I am slowly getting the pieces together to do my next build based on the initial specs of:
Intel I7/930 CPU
DX58SO MOB
Ultra X4 1050 or 1200 watt PSU
EVGA GTX275 video
Cool Master HAF 932 case
Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme chiller


The machine will be used primarily for crunching and there will not be any gaming done on the machine. My question is what is the best triple channel memory stick to couple with this combination? I intend to use the maximum of RAM memory.

I have chosen the CPU/MOB combination because the board is made specifically for the LGA1366 family of processors, which seems to be the future, and will not have to be concerned about future upgrades. Who knows, by the time I am finished I may be able to afford the I980.

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I don't buy computers, I build them!!

If you're only going for one video card, you can buy a smaller PSU (600-700W ought to be fine). But, if you plan on adding more later, then it's a good idea to keep it.

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Like many other things in life, I have never heard anybody complain that they bought too good of a power supply.

No place to skimp on any build. Most PSU's are most efficient when not loaded close to their maximum rating. Should run cooler and last longer.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Like many other things in life, I have never heard anybody complain that they bought too good of a power supply.

No place to skimp on any build. Most PSU's are most efficient when not loaded close to their maximum rating. Should run cooler and last longer.

I totally agree with this. I have repaired countless power supplies, and other equipment, and whenever possible, I substitute components rated at a higher breakdown voltage, or current. As a result, the repairs stay repaired. Head room is a good thing.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Margin is good.

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|If you're only going for one video card, you can buy a smaller PSU (600-700W ought to be fine). But, if you plan on adding more later, then it's a good idea to keep it.

I have to go with the larger PSU because the GTX275 requires a min of 60 amps, because it has a GTS250 co-processor, and my current 750 watts only delivers 45 amps. I will be adding a second card at some later time. But, what I am concerned about now are the memory sticks. Which are the best ones for crunching?

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I don't buy computers, I build them!!

|If you're only going for one video card, you can buy a smaller PSU (600-700W ought to be fine). But, if you plan on adding more later, then it's a good idea to keep it.

I have to go with the larger PSU because the GTX275 requires a min of 60 amps, because it has a GTS250 co-processor, and my current 750 watts only delivers 45 amps. I will be adding a second card at some later time. But, what I am concerned about now are the memory sticks. Which are the best ones for crunching?

Where did you get 60 amps from? From what I've read, the card itself only requires ~18 amps. "12V x 18.5A = 222W (cards max power draw is 219W)"

Do you mean your whole system requires 60+ amps?

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|If you're only going for one video card, you can buy a smaller PSU (600-700W ought to be fine). But, if you plan on adding more later, then it's a good idea to keep it.

I have to go with the larger PSU because the GTX275 requires a min of 60 amps, because it has a GTS250 co-processor, and my current 750 watts only delivers 45 amps. I will be adding a second card at some later time. But, what I am concerned about now are the memory sticks. Which are the best ones for crunching?

Where did you get 60 amps from? From what I've read, the card itself only requires ~18 amps. "12V x 18.5A = 222W (cards max power draw is 219W)"

Do you mean your whole system requires 60+ amps?

Check your specs again....
The EVGA website says the GTX 275 requires 550w, which would be 45 amps anyway.

Don't try to talk the dude out of the larger power supply....
It is one of the best investments he can make when building a high power rig.

EDIT....
Strike the above....I rechecked MY specs...sorry.
The card itself is listed at 219w.
EVGA says recommended minimum SYSTEM power is 550w.

But my advice still stands.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

|If you're only going for one video card, you can buy a smaller PSU (600-700W ought to be fine). But, if you plan on adding more later, then it's a good idea to keep it.

I have to go with the larger PSU because the GTX275 requires a min of 60 amps, because it has a GTS250 co-processor, and my current 750 watts only delivers 45 amps. I will be adding a second card at some later time. But, what I am concerned about now are the memory sticks. Which are the best ones for crunching?

Where did you get 60 amps from? From what I've read, the card itself only requires ~18 amps. "12V x 18.5A = 222W (cards max power draw is 219W)"

Do you mean your whole system requires 60+ amps?

Check your specs again....
The EVGA website says the GTX 275 requires 550w, which would be 45 amps anyway.

Don't try to talk the dude out of the larger power supply....
It is one of the best investments he can make when building a high power rig.

EDIT....
Strike the above....I rechecked MY specs...sorry.
The card itself is listed at 219w.
EVGA says recommended minimum SYSTEM power is 550w.

But my advice still stands.

I agree that a larger power supply is almost always better. I'm accustomed to making machines on a budget and if price isn't an issue (which it sounds like it isn't) then by all means buy the higher end one.

I'm just providing my point of view (I use UPS's on all my machines and they cost quite a bit at higher wattages :)).

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I agree that a larger power supply is almost always better. I'm accustomed to making machines on a budget and if price isn't an issue (which it sounds like it isn't) then by all means buy the higher end one.

I'm just providing my point of view (I use UPS's on all my machines and they cost quite a bit at higher wattages :)).

UPS's are a bit of a different story, but you generally get what you pay for.

One has to calculate the minimum wattage requirement to back up the load to be protected. That is your starting point. Then you have to decide how long you wish to hold the load up when the mains fails.

If you can't find a UPS at a little over the wattage required that gives you the backup time you desire, the other option is to oversize the UPS. And yes, they can get pricey...

I have a pair of 950 watt units that are supposed to provide a minimum hold up time of 65 minutes. I am going to use one to backup my daily driver, and the other to backup the monitor and all of the assorted wall warts that power the modem, KVM, router, etc.. So I should actually get over a couple of hours of backup assuming the batteries are still in good condition. They lose capacity as time goes on before they actually go kaput.
And I think those units cost me several hundred bucks apiece.

Higher quality units will also adjust for over and under voltage conditions coming from the mains...the cheapest ones may not.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

One has to calculate the minimum wattage requirement to back up the load to be protected. That is your starting point. Then you have to decide how long you wish to hold the load up when the mains fails.

Two philosophies here:

One is to select the UPSes to maximize run-time -- to completely bridge any outage. My servers need to stay up, so everything here has oversize batteries, and I'm good for about six hours.

The other philosophy is for the UPS to hold power just long enough for the computer to shut down (with some margin, of course) and the appropriate signalling cable and software.

That's fine for areas with reliable power, where all you're doing is protecting the machine against an awkward shutdown.

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What fan are you planning for your TR U120E heatsink? If you aren't worried about noise, go for 2 Scythe Ultra KAZE 3000rpm 133cfm fans, in push and pull configuration. I've only got one on push right now, so if it fails, it's probably by-by to my i7.

Also, I echo the above. Never skimp on the power supply. But don't buy generic brands that offer "1500W" or crap like that. Corsair, Antec & Silverstone do great PSU's. PSU's are also usually at their most efficient around 60%-80% - and on that note, make sure the PSU is 80+ rated.

As for RAM - speed is more important that quantity for S@H crunching. Try and select DDR3 memory rated at 1333MHz or above. Corsair is also a good brand for RAM. I've got a set of Corsair XMS3 1600MHz 6GB chips.
I really don't see any need for more than 6GB or 9GB of RAM. Any more is usually overkill. 6GB definitely future proofs you for about 2 years.

Good luck with you build.

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- Luke.

I run 2 8-core AMD systems with 4GB of memory each (XP 64 and Vista 64), both with 2 graphics cards (512MB each) and the memory is no problem. SETI, at least, is perfectly happy with what I've got.

Don't waste money on extra memory!!!!!

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I got a bunch of machines with 3Gb RAM and then went through the stuffing around to upgrade them all to 6Gb. Got Corsair 3 x 2Gb 1600 RAM's in all of them now.

I went with Seasonic PSU's, 750w in four i7 machines and a 1000w Corsair in another i7 machine. I also upgraded four out of five Q6600's with Seasonics. Never had a problem with either brand.

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BOINC blog

I run 2 8-core AMD systems with 4GB of memory each (XP 64 and Vista 64), both with 2 graphics cards (512MB each) and the memory is no problem. SETI, at least, is perfectly happy with what I've got.

Don't waste money on extra memory!!!!!

Clifton didn't say he intends to crunch only S@H. Some BOINC projects can use much more memory, see Honza's RAM requirements for BOINC table on Jord's FAQ service. Also there's apparently a need for system RAM larger than the total RAM on installed graphics cards...

                                                             Joe

My bad. Reviewed the specs on the box again and it states that it requires a 680 watt or greater PSU with a minimun of 46 amps on the +12 volt rail, and my 750 watt PSU is at 45 amps. I forgot to mention that this card has a intregrated GTS250 co-processor for PhysX processing. I have installed the card in my primary system and it is very sluggish. I do plan on adding an addition card at a much later date.

As to the other comments, which have been very helpful by the way.

I have a APC Back-UPS RS 1500 UPS which has served me greatly for that last several years on this system. Currently it is providing 224 watts out of a possible of 865, which should be enough for several more years. I learned a while back that you can't have enough power.

The chiller came with a 140mm Thermalright fan in a pull configuration.

I have Ultra PSUs in both of my systems and am very satified with them. The X4 series are modular, which is a great thing as it will cut down on cable management. The 1050 rates at 76 amps and the 1200 @ 85.

It will take me a while for this build as I am currently unemployed, for the last year. This is a save the pennies build and everything is coming in a piece at a time.

Luke -- I will take your Corsair XMS3 1600MHz 6GB chips very seriously.

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I don't buy computers, I build them!!