Project General Melchett. Stage 1.

Boxes arrive

Project General Melchett is my own, roll your own, home built Intel Core 2 Quad box for home.

Ordered yesterday, and delivered in pieces yesterday. Started the build at 10.30am and completed major parts at 1.00pm.

Motherboard

A big part of the decision process was should I install a new 45nm Quad Core Extreme. The current price difference between processors is a massiveAU$1000. Whilst having a processor that knocks your socks-off benchmark did seem attractive the price difference is too massive.

Instead, purchasing a motherboard that could install a 45nm processor in the future seems like a better plan. When there are more choices.

Q6600

The build was easy: the Corsair modular power supply was an good choice; the hardest part of the overall install was (a) installing slippery screws whilst bleeding from the finger tips (b) snapping in the heat-sink fan into the motherboard with the right amount of pressure. The fans, once turned on, were relatively quiet. Many pieces of rubber insulated metal-on-metal vibrations.

Motherboard in case

The cables are not housed in their final positions. The video card and external SATA connections remain.

Tomorrow is Vista Ultimate x64 install and tuning/tweaking/right-clocking. And waiting for the rare-as-hens teeth 8800GT video cards.

5 thoughts on “Project General Melchett. Stage 1.”

  1. I can see how this power is definitely needed so you are able to work at home, and 100% has nothing to do with the raw power that makes you giggle.

  2. HI Nick,

    Just reading about General Melchett and your plan to install Vista 64bit. I am running 64 bit Vista and it is awsome, no driver issues, bar one. The ipod touch doesn’t work with any 64 bit OS’s.

    I have to use my laptop for syncing which is far from perfect.

    Watch out!!

    alex.

  3. The new rig will look good on my new desk — arriving late next week.

    Dual Dell 22″ LCDs ordered, too. Cannot get higher/larger due to limited desk space.

    Mrsnickhodge should wire me into the network (Ethernet-over-power too expensive, wireless N not fully ratified yet and wireless G doesn’t like our building)

    Still waiting for the 8000 keyboard, and the 8800GT…

    … a summer holiday of coding approaches!

  4. Alex–

    Thanks for pointer on iPod Touch. Will be keeping the (work supplied) laptop for Email/comms only…and probably for iTunes duties, too. Don’t want to stuff up the x64 machine.

    Most of what I want to do can be done in Virtual Machines, except iTunes (flarking DRM)… come on, x64 time pplz

    … my current crush is on the new Dell XPS 1530s 🙂

    Nick

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