Need new Computing Machine - current XPS dead

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   Hi all,

Any input on the below? 

I have read a bunch of posts going back in the forums (been reading for
several years).   I have an XPS on its
last legs and it is time to replace it.

I am currently running 2 IPS 
monitors at 1900x1200 (why have they basically stopped making these???)
although I may move up to one 2560x1600 (and maybe one or both 19x12’s on the
sides) (or the 2560x1600 with 2 1600x1200 [which I already have] in portrait on
the sides, a configuration I read about on here about 6 months ago but can’t
find the post; DST4Me commented on it as pretty cool at the time IIRC) (dream config 2x2560x1600)

Budget: mid-3k, the less expensive the better, the big monitors don't buy themselves.

Uses:

No Cad No Video Editing (hence the i7 3770K based on
previous posts; not adverse to going higher)

  -This means a Z77
MoBo (and I like the one below with built in Wifi); but am I missing out on
anything by not going with the 3930 and the X79?

RTS/Some FPS (don’t necessarily need the absolute best
highest res and frame rate)

Trading (one reason for multiple screens) programs and data intensive
spreadsheets; movies/multimedia

Need USB 3 (speed)

Need hot swappable HDD slots (currently using too many
external HDDs)

Want it as quiet as possible.  The below build is based off one of Frank’s
and others’ previous suggestions which is why I am with the HAF X over the 550D
which was my original consideration (see Ticket Number: 689303 for original config).  Also why I chose Phanteks over LC.  

With the HAF X, should I choose noise reduction/noise dampening?

Ticket Number: 689328

Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,198.00

Specifications: 

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X

Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish

Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish

Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires
Z77 Motherboard)

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Higher Overclocks and
Unique Wi-Fi Features) <b></b>

System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series
(Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <b></b>

Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI
Compatible)  <b></b>

Expansion Bay: - No Thanks

Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (180GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model:
Force GT Series CSSD-F180GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) <b></b>

Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks

Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (2TB Hitachi/Seagate (7200 RPM) (32MB
Cache) <b></b>

Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks

Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)

Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks

Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL /
Network Connections)

Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX)
<b></b>

Add-on Card: - No Thanks

Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio

Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Phanteks PH-TC14PE Extreme Performance
<b></b>

H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS
Cooling System Selected

Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans

Internal Lighting: - No Thanks

Enhancements: - No Thanks

Chassis Mods: - No Thanks

Noise Reduction: - No Thanks

LaserMark: - No Thanks

Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires
Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard)

Boost Video Card: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible
with complete stability <b></b>

Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory

Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the
operating system <b></b>

Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-Bit Edition) <b></b>

Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)

Virus Protection: - No Thanks

Office: - No Thanks

Game: - No Thanks

Display: - No Thanks

Surge Shield: - No Thanks

Speakers: - No Thanks

Keyboard: - No Thanks

Mouse: - No Thanks

External Storage: - No Thanks

Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks

Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is
Successfully Processed

Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

Thanks!

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cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Topic: Need new Computing Machine - current XPS dead Posted: 18 May 2012 at 8:00am
	Hi all, Any input on the below? I have read a bunch of posts going back in the forums (been reading for several years). I have an XPS on its last legs and it is time to replace it. I am currently running 2 IPS monitors at 1900x1200 (why have they basically stopped making these???) although I may move up to one 2560x1600 (and maybe one or both 19x12’s on the sides) (or the 2560x1600 with 2 1600x1200 [which I already have] in portrait on the sides, a configuration I read about on here about 6 months ago but can’t find the post; DST4Me commented on it as pretty cool at the time IIRC) (dream config 2x2560x1600) Budget: mid-3k, the less expensive the better, the big monitors don't buy themselves. Uses: No Cad No Video Editing (hence the i7 3770K based on previous posts; not adverse to going higher) -This means a Z77 MoBo (and I like the one below with built in Wifi); but am I missing out on anything by not going with the 3930 and the X79? RTS/Some FPS (don’t necessarily need the absolute best highest res and frame rate) Trading (one reason for multiple screens) programs and data intensive spreadsheets; movies/multimedia Need USB 3 (speed) Need hot swappable HDD slots (currently using too many external HDDs) Want it as quiet as possible. The below build is based off one of Frank’s and others’ previous suggestions which is why I am with the HAF X over the 550D which was my original consideration (see Ticket Number: 689303 for original config). Also why I chose Phanteks over LC. With the HAF X, should I choose noise reduction/noise dampening? Ticket Number: 689328 Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,198.00 Specifications: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard) Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Higher Overclocks and Unique Wi-Fi Features) <b></b> System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <b></b> Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) <b></b> Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (180GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F180GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) <b></b> Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (2TB Hitachi/Seagate (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache) <b></b> Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX) <b></b> Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Phanteks PH-TC14PE Extreme Performance <b></b> H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: - No Thanks Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard) Boost Video Card: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability <b></b> Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system <b></b> Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-Bit Edition) <b></b> Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Game: - No Thanks Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty Thanks!

bprat22 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5405	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 8:23am
	Hi cb707...That build looks great. Not much to say, except DS just dropped the Phanteks air cooler, so go Noctua D14. Just as good and the one we recommend the most. You don't need the noise package or fan package. Both are a waste with HafX. The X79 like you said would be for ram intense apps where it's quad channel memory as opposed to Z77 dual channel would get it done quicker. For gaming the Z77 is all you need. The sli 670 is a great pick, as long as your gaming is on a single 2560x1600 or 2 x 1920x1080. Not all games will max out and stay above 60fps at all times, but high settings with some will play real nice. I personaaly would do my own tweeks of the OS when you get it. The rig does come in bloat free. Go for it and good luck Don't forget the free t-shirt Edited by bprat22 - 18 May 2012 at 8:25am

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 8:53am
	Thanks! I changed the Phanteks to Noctua D14. Any thoughts on getting MS Office pre-installed by DS? Or getting new mouse (Corsair Vengeance M90) /keyboard (Corsair Vengeance K90) through DS? I'd rather spend a few extra $ and have it installed and sure it is operating correctly (aaplies to mouse/keyboard/MS Office). What about adding a fan/temperature controller? New Ticket Number: Ticket Number: 689760 Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,400.00 This includes D14, MS Office, and M90/K90

bprat22 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5405	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 9:11am
	That config # didn't show what MS Ofiice, but it is $40 cheaper at Amazon for full retail version. If you save a few $$ and get the pcKey version, there is no disc to fall back on. You'd have to download from MS to do a re-install. The Mouse is about $5 cheaper, I think, at Amazon so not a big difference . Install is just plug it in and load CD or download drivers, not sure what version the disc would have. Forget the fan/temp control IMHO. The temp control isn't accurate, and the fan control just messes with the HafX cases airflow. Plus, the fans are all ready pretty quiet. I guess for looks some do it, but for function it's wasted. Hope this helps

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 9:29am
	Got the t-shirt. Still waiting to pull the trigger. This is going to be so much better than my VIC-20!

bprat22 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5405	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 9:41am
	I had the TI 99 4a around that time. Hard to believe.

Asangard Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Digital Storm Live Chat Rep. Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1136	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 10:31am
	Hi cb707 Almost all monitor manufactures have stoped making 16:10 aspect ratio monitors. That is what 1900 x 1200 monitors are. They have switched to 16:9 aspect ratio monitors such as 1900 x 1080 for example. The reason has to due with modern widescreen LCD TVs and manufacturing costs. I am sure you have heard of 1080P in TVs. That just happens to be the 16:9 aspect ratio. This aspect ratio is length to height. So monitor manufactures have switched to the 16:9 aspect ratio to make them fully compatable with modern TVs and lowers their manufacturing costs. 16:10 aspect ratio monitors can display anything made in the 16:9 ratio format. That being said Dell still makes monitors in the 16:10 aspect ratio format. Check out their Ultra Sharp series of monitors. You will find both 16:10 and 16:9 aspect ratio monitors. I hope that answers you question.
	All evil comes from within, Not from Without, Therefore, the 1st step on the Holy Warrior path, Is to recognize thyself as thy 1st enemy.

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 10:40am
	Hey Asengard, Thanks. Yes I understand that (1080p). I just like more screen real estate and figured there would be some sort of market for that. That extra 120 lines of resolution is actually big help when working with spreadsheets, slightly more than 10% more (and see above suggested config with 2x1600x1200 in portrait mode outside one central monitor for even more vertical space) That said the video card on my XPS could never get the proper 1080 output sync (even with updated drivers) to display on my tv, so I run 2 monitors AND a TV. Perhaps with the SLI 670s I can run 2 19x12 side by side with a 19x1080 over on a triple monitor tree stand.

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 10:41am
	*Asangard Mixing LOTR and Norse, oops

Asangard Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Digital Storm Live Chat Rep. Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1136	Quote Reply Posted: 18 May 2012 at 10:52am
	Hi cb707 I know what you mean about the extra vertical lines with the 1900 x 1200 resolution. I use a Dell Ultrasharp U2410 monitor. I do some writing in addition to my gaming and the 1900 x 1200 monitor displays 2 full pages side by side on the screen. Quite handy actually.
	All evil comes from within, Not from Without, Therefore, the 1st step on the Holy Warrior path, Is to recognize thyself as thy 1st enemy.

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 8:46am
	pulled the trigger last night with below configuration. Too excited to wait. I'll just have to use my abacus until it arrives. I'm going to use the next week or so to do that thing one can only do every few years with a new PC: plan on what programs to install on a fresh, new system because it only happens once with a spankin' new machine! Reloads never seem as satisfying. Order Contents: - Digital Storm Desktop 374974 Quantity: 1 $3,400.00 - PROMOTION: 10% Discount of $378 Applied to Digital Storm Desktop 374974, Original Price $3,778 Quantity: 1 $0.00 System Configuration: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard) Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Higher Overclocks and Unique Wi-Fi Features) System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (180GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: Force GT Series CSSD-F180GBGT-BK) (SATA 6Gbps) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (2TB Hitachi/Seagate (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance H20 Tube Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: - No Thanks Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks CPU Boost: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard) Graphics Boost: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory OS Boost: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-Bit Edition) Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Game: - No Thanks Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K90 (MMO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard) (Black/Metal Finish) Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M90 (Laser 5700 dpi) (MMO/RTS Gaming Mouse) (USB Wired) External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Medium) Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty Sub-Total: $3,400.00 Tax: $0.00 S&H: Ground $65.00 Grand Total: $3,465.00

bprat22 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5405	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 8:57am
	That's a great rig The gaming is gonna rock and trading and spreadsheets flow real nice.

cb707 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 18 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 9:06am
	Trading and spreadsheets = more gaming 9-5 = earning it 5-? = enjoying it