Possible ideas for a new box?

[Joseph Sinclair]

GK wrote:
> On Fri, 2010-01-01 at 18:20 -0700, Joseph Sinclair wrote:
>> I read a few conflicting requirements below, bear with me as I try to clarify:
>> 1) 8G RAM minimum
>> 2) Quad-core high-speed CPU
>> 3) 1TB HDD
>> 4) overclocked?  you talk about heat problems, which implies overclocking, since stock fans are usually ample for stock clocks.
>> 5) Desktop case
>>
> I figure get as much RAM as possible 8 is a good number though 16 would
> be cool. If I start drooling too much more I'll end up building a
> Beowulf Cluster ;)  Quad cores get HOT! A dual core might have to be
> what I'm going to be able to afford. --Especially on burnin/compiling
> type loads for lengths of time. My dual core 32 bit is avg 48 C, under
> compiling load it shoots up to usually no more than 61C. For an example
> my netbook eee900 avgs 61C running, and I think it has gone to 70C a few
> times under heavy load. TB hdds are cheap, I like space. Having an ssd
> base os and I'm thinking K/Qmeu for testing will prevent having to
> rebuild the box frequently. O/C no. SFF doesn't matter if desktop or
> tower. This machine won't have any other toys.. gpus, cd/dvd, etc. I can
> install on cdrom externally or usb flashie.
---
The latest quad-core CPU's are specified for up to 140W just for the CPU (even more for the "extreme" editions), Intel turbo boost will overdraw power for short periods (up to an extra 50+ watts) as a means of temporarily boosting CPU power for heavy loads.
A typical TB HDD is around 25-30W, the MB consumes 50-80W (ATX) or more for chipset and integrated peripherals (USB alone is often 40W or more).  Integrated GPU adds around 50W (more for the faster onboard units).  RAM runs upwards of 32W additional, depending on type, speed, and quality.
A fast Core2 duo might run around 65W, but the more cores on the chip, the more electrical power it draws (for a given microarchitecture).

Keep in mind that a SSD is massively expensive, a decent SSD is running around $500 last I looked.

> 
>> Then you start conflicts:
>> 1) <150W PSU (high-speed quad core CPU's require over 150W just for the CPU, a 500W PSU is a minimum requirement due to split-rail power distribution, and for Core i7 750W is pretty much minimum).
>> 2) ITX board; these don't support high-speed quad core CPU's, and most can't handle more than 2-4G RAM.
>> 3) mini case; you can't usually stuff a high-speed MB in these and still get decent cooling, if you can fit a high-speed MB in at all.
>>
>> I'm going to assume you either want 2 different machines, or the first 5 requirements are the primary requirements and the conflicting 3 are wish-list.
>>
> 
> Nope not 2 machines this is a testing box. I owned a Shuttle K45 it ran
> 2gb RAM, with 160GB hdd and a dual core 64 bit I believe. This box
> ventilated well, there where ways to mod it if needed to create more
> cooling power. It had a 100W PSU and ran at 33-55W under load. This box
> stayed cooler than my laptop, so low 40'sC... I'll look at the urls.
> Thanks
---
Some of the SFF boxes use mobile chips so they can cheap-out the PSU and avoid extra cooling, I'd recommend checking the CPU specs carefully on SFF boxes if you need performance and energy efficiency.

Just because the PSU has 500W max doesn't mean it draws 500W, it only draws what it needs at any given moment.  If you get a high efficiency PSU (85% or better, i.e. 80-PLUS silver or gold), it doesn't cost much power-wise to have spare capacity (actually, having a more capable PSU usually *reduces* wasted power, since they're more efficient when running a good bit below their limit).
Keep in mind that the typ. values noted in spec sheets are way short of the max load, and you need to have a PSU that can handle max load or all kinds of bad things can happen.
Most high efficiency PSU's have multiple independent +12V power rails, the CPU +12V power rail MUST have enough power for the CPU (and MB, they're almost always on the same rail), typically that means the total PSU capacity is around 3X-4X the CPU draw.  Yeah, the extra capacity on the PCIe/GPU/HDD rails won't be used, but that doesn't mean it's available for the CPU either.
A good example of a high-efficiency PSU for an AMD quad-core system is (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341037) it's 80-PLUS Silver certified, so it's going to run >85% (88% typ) even under heavy load, and it has active PFC to avoid inductive waste. For a core i5/i7 chip, this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371026) would be a good choice.

> 
> VampirePenguin
> 


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