Technology Blog

How to Build An Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition PC

Intel has just rolled out its fastest chip, the Intel Core i7-980X (codenamed "Gulftown"). We build a desktop PC worthy of its crazy-fast performance.    

DIY PC builders, rejoice! If you always need to have the most cutting-edge system—cost be damned—then the news of Intel's latest chip probably has you reaching for your credit card. The new Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition CPU is a six-core chip that promises crazy-fast performance (and a heft $1,000 price tag), the kind that will have you seriously considering scrapping the Core i7-975 system that you just built. We wanted to put together a system worthy of such power. This system is equally appealing to a casual user who's willing to invest in building a state of the art PC that will last you at least 5 to 7 years and possibly longer. 
The aforementioned six cores of the Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition are the most on any commercial CPU right now; and because of Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, the CPU actually functions as if it has 12 cores. Each core is capable of handling two simultaneous data threads so you will be hard-pressed to tax this chip to its limit. On top of that, the Intel's Turbo Boost technology will turn off unused cores and route power to the cores that are actually being used.
So what does this mean in terms of performance? The Core i7-980X Extreme Edition clocks in a 3.33 GHz but as with all of Intel's Extreme CPUs, it is made to be pushed. In fact the early OEM systems that we have in the Labs have been pushed to speeds of 4.1 GHz and 4.3 GHz. Videos that used to take minutes to render now render in seconds. In real-time strategy games like Napoleon: Total War, which have massive amount of action going on the screen at once, the effects of the chips is immediately visible. What were once blobs of slow moving armies are now individually moving soldiers running together.
Putting it Together
If you're going to drop a grand on a processor, then it stands to reason that you really should go all out on the rest of the system components, as well. Thus, I matched the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition with one of the highest-end graphics cards on the market today, the ATI Radeon HD 5970. The card gives you 4.64 teraflops of power from each of its two GPUS and each GPU is supported by 1 GB of GDDR5 RAM. Equally important is the fact that this is one of the few cards currently supporting DirectX 11. There are only a few games that use the DX 11 but more are coming to market every day. One important thing to note: The card is almost a foot long (yes, you read that right). So if you are thinking about using a different case than the NZXT Tempest EVo I went with, I advise you it measure in and out beforehand.
The Core i7-980X uses the LGA 1366 socket, so I chose the Asus P6T motherboard to go with it. It's a solid board with six DIMM slots for DDR3 memory and plenty of ports. Most importantly, you must go to the ASUS or Intel Website and download the new drivers for this card to make sure this board will work with the Core i7-980X chip. In terms of memory, I chose the three fast, reliable 2GB CSX Diablo DDR3, 2000 MhH memory sticks (for a total of 6GB). Should you need it, the motherboard can take a maximum of 12 GB.
To run such a powerful graphics card with this kind of power, you're going to need a serious power supply to support it. I went with the Ultra X4 1050W ATX Power Supply. It is also modular so you can select only the cords you need. This is a good thing, considering the amount of components you'll pack into the case.
As for storage, I chose two drives: one solid state drive (SSD) and a traditional spinning hard drive. The 256GB Crucial Real SSD C300 is big enough to fit plenty of data and some applications on along with the operating system, but we are going to use it mainly as a place to store Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. This gives us a quicker boot time and frees up the gigantic 2 TB, 7,200rpm Seagate Barracuda XT to store just about everything else.
This PC is very pricey but will serve you well for several years. It's ready for all of the DX 11 games that are coming, and the CPU is powerful enough to handle really any software on the market today. 

Parts:
Case: NZXT Tempest EVo - $100 Street
Motherboard: Asus P6T - $210 Street
Chip: Intel Core i7-980X - $999 List
HD (Spinning): Seagate Barracuda XT (2TB) - $300 Street
HD (SSD): Crucial Real SSD C300 (256 GB) - $759 Street
Blu Ray Drive: Lite-on 4x - $109 Street
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 5970 - $699 Street
RAM: 3 CSX Diablo DDR 3 (2GB) - $150 list
Power Supply: Ultra X4 1050W ATX Power Supply - $280 list
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate - $220 direct  


Step 1) Open up the side of the case. Set the case on its side on a flat surface.

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Step 2) Insert the motherboard risers into the case.

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Step 3) It's time to install the CPU. First, release the socket lever by moving it slightly sideways, then raise it to a 90-degree angle. Line up the chip, but don't force the chip into place. When you have the CPU lined up, bring the lever down and lock it back into place to make sure that the CPU is held securely.

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Step 4) Place a dollop of thermal paste on top of the chip. The compound conducts heat well and increases cooling efficiency by filling in the small spaces between the CPU and the surface of the heat sink. 

Step 5) Install the cooler on top of the CPU and clip it onto the motherboard. Yes I know it's huge, but it is actually better than pervious intel coolers.

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Step 6) Insert the RAM. The memory slots you use (you'll see several) will depend on your memory configuration, so consult the manual before you install the sticks. The RAM modules are designed so that you can't put them in backward—if one isn't going in, don't force it.

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Step 7) Install the power supply.

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Step 8) Set the motherboard on the risers and screw it into place.

Step 9) Open the front panel of the case and then take out the temporary face plates.

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Step 10) Install your graphics card and hard drives. Be very careful with a card this size, it can easily catch on assorted cords in the case.

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Step 11) Slide your optical drive into the front of the case.

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Step 12) Now that all the hardware is installed, it's time to start wiring. Find the 20-pin power socket on the motherboard, and plug in the matching power-supply connector. Do the same with the power plug that mates with the four-pin socket near the CPU. Finally, connect all of the leads from the external USB ports, indicator lights, the status display, and audio jacks to their appropriate motherboard partners. Next, do the same with the leads from the internal drives.

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Step 13) Your work assembling the hardware is done. Now you're ready to load Windows 7 and get to work.

(from internet)