I need to make a workstation...

[tjwasiak]

One of my best customers need personal workstation. As always he would like me to propose something and make it for him. I did not have any troubles before, but today I really do not know what I should recommend...
The system will be running 64 bit Microsoft OS (Vista or XP, customer is still thinking which one is better). I think it will not be used for a lot of gaming, but surely sometimes he will try some new titles.
My main concern is whetver it should be Phenom Quad Core 9850 or Core 2 Quad Q9300 or maybe even a Xeon (I lost the track with Xeon processors some time ago )
If it will be AMD I have to use ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe mainboard (as my customer had bad experience with AMD/ATI chipsets, and it is the only mainboard based on nForce 7 I can get). If I will choose Intel CPU which chipset is now the best? Intel or nVidia? Which mainboard (I do not like ASUS...)? Is it a big difference between DDR2 and DDR3 performance? Is EVGA 132-CK-NF79-A1 a good mainboard (it is the only EVGA I can get, but I do not have any experience with EVGA mainboards)?
Which graphic chipset will be the best? ATI HD3870x2 or GeForce 8800GTS? I do not like to use SLI and hope it will last for at least 2 years. Nothing newer just because I could not get it, and it will cost too much here in Poland Should I use dedicated audio card? I already had issues with ASUS onboard ADI1988 drivers...
And the last thing - if 800W PSU will work with such a workstation with 2 SATA HDDs and optical drive?

[JTKWalesUK1981]

just a random question here, he wants it for a workstation, why does he need such a high spec system? whats he gonna be doing? powering a town?

[powerarmour]

In my opinion get the following :-

1: Core 2 Quad 9300
2: Gigabyte motherboard based on either Intel G31/33 or P31/35/43/45 chipsets.
3: DDR2 Memory (not a lot of difference between DDR3, and more importantly it's a lot cheaper)
4: ATI HD3870x2 is faster
5: Use the onboard audio
6: 800W PSU is more than enough power, consider ~600W or quality 500W

[daglesj]

Yeah seems to be confused between gaming station and workstation.

Two very different types of machine.

Workstations often have passive cooled low-end cards from the Quadro/Matrox or FireGL range too.

Workstations tend to be more industry/enterprise support hardware for certain core applications. The power of which can run from a rinkydinky little PC to a leviathan depending on the one core application it has to run.

The key question is - What is he going to be doing with it?

[tjwasiak]

I was affraid such questions will arise In fact here in Poland there are many people who in fact wants a kind of all in one solution which is really uneasy to provide. From what he said the main usage will be some 3d rendering and CAD projecting... But as I know the person I am sure the "workstation" will be used also (maybe better to say mainly) as an entertainment machine (games - I would say newest games, video editing and encoding, internet)...

That was the main reason of my confusion and why I have asked the question...

I understand Intel is better option so leave AMD alone
I would like to be assured that Intel chipset will beat nForce 7 in terms of performance (because I am sure that it will in terms of stability).
Oops... I forgotten it is nForce HQ Forum

[powerarmour]