[R2D2]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Thanks. I have also read some people complaining about Corsair where perhaps the coolant or whatever goes bust after a few months and as a result people seeing sudden failure to boot. I had a CM Hyper N620 for my old build (i7-920) which clearly was not up to it with 3930K (temps crossing 70C). Could be dirt in the fan. I have not used water cooling and so have the old cooler as a backup. My vendor could not get Noctua NH-D14 and Corsair hydro h80 was my second choice. If Corsair goes bust or temporarily out of the system, I will probably go for CM Hyper 212 Evo or Noctua. Flipkart has this Noctua but I presume it needs special brackets for LGA2011 and I was not sure whether flipkart had it. Definitely need a backup for a 36K CPU and I do have the Hyper N620.

On a side note, although LGA2011 can take 8 RAMs in quad channel, even dual channel (4 sticks) can keep up with it. See this:

DDR3 SDRAM for LGA 2011: Which Memory Is Best? - X-bit labs

To quote from their conclusion:

``...Therefore, we have quite a paradox in reality, when quad-channel memory access provides minimal or no benefits. Even though it may seem unbelievable, you will get practically the same performance if you use a dual- or triple-channel DDR3 SDRAM in your LGA 2011 system instead of a special quad-channel kit'''.

How did you manage to fit the N620?? It is not compatible with the LGA2011 socket. I wish I could have used the CM V8 on this build too.

Frankly I considered the Noctua and but there was NO WAY I'd want to hang a heavy 1.2 Kg ugly heatsink off my motherboard especially when you compare it with the svelte solution from Corsair. Too risky.

After having used the CM V8 comparatively much lighter at 865g, I used to treat the entire set up as if it were made of bone china. Using heavy heat sinks puts a lot of stress on the m/b structure and the V8 topped it for me as far as weight was concerned. Also, in hot weather nothing like water cooling. I've been using Swiftech watercooling on my old P4 Prescott since 2004 but stayed away from using watercooling in subsequent builds due to the prohibitive cost of getting a new kit. The pre-assembled Corsair was, well, reasonably priced and hassle free to mount. I am now waiting for a response from Corsair on the RMA.

Do keep in mind that the noise from the bearing does not affect the cooling whatsoever - there's a bit of play that causes the noise at some RPMs. Corsair recently discovered the cause and are now preparing to address the issue via replacements. Also, I think there have been very, very few people with a leaky Corsair cooling solution. I took a far higher risk with the Swiftech.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by R2D2

How did you manage to fit the N620?? It is not compatible with the LGA2011 socket. I wish I could have used the CM V8 on this build too.

In fact after thinking hard about Corsair H80 I first bought CM Hyper Evo for around 2.2K, only because of the cost. However, the distributor gave the wrong socket to my vendor and it could not be installed. As there was no other cooler, my vendor tried Hyper N620. It installed perfectly but was not up to it as noted. The following day, I checked on Noctua but had doubts about that. Finally Corsair H80 was installed on T+1. As of now, the temps range from 35-50/55C. Corsair H80 seems to be compatible with LGA2011 and LGA1155. However, I do not care since the CPU will hardly be changed in the next 2-3 years.

I am not getting any noise as of now.

As to the CPU, I am not able to figure out where I will use the 2 extra cores. However, I underutilised the i7 920 too!!!

I went for the ASUS P9X79 deluxe compared to Sabertooth because of (a) extra esata port (b) wifi. Both are highly useful to me. Plus I had Sabertooth X58 prior to this and I somehow did not like the metallic BIOS. I think that would have changed with the UEFI BIOS of Sabertooth X79.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

In fact after thinking hard about Corsair H80 I first bought CM Hyper Evo for around 2.2K, only because of the cost. However, the distributor gave the wrong socket to my vendor and it could not be installed. As there was no other cooler, my vendor tried Hyper N620. It installed perfectly but was not up to it as noted.

I wouldn't have taken a risk with a 36K CPU by fitting a heat sink that is not designed for it. I am not sure why your vendor even attempted it. The 70 deg temps may have been because the HS wasn't properly seated on the CPU heatspreader.

My current CPU temp screenshot attached. Ambient temp in the room is 31 C (A/c switched off) at 7:37 pm IST with RH of 40%.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Finally Corsair H80 was installed on T+1. As of now, the temps range from 35-50/55C. Corsair H80 seems to be compatible with LGA2011 and LGA1155. However, I do not care since the CPU will hardly be changed in the next 2-3 years.

Same here. I generally go in for the best and keep it for at least 2-3 years. Saves me money in the long run. This configuration will stay for quite some time.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I am not getting any noise as of now.

Let me know what your experience is. The noise started about a week after I put the system thru its paces including prime95, memtest86, etc.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I went for the ASUS P9X79 deluxe compared to Sabertooth because of (a) extra esata port (b) wifi. Both are highly useful to me. Plus I had Sabertooth X58 prior to this and I somehow did not like the metallic BIOS. I think that would have changed with the UEFI BIOS of Sabertooth X79.

I was about to get the P9X79 when I realised it has no PCI slots and need them for my PCI sound card and network lan adapter. I generally don't use the onboard solutions.

Since the Sabertooth has only 1 PCI the SB is plugged into it and the LAN is the onboard solution. I also purchased PCI-E replacements for both the SB XFi Elite Pro (love it!) and LAN i.e. Asus Xonar Essence STX and a new Intel PCI-E gigabit adapter respectively.

The Sabertooth won because of:

a) Better legacy (PCI) support,

b) WiFi etc not required as I use a gigabit ethernet network in the home for my desktops. This would be a waste for me.

c) Better heat management this is according to Asus' marketing blah blah with additional fans on the south bridge and near the ports at the back. It also has additional temp sensors.

d) 5 year warranty

e) About 1.8K cheaper than the P9X79


EDIT: Uploaded the CPU-ID screenshot as well. Temps reading are taken after machine was switched on for 2 hours with normal usage.

EDIT #2 - I have the rad fans mounted in such a way that they pull air OUT of the case (just like the old 120 mm exhaust it replaced), not pull air into the case as recommended by Corsair. That method is ok for cooler temps, but in tropical countries like India or where we don't have a/c running 24x7, a rad/fan combine blowing hot air into the case is a recipe for premature component failure. I tried the recommended method and quickly switched after I noticed an unhealthy increase in component temperatures.

[magikrider]

recently switched over to mac and its great!

using the 13" macbook pro. 2.4 Ghz Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 ram, 500 GB HDD, Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB.

its fast, simple and very user friendly and wayyyy better than windows machines. once you switch over to mac, you are never going back to windows! believe me.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by R2D2

EDIT #2 - I have the rad fans mounted in such a way that they pull air OUT of the case (just like the old 120 mm exhaust it replaced), not pull air into the case as recommended by Corsair. That method is ok for cooler temps, but in tropical countries like India or where we don't have a/c running 24x7, a rad/fan combine blowing hot air into the case is a recipe for premature component failure. I tried the recommended method and quickly switched after I noticed an unhealthy increase in component temperatures.

I could not post the screenshots. At that time, some work was going on. Anyway on core temp 1 rc3, it was 53-57C at 8PM DELHI (ambient should be around 30) at around 20% load. It was OC to 4.1 Ghz and voltages at 4.1 Ghz were 1.26. I will go back to default mode (3.2 Ghz, 3.8Ghz turbo) and OC later in CPU life. P9X79 has 2 lan ports-Intel Gigabit Ethernet 82579 and Realtek 8111. I have it thru Realtek, but do you suggest Intel. I have a Tata Indicom Wimax and Netgear router, and on my old PC, I used to face occassional disconnects on desktop LAN. At the same time, my laptop PC on wifi used to work. That was the reason for wifi on desktop. As to extra esata ports, I have wasted many esata cables because of weekly replacing of esata disks. With time, the connectors got loose and got disconnected easily with any movement. With 2 esata, that problem should lessen and I expect extra esata port cost to pay for itself. So the extra esata port itself was worth the extra 2-3K on P9X79 deluxe.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Anyway on core temp 1 rc3, it was 53-57C at 8PM DELHI (ambient should be around 30) at around 20% load.

It was OC to 4.1 Ghz and voltages at 4.1 Ghz were 1.26. I will go back to default mode (3.2 Ghz, 3.8Ghz turbo) and OC later in CPU life.

That's pretty good temp for an OCed CPU, but I would recommend you wait a while i.e. burn in the components for a few days, checking for CPU, memory and other sub system errors before OCing. Try running Prime95 and memtest86 to test. Prime95 loads all CPU cores and you can monitor temps using Core Temp. Keep the Corsair @ mid level performance RPM profile (controller on the CPU cooling block) Memtest86 tests the memory thoroughly.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I have it thru Realtek, but do you suggest Intel.

The Intel LAN port is a native solution and better IMO.

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I have wasted many esata cables because of weekly replacing of esata disks. With time, the connectors got loose and got disconnected easily with any movement

Unlike USB cables, e-sata cables have a limited life if they are constantly inserted/removed. They were not designed for this type of use.

You may want to look at keeping the cable plugged in all the time unless it is absolutely essential to the way you work.

Originally Posted by magikrider

recently switched over to mac and its great!

using the 13" macbook pro. 2.4 Ghz Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 ram, 500 GB HDD, Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB.

its fast, simple and very user friendly and wayyyy better than windows machines. once you switch over to mac, you are never going back to windows! believe me.

Congrats. I used my bro's MBP 17" monster and loved it. Hope to get one some day. Have to consider a proper Wintel system as well because of the software that I use.

[vasudeva]

Overclocking for me is primarily conservative and I never OCed the old i7-920 beyond 3.2 Ghz (20% OC)/3.3 Ghz in winters. My target for i7-3930K is perhaps 4-4.2 Ghz which is not much and can be perhaps done by changing the multiplier (40-42) and nothing else. I know of prime and intel burn test. I have been monitoring the voltages and temps at 4.1-4.2 Ghz and so far they remain in very safe range at my peak work load.

As to esata, there are 2 connectors. The one at the back remains fixed but the one connected to the hard disk gets broken because of periodic replacing/connecting of hard disks to the desktop. I have 3 spare hard disks (regular 7200 rpm hard disks) in a transcend enclosure which I connect to my PC via esata for periodic transfers/backups. The alternative is connecting via USB 2.0 which is not worth it.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Corsair coolers have an issue in the water pump caused by an out of spec ceramic bearing on the impeller shaft. My unit has this problem....will probably contact flipkart for a replacement under the 30 day warranty

Flipkart have agreed to pick up the cooler. Since this cooler model is not in stock (with them) they will refund my money thru a credit in my flipkart account.

I had to get a cooler otherwise the comp would be out of order. I got the H100 - the H80's elder bro as a replacement from a local vendor and just finished fitting it. Temps are about 7 deg C lower than the H80. Substantial difference. So far the H100 is behaving well. Time will tell.

[musicmanaman]

Mine was a good deal I suppose, Nov 2011 I bought HP 630 Laptop which has Intel i3, 500GB HD, 4GB RAM and a HP Bag of my choice for 27991/-, performance has been good all this while and I’m completely satisfied.

[recshenoy]

Hi All,

Which is the best place to buy an assembled desktop in Bangalore. I know the answer is SP road but any particular shop in there or any other place in Bangalore which gives better deal. I a looking for Medium configuration desktop (primarily for editing photos). So a 8GB RAM system with upto 16GB support mother board should suffice i suppose. Monitor i am looking for is Dell IPS ( 23 inch or 20+ inch). Any suggestion for choice of HDD and the processor.

Asus seems to be a unanimous choice when buying motherboard. Is AMD Quad core better option than Intel Quad.

Thank You

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by recshenoy

Hi All,

Which is the best place to buy an assembled desktop in Bangalore. I know the answer is SP road but any particular shop in there or any other place in Bangalore which gives better deal. I a looking for Medium configuration desktop (primarily for editing photos). So a 8GB RAM system with upto 16GB support mother board should suffice i suppose. Monitor i am looking for is Dell IPS ( 23 inch or 20+ inch). Any suggestion for choice of HDD and the processor.

Asus seems to be a unanimous choice when buying motherboard. Is AMD Quad core better option than Intel Quad.

Thank You

AMD has powerful processors, but In our city most sellers don't want to sell it due to less choice of good motherboards, and customers not willing to spend reasonably on good heat sinks.

If you plan to buy a AMD based assembled computer, make sure you go for the best heatsink and fan, as to my prior experience most problematic AMD's I came across were suffering from in-adequate heatsink and proper fan.

If you have good "Heatsink" then AMD can be a monster.

Just my 2 cents

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by ghpk

AMD has powerful processors, but In our city most sellers don't want to sell it due to less choice of good motherboards, and customers not willing to spend reasonably on good heat sinks.

If you plan to buy a AMD based assembled computer, make sure you go for the best heatsink and fan, as to my prior experience most problematic AMD's I came across were suffering from in-adequate heatsink and proper fan.

If you have good "Heatsink" then AMD can be a monster.

Just my 2 cents

I'm looking to build a desktop and initially had AMD Phenom / Bulldozer in mind.
But, every knowledgeable guy I spoke to wrote off AMD.
Apparently, they've lost their plot completely. They just aren't worth the performance for the price anymore like they used to, in the good old days.

[ghpk]

Yes you may be right as my AMD experience has been bitter but that's a many year old story.

With Intel based CPU known very well for hassle free computing they are already the easiest and most versatile available configuration.

My core2duo desktop performs very well even on full HD gaming.
Currently iam playing cod mw3 on full HD resolution, it's running on 2GB 9400gt.

However had to replace the silicon paste on video card but that's another DIY story.

[F150]

Originally Posted by recshenoy

. Any suggestion for choice of HDD and the processor.

Asus seems to be a unanimous choice when buying motherboard. Is AMD Quad core better option than Intel Quad.

Thank You

Intel without any doubt, should the the choice.
Though the Intel processors are slightly costly compared to AMD, the performance difference is evident with Intel being the better of the two.
Intel processors really excel at single threaded processing where amd cannot keep up.
Multi threaded processing is almost similar with Intel having a slight edge.

HDD - go for at least 1TB and 7200rpm. Seagate or WD, both are equally food.

Note: I have a AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE. I am not a Intel fanboy. :-)

[vasudeva]

Following my purchase last month, I got promoted at my workplace and this called for some more spending on my PC, primarily a SSD. Thus, my present build has become:

core i7-3930k
ASUS P9X79 deluxe
Corsair (CWCH80) Liquid CPU Cooler
GSkill Ripjaws 4*4 GB 1866 Mhz RAM
Intel SSD520 180 GB (boot)
3*2TB WD Caviar Black, 1 TB WD Caviar Black, some assorted hard disks of 3-4 TB
Nvidia (MSI GTX560)
Coolermaster Silent Pro 700 W PSU
Coolermaster CM690 advanced USB 3.0 cabinet.

I think perhaps the only item that I could consider or the next 6-12 months are:
1. PSU: perhaps 800-1000W
2. 3 TB HDD (if and when prices decline).