Advertisement

Register for free to remove this ad

As always, please look over my rig.

MiNuN's Monster 5

Personal Computer build nicknamed 'MiNuN's Monster'

Goal: High-End Super Gaming; with the latest technology available to the public.

Specifications to work with;
6 X 240-pin (-3 used up by R.A.M.)
4 X PCI Express 2.0 x16 (x16/x16), (x8/x8/x16) or (x8/x8/x8/x8) (-1 x16 used up by Video Card) (-1 x16 used up by Sound Card)
2 X PCI Express X1
1 X PCI (-1 used up by Wireless Card)
8 X SATA 3 GB/s (-1 used up by 2TB HDD) (-1 used up by SSD)
2 X SATA 6 GB/s
1 X PATA ATA133 2 Dev. Max
2 X IEEE 1394A
3 X External 5.25" Drive Bays (-1 used up by DVD Drive)
6 X Internal 3.5" Drive Bays (-1 used up by 2TB HDD) (-1 used up by SSD)
8 X Rear Expansion Slots (-1 used up by Video Card) (-1 used up by Wireless Card) (-1 used up by Sound Card)
1 x Front eSata Port
1 x VGA
1 x DVI
1 X HDMI (-1 used up by Monitor)
1 X Display Port
1 X S/PDIF OUT Optical
1 X S/PDIF OUT Coaxial
1 x Front HD Audio Ports
6 X Rear HD 7.1 Audio Ports
4 X Monitor 2.0 USB Ports
4 X Front 2.0 USB Ports
4 X Rear 2.0 USB Ports (-1 used up by G19)
2 X Rear 3.0 USB Ports
2 X Keyboard 2.0 USB Ports (-1 used up by X8) (-1 used up by G35)
2 X eSATA/USB Combo Connectors
2 X PS/2
MoBo Power Pin = 24-Pin

Newegg.ca = $2,565.30, Tiger Direct = $43.98, NCIX = $3,130.99, Bewawa = $672.32, Canada Computers = $463.28, Others = $511.91. Total = $7,387.78, Left over = $2,612.22.
P.C. Case: Thermaltake Level 10 VL30001N1Z BlackAluminumATXSuperFullTower Gaming Station Computer Case $893.53 (NCIX)
Mother Board: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $406.79 (CC)
Processor: Intel BX80613i7980X Core i7 980X Extreme Edition Processor $1,221.23 (Newegg)
Heatsink: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler $73.49 (NCIX), 2 X Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B5AP-15 120mm Case Fan $58.73 (Newegg)
R.A.M.: Patriot Gamer Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model PGS312G1600ELK $766.69 (Newegg)
Video Card: Diamond Radeon HD 5970 Video Card $793.78 (NCIX)
Hard-Disk Drive/Solid-State Drive:OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive $433.91 (Newegg), WesternDigital RE4 WD2003FYYS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $323.17 (Bewawa)
Other Drives: Lite-On IHAS424-98 Internal DVD Writer $44.47 (NCIX)
Power Supply: Corsair AX1200 1200W $00.00 (TBD)

EXTRAS:
O.S.: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit $203.39 (Bewawa)
Wireless Card: Sabrent 802.11n Wireless PCI Controller Card $43.98 (TD)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence ST PCI 7.1 Sound Card $237.28 (NCIX)
Security Software: VIPRE Antivirus Premium 3 Years $115.00 (Sunbelt)

PERIPHERALS:
Keyboard: Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard $247.56 (NCIX)
Mouse: Microsoft 3HA-00001 SideWinder X8 Mouse $84.74 (Newegg)
Mouse surface: RAZER Megasoma Professional Gaming Mouse Mat $56.49 (CC) & RAZER Destructor Professional Gaming Mat $62.00 (NCIX)
Monitor: Dell SP2309W 23-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor $396.91 (Dell)
Speakers: Creative GigaWorks S750 700 Watts 7.1 Speaker $574.61 (NCIX, shipping not included)
Headset: Logitech G35 Gaming Headphone $145.76 (Bewawa)
Printer: Brother MFC-795cw Inkjet AiO Printer Wireless $204.27 (NCIX)

Originally Posted by RAMSTORIA virtually all mobos that support the i3 also support i5 and i7, so yes.

Depends on what processor you will be upgrading to.

If your i3 processor is a 1156 type, you can upgrade to all i5 and some i7.

Most newer i7s are 1366, which not all 1156 mobos can support. So if you want to upgrade, make sure you get the right socket.

Originally Posted by MiNuN As always, please look over my rig. MiNuN's Monster 5 Personal Computer build nicknamed 'MiNuN's Monster' Goal: High-End Super Gaming; with the latest technology available to the public. Specifications to work with; 6 X 240-pin (-3 used up by R.A.M.) 4 X PCI Express 2.0 x16 (x16/x16), (x8/x8/x16) or (x8/x8/x8/x8) (-1 x16 used up by Video Card) (-1 x16 used up by Sound Card) 2 X PCI Express X1 1 X PCI (-1 used up by Wireless Card) 8 X SATA 3 GB/s (-1 used up by 2TB HDD) (-1 used up by SSD) 2 X SATA 6 GB/s 1 X PATA ATA133 2 Dev. Max 2 X IEEE 1394A 3 X External 5.25" Drive Bays (-1 used up by DVD Drive) 6 X Internal 3.5" Drive Bays (-1 used up by 2TB HDD) (-1 used up by SSD) 8 X Rear Expansion Slots (-1 used up by Video Card) (-1 used up by Wireless Card) (-1 used up by Sound Card) 1 x Front eSata Port 1 x VGA 1 x DVI 1 X HDMI (-1 used up by Monitor) 1 X Display Port 1 X S/PDIF OUT Optical 1 X S/PDIF OUT Coaxial 1 x Front HD Audio Ports 6 X Rear HD 7.1 Audio Ports 4 X Monitor 2.0 USB Ports 4 X Front 2.0 USB Ports 4 X Rear 2.0 USB Ports (-1 used up by G19) 2 X Rear 3.0 USB Ports 2 X Keyboard 2.0 USB Ports (-1 used up by X8) (-1 used up by G35) 2 X eSATA/USB Combo Connectors 2 X PS/2 MoBo Power Pin = 24-Pin Newegg.ca = $2,565.30, Tiger Direct = $43.98, NCIX = $3,130.99, Bewawa = $672.32, Canada Computers = $463.28, Others = $511.91. Total = $7,387.78, Left over = $2,612.22. P.C. Case: Thermaltake Level 10 VL30001N1Z BlackAluminumATXSuperFullTower Gaming Station Computer Case $893.53 (NCIX) Mother Board: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $406.79 (CC) Processor: Intel BX80613i7980X Core i7 980X Extreme Edition Processor $1,221.23 (Newegg) Heatsink: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler $73.49 (NCIX), 2 X Scythe GentleTyphoon D1225C12B5AP-15 120mm Case Fan $58.73 (Newegg) R.A.M.: Patriot Gamer Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model PGS312G1600ELK $766.69 (Newegg) Video Card: Diamond Radeon HD 5970 Video Card $793.78 (NCIX) Hard-Disk Drive/Solid-State Drive:OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive $433.91 (Newegg), WesternDigital RE4 WD2003FYYS 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $323.17 (Bewawa) Other Drives: Lite-On IHAS424-98 Internal DVD Writer $44.47 (NCIX) Power Supply: Corsair AX1200 1200W $00.00 (TBD) EXTRAS: O.S.: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit $203.39 (Bewawa) Wireless Card: Sabrent 802.11n Wireless PCI Controller Card $43.98 (TD) Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence ST PCI 7.1 Sound Card $237.28 (NCIX) Security Software: VIPRE Antivirus Premium 3 Years $115.00 (Sunbelt) PERIPHERALS: Keyboard: Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard $247.56 (NCIX) Mouse: Microsoft 3HA-00001 SideWinder X8 Mouse $84.74 (Newegg) Mouse surface: RAZER Megasoma Professional Gaming Mouse Mat $56.49 (CC) & RAZER Destructor Professional Gaming Mat $62.00 (NCIX) Monitor: Dell SP2309W 23-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor $396.91 (Dell) Speakers: Creative GigaWorks S750 700 Watts 7.1 Speaker $574.61 (NCIX, shipping not included) Headset: Logitech G35 Gaming Headphone $145.76 (Bewawa) Printer: Brother MFC-795cw Inkjet AiO Printer Wireless $204.27 (NCIX)

You are only missing some Artic Silver 5. Everything looks great. You owe us pictures when you've finished your build.

Originally Posted by MiNuN Thank you paz9x. I have decided to change my heat-sink to SOSTrooper's recommendations. Question, there is no performance drop if I get the Prolimatech Megahelems Rev.B correct?

the previous version megahalems isnt made anymore afaik.

Originally Posted by SOSTrooper You are only missing some Artic Silver 5. Everything looks great. You owe us pictures when you've finished your build.

Ive only used as5 up until i had some shin etsu on a cooler im currently using.
I was going to wipe it off and apply as5 but I read a lot about as5 not being as good (3-5 degrees difference) in comparison.

do you have any opinion on it?

for normal use i would probably use whatever is on hand. im trying to work a moderate OC and every degree would be beneficial.

Alright. I just want to say thanks a lot guys. I will start purchasing and building this rig, all of this will be on my weekly blog entries.

I believe this will take about a month's time to complete as I read the manuals, understanding the parts etc...I also work full-time so I can not really have the hours I want to build the PC as I gather the products. Waiting for the Corsair AX1200 to come out in another factor of that waiting time.

Look forward to it! I will keep you guys posted with pictures when I can! =)

Originally Posted by paz9x Ive only used as5 up until i had some shin etsu on a cooler im currently using. I was going to wipe it off and apply as5 but I read a lot about as5 not being as good (3-5 degrees difference) in comparison. do you have any opinion on it? for normal use i would probably use whatever is on hand. im trying to work a moderate OC and every degree would be beneficial.

As far as every degree counts, I primarily use AS5, but there's too many factors to account for when it comes to every degree counts. Sometimes, you might see pre-applied stuff work better, sometimes you'll get AS5 being run of the mill, and other times AS5 will crush everything else in performance (like all other competitors).

I like it, I'd recommend it, but it's really splitting hairs.

AS5 is really the most cost efficient thermal compound. It's easy to use, cheap, and no need for maintenance for at least a couple of years. But when you're looking at the top 10 thermal compounds, they're all within 2 degrees of each other, when testing on OC'ed CPU on full load.

30 or so Thermal Compounds compared.

44 Thermal Compound compared

Pick any in the top 10 and you'll do fine. It's really not worth the time contemplating which one is really better.

Originally Posted by SOSTrooper AS5 is really the most cost efficient thermal compound. It's easy to use, cheap, and no need for maintenance for at least a couple of years. But when you're looking at the top 10 thermal compounds, they're all within 2 degrees of each other, when testing on OC'ed CPU on full load. 30 or so Thermal Compounds compared. 44 Thermal Compound compared Pick any in the top 10 and you'll do fine. It's really not worth the time contemplating which one is really better.

I appreciate the opinion. It probably has to do as much with the installation.
I keep as5 on hand, it seems a bit thicker and easier to anticipate the spread versus the thinner tims.

Yeah it also depends on the heatsink you're using the thermal compound with too. Combining different heatsinks and different thermal compounds will produce different results as well. Even the method you use to apply the thermal compound will produce different results. That's why you never see 2 reviews that will produce the same descending list of best thermal compounds. But rest assure AS5, Shin Etsu, Liquid Silver, and a few others are all best buys.

Okay the specs for the geforce gtx 465 say I need a PCI express or 2.0 compliant motherboard.
My secs are below. Please tell me I'll be able to use my graphic card. I really can't find info on it and I'm a comp noob. I don't want to open it until I'm sure it'll work or not.


http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gat...-33964710.html

EDIT: I think I'm good.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...0fp35210c0s441

use the code HHM4QNZ3303N1Z
to drop the gtx 480 to $364

Been so long since I've built a new rig (3 years to be exact). Finally decided to pull the trigger and sell my old parts. Here are the goods:

Existing Components:

Thermaltake Armor w/25cm Side Fan
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer
Western Digital 750GB Caviar SE16

Old Build (all stock):

Core 2 Duo E6600 (previously overclocked to 3GHz @ 1:1 sync)
Corsair HX620W
EVGA 680i SLI AR
Corsair Dominator 2GB DDR2-800 (4-4-4-12)
EVGA 8800 GTX
Western Digital 150GB Raptor

New Build:

Core i7 860
Corsair HX650W
ASUS P7P55D-E Pro
Corsair XMS3 4GB DDR3-1333 (8-8-8-24)
Sapphire Radeon HD 5850
Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor
Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black

Suffice it to say, I can't wait until I get off from work tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to putting this baby through her paces. I welcome any comments/questions

To the OP: there's a typo. The i7 Lynnfield is clocked at 2.8GHz. The post has 2.66GHz.

Originally Posted by spraypaintnink Okay the specs for the geforce gtx 465 say I need a PCI express or 2.0 compliant motherboard. My secs are below. Please tell me I'll be able to use my graphic card. I really can't find info on it and I'm a comp noob. I don't want to open it until I'm sure it'll work or not. http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gat...-33964710.html EDIT: I think I'm good.

.

I think you are good to go. The GTX 465 is 9.5" long, and it looks like you'll have enough room. And since you did say you bought a 600W Cooler Master PSU, then you're good to go in that department as well. All motherboards that run on LGA1156 are PCI-Express X16 2.0. I think that's a 3 green lights for you

Originally Posted by Ardrid Suffice it to say, I can't wait until I get off from work tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to putting this baby through her paces. I welcome any comments/questions To the OP: there's a typo. The i7 Lynnfield is clocked at 2.8GHz. The post has 2.66GHz.

.

Thanks, typo is fixed. Your build looks good, other than that I often preach to people not to get the WD VelociRaptor 150/300GB because their performance is only subpar at best for their cost. If you want VR you should opt for the new 600GB version (it is about 25% faster than the 300GB version, and the VR 300GB is slower than the 2TB Black). The VR 300GB has to retire and should not be in anyone's new build. But of course, if you have already bought it, then you should enjoy it. Otherwise, since you already have a 1TB on the side as your secondary, I would, for the same cost as the VR 300GB, go for a much faster 64GB or 80GB SSD.
.

Originally Posted by SOSTrooper . I think you are good to go. The GTX 465 is 9.5" long, and it looks like you'll have enough room. And since you did say you bought a 600W Cooler Master PSU, then you're good to go in that department as well. All motherboards that run on LGA1156 are PCI-Express X16 2.0. I think that's a 3 green lights for you .

You sir just made my day. I really appreciate your help during this process.

NewEgg had a nice looking combo in their email this morning for $340.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboB...t=Combo.406250

-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2
-ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD
-Seagate Barracud 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core
-Rosewill RV2-600 600 W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready Power Supply
-Rosewill R218-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower
-LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA


Thinking of ordering, good deal?
---

So far I have been getting by ok game-wise since 2003 on a refurb Dell Dimension 4600 (single cpu & AGP ), but I can't keep putting off an upgrade forever.

Originally Posted by KrizB NewEgg had a nice looking combo in their email this morning for $340. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboB...t=Combo.406250 -G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 -ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD -Seagate Barracud 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core -Rosewill RV2-600 600 W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready Power Supply -Rosewill R218-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower -LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Thinking of ordering, good deal? --- So far I have been getting by ok game-wise since 2003 on a refurb Dell Dimension 4600 (single cpu & AGP ), but I can't keep putting off an upgrade forever.

pretty decent deal. you should be able to add a good video card and keep the total price under $500. i dont think you could do much better if you picked out each individual component, if at all.

Whew.
Looked good to me, just needed a second opinion, thanks.

http://www.cyberlink.com/prog/suppor...ent.do?id=2576

Can anyone tell me if my i3 530@2.93 GHZ meets the requirements of blu ray playback? cyberlink fails to know. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by spraypaintnink http://www.cyberlink.com/prog/suppor...ent.do?id=2576 Can anyone tell me if my i3 530@2.93 GHZ meets the requirements of blu ray playback? cyberlink fails to know. Thanks in advance.

Yes, it exceeds the recommended specs