- last edited on by
ROGBot
A brief introduction:
I have been building this computer since 2007 when the second Gen Phenoms were released. At the time the 790FX chipset was new and it was the first push in the marketing campaign for AMD called the "Spider platform". So this rig started out with a Asus board, 4 3870s (Sapphire Toxics) and the Phenom II 9850 in a Thermaltake Xaser VI
Over the years I have upgraded hardware, modded the case and upgraded again. The last round of upgrades brought me back into the ASUS stables again. It was about time that ASUS decided to make a board with 4 usable PCIE slots for double slot GPUs in a quad crossfire configuration.
Because of the original configuration, the color schema of the case, the original Rig was dubbed "The Black Widow" at one of my LAN parties. Since then even threw all the upgrades, that have obviously taken it away from the "Spider platform", the name has stuck.
The current version has the following hardware:
CPU: AMD Phemon II 1100T
Memory: Mushkin Black Line DDR3 1600 (Cas7)
Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme
GPU: 4 XFX Radeon HD 5870
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider 1500W
CPU cooler: ProlimaTech Megahalems
CPU cooling Fans: 2x 120mm Deltas
Others: I opted to stop here, but there is a lot of fans, lights, hard drives, and such to list.
Below are links to pictures from start to finish.
Enjoy!!!
Birth of the Black Widow:
[IMG="http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/XTremdreamer/Birth%20of%20the%20Black%20Widow/BradsnewAMDSp..."]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/XTremdreamer/Birth%20of%20the%20Black%20Widow/BradsnewAMDSp...]
After a Power Supply replacement:
Upgraded to the Phenom II 940 and thought I had to have the Ultra......
Lapped the 940
Overhaul of The Black Widow:
Chapter 1 Case Mod:
Lazar used to etch and cut the acrylic for the new side window.
Case Complete
Chapter 2 CPU, PSU and Motherboard:
At this time the 4870s had been out for a while, and I new a GPU upgrade was in order but I was limited by the layout of the ASUS boards. So entered the Strider 1500W PSU, the Phenom II 956 C2 and the MSI 790FX-GD70. This was also when the Megahalems was fitted to the CPU.
Chapter 3 ....... GPUs
Current build:
I was looking to get away from the 790FX chipset, and I wanted the 890FX. I looked at the MSI brother to the 790fx-GD70, again because of the layout of the PCIE slots. I had to look at ASUS again and see if there was anything that would work for me when I found the Crosshair IV Extreme. I started to research and read reviews on the board, and the biggest complaint anyone had was the noise of the NB fan. Well I have yet to hear it, and probably never will with all the other fans from case to GPUs.......... So I dropped the coin and got the C4E and two CPUs. The 1055T and the 1100T, I also got the Mushkin memory, an ASUS EEPC for ROG Connect, and replaced all the Case intake fans with Aero Cool Sharks as well as the CPU cooler fans and the exhaust fans with Deltas.
I have been building this computer since 2007 when the second Gen Phenoms were released. At the time the 790FX chipset was new and it was the first push in the marketing campaign for AMD called the "Spider platform". So this rig started out with a Asus board, 4 3870s (Sapphire Toxics) and the Phenom II 9850 in a Thermaltake Xaser VI
Over the years I have upgraded hardware, modded the case and upgraded again. The last round of upgrades brought me back into the ASUS stables again. It was about time that ASUS decided to make a board with 4 usable PCIE slots for double slot GPUs in a quad crossfire configuration.
Because of the original configuration, the color schema of the case, the original Rig was dubbed "The Black Widow" at one of my LAN parties. Since then even threw all the upgrades, that have obviously taken it away from the "Spider platform", the name has stuck.
The current version has the following hardware:
CPU: AMD Phemon II 1100T
Memory: Mushkin Black Line DDR3 1600 (Cas7)
Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme
GPU: 4 XFX Radeon HD 5870
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider 1500W
CPU cooler: ProlimaTech Megahalems
CPU cooling Fans: 2x 120mm Deltas
Others: I opted to stop here, but there is a lot of fans, lights, hard drives, and such to list.
Below are links to pictures from start to finish.
Enjoy!!!
Birth of the Black Widow:
[IMG="http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/XTremdreamer/Birth%20of%20the%20Black%20Widow/BradsnewAMDSp..."]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll129/XTremdreamer/Birth%20of%20the%20Black%20Widow/BradsnewAMDSp...]
After a Power Supply replacement:
Upgraded to the Phenom II 940 and thought I had to have the Ultra......
Lapped the 940
Overhaul of The Black Widow:
Chapter 1 Case Mod:
Lazar used to etch and cut the acrylic for the new side window.
Case Complete
Chapter 2 CPU, PSU and Motherboard:
At this time the 4870s had been out for a while, and I new a GPU upgrade was in order but I was limited by the layout of the ASUS boards. So entered the Strider 1500W PSU, the Phenom II 956 C2 and the MSI 790FX-GD70. This was also when the Megahalems was fitted to the CPU.
Chapter 3 ....... GPUs
Current build:
I was looking to get away from the 790FX chipset, and I wanted the 890FX. I looked at the MSI brother to the 790fx-GD70, again because of the layout of the PCIE slots. I had to look at ASUS again and see if there was anything that would work for me when I found the Crosshair IV Extreme. I started to research and read reviews on the board, and the biggest complaint anyone had was the noise of the NB fan. Well I have yet to hear it, and probably never will with all the other fans from case to GPUs.......... So I dropped the coin and got the C4E and two CPUs. The 1055T and the 1100T, I also got the Mushkin memory, an ASUS EEPC for ROG Connect, and replaced all the Case intake fans with Aero Cool Sharks as well as the CPU cooler fans and the exhaust fans with Deltas.
