Rate the ultra rig I helped pick out for a friend

[Beev]

Told him to build it himself so here's what I helped him pick out. He wants the ultimate of the ultimate (to an extent).

Case $150 Fairly generic case

Motherboard $210 ASUS P5W DH DELUXE

Power Supply $155

CPU $985 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700

RAM $652 Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) two orders of it for 4GB

Video CardX2 $1140 Dual EVGA 8800GTX

Hard DriveX2 $340 Should we throw a Raptor in there instead of 2 of those?

DVD Drive $29

Sound Card $146

Keyboard $72

Mouse $40

Monitor $600

Misc Supplies ~$60 (paste, better hsf, extra case fan)

Total = $4579

What do you guys think? Anything he should add? Change?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Nice machine! Over the top, but nice machine. Me--I'd change the PSU, go with a single GTX for now, and lower the CPU a bit. And I'd be getting a ViewSonic monitor... And I would definitely beef up the storage (hard drive) configuration, but that's just me.

EDIT: Oh, and I wouldn't get a IDE optical drive either--I'd keep everything SATA.

EDIT2: Jonny Guru's review of the OCZ GameStream 700w. I'd get another PSU instead.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
He wants the ultimate of the ultimate (to an extent).

What do you guys think?

I think you simply pulled together a list of parts with price in mind and not much else.
Your pal will be impressed if he knows nothing about components. He'll also be impressed how fast YOU can spend HIS money.

Your buddy wants "the ultimate of the ultimate", whatever that means.
Please give us the slightest hint as to HOW he will be using this "ultimate of the ultimate" rig.

 

[Beev]

He's dead set on the best quad core currently out, so I don't think that's something we can alter. I don't see a 24" Viewsonic on newegg, and I figure that with all that power he's gonna want a recommended reso of 1920x1200.

 

[Beev]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: Sraaz
He wants the ultimate of the ultimate (to an extent).

What do you guys think?

I think you simply pulled together a list of parts with price in mind and not much else.
Your pal will be impressed if he knows nothing about components. He'll also be impressed how fast YOU can spend HIS money.

Your buddy wants "the ultimate of the ultimate", whatever that means.
Please give us the slightest hint as to HOW he will be using this "ultimate of the ultimate" rig.

I can assure you I didn't just look at the prices. I compared the user reviews with what he wanted and went from there. Heck, I even saved him money by opting for a cheaper, yet just as good, monitor.

It will be used pretty much solely for gaming. His last PC he got was in 2000, and it was by no means top of the line back then.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
He wants the ultimate of the ultimate (to an extent).

I compared the user reviews
It will be used pretty much solely for gaming.

What do you guys think? Anything he should add? Change?

PS... OCZ PS in a $4k+ rig = :thumbsdown: > PCP&C 1kw :thumbsup:
HDs... Yes, make that a pair of Raptors RAID 0 and an I-RAM (4GB) > game load times :thumbsup:
DVD... A $30 burner for a $4k+ rig :thumbsdown: > Blu-ray Plextor or Sony :thumbsup:
RAM... Quad core > 4GB :thumbsup:

 

[WoodButcher]

Two items I see offhand are software, operating system and productivity, I guess your pal will want vista ultimate.
and a warranty, I'm sure your willing to take your freinds calls 24/7 because he went to a porn site and got the latest virus? or downloaded every song on limewire and the box locked up tight? Probably early sunday morning or a holiday you want to sleep in?
I build my own but my freinds all have dell!

 

[Beev]

Heh, he isn't completely stupid. He's just never built his own rig before. Yeah he's going to get Vista. I recommended Home Premium. Do you think he needs Ultimate? Plus I run my own mini ventrilo server and we chat every single day.

 

[Roguestar]

The very idea of spending $6000 on a PC that'll only be used for personal use is absolutely alien to me. I'd buy a good value, decent PC, and a second-hand car!

 

[Zepper]

Dittos to Roguestar. He won't see anything extra from a quad-core now or in the forseeable future. Looks like your friend is operating on hearsay and advertising hoopla. Friends don't let friends buy PCs on anything but a rational basis.

.bh.

 

[stogez]

Change the PSU to the one Blain recommended
Get 2x2GB RAM instead of 4x1GB
Dual 150GB (or 74) Raptors in Raid 0 and then couple of 500 or 750GB drives for storage
Get a single 8800GTX for now. SLI in general is a waste and a single high end card usually preforms better. That and nothing right now will use the full power of dual GTXs. Wait till Crysis at least
Logitech G7 Mouse
Better HSF should not be listed under "Misc Supplies." Go for the Tuniq Tower.

 

[Beev]

The only brands I can find on newegg that sell 2gb sticks of RAM are Geil, G.Skill, and Kingston. I've never even heard of geil or gskill...

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
The only brands I can find on newegg that sell 2gb sticks of RAM are Geil, G.Skill, and Kingston. I've never even heard of geil or gskill...

Check out the qualified memory list on that motherboard to see if there are any approved 2gb sticks. Then go from there.

 

[yh125d]

speakers?
Also, see if you can talk him down to a cheaper c2d, so he can get one of the new AMD barcelona quads when they come out, he'll only have to change the mobo and proc

 

[Mogadon]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
The only brands I can find on newegg that sell 2gb sticks of RAM are Geil, G.Skill, and Kingston. I've never even heard of geil or gskill...

Both Geil and G. Skill are well known, reputable manufacturers of memory that provide great products. The fact that you've never heard of them does not inspire confidence.

 

[n7]

So you're buying a Crossfire motherboard to run SLI?

Might wanna fix that, unless you're planning on fighting with hacked SLI drivers...

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

My changes:
C2D E6700 -- dual core for gaming is fine, and is going to be for a long time. No point in getting a quad if you aren't going to work it.

Seasonic 700w PSU -- OCZ? No.

Raptor 150gb x 4 (RAID 0)

Areca ARC-1210 RAID controller

500 gb WD hd -- for storage

I'd probably get a 74gb Raptor for boot if I didn't want to do the OS on the RAID 0 array. And I'd get an external or another 500gb hd for backup, and I'd only get one GTX.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
The only brands I can find on newegg that sell 2gb sticks of RAM are Geil, G.Skill, and Kingston. I've never even heard of geil or gskill...

Go to www.crucial.com and get 2x2GB of Ballistix DDR2-800. Seeing as he has the cash to spare I'd shell out for them because of both the performance and the lifetime warranty.

 

[Eomer of Aldburg]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
My changes:
C2D E6700 -- dual core for gaming is fine, and is going to be for a long time. No point in getting a quad if you aren't going to work it.

Seasonic 700w PSU -- OCZ? No.

Raptor 150gb x 4 (RAID 0)

Areca ARC-1210 RAID controller

500 gb WD hd -- for storage

I'd probably get a 74gb Raptor for boot if I didn't want to do the OS on the RAID 0 array. And I'd get an external or another 500gb hd for backup, and I'd only get one GTX.

Since his friends last pc was in 2000... stick with the quad core because hes going to be using it for awhile and in the next few years I'm sure it will have its advantages. I also like the SLI 8800GTX, may not help to much nore but buy the end of the year nvidia will have worked out its driver problem and it will be an even better system. a Pair of Raptors in Raid 0 would give you awesomely fast boottime but for the foremost, great job! :thumbsup:

 

[chizow]

1) 1 Raptor X 150GB + Seagate/WD 500GB storage drive would be a nice improvement. Buy the Raptor X from BB for the same price w/out rebate and a better chance you won't get a much louder old mfg. date drive from Newegg.

2) 2x2GB kit or 4x1GB kit, non-Ballistix. Its nice memory but not worth the price difference right now imo, especially if you're set on 4GB.

3) 1 x EVGA 8800GTX for now. Leaves you a step-up option to an 8900GTX or 8950GX2 within 90 days of purchase and you can SLI from there.

4) Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player/recorder. Not sure how much he's into movies, but I'd get one if I had the money to burn. HD movies in 1080 are awesome on a 24" 1920x1200 panel that can do 1:1 pixel mapping.

5) 24" LCD that does 1:1 pixel mapping. BenQ 241 WZ/VW/W with firmware update, Dell 2407 Rev. A04, Gateway FPD2485W in the $600-700 range. NEC 24WUXi in the $1400-1500 range. A few others announced like the LG, Sceptre, and maybe Acer or Viewsonic.

6) I'd downgrade CPU to an E6600 and OC it to X6800 speeds. Not enough difference between Quad and Dual Core for most games/apps to justify the difference in price.

Edit:

7) Needs a good sound solution. 5.1/7.1 Receiver with satellites.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sraaz
I can assure you I didn't just look at the prices. I compared the user reviews with what he wanted and went from there.

Originally posted by: Sraaz
I've never even heard of geil or gskill...

Just read some of the user reviews.

 

[jpeyton]

Would your friend be embarrassed if I could spend 30-40% less money and get the same performance?

Let's be brutally honest; your friend was going to buy a Dell. I doubt, for example, that he even knows, let alone would use "DDR2 1000 Ballistix" memory. Even if he planned on overclocking, regular DDR2 667 memory would be enough to push the limits of a QX6700 on air while running the RAM at 1:1 stock speed (10x333=3.33GHz).

The whole point of not buying the Dell was keeping your friend from being ripped off, but I don't see your configuration offering him a much better value.

Roughly, this is what I would be looking at:

QX6700 $985
680i Mobo $240
PSU: Corsair HX620 $140
RAM: 4GB DDR2 667 $250
Video Card: 2x 8800GTS 640MB $720
Hard Drive: 2x 500GB WD SE15 RAID0 $280
DVD Drive: Lite-On 20X $33
Sound Card: X-Fi Gamer $100
Monitor: 24" LCD $600
Case: $150
KB/Mouse: $100
Heatsink: Tuniq & AS5 $60

~$3700

Although, unless he's pegging all four cores at 100%, that system will perform roughly the same in CPU intensive tasks as any overclocked 6300/6400. I've never thought the "Extreme Edition" CPUs from Intel were a good value, especially with cheaper quads coming in a couple months.

 

[Beev]

Just an update if anyone wanted to know. He ended up getting a $4k Dell (without a monitor -_-) "because his dad gets a 12% discount off Dell stuff.