3XS system questions

[Mr-JosE]

Hi

I am seriously considering buying a 3XS system as i have been very impressed by the quality of the work and reviews i have read.

I have a few questions before i take plunge.

Below is the current spec of the system i am interested in:

Custom Coloured Cases: *No Custom Colour Required*
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred Case
CPU: Intel i7 920 2.66GHz 4.8GT s QPI 8MB Cache Retail
CPU Coolers: Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 Exclusive Dual Fan CPU Cooler (Fans Included)
Overclocking: 3XS System Core-Logic Overclocking*10 - 20%*
Memory: 6GB (3x2GB) Corsair XMS3 DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600) CAS 9-9-9-24
NVIDIA Graphics - Multi GPU SLI Options Available: 896MB XFX GTX 275 640MHz GPU 240 Cores 2268MHz GDDR3
ATI Graphics - Multi GPU Crossfire Options Available: *No ATI VGA Card Required* (NVIDIA Required)
Power Supply Unit: 620W Corsair HX Series Modular PSU (Single Graphics Card)
System Drives: 1000 GB Samsung Spinpoint F1 7200 rpm 32MB Cache
Storage Hard drives: 1000 GB Samsung Spinpoint F1 7200 rpm 32MB Cache
Solid State Drives: *Solid State Drive Not Required*
Floppy Drive Flash Card Readers & Writers: Akasa Multi Memory Card Reader & USB 2.0 Port
DVD Writer: Pioneer DVR-216DBK 20x DVD±R 12x DVD±DL DVD+RW x8 -RW x6
Blu Ray Reader Writer: *Blu Ray Not Required*
Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional - PCI-E (x1)
Gaming Network Card: *Use On Board Network Port*
Internal External (USB) Wireless Adaptors: *Wireless Adaptor Not Required*
Case Cooling Fans: 120mm Coolermaster Internal Case Fan with BLUE LED, 2 selected
Lighting Effects: *Lighting Effects Not Required*
Operating system: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64Bit
Software - Application: Microsoft Office 2007 - 60 Day Trial
Software - DVD Blu Ray Decoding: CyberLink PowerDVD 8 Standard Movie Audio Player & Decoder
Software - Security: *No Software Required*
Software - Hottest PC Games: *No Software Required*
TFT Monitor: *Monitor Not Required*
Gaming Keyboard : *Gaming Keyboard Not Required*
Gaming Mouse Option: *Gaming Mouse Not Required*
Gaming Mouse Mat: *Gaming Mouse Mat Not Required*
Speakers: *Speakers Not Required*
Extended Warranty: Standard 3XS System Warranty - 2 Years (1st Year Onsite 2nd Year Return to Base)

The main uses for the machine will be 3d/Image editing and gaming.

Would having a D0 Stepping (SLBEJ) version of the i7 920 have any benefits? Is the overclock and the stability of the overclock improved over the C0?

I am unsure if the 620w PSU is the correct choice here, i do believe its recommened for a single-card system, but for long term? I am not considering a dual-card solution.

I am not at all convinced by SSD especially when it comes to price, yet i am not sure if 1000tb system drive is good either. I have read that the Spinpoint F1 are very good performers, but does having a really large system drive have any down-sides?

I believe the Antec 1200 comes with all fans bar 2, which i have added in the list above (for the side panel and the internal fan), is that correct?

At work i use a 24" dell monitor for 3d/image work, which i find is fine there, especially when backed with a Quadro graphics card, but i am not sure i want the same for a home pc. I do find the amount of scaning around the monitor a bit off-putting. I was thinking a 22" option might be better. I have been looking at the 22" Dell 2209WA and was wondering what peoples thoughts are on this monitor for image work and gaming. From what i have read i have come to believe it is better than the TN panel monitors for colour accuracy, which is encouraging. Are there plans for a 1920 version of this monitor?

Thankyou for any help you can offer!

José

[w3bbo]

D0's clock a little better than the C0's. Th3 main benefit however, is the lower vcore they tend to use.

[leepen@scan]

The Antec 1200 leaves little room for the additional fan when using a Noctua cooler. One internal fan is recommended for multiple hard disks, but otherwise not necessary. A D0 system would be better for overclocking, as w3bbo said, lower voltages means longer lifespans for chips.

620w Corsairs are legendary and given your spec I know hands down it's more than good enough for your system.

I use a Dell 24 ... and an additional smaller tft for monitoring temps etc. Try and get a 22" that runs at 1920x1080, just so that you're not wasting the GPU power you're putting into this system.

Other than that, should be a cracker

[PeteG@Scan]

Hard drive wise I'd say the biggest downside of a large system drive is the lack of maintanince

If you have a good data back up routine in place you'll be fine.

If on the other hand your like me and partition off your o/s and use the rest for storage (with the continued good intention of setting up a solid auto backup solution for both partitions) and then errr... don't get round to it before the drive bites the dust (and not just a simple o.s. partition fail, but a full blown needle clicking away type senario) then I wouldn't recommend a large system drive (and yes the prior is from experience).

My personal preference at the moment for the o.s. drive is to go for a enterprise class drive.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/250-G...MB-Cache-85-ms

The one above is 250gig, faster than the samsung F1 series by about 10% - 15% (hdtach tested here) run's cooler due to onboard power managment features and is designed as a server drive to take a beating 24/7.

It costs more, but it should last longer than a normal drive and the chances are that being your main o.s. drive it's going to see the most use out of all the drives in your machine.

I tend to change my o.s. drive every two or three years as well (image to new drive, wipe and use for storage) and as long as you don't run it into the ground you shouldn't have any worrys about your o.s. failing to be there in it's life time.