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Made some changes on my parts list above. Ordered everything from Amazon, paid a bit more on some items, but I like their return police and never had problem with open boxes, delivery time, etc.
The only thing pending is the Graphics Card (Quadro K1200) as I'm not sold out it's the best option for my purposes (and some possible coil noise according to Hulk).
I changed the case also (Rosewill Legacy U3-B). After much research I found something small that could house a MicroATX board. I couldn't find one without window, so I had to order via eBay from a vendor in Hong Kong (they name it Jonsbo U3-B, but it's the same case). I wanted one without window as I think it looks more professional (just my opinion) and also may be less prone to noise (but not sure if really makes any difference, probably not, but I'm paranoid about noise in my work environment mainly when I'm programming, writing or researching).
I received all parts with exception of the case and the keyboard. I will see if I put some pictures when I have time to build it in the next couple of weeks.
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
Any reason to why to put 2 times SSD ?
I have read that an SSD has a limited number of times it can rewrite the same cell.
(while this may still be a high number)
My system has one SSD and 2 normal disks. (it's a couple years out, it only crashed one single time)
and i have been overcharging it, with like ninjatrader running and having 3 extra virtual machines
with 3 ninjatrader instances, all running in parallel for back testing without any issue
Anybody any thoughts on that ? A system that is disk intensive with SSD ?
What does it mean in lifetime ?
The Samsung 950 Pro M.2 (512GB) will be used for booting (Windows 10 Pro) and trading software. The 850 Pro (1TB) will be used mostly as data storage (I have tons of documents from several projects and businesses).
The 950 Pro M.2 is one of the fastest SSDs you can buy (it outperforms SATA SSDs by over 4.5 times in sequential read and by over 2.5 times in sequential write, delivering the speeds of 2,500 MB/s and 1,500 MB/s respectively - Samsung SSD 950 PRO Overview | Samsung SSD).
These use V-Nand technology that supposedly solve the longevity issues of regulars SSDs (although the technology at this point is so good that you probably will not have any problems with any SSD). I debated going with the Pro Version (instead of the EVO) as they are more expensive, but this is my work machine so I'm not counting pennies. Someone can build a similar powerful machine for much less, but again the cool thing about custom build is to build the way you want with the parts you so desire.
I didn't want any 3.5"disk hard drive as my case is very small, and also I wanted to minimize any moving parts/noise. SSDs are cheap enough these days that it may justify the jump to a SSD storage based only computer.
I really like the Rosewill/Jonsbo U3-B case. It's small, has just one quiet fan, and fits a mATX board (so I can fit a video card and my TV Tuner card). I ordered the Jonsbo via eBay from Hong Kong and paid a bit more for it as the one on Amazon had a window, but now seeing how quiet this is, I feel I wouldn't need to worry about the window (although the lack of window does make it look more professional in my opinion).
The other think I really love is the DAS keyboard. Boy, I just love this keyboard and I highly recommend. I bought the Brown Switch soft tactile model, and it really makes me a much better typist. It was the best investment ever.
I feel divided about the Low Profile Be Quiet Shadow Rock fan. It's very quiet but I didn't like the way the fan attaches to the radiator. It's just a couple of hard wires that clip on the side of the radiator. I'd rather have screws. I actually assembled it wrong the first time, but then watching some videos on youtube I realized the correct way, it was better but still not that great. The i7-6700K CPU runs at around 48 C no matter what I do, so you don't really need a huge case with tons of fans. I'm overclocking using the one-click from the Asus UEFI bios (my CPU is running at 4400 GHz and my memory around 3GHz). I really like that the Asus UEFI finds the best overclocking for your machine. I did have a couple of hick ups though and may consider not overclocking at all. A couple of times when I booted I got a message from the bios that the system could not overclock and will start with default settings, but I never got a BSOD or anything like that.
I'm running without a video card at this point. It runs my 4K LG monitor (more later) without any problems with exception of the known bug with the I7-6700K HD 530 graphics. The monitor flickers once in a while, and Intel is working on a solution. If they come up with a solution soon I may stretch being without a card until I get another 4k monitor.
I'm surprised how energy efficient this thing is. I measured between 40 to 60W consumption only (although I haven't done a thorough test, I just plugged into the Wattameter after I built it).
The Samsung M.2 950 Pro is amazing this is the read/write speed I'm getting:
Before naysayers start to criticize me for some choices I do want to point out that I 'overdid' on many components (e.g. the PSU), and could have built a much cheaper system (yes, you can build a similarly powerful system for half the price!). But again that's why I like to build custom, because I can put the best components, assembly something within my specifications (quiet, energy efficient, etc.) and somewhat future proof in terms of upgradability.
I just want to put a post on the LG monitor I bought. After many visits to Fry's, Microcenter, and a couple of Amazon returns, I decided to go with the LG 31MU97C-B:
I really wanted something glossy like the HPs I use (and Apple monitors), but I couldn't find any 'real glossy' 4K monitor. I ordered a Lenovo 4K but realized that they also had a anti-glare coating, and I returned (the vendor itself considers the monitor glossy, but it's not like an Apple or HP glossy monitor as I expected). Again, before people criticize me, I want to say that I don't care about any glare. And although the LG is just awesome and one of the best 4Ks out there, I still think that some things look much better on my old glossy HP.
At 31" it's probably too small for most, mainly if you don't have great eyes, but for me I found it perfect (mainly in a future dual or 3 monitor set up).
Just an update on the build above. The i7-6700K does not support 4K monitors as of Mar 25 2016. There is an on going thread on the Intel Graphics forum about the flickering issue (google "Intel HD Graphics 530 driver causing screen flickering"). I had the same issue, and followed all Intel instructions without success.
Therefore, I decided to add a graphics card: Nvidia Quadro K1200. I'm glad I did, it performs super well (512 CUDA cores), super energy efficient (45W), and ultra quiet. I couldn't hear it at all since the fans on the CPU and case although also quiet were louder than the K1200. I highly recommend this card for your trading purposes, it can run 4 monitors at 4096x2160 (full 4k).
As far as the LG 31MU97C-B monitor, I can tell that I love it, but I did have some quality issues. The monitor had a problem with the main board, I called LG and they exchanged the board. In the process of removing and installing the new board the technician caused some scratches on the monitor case. I called them to replace the case, they ordered the new case, installed it and this time the technician himself realized there was a defect on the new case (a protuberance around the bezel). He ordered a new case and will install it next week. At this price point I do want a perfect looking monitor! Another issue that may bother some, I believe may be a problem with IPS monitors, but this monitor runs quite warm. I measured around 85 F if I put a thermometer right below the monitor. It's enough to feel some heat if you are close to the monitor. So, I'm debating now if I want a multi-monitor set up with this monitor. Most likely I will continue with my current set up and wait for the prices of OLED monitors coming to the market to fall in price and then have a multi monitor set up with all the same resolution. May have to wait 2 years, but I'm quite happy with what I have right now...
The DAS keyboard seemed to have a much more solid build and looked more professional. This thing is heavy due to the construction materials. Also, I didn't realize at the moment, but now I really like to have a volume dial on my keyboard. I see myself using it all the time, so much easier than pressing a button again and again. I have a Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2255 to watch CNBC (or Bloomberg) in my PC and the volume button is quite handy.
This is the best keyboard in the market in my opinion. If you are looking for a keyboard, go for it, you will not regret.
I've not tried the Ducky but I've tried several 'silent' (MX brown or Razer orange) mechanical keyboards - G710+, DAS, Razer, WASD - and the DAS felt the most ergonomic of the lot if that was your main deciding factor. The G1-G6 gaming keys on the G710+ though may be useful to some people and the WASD has the advantage of remarkable customizability and non-OS support for different keyboard layouts (useful if you use Linux or non-desktop UI OS).
For all of the mechanical keyboards, one thing I cannot do without is a wrist pad to elevate my wrists because of the height of the keys.
Just finished my new build. Thought I would share it here.
CPU: AMD FX-9590 BLACK EDITION (be careful with this one, only a few MBs support it and make sure you supply power to all connectors on the MB)
CASE: CORSAIR GRAPHITE 760T ATX
MB: ASUS CROSSHAIR V FORMULA-Z ATX
PRIMARY DRIVE: SAMSUNG 256GB 850 PRO SSD
DATA DRIVE: WESTERN DIGITAL 4TB BLACK EDITION
CPU COOLER: CORSAIR HYDRO SERIES H100I V2
PSU: EVGA SUPRNOVA 850W PSU
RAM: EVGA 16GB 8X2 DDR3 2400 DIMM
GRAPHICS: EVGA GTX960 4GB
The GTX 960 supports my 2 4K Philips monitors at 60 Hz. I have a development build also using the same monitors running Nvidia Quadro K1200. I am using both the DP and the mini-DP monitor inputs to support this configuration. This thing is under my desk now so the picture isnt that great but you see what I mean by supplying all the power to the MB: