DescentBB

Capm wrote:I recommend Chieftec-based Cases. Excellent quality of construction.

I'll second that, but go for the aluminum models. The steel cases weigh a ton and a half.

kurupt,
Thanks, that was just what I needed.
I am tired of paying big money for something that doesn't satisfy my expectations.
This sounds like a winner.

Ace... I have a Cray but it sucks toooo much juice, and the government is always trying to borrow it. I live a few blocks from the IRS center also, so go figure.

TrueLightGuild wrote: Ace... I have a Cray but it sucks toooo much juice, and the government is always trying to borrow it. I live a few blocks from the IRS center also, so go figure.

is it a X-1? what model is it? id like to look up its specs.

AceCombat wrote:

TrueLightGuild wrote: Ace... I have a Cray but it sucks toooo much juice, and the government is always trying to borrow it. I live a few blocks from the IRS center also, so go figure.

is it a X-1? what model is it? id like to look up its specs.

OMFG get your SARCASMOMETER checked.

well excuse me mr perfect. and how would you feel if he actually does own a cray........

Sometimes I wonder if Ace is intentionally missing the sarcasm, and if he's secretly laughing at us for being like "OMG YOU MISSED THE SARCASM"...

Do you really think he is that smart?

kurupt,
Been looking at the package that you listed at newegg.
Question: Do I need that powerful a video card?
Also, is it necessary to have the DVD writer? I have my own.
If I got a 3.4 processor, would the L2 Cache be as good as the 1 gig on the 3.0?
Would there actually be any difference in performance if I got a 3.4 compared to the 3.0?
Would I need a different motherboard, and cooling system?
OS... Would I need to purchase windows XP or what OS would be the best?

My Cray runs at 100-teraflops, and selling the specs to some people in California in 2006.
I plan on retiring afterwards. Actually, I have specs for a 250-teraflop but I will save that one until 2007, so I can buy me a new yacht, if the girls aren't happy with the uss minow that I bought from Gilligan.
$125 million ain't bad for having a little fun in your old age.

* You'll need a strong vid card. You don't want to have to upgrade it again too soon.
* DVD writer is optional.
* Difference between 3.0 and 3.4 s 400mhz, you probably won't notice. Go with the higher L2 cache.
* XP(Pro) or 2k.

If you've never put a machine together before, you might want to think about taking the mobo+cpu to a computer store and letting them attach the cpu. Not enough thermal paste/too much and misalignments can mess your day up. Everything else is quite easy.

I like the new Lian-Li ones: PC-V####.

for video cards, i would just get a 9800 Pro. for now its plenty. the only advantage to the XT is that later on down the road it will run newer games a little better. if money is not a concern, get the XT or even wait a little and get one of the soon to be mainstream cards that ATI and nvidia are putting out. if money is a concern, just get the 9800 pro. i have one and its plenty for the games out right now.

the dvd writer will burn cd's, play dvd's, and burn dvd's, so all in all its a better value than getting everything seperate. but if you already have one, i'd just use that. no need to spend more money than you have to.

for the processor, again it depends on money. right now you wont notice a difference between 3.0 and 3.4, but in the future it will be more of an issue. it all depends on how long you plan to use this baby before you upgrade again. that mobo would work for either processor. i reccomend more cache. the more the better.

if you want to save some money you could always overclock. try to get your hands on a 2.4c if you can find one, they overclock well past 3ghz. you'd need more expensive ram though. the corsair extreme for example.

as far as the OS right now windows XP pro is simply the best one out there for gaming. i'd get a copy, unless you already have one, then i'd just use that. you could always go about it another way, but for the sake of keeping my post from being deleted i won't mention aything further on acquiring it with an alternative method.

Another recommendation for KeyTronic. Many people seem to underestimate the importance of the keyboard - in *cough* some games you need a lot of keys to be usable at the same time, and the touch is also the more important the more you use it. This is an area where you really can get an improvement for little money.

Delkian wrote:Another recommendation for KeyTronic. Many people seem to underestimate the importance of the keyboard - in *cough* some games you need a lot of keys to be usable at the same time, and the touch is also the more important the more you use it. This is an area where you really can get an improvement for little money.

KeyTronic keyboards are VERY reliable. My father has one for his rig and its been used constantly for several years with zero problems whatsoever. Lite-On and Logitech are very good brands when it comes to keyboards as well. My wireless Logitech KB works wonderfuly with games. I've never had any problems with multiple key combos. Same with my previous ergonomic Lite-On KB. I could tri-chord on that thing with no trouble at all. (when I use KB only for playing D1/D2)

TrueLightGuild wrote:I was thinking of spending anywhere from $2000 to $2500
Thanks

oops i overestimated your budget by a few billion $US

you'l be able to get a serious gaming rig for that much cash, it's a lot of money to build a pc with, you'l definetely get a great one.

just no supercomputer ahh well