Ars System Guide > The God Box (September 2004)

by Brian Won

All prices courtesy of Ars Shopping Engine, except where otherwise noted.

The God Box represents what the Ars folk would buy if money were no obstacle, and x86 was still the platform du jour. Sure, some might argue that a God Box could only be accurately identified as a CAVE, but at Ars, for a box to be the pinnacle of power and wisdom, it needs balance and realism. If you've got any suggestions or complaints, voice 'em in the OpenForum.

Motherboard:

Tyan Thunder K8W (S2885)

Tyan's Thunder K8W reluctantly gets the nod this month. We have been awaiting second-generation dual Opteron boards such as the Iwill DK8N and for several months, but the availability of these boards is only a few steps up from nonexistent. The better feature incorporation of the nForce3-250Gb chipset with integrated USB 2.0, Firewire, SATA RAID, AGP, etc. is something we eagerly await. (nForce4 is in the somewhat more distant future, with PCI-Express)

For those willing to dig hard, finding a DK8N is doable. In the meantime, we stick with the Tyan Thunder K8W in the God Box. AGP Pro, SATA, support for up to 16GB of RAM, onboard gigabit Ethernet . . . all of the features we need are there in a very solid motherboard. About the only thing missing is overclocking.

For those who prefer Intel, the Xeon is still an excellent choice. Supermicro's X5DA8 and X6DA8-G2, Tyan's Thunder i7525 (S2676), and Asus's PC-DL Deluxe are all excellent choices, with the Supermicro and Tyan boards being better-suited towards server markets and the Asus i875 board better suited for the desktop.

Cost: US$437.79 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Processor:

AMD Opteron 250 (two)

Opteron 250s are the processor of choice in this month's God Box. Intel's new Nocona-core Xeons are looking competitive again, but not enough to displace Opterons in the God Box.

We continue to stay with retail CPUs in this update, as Opteron heatsinks are hard to find. The Thermalright SLK-948U looks like a good option, but we were unable to verify motherboard fitment as of this writing. (Thermalright XP-120s would be nicer, but probably impossible to fit...). Those who choose to go Xeons have somewhat better selection available . . .

Cost: US$879 each [US$1,758 total] (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

RAM:

4096MB ECC PC3200 DDR

Four 1GB modules. There is no sense in restricting yourself to a mere 512MB or 1GB in the God Box. In fact, fitting up to 16GB on the Thunder K8W is possible with 2GB DIMMs. Make sure to buy compatible RAM for the motherboard, ideally from Tyan's Memory Recommendation List.

Corsair 1GB ECC sticks fit the bill this time, a new addition to Tyan's PC3200 1GB DIMM list.

Cost: US$252 each [US$1,004 total] (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Video:

MSI Geforce 6800 Ultra 256MB

The top-of-the-line, next-generation chips offer double the performance of the previous generation's fastest card, the ATI Radeon 9800XT. Incredible.

ATI Radeon X800XT Platnium Edition vs. nVidia's fastest 6800 Ultra Extreme have very sight differences in overall performance. One is a little faster in some benchmarks, flip-flopping constantly. Unlike the previous generation of video cards, there is no decisive performance advantage. Finding the actual top of the line cards (X800XT PE and 6800Ultra Extreme) is almost impossible, so the "standard" top of the line X800 XT and 6800 Ultra are currently the cards to buy.

Those who do not game much may find the Matrox Parhelia for 2D graphics and triple-head love. For those looking to make a true professional graphics workstation, a 3D Labs Wildcat 4 or upcoming 3D Labs Wildcat Realizm would probably be a better choice, at the expense of gaming performance. For those of you picking up a card capable of dual-head DVI use, make sure you pick up a dual link DVI to VGA adapter, as a dual link DVI cable is required for 1600 x 1200 operation on both outputs.

Sticking with the 6800 Ultra or X800 XT: if dual monitors are not enough, you may want to add a Matrox Parhelia PCI or something else to feed the extra monitors, or something more ordinary like a Matrox G450 PCI or ATI Radeon 7500.

Cost: US$575 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Sound:

M-Audio Revolution 7.1

For gamers, a Creative Audigy2 is probably a better choice. it has better gaming support and should give slightly better performance. The M-Audio is a higher-quality card that is substantially more versatile in terms of sound quality. If the M-Audio is hard to find, look for other good Via Envy24HT-based cards, such as the Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1.

Several other gaming-oriented soundcards are out there, including the old standby, the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz if you want more choices.

Cost: US$89 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Terratec DMX 6 fire 2496

For something closer to professional level audio, there are cards from Echo, Terratec, M-Audio, and others. The Audio/Visual forum members like a number of cards, including this one. Cards like these usually don't turn up on Pricewatch or Dealtime, but we know it is widely available at places like audiomidi.com and JDSound.com. Even a few computing places carry high-end audio cards now, like Central Computer.

Cost: US$199 (9/21/2004) [Product Page]

Communications:

None  on-board

In the God Box, we expect nothing less than Gigabit Ethernet, and today's on-board implementations cover this area very well. If more is needed, 3Com's 3C996BT is an excellent single-port choice.

Wireless solutions such as 802.11g, Bluetooth, and other technologies may have their place in the God Box as well, but they are not yet must-haves.

Cost: n/a (7/12/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

SCSI cards(s):

LSI Logic 21320-R

We need a quality SCSI controller capable of Ultra320 speeds for the God Box. Adaptec, Tekram, and LSI Logic are all competitive options. Dual Ultra320 channels should keep God Box users happy, although those whose focus is on a powerful disk system may wish to consider additional hard drives beyond our recommendation backed with a RAID controller such as the LSI Logic MegaRAID320-2X. We stick with PCI and PCI-X based cards for the moment; Xeon users may be able to switch to motherboards/chipsets with PCI-Express sooner than Opteron users for those who must have every bleeding edge upgrade. At the moment, PCI-X works just fine in the God Box.

Cost: US$135 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

LSI Logic LSIU40SEB

Finding Ultra320 controllers with separate channels to support narrow-SCSI devices (such as most optical drives) is possible, but a bit of a pain. LSI Logic's UltraWide adapter fills this need very well. Adaptec's infamous 2940UW is another excellent choice for this role.

Cost: US$30.52 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Hard drive(s):

Fujitsu MAS3735NP Ultra320 SCSI 68-pin

73GB, Ultra320 (320MB/sec peak) interface, 15,000 RPM, 3.3ms seek, 8MB cache. Fujitsu's 15K drive is even faster than the competition from Seagate, Maxtor, and IBM, which means it is a very fast drive standing at the top of a pile of already-impressive 15,000 rpm competition.

The fourth-generation Seagate Cheetah 15K.4 and other next-generation 15K competitors from Maxtor, Hitachi, and Fujitsu are eagerly awaited sometime this year. Product announcements have already been made, but actual product is not yet available to purchase. Sigh.

Cost: US$441 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Two Maxtor Atlas 10K IV 146.9GB 8B146L0

146GB, Ultra320 (320MB/sec peak) interface, 10,000 RPM, 8MB of cache for your data storage desires. For those who need the capacity, you can buy a few more and put them in a RAID array with a RAID controller such as the LSI Logic MegaRAID320-2, although at 146GB each, the capacity of even one of these drives is very respectable.

Next-generation 10K drives from Seagate, Maxtor, Fujitsu, and Hitachi are eagerly awaited, particularly the Seagate Cheetah 10K.7 and Maxtor Atlas 10K V.

For greater, more economical, but slower storage, consider IDE RAID. 3ware PATA and SATA controllers with a collection of 250GB 7200rpm ATA drives are much cheaper, but the Other Hardware denizens shoot down IDE RAID every time it is suggested for the God Box and we are inclined to agree. Still, for terabytes of storage, a 3ware 9500S-12 with a massive set of 7200rpm 250GB or even 400GB drives would be the most cost-effective way to build it.

Cost: US$572.50 each (US$1,055 total) (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Optical drives:

Toshiba SD-M1711

If you have any plans to make direct copies of CD-ROMs, you need a second drive. We are trying to stay all SCSI (with one exception) this time around, and the Toshiba SD-M1711 is one of the few good SCSI DVD-ROMs around. The old favorite, the Pioneer DVD-305S, has grown increasingly scarce, necessitating its replacement with the SD-M1711.

So many optical drives are becoming redundant in the God Box, but we recommend you keep at least two, with one of them being a multiformat DVD writer. Feel free to lose the DVD-ROM if you think it is an unnecessary extra, since the DVD writer can do almost everything.

Cost: US$156.99 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

NEC ND-3500A

DVD writers were the new thing less than three years ago. 8x writers were the new thing less than a year ago. Dual-layer writers just got here a few short months ago. Now, 16x DVD+-RW drives with 4x dual-layer support are already here, and they're affordable. The low prices of 16x DVD-writers make them an easy choice, even if high-speed media is difficult to find at the moment.

NEC's ND-3500A leads the pack for dual-layer burners (16x single layer, 4x dual-layer) at the moment. BenQ, Sony, Pioneer, and others all have 16x units worth looking at, too.

Cost: US$78.00 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Other media:

Exabye VXA-2 internal SCSI

80/160GB data backup is the choice here, recommended by Other Hardware forum members. An affordable solution that is big enough for the God Box's 300GB+ still eludes us, so we'll stick with the SCSI hard disk drives and the Exabyte VXA-2 for backup in this installment of the God Box.

The God Box really needs an autoloader to properly backup all of the data it can contain. This need is emphasized if you build a 12-drive, 4.8TB IDE RAID setup for your own personal variant of the God Box. Even without a massive SATA RAID to complicate backup, a single tape drive looks woefully inadequate. An autoloader of any sort is just too expensive to justify in the God Box's US$10,000~US$12,000 budget, so keep that shortcoming in mind.

Cost: US$858 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Case:

Coolermaster Stacker

A suitable case for the God Box never comes easy. You need superior cooling, capacity for drive expansion, along with construction, quality, and fit-and-finish worthy of the God Box. We have yet to find the ideal case.

For capacity and cooling, Chenbro's NET and ECHO server cubes are worth considering, as is the AMS CF-1009. Especially modified from coolcases which are very nice, with many possibilities. Lian-Li's PC-70 and PC-76 are worthy choices, as are their new V1000 and V2000 brethen.

The Coolermaster STC-T01 Stacker is the new chassis of choice for the God Box. Plenty of drive bays, dual power supply support, convertible to BTX standard, 120mm fans for cooling... it's pretty ugly to many, but it meets most of our other specifications. Not ideal for everyone, but a very capable chassis. Drive stealthing and other options abound if you desire. Try the Case and Cooling Forum for lots of options and examples on what to do and what's been done.

For those with more modest needs, check the Hot Rod and Gaming Box recommendations for smaller chassis. "Modest" and "God Box" rarely go in the same sentence, of course.

Cost: US$158 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Case accessories:

Assorted rounded cables from Case-Mod, Sidewinder, SV Compucycle, or others. Round floppy, round IDE, 50-wire SCSI and 68-wire SCSI cables  one of each in the longest size needed for the essential case detailing.

Cost: US$1.55 + US$2.45 + US$19.98 + US$19.98 + US$15.00 Silver floppy/silver 24" ATA133/two 4-device 68-wire SCSI+terminator/4-device 50-wire SCSI (9/21/2004)

Fan controller. Definitely a luxury item you could easily omit, simplify (with a normal FanBus), or increase in complexity!

Zalman, Coolermaster, Vantec, and a few other major names now make fancy units in addition to the less-flashy stuff from many others.

The Case and Cooling Forum would be happy to tell you what else they might recommend instead of something as pedestrian as a premade device, too.

Cost: US$28.99 (9/21/2004) [Product Page]

Power supply:

PC Power and Cooling Turbo-Cool 510 AG

The God Box needs lots of power, and up in this range, not many companies deliver. Antec's TruePower line have been very good, while Enermax's new Noisetaker line is also getting good reviews. PC Power and Cooling is always a favorite if you don't care about noise. Zippy/Emacs would be an even higher end choice if PCP&C's 510 AG is not impressive enough.

We would like to include a redundant power supply in the God Box, but it would needlessly complicate the recommendation, particularly because not all cases play well with redundant power supplies. Zippy/Emacs N+1 redundant units are very nice, very reliable, and very expensive, should redundant power supplies be a requirement for your personal God Box.

Cost: US$199 (9/21/2004) [Product Page]

APC Smart-UPS 1500VA

Power protection with a true line-interactive UPS  none of the cheaper automatic-voltage-regulation-only stuff in the God Box. We want sine wave output to keep sensitive components happy and enough capacity to handle LOTS of expansion. Keep your God Box protected, from the box itself to the monitor to, well, almost everything else attached to the God Box (except a laser printer!) on a UPS this large.

Belkin, TrippLite, Liebert, and others make excellent units as well. TrippLite in particular may be a better value, but for now we will stick with APC.

Cost: US$425.63 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Monitor:

Two Dell 2001FP 20" LCDs

20" 16ms 24-bit LCDs are here. Dell's 2001FP, NEC's 2080UX+, and others lead the way.

While LCDs still are not perfect, with a 16ms response time and almost as low grey-to-grey response times they become viable, legitimate alternatives for gaming. The God Box has demanded 20" LCDs for some time now, and the arrival of 24-bit 16ms LCDs is a welcome addition. Those seeking smaller or larger LCDs  such as the Samsung 213T or the Apple 23" Cinema Display on the large side, and the Samsung 710T and BenQ FP757-12 on the smaller side � may still have to wait for 24-bit 16ms units, but 2004 looks like a good year for those looking for those kind of LCDs.

21", 23", and larger LCDs exist as well. Samsung's 213T and 243T in particular are excellent recommendations. Those of you who truly lust after screen real estate could look at Apple's new aluminum 30" LCD Cinema Display

Gamers may wish to consider CRTs instead LCDs, such as the Sony GDM-FW900, Sony G520, Samsung 1200NF, etc. Do not limit yourself to LCDs buy what suits your needs best!

Cost: US$899 each [US$1,798 total] (9/21/2004) [Product Page]

Speakers:

Logitech Z-680

Extensive discussion in the Audio/Visual Club brought models from Klipsch, Logitech, Videologic (Digitheatre DTS), and Boston Acoustics into consideration. Logitech's Z-680, Cambridge Soundworks' Megaworks THX 550, and Klipsch's Promedia 5.1 are all standout choices, For those of you who do not need or want a 5.1 setup, the Diva M-200s are an excellent choice that seem to stand out among other two-speaker setups.

If you are spending this much money on a computer, you probably want something more elaborate in the form of a real home theater setup. We do not feel qualified to give such a recommendation, although our Audio/Visual forum members would be glad to help. Even the best computer speaker setups cannot compare to a modest, good quality home theater setup.

Cost: US$205 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Mouse:

Logitech MX700

The new Logitech MX1000 is laser-based optical, wireless, multiple buttons . . .

Logitech's lower-end MX510 and MX700 are excellent choices  buy what you like best, be it Logitech, Microsoft, or some other brand. Microsoft's new tilt-wheel mice are attractive as well. Specific applications often have specific needs that individual God Box builders may wish to look at in addition to a standard optical mouse, with wireless being worth the money for many.

Logitech's Cordless MX Duo includes the MX700 mouse with Logitech's wireless keyboard, which simplifies things for us. If you absolutely must have the latest toys, buy the MX1000 and keep the MX700 as a spare or something.

Cost: US$31 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Keyboard:

Logitech Cordless MX Duo

We recommend you buy a keyboard that you like  personal preference reigns here.

Logitech's cordless MX Duo includes the MX700 mouse in a complete wireless setup, and is a very flexible starting point for the God Box.

Many prefer conventional 104-key keyboards. Older "click" models from IBM and others are favorites for many, while some of us prefer quiet units such as Dell's Quietkey.

Cost: US$65 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Floppy:

Mitsumi 1.44MB

A floppy drive is still a basic tool for system construction, especially for pesky new pieces of hardware which are not supported by the bootable CD you are using. Increasing support of USB-bootable devices is helping, finally, but a floppy is still nice for those situations which always seem to bite you at the worst time. Teac is a name brand we like, but in reality, a random pull from a vendor is likely to be a quality Sony, Tea, Mitsumi, or other unit.

USB flash drives and other technologies (Iomega Zip, LS-120, etc.) have attempted to replace the floppy drive over the years. They get closer and closer, but the ideal replacement is not yet here.

Cost: US$4.95 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Total price: US$9731.99, not including shipping and handling (9/21/2004, no OS)

Recommended operating systems:

Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Linux, FreeBSD

While a computer is not much good without an operating system, these system recommendations are intended to be hardware only. But do not despair, we have some OS recommendations specially formulated for the God Box.

Windows 2003 Server

While 64-bit Windows is not here yet, this is as close as we can get. Windows 2003 Server is an excellent OS for those seeking to use the full power of the God Box . . . if the drivers are all there yet.

Cost: US$649.95 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Windows XP Professional

Windows 2000 with a lot more glitz and a few improvements. Gaming support is further improved over Windows 2000, and while some quirks due to the high level of feature integration remain, XP Professional is a choice many want to make. Be wary of SCSI performance issues in Windows XP, as mentioned by Storagereview's forums. Service Pack 2 should fix these issues, but the arguement still rages. . .

Cost: US$191.80 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Windows 2000 Professional

The appropriate professional-level OS for the God Box, considering Windows XP Professional's SCSI problems. Gaming support is good, but not as good as XP. If you don't need the power of 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional is the way to go.

Cost: US$134.99 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Windows 2000 Server

Take WinNT, add on some Win98 glitz and some all-around improvements, and you have Win2k. Gamers will be pleased with the improved gaming support over WinNT, and everybody can get something out of the improved stability over Win98, especially post-SP2. We recommend Server 'cause this powerful of a box is beggin' to have some visitors. But if you do not care about licensing, or have no plans of server domination, Professional will work just fine.

Cost: US$629 (9/21/2004) [Comparison shop for this item]

Linux

Take your pick of distributions and go nuts! Slackware, Debian, Red Hat, Suse and Mandrake, try Linuxiso.org or Cheapbytes.com, or others.

Cost: Free, or around US$50 for a prepackaged distribution like RedHat's (9/21/2004)

FreeBSD

Probably better hardware support than other BSDs, which is important for us. Try FreeBSD.org or other sites such as BSDMall or FreeBSDMall to purchase FreeBSD, or FTP it from a site like FreeBSD.org's FTP.

Cost: Free, or around US$50 for a prepackaged distribution (9/21/2004)



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