Part 2

We didn’t like where we were….so we took off in another direction...

Determining which motherboard to choose and deciding whether we should opt for an Intel or AMD platform was a source of much debate within our ranks. We were intrigued by the Albatron PX845PEV Pro motherboard which was introduced about the time we started this project. By all accounts this motherboard which is based on the Intel i845PE chipset was a great overclockers, had a very nice feature set, and was well priced for what it delivered. After reviewing the PX845PEV Pro, we knew it would become a part of this project.

The specs from the manufacturer's site:

We decided to match a P4 2.4G Northwood and a 256MB Corsair XMS3200C2 memory stick with the Albatron PX845PEV Pro motherboard.

Well, now we were set, right? Wrong! Once again the seeds of uncertainty reared their ugly head. We came to the conclusion that we were not leveraging our CalPC server case to its full capabilities. In order to maximize its full functionality, we just “needed” another motherboard. Now that we decided to change course, we had to decide on the next motherboard and platform to use. We concluded that the nForce2 chipset was much too promising to pass up. We got our hands on a Chaintech Zenith 7NJS motherboard which made our decision an obvious one.

The specs from the manufacturer’s site:

The processor of choice was the XP2600+ which runs at a 166 FSB at default. In order to take advantage of the nForce2’s dual channel memory, we acquired 2 sticks of our favorite memory; the Corsair 256MB 3200C2.

What was once a clear vision turned amorphous. Now it was regaining shape, but there were so many decisions that still needed to be made…we were still wandering in the dessert.

Part 3

Some one needs to establish some order.  Time to lay down the law...

At this point our salvage project had unofficially gone by the wayside.  It was time to regroup and decide what our driving principles and desired outcomes would be. We decided on the following:

1.  We had to live up to the name ExtremeMhz and everything it implied.  Our focus was now on maximizing our dual system’s performance.  We had already taken some steps towards this end through our choice of motherboards, processors, and memory.

2.  Cooling was going to be of primary importance.  We wanted to experiment with the newest water blocks on the market.  In addition, we also wanted to try our hand at the next level of cooling through the use of TECs (Peltiers) if at all possible.

3.  In keeping with the theme that was now being established, our storage subsystem had to perform at a level consistent with the rest of the components.

4.  For aesthetic purposes, all components should be self contained where possible.

5.  Performance was the name of the game for this project.  Modifications were to be limited to increasing functionality.  Sorry, no windows or glowing fans this time around.

6.  The sound of 2 systems operating concurrently with all the cooling we envisioned could very conceivably lead to very uncomfortable noise levels, therefore, every attempt would be made to balance performance and to manage sound levels in order to make the user’s experience as enjoyable as possible.

7.  The involvement of our faithful is important.  We established a Work Log for this project where forum members were encouraged to participate in the outcome.

8.   We had to differentiate ourselves through innovation.

Installment 2 has been released: Click Here!

The final Installment: Click Here!

Questions? Comments?  Discuss them here!

For background information, check out our work log here!