My Final x79 Build, lots of advice CRUCIAL

MarkGerazzi

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Messages
112
Hi everyone,

I'm putting together a silent PC for audio production hence the massive memory, I have some very important questions I'll have number after my specs, so please try not to overlook them! I could really use your advice. Not interested in water cooling.

Here we go:

Chasis:

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=579&cl_index=1&sc_index=26&ss_index=69

CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492

Motherboard????

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...sNodeId=1&Description=x79+motherboard&x=0&y=0

CPU Cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127518

PSU: Fatality (re use)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022

Memory x2:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231478

Insulation Foam, best on the market:

http://www.acousticpc.com/acousti_products_apu_acoustipack_ultimate_pc_sound_proofing_kit.html


1. My main concern is the 8 dimm slots being covered by the cpu cooler, not sure how to tell, there has been a lot of talk about this.

2. I'm still not sure of the motherboards, I wan't something under $400 range with 8dimms. Do I need UEFI? I'm not even sure what that is but heard it's important.
Also I'm looking at the Gigabyte x79 UD5

3. Notice the Chasis compatibility for CPU cooler is 160mm in height, but that is the EXACT compatibility for Noctua D14, plus I have insulation foam.....problem?
I'm going to change the stock tower fans too so they are more silent.

4. I have old WD Caviar drives about 3 years old, should I be looking at SATA 6gb drives? I'll be streaming large audio files from my D drive to my OS and Music Program.


Cheers!
 
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Please answer the sticky questions so we can better recommend you some parts please.
 
I wouldn't go with the PC-6 for a quiet case. Something like the Antec 300, or the Lian Li A77F, or a Corsair 650D that has either (1) a lot of 120mm-140mm fans that you can run at lowest speed or (2) big 200mm that can push as much air for about the same noise "cost". The PC-6 will be quiet but the airflow will be worse.

You might also want to think about some of Corsair's watercooling solutions? You get really good thermal performance with an H60/80/100 paired with Noctua fans and I've never heard mine running (seriously, I didn't even know they were off when my cats somehow got to the cables when I wasn't looking during a hard drive replacement).
 
Hi everyone,

I'm putting together a silent PC for audio production hence the massive memory, I have some very important questions I'll have number after my specs, so please try not to overlook them! I could really use your advice. Not interested in water cooling.

Here we go:

Chasis:

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=579&cl_index=1&sc_index=26&ss_index=69

CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492

Motherboard????

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...sNodeId=1&Description=x79+motherboard&x=0&y=0

CPU Cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127518

PSU: Fatality (re use)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022

Memory x2:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231478

Insulation Foam, best on the market:

http://www.acousticpc.com/acousti_products_apu_acoustipack_ultimate_pc_sound_proofing_kit.html


1. My main concern is the 8 dimm slots being covered by the cpu cooler, not sure how to tell, there has been a lot of talk about this.

2. I'm still not sure of the motherboards, I wan't something under $400 range with 8dimms. Do I need UEFI? I'm not even sure what that is but heard it's important.
Also I'm looking at the Gigabyte x79 UD5

3. Notice the Chasis compatibility for CPU cooler is 160mm in height, but that is the EXACT compatibility for Noctua D14, plus I have insulation foam.....problem?
I'm going to change the stock tower fans too so they are more silent.

4. I have old WD Caviar drives about 3 years old, should I be looking at SATA 6gb drives? I'll be streaming large audio files from my D drive to my OS and Music Program.


Cheers!

In addition, I would replace the PSU: The X79 platform is relatively power-hungry even with a very-low-end GPU. Plus, that OCZ Fatality PSU can't be trusted to provide its full 550W rating while still keeping DC output in spec (you know, OCZ for most of its own lines rates its PSU power ratings at an internal PSU operating temperature of only 40°C - but PSUs actually operate at a true internal operating temperature closer to 50°C, which results in reduced output).

And speaking of the motherboard, I'd rule out the sub-$299 X79 boards and all of the ASRock and Gigabyte offerings on that list because they have only four DIMM slots total and you're planning to order eight DIMMs. That makes the cheapest X79 board with eight DIMM slots of all of the ones on that list the Asus P9X79, which costs $308.49 shipped.

And yes, please answer the sticky questions as Skillz pointed out.
 
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OT, but why do the newegg links come up with access forbidden (I'm trying to learn from the recommendations posted on this forum) ?

EDIT -- Nevermind, figured out my recent untangle install was blocking them.
 
I'm curious to see what's recommended here for a quiet PSU for this set-up. I may do a similar build and looked at the Silent Pro Gold 1200, then saw that the forum favored the Corsair AX, then found out some of them have whines... Stuck on deciding.

Also stuck on the case. I want something quiet and know I will be using an H100, and it has to be windowless.

Mark, perhaps you should consider a case that will accommodate an H100 in case you change your mind on CPU Cooling later on. It looks like that Noctua might be a little tight on an LGA2011 board with the RAM slots so close to the cpu, but I don't know. Never seen or tried it.
 
My budget is $2200, going to get windows 7 Ultimate and I'll be OC'ing to at least 4.2gz

I'm really not interested in watercooling right now, what's wrong with the Lian li PC6 then, 140mm and 120mm fans are not big enough even if after socket?
Also this sound insulation is VERY good.

As for the PSU I may replace it if it shows signs of lagging.

The H100 scares me, if I did watercooling it would be a real loop, not a cheap pump that many have said are loud and unreliable.

As for cases, my budget is around $100, if I were to go all out with a tower I'd get the silverstone FT02


Ugh how to find out if the noctua will fit these new x79 boards!
 
As for the PSU I may replace it if it shows signs of lagging.

Actually, better to replace it first before you upgrade any other part: An underpowered PSU can (and does) kill your system's expensive components when you least expect it to! Asking that OCZ to deliver more power than it can handle is an invitation to disaster: The PSU can go out with a very loud pop, and often take out some or all of the parts in your system. And such damage is not covered at all by the parts companies' warranties. So, if your shiny expensive new CPU and expensive GPU gets killed by the PSU, you'd be out another $2,000 to $3,000 (on top of the $2,200 that you would have already spent) just to replace those parts that need replacement! You see, underpowered PSUs do not lag at all, but actually overheat and/or shut themselves off and/or explode.

So, better spend $150 to $200 now to replace the PSU than to risk having to spend as much as $3,000 on top of what you already spent just to replace the needed components.
 
Thanks for the heads up. And quiet recommendations in that price range?

I wish there were some reviews with the 8dimm motherboard using after market cpu coolers, air.
 
Thanks for the heads up. And quiet recommendations in that price range?

I wish there were some reviews with the 8dimm motherboard using after market cpu coolers, air.

seasonic x650 is a great psu and can be had at newegg for $99 after coupon code if it is still in stock
 
Please answer the following questions:
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?

The Seasonic X650 is a solid PSU to go with depending on what video card you're using. If that GTX 460, that Seasonic should be fine.
 
3. CANADA
5. Not reusing the Fatility anymore I guess
8. End of next week
9. All of those features except special GPU features, tho I would like to play xbox games on windows 8 with one video card.
10. I'll be purchasing windows 7 ultimate


I'm not sure if SATA 6gb is essential, I'll be streaming large audio samples from my D drive to my C drive, will this play an important factor? Right now I have 3 year old hard drives, not sure the specs.

That PSU is to be said noisy, I was thinking:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...656&isNodeId=1&Description=SILENT+PSU&x=0&y=0


I still cannot find a nicer looking, lighter chasis than the Lian Li PC6.

Right now the mobo's I'm serious about are the Asus Pro or Delux (main difference?) or the GA X79 UD5
 
Hmm, I have never heard anyone describe that particular Seasonic PSU as "noisy". Their reputation is quite to the contrary, as they are even known to build quiet PSU's for other companies. I don't think you'll find a more reputable source for PSU reviews than Oklahoma Wolf via jonnyguru.com:

Oklahoma Wolf said:
Hello? Is this thing on? Such were my first words when I powered up this unit for testing. The fan twitched and immediately stopped. It didn't turn on again until test three. And then it turned off again for crossload test one. It seems that Seasonic wasn't joking about this being a quiet unit... you just can't get much quieter than fanless. I like that the fan twitches just to let you know the unit isn't dead or something.

I really have never heard a negative word about that PSU. From what I've read and heard, it's certainly a better fit than the few units I saw in your link (1200W?). But it is your decision, after all.
 
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What about the fans I listed?

I'm also looking for the fastest more reliable 256gb SSD, there's M4, Crucial, Real, not sure what the difference is except for SATA 3.

I've heard some SSD's kind of "Zip Data" to make it easily accessible later, and that this was not good.
 
I'm not sure if SATA 6gb is essential, I'll be streaming large audio samples from my D drive to my C drive, will this play an important factor? Right now I have 3 year old hard drives, not sure the specs.
The SATA 6GB/s interface itself does not matter when it comes to hard drives. However the age of the hard drives do matter: There are a lot of hard drives out there that will outperform your old drives even if the new drives were on SATA 3.0GB/s. However the newere and faster hard drives now have SATA 6.0Gb/s mainly as a marketing gimmick. Anyway, I recommend this fast drive:
$156 - Hitachi Desktar 7K1000.D HDS721010DLE630 1TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

SATA 6.0Gb/s only matters if you're talking about SSDs. Speaking of SSDs, I recommend the Crucial M4 SSD or the Intel 510 series SSDs.
That PSU is to be said noisy,
Then that person is probably super sensitive then to noise. The X-650 was found to be a quiet PSU by Silent PC Review:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Seasonic_X650

I think the reviewer there knows a little something about noise level

Just because it says "Silent" in the name doesn't mean the PSU is going to be silent BTW. The old and loud PC P&C Silencer series is a good example of that. Besides, that link lists 50 different PSUs including the Seasonic recommended earlier. A lot of those PSUs are low quality as well. So please be a bit more specific as to which PSU you were thinking of.

I still cannot find a nicer looking, lighter chasis than the Lian Li PC6.
Then either A) ditch the foam or B) Ditch the Noctua HSF or C) Leave the area around the HSF clear of the foam.
Right now the mobo's I'm serious about are the Asus Pro or Delux (main difference?) or the GA X79 UD5

You can see the differences between the Asus mobos yourself here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1-804^13-131-804-03#,13-131-799^13-131-799-TS
 
You can see the differences between the Asus mobos yourself here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1-804^13-131-804-03#,13-131-799^13-131-799-TS

There is one surprise in the X79 line: The plain P9X79 has one Firewire 400 port while the PRO does not have onboard Firewire capability. However, Firewire capability is relevant only to those people who still use tape to record digital videos. Similarly, the plain P9X79 has a PS/2 port while the PRO doesn't (and again, PS/2 capability is important only to those who have a favorite old keyboard or mouse that can't be adapted to USB at all). By contrast, the PRO can accommodate a pair of front case-mount USB 3.0 ports and has onboard Bluetooth capability (the plain P9X79, by contrast, requires the user to reach all the way to the rear of the case to access the four USB 3.0 ports because it does not have a front USB 3.0 header).
 
Danny,

That was the SSD I was looking at for storing my samples, or the 512gb one.

As for the Asus differences, there is no onboard usb 3.0 on the cheaper version??
Also no SSD caching feature (thought that was the 3930k's feature).

I don't see firewire 800 on any of them, or is that what the PCI slots are for?
 
E4g1e,

Why only one firewire 400, if firewire 400 is a larger connecter and a slower speed?
Also firewire 800 it can be useful when I'm utilizing my pre amp/interfaces sound card, instead of my current usb 2.0 variable speed interface. The buffer will be better if firewire is there, less clicks and pops. Of course other factors are there but I'll ahve enough cores and ram for that, that my program can utilize.

TheQuestian,

If I had that budget I would ahve ordered a long time ago.
 
As for the Asus differences, there is no onboard usb 3.0 on the cheaper version??
Also no SSD caching feature (thought that was the 3930k's feature).

I don't see firewire 800 on any of them, or is that what the PCI slots are for?

Neither motherboard has onboard Firewire 800. You'll have to purchase a PCI or PCI-e x1 card to add Firewire 800.

And please note my previous post above for the Asus differences. Both boards have onboard USB 3.0 using third-party ASMedia controllers. The difference is that the plain P9X79 cannot accommodate front-panel USB 3.0 ports (thus, if your case's front USB ports are USB 3.0, you'll need a USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 header adapter to use the front ports in USB 2.0 mode if you want to use them with the plain P9X79).
 
As for the Asus differences, there is no onboard usb 3.0 on the cheaper version??
If you're talking about the internal USB 3.0 ports and not the rear USB 3.0 ports, then yes, the cheaper Asus doesn't have it.
Also no SSD caching feature (thought that was the 3930k's feature).
Nope. The entire X79 chipset doesn't have that feature.
I don't see firewire 800 on any of them, or is that what the PCI slots are for?
Thats what the PCI and PCI-E slots are for.
 
Oh, I'm glad this came up. Danny, how would you compare the price/performance between the M4, and say a Corsair Force GT? Or the 120GB Vertex 3 drives? Aside from a few benchmarks, it's been hard to find a good real world comparison.
 
Oh, I'm glad this came up. Danny, how would you compare the price:performance between the M4, and say a Corsair Force GT? Or the 120GB Vertex 3 drives? Aside from a few benchmarks, it's been hard to find a good real world comparison.

In terms of actual price to performance ratio, the Corsair Force GT and Vertex 3 are just a tad faster and cheaper than the Crucial M4. However the random BSOD issues currently plaguing Sandforce based SSDs such as the Corsair Force GT and the Vertex 3 SSDs are a bit worrisome. With that said, considering Intel's good history of QC and troubleshooting, the Sandforce based Intel 520 SSDs (assuming the reports are true about the Sandforce part) might not be as troublesome.

I'd avoid OCZ SSDs in general due to their poor history with SSDs and poor customer support.
 
Danny,

You say this feature is not on the x79, but for the pro it reads:

ASUS SSD Caching - 3X faster performance at a click


All this front and rear talk is confusing, not sure what the difference between internal and rear is, except that rear is directly on the mobo and front is at the front of your chasis. if I go with the Lian Li board and the plain Asus then I will need 3.0 adapters, if I get the Pro then the front of the Lian Li PC6 will be good to go.


For SSDs, is it the sandforce that zips data to make it more accessible? Or is that brutforce? I heard this wasn't ideal.
 
If I had that budget I would ahve ordered a long time ago.
Sorry about that. I guess I find it a little confusing that you would cringe at a $150 computer case (FT03), and yet consider a 512GB solid state drive for storage. If budget is a concern, why not go with Danny's Hitachi drive, and pocket the change? There's your $250 case right there, plus a fair amount of gumballs.
 
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With that said, considering Intel's good history of QC and troubleshooting, the Sandforce based Intel 520 SSDs (assuming the reports are true about the Sandforce part) might not be as troublesome.

I'd avoid OCZ SSDs in general due to their poor history with SSDs and poor customer support.
Awesome.
 
You say this feature is not on the x79, but for the pro it reads:

ASUS SSD Caching - 3X faster performance at a click
Well I meant Intel's SRT SSD cache feature wasn't included with X79. Apparently Asus included their own version of the SSD cache. Not sure how it performs though.

All this front and rear talk is confusing, not sure what the difference between internal and rear is, except that rear is directly on the mobo and front is at the front of your chasis. if I go with the Lian Li board and the plain Asus then I will need 3.0 adapters, if I get the Pro then the front of the Lian Li PC6 will be good to go.
That's pretty much it.
For SSDs, is it the sandforce that zips data to make it more accessible? Or is that brutforce? I heard this wasn't ideal.
No, that's not any SSD.
 
I'm not sure I explained that "zipped" correctly, it was kind of an analogy. I know one type of ssd reads and writes differently, some are quicker but use a different technique in accessing files, I don't know, not my cup of tea.

We forgot the Asus Delux, which doesn't have that special caching:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131799


TheQuestian,

The SSD isn't for just storage, it's for streaming large Violin/Brass/Choir samples to play simultaneously in my workstation Cubase 6. The libraries are intensive and SSD's are very beneficial for streaming.


*Off topic but can anyone recommend a site other than Newegg to ship to Canada for cheap. My cart has 3 items: Memory, CPU, Motherboard, and I'm already paying a HST of $135.00!!!
 
Now it's at 150 dollars, I wonder is Newegg will wave some fees since I'm spending over 2gs here.
 
The SSD isn't for just storage, it's for streaming large Violin/Brass/Choir samples to play simultaneously in my workstation Cubase 6. The libraries are intensive and SSD's are very beneficial for streaming.
Heh, I'm sure they are beneficial, but my point was that it seems like your budget is quite expansive, and yet you have a cost issue with a $200 case. Certainly, you can do whatever you want, but there seems to be a disconnect somewhere.

Cheers!
 
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*Off topic but can anyone recommend a site other than Newegg to ship to Canada for cheap. My cart has 3 items: Memory, CPU, Motherboard, and I'm already paying a HST of $135.00!!!
Try the following sites:
Canadacomputers.com
memoryexpress.com
Newegg.ca
Tigerdirect.ca
directcanada.com/
Now it's at 150 dollars, I wonder is Newegg will wave some fees since I'm spending over 2gs here.
Generally no.
 
All those sites have the same HST AND higher prices, so might as well go with the 560 msi gtx from newegg.ca
 
Well I meant Intel's SRT SSD cache feature wasn't included with X79.

Actually, Intel's SRT SSD cache feature was supposed to be in the X79 chipset itself. However, Intel disabled it in the first released stepping of that chipset (along with eight of the original 10 SATA 6.0 Gbps ports). Thus, the first released stepping of the X79 chipset has no SRT and only two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports (plus four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports).
 
Actually, Intel's SRT SSD cache feature was supposed to be in the X79 chipset itself. However, Intel disabled it in the first released stepping of that chipset (along with eight of the original 10 SATA 6.0 Gbps ports). Thus, the first released stepping of the X79 chipset has no SRT and only two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports (plus four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports).

Ahh bummer. Haven't kept up on the X79 as well as I though.

Thanks for the heads up!
 
Are the 3930 and 3960k c2 stepping still? When will these chipsets be updated, with the quad cores?

So long as there is 4x SATA 3 for four SSDs on the Asus x79 pro :D
 
So long as there is 4x SATA 3 for four SSDs on the Asus x79 pro :D

Too bad that two of those SATA ports are using Marvel controllers. Last I heard those were rather slow compared to Intel controllers.
 
So long as there is 4x SATA 3 for four SSDs on the Asus x79 pro :D

Too bad only two of the four SATA 6.0 Gbps ports are native to the initial stepping of the X79 chipset (not the SB-E CPU). The other two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports are run off of a separate Marvell controller.

By the way, I forgot to mention one minor detail difference between the P9X79 and the P9X79 PRO:

The P9X79 PRO does have slightly better onboard audio than the plain P9X79: The plain P9X79 has the same Realtek ALC892 chip as most of the mainstream Intel boards while the PRO has the new ALC898 chip that is the successor to the ALC889 chip.
 
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