Your input for my build, plz

[WhatsMyName]

So...I haven't built my own system for a few years, and i'm a bit out-dated on the technicals. Origionally I wanted to spend no more than $2.5-$3k on the tower, the monitor/dual mons i put in a different category of expenses. The main use i want this build for is to handle 3D applications, mainly Maya 11.

Main uses I want Maya for is modeling, textureing, particle/liquid effects, and rendering. I've spent the last week or so reading up on the latest hardware that's come out, reading reviews and recommendations and such from a variety of places and manufactuer web-sites, reasearching things i hadn't heard of or researched before, like SLI technology and Raid Arrays. This forum is by far the one that has been the most helpful to me and others that posted here, and so i do the same.

This is the build I am leaning towards at the moment. I used newegg for general cost, though i may not necessarily go through them.

A side note....
This is not my dream machine, but i'm hoping to create an affordable build that will allow me to upgrade heavily in the future; mainly the CPU, GPU, RAM, and perhaps a sick water cooling unit. I have always preferred paying out extra for quality, which is no doubt why my estimated cost exceeds my preferred budget. Ok, so here's what i came up with...

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Mobo: Rampage III $360
CPU: intel i7-960 3.2gig 9mb L3 cache $550
GPU: Nvidia quadro fx 3800 1gig $750
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 12GB 3x4GB 1600 $460
HDD: 2x WD VelociRaptor 300GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb $250x2
Case: Corsair 700D $220
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 $90
PSU: Corsair HX1000 $250
total: $3,180

Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC - 30" $1300 or...
Dell E2010H Widescreen LCD Monitor - 18" $170

I'll probably just start with an 18", and buy the 30" after i save more money.
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Mobo: Rampage III
Honestly I don't know if this Mobo is just overpriced for gamers. Overclocking is one of the things i want to do. I haven't done it before, but i'm confident enough in my tech abilities to feel comfortable enough to give it a shot. Everything I've heard about OC'ing with this board is great, and if dropping an extra $100 on a board helps protect my CPU %5 more, i'm ok with that. I am not currently interested in 3-way SLI support, though in the future as this tech gets fleshed out, i may want to incorporate it. Raid array is new to me, but from what i understand, i will not have to install a sata adapter with this Mobo.

CPU: intel i7-960 3.2gig
I don't really have a concrete reason for goin for the i7-960. Was just looking at price compared to cores/threads/cache. The i7 Extreme is a but much for me right now. I looked at Xeon procs, seems to me like i would want to go there if i wanted to run a dual-socket system only, or if i was running a server. I hear good things about the i7 and their OC abilities, and their use for 3d type apps.

GPU: Nvidia quadro fx 3800
Freakin spendy for a labor worker like myself. But critical component for what i want. If i was to spend extra in any area, it would be here, even if i had to sacrifice quality in other areas. I want dual link dvi-i so i can connect to a 30" 2560x1600 res monitor either now or in the future.
The last time i played with maya, i had an old system, and my comp couldn't handle anything past basic particle and rendering effects and such, so i don't know if this card will handle what i Really want in openGL. I just know it will handle a hell of alot more than what i had. I have not heard Anything bad about the quadro series for 3d production.

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 12GB 3x4GB 1600
I hear good things about Mushkin memory. If i was to go with another brand it would be G.Skill or Corsair, purely based on what i have read browsing forums on various issues. Both seem to be highly praised companies for memory. $500 is more than i would like to spend, i almost went with a 3x2Gb setup...but i don't plan to upgrade anything for probably at least a year, so a few extra days of work for an extra 6Gb is worth it to me. One thing i am not certain of is compatibility of any of these brands with the rampage III. in forums it reads like they all should work, but input in this area is greatly appreciated.

HDD: 2x WD VelociRaptor 300GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb
Not interested in SSD's. They seem too spendy for me, and i hear of alot of problems with them. I don't mind waiting for read/write times. I'm not working with gigantic files any time soon, probably. The Raid 1 Array does look attractive to me though, having real time mirrored HDD's seems like a great idea. From what i understand i do not need a Raid Controller, as RampageIII has it built in. If anything, i'll probably buy a 1T HDD for storage a couple months down the road, and just keep the 300GB's for OS and program installations. I have not researched 10kRPM HDD's much yet, input here is greatly appreciated.

Case: Corsair 700D
Don't like LED's. already have enough sleep problems without lights in the background. I like the separated chambers for PSU and HDD's. I prefer this over the 800D because i don't want the windowed side panel, and i don't care for the hot-swap. The top vent has no filter, but i don't see why it would be so hard to just custom make my own for it. I like the full size, don't care about the weight. My main concern is air-flow. I've heard it's good, but not great...and right now i'm leaning towards air-cooled system compared to water...though i'm about 51/49 on that. Though even if i do go air for now, i like that i have room for water if i so choose.

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 $90
Why? I don't know. read alot of good things about it. A little bit wary of water cooled, but if i were to go there, would be the H50 w/custom push/pull. I don't want to go Max OC, I would prefer to have a bit of a temp buffer as i haven't OC'd before. Perhaps a 3.8GHz OC, that seems pretty modest for an i7-960.

PSU: Corsair HX1000 $250
I hear only praise for corsair PSU's. I know 1K is overkill for the components i've listed, but keep in mind i want to only buy one PSU for this tower, and i want it to handle any possible upgrades to my Mobo that i could make in the future. I'd prefer dropping an extra $100 now instead of finding out i need to upgrade later.

OS: Windows 7 x64

So what do you think, anybody see any incompatibilities with the components, or have suggestions?

 

[MattNo5ss]

to OCForums!

The number 1 suggestion I have is to get a i7 920/930 CPU, especially since you said you plan to OC some. This will save you some $$$.

The Noctua heatsink is massive, so you'll need to be sure no components will interfere with it.

You definitely don't need a R3E. All X58 boards have the ICH10R for RAID. The R3E does have USB3.0 and SATAIII, but so do others. So there is room to save money if you'd like.

I don't know anything about the Quadro GPUs, they just seem extremely overpriced. I'm not sure what justifies the $750 price tag over a typical high-end "gaming" GPU from nVidia.

Could you link to the specific RAM you are planning on getting?

 

[WhatsMyName]

Could you recommend a good X58? My secondary option would be the P6X58D-E.

From what I understand the quadro is designed specifically for CAD and 3D applications, and the GeForce is geared more towards gaming. I'm not interested in gaming much for this build. I should probably research this area more.

Mushkin memory link

 

[MattNo5ss]

The P6X58D-E is a good choice with USB3.0/SATAIII. You could shave off $30 more if you went with GA-X58A-UD3R, it has USB3.0/SATAIII as well.

You know about as much as I do about those GPUs. I hear the Quadro is better for CAD/3D apps, but I've never heard exactly why that is; Both have CUDA, so that shouldn't be it. I just don't know

I'm assuming you're getting a 3x4GB set because you plan on adding even more RAM later?

 

[WhatsMyName]

I sounds to me like the Quadro perfoms much better in the open view-port for Maya, which would be important to me, and that it was built to perform for longer periods of time. There's alot of conflicting information on Quadro vs GeForce on the internet, and talk of being able to mostly-mod a GeForce to perform like a Quadro. I've read quite a few posts from people performing professional 3D work with very large file sizes that praise the Quadro, though.

And yes, I went with the 3x4GB to allow RAM upgrade in the future.

Thanks for the Welcome BTW!

 

[Knufire]

the i7-960 isn't worth the price, go with the 930 (I don't know if there's a microcenter near you, but it would save you a ton of $$$): http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331303

Another option is the Gigabyte X58A-UD3R for the motherboard.

 

[Seebs]

QuadroFX vs Gaming cards for 3D work in Maya (or any other 3D application)... If you're not a 3D pro artist (getting paid to do 3d work) there really is no need for you to blow that kind of money on the QuadroFX; much less on the 3800 when for less money you can get a more powerful card.
I checked newegg and there is only one QuadroFX 3800 available and it's priced at $834.99.
This one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133271
You can get a GTX480 with more memory and more power for a little over half the price of the Qfx and it will be able to handle whatever you can throw at it with Maya provided you're a 3d hobbyist and not a pro working at DNeg or Pixar, but if you were working there you'd probably have a workstation already and wouldn't be here.
You said you read a lot of conflicting data on the use of workstation GPU vs desktop GPU with 3d software; I recommend you go to a site where actual 3d pros discuss their wares and read up on what they have to say on the issue. I am a 3d hobbyist myself and the best site I have found on the matter is called cgtalk. Just go there and search for Qfx vs GTX or Radeon... You'll be surprised at the amount of information you find and also in the fact that even professionals (yes this site is visited and maybe even staffed by people that do work in the industry) recommend the use of desktop gpus over ws ones for the hobbyist type.