My Next Reference Desktop System: The Specs

Some of you may be aware from past posts that I'm slowly-but-surely assembling my next desktop PC, which I'll be using as the hardware foundation for EDN projects in coming months and years. My current Dell PowerEdge 400SC is getting a bit long in the tooth, even after a CPU transplant, and the NetBurst-based CPU inside it emits so much heat even under moderate load that the system fans consistently spin at high (and loud) RPMs. Below, in no particular order, are the hardware and software components planned for its under-development successor:

• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (quad-core) processor
• Intel D975XBX2 motherboard
• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (if all peripheral drivers are available) or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
• Four Kingston KHX8500D2/1G 1 GByte PC2-8500 DIMMs
• Four Western Digital Raptor 10K 150 GByte HDDs in RAID 5 configuration
• Pioneer DVR-109 optical drive
• Ultra Products Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case (Black)
• Ultra Products X-Connect 2 550W PSU
• Two Ultra Products 120mm fans
• ATI (AMD) All-In-Wonder X1900 graphics card
• ATI (AMD) TV Wonder 650 ATSC tuner card

This system's first significant use will come in my long-delayed but upcoming (May 10, 2007 cover story, I hope!) hands-on evaluation of various external mass storage interfaces; USB2, Firewire 400/800 and ESATA. Therefore I'll also be plugging relevant expansion cards into the motherboard's remaining PCI and PCI Express slots. I made some good progress yesterday during a 2-hour hole I wedged in my busy schedule, and I hope to have everything bolted together and smoothly running by the middle of next month.