tips for new P45 build

dragonfire · Post by **dragonfire** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:03 pm

Hi all,

I'm building a system based on P45/penryn/HD4850 that has all come out recently. I already have a P180 and the Q9450, and I'm looking for tips on the rest of the system. I'm designing it as an all purpose machine, for some modern gaming, occasional photo/video editing, etc. My goal is to make it last into the future without getting outdated too quickly, so I went for some of the latest parts. Here are my ideas so far.

Antec P180 case

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - $145
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131299

Corsair Dominator 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) - $96
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145197

Corsair CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 Power Supply - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139001

HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 HDS721010KLA330 (0A35155) 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822145167

ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 - $165
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253

Scythe SCNJ-1100P 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835185038

Accelero S1 Rev2 Passive VGA Cooler - $35 (w/ turbo module?)

Samsung Black 20X DVDÂ±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827151154

Questions:
1). CPU cooler: I've been planning this for a while, so I haven't read the most recent cooler reviews. The review comments on the Ninja scare me a bit. Is there a better cooler I should consider? (Please post a link where to buy as well, as most aren't available on Newegg and I'd like to purchase from a reputable seller)

2). I think a fan would be pertinent with the Accelero S1. Have people been using the turbo module, or is there a better way to get a fan on?

3). Does anyone know if the PSU mother board cables (19in) will be long enough for the P180?

4). The Hitachi HDD looked great last year, but I haven't heard much since then. Is this still a good hdd to use (speed and capacity are both priorities for me), or is there a better option I should consider? Samsung F1 1TB? Western Digital 640GB?

5). I am considering replacing the Tri-cool case fan. Any suggestions as to what fan would be good here (with a link to a reputable seller)? Should the case fan be plugged into the mobo or not?

6). Do I need a PWM cpu fan for the CPU cooler? If so, does anyone know if the ASUS mobo will do a good job regulating it?

Thanks so much in advance! I've been a longtime reader of this site. You guys are awesome.

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:39 pm

1) Ninja is not best choice for your setup. I'd recomend:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835233003 Xigmatek cooler, near True but performance but is better in low rpm fans. Has push-pin attachment but Newegg also sells Xigmateks bolt-thru kit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835233019
or
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/thhrplforso7.html HR 01 Plus: Current king of SPCR coolers. Sidewindercomputers have had good service and I haven't had problems with them when i have sometimes ordered there thru my brother.

2) Zip ties mount well 120mm fan on accelero.

5) Scythe Slipstreams: 800 rpm or 1200 rpm models recomended. Asus mobo's have had good fan control in my experience. Newegg carries Scythe Slipstreams. 800 rpm fan is practically inaudiable in 12 volts.

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:29 pm

Im looking at building a very similar system and have a question (sorry for the minor highjack!)
What are the practical differences between the Asus P5Q pro and deluxe? Is there any benefit from gettting the higher model? From spec sheets the only difference is e-SATA (which im not bothered about) and slightly prettier heatpipes.

2) From what ive seen (and from experiences with other GPU's) the 4850 may not need a fan. But if you want to play it safe get some zip ties and a low rpm 120mm fan. The slipstream 800 would be perfect. Should be near silent in your system and will aid cooling a fair bit. If you already have good airflow (esp an intake fan aimed at the card) you may not need any fan though.

4) Id recommend the WD 640's. They hit the sweet spot in price, noise, speed and capacity. I got 3 of them in my system and i cant see any reason to go elsewhere for your storage right now.

5) For case fans the tri-cools arent bad on low, but you can do alot better using Nexus, scythe slipstream or noctua's. All are great in low rpm situations.

dragonfire · Post by **dragonfire** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:26 am

Hmm. I'm having a very difficult time telling the difference between the P5Q variants as well. In terms of Deluxe vs. Pro, Deluxe has 16-phase power design whereas Pro has 8 (but I really don't quite know what this means). It also has many more i/o ports.

I can't for the life of me figure out where the P5Q-e fits into the comparisons, though. Can anyone help?

yamawho · Post by **yamawho** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:27 pm

dragonfire wrote:Hmm. I'm having a very difficult time telling the difference between the P5Q variants as well. In terms of Deluxe vs. Pro, Deluxe has 16-phase power design whereas Pro has 8 (but I really don't quite know what this means). It also has many more i/o ports.

I can't for the life of me figure out where the P5Q-e fits into the comparisons, though. Can anyone help?

I think the P5Q-E has Crossfire PCIe v2 x 2 slots.
The P5Q Pro has two PCIe v2 slots but only one can run at 16 Gbps.
There are a few others differences as well.

Greg F. · Post by **Greg F.** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:28 pm

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/ ... ehalem.ars

Dragonfire, read this to determine why trying to keep up is difficult and really difficult right now. I think you know that if you frequent computer forums. I just have a different philosophy. I am planning a build in a few months and will use the $85 Biostar P-43. I don't game so Crossfire is not needed. I opt for the low cost components so I don't feet too bad when I throw them in the garbage can when I am done with them.
I like the Samsung drives as various ones have worked well for me over the years.

L2GX · Post by **L2GX** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:33 pm

I'm aching for an upgrade identical to dragonfire's so been giving it a lot of thought.

Since my money is being leeched by real world stuff this month, and prolly the next, I can't buy components now, else I'd be on the fence. As it is I'm sticking with my old pc till Nehalem.

But If i could buy right now...

What I'm worried about concerning Nehalem:

Intel's roadmap sees Nehalem as a neighbour to Core 2 for the coming year, so I doubt there will be a revolution if you talk about performance for dollars/euros.

I doubt the cost of DDR 3 will drop when demand rises upon Nehalem release... prolly at that point the shift in production will see DDR 2 prices soar too, so that's a zero sum game where manufacturers win.

Stability of the platform initally worries me as well... probably this will be less of an issue as more stuff is handled on the CPU, but I'd like to see some thorough tests.

ey51 · Post by **ey51** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:19 pm

Because I've had the same dilema (or trilema) with the P5Q series, I will tell you my conclusions.
P5Q - no crossfire, no heatpipes between mobo cooling so slightly worse cooling, 8 phase power design.
P5Q Pro - crossfire x8 link, slightly better mobo chips cooling, eSata is available but as an expansion slot, 8 phase power design, more usb.
P5Q-E - crossfire x8 link + x4 link on the third, chipset cooling like P5Q Deluxe, still 8 phase power design, dual lan, optical audio out.
P5Q Deluxe - like P5Q-E but with 16 phase power design, and the Express Gate (onboard linux boot) is on a dedicated small SSD instead of using your HDD.

P5Q Pro is like a stripped down version of the P5Q Deluxe or E.

I personally ended up going for the Deluxe, becuase i didnt want to be sorry later on.

dragonfire · Post by **dragonfire** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:22 pm

Thanks for the clarification. I think I'm going to get the p5q-e. All the outputs of the deluxe, but minus $40. =D

Another question... the Scythe Slipstream is a 3 pin fan, so I won't be able to use it as a PWM fan, right? Is this ok for a cpu cooler? For a case fan?

NyteOwl · Post by **NyteOwl** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:56 pm

The P5Q3 Delusx/WiFi is a Deluxe with wifi and DDR3 instead of 2, and comes with a TPM.

P5Q WS has a single 64 bit PCI-X slot

P5QC is a hybrid DDR2/DDR3 board (takes either)

P5Q Premieum Quad video/quad raid/quad gig-e

Maximus II Formula - tons of tweak options

dragonfire · Post by **dragonfire** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:31 am

Hey all,

I have a few remaining questiosn as I begin to build this beast. Anyone with a P180/P182 should be able to help...

1. Should I mount the PSU with the fan facing up or down?

2. Should I bother blocking up the holes in the expansion card covers (on the back)?

3. Should I bother blocking up the air intake around the PSU?

4. Will the unmodified case have enough intake from the front, or does it need to be changed somehow?

Thanks!

xev · Post by **xev** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:29 am

1. I think either way would work fine. Whichever way is easier to work with all the cables.

2. Can't say much here. Do it without any changes and then try blocking them. Then compare temps. Although i dont think you will see much difference in either temps of noise.

3. Yes. This way all the air goes through the front and over the hdds. Any kind of tape can be used.

4. There will be enough air. There's no need to get a another fan for intake as of yet.

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:29 am

dragonfire wrote:Hey all,

I have a few remaining questiosn as I begin to build this beast. Anyone with a P180/P182 should be able to help...

1. Should I mount the PSU with the fan facing up or down?

2. Should I bother blocking up the holes in the expansion card covers (on the back)?

3. Should I bother blocking up the air intake around the PSU?

4. Will the unmodified case have enough intake from the front, or does it need to be changed somehow?

Thanks!

1) Either way is fine but design is ment that fan faces down, that's why there is hole in the PSU rack.

2) Not really...

3) if you don't have lot's of hot HDD's in bottom chamber and you have removed middle fan: then yes

4) Yes, it has enough air flow but question is if that satisfies you is completely different matter.

tips for new P45 build

tips for new P45 build

Re: tips for new P45 build