This is a short article I wrote by the end of December ’07 when I was getting ready to build myself a new desktop computer. My intention was to publish it on a forum hoping for some useful feedback that would help me make a slightly better-informed decision. In the end I did not post it anymore as by putting my ideas in writing I crystallized and better structured them, which brought me the clarity I was looking for. Being fairly knowledgeable about computers I usually get related questions from friends and family so, I’ve decided to post it here now, with the thought that it may also help others (after I have re-written it a little). Even though individual components might be slightly outdated by now, I think the general reasoning remains valid. Or not. Your choice, your risk.
I’m usually not upgrading too often but when I do, I try to get as close as possible to the latest technology available so it could last me for a while (however this is not a rule). Actually, the real reason has to do more with personal preference as upgrading more often to lower than top-of-the-line technology would be considerably cheaper while on the average perhaps even giving you access to more advanced technology. But hey, I’m the kind of guy that would get a watch that is submersible to a depth of 200 meters over a regular one just for my own peace of mind, even though I’m not even planning to scuba dive. I’m currently upgrading from a Dell laptop (2 GHz Centrino, 1 GB RAM, NVIDIA Quadro 1400 PCIeX 16, 15.4” UltraSharp WUXGA) that after 2 years is reaching its limits: it’s getting too hot (besides being kind of heavy) when running even light apps (Office, movies) and too weak for the new games (Supreme Commander, Oblivion). The “too hot” thing is not something new; my previous Dell (an Inspiron) was also getting hot like hell from the very beginning as well but when the laptop is able to run the latest games you accept it as a fair trade off. Later on, when most of the new games can barely start, “too hot” becomes suddenly unacceptable. So it’s time for a new “state-of-the-art” built from scratch ... desktop this time. I’m choosing a desktop as I want more advanced stuff than what you can currently find in notebooks right now and I’m also thinking of future upgradeability (oh yes, I'm quite responsible).
Display: while I personally rate CRT superior to LCD, space is an issue so I’m going for a LCD (newer tech also sounds a little better). Image quality & large angle views are the main constraints here while response time comes second so, I’ve decided to go for an S-IPS panel. Since in my opinion the display is the most important thing when spending a long time in front of the computer, I’m willing to pay the premium for even a small increase in picture quality, colour sharpness, etc. After some research the NEC LCD2490WUXi proved to be the best 24” choice (superb image and acceptable response times for gaming thanks to the overdrive mode) but unfortunately it is not available in Europe. I read about some issues with the 26” version (noise, color saturation – basically the image looks weird when outside of wide-gamut aware applications such as Photoshop) so the second choice would be the Apple Cinema Display HD 23". The 30” is way too expensive and I think a bit too big for my needs. The response time of 16ms does not look as if it’s going to win any awards but the few reviews I found on the net deemed it as acceptable. Anyway I’m only a very casual FPS player and more of a RPG/TBS/RTS kind of guy. Besides I’d rather reward the honesty of publishing ISO standards than fall for the G2G semi-bogus (which sometimes seems to make no difference at all – based on users opinions on 2ms TN panels showing way more ghosting than the Apple). The HDCP crap is definitely not an issue. The latest model from Eizo everybody was waiting for apparently lags 2 frames behind the Apple, the Dell does not guarantee an IPS (it’s a kind of a lottery here as they ship the same model with different panels) and the Benq apart from the 1:1 flawed implementation does not even have an IPS (the FP241W). LG is not a brand I would go for, regardless. Philips and Samsung do not have any IPS, 23”-26”, UXGA/WUXGA models that managed to impress me (judging from the reviews) in spite of Apple using Philips components (apparently Philips no longer sells anything using the panels they supply to Apple). I think Samsung had some problems with the input lag. Fortunately enough, all that glossy crap so popular with notebook displays did not make it into the standalone displays so nothing to worry about here. I might be overlooking a lot here of course but the main idea is: display is crucial so quality should be top notch. Otherwise Baldur's Gate would look kind of washed out and we definitely want to prevent that. Anything but that.
Update: I bought the Apple and after a few months of using it I never regretted it. Picture looks so much better compared the old Dell TN panel or the regular Eizo and HP monitors from work that it’s a completely different, beautiful world.
Processor: Intel E6850, 3 GHz, 65 nm, 1333 MHz, 4MB L2 looks nice, faster than a similarly priced Quad and a lot cooler (as in “less heat”). The Quad might look like a better investment for the future when all the apps and “FAR Manager” will be optimized for multi core but I guess both (quad and duo) will get trashed by Penryn in less than a year (as QX is already here but rather expensive for the moment). Besides, the quad is not a real quad and I hear there’s a possible bottleneck with its shared FSB & cash. So even if the quad might look like a good investment, for the time being the duo is better (faster, cheaper) and for the future there will be much better solutions (like the real QX quads or faster duos draining less power or who knows). Besides, I’m not so much into the multi-tasking; I want a lightning fast computer that can perform excellently one task than a machine that can run OK 20 tasks (as the argument opposes slower Quad to faster Duo, otherwise choosing the Quad would be a no-brainer – if you have the cash and are not interested in any cost-benefit analysis I mean).
RAM: DD3 is way too expensive for the moment. Besides it is being developed/improved at such a fast pace that it will render your investment obsolete in a few months. 2000 MHz sticks are already around the corner so there’s no point in spending now a fortune for a 1600 MHz DDR3 that apparently barely improves on the DDR2 performance for 3 times the price (DDR3, CORSAIR TWIN3X2048-1600C7DHX, 1600 MHz, 7-7-7-21, 2x1024 MB). Waiting for the DD3 to mature might take a little longer than I’m willing to wait. So DDR2, Kit Dual Channel Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4, 800MHz, 4-4-4-12 would be my choice for the moment however I’m not 100% sure as I’m not buying for a moment the 1:1 DRAM-FSB (the E6850 would have to be OC-ed anyway) so I might go a little lower on the memory bus. Since I’m no fan of Vista and WinXP can handle only 4 GB, I’m settling for only 2 GB as the video card (and the sound card to a much smaller measure) will bring their own share of RAM to the party. Ubuntu 7.10 is still ... let’s call it “in the early testing” and the complexity of the stuff I’m using it for does not justify the extra RAM. Definitely.
Motherboard: this is one item I’m taking any advice I can get on as I haven’t kept myself updated with the latest developments (my last 2 comps were laptops). It looks like X38 is only marginally superior to the P35 (sometimes even inferior but let’s disregard this as the BIOS was obviously a very early revision) for a considerable premium. The real turn off though is X48 already being used on experimental MBs. So why buy the X38 if it’s only slightly better than the P35 (with DDR2) and it will be superseded by the X48 real soon? Anyway, on the X38 segment the Assus Maximus Formula seems to have the upper hand over the Gigabyte DQ, being slightly faster and having a better design with more room (RAM not too close to the CPU & less overheating). They say the DQ is better for over-clocking but I care only moderately about OC. What I need is a fast and very stable MB, with reliable components, LAN, sound, graphics and any other crappy onboard components are not wanted (they could be there, I’m just not looking forward to using them). What do you guys recommend for E6850 and DDR2? Price is not an issue (as the “glue” holding together most of the components should be flawless) nor is future upgradeability as I’ll be probably switching to DD3 in one or two years (most new techs affect the MB as well), but stability is. So is speed and that is why I’m still considering the X38, I’m worried though about the stability of the early revisions. I guess we all know what early draft means, don't we? " - It's only a draft model, it's still got a few flaws. - Well, are the engineers working to fix them? - Erm ... you could say that. - What do you mean? - They don't know what's wrong with it."
Update: in the end I settled for a Gigabyte DS (deluxe) model with solid capacitors, built with durability and stability in mind. Not the top-of-the-line MB but the extra features I don’t really need and I’ll probably upgrade when the time comes anyway. So far I’m more than happy with the choice.
HDD: Raptor X for booting, Seagate Barracuda ES.2 for archiving, not much to discuss here. The ST3500320NS in particular appears to be highly reliable with quite a lot of working hours guaranteed before any breakdown. And 32MB cash looks also nice. RAID is not something I’m interested in for home as the “safe” one would waste some space while the “fast” one would double the risk of losing the data. Hence no RAID is needed on the MB. In case I change my mind I’d go with a dedicated controller anyway for I wouldn’t risk my data with cheap built-in solutions. Yesss, my preciousss data.
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVD-112D seems like an affordable quality solution. I don’t want a speedy driver but rather a reliable one that I can have around for years and that could write DVDs I would be able to read years after. Many years after.
Bluray: Pioneer BDR-101A looks nice however it’s way too expensive for the moment and I don’t have too much stuff to burn anyway.
Update: too bad HD-DVD is out of the picture as BR prices are going to sky rocket. Aren't there any anti-trust regulations or something?
Case: The Antec P182 case - 52cm (H) x 21cm (W) x 51cm (D) - that everybody is praising has a nice design and offers enough space to keep your options opened for the future at a reasonable price. The Lian thing is a no - no because of the strange looking wheels. The classic models however look great unfortunately I can’t find them anywhere. I hear that Silverstone makes great cases but there is something about their design (some people say their cases make some rattling noises) / material (not all aluminum, some steel frames are included) that is holding me back (and the price, don’t forget the price). The Cooler Master design I definitely don’t like and apparently they seem to lack an all aluminum model (and all that cheap looking plastic ... pfff). This is going to be a tough choice but at least I know what I’m looking for: low vibrations (mainly for the HDDs), excellent air-flow and a lot of space. Nice design would be a plus.
Update: I got the new model from Tagan (the full tower Black Pearl WCR - built by Lian Li actually) that looks simply awesome. It’s water cooling ready (not that I care for but anyway), the HDDs have a rubber amortizing system to reduce vibrations, there’s lots of space for expansion, slots for additional fans, the main fan has a washable filter, the finishing is simply great, it’s all built from aluminum (so it’s really light - you don't have to go to the gym in order to be able to move it around), the power source can be mounted to the bottom, has USB ports accessible on the front (actually top). I don’t know about the removable tray but I don’t really care – how soon are going to change your MB? Huh?!
Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU-750HX 620W, ATX2.2 looks like a winner. I don’t plan to upgrade the case or the power supply too soon so 620W should be enough for the next CPU/GPU (better safe than sorry). A quiet fan-less power supply sounds good in theory but is definitely not the way to go for me. I spend more money on a branded power supply to protect the rest of the components and ensure overall system stability, not to endanger them with potential overheating. Fan-less with a fan (like in the latest Phantom) is also not an option as it seems a bit of a contradiction. Some Enermax models (Galaxy) apparently have technical problems (their efficiency dropped to 65% under light load and they did not delivered stable voltage during stress tests) while others (Infiniti) boasted desing flaws (the power cables were too short); Seasonic is great (in all tests the results were excellent) but kind of expensive (and they are building the best Corsair models anyway – like the TX or HX), Tagan is not something I would go for right now based on the forum discussions I’ve read (there’s some general, negative buzz about Tagan on the net). Silverstone is quite expensive and did not fair so well in all the tests, at least not as perfectly as one would expect judging from its high price and advertising (Strider models had some pretty bad ripples, Zeus ones are much better). Want a quality power supply? Choose a heavy one! Best components (e.g. capacitors) are much heavier than the cheap crap built on a boat. Or in Kane's underground facilities (property of the Brotherhood of Nod).
Update: I got the modular M12 Seasonic (700 watts – 2 fans). One of the most efficient (between 79% and 83% during stress tests) and stable power supplies (ripple is almost non existent), I read about. The only draw back is the single 12V rail (instead of the advertised quad) and lack of additonal protection you would get from additional rails (short circuits are limited to one rail so devices powered by other rails wouldn’t be affected). You can’t have everything though, otherwise would be perfection. Hmmm, that's a nice word to pick up girls. Check jonnyguru.com for more info and reviews. About power supplies, so don't get your hopes too high.
Video: GTX Ultra is too expensive for the increase in performance it offers (at least in my area). Will be rendered obsolete by the new 65nm model soon to be lunched (at least I hope it’s soon) so there’s definitely no point in paying an arm and a leg for a small boost. GTX on the other hand should be able to keep up with the WUXGA LCD (the wide 256 bus would help a lot next to plenty of memory for those texture intensive games) so I wouldn’t go lower than that despite the significant financial savings I could make. Gigabyte, Asus, Leadtek and MSI all have GTX models, at 575MHz – 1800 MHz, I wonder if there are any significant differences between them (other than warranty period)? Some models (MSI, SFX, BFG) are clocked a little higher but are they really worth it? I’d say no and myself I’m not wiling to pay the premium for a 2% increase in speed at the cost of factory overclocked components when I could do it myself (should I ever choose to). In my opinion the second best available video card is always to way to go: close to maximum performance and significatly cheaper than the flagship.
Sound Card: CREATIVE Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS would be my choice even though there appears to be a bunch of superior sound cards out there. I guess I’m still a fan after my first SB16 (more or less 12 years ago). And I always wanted to have a SB control panel mounted in a 5.25” bay (plus remote) even though I’m not so sure about the added value. The top notch sound card out there - from Auzentech - is nowhere to be found so unfortunately it’s got ruled out. So what's the use of manufacturing the best product if you can't get it to the stores? Personal sense of achievement?
Speakers: no idea here, maybe some relatively cheap Creative 7.1 system. I’m still looking into this one … any thoughts? I heard good things about Bose ...
Update: The Logitech 5.1 Z-5500 system (500W RMS) system is really awesome, all reviews and user opinions deemed it to be the next great thing since sliced bread. So naturally, I got one. The woofer is kind of big and heavy though so installation proved to be a little problematic (meaning that it still lays somewhere on the ground).
Mouse & Keyboard: I already have two gaming mice from Logitech (regular and wireless) and I’m looking for a G15, USB Keyboard with illuminated keys (you can turn the light off during the day) and 2 USB ports included. As the mice were both flawless and the net reviews quite good, I’d say it’s a safe bet. Wireless is not really my thing because of the batteries that need replacing. Maybe lag could also be a problem but it’s probably not the case anymore with the newer tech. The second choice from Razer is farther away as I’ve heard their stuff tends to be less durable (in time). It means it breaks down often.
PhysX: not really worth the money due to the very short list of supported games. I hear Nvidia now builds and sells a similar processor named Havoc. Good for them. Let's stand up and do the wave.
Wireless & router: Wireless SMC EZ Connect-N SMCWPCI-N, PCI seems like a reliable choice as for the router I would go with SMCWGBR14-N Broadband SMC Barricade 4-Port Gigabit LAN hoping that a card & a router, both from SMC, would eliminate any “communication” problems. I might be going a little overboard here, I could definitely settle for something cheaper but I never went wireless before so I’d rather not risk it as it’s fairly important for my girlfriend (she told me to get rid of all the cables). In this case I could more easily take the opportunity to "test" the new stuff even though it’s rather expensive (if it were only for me I’d be more price-cautious as in my books Wi-Fi doesn’t fall under the must have category). I’m also looking for a long term solution that I could keep through the next upgrades. The “draft” thingie is bothering me a little and the regular G solution is still on the table as I don’t really need all that crazy speed. After using Windows for a few years speed kind of scares me now.
Update: Yep, the Linksys WRT54GS (paired with WMP54GS) is the way to go: manufactured by a Cisco division, regular B/G wireless router with speed booster (as opposed to range booster for my apartment is not that big) and DD-WRT capability. Flawless installation under Win (Linux proved more problematic but only because I was trying to install the Wi-Fi with no other working connection ... and no Linux drivers – don’t laugh, it could happen) and perfect round the clock functioning so far.
It looks like I’ve decided to built a new system right before new major technologies are just about to kick in (Penryn, 65nm GPU, DD3 RAM, X48) and I’m utterly confused of what to do (build or wait) and what to get (if I decide to build). I would rather not wait too much because there will always be something new around the corner (Nehalem, Apple 24” maybe) and once it hits the shelves the new tech will be quite expensive anyway (to say the least). One big worry is that I might be overpaying for what you could get for peanuts a few months later, once the new tech makes it to the stores. Thanks for any advice/comments that you might have, you've been great. Just kidding.
Update: from what I’ve heard (I’m not keeping myself so up to date anymore), four months after my purchase nothing interesting seems to have hit the stores (the new GPUs from Nvidia and ATI look like middle of the pack at best). Prices have probably went down meanwhile but unfortunately this is unavoidable. It would be nice for them to go up so you could sell the older stuff, buy new one and make some money in the process, wouldn't it? Yeah ...
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