PC World Community: PC World Dream PC Build : Tags : ati

Fired up all three monitors today, and as you can see--it's both impressive and takes a lot of space.

Turns out, Flight Sim X doesn't like Vista 64 very much, or the ATI drivers, or something. I couldn't get it to run anywhere close to acceptably. We knew games might be an issue, which is why we decided on the dual-boot system. Alas, I haven't installed XP Pro SP2 yet, so the uber-impressive FSim surround cockpit I planned to show you ain't happenin' yet. ATI's control panel needs some work in the multi-display area--it's so confusing that I wound up using the Windows version, which had the added benefit of actually working! A quick nod to Alan Stafford for suggesting that.

This next picture is of the Addonics 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch adapter. It also includes a 40-pin to 44-pin cable adapter which I won't need since the SSDs are SATA. I plan to drill two more holes so I can mount both SSDs on one adapter, leaving space in the case for the Ultra card reader/USB/FireWire front panel box. The SSDs produce hardly any heat so thermals aren't an issue.

I mentioned previously that I thought that the BIOS flash to the Adaptec 3405 might have been responsible for the D5400Xs BIOS freeze when I tried to change the boot order. Intel said I might be running out of option ROM space, what with two graphics cards, the Marvell eSata controller and the motherboard BIOS. I sure hope this is fixed/fixable on the shipping boards (this is an alpha) as I don't want to run the Iomega UltraMax Pro external drive off of USB. Not a fate worse than taxes mind you, but not optimal by any means. Intel's been very helpful in addressing these issues. Once upon a time, the company wasn't responsive in the least. Kudos to Dan and Colin.

Tomorrow it's back to plumbing the case. Thanks to Tiger Direct for getting all this stuff sent my way in a timely fashion.

Cheers, Jon

2 Comments Permalink Tags: addonics, ssd, sata, adaptec_340t, intel, d5400xs, ati, bios, esata, marvell, option_rom, iomega_ultramax_pro, flight_simulator, vista_64

I was afraid of this. I actually noticed that the D5400XS design places its PCI slots in between the first three 16x PCIe slots a while ago, but was hoping I could manage some room for my beloved EMU 1616m PCI sound card. If you know anything about the current crop of top-end graphics cards (or simply look at the photo featuring the two Diamond Viper 3870 X2's below) you'll know that owing to huge fans and heatsinks, they're extremely wide abeam. Alas, this high-carb horizontal profile also means that they often block access whatever slot is next to them. I'm guessing the less-than-optimal placement of these auxiliary slots is another sign of the D5400XS's server legacy--servers don't do games so thin, non-slot blocking graphics cards are the rule.

As you can see (or can't!), gone is access to both auxiliary slots. If I move one of the 3870 X2's over to the third 16x PCIe slot, I lose the last PCIe slot which I we need for the Adaptec 3405--not a viable option. That means I'm going to have to part with the EMU 1616m though I should be able to fit the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1800 tuner card in the third slot 16x PCIe slot. I don't want to go USB with the tuner as I've heard unflattering comments on that type's performance. What a bummer. I'll start looking at an external USB or Firewire audio interface. EMU's O404 is a nice unit and offers many of the same features as the 1616 and sounds almost as nice.

Look at the picture below, and you'll see that routing this mass of power cables is going to be painstaking as well. Each 3870 X2 (the X2 means there are two GPUs on board) requires both an auxiliary 6-pin and 8-pin PCIe power connection!!

By the way, resting on top of the power supply is one of the two Plextor BD-900 Blu-ray burners that will be on board. We couldn't get the LGs for some reason, but I've been a fan of Plextor's products for a long time now so I won't be shedding many tears. This means that along with the rest of the world, PC World has forsaken HD DVD. Sigh.

Next up is a plumbing issue. What fun! Actually, I mean that--I live for this stuff (and music). Some people do jigsaw puzzles, I do computers.