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Ultimate gaming machine!!

1

1nferno

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 24, 2003
Messages
258
Ok I have about a $5,000 dollar budget. What should I be buying?
Thinking about P4 3.2EE with a 9800 XT. What to get with that? Is anything coming out in the next few months I should wait for? Dont want an LCD just a 21 inch CRT. Thanks in advance for any recomendations.
 
nah nothing to wait for

there's no prescott, or socket t, or socket 939, or PCI Express, or next generation of videocards on the horizon.

Nothing new and exciting due in the next few months.


do it now!
 
Wait a bit longer man..there's a ton of next generation hardware just beyond the horizon..5 thousand is a lot to throw out at a comp, especially in American funds. Definetely wait for all the new stuff to hit the market if you're going all out with that kind of cash.
 
I wish I had $5000 to spend on a new box...

while I would probably wait a few months to see where the dust settles on the new chips that are coming out and wait for a few new MB, I would very likely go with an Athlon 64 system.

Athlon64 3400+
1GB mushkin lvl2 pc3500
ATI 9800xt
Antec True480
New MB based on either SIS755 chipset or the NForce3
pioneer A-06 DVD-RW drive
Pioneer dvd-rom drive
2 WD 250GB SATA Hard drives w/ 8MB buffers
Maybe a nice 21'' flat screen to go with it
 
Dual FX-51's.

2 gigs PC3200

9800XT

and believe you me, you DO want a 2001FP.
 
Originally posted by kronchev
Dual FX-51's.

2 gigs PC3200

9800XT

and believe you me, you DO want a 2001FP.
Click to expand...

Now that just sounds like a nasty system
 
Wait till the spring, build a budget machine now. But if you must buy now, buy a 64 bit chip. So athlon FX or Atlon 64 3400 would be my choice.
 
Unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket (and sometimes it does) the best thing is to wait a few months to around the first of April or May and then get something.

The fastest gamer right now is an A64 FX51 with a A64 3400+ close behind. But that will change.
 
if this machine doesnt have at least TWO SCSI U320 drives in it. its worthless. esp for $5000 total system price.
www.mach-l.com

anything else you build, being that you asked us for help, wouldnt compare.

D e e p
 
there is no such thing as the "ULTIMATE" gaming machine ... you can build the best money can buy, and this is good for a couple of weeks, before the next latest and greatest is released ... so buy what you are comfortable with ...
 
I can wait a few months, My Sager should do the job for awhile. I have a 2600+ and A7N8X-Deluxe sitting at home. guess i can build a little something out of that for awhile.

Now a question on these new things coming out. What is coming out? I have been out of the mix for about a year. What should I be looking into?
 
If you are going to be build a high end machine, there are some components you should include whether you build it now or in a few months:

1) PC Power & Cooling PSU
2) SCSI Hard Drives, at least 1 for your boot drive
3) Plenty of fast RAM
4) High end video card (duh :) )

Personally I would spend about half of that and get another $2500 machine a year or two from now.
 
Ok, Can you recommend me a top of the line PSU? I hear the Antec True Powers are good. SATA not good enough?I dont need that much HDD space I will just have games on it. Corsair 3500 I hear still overclocks the best. No new vid cards coming out soon? I guess I could save a few grand for future upgrades.
 
Originally posted by 1nferno
Ok, Can you recommend me a top of the line PSU? I hear the Antec True Powers are good. SATA not good enough?I dont need that much HDD space I will just have games on it. Corsair 3500 I hear still overclocks the best. No new vid cards coming out soon? I guess I could save a few grand for future upgrades.
Click to expand...
Originally posted by EnderW
1) PC Power & Cooling PSU
Click to expand...

Look up about 2 posts. PC Power & Cooling is probably the best you can buy.

Also, I recommend SCSI drives because they are fast, not because of the storage space.

I would suggest (1) 15k SCSI drive for your boot drive and (1) 120GB (or whatever size you want) ATA or SATA for storage
 
EnderW I was reffering to that post. Just want to see what you recommend. I already have a case for this system. Gonna try out some watercooling too. Any recommendations on that?
 
if you've made the decision to buy right now, then here's my current list for an absolute top-of-the-line base system: (this is also built with no oc'ing in mind)

cpu: amd athlon 64 fx-51
mainboard: asus sk8n (pending)
memory: 2 corsair 1gb packs of pc3200 registered
video: ati radeon 9800xt
audio: creative audigy 2 zs platinum pro
hdd: 2 wd740gd's in raid0 with a wd2500jd as backup
 
Originally posted by Nihilanth99
if you've made the decision to buy right now, then here's my current list for an absolute top-of-the-line base system: (this is also built with no oc'ing in mind)

cpu: amd athlon 64 fx-51
mainboard: asus sk8n (pending)
memory: 2 corsair 1gb packs of pc3200 registered
video: ati radeon 9800xt
audio: creative audigy 2 zs platinum pro
hdd: 2 wd740gd's in raid0 with a wd2500jd as backup
Click to expand...

creative = no
 
Lots of overclocking in mind. Thats what the WC is for. Recommendations change?
 
Originally posted by kronchev
except I just realized FX is based on A64 so you can only run one at a time

also when did newegg stop carrying lian li??? suicide!

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishList.asp?position=HISTORY&submit=VIEW&ID=559049

look at all that...:eek:
Click to expand...

Last time I checked, they still carry Lian-Li...

Maybe I should check my wish list when I get home..

oh yeah, maybe check out the BTX stuff before you spree on some new PC stuff..

oh yeah, and can you buy me some stuff? :D
 
2x WD Rapters striped
2x WD Caviars SE striped

and to top those off
A Sony GDM-F520 monitor
 
Audigy sounds good, Havent heard about M-Audio. What they have to offer?

I dont think I will go SCSI yet. Gonna save a few bucks and go with SATA. The 10,000 rpm Raptors good? gonna put them in a RAID 0 config. What do you mesan by striped?

Looking at the monitor now
 
whatever you do...MAKE SURE YOU WAIT... I'd buy one about spring time really... new video card chipsets are on the way 1nferno... not to mention prescot and ddr2 among other things... so yeah...wait, you'll be glad you did :D
 
Looks like I should wait. Dont want to waste money on something that will be lots better in the near future
 
Originally posted by Nihilanth99
if you've made the decision to buy right now, then here's my current list for an absolute top-of-the-line base system: (this is also built with no oc'ing in mind)

cpu: amd athlon 64 fx-51
mainboard: asus sk8n (pending)
memory: 2 corsair 1gb packs of pc3200 registered
video: ati radeon 9800xt
audio: creative audigy 2 zs platinum pro
hdd: 2 wd740gd's in raid0 with a wd2500jd as backup
Click to expand...
Why get a fx-51 when a 3400+ is 99% as fast and doesn't require registered memory?
 
Originally posted by EnderW
Why get a fx-51 when a 3400+ is 99% as fast and doesn't require registered memory?
Click to expand...

that list was if money was no problem at all. i'm just going by what i've seen in benchmarks, thats all.
 
basically. maybe buy cheap upgrades for your current machine and then go all out later on? or you could buy parts you will definitely NEED now, but i don't know do whatever you want. but about this ddr 2 and btx cases and prescott and stuff? isn't this crap gonna cost A TON of money when it first comes out? it's just like dvd players, i remember when those were like 900$ at first, and now you can get a really good one for under 100$. these new pci-x graphics cards are bound to cost a crapload of money! for a kid like me who's only 16, i don't see what the point of waiting is unless you have a ton of money. but hopefully when i actually save all my money up for my computer i will try to get a 64 bit processor. those are the future for sure.
 
I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to accomplish 1nferno. You have an XP2600 system right now and that with a 9800XT will give you adequate frame rates for most any game on the highest quality settings.

A major upgrade doesn't really get you much from a price/performance standpoint.

If you have the money to spend and you really want to spend it why don't you get a really nice Plasma TV and a 5.1 channel surround sound system? Or get a really cool new case with all the lights & fans & led's & cathodes & whatnot. If you want more performance stripe a couple of 74GB WD Raptor 10,000rpm hdd's (stripe = RAID 0 btw).

I guess I'm not much fun or I don't have the imagination it requires to drop $5,000 on a new PC. I'm just not wealthy ;)
 
Whut about that 300-400 dollar german sound card, the black one? That would kick ass. Just heard someone complain about Creative soo
 
You could always get triple 2001FP's or something, then from what's left over build a killer computer.

SCSI 15k RPM boot drive, plus whatever you need for storage...

Dual Opterons...

Tons of RAM...

*drools and passes out* :p
 
Originally posted by 1nferno
so is p4 3.2 EE out of the question?
Click to expand...
As of 1-14-2004, yes. Unless you're an Intel fanboy, there really isn't any reason to pay $1000 for the EE when you can get the AMD 3400+ (a faster processor) for $400.

Originally posted by Nihilanth99
that list was if money was no problem at all. i'm just going by what i've seen in benchmarks, thats all.
Click to expand...
I agree the fx-51 is faster in a few benchmarks, but like I said, it is usually about 1% or so.

I just don't think 1-2% increase in performance justifies paying double just for the processor PLUS the additional cost of registered memory.

Even if he's got $5000 to spend, there is no reason to throw money away. That's almost the same as telling him to go buy all his stuff at retail prices.

BTW, I'm not trying to flame you or anyone else, just wanted to have a friendly 'discussion' ;)
 
Wait until Q2/Q3 04. Socket 939. PCI Express. R420/NV40. Tis an exciting year. :)

Then, make the drop.

Ohh... don't forget the Lian-Li PC70 and Prometeia Mach II for overclocking goodness. :)

Damn... what I'd give to have a Sony F520. Anyone need a healthy kidney?
 
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