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System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

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  • System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

    G'day Folks,

    I would like Advice and suggestion on my System Specs for 1 or 2 New Workstation. Alternatives and Full revisions of the structure are welcome, i.e. a better or equal alternative to mine. Some components may seem old, however these are Workstations for Technical Staff supporting custom installations, repairs, upgrades, remote connect service, etc., for customers.

    Here is the current system specifications I had considered:
    - For convenience I have hyper-linked the components.

    The GigaByte Motherboard after careful scrutiny is not suitable for the task as it lacks Win XP Pro and Linux driver support.
    Motherboard: GigaByte GA-X79S-UP5-WIFI rev. 1.0 (#) / or better - ? Other Options ?
    Motherboard BIOS version: Latest Flashed.
    Processor: xeon or i7 ? - Please advise Options ?

    The new Motherboard is the ASRock X79 Extreme6 or the ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB
    To get the extra SATA ports I will be adding a "SATA III 4-port PCI-e Version 2.0, x2 Slot Controller Card, HyperDuo, Software RAID card" or the "8 Internal SATA III Ports PCI-Express Card, PCI-e x2 Slot, Specification V2.0 Plus card" as either one can be utilized in PCI Express x2 Interface, and Compatible with PCI Express x4, x8 and x16 Slots
    CPU is still not decided - XEON or i7 ?

    Memory: 64GB (8x8GB) - DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz modules - Speed ?

    Video Card #1: GTX 660 2GB / 3GB DDR5 / ASUS / GigaByte / Gainward
    Video Card #2: GTX 660 2GB DDR5

    Hard Drive #1: WD Red NAS 1TB WD10EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #2: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #3: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #4: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #5: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #6: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #7: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower
    Hard Drive #8: NAS 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower

    I will most likely add another 2 x 3TB WD30EFRX 64M SATA3 HDD IntelliPower drives at a later stage.

    Optical Drive #1: BH16NS40 Blu-Ray Writer 16X
    Optical Drive #2: BH16NS40 Blu-Ray Writer 16X

    Case: Lian Li PC-A77 / Lian Li PC-A77F Available in Australia - ? Other Options ?

    Cooler: Cooler Master V4 GTS / Hyper T4 - ? Other Options ?

    Keyboard: Standard - ? Other Options ?
    Mouse: Standard MS optical wheel - ? Other Options ?

    Power Supply: Nexus RX-1K 1000 Watt - ? Other Options ?

    Sound Card: (#) On Board - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec) - Premium Blu-ray audio support

    Monitor: BenQ XL2420T 24inch 120Hz Gaming Monitor

    Operating System: Multi Boot 64bit \ Win XP \ Win Ser 2008R2 \ Win 7U \ Win 8E \Ubuntu

    Other Parts and Equipment: - ? Other Options ?
    Lian Li EX-H34 SATA Hot Swap Cage Black - x3 for each System !

    TR-3 Thermometer - x1 for each System. ? Suitable for PC-A77F case ?

    BZ-U06 - USB x 4, Power e-SATA x 4 / USB x 4 (Combo) Panel – x1 each System

    Multi Media Card Reader CR-35 - x1 each System

    FDD 1.44 Internal USB and 7 in 1 Card Reader – Black Used – x1 for each System

    Would appreciate alternatives with explanations as to "why" they are considered or better, more cost effective, etc.

    To give you some idea of the system structuring,

    The workstation will be controlled by 1. BootIt Bare Metal (GUI) from
    terabyteunlimited.com
    and the backup, so to speak, will be handled by the 2. Image for Windows by the same Author.

    1. BootIt Bare Metal will allow me to have more than 4 Primary partitions on the 1st hard drive (1TB). In fact it will have 8 primary partitions, 1 to 6 for different OS’s each about 125GB, 7 for common system documents, email accounts, etc. About 242Gb, plus the 8th for the BootIt Bare Metal about 8GB in size.

    2. HD Drive 8 (3TB) will be used to store the Images created by Image for Windows for the Workstation.

    3. HD Drives 2 to 4 (3 x each 3TB) will contain stored data information for, Application Software Installations, Hardware Drivers, Hardware Information for Motherboards etc., Help Desk files and Information, etc.

    4. HD Drive 5 (3TB) will contain Images of customer systems before and after servicing.

    5. HD Drive 6 (3TB) will contain Customer information and other undisclosed confidential files.

    6. HD Drive 7 (3TB) used for Personal Data Storage.

    Where there is a will, there is a way.
    This system would also make a tremendous gamer Station, Don’t you agree.

    Discussions and Questions "strictly relevant to this post" are welcome.
    Think about your Discussions and Questions carefully, as I will not answer Novice posts, i.e. posts that are obviously below this posts comprehension by the reader. - Thanks

    Budget is blown out !!

    Regards
    Roger H.
    Last edited by pcbugfixer; 12-30-2013, 01:31 AM.

  • #2
    Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

    Hi pcbugfixer,

    Most of these will fit fine in the PC-A77 or PC-A77F. However, the issue comes to have you seen these cases on the market currently or able to acquire them. If you have seen these locally then sure. However, since these are older cases they are no longer in production. Something similar to these designs that will be on the market soon in Australia is the PC-A79. It would be able to hold the hard drives you mentioned plus the optical drives.

    Also, the TR-3 and CR-35 may not be able to buy in Sydney due to them being older products.

    As for the i7 or Xeon it really just depends on what you will be using it for. Are you going to being doing tasks and using programs that take advantage of multiple cores? If so go Xeon. If not it may not be worth the likely higher price of the Xeon processor.

    All your other hardware options you put out are not bad, I dont want to say pick this or pick that. Of what you are giving as options, I dont think you will be disappointed.

    One thing though, is there a reason why you want to go an SLI route instead of just opting for a single higher end card?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

      G'day Folks,

      I am surprised that there has been no input, i.e. suggestions or other advice regarding the System components or setup from Forum Members other than Lian Li Tech.

      Regards
      Roger H.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

        As Help Desks I'd have the OS's running as VM's instead of making the customer wait while I rebooted into their working environment.

        As for the lack of responses, well, tucking the post in under the Lian Li Tech Support topic didn't increase it's visibility. Instead of, say, a general heading like All Other Hardware or even Motherboards.



        When you're looking for input, it also helps for you to be attentive when someone inputs/fields a plausible question:
        Originally posted by Lian Li Tech from Sept 02 2013 View Post
        One thing though, is there a reason why you want to go an SLI route instead of just opting for a single higher end card?
        Four months in and still haven't assembled yet huh?
        #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
        ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


        #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

          We can also move your thread to the TweakTown What Should I Buy? forum.

          Let us know if you want this thread moved to a different TT forum.
          Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
          P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
          4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
          MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
          Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
          WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
          Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
          SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
          Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
          Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
          Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
          MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
          Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
          HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
          CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
          E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
          Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
          Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
          HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
          .

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

            G'day profJim,

            You suggested "We can also move your thread to the TweakTown What Should I Buy? forum."
            - Please do so - Thanks

            Thanks for input "wardog"
            Yup 4 month so far, what is taking so long is the verification from manufacturers as to the compatibility of the components of the system. At $4000.00+ I don't want any issues selecting the parts and their compatibility to each other.

            You should see some of the lame answers I get in reply and most only answer 1 of the many (up to 6) questions I ask and need to repeat myself asking question.

            As to the VM's, What OS would you suggest as the base system for 7 VM's, - Windows XP 64bit - Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit - Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit - Windows 8 64 bit - Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise - Ubuntu Desktop 64bit - Ubuntu Server 64 bit.

            Regards
            Roger H.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

              Originally posted by pcbugfixer View Post
              G'day profJim,

              You suggested "We can also move your thread to the TweakTown What Should I Buy? forum."
              - Please do so - Thanks

              ...snip'...
              You're welcome, I've moved your thread to the What Should I Buy forum.
              I created a redirect for this thread in the Lian Li forum that will expire in 30 days.
              Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
              P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
              4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
              MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
              Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
              WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
              Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
              SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
              Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
              Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
              Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
              MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
              Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
              HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
              CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
              E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
              Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
              Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
              HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
              .

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

                Check out the Lian Li http://forums.tweaktown.com/lian-li/...ssis-dk01.html thread.
                It might be worth waiting for.
                Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                .

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: System Specs New Workstation - Advice and Suggestions and Parts compatibility Please

                  Thanks "profJim",

                  OK for Gamers or Advanced Home Users with connection to 60" screen.

                  For Office Workstation and 14 station LAN - I don't think so.

                  Thanks anyway, it does look good and needs to be combined with the Screen as shown.

                  Regards
                  Roger H.

                  Comment

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