Best PC Ultra Gaming Rig?!?

[zkalra]

Guys, I have been an avid PC gmer for quite some time except for a 3 year long hiatus.

Now I am getting back in the groove and want to build the ultimate gaming PC money no concern.

I need to know the following:

1). Mobo - type, brand name and chipset
2). Ram - again brand and timing etc
3). Graphics card - (leaning towards the 9800 GX2 but your opinions would be greatly appreciated)
4). CPU
5). Cooling solution (I am not going to be overclocking much but just in case)

Thanks in advance for your insightful perspective.

 

[Shortass]

Wait a month and you might actually be able to make a top of the line Crysis rig. Actually, it might be 3 weeks now. Crazy sauce. Check the video forum and read up on the new cards, definitely worth the wait if money is a non issue.

 

[HellAdmiral]

The absolute best parts currently available:
Dual LGA 771 Skulltrail motherboard or 790i
DDR3-2000 RAM (not sure if Skulltrail mobo supports up to DDR2-800, but 790i does support DDR3)
9800GX2 (but the GTX 280 comes out extremely soon)
QX9775 (x2) (Skulltrail) or QX9770 (for 790i)
Not sure about cooling.

However, that will run you up thousands of dollars, and is obviously one of the most inefficient ways to spend your money.

 

[Isaac MM]

Wait for the 280 GTX to come out and make it tri-sli

 

[zkalra]

Appreciated. So which parts should i be waiting for? Video cards or CPU/Mobo? I definitely can wait since I am currently pretty excited about my new 24" Imac though gaming on it as as much fun as hitting ones' self over the head with a hammer.

Also is Tri-Sli any use with the current CPU limited systems?

 

[zkalra]

One more question. The nvidia cards dont seem to be supporting 10.1 DX. Is that something that might become a major issue in the upcoming months?

 

[Isaac MM]

GTX 280 (new high end video card) is launching on 17th June, new processor will only launch at the end of the year/early 2009

Here is what i think you should do...if you have a 24'' monitor there is no point in getting more than a GTX 280, 1 is more than enough, so wait till it launches and buy it

As for the rest of the system here is my suggestion

CPU: Qx9650 or a Q9450
GPU: wait for the GTX 280 and buy one
Mobo: DFI x48 LT-T2R or DFI x48 UT-T2R or DFI P35 UT
Ram: 4gb DDR2 1066mhz Corsair Dominator (ddr3 is total waste of money unless you are a extreme overclocker)
PSU: there are many brands, i suggest you get a 850w one
Cooling: depends on how much you wanna spend on a case, get a Thermalright 120 Extreme heatsink for the cpu and a good 120mm fan, for cooling the gpu you will have to wait it launches to buy anything

And don't worry about the DX 10.1

Hope it helped

 

[zkalra]

DUal post.

 

[zkalra]

Thanks man.
My question is - Is ddr3 worth the initial higher price?
Is the 790i chipset faster than the x48 one that you specify?
which one is better the 9650 or 9450?

Thanks a ton for bearing with my ignorance.

 

[Roguestar]

DDR3 will give you maybe 5% more performance for maybe 300% the price. If money is truly no object then go for it. The 790i chipset will let you run your video cards in SLI. The QX9650 will be easier to overclock.

 

[Isaac MM]

As i said DDR3 is not worth it, the x48 chipset is better than 790i, but the 790i allows you to run SLI, but you have a 24'' monitor, so SLI is not needed. QX9650 is better and easier to overclock, but is 3x the price of the Q450, if money really doesn't matter then grab it.

 

[zkalra]

Thanks. Another question about the memory and the timing. Also what do you guys think about the Asus striker 2 extreme?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

why dont u configure one at alienware or dell? or velocity? they make some pretty nice custom PC's that are factory overclocked, have water cooling, and everything guaranteed to work on boot up + long warranties.

when u build it yourself you cannot guarantee everything will work on boot up and u cannot guarantee an overclock...

 

[jellyrole]

But that takes the fun out of it, and you can't step back and say "I built this!"

 

[GrumpyMan]

You may like this one, 580 FSB on air and stable sounds good.
Asus Rampage Formula X48

If money is no object.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i always love these money is no object threads... but the original posters don't realize that MONEY IS ALWAYS AN OBJECT

 

[ther00kie16]

SLI may be necessary as one site stated that 1 GTX280 couldn't handle Crysis with everything on high and 4xFSAA but was acceptable at 2x while GTX280 SLI couldn't handle 2560x1600 with everything high.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: jellyrole
But that takes the fun out of it, and you can't step back and say "I built this!"

It also takes out all the threads posted asking for help in getting his new hot rod rig to run. :laugh:

Take LOUISSSSS advice and order one built.

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
i always love these money is no object threads...

These threads only start out that way. By the end they're asking...
"Best build for under $500?"

 

[zkalra]

I'd rather build mine Thank You. So based on inputs I am going in for the following:
Asus Striker 2 Extreme
2x GTX 280
SSD 200+GB
DDR3 - 4 Gigs
Q9650

Looking for external validation guys!! Sounds good?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: zkalra

Looking for external validation guys!!

:laugh: Look in the mirror and say this...
"I'm me...
I am fun to be with...
Because I'm good enough...
I'm smart enough...
And doggone it, people like me"

 

[GrumpyMan]

Originally posted by: zkalra
I'd rather build mine Thank You. So based on inputs I am going in for the following:
Asus Striker 2 Extreme
2x GTX 280
SSD 200+GB
DDR3 - 4 Gigs
Q9650

Looking for external validation guys!! Sounds good?

Well I think you'll be pleased the new speed, as pricey as it may be. You should have fun with that rig. Good luck on it.