Workstation PC build: 1 – components

Posted by on . Leave a comment.

A short while ago my workstation computer’s power supply unit went bang, and after taking it to the PC repair shop down the road it transpired that it took down the motherboard with it. I’d been planning to get a new PC for a while anyway, and this event brought the upgrade forward rather abruptly.

My first idea was to buy a pre-built system, perhaps from Dell. But after doing a bit of reading up on the current landscape of PC components, including a Custom PC magazine or two, the bug bit me and I decided to build myself. I’ve purchased my components from SNOGARD and Mindfactory – both German retailers.

Only the graphics card is to come – hopefully tomorrow – so I can start work and test the core components either tonight or tomorrow morning. Here are a few unboxing photos and some notes on the components I have so far.

Motherboard: Asus P8P67 Deluxe

A socket 1155 board which takes the new Sandy Bridge processors from Intel (see below). It also uses a new type of BIOS, allowing for mouse usage and a more graphical approach to changing settings. The Deluxe version comes with a front USB 3.0 plate which is important as my case only has USB 2.0 ports at the front. This motherboard also allows for three graphics cards to be used (the third limited to 4x), but I’ll probably only ever use two at most.

Asus P8P67 Deluxe motherboardAsus P8P67 Deluxe motherboardAsus P8P67 Deluxe motherboardAsus P8P67 Deluxe motherboardAsus P8P67 Deluxe motherboardAsus P8P67 Deluxe motherboard

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K (“Sandy Bridge”)

The ‘K’ basically means it’s overclockable. Apparently, these processors can easily be overclocked substantially while still running cool.

Intel Core i5-2500KIntel Core i5-2500KIntel Core i5-2500K

CPU cooler: Thermaltake Frio

Thermaltake Frio CoolerThermaltake Frio CoolerThermaltake Frio CoolerThermaltake Frio Cooler

RAM: Corsair 12GB (3 x 4GB) Vengeance DDR3 (PC-1600, CL9-9-9-24, 1.5V)

It’s not the fastest RAM around, but the amount of it impacts on performance more than its latency.

Corsair VengeanceCorsair Vengeance

Solid state drive: Crucial 128GB RealSSD C300 (SATA III)

I’m planning on putting both GNU/Linux and Windows operating systems and programs on this SSD, and am expecting this to make a world of difference to load times and responsiveness.

Crucial 128GB RealSSD C300Crucial 128GB RealSSD C300

Hard disk drives: 2 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 HD103SJ (1000GB, 7200RPM, 32MB cache)

General data and backups to go on these.

Samsung SpinPoints

Power supply: Fractal Design Newton R2 1000W

Fractal Design Newton R2 1000W power supplyFractal Design Newton R2 1000W power supply

Case: Fractal Design Define XL Titanium Grey

I was considering using my old case, but decided to get a new one in the hope that it will be quieter. I can also perhaps use the old case for a cheaper PC as a standby. As you can see in the last photo, the new case is a lot larger than my old one.

Fractal Design Define XL Titanium GreyFractal Design Define XL Titanium GreyFractal Design Define XL Titanium GreyFractal Design Define XL Titanium GreyFractal Design Define XL Titanium GreyFractal Design Define XL Titanium Grey

Asus P8P67 Deluxe 1155 ATX DDR3