The Ultimate PC

[Zenskas]

Ok everyone post if you think there is a better part and I will edit it in. And check to see if all the specs are right or not. I don't know about the RAM and I know there are better hard drives so help out and make the spec list of the ultimate PC. I need you to help with the software and accessories also. And keep telling me if there are better parts that just came out so I can update them! These models are either from Australia, Global or America. I will start putting links to the specific parts main site so you can check all the specs. I would also like to keep the Intel proccessor and NVIDIA GPU's in the list so don't tell me if there are better options from ATI/AMD. Keep the best specs coming!

ULTIMATE PC

HARDWARE:

Motherboard: NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI (1600MHz FSB, DDR3-2GHz, PCI Express 2.0, DX-10 Support, SLI, 3-Way and Quad SLI Support, 3x16 PCIe 2.0 Slots, 5 PCI Slots, Intel Socket LGA775 Support, RAID Configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5, Dual Native Gigabit Ethernet Connections, Up to 10 USB 2.0 Ports)

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_790i_ultra_sli.html

Central Processing Unit: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (3.2GHz Clock Speed, 12MB L2 Cache, 1600 MHz FSB, Quad-Core)

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/co...re+body_core2ex

Random Access Memory: 2x 2GB Corsair Dominator TW3X2G2000C9DFNV (2GB, DDR3 2GHz, Dual-Channel, 240pin DIMM)

http://www.corsair.com/products/dominator.aspx

Hard Disk Drive(s): 2x Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS (2x 300GB, RAID 0 Configuration, 16MB Cache, 3GB/s, 10,000 RPM)

Video Card(s): 2x NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 (Each Card has 1GB of VRAM, 600MHz Core Clock, 1000MHz Memory Clock, 1500MHz Shader Clock, 512-bit Memory, 128GB/sec Memory Bandwidth, DX-10 Support, Running in SLI)

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_9800gx2.html

Sound Card: Auzentech X-Fi Prelude (64 MB X-RAM, 7.1 Surround Sound, EAX Support, X-Fi Technology)

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_prelude.php

Optical Drive(s): LG GGC-H20L Blue Ray/DVD/CD Player (6x BR, 16x DVD)

AND

Samsung SH-S203B DVD+/-RW Combo (20x DVD-R, 48x CD-R, 16x DVD, 48x CD)

Power Supply Unit: Cooler Master Real Power Pro RS-C50-EMBA-D2 (1250 Watts, Quad GPU Support, SLI Support, ATX Form Factor, 85% Efficiency, Ultra-Silent 135mm Fan with Intelligent Speed Control, 80 Plus Support)

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/produ...=22&id=3143

PhysX Card: AGEIA PhysX Accelerator (128MB GDDR3 RAM, PCI Interface, 128-bit Memory)

Case: Cooler Master COSMOS S RC-1100 (ATX Full Tower, 7x 5.25” Drive Bays, 4x 3.5” Drive Bays (Hidden, converted from 3x5.25 inch drive bays), 7 Expansion Slots, Transparent Side Panel)

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/produ...=17&id=3947

CPU and Case Cooling Solution: (DOES NOT INCLUDE COOLING ALREADY SUPPLIED WITH MOTHERBOARD AND GRAPHICS CARDS)

Front Fan(Intake): One 120x120x25mm, 1200 RPM, 17 Dba (With Case)

Top Fan(Exhaust): One 120x120x25mm, 1200 RPM, 17 Dba (With Case)

Top Fan(Optional Extra Cooling): Two 120mm (With Case)

Rear Fan(Exhaust): One 120x120x25mm, 1200 RPM, 17 Dba (With Case)

Side Fan(Intake): 200x230x30mm, 900 RPM, 150 CFM (With Case)

Liquid CPU Cooling: Cooler Master Aquagate (600 Watts, Dual 1200mm Quiet Fans, CPU Water Block)

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/produ...e=1&id=3855

Northbridge Cooling: Cooler Master CM Blue Ice RT-UCL-L4U1 (Northbridge and Surrounding Area Cooling, 40mm Silent Integrated Fan)

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/produ...te=1&id=106

INPUT/OUTPUT and ACCESSORIES:

Monitor:

Speakers:

Keyboard: Logitech G15 (LCD GamePanel, Illuminated Keys, 6 Programmable ‘G-Keys’)

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboard...98&cl=au,en

Mouse: Logitech G9 Laser Mouse (3200 DPI Laser Engine, Weight Tuning, Custom Grips, Sensitivity and LEDs)

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/mice_poi...53&cl=au,en

Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 (Carl Zeiss Optics, 2MP Sensor, Integrated Microphone, 1600 x 1200 Pixels, 30 Frames Per Second)

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_c...56&cl=au,en

SOFTWARE:

Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Office Suite: Microsoft Office 2007 Pro

Anti-Virus:

Anti-Spyware:

CD/DVD Burning Solution:

Check the attachment for the spec list in Word format.

ULTIMATE_PC.doc

Edited June 9, 2008 by RiderZen

[Kelsenellenelvian]

OK what about 2 of the new 300 gig 10,000 rpm raptors in raid for your systemdrive? http://www.pcper.com/article.php?type=expe...d=548&pid=2

9800's?? The 1 gig 8800 gtx's are actually better. http://firingsquad.com/hardware/palit_gefo...er+_1gb_review/

Edited June 6, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian

[Zenskas]

OK what about 2 of the new 300 gig 10,000 rpm raptors in raid for your systemdrive?

9800's?? The 1 gig 8800 gtx's are actually better.

Thanks for that the hard drives sound good I will edit them soon.

And the graphics cards sound good but I don't know what to do. Remember it is quad sli. Each 9800 GX2 is actually 2 GPU's. Is two 9800 GX2's (quad sli) actually slower than two or three 8800 gtx's or ultra's in sli?

And any ideas on software?

Edited June 6, 2008 by RiderZen

[Kelsenellenelvian]

the 9x series of nVidia cards turned out to be a flop compared against their own 8800 series. You could wait till the next gen ones come out or just pick one of the 2 the difference isnt all that much.

As for software I do HATE to say it but since you are going over 3.5 gigs ram you'll need 64x OS. I would go Vista ultimate (((shudders))) 64x for new game support and full ram support.

(I hate both 64x and Vista LOL)

Edited June 6, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian

[Zenskas]

the 9x series of nVidia cards turned out to be a flop compared against their own 8800 series. You could wait till the next gen ones come out or just pick one of the 2 the difference isnt all that much.

As for software I do HATE to say it but since you are going over 3.5 gigs ram you'll need 64x OS. I would go Vista ultimate (((shudders))) 64x for new game support and full ram support.

(I hate both 64x and Vista LOL)

So would three 8800 ultra's in three way sli be better? What about three 9800gtx's? Would they be the fastest?

I hate 64bit and Vista aswel lol. So what do you think? 2GB RAM and XP Pro SP3?

Edited June 6, 2008 by RiderZen

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I have no clue about sli honestly...

review of 8800 in 3 way sli http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/NVIDIA...rmance_Preview/

I would shoot for 3 gigs rams and XP sp3just make sure you get 2 1gigs that match and 2 512's that match so you can keep dual channel capability.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian

[Zenskas]

I have no clue about sli honestly...

I would shoot for 3 gigs rams and XP sp3just make sure you get 2 1gigs that match and 2 512's that match so you can keep dual channel capability.

OK will do soon. I think I will keep the GPU configuration or put in three 9800gtx's.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

9800 in 3 way sli http://www.i4u.com/full-review-431.html

see last post for 8800 3 way sli review

[anonymous_user]

A few recommendations:

Instead of the Creative sound card, put a Prelude.

Instead of the LITE-ON DH-20A4P, get a Samsung SH-S203B. And for the Blu-ray burner: the LG GGC-H20L.

And instead of the Cooler Master PSU, get a PC Power and Cooling T12W.

Edited June 6, 2008 by anonymous_user

[Zenskas]

9800 in 3 way sli http://www.i4u.com/full-review-431.html

see last post for 8800 3 way sli review

Thanks I think I will stick with the current setup or change to a three way sli 9800gtx setup.

A few recommendations:

Instead of the Creative sound card, put a Prelude.

Instead of the LITE-ON DH-20A4P, get a Samsung SH-S203B. And for the Blu-ray burner: the LG GGC-H20L.

And instead of the Cooler Master PSU, get a PC Power and Cooling T12W.

Changed to Prelude. Nice card.

Changed to Samsung. Thats one fast DVD burner.

Changed to LG.

Kept PSU. I like Cooler Master better as the case and cooling solution is all made by them so I thought they would go together well.

[Zxian]

I have no clue about sli honestly...

review of 8800 in 3 way sli http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/NVIDIA...rmance_Preview/

I would shoot for 3 gigs rams and XP sp3just make sure you get 2 1gigs that match and 2 512's that match so you can keep dual channel capability.

Excuse me? Sorry Kel, but no. The XP vs Vista debate has gone on long enough, and when it comes to new hardware compatibility and performance, 64-bit Vista wins hands down over 32-bit XP.

Also - you're missing one very big factor when it comes to 32-bit XP. Look at how much video memory he's got. That means that with all the hardware addressing that happens, he'll have less than 2GB of usable RAM! If you don't believe me, look here. That's the system properties from my setup a few months back, running two video cards (512MB 8800GT and 256MB 8600GT) with 32-bit XP. With the setup he's looking at (two 1GB graphics cards, physX, sound card), 64-bit is a must.

I understand that SLI gives some performance benefit over a single card, but it's definitely not worth the money. It's more bragging rights than anything else, and then you've got your electricity bill and noise/heat to worry about. For my ultimate gaming setup, I'd much rather take a P5E3 motherboard (x38 chipset, DDR3) and a single 8800GT for the time being, and then wait for the next gen nVidia cards to come out. If the leaked specs are anything to go by, spending $1000 now on graphics cards would be a complete waste of money.

[bonestonne]

if you're building "the ultimate PC" why are you only using nForce?

go for a Skulltrail motherboard and two X5482 processors. 3.6ghz quad core 1600mhz bus speed.

triple SLi still there.

i'd also go for FB-DIMM ram.

i'm guessing that its the best budget build?

[ferdysmeets]

SSD's > Raptors.

And if you want quad-sli you will need Vista coz xp cant render more then 2 or 3 images ahead which vista can and with 2gig of video memory you will need x64 else you will lose a lot of ram.

[Zenskas]

I have no clue about sli honestly...

review of 8800 in 3 way sli http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/NVIDIA...rmance_Preview/

I would shoot for 3 gigs rams and XP sp3just make sure you get 2 1gigs that match and 2 512's that match so you can keep dual channel capability.

Excuse me? Sorry Kel, but no. The XP vs Vista debate has gone on long enough, and when it comes to new hardware compatibility and performance, 64-bit Vista wins hands down over 32-bit XP.

Also - you're missing one very big factor when it comes to 32-bit XP. Look at how much video memory he's got. That means that with all the hardware addressing that happens, he'll have less than 2GB of usable RAM! If you don't believe me, look here. That's the system properties from my setup a few months back, running two video cards (512MB 8800GT and 256MB 8600GT) with 32-bit XP. With the setup he's looking at (two 1GB graphics cards, physX, sound card), 64-bit is a must.

I understand that SLI gives some performance benefit over a single card, but it's definitely not worth the money. It's more bragging rights than anything else, and then you've got your electricity bill and noise/heat to worry about. For my ultimate gaming setup, I'd much rather take a P5E3 motherboard (x38 chipset, DDR3) and a single 8800GT for the time being, and then wait for the next gen nVidia cards to come out. If the leaked specs are anything to go by, spending $1000 now on graphics cards would be a complete waste of money.

OK. I think Vista Ultimate SP1 64bit with 4gb ram will do ok then. Just remember I'm not going to buy this beast, just create a list of the best parts. So I will stick will quad sli and update it to the newest, best cards as they come out. ATM I only have a 2.4ghz celeron with 512mb ram, 40gb hdd and 32mb integrated graphics! So this is just a dream pc.

if you're building "the ultimate PC" why are you only using nForce?

go for a Skulltrail motherboard and two X5482 processors. 3.6ghz quad core 1600mhz bus speed.

triple SLi still there.

i'd also go for FB-DIMM ram.

i'm guessing that its the best budget build?

I might change it to a skulltrail mobo and dual cpu but I will check out the specs. This is more of the ultimate standard gamer/enthusiast, not server grade type stuff. Might change the RAM over too.

SSD's > Raptors.

And if you want quad-sli you will need Vista coz xp cant render more then 2 or 3 images ahead which vista can and with 2gig of video memory you will need x64 else you will lose a lot of ram.

Thanks I will put Vista on it. And I also intend to add a huge 'ultimate games' list to go with it.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

I have no clue about sli honestly...

review of 8800 in 3 way sli http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/NVIDIA...rmance_Preview/

I would shoot for 3 gigs rams and XP sp3just make sure you get 2 1gigs that match and 2 512's that match so you can keep dual channel capability.

Excuse me? Sorry Kel, but no. The XP vs Vista debate has gone on long enough, and when it comes to new hardware compatibility and performance, 64-bit Vista wins hands down over 32-bit XP.

Also - you're missing one very big factor when it comes to 32-bit XP. Look at how much video memory he's got. That means that with all the hardware addressing that happens, he'll have less than 2GB of usable RAM! If you don't believe me, look here. That's the system properties from my setup a few months back, running two video cards (512MB 8800GT and 256MB 8600GT) with 32-bit XP. With the setup he's looking at (two 1GB graphics cards, physX, sound card), 64-bit is a must.

I understand that SLI gives some performance benefit over a single card, but it's definitely not worth the money. It's more bragging rights than anything else, and then you've got your electricity bill and noise/heat to worry about. For my ultimate gaming setup, I'd much rather take a P5E3 motherboard (x38 chipset, DDR3) and a single 8800GT for the time being, and then wait for the next gen nVidia cards to come out. If the leaked specs are anything to go by, spending $1000 now on graphics cards would be a complete waste of money.

LOL Hey I did say he would need Vista AND 64bit. (in post #4)

I kinda compare them to just getting your first Mac though. Going from XP 32bit to Vista 64bit is bound to cause shellshock. Granted, yes overall it may be more powerfull, but 64bit is still so new it is nearly uncustomizable and very few apps actually take advantage of it yet. LOTS of hardware yes but the companies are still slow to adopt it.

Right out of the box I would take 32 bit over 64 bit. After alot of tweaking I may like 64 bit better, but I JUST came to be 64 bit compatable 3months ago so it is very new to me. (Dual booting with it. YES! I am actually using it to not just letting it collect dust.) I really hate that there has to be 2 of nearly everything and that without extra measures some of my apps\programs won't work.

As for "Hardware adressing" with the video memory that is something else new to me. I know alot about pc's, have built well over a hundred and am very familiar with programing of several sorts, but I have been in the stone age personally until recently . Heck the card I have now is a 7300 gt w\256 ddr2 ram. So I bow to you and accept that the ram issue with the video cards may be an issue.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Kelsenellenelvian