Ok, maybe not the most powerful cutting edge system, but a really good one. Note, I'm looking to create a powerful computer despite what it might cost. So I'm not looking for best value, just best overall.


This is what I'm looking at, any and all comments to help me configure my new computer better will be appreciated.


Processor - Intel Pentium 3.2GHz 800MHz FSB

Motherboard - I have no friggin' idea. I want a 875P "Canterwood" but it seems that all the motherboards perform well and there is no real best. I'm waiting for a review of the new ABIT IC7-Max3. Besides that, I'm also looking at the Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Ultra, MSI Neo-FIS2R, and the Intel 875P MB. I'll consider Asus MBs as well for all you Asus lovers.

HDDs - (2) Western Digital Raptor 36GB 10,000RPM SATA HDDs , and (2) Maxtor 120GB 7200RPM SATA HDDs

Memory - Corsair 1GB (2 - 512 sticks) 500MHz DDR SDRAM. I may get 2GB (4 - 512 sticks, or is getting 2 - 1GB sticks better). Is OCZ or anyone else better that Corsiar better? What about ECC? Why don't any of the great popular memory manufacturers make ECC memory? Who makes the best ECC memory?

CD Burner - Plextor 52x32x52 PlexWriter Premium CD-RW Drive. Don't know much about CD burners.

DVD Burner - Sony DVD-/+RW Recorder DRU510A. don't know much about DVD burners as well.

Power Supply - Antec True Control 550 Watt Power Supply With 2 Fans 5.25 Control Panel.

Video Card - ATI All-In-Wonder RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB DDR 8X AGP RETAIL for now. I'll probably get the nVidia Quadro FX3000 and perhaps a Pinnacle capture card when I get the money. I want to be able to do stuff with Aliaswaveform's Maya and a lot of video stuff with Avid and other stuff. Let me know of your expertise on this subject.

Sound card - Sound Blaster Audigy2 Platinum. Don't know anything on sound. Let me know of what's the best in this area. I will be using Protools and stuff like that.

I think that's everything. Note, I want to overclock this computer to run synchronously with 1GHz of FSB. Also, I will be custom making my case, so space is not a problem. I'm thinking of making the case into like a suit case type design so I could take it around with me (not like a laptop obviously, but so it has some sort of transportability). Let me know what you think. Thanks for any input you may have.

Ok, I just realized that there is a 8X DVD writer (Plextor PX-708A). So swap this with the sony dvd writer I posted earlier.

Pretty much the best of the best I'd say. MOBO just get the best as well.

I might pick some different drives, but that's personal preference.

I don't think there will be a lot of head room to OC with that chip but that's just a guess on my part. Most times the Flag Ship chips have little overhead.

What are you going to use such a machine for, if I might ask?

Well, I didn't think that was gonna happen!!!

As you can probably tell, I do a lot of video stuff (capture, edit, produce small films, etc.). I'm also getting into 3D animation. So, I need a computer that can handle pretty intensive stuff. Rendering times take forever (i leave my current computer, which I have up for sale on ebay (item#2749221932 "http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2749221932&category=42163&rd=1", on for like a whole day to render some things). So I wans to minimize render times as much as possible.

I thought as much. You've spec.ed out a system that will do just that, along with anything else. If it wasn't for doing video, I would have told you to cut back on some things.

Great system. You'll enjoy it for sure!

Well, I didn't think that was gonna happen!!!

If you could Oc a 2.4 or 2.6 P4 to ~3.2Ghz it will actually be faster than a stock 3.2, as it'll be running a faster bus. You'll Also not be fully taking advantage of the RAM you're planning to get.

My 2 cents.

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The end is nigh.. (For this post at least)

could you elaborate a little more, chipdeath?

Sure.

The RAM you're planning on is DDR500, meaning it's actually rated for speeds of 250Mhz.

If you get a P4 3.2Ghz, it's going to be running on a 200Mhz Bus (800 QDR), with a multiplier of 16x, to give 3200Mhz. Intel locks the multipliers on its chips, so the only overclocking option is the Bus speed. but increasing the bus of the 3.2, to say, 225Mhz will give a processor speed of ~3.6Ghz with that chip, which is not all that likely to work with air cooling, and your RAM would still only be running at 450Mhz DDR..

But if you buy a 2.4Ghz P4, which only has a 12x multiplier, you should be able to pump the FSB up much higher before you hit the limits of the CPU, probably 250Mhz & beyond, which will give you your full 500Mhz DDR RAM speed, and a cpu speed of ~3.1Ghz

So you see, your RAM is running faster, and the CPU bus is running faster, with the result being 25% extra bandwith for feeding the CPU with info.

THG have recently done an article on how much a P4C enjoys a 250Mhz (1Ghz QDR) bus, look in the CPU reviews section on the main page..

put simply, a P4 which is running at 200x16(3200) will get blown away by one which is 266x12(3.2), despite the fact they're both running at the same actual Mhz.

sorry I'm not too good at explaining this stuff... maybe someone can help clarify some points here?



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The end is nigh.. (For this post at least)

Among the canterwood chipset motherboards, I'd recommend Abit IC7-MAX3 for this build.

OCZ Gold for memory. Four 512MB memory modules if 2GB is the goal.

<b><font color=blue>Oh, I can shed light on that ...</font color=blue></b>

Thanks for the straight forward answer, Prof133.

MY 2 cents. I bought P4 2.4C OC to 3.0 with stock Hsf. Abit IS7 Mobo. You buy Zalman CNPS7000 Al/Cu heatsink you should be able to hit 3.4 to 3.6 Ghz.

How many fans are you going to use? In your case?

As much as necessary to keep this system stable (^_^)

You've already seen the IC7-G in action, the Max3 version removes a couple legacy ports and adds a better voltage regulator cooling solution and secure IDE. You wouldn't really need to see a review of the Max3 to know that everything else works the same, so if you like those new features, I say buy it.

Someone mentioned overclocking for performance. The 2.6 goes to 3.25GHz at 250MHz bus, and would nicely outperform a stock 3.2C. The 2.8C goes to 3.5GHz at 250MHz FSB and would outperform most gods. You MIGHT be able to do that 2.8C at 3.5GHz using the Zalman CNPS-7000AlCu air cooling.

The 3.2C would be a bad pick for overclocking because it usually doesn't clock much higher than the 2.8C, and would do so at a lower bus speed.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

So if im going to be OCing , it would be best to buy a 2.4c and OC it to 3.0+ then to acutally buy a 3.0? Then just get the DDR500 and make it run at top speed? How much better would the performance be if i OCed a 2.4c to 3.0, then if i would acutally have a 3.0c?

Im in the same spot as bjr74, I have finally got enough cash together to build a top of the line system reguardless of what it costs(no im not rich but military+warzone=cash), but i also wana start getting into OCing. From all the stuff I have been reading about the P4 line, its seems that the 2.4 is the best for OCing. The highend p4 like the 3.2 dont seem to get as much of an OC out of them. Still have another month or so till i actually put this machine together but trying to get an idea of what to get before im ready to stick it all in.

So, Crashman, would you recommend the Max3 over the other MBs I listed? And as for CPUs, what would be best if only air cooling was applied? what would be the best if water cooling was applied? If I were to do math correct, if I got a 3.2GHz and applied 250 FSB (1GHz quad-pumped), wouldn't I get 4.0GHz? If so, would that even be possible to cool? Would water cooling be able to handle that? You say the 3.2 doesn't multiply as well as 2.8. So if that is the case, what would be the best 800FSB processor to get? Anyway, thanks for the reposnse.