Z97 chipset. Yarrgh...
 

Intel Z97 Chipset is out.

[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132124[/url]

Looks kind of cool, but I don't know if it means anything.

I think the idea is to better channel air flow over the VRMs, and other components which get warm. It does look cool, too

The general [URL="http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006520%2050001315%2040000280&IsNodeId=1&srchInDesc=sabertooth&page=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=280|13-131-976^13-131-976-TS%2C13-132-124^13-132-124-01%23&percm=13-131-976%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B13-132-124%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24"]Sabertooth design[/URL] ("Thermal Armor, Dust Defender") has nothing to do with Z97; only Z97 is new.
Mike [URL="http://mersenneforum.org/showpost.php?p=301906&postcount=46"]had one[/URL] of these with a Z77, two years ago.

And it still kicks ass!

:spot:

Hmm. I was just linking a random Z97 board.

It looks like a Haswell refresh. I'll have to wait for NeweggTV's talk about the chipset to learn more. J.J. from ASUS is pretty good at explaining this stuff.

I'm guessing it's not all that important for GIMPS. I was kind of hopeful it was a new CPU as well, but that didn't seem right.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372598]Hmm. I was just linking a random Z97 board.

It looks like a Haswell refresh. I'll have to wait for NeweggTV's talk about the chipset to learn more. J.J. from ASUS is pretty good at explaining this stuff.

I'm guessing it's not all that important for GIMPS. I was kind of hopeful it was a new CPU as well, but that didn't seem right.[/QUOTE]

Yes and no. It's supposed to be "with" the Haswell refresh(but not limited to).

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372584]Intel Z97 Chipset is out.

Looks kind of cool, but I don't know if it means anything.[/QUOTE]

Z97 has 2 flavors and the X99 is coming soon for the DDR4 memory support and Haswell-E chips ( more PCIE lanes ).
Here's a pretty good summary:
[URL="http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/intel_finalizes_spec_sheet_series_for_h97_z97_and_x99_chipsets.html"]http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/intel_finalizes_spec_sheet_series_for_h97_z97_and_x99_chipsets.html[/URL]

I'm not sure it is a good idea to have additional 2 small fans in the PC case... AFAIR there was already a time in PC history when active cooling was used to cool chipsets :smile:

[QUOTE=Cruelty;372843]I'm not sure it is a good idea to have additional 2 small fans in the PC case... AFAIR there was already a time in PC history when active cooling was used to cool chipsets :smile:[/QUOTE]

They still do for some highend motherboards :smile:

If it's cheaply available, I would love active cooling. Sadly, it's another block and two more fittings, or another heatsink and fan.

I think the heatsinks on some of the higher end boards are sufficient with decent airflow.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372888]If it's cheaply available, I would love active cooling. Sadly, it's another block and two more fittings, or another heatsink and fan.

I think the heatsinks on some of the higher end boards are sufficient with decent airflow.[/QUOTE]

Hmm, I guess I was thinking of [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157470"]this[/URL]:

I'd like there to be a Z97 equivalent of that. I don't know about the noise made by those fans. I know the Z77 Sabertooth had a pretty crazy network of heatpipes and heatsinks under the thermal armour and there were two fans cooling the assembly, but people complained about an exceptionally high-pitched and whiny noise.

ASUS's Maximus Formula boards have a built-in VRM waterblock. I can't use the one on my current board sadly, because I was greedy and took a 120mm Radiator on top of the 360mm. In the future, however, I would like to use the VRM block, and I might add a chipset block if I can figure out what fits and what doesn't.

A lot of X79 boards have fans. I guess they get hotter.

Suggestion for a good GPU hosting motherboard?
 

Sorry for this tangent, but clearly those participating in this thread know far more than I do on this topic...

In a couple of months I'm planning on putting together a new workstation for myself. Can anyone recommend a good motherboard which can host at least 4 GPUs (two are only single-slot, to drive three UHD monitors, the other two are double-slot) and up to 64 GBs of RAM (8 * 8GB)?

Looking around on newegg, I found the [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131802"]ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79[/URL] might be a good choice, but I don't really know how good ASUS products are.

Oh, and I'll probably go for a i7-4770 or i7-4470K, unless anyone can suggest a better choice.

Thoughts and/or suggestions?

[QUOTE=chalsall;372901]Sorry for this tangent, but clearly those participating in this thread know far more than I do on this topic...

In a couple of months I'm planning on putting together a new workstation for myself. Can anyone recommend a good motherboard which can host at least 4 GPUs (two are only single-slot, to drive three UHD monitors, the other two are double-slot) and up to 64 GBs of RAM (8 * 8GB)?

Looking around on newegg, I found the [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131802"]ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79[/URL] might be a good choice, but I don't really know how good ASUS products are.

Oh, and I'll probably go for a i7-4770 or i7-4470K, unless anyone can suggest a better choice.

Thoughts and/or suggestions?[/QUOTE]

The CPU and motherboard is incompatible, the CPU is LGA1150 and the MB is LGA2011.
[strike]
Not sure what you mean for the CPU... I'm assuming 4770K? If Prime95 is the only/main think you do, a 4670K is a lot cheaper for exactly the same performance.[/strike]

Nevermind, you said 64GB ram... which means you have to get LGA2011.. along with a [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600217725&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%202011"]LGA2011 CPU.[/URL]

EDIT: Hey, who put that avatar there? LOL

EDIT2: [URL="http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/x79-extreme4-dx79to-p9x79-benchmark,3138.html"]Six $200-$260 LGA 2011 Motherboards, Reviewed[/URL]
[URL="http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p9x79-deluxe-g1-assassin2-x79-ud5-extreme9,3086.html"]Ultimate X79? Five $320+ LGA 2011 Motherboards, Reviewed[/URL]

[QUOTE=kracker;372903]Nevermind, you said 64GB ram... which means you have to get LGA2011.. along with a [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600217725&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%202011"]LGA2011 CPU.[/URL][/QUOTE]

Thanks for your help. Clearly it's been a LONG time since I built a machine myself...

Anyone have any advise as to any other good LGA2011 MBs which will support four GPUs (again, only two are double-slot)? The review kracker pointed me to (thanks!) only has one board so able, but it's by a manufacturer I've never heard of before -- ECS.

The ASUS looks good (although pricey). The EVGA X79 Dark also looks quite nice (although also quite pricey, and currently out-of-stock).

Edit: Oh, and with regards to what this machine will be used for... Yes, Prime95 (of course), but also very large datasets for my computer vision / photogrammetry work. This is the reason for the desire for 64GB of RAM, and quad channel DDR3.

I hear ASUS is quite good, though I can personally vouch for ASrock, having 5.

You could try the ASUS P9X79 WS.

There's this rare class too -
[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131817"]ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS Dual LGA 2011[/URL]

[QUOTE=Batalov;372909]There's this rare class too -
[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131817"]ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS Dual LGA 2011[/URL][/QUOTE]

Oh yeah baby, and two of [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116925"]these[/URL]... wooohoo :razz:

[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128562[/url]

I just did a search on newegg. For 64 GB of RAM, you are necessarily restricted to the X79 chipset (for now) which means the LGA 2011 Socket. Filtering all boards for anything with 4, 5, 6 or 7 PCI-E 3.0 slots leaves a bunch, and this is the second cheapest one, with 62 reviews for an average of 4/5

4 GPU slots, 8 RAM module slots, only $260. Should be good!

Alternatively, you can try to wait for X99, which will give you juicy quad-channel RAM and a whole bunch of other goodies.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372914]4 GPU slots, 8 RAM module slots, only $260. Should be good![/QUOTE]

Thanks VERY much. That board looks like it will do nicely.

I'm so new at this (or, perhaps, so stupid) that I completely missed the "Narrow your Choices" option!

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372916]Alternatively, you can try to wait for X99, which will give you juicy quad-channel RAM and a whole bunch of other goodies.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm... Looks like the release date is still unknown, beyond "2H". Besides, I tend to try to avoid the "bleeding edge", and I'll want to take delivery of the kit by the end of July.

[QUOTE=chalsall;372919]Thanks VERY much. That board looks like it will do nicely.

I'm so new at this (or, perhaps, so stupid) that I completely missed the "Narrow your Choices" option![/QUOTE]

More likely it's a case of knowing what to look for. I do, but I didn't three years ago when I really started getting into this. It takes maintenance. I have enough interest in computer hardware that I keep myself up to date out of interest. I'm pretty much able to suggest a full build in less than thirty minutes given a framework of what the person needs.

[QUOTE=chalsall;372920]Hmmm... Looks like the release date is still unknown, beyond "2H". Besides, I tend to try to avoid the "bleeding edge", and I'll want to take delivery of the kit by the end of July.[/QUOTE]

This is exactly what I just referred to. The key is to build a computer TODAY for what you need TODAY as opposed to six months from now. It sounds like building a 2011 socket is a good idea.

If you need a hand with the rest of the hardware, let me know. The scariest thing is the price-tag on the cheapest six-core processor.

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128562[/url]
$242.99 here(US site). I'm not sure how things in Barbados works... :smile:

[QUOTE=chalsall;372920]Hmmm... Looks like the release date is still unknown, beyond "2H". Besides, I tend to try to avoid the "bleeding edge", and I'll want to take delivery of the kit by the end of July.[/QUOTE]

It depends on what's important to you, Chris. I believe no current LGA2011 cpu supports AVX2 instructions. I believe George's code uses AVX2 instructions quite effectively. OTOH, the LGA2011 cpus have the most PCIE lanes for supporting more GPUs. The Haswell-E refresh might be just the ticket, since it may include both. I'm @ work now so I can't research the details but you may want to wait for that cpu.
I remember reading a review in Tom's or Anandtech of 3 or 4 motherboards that use a special "switch" chip so that current Haswell cpus can address 4 GPUs. Without the chip, they can only address 2 or 3, and somewhat poorly at that.
I'll try to find it later.

[QUOTE=tServo;372946]It depends on what's important to you, Chris. I believe no current LGA2011 cpu supports AVX instructions. I believe George's code uses AVX instructions quite effectively. OTOH, the LGA2011 cpus have the most PCIE lanes for supporting more GPUs. The Haswell-E refresh might be just the ticket, since it may include both. I'm @ work now so I can't research the details but you may want to wait for that cpu.[/QUOTE]
AVX is supported in current LGA2011 CPUs from both i7-3xxx and i7-4xxx families. What's not available yet is FMA3.

[QUOTE=tServo;372946]It depends on what's important to you, Chris. I believe no current LGA2011 cpu supports AVX2 instructions. I believe George's code uses AVX2 instructions quite effectively. OTOH, the LGA2011 cpus have the most PCIE lanes for supporting more GPUs. ... I'll try to find it later.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your thoughts...

To put on the table, what is most important to me, in order, is:

1. Reliability -- being in Barbados means RMAs are *very* slow, and *very* expensive.
2. Ability to support 64 GBs of RAM.
3. Being able to support four GPUs (two to drive three 4K/UHD displays (I love lots of "real estate") and two for compute (mostly SIFTing)).

Further to the analysis:

A. I am not a "gamer"; I haven't played a video game in over a decade.
B. I am not into overclocking. I always run at stock speeds and voltages.
C. This machine is not intended to be a GIMPS powerhouse, although it will of course contribute when it's not doing "real work".

Because of this, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a 2011 solution, rather than wait.

[QUOTE=tServo;372946]It depends on what's important to you, Chris. I believe no current LGA2011 cpu supports AVX2 instructions. I believe George's code uses AVX2 instructions quite effectively. OTOH, the LGA2011 cpus have the most PCIE lanes for supporting more GPUs. The Haswell-E refresh might be just the ticket, since it may include both. I'm @ work now so I can't research the details but you may want to wait for that cpu.
I remember reading a review in Tom's or Anandtech of 3 or 4 motherboards that use a special "switch" chip so that current Haswell cpus can address 4 GPUs. Without the chip, they can only address 2 or 3, and somewhat poorly at that.
I'll try to find it later.[/QUOTE]

Prime95 does not use AVX2.

[QUOTE=kracker;372960]Prime95 does not use AVX2.[/QUOTE]
It uses FMA3 (if available) and it is a part of AVX2, at least according to [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Vector_Extensions#Advanced_Vector_Extensions_2"]Wikipedia[/URL] :smile:

Stock speeds sounds like a very, very good idea considering the amount of hardware you're looking at. With the thermal package you have, you don't want to be adding a couple hundred watts on top of everything.

Have you got a case in mind? It is going to need a lot of size and a lot of airflow, regardless of how your GPUs are configured.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372975]Have you got a case in mind? It is going to need a lot of size and a lot of airflow, regardless of how your GPUs are configured.[/QUOTE]

I don't, yet, have a case in mind. I've looked at a few on the "Egg", but they all seem to insist on glowing blue or red (using LEDs) in their fans. In my mind, that just consumes additional energy (although, admittedly, very little) without any benefit beyond the "look, my computer glows!".

Once I have converged on the MB, CPU(s) and memory, I will definitely seek your assistance for the cooling solution(s), PSU, and case.

You could make a case for waiting for DDR4 if you are going to want to have the option to upgrade the memory at a later date.

[QUOTE=henryzz;372978]You could make a case for waiting for DDR4 if you are going to want to have the option to upgrade the memory at a later date.[/QUOTE]

On the other hand...

If I want others to have taken the risk on the "bleeding edge", and I simple come after them knowing what they have learnt (the hard way), then going "2011" seems to make a great deal of sense....

[QUOTE=chalsall;372977]I don't, yet, have a case in mind. I've looked at a few on the "Egg", but they all seem to insist on glowing blue or red (using LEDs) in their fans. In my mind, that just consumes additional energy (although, admittedly, very little) without any benefit beyond the "look, my computer glows!".

Once I have converged on the MB, CPU(s) and memory, I will definitely seek your assistance for the cooling solution(s), PSU, and case.[/QUOTE]

Generally, 4 high-end GPU's in a enclosed case will overheat. Excluding liquid-cooled and the "funnel" style coolers.

[QUOTE=chalsall;372980]On the other hand...

If I want others to have taken the risk on the "bleeding edge", and I simple come after them knowing what they have learnt (the hard way), then going "2011" seems to make a great deal of sense....[/QUOTE]

That really doesn't happen too much...

[QUOTE=kracker;372985]Generally, 4 high-end GPU's in a enclosed case will overheat. Excluding liquid-cooled and the "funnel" style coolers.

That really doesn't happen too much...[/QUOTE]

I know this. And who said anything about four high-end GPUs?

My plan is to get a single slot GPU (with a "DisplayPort") to drive a 4K monitor at 60 HZs.

If I'm happy with it, I may get another (single-slot) card which can drive two more.

Meanwhile, I have two GPUs which need hosting -- a 560 and a 580 for compute.

I understand thermal dynamics. This will be an interesting experiment.

[QUOTE=chalsall;372986]
I understand thermal dynamics. This will be an interesting experiment.[/QUOTE]

In Barbados, no kidding. Y'all got air conditioning there yet? :wink:

What is your budget for the case? If you're absolutely bent on having no lights, a number of cases have LED switches for the built-in fans. Alternatively, it's a decently easy fix to swap them out.

[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133244[/url]

I've been looking at this one with great interest. The last time I was so interested in a piece of hardware I ended up buying it...

There is an LED switch. You can fit eight drives in it, I believe, and the modularity is second to none. Unused drive bays can come out for better airflow, and you can actually put two drives completely out of sight, so if you're doing a SSD + HDD kind of thing, you don't even need the drive bays at all.

It is a MASSIVE case. You can watch the video review by Newegg to get an idea. I think you're guaranteed one, maybe two 120mm fans at the bottom which will be a great thing for your GPU's (I'm looking at the GTX 580).

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372993]What is your budget for the case? If you're absolutely bent on having no lights, a number of cases have LED switches for the built-in fans. Alternatively, it's a decently easy fix to swap them out.

[url]http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133244[/url]

I've been looking at this one with great interest. The last time I was so interested in a piece of hardware I ended up buying it...

There is an LED switch. You can fit eight drives in it, I believe, and the modularity is second to none. Unused drive bays can come out for better airflow, and you can actually put two drives completely out of sight, so if you're doing a SSD + HDD kind of thing, you don't even need the drive bays at all.

It is a MASSIVE case. You can watch the video review by Newegg to get an idea. I think you're guaranteed one, maybe two 120mm fans at the bottom which will be a great thing for your GPU's (I'm looking at the GTX 580).[/QUOTE]

Or you could try Corsair for their no-nonsense-style cases.
[URL="http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139024"]etc, the Corsair Obsidian 750D with 3 fans, removable drive bays
[/URL]

[QUOTE=kracker;373000]Or you could try Corsair for their no-nonsense-style cases.
[URL="http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139024"]etc, the Corsair Obsidian 750D with 3 fans, removable drive bays
[/URL][/QUOTE]

That is the one I am targetting...

Luigi

[QUOTE=TheMawn;372993]There is an LED switch. You can fit eight drives in it, I believe, and the modularity is second to none. Unused drive bays can come out for better airflow, and you can actually put two drives completely out of sight, so if you're doing a SSD + HDD kind of thing, you don't even need the drive bays at all.[/QUOTE]

That looks quite nice. Thanks. From the reviews, it sounds like it has better airflow than the Corsair. And I really like the air filters (I have many cats).

And, yes, SSD for the root and /home/ partitions, then four HDDs in a RAID 10 configuration.

[QUOTE=chalsall;373033]That looks quite nice. Thanks. From the reviews, it sounds like it has better airflow than the Corsair. And I really like the air filters (I have many cats).

And, yes, SSD for the root and /home/ partitions, then four HDDs in a RAID 10 configuration.[/QUOTE]

So does the other case :razz: (just sayin')

[QUOTE=chalsall;373033] From the reviews, it sounds like it has better airflow than the Corsair. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=kracker;373034]So does the other case :razz: (just sayin')[/QUOTE]

Holy shit the Corsair case has better air flow than itself :max:

[QUOTE=chalsall;373033]That looks quite nice. Thanks. From the reviews, it sounds like it has better airflow than the Corsair. And I really like the air filters (I have many cats).

And, yes, SSD for the root and /home/ partitions, then four HDDs in a RAID 10 configuration.[/QUOTE]

Well, the drive bays are separated into three chunks. 3, 3 and 2, I believe, with two more "stealthy" ones that can hang from the back. You would be able to get rid of all but one bay if you think that it would benefit the airflow enough.

Either way, it's just a thought. That 750D from Corsair does look quite nice, too. More office-friendly maybe.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;373065]Either way, it's just a thought. That 750D from Corsair does look quite nice, too. More office-friendly maybe.[/QUOTE]

But, as the video on the 750D shows, the front two fans are behind a panel without perforations -- it appears the input air comes from the bottom of the case, probably through a narrow gap.

Therefor, the fans are "sucking on a vacuum" rather than ambient air pressure. Rarely a good idea nor optimally efficient.

[QUOTE=chalsall;373073]But, as the video on the 750D shows, the front two fans are behind a panel without perforations -- it appears the input air comes from the bottom of the case, probably through a narrow gap.

Therefor, the fans are "sucking on a vacuum" rather than ambient air pressure. Rarely a good idea nor optimally efficient.[/QUOTE]

Might be spaces in the sides too. I can't tell if that is so, or not either. :razz:

[QUOTE=chalsall;373073]But, as the video on the 750D shows, the front two fans are behind a panel without perforations -- it appears the input air comes from the bottom of the case, probably through a narrow gap.[/QUOTE]

My Fractal Design case, which I now regret getting, has columns of ~1" wide slots the full height of both sides of the front panel to let air in when the front door is closed.

another 750D YouTube review
[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCqSFB1wWl0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCqSFB1wWl0[/URL]

[QUOTE=kracker;373080]another 750D YouTube review[/QUOTE]

LOL... A train crash in slow motion....

[QUOTE=chalsall;373082]LOL... A train crash in slow motion....[/QUOTE]

:rofl: Yeah, he has that personality. Albeit more in that video than others.

Back to Z97... Benchmarks at anandtech show nothing really special, Devil's Canyon will be interesting though.
[url]http://anandtech.com/show/7963/the-intel-haswell-refresh-review-core-i7-4790-i5-4690-and-i3-4360-tested[/url]

Also, as always...
[URL="http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mainstream-gaming-z97-motherboard,3824.html"]Intel Z97 Express: Five Enthusiast Motherboards, $120 To $160[/URL]

A decent place to start is NeweggTV's Z97 videos. They've got a bunch of different manufacturers interviewed. The guy from ASUS is the most knowledgeable (and also the one who talks the most). Most of the highlights are what the manufacturers think is special about Z97 and what they've done with the boards.

In other words, nothing much new. The M.2 SSD form factor is pretty cool. I might have to sink my teeth into that one. A hard drive with a lower profile than a RAM stick.

SATA express is going to be interesting too, once the drives start coming out and become affordable. ASUS is going to release their own box which will hardware RAID two SSD's that you put into it, which should come close to saturating the SATA express header.

[QUOTE=TheMawn;373369]A decent place to start is NeweggTV's Z97 videos. They've got a bunch of different manufacturers interviewed. The guy from ASUS is the most knowledgeable (and also the one who talks the most). Most of the highlights are what the manufacturers think is special about Z97 and what they've done with the boards.

In other words, nothing much new. The M.2 SSD form factor is pretty cool. I might have to sink my teeth into that one. A hard drive with a lower profile than a RAM stick.

SATA express is going to be interesting too, once the drives start coming out and become affordable. ASUS is going to release their own box which will hardware RAID two SSD's that you put into it, which should come close to saturating the SATA express header.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I watched them all as well :smile: