The Mother Board

[asgv]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post here and regarding a custom build period, so please bear with me.

I'm looking to build a server for work (Enterprise Software Development and some Graphic Work) as well as some gaming on the side.

Requirements:
- Ability to run MS Enterprise type of applications - SQL Server, MS ERP, MS CRM, SQL Server Analysis Services, MS Sharepoint, etc... typically consume large amount of hard drive space and significant amount of memory.
- Multiple Virtual Machines running at the same time (5-6)
- Ability to connect 2-30 inch monitors
- Be able to play any game I want on the two 30 inch monitors.

I've been looking through reviews, etc and have somewhat come up with a list, but would much appreciate any recommendations before draining the bank account.

Thoughts were:
- Corsair Obsidian 650D Case - not sure this will cut it, also looking at the 800D
- 2x Western Digital Caviar 2TB SATA III 7200RPM 64MB Cache
- 2x Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 WF 3x GHz Edition 3GB GDDR5
- Mobo - not sure looking ASUS P9x79 WS or Deluxe - any suggestions here?
- CPU - Intel i3930K seems to be the best bang for the buck...
- 4x Samsung 830 Series 2.5 inch 256GB SATA II RAID 1+0
- Memory: looking at G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 64GB (8 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133Mhz -

Price limit without the monitors is obviously as low as possible but am hoping to keep it under 4K. I've been looking around reviews on the dual proc mobos and am seeing very mixed opinions.

Also, I've done some reading on memory and am wondering if the above is worth the price tag?

Any suggestions, recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Cheers!

[kokalo]

TBH, you are asking for too much from a single PC...

Too many requirements pulling in too many directions. Even Grapics work and gaming will need different things from the GPU. High end GPUs from either field COULD do the work in the other, but they would not be perfect.

There is generally a reason why server(s) are in a rack, without KVM connected, and when you need to physically connect to one rather than remotely, you bring a crashcart over.

Buy an off-the-shelf server from HP Dell or Lenovo and then build yourself a machine to do the rest.

As for the multi CPU boards that are not server CPU aimed, IMHO more trouble than they are worth for a workstation/gaming rig.
i7 xxxxK (pref a 6-core variant) or an 8-core AMD would do fine for that.

There was an ASUS board that worked with i7s with 8 DDR3 slots, for oodles of RAM and a 3way XF/SLI option. depending on whether gaming or graphic work is more important go fo the appropriatte type of card.

If you are open to those options, give us some more details and you will get 2-4 opinions/suggestions generally within a couple of days.

Not saying that what you are trying to do is impossible, just that its akin to racing tractors or pulling a plow with a Corvette /wink
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