Converting to Rackmount

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gte619n
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:10 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

Converting to Rackmount

Post by gte619n » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:01 pm

Hey guys,

I currently have a workstation with a motherboard that's about to die on me. I've reinstalled Windows, new video card, network adapter, drivers, etc but I still get more-than-occasional BSDs as well as some suspicious USB port warnings and other stability issues.

It's a full ATX Gigabyte 965P-DS3 running a E6600 Core 2 Duo. I do a lot of programming and have been planning on upgrading to a Core i7-9xx system sometime this year, but am not quite ready. When I get my new system, my plan is to take the guts of this machine and throw it into a 2U rack system.

With that idea in mind, what I'd like to do now is get a new motherboard that I can fire into the 2U, and a sweet new case that will work for my new workstation.

So, first question: can someone recommend a uATX board that can accommodate my E6600? My current component layout is pretty basic. I with a Seasonic S12, two 3.5" SATA Spinpoints, NVIDIA Quadro NVS450, wireless NIC and a DVD drive (IDE, but not really necessary).

Second question: I'm looking for a case that I can build a small i7-9xx based system on. The current leader is a Silverstone SG-04F, but I'm not married to that one. I don't expect to ever do SLI and I don't really need an optical drive.

I see a number of mini-ITX based boards that can accommodate the i7-8xx series, but I really want the fastest processor available when I do decide to pull the trigger, which makes me think I probably need to look more in the uATX range.

What kind of cooler can fit in these SFF cases?

Thanks for any component advice! My current worksheet for my new workstation looks like this:


Intel Core i7-950 Processor, $300
Seasonic X-460 SS-460FL, $160
SilverStone SG-04F Case, $100 (17.3W x 6H, 12.7D)
MSI X58M LGA 1366 Intel X58 uATX Motherboard, $170
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB DDR3 (10666), $170
Linksys WMP600N Wireless-n PCI Adapter, $65

protellect
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:57 pm
Location: Minnesota

Post by protellect » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:10 pm

For your existing hardware, since you're probably going to re-establish stability, I'd recommend a supermicro board.

Here is a nice looking one, it's a bit expensive, but I've had good luck out of the box with SM motherboards for workstations.

Otherwise, find the cheapest, well reviewed LGA775 motherboard you can find and pick it up. No need to spend a lot of money on it, in my opinion. ASUS or gigabyte come to mind.


As for your box, I'd take a look at either the Lian-Li Q07 or Q08. Both take standard size power supplies. I've built 3 rigs and I'm going to take pictures of a 4th on Wednesday or Thursday. I really like the build quality, size, and style.

I ended up using the stock cooler on an Intel box with THIS gigabyte board. The Scythe Big Shuriken I bought for it didn't fit, covered the PCI-E slot.

G.SKILL is a great memory choice. The Seasonic seems expensive for what you get, Take a look at corsair. I'm really happy with several different supplies I've used, the HX620, HX520, CX400, CX450, and HX750.

gte619n
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:10 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by gte619n » Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:52 am

Thanks for the response! I like those Lian-Li cases, but am looking for a mATX form factor.

Does anyone have experience with this board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131602

I have a Ninja 3, does anyone know if there are any clearance issues on this board?

Thanks!

bonestonne
Posts: 1839
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:10 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
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Post by bonestonne » Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:08 pm

Having mounted a Ninja 3 on a couple boards, that Asus does look like it could work out. I am skeptical about the chipset cooler though, judging by how close it is to the socket, I think it may conflict, but don't hold me to that, because the mounting of the Ninja 3 is a little weird, so there may be plenty of room, or at least enough to mount it.

gte619n
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:10 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by gte619n » Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:02 pm

Awesome. I ordered that motherboard and the SG-04F. Thanks for your help guys!

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