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building a pc, any input? (pls don't hate me)

3

3nm

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 30, 2006
991
0
background:
i've been thinking about upgrading my two 24/7 file servers, G4 cube and pII dell, as my winter projects. while both computers have been reliable, these two systems are already over a decade old. knowing that parts for the cube are not wildly available, and that both computers will eventually fail got me into thinking of building my own pc.

purpose:
24/7 file server, ability to clone my current and future mbp's hdd, it'll also serve as a backup computer when mbp is in the shop

goal (in the order of importance):
recycle parts frm cube/dell, affordable, expandable, energy efficient, 10.5.1 compatible :p (don't worry, i'll still buy an apple. the next one will be the ultra light weight mbp)

parts list:
atx case: linkworld 431-06 aka cheap macpro knockoff $44.99@newegg
psu: thermaltake pureppower 500W $49.99@newegg ($24.99 after rebate)
cpu: athlon x2 be-2400 2.3ghz 45W $99.99@newegg
logicboard: dfi infinity nforce4 ultra (maybe $70-80 on ebay?)
graphics card: xfx geforce 7600gt 256mb pci-e $87.99@newegg ($67.99 after rebate)
ram: a-data/corsair/kingston 184pin pc3200 2x1gb ~$40.00@newegg
hdds (4 so far):
OS - samsung spinpoint 500gb $105@newegg free shipping
NTFS1 - WD GP 1tb (frm cube project)
NTFS2 - samsung spinpoint 1tb (on hold, or i'll put in my old seagate 750gb pata)
MBP CLONE: maxtor pata 250gb frm dell (might replace it, depends on ultra light mbp's hdd)
optical: Sony NEC Optiarc cdrw/dvdrw $25.99@newegg free shipping
lan: onboard + pci GbE card frm dell
wlan: pci wireless g (frm dell)
bluetooh: d-link usb dbt-120 (frm cube)
ups: ibm smart-ups 750v (frm dell)

thx in advance. :)

EDIT: i appreciate the sentiments you all have expressed towards the knockoff case. however, pic is now taken off cos the focus of the thread should be the hardware configurations of the system.
 
Not to "hate" on you or anything, but installing OS X on non Apple hardware is against the EULA. Also, the hardware will not be able to take full advantage of the OS. Mac use Intel CPUs, but they are still Macs and the hardware configuration does differ from that of a PC.
 
And that is the ugliest, nastiest cheap Mac Pro rip-off plastic case in the history of the world. We need to see the pic? You need to see it in person.

Do yourself a favor, avoid ridicule and get a normal looking case.

Also, discussing illegal installations of Mac OS X here is not allowed, not that you would want to do that anyway, as it will be much toil and hassle to get a never-quite-working-properly system.
 
dpaanlka said:
And that is the ugliest, nastiest cheap Mac Pro rip-off plastic case in the history of the world. We need to see the pic? You need to see it in person.

Do yourself a favor, avoid ridicule and get a normal looking case.
Click to expand...

it's a cheap knock off, and the price does reflect that. however, i'm afraid it's one of the better looking ones out there.

dpaanlka said:
Also, discussing illegal installations of Mac OS X here is not allowed, not that you would want to do that anyway, as it will be much toil and hassle to get a never-quite-working-properly system.
Click to expand...

take a chill pill. i'm not seeking any advices on running OS X on this custom built pc. compatible means possible, doesn't mean that OS X will be installed. the drive configurations are what i have in mind, but the system will be running XP Pro 24/7 (thus the 2 NTSF drives).
 
twoodcc said:
why not sell the cube? i'm sure there are always people around that want one. what are the specs of it?
Click to expand...

for sentimental reasons, i'm not planning on selling the cube at the moment. but it's one of the rare ones that came w/ a 500mhz. it also got 1.5gb ram, superdrive, airport, and bt. i've been working on putting an WD energy efficient 1tb hdd in it, but i'm not sure if it's worth all the trouble (software/hack + sata-ide bridge).
 
dpaanlka said:
It really isn't.
Click to expand...

instead of saying "it really isn't" and keep commenting how cheap the case looks, i'll appreciate if you (and others) could:

a.) suggest alternative solutions

b.) provide feedback on the hardware configurations
 
Actually, a Cube processor upgrade would probably make that thing quite a fantastic performing server.

Intel processors should not be a requirement for serving stuff.

Sonnet offers up to 1.8GHz:

http://sonnettech.com/product/encore_stg4.html

BiTurboMunkie said:
instead of saying "it really isn't" and keep commenting how cheap the case looks, i'll appreciate if you (and others) could:

a.) suggest alternative solutions
Click to expand...

I'm trying to save you from the embarassment of owning that thing. I've seen it in person, it's really bad. It doesn't just look like a cheap plastic knock-off, it looks like a horrendously cheap plastic knock-off shipped direct from inland China without any real attempt at looking somewhat acceptable or anything like it's inspiration.
 
dpaanlka said:
Actually, a Cube processor upgrade would probably make that thing quite a fantastic performing server.

Intel processors should not be a requirement for serving stuff.

Sonnet offers up to 1.8GHz:

http://sonnettech.com/product/encore_stg4.html
Click to expand...

the cube runs great as a server w/ the current setup and tiger. but if my WD green power mod works, then i might think about upgrading to powerlogix dual 1.5 or 1.7, and perhaps a more capable graphics card also. however, heat remains an issue with the cube and the thought of its logicboard, power brick, etc. might fail one day is not exactly great.


dpaanlka said:
I'm trying to save you from the embarassment of owning that thing. I've seen it in person, it's really bad. It doesn't just look like a cheap plastic knock-off, it looks like a horrendously cheap plastic knock-off shipped direct from inland China without any real attempt at looking somewhat acceptable or anything like it's inspiration.
Click to expand...

i've yet to see it in person but i'm not exactly satisfied when i looked at the pix on the internet. hopefully fry's has one so i can see how bad it is. i can also reuse the dell's case if i have to.
 
BiTurboMunkie said:
powerlogix dual 1.5 or 1.7
Click to expand...

I would stay away from PowerLogix upgrades. They are notorious for failures, randomly introducing and dropping products, massive recalls, etc.

This coming from a guy who works at OWC (which is physically located near me).

From my own experience, I've had about three processor cards from PowerLogix fail on me, in various systems, including an AGP G4 tower.
 
I was just going to start a thread about exactly this, but then I saw this thread.

I want to build a PC just for fun, because I've never done it before. I've pretty much put together a collection of parts on Newegg, but how do I know whether or not all the parts and their drivers will be compatible? I ask because I've heard horror stories left and right about hardware incompatibility.
 
BiTurboMunkie said:
for sentimental reasons, i'm not planning on selling the cube at the moment. but it's one of the rare ones that came w/ a 500mhz. it also got 1.5gb ram, superdrive, airport, and bt. i've been working on putting an WD energy efficient 1tb hdd in it, but i'm not sure if it's worth all the trouble (software/hack + sata-ide bridge).
Click to expand...

well, if i were you, and i needed something more, then i'd sell the cube. you'd get at least $200 - $300 for it.
 
I looked at building a PC for my parents recently, but when I looked at the costs involved... the certain overspend on incompatible parts and the pain in the ass of drivers... I went with them to PC World where they found just a box that does all they need for £400.

Not worth building one for that, unless your an intense gamer or something

and..
without wishing to be rude, but the OP must be the most clueless timewasting numpty on the planet... If you want a Mac, go buy one, why mess about building one with hardware thats not gonna perform to its best and potential compatibility issues.
Your spending your money on a computer you've had to spend the time building, thats gonna give you nothing but problems, and look awful in a cheap chinese case.

And why mess about with a cube by adding a hard drive? If your that desperate why not hook up an external
 
thecritix said:
and..
without wishing to be rude, but the OP must be the most clueless timewasting numpty on the planet... If you want a Mac, go buy one,
why mess about building one with hardware thats not gonna perform to its best and potential compatibility issues. Your spending your money on a computer you've had to spend the time building, thats gonna give you nothing but problems, and look awful in a cheap chinese case.
Click to expand...

as mentioned, above setup would be running xp pro 24/7. however, possibility is one of the reasons to custom build a pc.
i think the "background" section explains pretty well on how i came to thinkin of building my own system. to minimize foreseeable problems in terms of hardware configurations under xp pro, i've posted this thread. however, there seems to be more aesthetic sentiments towards the proposed case than any other comments about the system's hardware. for the record, my mbp's case is made in china. the above el cheapo macpro knockoff's made in thailand. but who's keeping track? as your screen implies, everyone's teh critic, right? ;)

thecritix said:
And why mess about with a cube by adding a hard drive? If your that desperate why not hook up an external
Click to expand...

because a project means more than merely hooking up an external drive to firewire 400. also, the specs of the gp drives are well suited for the cube.
 
BiTurboMunkie said:
because a project means more than merely hooking up an external drive to firewire 400. also, the specs of the gp drives are well suited for the cube.
Click to expand...

What are these green power drives you speak of? Do they have lower power requirements? I was trying to think of ways to reduce the energy costs of running my Mac Pro Quad Xeon 24/7.
 
i did almost the same thing and it worked out perfectly. I opted for a 7900GS and an athlon x2 4000+. i have windows xp on one hard drive, but i also going to install leopard on a separate hard drive. i honesly love how many ppl feel they are the first to inform you that installing OS X on a pc is not legal. duh.
 
dpaanlka said:
What are these green power drives you speak of? Do they have lower power requirements? I was trying to think of ways to reduce the energy costs of running my Mac Pro Quad Xeon 24/7.
Click to expand...

western digital carviar gp 1tb, which supposedly adjusts its rotational speed (5200-7200 rpm) to maximize performance and minimize power consumption. though i think that it's actually just a glorified 5200rpm hdd, cos increasing speed on the spot would mean an increase in power. think of it as a prius - it saves energy but it's no performer, which will work out great for 24/7 file server/cube. you might wanna look at samsung spinpoint 1tb if you want performance and some energy efficiency.

edit: note that the gp drive i have is not raid-friendly. i think WD made an enterprise version that allows raid.

jamesi said:
i did almost the same thing and it worked out perfectly. I opted for a 7900GS and an athlon x2 4000+. i have windows xp on one hard drive, but i also going to install leopard on a separate hard drive. i honesly love how many ppl feel they are the first to inform you that installing OS X on a pc is not legal. duh.
Click to expand...

awesome! do i see a fellow aggie? ;)
 
I swear I read somewhere it is legal to install OS X on a PC if you're an official developer. Is this true? :confused:
 
BiTurboMunkie said:
background:
i've been thinking about upgrading my two 24/7 file servers, G4 cube and pII dell, as my winter projects. while both computers have been reliable, these two systems are already over a decade old.
Click to expand...
Wait. How is a G4 Cube, which was first introduced in July 2000, already over a decade old? :confused:
 
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