Help me spend $2500 on a new game rig.

[mylittlepony]

Im such a noob. I thought I had things planned out. I suck.
PLEASE help me pick stuff out. I know it's asking alot, and isnt a 5 min job.

Spend my $2500 and get me a great sytem going.

Requirements:


2 hard drives
2 video cards
Intel quad cpu
22 inch monitor
antec 1200 case


the rest is up in the air.

I promise to build the computer and post pics and be your slave forever.

 

[JogaBonito1502]

Hahah...We'll help you. With $2500 you can get some great stuff, just to be clear and get you what you want, what will you be using this for? Also, if you had to pick a budget less than that what would it be? I think with $2000 we could satisfy your needs. Also, do you have to have 2 video cards? We could get you the latest and it would already be overkill.

Sample (no links):

2x 500GB Samsung Spinpoint F1 (Fastest 7200RPM HDD)
1x HD4870X2 (Overkill graphics card; you can get 2 of these for Xfire)
1x Intel Q9550 2.83GHz ($200 cheaper than 3.0Ghz [Q9650])
2x 2GB 800Mhz RAM (Anything higher will be massively bottlenecked even with OC)
1x Asus Rampage Extreme (X48)
1x 22" Monitor (Your choice of brand)
1x Antec 1200 Case
1x Keyboard/Mice (Your choice)
1x Speakers (also your choice, unless you love music like no other no need for sound card)
1x PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W PSU

Total price: Roughly $2000

Again this was a quick sample of a great computer.

 

[superman22x]

Get DDR3 if you really have $2500 to spend. DDR3 will be FAST.

 

[JogaBonito1502]

Get DDR3 if you really have $2500 to spend. DDR3 will be FAST.

Misconception. DDR3 is just DDR2 at higher speeds. I know this sounds just like what you said, but let me give you an example. DDR goes as high as 1333MHz I think. DDR3 goes as high as 2000MHz from 1066Mhz (maybe the lower end is higher). DRR3 @ 1333MHz = DDR2 @ 1333Mhz. So no difference in speed, at same speeds. Does that make sense? And because Intel's CPUs only go as high as 1333MHz (may be 1600MHz) you can only use a max of 667MHz (or 800MHz if CPU @ 1600MHz) of RAM tops. If you buy anything higher it will bottleneck. However, I'm not sure on this number for AMDs. I still need someone to explain that to me. Can RAM use all of the listed frequency on a 2600MHz HTT or is it half? Overall, DDR3 is a waste (for Intel's) until the Nehalems come out.

 

[mylittlepony]

The pc is for gaming. Im without a doubt building this computer soon.
I will be ordering parts within a week or so. I will use it for business too, but
mostly play first person shooters and wow...please no wow shots...I have played for years.

$2500 has been allocated ( wife permission...lol)

If I can get awesome framerates with one card....I can do that...but really want to do the 2 card deal. Dont know why...just would be cool.

I have read up on the 9550 chip....was considering that too.

Lets spend the 2500. You can be the "Godfather" of my pc.

Thanks guys. Im going to be around for awhile here I can tell.
(I have killed a few pc's in my day, so you guys can be my heroes.)

Dave

 

[JogaBonito1502]

2x Optical Drive: Asus - $70 ($35ea)
1x Case: Antec 1200 - $165
2x HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 500GB - $140 ($70ea)
1x Graphics Card: Sapphire HD4870X2 - $550
1x PSU: PC Power & Cooling 750W - $145
1x RAM: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2x2GB) 800MHz - $85
1x MOBO: Asus Rampage Formula - $290
1x HSF: Xigmatek HDT - $35
1x CPU: Intel C2Q Q9550 Yorkfield - $330

Prices were rounded, exact in total.

Mouse: You pick
Keyboard: You pick
Sound System: You Pick
Monitor: You pick

Total before Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers, Monitor, MIR, taxes, and shipping: $1810.89

There's no need for a second graphics card. With the built I've picked, you can't really afford to put one in there. I kind of wish I had this money to spend, it would be so fun putting such a beast together.

 

[worshipme]

I have a few things to say but I can't right now because I have to go.

 

[StratosP]

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550/2.83ghz/12mb Cache/1333FSB/LGA775

Mobo: Asus P5BV-C/4L Intel (4x DDR2/4x SATA RAID/2xIDE/Quad Gigabit LAN

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB 7200RPM 32mb SATA 3gbs

HDD2: Western Digital Green Power 500gb 7200rpm 16mb SATA 3gbs

RAM: Corsair DDR2 4gb PC8500/1066

Monitor: Samsung 22" 2232BW Black LCD 2ms/1680x1050/D-Sub/DVI

Case: Antec 1200

GPU: Asus EN9800GTHB-HTDI-1G GF9800 (1gb/GDDR3/PICE2.0/2xDVI/HDTV/HDCP/HDMI

GPU2: same as above

all for just $2000 leaving enough for extras.

 

[worshipme]

2x Optical Drive: Asus - $70 ($35ea)
1x Case: Antec 1200 - $165
2x HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 500GB - $140 ($70ea)
1x Graphics Card: Sapphire HD4870X2 - $550
1x PSU: PC Power & Cooling 750W - $145
1x RAM: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2x2GB) 800MHz - $85
1x MOBO: Asus Rampage Formula - $290
1x HSF: Xigmatek HDT - $35
1x CPU: Intel C2Q Q9550 Yorkfield - $330

I agree with most of what Joga recommends, but I would change a few things if it was my money.
1. The 500GB Spinpoints have 16MB buffer, the 750GB/1TB drives have 32MB. Single drive vs single drive, the 750GB and the 1TB would be slightly faster. But I'm guessing the idea is to put them together in a RAID 0 configuration? That depends on whether the OP wants to risk the zero fault tolerance and the extra cost of a decent controller etc. The only real performance boost with RAID 0 is write speeds. So I would probably go with the easier 1TB Spinpoint F1.
2. @ OP, are you overclocking? If not, then there's really no point in spending so much on such a great OC'ing board or highly overclockable RAM if you won't make use of it. You could save a lot by paying only for what you need. Just a simple P35 board would be sufficient for somebody who isn't overclocking. Or there is the P5E if you want the Crossfire upgrade path later on.
3. Unless you want to copy DVDs all day, spending $70 on optical drives is pointless.

 

[JogaBonito1502]

I agree with most of what Joga recommends, but I would change a few things if it was my money.
1. The 500GB Spinpoints have 16MB buffer, the 750GB/1TB drives have 32MB. Single drive vs single drive, the 750GB and the 1TB would be slightly faster. But I'm guessing the idea is to put them together in a RAID 0 configuration? That depends on whether the OP wants to risk the zero fault tolerance and the extra cost of a decent controller etc. The only real performance boost with RAID 0 is write speeds. So I would probably go with the easier 1TB Spinpoint F1.
2. @ OP, are you overclocking? If not, then there's really no point in spending so much on such a great OC'ing board or highly overclockable RAM if you won't make use of it. You could save a lot by paying only for what you need. Just a simple P35 board would be sufficient for somebody who isn't overclocking. Or there is the P5E if you want the Crossfire upgrade path later on.
3. Unless you want to copy DVDs all day, spending $70 on optical drives is pointless.

I gave him an all-rounder =p. I do agree the optical drives. Get 2 $20 and you're set. I usually like to be able to have more than just one CD in at a time, but that's just me.