Questions regarding my folding/gaming rig...

[ivanlabrie]

Great rat rig Ivan, literally and figuratively

I'd seen those blowers and considered buying one (or four) but heard they were loud so didn't. Yours is pretty quiet?

Thanks!

It's really quiet...no hums, just the woosh of air moving.
I would rather get a bathroom extractor type of blower, but they are rather expensive. BUT they move tons of air and are quiet, plus the air outlet is bigger (4 inches or so) I figure they'd work good for moving air through dense rads...

I'm checking prices, I found a cheap hdd, hyper 212+ -with fans- and a 6950 that unlocks (2gb version). If everything's fine I'll order those by the end of the month. Less things on my to-do list...

 

[ivanlabrie]

Guys update...I found a local deal on a p8p67-m pro rev 3.0 board.
Would that be good for pci-e 3.0 / ivy support and for a stable 4.8ghz oc for folding?
Thanks!

 

[Adak]

I can't speak to the future compatibility, but that board is frequently mentioned as a good overclocker. I have that board folding with a 2600k, and found 4.4GHz to be the best speed for it (on air, with a MUX-120 heatsink/fan). It runs "headless", folds 24/7, and I prize absolute stability, for my warm climate.

According to the ASUS tech rep, only (roughly) half of the 2600k chips can reach 4.5GHz, in their tests. Very few could reach 4.8GHz, and be completely stable like you need it for folding.

 

[ivanlabrie]

I can't speak to the future compatibility, but that board is frequently mentioned as a good overclocker. I have that board folding with a 2600k, and found 4.4GHz to be the best speed for it (on air, with a MUX-120 heatsink/fan). It runs "headless", folds 24/7, and I prize absolute stability, for my warm climate.

According to the ASUS tech rep, only (roughly) half of the 2600k chips can reach 4.5GHz, in their tests. Very few could reach 4.8GHz, and be completely stable like you need it for folding.

Yeah, I guess it depends more on the chip.
-oh, saw there are other rev 3.1 boards out...what to do...?-

 

[Fever]

I wouldn't worry too much about revisions, if I were you. Personally, I tend to think that the first revisions are usually the best. Later revisions, most of the time, tend to be cost cutting measures.... Cheaper components.

 

[ivanlabrie]

I think I'll get that board anyways, unless I find a cheaper Asrock z68 board as I first intended...thanks guys!

 

[ivanlabrie]

Guys...
I'll be getting an asus p8z68-m pro, 2x4gb samsung ram, crucial m4 64gb ssd and a cooler in two weeks more or less.

I can't decide between these:
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209049
- http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0364107
- http://www.amazon.com/ThermalRight-...G1PG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330054796&sr=8-1
- http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Extre...HB43UEDVL&s=electronics&qid=1330054924&sr=1-1

Consider I need it to be light and fit into a box along with all the other hardware, cause it will be flying its way over here to Buenos Aires. -Here everything costs triple than in the U.S.-
A friend of mine is buying that stuff over there and shipping it here open box in a flat rate box, through usps priority mail.

Almost there! In a couple of weeks I'll be folding my arse off for the greater good. Just need some insight on this, thanks!

 

[Adak]

I can't advise on the water cooled units - putting water inside with electronics gives me the eebie-jeebies.

The True Spirit is fine, except it's 140 mm height will cause most cases not to close right.

Two suggestions:

1) One of the Cooler Master 212 units with the 120 mm fan. Inexpensive, effective, and quiet.

2) One of the 120 mm Noctua's. Less expensive than some of those water cooled units, and very effective and quiet. The fan they use may not be 4 pin, but it still cools like one, and is very quiet. They send you two fans for some units, so you can double up the fans in a push and pull arrangement, if you really need that extra cooling.

 

[ivanlabrie]

I can't advise on the water cooled units - putting water inside with electronics gives me the eebie-jeebies.

The True Spirit is fine, except it's 140 mm height will cause most cases not to close right.

Two suggestions:

1) One of the Cooler Master 212 units with the 120 mm fan. Inexpensive, effective, and quiet.

2) One of the 120 mm Noctua's. Less expensive than some of those water cooled units, and very effective and quiet. The fan they use may not be 4 pin, but it still cools like one, and is very quiet. They send you two fans for some units, so you can double up the fans in a push and pull arrangement, if you really need that extra cooling.

Yeah...I'l try to spot a deal on a noctua, cause I'd rather have the option of superior cooling for 5+ghz if my chip turns out to be golden.
The problem with weight and size for the shipping is still there and I can't seem to find the weight of the h100 anywhere.

 

[ivanlabrie]

Guys, some news...
Got myself an ssd, and a samsung 30nm ram kit.
Now looking at buying a cx430 psu.

Lacking motherboard and h100 cooler.

I'll go with a coolermaster 311 matx case and I wanted a good but cheap matx board.
Found these two within my budget:

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0375390
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157279

Which one is better for single gpu usage, decent and stable/lower volts oc? -aiming for 4.8ghz-

Thanks!

 

[Adak]

Have you seen either of these overclocked?

I haven't dealt with the matx boards, but last I heard, they didn't have the level of O/C that the larger ATX boards had.

And 4.8 GHz is a lofty goal! I hope your realistic expectations are not that high for air cooling on a matx - but that's just my opinion. I have not tested a matx board.

The smaller the case, the less amount of air the case will have inside it. That means (with air cooling), you either need a LOT of air flow through the case, or you'll not be cooling as you would in a larger case, with the same amount of air flow.

The problem I see is you could be blowing air like crazy, but doing a lot of re-circulating of warm air, if you weren't very careful. You need air blowing THROUGH the case, not air being blown around and around, inside the case, getting warmer and warmer.

I'm sure this is not a new idea to you, but I had to mention it.

 

[ivanlabrie]

Yep, I'm quite good at managing airflow actually...Had a Prescott cooled with an XP-90 at 4ghz 24/7 Fans held with zip ties in strategic spots and home made fan holes.
I'll be using a Corsair H80 or H100, perhaps externally mounted on the back of the Coolermaster elite 311 matx case. I was also considering modding the gpu I get and fitting an Antec kuhler 620 on the core to help take heat out of the case faster.
Think that would be a good idea?
I'll post a sketch now...trusty old paint should help.

I hope to reach 4.8ghz at least 4.7ghz 24/7...but I'm sure even at 4.5ghz I'll be blown away by mi little 2600k

 

[Adak]

For folding however, remember that it's not a sprint - the folding rig needs to be absolutely stable, for L-O-N-G stretches, perhaps.

 

[ivanlabrie]

Yep, most likely I'll end up sticking to a lower clock. Whatever runs faster with low volts/temps.
Here's the diagram:
A) Antec Kuhler 620 as side exhaust fan mounted internal if it fits.
B) Corsair H80
C) Modded GPU (reference blower with a mounting hole to attach the kuhler to the core)
D) PSU
E) Kuhler waterblock attached to the gpu core.
F) H80 rad externally mounted as rear exhaust.
G) Front intake fan
H) Lower intake fan

 

[Adak]

Nice layout, Ivan. The real proof of course, will be in the temps it keeps.

 

[ivanlabrie]

I think that should work out fine...cant wait for the parts to arrive. A couple of days ago I received my first Newegg box with a Bulldozer and a mobo I bought for a friend and hopefully future fellow folder. I was pretty excited, normally it would be impossible to buy high end gear locally as prices are insane but OCF made it happen
Thanks for reading, Ill keep you posted!

 

[ivanlabrie]

Some updates...
Got the 640gb hdd and 2600k chip so far. tx750 psu is getting here, same as the 40gb Intel x25-v ssd, 2x4gb samsung 30nm ram and Gigabyte z68ma-d2h-b3 board.
I'm still lacking a nice case, thinking of getting a NZXT Vulcan and an Enermax etd-t60-tb cooler.
Next month I'll be getting the monitor and a gpu too...God bless overtime pay!
I'll be able to join the race it seems

 

[Adak]

Excellent! Looks like the starting date for it may be pushed back to the 11th or so, because of the HPCS "free cloud folding" service, coming to an end on the 10th of May.

 

[ivanlabrie]

Oh, cool, I guess... -I could never try that service!! and I work @ HP!-
Going for the Noctua Nh-C14, just made up my mind...

 

[Adak]

The Noctua's have a fan, here - no pun intended.

Tanker has 4 of them, and even at their highest settings, you can't hear them 5 feet away. I love that sound of silence from pc's!