Intel 2600k with SSD / 16 GB/1600 RAM - sharing my experience for reference

[Custom_Grafx]

Hi all,

I recently upgraded my pc - with a bit of help as usual from Choucove (Thanks again).

Just wanted to note some specs and config here in case any one else is upgrading, with similar software/machinery and wants to know about compatibility and the such, and about performance.

Hardware;
intel 2600k i7
crucial m4, 128gb sata 3 SSD (for windows + program files)
corsair vengeance 1600mhz - 4x4gb - 16gb total RAM
seasonic 650W PSU
Asus P8P67 v3 Pro m/b
2TB standard sata2 HDD (for data)
1GB ATI 5970 dual DVI
Antec 300 tower (from memory)
CD/DVD combo drive etc etc

Software;
win7/64bit
Adobe CS4
Corel X3
Versaworks
MS Office

Equipment running off this machine;
Roland VS-640 - ethernet
50W ULS laser - usb
Xerox Docucentre - ethernet
i1 extreme/Uv cut and bundled software i1 match/share - usb

Performance;
A very satisfactory start up and application response time. I have bridge, PS, Ai, versaworks, mail and calendar apps on startup and it barely affects boot time. I am up and running in seriously no time.

For example, boot time for all the above, after punching in my login and hitting enter, is about 20 seconds.

Having all the above open, even with a bunch of files open in PS, Ai, etc, has no effect that I can feel on any part of the system's performance.

I was a random versaworks lock-up sufferer. I have not had one lock up yet, and in the last 2 weeks, have been putting through some big files, and they are still in the queue and I can't feel any difference in performance whatsoever.

Issues encountered;
The i1 extreme has some connectivity issues with Win7/64. I found more info on the xrite website but it wasn't easy enough to understand. The final fix was to copy and replace a .dll file to the i1match prog dir so that it could recognise the device.

In my old XP, I could simultaneously have the machine use the i1 on i1 share/match as well as in versaworks. Now, it's one or the otther. Apparently it's some security measure or something... I'm not that tech savvy. The work around, is to unplug then replug the device, and the program you want to use it in will then recognise it.

Versaworks - no issues at all.
ULS Laser and interface software / drivers etc, no issues at all.
Adobe - no issues at all.
Corel - no issues at all.

What would I do differently?
If I could have afforded it, a bigger SSD. But I am still happy with 128GB for now - especially since I have a 2TB for my data. I think bigger than 128 at the moment is still not good enough value, and when prices come down, will upgrade that to a bigger SSD, and use the 128 I have now as a scratch disk or something.

Things to look out for;
SSD!!! Buyer beware there are far too many different types around, and they are all called SSDs but beware, they are not all FAST!

What do I still need?
I still need to get myself a second monitor... maybe later this year, maybe not... I get by, but it would be nice. (hence the dual dvi card).

Questions;
I'm sure I left something out of this, and will add info to the thread if I think of anything. Also, if you have any questions or comments about upgrading to a similar system, feel free to post here and I can help out hopefully.

And by the way... Need for Speed doesn't play too badly on this thing either

 

[Custom_Grafx]

Further to the above;

Backup;
Using free open source program called "Cobian" to back up to an external 2TB western digital usb drive.

Why Cobian?
It simply saves your files "as is", so you can instantly access your files on any system without running Cobian. It is basically a highly configurable batch program, which has schedule and typical back up features like full, incremental etc but is essentially just copying and pasting the files so they are not in a proprietary format.

I have been running it for over a month now, and it works very well. I elected to install it as a windows 'service' at install, so that it can run scheduled back ups and the such. It also detects when a back up has been missed (due to external hdd or PC being turned off etc) and will run it the next time you are back on.

Info on Cobian here

 

[WildWestDesigns]

What do I still need?
I still need to get myself a second monitor... maybe later this year, maybe not... I get by, but it would be nice. (hence the dual dvi card).

A few words of caution here. Once you go with a two monitor setup, you won't be able to go back to one. I'm at a 3 monitor setup and I don't see how people do it with even 2.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

A few words of caution here. Once you go with a two monitor setup, you won't be able to go back to one. I'm at a 3 monitor setup and I don't see how people do it with even 2.

Thanks for the heads up! The desk space is actually already prepared! (for a second, not a third)

 

[WildWestDesigns]

What were you thinking about getting?

 

[Custom_Grafx]

Initially an NEC Colour critical monitor, but it's a bit pricey at around low 1000's, and I've been advised that a dell ultrasharp is better bang for buck. What do you think?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I don't have any direct experience with the dell ultrasharp, but I have heard good things about it.

I run a 28" Hannspree as my main monitor and I like it a lot and it's survived a couple of "off the shelf" computers that I've had and still going. The other is a Cintiq and I love that monitor. My third is a Samsung, but that's more for running entertainment or If I have to have internet running while I'm doing something. I don't use the Samsung for any design work. Watching Farscape on that monitor right now actually as I'm typing this.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

The Cintiq looks pretty nice.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

It works really well with Illustrator when I do design work in that or in photoshop when I'm doing digital painting. I only use it for programs like that though. InDesign or Soundbooth I use my main monitor.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

For me at this stage, it would be overkill... but a great toy. Especially for touching up my RAW photos! With a bit of practice though, I have surprised myself with what can be done with just a mouse!

I think with either method, it's a matter of taking the time to acquaint yourself with the tools which will help you 'work around' difficulties you face with any interface.

I have a really old Wacom beginners tablet - A5 size, which cost me around $150 I think a while back. It gets some limited use and admittedly it's handy for certain things.

I can imagine the cintiq being great for tracing!!!! Would be awesome to just use the pencil tool in illy then clean it up with the pen tool!

Artists must really love it though... it looks like a great interface to the digital world which is more familiar than clicks and drags, that's for sure!

 

[choucove]

I am very glad to hear that your system has been up and running for you well! SSDs are definitely one of the more complicated issues to address in a new computer system today. Just like power supplies, not all brands are created equal, and there are some major benefits and increases in performance if you spend a little more on the top brands.

Did you do anything to "fine tune" your system for an SSD? There are a LOT of recommendations out there to squeeze every ounce of performance and longevity out of your drive, but some of them are questionable still. The big ones are to 1) disable disk defragmentation on your SSD drive (you can turn off scheduled defragmentation rather easily.) 2) disable indexing on your SSD drive (you can still allow the indexing service if you have additional hard drives in your case which store data, but disabling the service entirely will help even further with performance.) 3) Disable hibernation on your computer. Again, this can be very easily done by opening a command prompt as administrator and typing the command powercfg -h off and press Enter. And finally 4) disable superfetch/prefetch can help increase bootup times. However, in your case since you have several programs you wish to load automatically when Windows 7 loads I'm not sure if you want to disable this or not, I'd have to find out more how this affects it.

My Core i7-2600K rig has been incredible. In the past I've personally purchased AMD systems because of the undoubtedly great bang for your buck, but chose to try the Sandy Bridges platform so that I could begin exploring their capabilities, and I'm sold. While I still highly recommend AMD systems in certain situations, for high performance currently AMD doesn't match the performance of the Core i7-2600K processor.

The only issue that I have had with my system is once on a very rare occasion (once a month or so) my computer won't boot up quite properly. It will turn on and load up to the UEFI BIOS screen displaying the ASUS logo but will not load further. I just restart the power and it goes again fine from there, but this is something that has happened to me. It seems to be a common issue, actually, with many Sandy Bridge motherboards, but presents in a few various ways. In a couple boards (I believe MSI and Gigabyte) the system would continually reboot up to the logo screen until you disconnect power, then reconnect and boot up again. For my system and some other ASUS boards it just seems to come up to the logo screen and then go no further.

Since this only happens on the very rare occasion, and is easily fixed by hitting the reset button, it's not really something I can greatly hold offense to, especially given the impressive performance.

By the way, I happened to notice a coupon code online currently for the Dell UltraSharp U2211H 21.5" monitors for $209 with free shipping, which is quite a deal! I just recently ordered a couple more Dell UltraSharp U2311H 23" monitors for $250 each with free shipping and love them. I'm not a fan of Dell computers, but I have a hard time finding something that can beat their Professional and their UltraSharp series of monitors. I've installed Acers, ASUS, LG, Samsungs, and more and the quality for the price that can be found with these professional Dell monitors is the best.

 

[jiarby]

I have been using two WD 10K Raptors in a Raid-0 and think that is a good alternative to an overpriced and undersized SSD.

I used two 150gb ones and they cost about $100 each 18 months ago. That gives me a 300gb system drive.

If I was going to build a new system today I'd do the same thing but use two 300gb Raptors.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I just checked and they are on special here in Australia too. Limit 1 per customer lol. I think I might just go ahead and get that right now... just in time for tax time too

Will I have any issues using it with my current monitor which is a 22"?

Re SSD optimisation, I've turned off indexing, no defrag, and like you mentioned before, log out sometimes and leave idle.

I turned off hibernate the second I saw that 12gb file... haha
I don't know about superfetch etc...

I have seen the booting problem you mention a couple of times. Not a big issue though. Do you think it might be a firmware glitch? Maybe there's an update. I remember we had trouble getting the RAM properly recognised and we had to update BIOS to get things going.

All in all though, a very good system.

I am very glad to hear that your system has been up and running for you well! SSDs are definitely one of the more complicated issues to address in a new computer system today. Just like power supplies, not all brands are created equal, and there are some major benefits and increases in performance if you spend a little more on the top brands.

Did you do anything to "fine tune" your system for an SSD? There are a LOT of recommendations out there to squeeze every ounce of performance and longevity out of your drive, but some of them are questionable still. The big ones are to 1) disable disk defragmentation on your SSD drive (you can turn off scheduled defragmentation rather easily.) 2) disable indexing on your SSD drive (you can still allow the indexing service if you have additional hard drives in your case which store data, but disabling the service entirely will help even further with performance.) 3) Disable hibernation on your computer. Again, this can be very easily done by opening a command prompt as administrator and typing the command powercfg -h off and press Enter. And finally 4) disable superfetch/prefetch can help increase bootup times. However, in your case since you have several programs you wish to load automatically when Windows 7 loads I'm not sure if you want to disable this or not, I'd have to find out more how this affects it.

My Core i7-2600K rig has been incredible. In the past I've personally purchased AMD systems because of the undoubtedly great bang for your buck, but chose to try the Sandy Bridges platform so that I could begin exploring their capabilities, and I'm sold. While I still highly recommend AMD systems in certain situations, for high performance currently AMD doesn't match the performance of the Core i7-2600K processor.

The only issue that I have had with my system is once on a very rare occasion (once a month or so) my computer won't boot up quite properly. It will turn on and load up to the UEFI BIOS screen displaying the ASUS logo but will not load further. I just restart the power and it goes again fine from there, but this is something that has happened to me. It seems to be a common issue, actually, with many Sandy Bridge motherboards, but presents in a few various ways. In a couple boards (I believe MSI and Gigabyte) the system would continually reboot up to the logo screen until you disconnect power, then reconnect and boot up again. For my system and some other ASUS boards it just seems to come up to the logo screen and then go no further.

Since this only happens on the very rare occasion, and is easily fixed by hitting the reset button, it's not really something I can greatly hold offense to, especially given the impressive performance.

By the way, I happened to notice a coupon code online currently for the Dell UltraSharp U2211H 21.5" monitors for $209 with free shipping, which is quite a deal! I just recently ordered a couple more Dell UltraSharp U2311H 23" monitors for $250 each with free shipping and love them. I'm not a fan of Dell computers, but I have a hard time finding something that can beat their Professional and their UltraSharp series of monitors. I've installed Acers, ASUS, LG, Samsungs, and more and the quality for the price that can be found with these professional Dell monitors is the best.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

I have been using two WD 10K Raptors in a Raid-0 and think that is a good alternative to an overpriced and undersized SSD.

I used two 150gb ones and they cost about $100 each 18 months ago. That gives me a 300gb system drive.

If I was going to build a new system today I'd do the same thing but use two 300gb Raptors.

That sounds like a good deal - and sounds like it is just as fast as an SSD?
Out of the 128gb I'm only using around 60gb. Although 128 doesn't sound like much... if it's just for my system prog files, I think it's more than enough for me.

I was going to get a black caviar for my data but I had already bought this 2tb only a few months ago so thought I might use it for a bit more, then switch over to something a bit faster/better.

There is one other thing about SSD which I am liking - there are no mechanical sounds (obviously).

 

[WildWestDesigns]

There is one other thing about SSD which I am liking - there are no mechanical sounds (obviously).

My dad has two SSDs and they don't make any sound. I liken the mechanical sound to the sound that old diesel trucks make. To me it's comforting, but that's me.

 

[njshorts]

A few words of caution here. Once you go with a two monitor setup, you won't be able to go back to one. I'm at a 3 monitor setup and I don't see how people do it with even 2.

This! I'm about to add a 4th, and I have trouble using my laptop anymore without additional monitors

Looks like a great setup! Any benchmarks on it?

 

[Custom_Grafx]

Benchmarks - I've been thinking about a good way to do that? Maybe a pre defined EPS or something and see how long it takes to rip in VW or something?

Any ideas?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Benchmarks - I've been thinking about a good way to do that? Maybe a pre defined EPS or something and see how long it takes to rip in VW or something?

Any ideas?

It really depends on what type of benchmarking you are trying to do. I believe there are about 8 different types of benchmarking.

NJShorts: This is just my design computer for everything that I do. Actual production either through sublimation, embroidery, or the small CNC router that we have is done on a Toshiba Quisimio laptop. Only benchmarks that I would get have to do with components. As of right now, shame to say, the only type of benchmarking I have done with regard to that is the pathetic Microsoft assessment tool. Main reason being is that I know if I'm short somewhere in the benchmark, that might not necessary show up in everyday computing, I'll feel compelled to upgrade the part. Not a bad thing as that is it's purpose, but it'll be awhile before I stop feeling the sting of the new embroidery machine, so I have to hold off on that right now.

 

[SightLine]

Most of those SSD optimizations "should" be configured automatically on a clean install of Windows 7. Win 7 can detect if it has an SSD in the system during installastion and will set certain things specifically for the SSD. If you go into the details for defrag you should see that it is only enabled for the mechanical drive for example. Still does not hurt to double check though. Also want to make sure whatever SSD you get has the latest firmware - preferrably before you load Windows etc onto it.... I know on the one I have Intel later released firmware which enabled automatic trim for mine. That is a very important feature for SSD's.

And yes - there are huge differences in the SSD's out there. Need to do your homework before buying one. I got mine early on - now somewhat older Intel G2 series. Absolutley love it!

 

[njshorts]

Benchmarks - I've been thinking about a good way to do that? Maybe a pre defined EPS or something and see how long it takes to rip in VW or something?

Any ideas?

what I'd REALLY like to see is you rip one of the panels I printed last week in Flexi 10 so I can see how underpowered my tri-core is

a simple enough marker, would be your scores from the 'windows experience' dialogue... something a bit more in depth, http://novabench.com/download.php