My Super PC - AM2 6000+

[Rob]

I've assembled this year's My Super PC. I'll be updating the main site component web pages with these components. Eventually I'll even create an additional set of assembly steps that include these components. The existing assembly instructions are quite sufficient, especially considering there are variations with nearly any computer, but I like to keep things as current as possible.

The components are:

Antec Sonata II computer case with 450-watt power supply
ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 60000+ processor
Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 cpu cooler
Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 DDR2 memory (2GB)
Western Digital SE16 500GB SATA 300 GB/s hard drive
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB video card (supports DirectX 10)
SoundBlaster X-Fi sound card
Sony DRU-830A DVD RW drive
Windows XP Home Edition
Since the video card supports DirectX 10, the computer can be upgraded to Windows Vista.

The performance is fantastic! It scores 14116 on the 3D Mark 05 benchmark. Compare that to the 3317 score I'm getting with My current Super PC, which is plenty fast for anything, and the 8355 score I got using an AM2 4200+ processor and ATI Radeon X1950 Pro video card.

It also scores over 100 FPS on the Half-Life 2 benchmark.

It is very quiet.

Assembly has been quite easy.

The Zalman CPU cooler installation was very easy to install. And while the CPU cooler is big, it doesn't block the ability to use additional components. For example, it's no problem to use all four RAM slots.

So far I've experienced no problems with the power supply. Some users have complained that the power supply has given out on them, which is surprising because Antec has a solid reputation for making top-notch power supplies. I've asked Antec about this and they say there is nothing wrong with the power supply. You never know what individual users are doing with their computer configurations, so it's possible they are over-taxing their power supplies through overclocking or otherwise over-powering the power supply. Of course, it's also possible that this model of power supply is not living up to the standards of other models. So I'm interested to see how well it holds up. My Super PC AM2 6000+ is configured like a power user, including a high-powered video card, 2 GB of RAM, AMD 6000+ processor and DVD-RW device. But nothing out of spec from what the power supply should be able to handle. I plan to set it up with stress tests for extended periods of time to give it a real shakedown.

[Rob]

I ran Prime95 and 3DMark05 on it simultaneously overnight and it was still going in the morning. I ran 3DMark05 in loop mode (available with the Pro version). Prime95 has a Torture Test option.

P.S. It's pleasantly quiet.

[Rob]

I ran the same test for a second, Prime95 in Torture Test mode and 3DMark05 in looping mode, and the computer was still running normally this morning. So far I feel pretty good about the stability of the system.

Note the power supply is a 450-watt power supply, and the particular 8800 GTS video card that I'm using has a recommended power supply of at least 400-watts. Often I see 8800 GTS video cards with a recommended power supply of at least 450-watts.

[zburns]

Rob. I am puzzled. You say the 8800 GTS mfg calls for a 400 watt power supply. The Sonata II case comes with a 450 watt supply. This implies that all other components excluding the video card require only 50 watts of power.

What am I missing in the way I am looking at this?

[Gen.Manapua]

Hey Rob, which OS did you use? XP or Vista? If you used XP, will this system be able to be upgraded to Vista?

[Rob]

Good question about the OS - I've updated the original post. I'm sure I'll give Windows Vista a try with it before I'm through. First I want to update some of the other web-pages.

[Rob]

Good question about the power supply. Now that you mention it, this would seem to be the implication. In reality and general speaking, I don't believe a video card uses the amount of wattage that it recommends. At least, I recall reading this in my web travels. I assume from this that the recommendation is given in the context of a typically loaded system.

[The Wise Monkey]

How much does this new super PC cost?

[Rob]

The components I used are the ones listed on my home page, so a close estimate can be calculated from there. Of course, prices tend to trend downward, so the cost today may be less than what I paid.
http://www.mysuperpc.com (http://www.mysuperpc.com/)

My own exact cost is something I don't keep up with very well because my spending is based on providing information for the site. For example, I purchased the RAM months ago when I thought a site update was imminent, but then things got busy and the price dropped over $100 a stick in the meantime. I finally ended up buying two new sticks of RAM recently, because the DDR2 8500 speed came out in the meantime.

The same thing happened with the processor. I first purchased the 5200+ but ended up also purchasing the 6000+ since the price dropped dramatically before I could use it.

And a similar story with the video card.

Plus I reused some components, such as the monitor and operating system.

In any event, quoting my own particular outlay would not be so helpful since prices and best bang-for-buck components changes fairly frequently.

[The Wise Monkey]

Heh, so true.

Why did you decide to stick with AMD rather than switch to the Core 2 Duo/Quad Core? Come the next slew of price cuts, Intel is certainly going to be a very good choice.

[Rob]

Good question. Because the target is moving too rapidly. By the time I have updates ready for the site, something else is looking sweeter.

For example, recently the Intel E6600 did a price drop which improved it as a choice versus the AM2 6000+. But if I switched hardware then that could backfire - maybe the AM2 6000+ will do a price drop.

If I do too much thrashing on my component selection then I won't be able to move forward. It takes time to photograph the computer case and motherboard in detail, as well as update assembly steps such as mounting the CPU cooler on the processor.

It doesn't delay me much (or any, really) to switch some hardware components - memory modules, for instance - and I don't mind the expense since usually I can re-coup most of my investment on eBay.

I think it's best I get the site updated with something more recent than the single-core 754-pin solution. I plan on adding text to reflect the dynamic, fluid nature of the technology choices.

[Sstellethyss]

Rob, I think you're doing a great job with the site. I had visited about a year ago when I first became interested in building my own gaming rig, but the $$ wasn't there at the time. I've got everything squared away now and decided to start looking for parts again, but I couldn't remember your URL. I came across your page again by accident once I had made my initial parts list and started looking for a build guide. I recognized it immediately, and I'm very glad I found it again. This is the second forum that I have ever belonged to, and I'm 28 years old. I think that your site is an invaluable asset to a first time builder that didn't know anything about computer hardware. What has surprised me most is that since I had come across your site around this time last year, I expected it to still have last years parts list on it. I'm thrilled that you've been keeping up with the times and made this new list with the AMD 6000+. What had excited me most about it, personally, was that your parts list was extremely similar to the one I had put together - so it validated to me that I was on the right track. :cool:

Since I read this thread I made a parts and price comparison to what I had chosen and what you suggested.. and I started reading more reviews and have made some changes to the parts you have listed. The amount of research that you must have put into your site is crazy awesome, and you've made me feel confidant that I can pick good parts and put my new system together the right way once I got them all.

Just wanted to give you a shout out, and to the other members of your staff. Keep up the great work, guys.

[Rob]

Thanks for the good words!

[The Wise Monkey]

I suppose that makes sense. :)

Its different here in the uk, because the e6600 is cheaper than the 6000+ at the moment.