# Mark1



## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

Yes, that is where I got my name. My first build, titled "Mark1"
Here's what I have thus far;
  NZXT Lexa Blackline case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146038

  eVGA 790i Ultra FTW PWM 
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=132-YW-E180-A1&family=Motherboard Family

  Intel Core2 Extreme QX9770 (no link necessary for that one )
  Tagan BZ 1100w PSU
http://tagan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=186&Itemid=88

  Saitek Cyborg Keyboard and Mouse
http://www.saitekusa.com/prod/cyborg.htm

Still to go;

  (2) LG-GGW-H20L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136137&Tpk=GGW-H20L

  (4) Seagate 1.5tb 7200rpm HDD

  (1) Western Digital 300gb 10000rpm Velociraptor HDD (boot drive)

  Diamond MM 4870 X2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103068

  OCZ SLI edition DDR3 1800mhz PC3 14400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227326

  (2) Samsung Synchmaster 26" 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001264&Tpk=2693hm

  Hauppauge HVR-2250 TV card
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hvr2250.html

  Koolance Exos 2.5
http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=668

  Umm... I think thats it! I will, of course, post my progress for anyone who cares to check it out.
 Feel free to let me know what ya think, just be gentle


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## LittleLizard (Dec 1, 2008)

can i ask why in the mother of hell are u going to put a damn good ati ON AN NVIDIA 3WAY SLI CERTIFIED MOTHERBOARD, instead buy a couple of gtx 260 and rock and roll


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Dec 1, 2008)

Your first build and water cooling...  well, maybe you should stick to air and upgrade to water later.


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## LittleLizard (Dec 1, 2008)

PVTCaboose1337 said:


> Your first build and water cooling...  well, maybe you should stick to air and upgrade to water later.



if he buy that parts is either he knows what he is doing (core 2 extreme = unlocked multiplier + a damn good mobo + sli ready memory = fun  ) or... he has a lot of money to spend in a computer and is a


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## DrunkenMafia (Dec 1, 2008)

I hope you haven't bought all those bits yet...    I can't see why you would want that mb with an ATI gfx card.  

And if you are willing to spend that sort of money on a MB then why not go down the i7 path...  it makes sense to me.  

Otherwise save yourself a fortune and grab an X48 mb and a E8500 / Q9550.

what is this machine for anyways???  Gaming??

And hell yeah, get watercooling its awesome, there is no harm jumping straight in the deep end with your first build


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

why anyone would buy a setup like that at a time like is just...  idk... :shadedshu


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## BarbaricSoul (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> why anyone would buy a setup like that at a time like is just...  idk... :shadedshu




no doubt


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## Binge (Dec 1, 2008)

LittleLizard said:


> can i ask why in the mother of hell are u going to put a damn good ati ON AN NVIDIA 3WAY SLI CERTIFIED MOTHERBOARD, instead buy a couple of gtx 260 and rock and roll





fitseries3 said:


> why anyone would buy a setup like that at a time like is just...  idk... :shadedshu



+1 I hope you haven't purchased these parts yet man.  It sounds like you need to do a bit more research, but with all the dough put into this then you would have some bragging rights... I guess.


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## KBD (Dec 1, 2008)

yea, definately go for a Corei7 rig if have that kind of  money, no point investing that kind of cash into older tech. Just FYI a Corei7 920 would probably outperform that QX9770 and will cost you a hell of lot less. Pick up an 965 EE and good X58 board, they support SLI and Xfire.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

I have no interest in an i7 at this time. Most tests suggest little to no improvement in gaming. As with any brand new technology, there are prblems. It seems some ppl are having thermal issues right now. I will let everyone else sort out the bugs, then I'll look into it.
Besides that, Intel is currently working on a new platform of processors that utilize 32nm technology. While they don't come out and say it, these will likely phase out or just replace the i7.    http://www.intel.com/technology/architecture-silicon/32nm/index.htm
 As far as the video card, the 4870 X2. Yes, I would like to run an nVidia video card, absolutely. Chipset homogeny is always preferred. Unfortunately, ati jst plain has the fastest video card right now. They are the only ones utilizing GDDR5 memory, which operates at twice the speed of GDDR3. I am holding out on the vid card, awaiting the inevitible new releases....
And yes, I am watercooling. I am going to protect my investment. 
Speaking of which, I only spent $645 on the cpu, new.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

the point is...

your $$$$ is going to be wasted on the qx9770 thats worth no more to you than a q9450 if you are not gonna overclock it past 4.5ghz under extreme cooling so why the heck would you waste the money on that chip if you could get a i7 920 for cheaper. hell... the entire i7 build i have is cheaper than what you have listed and i bet you money that it outperforms it $ for $ by a landslide victory. 

maybe i need to put it into terms someone would (better) understand....

ferrari's are like $350,000 and are fast as hell right?

you can get a toyota supra for $16,000 and put $40,000 into it and TOTALLY DOMINATE the ferrari that you selflshly wasted $350,000 on. 

my(everyones) point here is... why waste money on something that is going to be EASILY beaten by some new technology that is far cheaper?

also... a SINGLE 4870x2 is faster than a SINGLE GTX280 yes. BUT 3 gtx280's and even 3 gtx260's are faster than 2 4870x2s. 

unless you got/get the digital PWM 790i board than i suggest you forget that idea altogether. x58/x48/x38/p45 would be a MUCH better choice for ANYONE  at this point in time than a 790i.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

1


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> the point is...
> 
> your $$$$ is going to be wasted on the qx9770 thats worth no more to you than a q9450 if you are not gonna overclock it past 4.5ghz under extreme cooling so why the heck would you waste the money on that chip if you could get a i7 920 for cheaper. hell... the entire i7 build i have is cheaper than what you have listed and i bet you money that it outperforms it $ for $ by a landslide victory.
> 
> ...



OK, how about this;
because its my computer, my money, and thats haow I want to set it up. Sorry I didnt set mine up exactly like yours


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> Wow its amazing there are members that stick around if you give everyone as warm a welcome as this.



you think im being mean? no... just informing you and everyone reading. just cause this thread is about you asking questions about your rig doesnt mean other people wont be reading it and making a similar decision to you. i am one of the MANY well respected ppl on this fine forum to ask advice from. i have had almost every piece of hardware made in the past 3 years and im well experienced in all of this stuff you are asking. im just trying to inform you so you can make a decision that you wont regret later and you'll be happy with.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> OK, how about this;
> because its my computer, my money, and thats haow I want to set it up. Sorry I didnt set mine up exactly like yours



im not telling you to do that by any means.

seeing how you said you already have the cpu i now have to adjust my recommendations a bit.

like i said in a previous post... UNLESS you have/get the evga 790i with digital PWM i think you'd be happyier with an intel board and the 4870x2. 

the ONLY reason you should consider the 790i is if you are going to get 2-3 nvidia cards.

why do i say this?

because the 780/790i's arent very good overclockers.

also... unless you plan on upgrading to nehalem soon i think it would be a smarter move to stick with ddr2. the benefits of ddr3 are not noticeable on 775 boards.


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## KBD (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> Wow its amazing there are members that stick around if you give everyone as warm a welcome as this.



yea, dude, he's not getting on your case, he is trying to help you make the right decision and the man knows what hes talking abouyt. If you dont want to move to i7, fine. Get a cheap C2Q and overclock the hell out of it. And later move to i7 when it matures more. That 790i is not a bad mobo, btw, some nice overclocks were done on that baby. good luck with whatever u decide.


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## Binge (Dec 1, 2008)

Hey man, I just want you to know that I agree with what you're saying, but a QX is not the way to get it.  The performance in games is just not there.  You're better off going for a E8600, Q9550, or Q9650.  If you want to go AMD then give yourself the option to crossfire and hit up the x48 or high end p45 boards.

You're going to get the most redickle heat issues with the QX9770 overclocking it to what will meet the price margin between the other chips I mentioned.  It's up to you dude.  I can give you a sick deal on q9550 and x48 lol but don't get me wrong that's not my reason for posting here.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> you think im being mean? no... just informing you and everyone reading. just cause this thread is about you asking questions about your rig doesnt mean other people wont be reading it and making a similar decision to you. i am one of the MANY well respected ppl on this fine forum to ask advice from. i have had almost every piece of hardware made in the past 3 years and im well experienced in all of this stuff you are asking. im just trying to inform you so you can make a decision that you wont regret later and you'll be happy with.



I actually removed that post. That was bein a snot so my bad.
Just didn't expect to get bagged on by everybody and their kid brother


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## CrAsHnBuRnXp (Dec 1, 2008)

I hate to be the one to say this but dude, if you expect to come to the forum and post up a potential build and expect not to get any criticism about it or have others try and better your system for your money then you have come to the wrong forum and your also wasting everyone else's time. You have to keep an open mind and by posting this on the forum your basically asking for others input which they are giving you and your are wanting no part of it. Im not trying to sound rude or anything like that but just telling it as it is. If you dont agree with that, well then Im sorry to say that your just wasting time. 

Oh, and welcome to the forums.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

you dont need a 1100watt psu really either. i run a pc power and cooling 860watt for my rig and i power 3 monster cards, all OCed and i have had my qx9650 OCed to 4.8ghz at the same time with no probs at all. even at load my system only draws ~ 530watts MAX.

question to anyone.... 2 dvd-rw's why? i have never understood this.


OP... what DO you have other than the qx9770?


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## EastCoasthandle (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> Yes, that is where I got my name. My first build, titled "Mark1"
> Here's what I have thus far;
> NZXT Lexa Blackline case
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146038
> ...



IMO, I would consider a x48 or a P45 (if you don't plan on using SLI setup).  Other then that I am not sure what else there is to this.


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

CrAsHnBuRnXp said:


> I hate to be the one to say this but dude, if you expect to come to the forum and post up a potential build and expect not to get any criticism about it or have others try and better your system for your money then you have come to the wrong forum and your also wasting everyone else's time. You have to keep an open mind and by posting this on the forum your basically asking for others input which they are giving you and your are wanting no part of it. Im not trying to sound rude or anything like that but just telling it as it is. If you dont agree with that, well then Im sorry to say that your just wasting time.
> 
> Oh, and welcome to the forums.



Yeah, I won't argue with you. Thats why I retracted my statement. Allow me to grovel for a moment, then move ever foward in time.
  And thank you.


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## dark2099 (Dec 1, 2008)

I have seen the list of hardware fitseries3 has had over the past 3 years and he is not lying about having it all.  Concerting the thermal problem you say i7 is having, that blame should be placed more the lack of cooling options made for the chip.  Also all the companies that have released, or are planning to release a mounting kit for the LGA1366 socket may not be sufficient.  My Coolermaster Hyper 212 that I use with my i7 chip produces temps that are only about 1c lower at idle and maybe a max of 5c underload.  The cooling technology, other than maybe water and deffinately extreme, in of itself is old.  I do agree with fitseries in that spending that much on a CPU alone when you might not be able to get 4.5GHz with your cooling, and deffinately not be able to achive that for daily use, then it is money wasted.  If your rig is mainly for gaming that getting a quad core CPU is pointless in of itself since no games yet are coded for more than 2 threads.


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## KBD (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> question to anyone.... 2 dvd-rw's why? i have never understood this.



agreed. no need for it really, if you want to burn CDs 1 writer and 1 rom is good enough, thats what i do


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> you dont need a 1100watt psu really either. i run a pc power and cooling 860watt for my rig and i power 3 monster cards, all OCed and i have had my qx9650 OCed to 4.8ghz at the same time with no probs at all. even at load my system only draws ~ 530watts MAX.
> 
> question to anyone.... 2 dvd-rw's why? i have never understood this.
> 
> ...



Well, the short answer; I tend to overkill. I know I don't need an 1.1 kW PSU. Im not sure if my microwave is 1.1 kW. I won't argue with anybody that says I don't need a QX9770. (except to say that it comes with the stock 1600mhz FSB)
Mebbe its cause I'm from Texas. Mebbe I'm compensating for something, hell IDK. But I'm an American. An SUV drivin, red meat eatin sidearm packin Af*ckinmerican, and I say,
 The bigger the better.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

KBD said:


> agreed. no need for it really, if you want to burn CDs 1 writer and 1 rom is good enough, thats what i do



shoot... i dont even do that. i cant stand extra stuff in my rig that i dont need. one drive works for me. it only takes me 6-9mins to instert>rip>encode>burn a movie and i think thats plenty fast.


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## steelkane (Dec 1, 2008)

If you think TPU members are giving you a hard time about your setup,, post that list on other forums & see what kind of response you get,, But I can honestly say I agree with fit. He has nothing to gain by telling you the truth


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

dark2099 said:


> I have seen the list of hardware fitseries3 has had over the past 3 years and he is not lying about having it all.  Concerting the thermal problem you say i7 is having, that blame should be placed more the lack of cooling options made for the chip.  Also all the companies that have released, or are planning to release a mounting kit for the LGA1366 socket may not be sufficient.  My Coolermaster Hyper 212 that I use with my i7 chip produces temps that are only about 1c lower at idle and maybe a max of 5c underload.  The cooling technology, other than maybe water and deffinately extreme, in of itself is old.  I do agree with fitseries in that spending that much on a CPU alone when you might not be able to get 4.5GHz with your cooling, and deffinately not be able to achive that for daily use, then it is money wasted.  If your rig is mainly for gaming that getting a quad core CPU is pointless in of itself since no games yet are coded for more than 2 threads.



I will actually thank you for this post. I did know that, but it seems like a great many people do not. The other thing is, benchmarks say that there is not a realized, noticable benefit in the i7 "8" cores (yes I know they are 4 cores hyperthreaded) unless you are running more than 5 threading applications at once.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> Well, the short answer; I tend to overkill. I know I don't need an 1.1 kW PSU. Im not sure if my microwave is 1.1 kW. I won't argue with anybody that says I don't need a QX9770. (except to say that it comes with the stock 1600mhz FSB)
> Mebbe its cause I'm from Texas. Mebbe I'm compensating for something, hell IDK. But I'm an American. An SUV drivin, red meat eatin sidearm packin Af*ckinmerican, and I say,
> The bigger the better.



bigger is not always better and i know that from experiance. 

i TOO live in texas so...

overkill... take a look at my machine in my sig... you can see over 30 pages of insanity of all the crazy things i have gone through just in the past year alone.

you should see my "physx card". its nothing shy of a overvolted EVGA GTX260 216 running dedicated physx.... and better yet... in a machine thats running 2 4870x2s for graphics.


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> I will actually thank you for this post. I did know that, but it seems like a great many people do not. The other thing is, benchmarks say that there is not a realized, noticable benefit in the i7 "8" cores (yes I know they are 4 cores hyperthreaded) unless you are running more than 5 threading applications at once.



benchmarks are just synthetic. have you experienced an i7 in person? i can tell you it just feels WAY faster and WAY smoother than any 775 setup i've ever had.


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## dark2099 (Dec 1, 2008)

Benchmarks are a fun way to see how fast you can get your computer to do the specific things that it asks, but as a real world test of the hard ware it kind of useless.   Games operate and perform alot differently than the benchmarks do.  So where as the i7 chips haven't done amazing increases to ingame performance this is due to the GFX cards being used more that the chip.  Most likely all the chip will do other than give a few more FPS is drop load times.


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## Binge (Dec 1, 2008)

And the rated limits of chips are only there as guidelines.  The rest is why a lot of us love TPU.  Pushing the hardware!


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> bigger is not always better and i know that from experiance.
> 
> i TOO live in texas so...
> 
> ...



It was just a joke man. I live in AZ (I am from TX, but that was lifetimes ago) I don't even own a car, let alone an SUV, and I prefer chicken anyway. just tryin to lighten the mood...


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

well lets keep in mind he has the qx9770 already.

i suggest a x48 if you plan on multi video cards or p45 if you plan on using a single video card

how about the rest of you?


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## Binge (Dec 1, 2008)

Yeah I've had good experiences with my x48.  It did crossfire really well, and if I did crossfire again I'd probably do much better since I have a much better idea of what I'm doing


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> It was just a joke man. I live in AZ (I am from TX, but that was lifetimes ago) I don't even own a car, let alone an SUV, and I prefer chicken anyway. just tryin to lighten the mood...



it takes alot to get me angry and your not even close.

we are trying to help you here. 

i have asked binge and dark to help cause i am talking to them in gtalk so you can get more opinions here.


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## KBD (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> well lets keep in mind he has the qx9770 already.
> 
> i suggest a x48 if you plan on multi video cards or p45 if you plan on using a single video card
> 
> how about the rest of you?



for 775 u r right as usual, if you need board recomendations let us know.


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## NastyHabits (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 said:


> Wow its amazing there are members that stick around if you give everyone as warm a welcome as this.



Mark,

These guys are not being mean.  They just question your choice of processor and motherboard, especially since you're getting a 4870x2.  These guys, and I give special props to Fitseries3, have helped me tremendously in making good choices on the equipment I buy.  Nobody wants you to not have your red meat, they want you to eat a good steak, and not just a big hamburger.

PS: As far as forums go, this is decidedly "flame-lite".


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## Fitseries3 (Dec 1, 2008)

Hardware_Mark1 have you considered buying used stuff? there are TONS of great deals on setups right now. binge is selling a x48 and some great ddr3 sticks, and i believe a few others on TPU have some pretty good stuff for sale as well. 

i have found some great deals on Hardforums as well(seems to be the place i find everything lately).


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## dark2099 (Dec 1, 2008)

fitseries3 said:


> it takes alot to get me angry and your not even close.
> 
> we are trying to help you here.
> 
> i have asked binge and dark to help cause i am talking to them in gtalk so you can get more opinions here.



And he didn't ask us to back him up, although we may agree it is from much time spent talking with him and getting help from him.  Although he may have his preferences of what hardware to use (and by no means is a fan boy), give him any set up and he will produce results.


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## MKmods (Dec 19, 2008)

I just had to stop by and say hello to an obviously a cool guy (from one Mark to another)


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## steelkane (Dec 19, 2008)

I just like Intel chips with Intel CPU's, The only reason I have a nvidia chip now , Is I wanted to try SLI, So I would have to agree, with a qx9770, X48 or P45


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## Mark_Hardware (Dec 20, 2008)

steelkane said:


> I just like Intel chips with Intel CPU's, The only reason I have a nvidia chip now , Is I wanted to try SLI, So I would have to agree, with a qx9770, X48 or P45



yeah, I was originally was going to go with the intel qx48bt2, but the 790i was much more alluring... especially when they released the FTW with PWM.


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