How would you build this?

[Mokole]

It is getting close to almost 5 years since I built my last desktop. At the time it was a great machine and even still runs top end games like Doom3 and Half-life 2, albeit a little choppy during heavy action. (the computer is in my signature)


My new system is going to be built for multiple purposes. First, it is going to be my gaming machine (no duh, right?) Second I am going to be using it for my courses at college, which will be a variety of imaging, web content and 3D animation (mostly Photoshop, Flash and Maya.) Finally, I will also be using it for some video editing I do in my spare time.

That brings me to what I will be keeping. Obviously the Dell 2405fpw, 21 inch Trinitron, Promedia 5.1 ultra, DV500 and the two optical drives. I am wondering if I should also get a new sound card. Should I go with one of the new Audigy’s or is the “Audigy Gamer” good enough?

Now my question is, what system would you build keeping the above information in consideration? Since this pc will be for gaming, video editing and 3D modeling I would expect this to be a high end system. I expect this equipment will run me somewhere around two thousand dollars, especially if I want to run the new Dell at its native resolution (1920 x 1200). I think I already have an idea of what I’ll be getting based on what I have seen in other threads but I would like to see what others here think about it first.

 

[foenix]

First, I would hold off upgrading the sound card until Creative's new X-Fi cards come out. Second, do you have a cpu preference (AMD/Intel) in mind or just "whatever is best to run these Apps"?

 

[Mokole]

I am pretty sure that I am going to end up with AMD.

Originally I had been tossing around the idea of getting one of the FXs or something close to the 4000+ for my new desktop. But after reading about the X2s here and around the net, they seem like a much better investment. In addition to that, nothing bothers me more on my current computer then slow transition from task to task. From my impressions of current X2 owners, these processors make it seamless and responsive even under the heaviest of loads. *drool*

 

[Jinx_player]

Honestly, your audigy gamer will be fine.

Lucky for you, your computer games and pressing apps, need the same things to be great, CPU, RAM (and video card for games), so there isnt a problem there.

Doesnt really matter what processor you get, intel or amd. Be sure to get a motherboard with Pci-E and DDR2. With a price point around 2k, you can throw some weight around, and get the pimp shit. Id get 2 gigs of ram, and see how much money i have left for the vdo card, and consider a 7800..

 

[tdg]

For a machine that will pull double duty as a gamer and modeling system, I would go with a AMD 64 X2. This way you get the tried and true AMD advantage with gaming performance, and the benefit of the dual cores for the modeling apps if they are capable of using dual CPU's as many are. Something like a 3800+ X2 or higher as budget allows.

2 GB of RAM, a nice 6600GT / X800 or higher video card, a good motherboard that is SLI or Crossfire ready should you want to run dual cards in the future would make for a good solid machine. For sound, a Audigy 2 or the likes would work good. Theres also other good sound cards around if your not partial to Creative.

With a 2k budget you can build a pretty nice rig since you already have several of the key components.

 

[Mokole]

Okay, on the several different forums I have ask these questions on, there seems to be common ground on three components.

2 gigs of ram, a GeForce 7800 and an AMD X2. That was pretty close to what I had in mind.

What I am thinking right now is that I will build a machine that can be upgraded in several steps. Right now I plan on getting a CM Stacker (god I just love that case) and an A8N-SLI Deluxe. What I am thinking I could do is get the components listed above and later ad on throughout the year. Get a 400 (monarch) 7800GT from eVGA and for my birthday use there step up program to get a 7800GTX (maybe the KO after it comes out and prices drop) and more hard drives. Around Christmas, finish my SLI with a matching 7800 and then next year or year after (when necessary) upgrade the memory and processor to the highest the 939 can go.

Anyways, that was sort of a rough roadmap I had in mind, I thought it would help me get the most out of my machine over a long period of time

I am still uncertain of which of the X2s to go with. Go with something cheep and upgrade in a year or two (3800), get something middle of the road and maybe over clock it (4200 or 4400), or go all out and try to get best on the market (4600, 4800). Will any of these, like the 3800, become a bottle neck for the Geforce 7800 or SLI setup?

I also haven’t looked into enough PSUs to know what would be a good choice, with the extra hard drives and SLI configuration I will either need something really big, or two smaller size PSUs (cm stacker has room for two on the top and bottom). Can you use two PSUs in a SLI rig? Like one for powering the motherboard and the other to power the optical and hard drives?


Finally, on the hard drive issue, my motherboard of choice has on board RAID 0, 1, JBOD and another RAID 0, 1, 5, JBOD. I was thinking get two more small cheep HDs in RAID 0 for the system drive and 4 larger 160 (or so) drives in RAID 5. I know on board controllers are not the best, but the X2 should have no problem carrying some of the load in the background.

Before I had tossed around the idea of a raptor or another alternative, but this seems to be the best choice for performance and value.

BTW, Thanks for the input so far.