New build around GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 and i7-2600k

[xpabl0b]

Hello everyone.

This is my first post to the forum so apologies if it is in the wrong place / in breach of the rules etc.

Anyway, I am just about to order the following components for a first-time new build:

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Black Mid Tower
PSU: Intel i7-2600k
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3
HDDs: 2 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 Desktop Class 1TB Internal (to be configured in RAID 0)
PSU: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold AX1200 Modular
RAM: 4 x 4GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz RipjawsX
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
GPUs: 2 x Zotac GeForce GTX 560Ti Amp! Edition (to be configured in SLI)
Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U3011 30"

I would be hugely grateful if anybody who spots any problems or incompatabilities in the setup I have put together could let me know. In particular am I right in thinking that the four sticks of 4GB RAM will be OK for the GA-Z68X-UD7-B3?

Also, forgive my ignorance but I am slightly concerned that I have got the build process clear in my head. At what point do I put in the graphics cards? What about the drivers for the graphics cards? When and how do I set the hard drives to be in RAID 0 configuration?

Any other tips (as detailed or as brief as you like!) about the process of putting together the above configurations would be greatly appreciated as, being a novice at this, I am worried I might b*gger it up.

Many thanks

p.s. The machine is to be used for 2560x1600 gaming, video editing and blu-ray production

[absic]

Hi there,

although this is a build review for an AMD system you might want to have a look through it as the basic principals are the same: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,3619.0.html

One of the Intel hot bods will be better able to advise on system specs.

[nijel]

All perfect except... don't cripple that system with HDDs. Put some decent SSD in there and use the HDDs for storage in RAID1 if you want.
RAM is perfect - I use the same amount of same RAM in my P67-UD7 no any problems.
Put everything together, update bios, install windows, windows updates, chipset drivers, video drivers, intel RST drivers, all other drivers.
Come back if you have problems.

[xpabl0b]

Many thanks absic - the build review is very useful although I am not sure what the author means when he says "As the fans on this cooler don't like the ramped voltage usually applies from the motherboard headers I will have to make some changes to BIOS to get them to run properly from the motherboard fan headers"

Many thanks also to nijel. I had been considering an SSD but since the prices have been going in the right direction in recent years I had been thinking of putting up with HDDs for a while longer and then getting a 512GB SSD in place once such drives become more affordable.

Another novice's question about the GA-Z68X-UD7-B3: Am I right in thinking that the Marvell 88SE9128 chips on this board are SATA controllers which I could use to connect my HDDS?

[nijel]

You will be fine with HDDs or CD/DVDROMs on Marvell.
SATAIII SSDs is another story.

[Gangstex]

You will be fine with HDDs or CD/DVDROMs on Marvell.
SATAIII SSDs is another story.

Alright i've been thinking about building a pc, i'll specify the options of components i'll be buying & using in this system
Please specify witch would be a good formula of components for a system
---
Motherboard: Z68X-UD7-B3
---
PROCESSOR CPU:
INTEL CORE 3-2100 QUAD CORE 3.10GHz, 3MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 3-2120 QUAD CORE 3.30GHz, 3MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 5-2400 QUAD CORE 3.10GHz, 6MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 5-2500 QUAD CORE 3.30GHz, 6MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 5-2500K QUAD CORE 3.30GHz, 6MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 7-2600 QUAD CORE 3.40GHz, 8MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
INTEL CORE 7-2600K QUAD CORE 3.40GHz, 8MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
---
RAM:
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 X 4GB KIT)
16GB KINGSTOM HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 X 4GB KIT)
---
GRAPHICS:
(1GB AMD RADEON HD6990 - 1 DVI,4 HDMI,2 mDP - DX 11, EYEFINITY 5 CAPABLE)
(2GB AMD RADEON HD6990 - 1 DVI,4 HDMI,2 mDP - DX 11, EYEFINITY 5 CAPABLE)
(4GB AMD RADEON HD6990 - 1 DVI,4 mDP - DX 11, EYEFINITY 5 CAPABLE)
---
HD:
1X = 1TB SERIAL ATA 3-GB/S HARD DRIVE WITH 32MB CACHE (7,200RPM)
1X = 2TB SERIAL ATA 3-GB/S HARD DRIVE WITH 32MB CACHE (7,200RPM)
---
DISC DRIVES:
6X BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16X DVD +R/+RW
12X BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16X DVD +R/+RW
10X LG BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16X DVD +R/+RW
---
POWER SUPPLY:
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES HX750-80 PLUS SILVER MODULAR
CORSAIR 1050W PRO SERIES HX1050-80 PLUS SILVER MODULAR
---
CPU COOLING:
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER
TITAN FENRIR EVO EXTREME HEATPIPE CPU COOLER
---
SOUND CARD:
SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY SE
SOUND BLASTER X-FI XTREME AUDIO
---
NETWORK CARD:
ONBOARD GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N 300MBPS PCI CARD
BIGFOOT KILLER 2100 PCI-E GIGABIT LAN CARD - MAX PERFORMANCE ONLINE GAMING
---
TV CARD:
PCTV SYSTEMS DUAL TUNER TV CARD & WINDOWS MEDIA CENTRE REMOTE
HAUPPAUGE HI-DEF SATELITTE DVB-S2 TV RECIEVER (WIN TV-NOVA-HD-S2)
---
EYEFINITY GEOFORCE 3D VISION:
ACTIVE DISPLAY PORT TO DVI ADAPTER (EYEFINITY 3 MONITOR SETUPS)
ACTIVE MINIDISPLAY PORT TO DVI ADAPTER (EYEFINITY 3 MONITOR SETUPS)

-------------------
-------------------

PLEASE CHOOSE TO ME THE COMPONENTS BEST TO BUILD THIS SYSTEM OUT OF THE OPTIONS GIVEN.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WOULD BE BETTER/CHEAPER THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INSPIRE ME

[Dark Mantis]

Hi Gangstex

When you ask a question like this you will get numerous different answers as it is mainly a subjective thing.

INTEL CORE 7-2600K QUAD CORE 3.40GHz, 8MB CACHE + HD GRAPHICS
Corsair Vengeance 4 x 4GB kit  CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B
(2GB AMD RADEON HD6990 - 1 DVI,4 HDMI,2 mDP - DX 11, EYEFINITY 5 CAPABLE)
BOOT: OCZ 100GB Revo 2   OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0100
STORAGE: 1X = 2TB SERIAL ATA 3-GB/S HARD DRIVE WITH 32MB CACHE (7,200RPM)
CORSAIR 850W PRO SERIES HX850-80 PLUS SILVER MODULAR

The rest is up to you.

[gordonliu]

All perfect except... don't cripple that system with HDDs. Put some decent SSD in there and use the HDDs for storage in RAID1 if you want.
RAM is perfect - I use the same amount of same RAM in my P67-UD7 no any problems.
Put everything together, update bios, install windows, windows updates, chipset drivers, video drivers, intel RST drivers, all other drivers.
Come back if you have problems.

I agree about the SSD, but I would never update the bios except under the following scenarios:

1) there is some hardware inconsistency or problem that cannot be explained away otherwise.... perhaps a USB 3.0 device is not working properly for example.

2) there is a specific recomendation to update the bios, for whatever reason, by the manufacturer or an overwhelmingly large number of people who are using the same hardware.

 3) the motherboard is really old (obviously not an issue for a brand new motherboard with the newest Intel chipset on the market).

updating the bios is always a sketchy exercise, and it is never recommended to preemptively do it, even in 2011 when the software and hardware are robust and even with a manufacturer supplied bios update application.

[Dark Mantis]

Always try to steer clear of the @BIOS Windows utility for updating the BIOS file. It runs on top of the OS and as such is much more prone to misshaps which is the last thing you need when running a BIOS update.

[nojstevens]

Hello,

I've built pretty much the same setup in an Obsidian 800D case, very please with it but i have one issue I just can't figure out - the fans connected to the SYS FAN headers on the mobo run full speed all the time and i cannot get them to be controlled by the BIOS. I've switched to VOLTAGE in the bios which is correct for 3 pin fans. Anyone got any advice or similar issue? I am on the latest F8 BIOS

Jon

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

It doesn't sound right but I suspect it might be a BIOS issue. If it helps at all for now the Sysfan_2  header runs at half the speed of the other headers

[Aussie Allan]

Hello everyone.

This is my first post to the forum so apologies if it is in the wrong place / in breach of the rules etc.

Anyway, I am just about to order the following components for a first-time new build:

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Black Mid Tower
PSU: Intel i7-2600k
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3
HDDs: 2 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 Desktop Class 1TB Internal (to be configured in RAID 0)
PSU: 1200W Corsair Pro Gold AX1200 Modular
RAM: 4 x 4GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-12800 1600MHz RipjawsX
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
GPUs: 2 x Zotac GeForce GTX 560Ti Amp! Edition (to be configured in SLI)
Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U3011 30"

I would be hugely grateful if anybody who spots any problems or incompatabilities in the setup I have put together could let me know. In particular am I right in thinking that the four sticks of 4GB RAM will be OK for the GA-Z68X-UD7-B3?

Also, forgive my ignorance but I am slightly concerned that I have got the build process clear in my head. At what point do I put in the graphics cards? What about the drivers for the graphics cards? When and how do I set the hard drives to be in RAID 0 configuration?

Any other tips (as detailed or as brief as you like!) about the process of putting together the above configurations would be greatly appreciated as, being a novice at this, I am worried I might b*gger it up.

Many thanks

p.s. The machine is to be used for 2560x1600 gaming, video editing and blu-ray production

  Your heading definitely in the right direction.....But!

  If I can make a suggestion that will save you money in the long term, because when you finally try out SSD there like a dishwasher to the wife!

  I looked at the 30" but settled for 27" (Dell U2711, same pixel count on a slightly smaller Monitor means , a tad sharper at higher res) you will not notice the difference Really!........ that extra 3" equals about £140 per inch!

 Now with the difference that you saved......you buy a 100GB RevoDrive X2 for your OS and a few critical Programs.....still stick wit the F3s and raid them under 0........I have 4 of these on a raid card for over 500Mb/s which is perfect for programs and photostorage and loads programs or photos quick and snappy back to the OS........

  Now back to the RevoDrive X2  ( X3 to be released very soon so bigger saving could be out there on the x2s) ..... what these are, are actually 4 SSDs in raid0 and bootable out of the box....... all you need is a spare PCI-E port at least x4 so you will be fine with this board.........

  Your 2x F3s on the Intel ports should net you about 200 to 220Mb/s Read/Write...........How would you like 840Mb/s read and 760Mb/s Write.....That's what I have.........And the Moderator, DM for that matter....... Boot times are fantastic and performance you read about.....Food for thought anyway

  Aussie Allan

[Dark Mantis]

I would have to say that sounds like a lot of sense to me. You certainly wouldn't go back after getting a Revo X2. 20 second boot from hitting the button to usable desktop!