Thoughts on this RIP setup?

[FatCat]

Now I have both a Mutoh 1204 and a 1604 which I plan to control both with my copy of Wasatch which supports up to 4 devices. I also have my Summa D140 running as one of the devices. I was advised by Wasatch tech that a quad-core machine would be best to avoid bottle-knecking when using all 3 at the same time. So, I've been on the lookout for a deal on a dedicated RIP computer, don't need any fancy video cards for gaming, just muscle.

Saw this deal today on Newegg;
http://www.newegg.com/special/shell...-_-EMC-071012-Index-_-MECH-_-ShellShocker-E2B

*NOTE: I plan on adding a 2nd duplicate drive and running in a RAID 0 configuration. Do you think I'll see a significant bump doing this, or is a single drive sufficient?

**FWIW - I've put together several quad core i5 options and all of them put me somewhere in the $500-$600 range. For $300 this seems like a deal, just not sure on the AMD chip.

Opinions please...

 

[CS-SignSupply]

I would think a good deal for a down and dirty RIP only station. I would prefer to use an ASUS or MSI MB rather than Gigabyte (just my opinion). This system maxes out on 8GB DDR3. By the time you need more, you could find another deal that would allow you to get more.

Do you have an OEM Windows 7 Pro 64-bit to install?

 

[CS-SignSupply]

While Ripping, I would think the seek time would be slower in RAID 0 than a single drive. Sending data back and forth to and from a database would probably allow for faster seek/read/write speeds as long as the data being passed is less than the stripe size.

What is the real need for a RAID setup on a RIP station? File server should hold files and be RAID. Duplicate to RIP station for output, delete when done. Or store as a RIPPED file on the RIP Station on a second drive.

 

[FatCat]

Yeah running Windows 7 pro now, but I'm pretty sure Wasatch is only a 32 bit application so it won't fully utilize all 8 GB but it runs fine on a 64 bit OS.

 

[choucove]

For the price, that seems like a pretty decent combo deal. Definitely not the highest quality of hardware selection, but it's a lot of horsepower for the money. I used to have a computer with this same AMD Phenom II X4 955 processor and it's quite a powerful choice for a budget business system.

I would not suggest running a RAID 0 array in this computer really. First, doing RAID on an onboard controller like this one has introduces all kinds of issues and increases the likelihood of hard drive or controller failure noticeably. Plus, two mechanical hard drives even in RAID 0 will not offer much noticeable speed difference compared to just a single stand-alone hard drive. If you're going to spend the money, spend it on an SSD for performance. A single SSD will out-perform numerous mechanical drives in RAID 0, but you have to know which ones to look for as not all SSDs are created equal!

 

[SignBurst PCs]

In theory, RAID 0, if done correctly on good hardware, can considerably increase RIP and design performance. We have tested all kinds (seriously, more than anyone should ever have to test) of hardware configurations and RAID 0 performs very close to the same as SSD (in RIP and design software), with increased capacity. The only real downside we have found is the inherent fact that if one drive fails, the array is toast. To negate that risk, backup should be a priority. Actually, with any system, backup should be a priority, so that isn't that big of a deal.

The real problem comes in with controller choices, drive choices, and such. There are a million different combinations and some are junk while others are gold. Some drives like RAID, some don't. Some controllers like certain drives and not others. The same can be said of SSDs. Some are fast, solid, and reliable, while others will cause you nothing but grief. Not only that, but you can have the perfect SSD on an inferior controller and have nothing but headaches and failures.

All that being said, I wouldn't recommend running RAID on less than quality hardware or if you aren't fully versed in RAID configuration and troubleshooting. It will more than likely bite you. You can get away with a single mechanical drive if performance isn't critical. Many shops do.

My problem with running an SSD on a RIP system is storage. It isn't that it cannot be done, but it is a few more steps to setup a good RIP with an SSD. That is unless $$$ is not a consideration, then by all means, put in a huge, high-quality SSD and call it a day.

 

[ironchef]

Yea. And your talking hdd's. People usually get a separate ssd for the os and rip program and a 1tb or more hdd for storage. I just bought an i7 1tb. Ill upgarde in a month and add a 128 gb ssd. That's the plan at least.

 

[Scott Reynolds]

used to have a computer with this same AMD Phenom II X4 955 processor and it's quite a powerful choice for a budget business system.

A single SSD will out-perform numerous mechanical drives in RAID 0, but you have to know which ones to look for as not all SSDs are created equal!

Just built a new box two days ago with an Phenom II X4 975 and a SSD. Im liking it a lot. Im sold on the SSD drives. So much faster.

 

[bbeens]

Yeah running Windows 7 pro now, but I'm pretty sure Wasatch is only a 32 bit application so it won't fully utilize all 8 GB but it runs fine on a 64 bit OS.

Sean-

The operating system is what matters related to addressing over 4GB of memory. Wasatch installed on a 64-bit OS can use > 4GB - I currently run with 8GB of memory with no issue.

Bryan

 

[FatCat]

Sean-

The operating system is what matters related to addressing over 4GB of memory. Wasatch installed on a 64-bit OS can use > 4GB - I currently run with 8GB of memory with no issue.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan, I didn't know that.

I did pull the trigger on this system, and FWIW I am not going to run a RAID setup. However, I will likely add a 2nd drive for backup purposes only. I feel for $300.00 it was hard to beat and it should get my by for a couple years before I need to upgrade again. Will be a huge step up from my 3ghz dual P4, lol.

*Seems I really missed out on a good deal last night as ProWraps sold 2 of his computers (both quad core i7's with ram and MOBO) for $150/ea. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

 

[ironchef]

On top of your second drive for backup. Think of getting an external hdd or nas. Having a backup on the same pc. Doesn't help much. What if you get a virus? You need something separate and not connected.