forum to see for sure so I don't mislead you.

 

[Resh]

Thanks a ton for your help. I did consider the P5Q, P5Q Pro, and P5QE, but really like the cooling set-up on the P5Q deluxe. I'm still really torn.

As for the Crossfire issue, yes, it seems having cards in crossfire will kill one monitor.

Let's say I never crossfire, but I get a 4870 X2 for one slot (gaming monitor) and put my 7800GTX in the other slot (photography monitor). Would that work?

 

[nbowman]

Originally posted by: Resh
Thanks DSF. Much appreciated. No dual monitor on Crossfire?! Crap! Are you sure?

Thanks for the memory info, too.

will go read up on the P5Q Pro -- why doesn't it appear on Asus's website?

you can run dual monitors on crossfire setups as of Catalyst driver 8.4, and they are on 8.7 now. I have set up 2 monitors running on a 3870 crossfire setup I did for a customer
edit: for clarification, thats 2 monitors for the desktop, not in games if that is what you are looking for...

 

[Resh]

Thanks for the correction nbowman. It's hard to tell what driver versions people are using when they report a feature's presence or absence.

I've been doing so more comparing and it seems the P5Q Deluxe is more feature-rich than the P5E Deluxe, despite the lower cost. However, it appears that the P5E Deluxe is likely the stronger long-term choice.

Any other insights appreciated.