My New PC & Network

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  • PewterTA
    Moderator
    • Nov 2004
    • 2901

    My New PC & Network

    Well since everyone else was building servers and HTPCs and what not, I was feeling left out. Here's the new PC and Network for my new home that I'm just finishing up building... :T

    Course I should add this is been a 6 month build, maybe even longer and all started over play WOW and a few other games that wouldn't run on my current PC (at the time).

    Started off with the ASUS Rampage Extreme Systemboard.


    Then added on a nice Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0Ghz Chip. This is overclocked to 4Ghz with air cooling (currently).


    Added on to that an Artic Pro Cooler 7 Pro 92mm Heatsink (keeps the overclocked CPU nice and cool!)


    I didn't get the memory I wanted (Corsair Dominator memory), but settled with Patriot Viper 4GB PC3 14400 overclocked to PC316000.


    Then added on a decent video card, EVGA GeForce GTX 280 Video Card (only one since my board is Crossfire not SLI).


    For the Power I went with a Thermaltake 750w PSU


    and a Thermaltake Armor Case (250mm side fan is awesome, silent and moves lots of air)


    The HDs I already had and are 2 7200RPM 80GB Seagate drives using the "Speeding HD" feature of the Rampage Extreme.

    Also added a 1TB Western Digital Black 7200RPM drive for data. I also have 6 of these drives for a 4TB Windows 2008 server that I use.


    For the display I have 2 Samsung 2253BW 22" Displays


    All this is running a Windows Vista & 7 multi-boot configuration.

    For the network I use a DLink DIR-825 Gigabit Dual Band Wireless N Draft 2.0


    and an added on DLink Gigabit DGS2205 5 Port switch


    Also got an old HP Laserjet 4100 Printer with a HP Jetdirect 625n Gigabit ethernet card in it.

    And just to make sure no one gets into my network and I have control over everything...only reason I have both a Cisco and DLink Router (no real need) is I had the router before the Cisco ASA and wanted to keep the wireless router.

    A Cisco ASA5505 Firewall blocks incoming traffic while allowing me VPN access to the server...


    Course all this goes along with the server which is my old desktop that I turned into the server (just a P4 3.2GHz machine w/ 2GB ram). It also has two SDLT320 Tape Backup Drives that backup every machine on the network with Veritas Backup Exec 12.

    All of this is getting put into my new home so most of it, except the server (which is my desktop currently) is sitting in a room waiting for me to run the Cat6 cabling through the house... it's rough seeing it all sitting there not doing anything. lol

    Unfortunately I need to get a new computer desk. Looking at the Bush Somerset Estate desk since it seems like the size will work out nicely.


    My next project will be a nice HTPC instead of using the PS3 & Xbox360 and that way I can keep more movies on the server, but will have to add space for all of them (especially the Blu-Rays backed up).
    Digital Audio makes me Happy.
    -Dan
  • Kevin P
    Member
    • Aug 2000
    • 10809

    #2
    Sounds like a sweet setup!

    I've used the Arctic Cooling HSFs in the past and they work pretty well. The bracket that ties the fan to the heatsink is pretty flimsy, but the fan is quiet and they cool well.

    That's a pretty high-end firewall you got going there. Why not just pop a Linux distro and a couple NICs into a throwaway PC? Firewall for (nearly) free.

    Comment

    • impala454
      Ultra Senior Member
      • Oct 2007
      • 3814

      #3
      Trust me, that Rampage Extreme is an extreme pain in the ass. I have one and got so fed up with it, it's sitting in a box on a shelf now. I haven't had the patience to take it out and try different parts on it yet. All the little bells and whistles are neat, but the neat factor wears off quick. Especially when the friggin thing won't run or freezes up every 45 mins. IMHO save yourself the hassle and go with an Intel board. The Intel X58 series reference board w/a Core i7 is kick ass and for the same or even less money (what I replaced the Rampage Extreme with).

      I have that case (minus the side window) and love it. Though the first thing I did was rip those ridiculous front doors off of it and cut all the LEDs off.
      -Chuck

      Comment

      • PewterTA
        Moderator
        • Nov 2004
        • 2901

        #4
        I've had the board running stable for almost 2 weeks overclocked @ 4GHz (well until I started the move and took it over). The Bios from 0503 and lower were messed up, just make sure you upgrade the Bios to 1033 (or 1003, can't remember which) and there shouldn't be any problems. I was running the board for those 2 weeks straight and not a single hiccup (just reboots for updates in the beginning).

        My friend's Rampage Extreme II and Core i7 940 produces similar results with 3DMark 06. His 940 definitely out performs my Q9650, but I paid 2/3 the price of what he paid. And I don't really see that type of performance increase to warrant buying all that all over again. Had the Core i7s been out (and not so expensive) when I started this, I would've gone that way...but except for a slight increase in performance, to me, I'm glad I didn't pay the price.

        Heck I only build a new PC every 5 years... and my P4 3.2GHz machine can run Vista and Windows 7 perfectly fine (still). Yeah it's a little bit slow...but I've seen new machines from Dell & HP that my P4 beats out with opening programs and working in windows (just not playing games).

        The Cisco ASA was free, I pulled it from a job it was used on and reconfigured it for what I needed, otherwise I would've just used another PC I have sitting around (PIII 850) and built a nice Linux box.
        Digital Audio makes me Happy.
        -Dan

        Comment

        • impala454
          Ultra Senior Member
          • Oct 2007
          • 3814

          #5
          yeah see 502 was the latest bios when I was fooling around with it. I suppose I outta give it another go now that they've updated it. It's got a Q9650 sitting in it too . I've got way too much computer junk right now.
          -Chuck

          Comment

          • Hdale85
            Moderator Emeritus
            • Jan 2006
            • 16075

            #6
            I need to build another desktop at some point. There is a guy on another forum selling a desktop with dual 22" displays and a quad core cpu and a bunch of other nice specs for 800 bucks I think it was. Been considering it

            Comment

            • PewterTA
              Moderator
              • Nov 2004
              • 2901

              #7
              Damn that's a nice price!!! I'd say grab it even if it doesn't have the latest/greatest parts. The displays alone cost about 1/2 the total price!
              Digital Audio makes me Happy.
              -Dan

              Comment

              • Hdale85
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Jan 2006
                • 16075

                #8
                Yeah just been holding off for my tax returns to come in. I think it's an HP but meh. If I had to I could get a new motherboard and slap it in one of the cases I have laying around lol.

                Comment

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