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The Ultimate System

I don't know about the whole computer, but I'd definitely want a few key features...

1) a completely FANLESS, NOISELESS cooling system, including the power supply.... and sound insulated EVERYTHING, especially around drives. I don't know how this would be possible (although I believe Zalman had a protoype solution).

2) Support for every media type (secure digital, floppies, DVD's, HD-DVD, blue ray, everything current).

3) Runs on 1's and 0's... and 2's 😉 😛 😀

4) Seemless voice recognition and intelligent responses from the computer (software... i know.). Think "Tron", the old (1982?) disney movie, how the guy talks to the computer and it talks back like a person. Imagine talking to a computer like you would a person and not a dog?

5) I'd personally like a tri-link monitor (i think that's what it's called?)... I'm talking about a single LCD panel that's 3 times as wide and has 3 inputs, one for each section of the screen (left, middle, right). This would be the ultimate, psuedo "multi-monitor" desktop! Seemless! The only thing that could make it better is if it was somehow curved in slightly. 😀

6) No overlocking limit. Yea, right 😉

7) Brews coffee

8) Does my homework

9) Cleans my room

^^ ok now i'm just in lala land. 😛
 
There are way too many variables to this...

single socket gaming beast?
2-8 socket SMP monster server?
How about the 10,880 Opteron CPU Cray XT3?
 
It would have to have cost effective, sufficient and reliable non-mechanical data storage !!!

If & when the above happens, we will see a quantum leap in the computing services field.
 
Since I'm building it, it will have to be a PC (ultimate Mac right now would be a Quad with 16GB of RAM, but I'd really rather wait for a quad core x86 desktop Mac instead). I do lots of photo editing and organizing, and some video editing from time to time. A bit of gaming isn't out of the question, either. With that said, this is my list of major items that would be in the system, given what's available today and given no limitations on the budget:
  • Tyan K8QW quad Opteron mainboard
  • 4x AMD Opteron 875 dual core CPUs
  • 16GB RAM
  • 36GB SAS solid state storage from Bitmicro or similar for system and programs
  • 2x 72GB SAS 15kRPM hard drives for local working data
  • 4x 500GB SATA drives in RAID 5 for data storage
  • A nice PCI-E SAS RAID HBA with onboard cache to connect all of those drives
  • Nvidia Quadro FX4500
  • 2x Apple 30" LCD
 
Originally posted by: ProviaFan
Since I'm building it, it will have to be a PC (ultimate Mac right now would be a Quad with 16GB of RAM, but I'd really rather wait for a quad core x86 desktop Mac instead). I do lots of photo editing and organizing, and some video editing from time to time. A bit of gaming isn't out of the question, either. With that said, this is my list of major items that would be in the system, given what's available today and given no limitations on the budget:
  • Tyan K8QW quad Opteron mainboard
  • 4x AMD Opteron 875 dual core CPUs
  • 16GB RAM
  • 36GB SAS solid state storage from Bitmicro or similar for system and programs
  • 2x 72GB SAS 15kRPM hard drives for local working data
  • 4x 500GB SATA drives in RAID 5 for data storage
  • A nice PCI-E SAS RAID HBA with onboard cache to connect all of those drives
  • Nvidia Quadro FX4500
  • 2x Apple 30" LCD
Click to expand...

if this is your ultimate system then why have sata at all? why not have everything in ram drives. get a few ram ddrives and stripe them for a total of 1Tb of storage space. Then back them up to a Tb of 15000rpm scsi drives.

have a backup generator to power you pc at all times that runs off water.

have each part cooled with that new expencive liquid metal coolant.

keep the 4 amd procs above.

duno what mobo you guys pick.

have a screen setup of 3 of the dell 30" when they come out in a month or two. with a high res projector for movies and hardcore gaming.

power the videosetup by 2 of those dual core 7800s. (if thatll do it?)

the sweetest set of wireless speakers money can buy paired w/ that fatality SB sound card.

i also want software w/ an unlimited amount of virtual drives to mount every game image i have so ill never need to hunt for a cd again.

all of this must fit into a desk sized box. (can be a bit bigger than normal because of the mass amount of storage but needs to be slightly portable....AKA no fridge sized comps)
 
Besides being crazy and going totally overboard with stuff that just isn't practical for what I do (even in a much less practical sense than what I've recommended already), you suggest wireless speakers?!? And a Creative Labs sound card? WTF?

Instead, let's consider some high-end studio monitors (there are some Mackie studio monitors that are $600/piece, that is the low end of where I'd start) and a nice DAC to connect them to (Apogee being one example). The computer would still need a card to output digital audio to the DAC, and I'm not sure what I'd do there, but anything professional that can do 24/192 would probably be fine.
 
Originally posted by: ProviaFan
Besides being crazy and going totally overboard with stuff that just isn't practical for what I do (even in a much less practical sense than what I've recommended already), you suggest wireless speakers?!? And a Creative Labs sound card? WTF?

Instead, let's consider some high-end studio monitors (there are some Mackie studio monitors that are $600/piece, that is the low end of where I'd start) and a nice DAC to connect them to (Apogee being one example). The computer would still need a card to output digital audio to the DAC, and I'm not sure what I'd do there, but anything professional that can do 24/192 would probably be fine.
Click to expand...

As far as sound is concerned, here's what you can do.
Get a card that can encode DD5.1 in real-time.

Use an optical output into a good A/V receiver. May I suggest a Rotel, Arcam, Outlaw, Aragon or B&K. Connect that to a good amp (same list) and out to a 5.1/6.1 surround system. I suggest the Klipsch reference series speakers, paired with their THX2Ultra subwoofer.
 
Originally posted by: Meuge
Originally posted by: ProviaFan
Besides being crazy and going totally overboard with stuff that just isn't practical for what I do (even in a much less practical sense than what I've recommended already), you suggest wireless speakers?!? And a Creative Labs sound card? WTF?

Instead, let's consider some high-end studio monitors (there are some Mackie studio monitors that are $600/piece, that is the low end of where I'd start) and a nice DAC to connect them to (Apogee being one example). The computer would still need a card to output digital audio to the DAC, and I'm not sure what I'd do there, but anything professional that can do 24/192 would probably be fine.
Click to expand...

As far as sound is concerned, here's what you can do.
Get a card that can encode DD5.1 in real-time.

Use an optical output into a good A/V receiver. May I suggest a Rotel, Arcam, Outlaw, Aragon or B&K. Connect that to a good amp (same list) and out to a 5.1/6.1 surround system. I suggest the Klipsch reference series speakers, paired with their THX2Ultra subwoofer.
Click to expand...


Have you never heard of martin logan?
 
ASUS A8N32-SLI Premium
AMD Dual Core Opteron 180
Corsair XMS Twinx2048-3500LLPRO 2x1GB
BFG Tech 7800GTX 512MB
Western Digitial Raptor 74GB (WD740GD)
Western Digital Caviar RE2 400GB (WD4000YR)
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Antec Performance I P180
PC Power & Cooling 510W
2 Plextor Slot-loading DVD Burners (PX-716AL/SW)
Cooler Master 120mm Aquagate Mini liquid cooling system
Logitech G5 Mouse
Logitech G15 Keyboard
Logitech Z-5500 Speakers
Dell 2405FPW Monitor

Comes out to roughly $4965. No, it's not a super-computer like everyone else has been posting. But it is what I would consider the ultimate system for myself without going overboard.
 
Ultimate system is for me is one that doesn't cost to much but still kicks arse and that what i did!

All under $1100 with OS - the 2 dell 2005fpw got one of them free =)
 
nowhere did it ever say ANYTHING about cost. who cares about goin overboard when cost is absolutely NO issue. ultimate doesnt mean "best that my budget can buy"

should i post this again in 2 months when teh new dell 30" are out? if not just use the apple ones for now then upgrade.

as for the sound, i just said wireless speakers because i absolutely hate the cords and whatever high end sound card would work. (can you tell im not too pickey when it comes to sound)
 
The OP isn't exercising good judgement in posting a very broadly worded topic, and then refining it later when people aren't posting rigs that meet his previously unrevealed "specificactions." It's all a matter of interpretation - I took it to mean "ultimate" in the sense of hardware that is actually available, but in a system (with exception of the SSD, which is overboard) could be purchased for the cost of an Itanium workstation from SGI or some similar vendor.

BTW, since "we" are discussing things that we hate, I have to declare my utter contempt for wireless speakers. They either run on batteries (what a despicable waste!) or still require an outlet (in which case you haven't gained anything). Also, given my experience with professional wireless microphone systems costing a good bit more than what your wireless speakers would cost, I don't think I want the hassle of the lack of reliability that consumer grade wireless equipment would bring - not to mention the lack of fidelity. Then again, I'm not an "audiophile" in the sense of buying ridiculously priced gear that brings absolutely no measureable improvement in sound, but I do like to have high quality audio if I can get it.
 
i had just thought of the wireles speakers because of the ease of use. wired ones would work if they were wired correctly and you had a room setup for just this.
 
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