The Asus M4A785TD-M EVO mATX motherboard is a very nice example of Asus’ professional class line of motherboards.  The motherboard is the heart of a computer system and the CPU the mind if you will. What sets this board apart from most every other make and model are the following:

• Great cost to performance & toughness ratio
• Solid Core Capacitors throughout board (tough)
• Very Powerful yet energy efficient
• Huge upgrade path for CPUs with “Buy Back” plan*
• Very strong integrated Video controller (2D & 3D)
• 3 year, full replacement warranty from Asus
• Exceptional tuning & optimization in Bios
• Integrated multi-display & HDMI
• Exceptional integrated HD Audio
• Completely Safe Overclocking for all AM2-3 CPUs

*I Buy Back working components when time to upgrade

The AMD Phenom II x2 550 Black Edition Dual Core CPU is currently one of the best price to performance ratio CPU’s available. The “Black” denotation indicates that this CPU is unlocked allowing the end user to safely Overclock within the thermal confines of the CPU cooler and air flow of the case as well as the environment the PC will be located in.  Obviously if the unit is in an enclosed desk it will run much hotter then if it is located in a well ventilated area. We provide safe optimizations, pretested. Advantages to this CPU are:

• This CPU / Motherboard combo is $100 less then the Intel combo of the the same performance class
• Great price to performance ratio for around $100
• 3 levels of CPU cache for a total of 7MB
• 45nm die size for excellent thermal to power ratio
• combined with M4A785 = great energy efficiency
• 3 year full replacement warranty from AMD

In every system with a high performance CPU we use Heat Pipe coolers for best case thermal to performance ratio. Coolers such as the Skythe Mugan or CoolerMaster Gemini (shown here) produce water cooler level drop in full load temperatures and easily fit into the CoolerMaster or other full size cases. Both coolers produce excellent cooling in the 590 without the need for fans but in the case of more extreme overclocking, fans can be added. Benefits included:

• Much better thermal conductance & full load temps compared to stock cooler
• Quiet operation
• Long Life fan
• 6 Copper Heatpipes and copper transfer plate
• Cooler looking

One of the most misunderstood aspects of computing is memory choice. Rarely do Big names equip systems with optimal memory configurations and some even equip systems with combinations that loose 30% of the system’s possible performance.  In all new systems matched Pairs or Treos (depending on design) are absolutely mandatory.  Memory frequency and low clock latency are also very important. This system uses the new DDR3 class memory in a Dual Bank configuration so that 2 or 4 matched DIMMs (memory sticks shown on the right) are required. Next low latency is expressed as CAS or CL rating and is a reference basically to the number of clock cycles between Data packets held and released through the DIMMs.  The frequency is also difficult because the M4A785 series motherboards can support 1066, 1333 and 1600 MHz which in truth is actually only half of these. So two 533MHz DIMMs are expressed as 1066 and so on.  To make things more confusing, the higher the frequency, the higher the latency.  So I am suggesting we use the lower cost 1333 DIMMs with CL7 rating vs. 1600 DIMMs sporting CL9 rating.  Though the 1600 pair are faster the 2 clock cycle loss reduces performance enough to not warrant the much higher cost.  Diminishing returns in other words.

Advantages to this memory configuration are:

• 4 matched 2GB DIMMs for a total of 8GBs, ideal for Windows 7-64bit during heavy use
• 1333MHz with tight latency of CL7 for exceptional cost to speed ratio
• Lifetime warranty which really translates to about 5-6 years useful lifespan
• improved integrated Video performance due to great memory bus performance
• aluminum jacketed DIMMs for optimal memory chip temps even overclocked
• low cost to density to performance ratio

Hard Drives are an important aspect and also quite misunderstood as well.  Hard Drives come in several varieties. Big Player high volume units (slowest), Consumer grade (retail box, so so), File Server grade (best cost to performance to toughness ratio), Enterprise class File Server (Fastest, Toughest & most expensive).  I most often recommend Western Digital “Black” AALS drives or Seagate NS drives, both with the following:

• 32MB of I/O cache (on faster systems with Win7, a nice performance advantage is experienced)
• 7200rpm Spindle Speed (minimum performance standard)
• File Server grade for higher MTBF rating (Meantime between Failure, i.e. longer expected life span)
• full 5 year warranties on this class of drive form WD or Seagate
• good cost to performance to warranty ratio
• We would use 2 of these, one in the system and one in the External BU drive housing

Most systems just come with basic DVD optical drives with some burning capability but I’d like to equip your system with the best BluRay Burner on the market which also happens to be the least expensive, go figure...  The LG 8x BluRay Burner is kind of a do it all optical drive with the following benefits:

• 25GB & 50GB BluRay 8x Burning capability / 2x Rewritable 25GB burning
• Full DVD / DVD-DL / CD / burning capabilities
• LightScribe capability (etch artwork & titles onto top of media, in drive)
• Low cost to functionality ratio (only a 1 year warranty though)
• really nice to have 25GB of space to burn your data to!

There so many cases to choose from with even more PSU (Power Supply) choices for any given system.

I have always utilized case/PSU combinations appropriate to the user but always of the highest quality possible.  The main two things a case must have are good to great air flow and a good PSU.  Due to your interest in occasional Gaming the CoolerMaster Centurion 590 is an excellent choice:

• Ideal air flow with the right choice of 6 - 120mm ball bearing fans
• Frees you to use full height Video Cards
• Allows use of large Heatpipe CPU HSF (Heatsink / Fan combo)
• Mixed with the OCZ 700watt 80+ PSU, very stable, long life.
• great cost to performance to longevity ratio*
• Reasonable 20” x 18” x 8” foot print
• Excellent upgradability in many ways including Water Cooling
• Very long expected lifespan, reasonable cost to replace

Things to consider with this type of case:

• *MUST be plugged into a quality Surge Suppression power strip or UPS
• **Must be in a well ventilated area or in a cubby with open back & front
• Slightly noisier due to very effective fan array

OCZ ModXtreme 700watt PSU (very nice!)

There are so many keyboard and mouse combos we could choose or recommend but Microsoft’s Retail Wireless Laser Desktop 3000 is probably the most elegant and comfortable with ambidextrous mouse. Benefits are:

• very gentle touch keys (really saves your fingers once you get used to it)
• thin elegant design with a very slight ergonomic curve, very likable!
• AA Rechargeable batteries last very well in this unit, hint, hint...
• cost to performance to looks ratio is pretty good

Where to begin on this OS?!

Windows 7 - 64bit Home Premium or Ultimate would be my choice with Ultimate being the more feature rich OS for $175 or so for the OEM version.  Windows 7 is such a joy to use once you get used to it. Under the hood Windows 7 sports an entirely new DNA denoted only slightly by very elegant user interface. Some very cool aspects are:

• Simple, Striking and Focused interface designed by Microsoft and part by me (the Mac-ish like launch system shown above from an actual Win7-64 Ultimate system)
• New DNA that hugely improves Security, Stability and Performance
• Amazing compatibility; most older Windows Software will work
• Windows Live update (in most cases instant driver installs without any disk required) and so much more, significantly reduces bulk in the OS...
• Faster Boot and Shutdown times
• Much More efficient management of power with new hardware (lowers energy costs)
• Every program looks and works better in Win7 the any previous OS
• Data Management System made possible by MS and designed by me...
• Easy, Solid Folder & Drive Encryption for Data protection

EE Knight - Windows 7 House system Spec.        590 Case Specifics HERE / Final System Specification list HERE

Hi Eric,
I’ve made some modifications to this Web Page with regard to some of the things we’ve been chatting about to help sum up the basic direction your specification has been headed in and at the bottom, included images of the alternate Home Entertainment Shoe Box case.

Former overview:
I thought the best way to convey so much information on what is ideal would be to make a nice site for you to browse when you have a few moments.  No doubt you’ll have a number of questions so feel free to write them down and let’s chat about them.  You are also welcome to call anytime if you’d prefer to verbally chat about things.  With regard to that note I just want you to know that any and all personal information, this project, phone number, e-mail and this Web site are all kept in complete confidence, always with the exception of my family who all see me working every day on various systems, quotes and so on. My boy Gaelon (14) is excited that I am chatting about computers with you but also knows all is confidential with all my clients.  The below System Spec. costs approx $1300 and my highly refined installation, called the “ExecClassConfig”, about $600 not including shipping or extras.  The Grand Total on this system would be about $1900

Backing up your system comes in two forms that both reside on one very nice BU device (shown here). The Western Digital Black series drives, one in the system and on in this housing.  I provide two very important pieces of software for BU (backup).  One is a complete Disk Imaging solution for doing occasional Disk Image of your main system drive which is the primary fall back position in case of loss of the system drive. Second is a Data synchronization routine that literally keeps data backed up at all times when the system is idle and does it without any noticeable impact on the performance of the system.

Having said this this system contains not annual license upgrade requirements, even the security suite is completely free yet fully effective. So your TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) over 3-5 years of use is actually lower than almost any system you can buy anywhere today.  Idealistically many opt in for my remote service which happens about once per month which does keep everything humming along nicely but I am also happy to show you how to do as much as you’d like to. Kind of fun really...

Anyway, we pre-assemble this BU drive housing with one of the WD Black 500GB hard drives and format in an ideal fashion so it’s ready to plug in to an USB port with a pre-delivery Disk Image already on it. We use USB simply because the free Disk Imaging solution we provide for you will only work to an external USB drive. Advantages to this drive include:

• Tough, well engineered housing & circuitry
• Fast Data I/O with Windows 7 - 64
• Low cost
• Very cool operating temperatures for drive & housing

The alternative case I mentioned was the Apevia QPack II case (shown below) and as previously mentioned, it doesn’t breath nearly as well as the CoolerMaster Centurion 590 and it’s $40 more expensive.  What it does have in it’s favor is small size, all aluminum construction, able to allow full height video cards and holds two hard drives if desired.  I would use the same PSU shown above and I would swap out the stock fan for a very high flowing but quiet 120mm, 16 blade fan that really moves the air.