$5000 Computer

[EnderW]

I was bored and decided to build a $5000 dream computer.

Some things to consider:

The reason I didn't go with an A64 system is b/c I wanted 5 SATA hard drives and none of the A64 motherboards support that many SATA devices. I didn't want to spend the extra money on an add-on controller card either, b/c that would mean I'd have to give something up.

I have 3 optical drives because I wanted a Plextor Premium and I wanted a seperate DVD-ROM so I would be able to make straight DVD copies.

Here we go:

Lian Li PC-65B - $119.95
Lian-Li Media Card Reader (Black) - $35.95
(2) Lian Li DVD/CD Bezel C-01B (Black) - $19.90
Lian Li 3.5" Floppy Bezel (Black) - $7.95
PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 510 Deluxe - $220
ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe - $178
Intel Pentium 4 3.4C - $415
Corsair TWINX1024-3200XLPRO - $363
Western Digital Raptor 74GB - $188
(4) Western Digital WD2500PB - $720
Plextor PX-Premium Black 52x32x52 CD-RW - $88
Plextor PX-712A Black 12X DVD+/-RW - $159.99
SONY DDU1612 Black 16X DVD-ROM - $29
ATI X800 XT Platinum Edition - $500
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum - $165
ViewSonic VP201B 20.1-inch LCD - $980.96
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 - $344
Logitech diNovo Media Desktop - $205
Microsoft Windows XP Professional OEM - $141

TOTAL $4880.70 + shipping

 

[PsyCho_BoB]

I was bored and decided to build a $5000 dream computer.

I hate you.

 

[KoZLop]

How about the extreme edition p4s?

 

[Qwertyman]

see if u can get a 7.1 surround setup because i think ut2k4 supports it, and itll look and sound damn cool.

 

[DocSavage]

PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 510 Deluxe - $220

Isn't that a bit expensive for just a 510 watt power supply? Also, if you are going with 1TB of storage, I would get a SATA Raid adapter and one more 250GB drive for Raid 5. I would hate to loose some 250GB of data if just one of those 4 drives fail.

 

[CrimandEvil]

I agree with Doc (one both things), add in card would be the way to go but he said that he doesn't want to do that because he'd be losing something (what that something is I have no idea )
Looks okay to me. but I would axe the Sony drive for a Plextor combo drive, axe the floppy (come out just have on laying around for when you need it, floppys are rather ugly),go with an A64, instead of the 65B I'd go with the PC-6077, and (personally) I'd get two of Apple's 23inch LCD moniters.

Now that's something to be proud of.

 

[swoop56]

I he meant he just pieced it together. Not actually purchased. Am I right?

 

[jamestime88]

3 opticals drives? you do know that they have 16x dvd+/-rw drives dont you?

 

[EnderW]

I hate you.

STFU n00b

How about the extreme edition p4s?

Way too expensive for the slight increase in performance you woud get.

see if u can get a 7.1 surround setup because i think ut2k4 supports it, and itll look and sound damn cool.

Sound quality is more important to me then # of satelite speakers.

Isn't that a bit expensive for just a 510 watt power supply?

Yes, it is expensive, but PC Power & Cooling makes the best PSUs and I consider the PSU to be a very vital component of any system. If you're building a $5000 computer, don't skimp on the PSU.

Also, if you are going with 1TB of storage, I would get a SATA Raid adapter and one more 250GB drive for Raid 5. I would hate to loose some 250GB of data if just one of those 4 drives fail.

Those (4) 250GB drives are going into a RAID 1 array so it's 500MB of usuable storage. 1TB would be nice, but obviously adding another drive and a controller card would put me over budget.

I agree with Doc (one both things), add in card would be the way to go but he said that he doesn't want to do that because he'd be losing something (what that something is I have no idea )

Obviously if you add a controller card, it would out the total over $5000, so in order to keep it below $5000, you have to take something off. Pretty simple concept.

I would axe the Sony drive for a Plextor combo drive

Why do I need another CD burner when I already have a DVD-RW and a CD-RW? I want the Plextor Premium CD-RW and I want to make straight copies of DVDs, thus the need for 3 optical drives.

axe the floppy (come out just have on laying around for when you need it, floppys are rather ugly)

Actually I forgot to list a floppy drive, but I would certainly buy one, because there is absolutely no reason not too. And saying they look ugly is rather silly. Mine looks very nice with the Lian Li stealth bezel which matches my case.

go with an A64

Already explained in the first post.

Although I probably could go with a 3400+, a good A64 mother board, and decent controller card for close to the same amount of money, but why bother? The 3.4C and 3400+ are very similiar in terms of performance.

instead of the 65B

The PC-65B looks nicer and is cheaper.

and (personally) I'd get two of Apple's 23inch LCD moniters

The budget is $5000, not $10000.

I he meant he just pieced it together. Not actually purchased. Am I right?

Nope, it's on the way. Happy 4th!

3 opticals drives?

Already explained in the first post.

you do know that they have 16x dvd+/-rw drives dont you?

I could find any available for purchase. If you know where to get them, please share.

 

[CrimandEvil]

Ah...combo drive means DVD/CDRW drive as in a DVD reader and CD burner rolled into one

 

[bobsaget]

With 5,000 bucks... I would get a $3,500 Plasma TV and build a $1,500 computer...

 

[EnderW]

Ah...combo drive means DVD/CDRW drive as in a DVD reader and CD burner rolled into one

NO. One of the drives MUST be the Plextor Premium and I MUST be able to make straight copies of DVDs.

With 5,000 bucks... I would get a $3,500 Plasma TV and build a $1,500 computer...

I'm not actually buying it. This spec list was just for fun. The idea being, if I had $5000 and I could only spend it on a computer, what would I buy?

 

[bountyhunter]

where the fucking hell is the 2gb of RAM? There is not way in hell I would buy a computer for anywhere over $2500 and not get 2gigs of RAM. that's just a sin. screw the hard drives, how the hell would anybody use more then 160gb's is beyond me, unless it was like a server or something like that, which this computer obviously isn't.

 

[CrimandEvil]

Virtually all testing done has shown that you take a performance hit with 2GB of memory with 32bit systems.

 

[DocSavage]

I'm kind of curious how he plans to get 7 ide devices on a motherboard that can only handle 6. Not only that but he can only raid 2 of them.

 

[bobsaget]

I'm not actually buying it. This spec list was just for fun. The idea being, if I had $5000 and I could only spend it on a computer, what would I buy?

Oh I know... I'm just saying that I would get a Plasma screen for the monitor...

 

[EnderW]

I'm kind of curious how he plans to get 7 ide devices on a motherboard that can only handle 6. Not only that but he can only raid 2 of them.

All 5 hard drives are SATA and the 3 optical drives are IDE.

I was thinking the P4C800-E Deluxe had 6 SATA slots like the Abit IC7 MAX3. Since it doesn't, I have made some changes to my spec list:

Some things to consider:

I took off Windows XP because it was making me go over budget and I decided not to count software.

Added a floppy drive.

Also, I lowered the price of the ATI X800 XT PE to reflect the Gateway preorder deal..

I have 3 optical drives because I wanted a Plextor Premium and I wanted a seperate DVD-ROM so I would be able to make straight DVD copies.

Changed the storage drives from WD2500PB to WD2500JD (SATA instead of IDE) my mistake

Here we go:

Lian Li PC-65B - $119.95
Lian-Li Media Card Reader (Black) - $35.95
(2) Lian Li DVD/CD Bezel C-01B (Black) - $19.90
Lian Li 3.5" Floppy Bezel (Black) - $7.95
PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 510 Deluxe - $220
Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP nForce3 - $232
AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64 3500+ - $498
Corsair TWINX1024-3200XLPRO - $363
Western Digital Raptor 74GB - $188
Promise FastTrak S150 TX4 SATA RAID Controller Card - $123
(4) Western Digital WD2500JD (RAID 1) - $712
Plextor PX-Premium Black 52x32x52 CD-RW - $88
Plextor PX-712A Black 12X DVD+/-RW - $159.99
SONY DDU1612 Black 16X DVD-ROM - $29
SONY Black Floppy Disk Drive $10.99
ATI X800 XT Platinum Edition - $400 (Gateway Preorder)
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum - $165
ViewSonic VP201B 20.1-inch LCD - $980.96
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 - $344
Logitech diNovo Media Desktop - $205

TOTAL $4902.69 + shipping

 

[isp]

All that in a PC65 ?

 

[EnderW]

All that in a PC65 ?

Sure, why not?

 

[DocSavage]

All 5 hard drives are SATA and the 3 optical drives are IDE.

So now you have 5 SATA devices on a 4 SATA motherboard?

Besides... not according to Newegg:

Western Digital Quiet Drive 250GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD2500PB, OEM Drive Only

Model# WD2500PB
Item # N82E16822144155

Specifications:
Capacity: 250GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) technology, Shock Guard
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only

 

[EnderW]

So now you have 5 SATA devices on a 4 SATA motherboard?

Besides... not according to Newegg:

Western Digital Quiet Drive 250GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD2500PB, OEM Drive Only

Model# WD2500PB
Item # N82E16822144155

Specifications:
Capacity: 250GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) technology, Shock Guard
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only

son of a bitch

I meant to pick the WD2500JD

OK, it's fixed now, thanks.

 

[unhappy_mage]

how about heat?

5 hard drives will make lots of heat. lots. then you have to stack them in the inadequately vented front 3.5" bays and further worsen the problem. you need something like the coolermaster stacker, and a bunch of hard drive trays. i also don't see any heatsink (!!!!) or cooling fans (!!!). putting everything into a small case would be a _terrible_ idea. i know you're not building this, but something to consider if you ever do.

watercooling anyone?

 

[EnderW]

how about heat?

5 hard drives will make lots of heat. lots. then you have to stack them in the inadequately vented front 3.5" bays and further worsen the problem. you need something like the coolermaster stacker, and a bunch of hard drive trays. i also don't see any heatsink (!!!!) or cooling fans (!!!). putting everything into a small case would be a _terrible_ idea. i know you're not building this, but something to consider if you ever do.

watercooling anyone?

The PC-65 holds 5 hard drives in the front directly behind (2) 80mm fans.

It has a total of (4) 80mm fans (included). And stock fans / hsf are good enough for stock speeds.

 

[Zepher]

I built a similiar system for a friend the last month.
I was told to build a gaming computer like I would build for myself, with the exception that it needed a TV Tuner card.
3.4c
2gigs of ram
250x2 SATA drives
Audigy 2 Platimun
ATI 9800 Pro AIW
8X DVD-RW
Asus mb
some fans
480watt PS
Logitech Bluetooth MX kb and mouse
and some other stuff
$2800.
He already had a 17" LCD so no monitor was needed.
I got his old Athlon 1300mhz computer that is going to be my new HTPC for my theater.

 

[EnderW]

damn, I forgot about a TV tuner card

oh well it's not like I'm really building the damn thing

 

[Zepher]

damn, I forgot about a TV tuner card

oh well it's not like I'm really building the damn thing

If the 800XT had a tuner card and was available, that would have been the card I'd have bought, but the next best was the 9800Pro AIW.

 

[EnderW]

If the 800XT had a tuner card and was available, that would have been the card I'd have bought, but the next best was the 9800Pro AIW.

I had a 9800 AIW and gave me nothing but problems

 

[Zepher]

I had a 9800 AIW and gave me nothing but problems

Well, it seems that the system I built is running great since I haven't gotten a call about it.
The funny thing is, I built this for a friends brother that lives in a nursing home for older people and the games he plays are simple games like tetris, Boulderdash, arkanoid, etc.
The only real games that use the system are the games that came with the sound card and video card. He just wanted his brother to have a high end machine.

 

[Ben-mod]

damn, I forgot about a TV tuner card

oh well it's not like I'm really building the damn thing

So its all joke... lol good one

 

[dwayne001]

This like, isn't a dream computer.

I'm not at all trying to flame, I just do't see what the big deal is.

Besides your chip I'm not THAT impressed. I mean, you're using the SB
platinum instead of the SP platinum pro? Why would you want all those
cable ports in such an impractical place like the front of your PC.

I was able to get 20 more watts for a comparable PSU for less money
and that was months ago....and my PSU is modular. I can alsocontrol
fan speed on that thing with the twist of a (currently relatively
innaccessible) knob.

That's a great set of links when it comes to raiding--well done. When
i put my current machine together I made sure to run raid 0 as i
thougth i'd get more performce but i noticed no difference. ratehr
than making both drives single again, i opted to keep them together
because of the large capacity/single volume solution. having a 200gb+
drive back then was kinda expensive if you wanted 7200rpm and an 8meg
cache, so the 222gb i got in a single volume to be partitioned from
raiding the wd120s was/is preferable. I was also too lazy to re-set it
up.

I noticed you're getting a black case. Any reason why you're not going
silver? Silver's empirically cooler. A dream computer has to have someastetic flash...you don't even have cathodes on that list.

What are you using for cooling--i don't see that much money invested
into drive cooling or chip/chipset/vid-card cooling. You might look
into a cooldrive 4--those things are beautiful, especially w/ a silver
case. What kind of OC are you thinking about going for? OC and
cooling is where I think next-level dream machines come together.
It's more than just hardware, a little finess is involved--a little of
yourself shines through a machine that runs cool, quiet, and has a
decent OC. I personally think that kind of balance is the essence of
[H].

The issue may have been brought up but why are you using 3 opti
drives? What's with your obsession with the Plextor Premium--that's silly.Get the samsung combo cd-rw drive--burns flawlessly at 40x+ speeds and
comes in black and beige. Performance-pcs.com has it in silver for a
few dollars more. That should leave you with a 5.25bay for your
system drive to be properly cooled or something like a fan controller.
It'll leave you with a free drive bay for maybe a bay reservior if you
decide to OC.

The bezel plates your using for the lian li--get black drives or have
your rives turned black. Drives aren't like women--dressing them up
doesnt make them look better. A mod though, goes a long way. No dram computer is all stock parts. Naked drives look and function better than third party bezel
do-hickies --with $5000, it's obvious you're not sparing any expense,
so get any beige drives you buy turned black.

The viewsonic montior is ok but I'm curious as to why you didn't go
for the 2001FP from dell. Again, we're talking about a DREAM MACHINE.
In terms of LCD performance, it seems like the 2001FP only 20"
solution for the [H]ardcore rig builder currently.

What IS really impressive is the amount of storage you've got in that
box--I'm just wondering why you would want that kind of storage on your
main rig----it's ridiculous----put it on a (less power hungry, always-on) server and your
whole network can take advantage of it--on demand, whether you're in
your garden enjoying hte sun with the laptop next to you, or in your
tv room/den and wanna check out that movie you just turned to mpeg.

The Dream computer would also be able to display TV directly via a
tuner, preferrably HD and it would also be able to record tv. You might also opt for two, smaller lcds rather than the 20" screen.

At this point in the tech game wouldnt you also be looking for
something that has ddr2 and PCI express? I think all of these things
could be taken care of if you took some of the cash you allocated to
storage and threw it toward some other peripherals.

There's also the diNovo factor-- I've got it and it isnt all that. The
Logitech navigator pro or whatever that comes with the MX mouse
keyboard package is just as or more capable---i say that mostly cause
ever sicen i got the dinovo, i haven't been able to use the keybaord
on password i was able to do with my old logitech setup...and that's
kind of annoying. There's also the fact that whenever i reach for the
number pad i realise it's not attached to the keybard adn i have to go
find it....

There's also the fact that for the last 3-4 years logitech has
supplied its keyboard users with a left hand scroll wheel..whcih is
completely not present on this, their flagship device. My left index
finger keeps on reaching for nothing. Seriously, you could have gotten
the MX duo and still maintaind Dream Machine status and allocated like
$140 toward some ingenious cooling modification. diNovo does not a dram machine make.

If I have time later on today i'll see what i can do w/ a $5000 budget
in terms of the dream machine. Of course prices may have dropped since
you got your quote and i'll be using www.bensbargains.net along with
all the other deal sites out there, but I'm confident you can get more
cool, hip, snazzy hardware for your money, although it may sacrifice
some of that 1774gb space your current specs have to offer.

 

[dwayne001]

I'm not at all trying to flame, I just do't see what the big deal is.

Besides your chip I'm not THAT impressed. I mean, you're using the SB
platinum instead of the SP platinum pro? Why would you want all those
cable ports in such an impractical place like the front of your PC.

I was able to get 20 more watts for a comparable PSU for less money
and that was months ago....and my PSU is modular. I can alsocontrol
fan speed on that thing with the twist of a (currently relatively
innaccessible) knob.

That's a great set of links when it comes to raiding--well done. When
i put my current machine together I made sure to run raid 0 as i
thougth i'd get more performce but i noticed no difference. ratehr
than making both drives single again, i opted to keep them together
because of the large capacity/single volume solution. having a 200gb+
drive back then was kinda expensive if you wanted 7200rpm and an 8meg
cache, so the 222gb i got in a single volume to be partitioned from
raiding the wd120s was/is preferable. I was also too lazy to re-set it
up.

I noticed you're getting a black case. Any reason why you're not going
silver? Silver's empirically cooler.

What are you using for cooling--i don't see that much money invested
into drive cooling or chip/chipset/vid-card cooling. You might look
into a cooldrive 4--those things are beautiful, especially w/ a silver
case. What kind of OC are you thinking about going for? OC and
cooling is where I think next-level dream machines come together.
It's more than just hardware, a little finess is involved--a little of
yourself shines through a machine that runs cool, quiet, and has a
decent OC. I personally think that kind of balance is the essence of
[H].

The issue may have been brought up but why are you using 3 opti
drives? Get the samsung combo cd-rw drive--burns flawlessly at 52x and
comes in black and beige. Performance-pcs.com has it in silver for a
few dollars more. That should leave you with a 5.25bay for your
system drive to be properly cooled or something like a fan controller.
It'll leave you with a free drive bay for maybe a bay reservior if you
decide to OC.

The bezel plates your using for the lian li--get black drives or have
your rives turned black. Drives are't like women--dressing them up
doesnt make them look better. A little pigment though,goes a long way.
Naked drives look and function better than third party bezel
do-hickies --with $5000, it's obvious you're not sparing any expense,
so get any beige drives you buy turned black.

The viewsonic montior is ok but I'm curious as to why you didn't go
for the 2001FP from dell. Again, we're talking about a DREAM MACHINE
factor. In terms of LCD performance, it seems like the 2001FP only 20"
solution for the [H]ardcore rig builder currently.

What IS really impressive is the amount of storage you've got in that
box--I'm just wondering why you ould want that kind of storage on your
main rig----put it on a (less power hungry, always-on) server and your
whole network can take advantage of it--on demand, whether you're in
your garden enjoying hte sun with the laptop next to you, or in your
tv room/den and wanna check out that movie you just turned to mpeg.

The Dream computer would also be able to display TV directly via a
tuner, preferrably HD and it would also be able to record tv. Maybe you wanna go with two smaller LCDsrather than the big cheese.

At this point in the tech game wouldnt you also be looking for
something that has ddr2 and PCI express? I think all of these things
could be taken care of if you took some of the cash you allocated to
storage and threw it toward some other peripherals.

There's also the diNovo factor-- I've got it and it isnt all that. The
Logitech navigator pro or whatever that comes with the MX mouse
keyboard package is just as or more capable---i say that mostly cause
ever sicen i got the dinovo, i haven't been able to use the keybaord
on password iwas able to do with my old logitech setup...and that's
kind of annoying. There's also the fact that whenever i reach for the
number pad i realise it's not attached to the keybard adn i have to go
find it....diNovo does not a Dream Machine make.

There's also the fact that for the last 3-4 years logitech has
supplied its keyboard users with a left hand scroll wheel..whcih is
completely not present on this, their flagship device. My left index
finger keeps on reaching for nothing. Seriously, you could have gotten
the MX duo and still maintaind Dream Machine status and allocated like
$140 toward some ingenious cooling modification.
If I have time later on today i'll see what i can do w/ a $5000 budget
in terms of the dream machine. Of course prices may have dropped since
you got your quote and i'll be using www.bensbargains.net along with
all the other deal sites out there, but I'm confident you can get more
cool, hip, snazzy hardware for your money, although it may sacrifice
some of that 1774gb space your current specs have to offer.

 

[Qwertyman]

dwanye, stop typing. your to verbose my friend.

 

[dwayne001]

"too" my friernd, not 'to."

 

[apHytHiaTe]

Why post twice? Once was more than enough

And dude there is an a64 mobo that supports 6 SATA Drives.

Asus K8N-E Deluxe

Edit: Mr, Correct Grammar, what's a "friernd"?

 

[Qwertyman]

.....who cares

 

[EnderW]

This like, isn't a dream computer.

Right, it's what I, personally would buy if I was spending $5000 on a computer.

Besides your chip I'm not THAT impressed.

It was not my goal to impress you.

I mean, you're using the SB platinum instead of the SP platinum pro? Why would you want all those
cable ports in such an impractical place like the front of your PC.

Actually I would probably go with the plain ZS, b/c I doubt I would use any of that shit, but the black I/O thing would match my case and I think it looks cool.

I was able to get 20 more watts for a comparable PSU for less money
and that was months ago....and my PSU is modular. I can alsocontrol
fan speed on that thing with the twist of a (currently relatively
innaccessible) knob.

You don't scimp on the PSU when building a $5000 computer. PC Power & Cooling is the best and everyone knows that. I don't care about controlling the fan speed, besides you can have them put a quite fan in it if you ask.

That's a great set of links when it comes to raiding--well done. When
i put my current machine together I made sure to run raid 0 as i
thougth i'd get more performce but i noticed no difference. ratehr
than making both drives single again, i opted to keep them together
because of the large capacity/single volume solution. having a 200gb+
drive back then was kinda expensive if you wanted 7200rpm and an 8meg
cache, so the 222gb i got in a single volume to be partitioned from
raiding the wd120s was/is preferable. I was also too lazy to re-set it
up.

OK.

I noticed you're getting a black case. Any reason why you're not going
silver? Silver's empirically cooler. A dream computer has to have someastetic flash...you don't even have cathodes on that list.

No, black cases are cooler and I don't like cathodes.

What are you using for cooling--i don't see that much money invested into drive cooling or chip/chipset/vid-card cooling.

Stock cooling is fine for stock speeds. If I wanted to do watercooling, I could always add it later.

You might look into a cooldrive 4--those things are beautiful, especially w/ a silver
case.

I think they are ugly, I have a black case, and I see no use for them.

What kind of OC are you thinking about going for? OC and
cooling is where I think next-level dream machines come together.
It's more than just hardware, a little finess is involved--a little of
yourself shines through a machine that runs cool, quiet, and has a
decent OC. I personally think that kind of balance is the essence of
[H]

I am not actually buying all this shit. If I was, then I would spend more time researching every little detail such as case fans, cooling, etc. And I don't see the point in OCing a $5000 machine. No need to risk it when you won't see any real performance. That's my opinion anyway.

The issue may have been brought up but why are you using 3 opti
drives? What's with your obsession with the Plextor Premium--that's silly.

It's one of the best CD-RWs available and I want one. It's only costing me a few extra dollars for the DVD-ROM. Get over it.

Get the samsung combo cd-rw drive--burns flawlessly at 40x+ speeds and
comes in black and beige.

The SM-352? I have one and wouldn't buy another - it's very loud.

Performance-pcs.com has it in silver for a
few dollars more.

Why would I want a silver drive with a BLACK case???

That should leave you with a 5.25bay for your
system drive to be properly cooled or something like a fan controller.

You don't need a fucking fan controller for your system to be 'properly cooled.'

It'll leave you with a free drive bay for maybe a bay reservior if you
decide to OC.

Like I said, it is very doubtful I would overclock a $5000 computer.

The bezel plates your using for the lian li--get black drives or have
your rives turned black. Drives aren't like women--dressing them up
doesnt make them look better. A mod though, goes a long way. No dram computer is all stock parts. Naked drives look and function better than third party bezel
do-hickies --with $5000, it's obvious you're not sparing any expense,
so get any beige drives you buy turned black.

I have the Lian-Li bezels and I like them. Why try and mod something when you can get a part made specifically for your case that is guaranteed to fit/work? And the bezels are brushed aluminum to match the case - a different look then the black plastic of the actual drive.

The viewsonic montior is ok but I'm curious as to why you didn't go
for the 2001FP from dell. Again, we're talking about a DREAM MACHINE.
In terms of LCD performance, it seems like the 2001FP only 20"
solution for the [H]ardcore rig builder currently.

The Viewsonic uses the same panel as the Dell, but has a nicer looking exterior.

What IS really impressive is the amount of storage you've got in that
box--I'm just wondering why you would want that kind of storage on your
main rig----it's ridiculous----put it on a (less power hungry, always-on) server and your
whole network can take advantage of it--on demand, whether you're in
your garden enjoying hte sun with the laptop next to you, or in your
tv room/den and wanna check out that movie you just turned to mpeg.

I don't have a network of computers and I wanted plenty of storage.

The Dream computer would also be able to display TV directly via a
tuner, preferrably HD and it would also be able to record tv.

I forgot to add in a TV tuner.

You might also opt for two, smaller lcds rather than the 20" screen.

One 20" is better for gaming, but I don't do a lot of gaming, so I might agree with you there. I would like to try both setups before deciding.

At this point in the tech game wouldnt you also be looking for
something that has ddr2 and PCI express? I think all of these things
could be taken care of if you took some of the cash you allocated to
storage and threw it toward some other peripherals.

Current DDR2 is expensive and offers no performance increase. PCI express cards aren't even available and they aren't expected to increase perormance very much anyway.

Why give up something I really wanted (storage) for stuff that isn't even out yet and that will give you no noticable performance increase? On the other hand, I'm quite sure I would notice the 500MB of storage.

There's also the diNovo factor-- I've got it and it isnt all that. The
Logitech navigator pro or whatever that comes with the MX mouse
keyboard package is just as or more capable---i say that mostly cause
ever sicen i got the dinovo, i haven't been able to use the keybaord
on password i was able to do with my old logitech setup...and that's
kind of annoying. There's also the fact that whenever i reach for the
number pad i realise it's not attached to the keybard adn i have to go
find it....

There's also the fact that for the last 3-4 years logitech has
supplied its keyboard users with a left hand scroll wheel..whcih is
completely not present on this, their flagship device. My left index
finger keeps on reaching for nothing. Seriously, you could have gotten
the MX duo and still maintaind Dream Machine status and allocated like
$140 toward some ingenious cooling modification. diNovo does not a dram machine make.

I've got the MX Duo right now and I thought the diNovo looked cool. I ended up buying one, so when I get it, I may change my mind.

If I have time later on today i'll see what i can do w/ a $5000 budget
in terms of the dream machine. Of course prices may have dropped since
you got your quote and i'll be using www.bensbargains.net along with
all the other deal sites out there, but I'm confident you can get more
cool, hip, snazzy hardware for your money, although it may sacrifice
some of that 1774gb space your current specs have to offer.

I don't care what kind of cool, hip, snazzy hardware you can buy with $5000. What I listed is what I would buy with $5000. Everyone has different needs/wants.

 

[EnderW]

Why post twice? Once was more than enough

yeah, really

 

[dwayne001]

OK< OK< i'm sorry about the double post--the machine i was on gave me an error when i posted-i hit submit again, sorry.

Qweer T Man needs to chilll. I made a typo, dude made a significant grammatical error.

EnderW— Black cases are cooler? Have you seen what Lian Li is selling nowadays???? The PC V1200 is the nicest thing around dude, hands down. And unlike your boxy pc-65, it’s got the curves to match.

‘You don’t build a $5000 machine’ if you’re not gonna take advantage of those resources to get the most for your money. What kind of enthusiast are you—no Ocing…it’s why half the parts you chose are hot--- the Board you chose, the Ram, the chip (you chose the 3.4C..if you didn’t care about OCing, you would have chosen the 3.4E..it’s got more cache, and it supports the new multimedia spec.), all wildly popular because of their over-clocking abilities. If you want a fast machine at stock speeds, get a Dell Dimension XPS. Even Alienware has over-clock-able units…

The best part was when you you pull all this hardware, call it a Dram Machine and then say you don’t do a lot of gaming. Why have the vid card then? Get a 9800 XT and spend the cash on what you DO do on your machine. Like a nice set of headphones so the neighbours don’t hear the audio tracks of all the porn you plan on keeping on that half-terabyte monster.

Disagree with me please, but spare me the lies! Even if you didn’t over-clock it at first, for $5000 you’d be crazy not to include the option. Especially w/ the hardware your pushing.

And no use for a fan controller? Even if you worked at stock speeds, a $5000 machine means that you have control over every little thing—that’s what you’re paying for.

No real performance in an overclock? I’ve seen 3.4C pushed beyond 4ghz w/ the proper cooling and man, that’s a significant difference.

I still don’t get the thing with the Plextor Premuim. Personally, I’ve never been loyal to a company..I look at what’s out there and when it comes to CD-RWs, there’s crap and there’s what works. I can’t see the Plextor burning any better than the Samsung given Nero 6 and reasonable media. As for loudness—since you’re not letting us know what cools your rig we have no idea how loud it is with or without said drive. I like quiet, but it’s not like I’m gonna try to sleep during the 4 min it takes to burn a CD.

The bottom line is that it's fine that you 'want' x drive and y (black) case, etc., but don't go claiming to be making a “Dream Computer” with those lazy specs. We all read and contribute here because we pretty much agree on what makes a machine more than a smattering of parts—it’s what your able to do with them, how you’re able to put them together in a package that performs quickly, maybe quietly, but looks astounding to boot. When your machine is just plug and play...you got some cool parts—it’s not so cool. Anyone could have that. We’re classified as ‘Gawds’ on the [H]. We should expect more. What makes a Dream Machine for $5k?-- let's get started.

we'll start with apHytHiaTe's suggestion:

Machine Core (mobo/chip/ram/networking)
Asus K8N-E Deluxe - $140.00
Athlon 64 3000 - $206.00
Kingston HyperX (1gb) $286.00
Uniden USB BluTuth Adap. $45.00
Total: $ 677.00


Chassis/Cooling(This is where a machine really gets dreamy)
Lian Li Industries PC-v1200 $235.95
(Sheer “envy amongst your peers” -Ben)

Antec TruControl 550 $200.00
(Modded to be modular, sleeved, and react w/ UV lighting)

Coldcathode Dual Kit x 2 $18.00
(Two cold cathodes on one switch. We’ll go UV blue to match the backlighting of the Cooldrive 4 below)

Rocker Switches $29.99
(Three rocker switches that sit in the 3.5” bay. Flip them up and the led in each rocker switch goes on, and it turns on the light of the cathode dual kit it’s attached to, illuminating your machine. The LEDs will shine blue to match the Cooldrive 4 below)

Coolermaster Cooldrive 4 $40.00
(Controls 4 fans and gives you a read out of the temps in all four areas in addition to keeping that crazy WD Raptor drive cool enough to last the life of the warranty.

Fans Evercool 120mm x 3 $36.00
(Aluminium cooling solutions. Quiet as a mouse. Sandwich the radiator with two of them and use the third as rear exhaust. Use the fan controller below to keep the voltage and subsequently RPMs down…with 120mm, there’s no need for high speed fans)

Liquid Cooling Setup:
Blocks
CPU: Swiftech MCW50002-64
$53.00
Chipset:Swiftech MCW20
$32.95
VGA: Swiftech MCW50
$38.95

RAD: D-Tek JR-120 heatercore 3/8" barbs
$34.00
Pump: Eheim 1250
$65.99

Tubing: Standard $10.00
It’s about a $ a foot.
Total: $719.00


Multimedia
Dell 2001FP $837.00($749+Tax in NY)
ATi Radeon X800 XT $499.00

DVICO FusionHDTV3 Gold $129.00
(MPEG hardware encoding for mpeg2, HD capabilities that get both over the air and receiver signals, can’t beat that. That’s the gem of the system: http://www.digitalconnection.com/Products/Video/fusion3.asp)

CL SB Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro
$211.00

Logitech Z680 5.1 $250.00
Logitech MX Duo
(Wireless Navigator Pro KB w/ MX 700 Mouse)
Total: $1,926.00


Data Storage (OPTICAL)
Samsung Combo Drive $99.95
(Silver….52X24X52X16 CD-RW & DVD)

LG Electronics DVD Burner $108.00
(Dual-Layer DVD+/-R. 12x Single layer, 2.4 dual)

Silver mod for LG- $25.00
(www.performance-pcs.com)
Total: $232.95

Data Storage (hdd goodness)
WD Raptor 74 $185.00
(10gb for win/ 49.2gb for proggies and games. I expect a 20% diff b/t marketing spec and real life)

WD WD250JD x 4 $ 652.00
(250gb, 7200rpm, SATA, 8mb cache)
We’ll put them in RAID 1, so there’s only 500 of extra storage, but it’s completely backed-up. Minus the standard 20% marchitecture cost and you get about 400gb on each side of the RAID 1.

ATech ATFLASHPRODUO $39.95
(12 in one flash card reader. Mounts in a 3.5” drive bay and connects to the internal usb2.0 header or can wrap around and connect in the back. Of course we’ll go w/ the former option)
Total: $ 876.95

Shipping ~$100.00

Grand Total: $ 4531.90

Mr. EnderW still has loads of storage and if he wants he can use the remaining $468.10 to take his old machine and put a couple more drives in it..have it sit always on so he can dL whatever he likes without having to worry about rebooting when he installs stuff like XP SP2, etc. Home networks are really useful that way.

Truth be told, in the case of home networks, I’d rather take about half of the storage in the above rig and chuck it into the old machine. Add 2 more drives($326). That would leave him w/ about $142 to play with. If you’re spending $5k, get yourself a damned network. A router w/ a WAP and a USB wireless adapter should allow him to stuff that old black thing in any corner he wishes….

Let’s add one of those web cams and a mic for an additional $50. With the router w/ WAP and the wireless USB adapter ($80) along w/ 2 more hard drives—we’re down to $02.10 (we’ll say we bought all this end stuff on Amazon or new Egg to get free shipping -- we’re in no rush) so EnderW can buy himself an Ice Cream cone.

 

[Qwertyman]

"Qweer T Man needs to chilll. I made a typo, dude made a significant grammatical error."
did you write that all yourself? If you sit at home worrying about grammatical errors, and peoples hardware they want to buy for THEIR computer, you have a significant problem.

 

[apHytHiaTe]

I actually like the idea of a DVD/CDR combo drive and a DVD burner. The DVD burners burn cd's at what, 40x for the most expensive model? More like 24x on the main DVD burners that retailers are handing out these days. And it doesnt read fast enough or whatever. Thats the coolest idea I've heard out of ya dwayne! I know it is a silly little thing, but hey, it counts.