System Builder Marathon: The $4,500 Super PC

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Thanks for article toms nice to know what money can buy. I'm more looking forward to your choices for your other builds though. And I'm going to make a guess here on the $1500 Q9550/X48board/dual4850s but you called it a mainstream pc so Idk. Thought I would throw that out there.
 
TeraMedia: If I remember correctly, there's a thread in the forums right now with someone wondering why his 4x 64g SSD raid0 array isn't really that fast. Apparently, the benchmarks are biased and the speed increase isn't as high as you'd expect (especially in writes).
Although, maybe the parts were unavailable at newegg 😛
 
With spinpoints being so rediculously fast an ssd isn't really a smart choice anyway. they'd improve seek time, but that's not what you really need in a gaming or hd recorder rig.
 
It was a great article, and yet, everyone is trying to critique it. Tom's can build 1000 pc's and people will still complain. If you really don't like it, you first choice would be to make your own website and start building your own PC's. Not everyone games, some people use their pc's as media servers.
 
Great article. Still waiting for feedback on system cases that the author hinted at...I am pretty good at researching other components but know very little about cases since I'm using the same ugly off-white colored case since 2000. I actually find it quite comical as do others who see my rig...

I'm also very interested to see what $500 system Tom's will come up with.
 
$800 on a case is a little steep. Why not get 2 velociraptors (300gb) in raid 0 for boot/programs and use the 4tb just as storage?

Newegg! I'm a regular, I'll gladly build an expensive computer and advertise it if you give me the parts for free ! I will even aptly name my computer i build the shell-shockaaaa!
 
[citation][nom]itadakimasu[/nom]$800 on a case is a little steep. Why not get 2 velociraptors (300gb) in raid 0 for boot/programs and use the 4tb just as storage?Newegg! I'm a regular, I'll gladly build an expensive computer and advertise it if you give me the parts for free ! I will even aptly name my computer i build the shell-shockaaaa![/citation]
Remember the case comes with water cooling built in. I'm sure they could've saved quite a bit by using their homebrew water cooling, but as the article mentioned, they were limited to neweggs offerings.
800 for a complete case with liquid cooling really isn't that expensive. It sure isn't cheap, but it's easy.
It's like paying someone to do your car servicing for you. It's not free, but its very convenient, and likely done properly.
 
Cheaper case, replace with water cooling.

Drop 2TB for Vel Raptor for OS Partition. Just my opinions of what I would change.

Thanks Newegg for the help with this article!
 
[citation][nom]Wheat_Thins[/nom]Cheaper case, replace with water cooling.Drop 2TB for Vel Raptor for OS Partition. Just my opinions of what I would change.Thanks Newegg for the help with this article![/citation]

Let me clarify, hand selected water cooling.
 
You wouldn't want to run water blocks on those RAM modules...it would seriously hinder your flow rate for the entire system. Just get better modules next time...or get the $20 OCZ memory fan that clips over the DIMMs...
 
[citation][nom]cangelini[/nom][/citation]
Thanks for the response. I have no problem with partnerships with commercial companies if it helps you write a better article. I have read several of these System Builder articles over the years and always appreciate your insight on the tradeoffs between performance and practicality at the various pricepoints. And Newegg is certainly a fantastic resource! I just would have preferred a longer description and acknowlegement of their contribution at the beginning of the article. Then focusing on the computer for the rest of it rather than another reference to Newegg on what felt like every page. Seems like product placement. If that's what you have to do then fine, that's the economic reality and I understand that. Just offering my preference. Thanks!
 
That case is obnoxious. For 800, it better be a passive cooled silent case with no fans, no pumps, no tubes, no leaks, no condensation, no corrosion, no water anywhere.

Not to mention, that tacky white logo plastered on it? I thought it was a Fatal1ty case or a second. Not the cross marketing connection they were hoping for I think, yuck!
 
[citation][nom]geok1ng[/nom]I would also point out that the "new" Asus sound card with HD audio/HDMI 1.3a support is already available for sale in the USA, so choosing a last generation sound card for a $4500 system at least strange.[/citation]

Show me where it's for sale? It's certainly not for sale at Newegg. And if you have to wait a few days from today to find one "In Stock", you'll have to explain to me how anyone could have gotten one a couple weeks earlier...since assembly and testing (including benchmarks) takes at least a week.
 
[citation][nom]kelfen[/nom]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146799instead of the 4tb : / I duno If I even come close to half a tb waste of money if ya ask me unless your a highly addictive to downloading stuff but even then it is hard[/citation]

Uh, d00d, those are still 2GB modules. Putting four of them in the system would have likely resulted in these not running at rated speed and timings without added cooling. So your choice solves notyhing.


The problem with added cooling is that the builder wanted a relatively quiet system, but couldn't find a good substitute for the Antec Spotcool fan used previously. Most RAM coolers are noisey.
 
[citation][nom]one-shot[/nom]It was a great article, and yet, everyone is trying to critique it. Tom's can build 1000 pc's and people will still complain. If you really don't like it, you first choice would be to make your own website and start building your own PC's. Not everyone games, some people use their pc's as media servers.[/citation]

Feedback is critical, though the site prefers suggestions to complaints. Any suggestion that's phrased in the form of a complaint is still acceptable!
 
What's the point of having so much memory if you can't address over 4 GB's? It's not like they're running a 64 bit CPU. I know Linux will, but who cares? Will Linux run Fallout 3?
 
[citation][nom]bf2gameplaya[/nom]That case is obnoxious. For 800, it better be a passive cooled silent case with no fans, no pumps, no tubes, no leaks, no condensation, no corrosion, no water anywhere.Not to mention, that tacky white logo plastered on it? I thought it was a Fatal1ty case or a second. Not the cross marketing connection they were hoping for I think, yuck![/citation]

It's a metalic silver screen print, but that doesn't show well in photos :) If you'd ever tried the case you might understand why those who have like it so much, regardless.

It is overpriced at $800. The team couldn't use lower prices found elsewhere due to the obvious connection to a single vendor.
 
[citation][nom]norwedsh[/nom]What's the point of having so much memory if you can't address over 4 GB's? It's not like they're running a 64 bit CPU. I know Linux will, but who cares? Will Linux run Fallout 3?[/citation]

Yeh, 64-bit CPU and 64-bit OS. With 4GB being the target for $1000+ systems, 8GB sounded like a good starting point for a $4000+ system.
 
[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom][/citation]
I'm in the planning stages of building a HTPC, I considered maxing the memory, until I realized that anything over 4 gigs won't be addressed. I also considered going 64 bit all the way, but, I've had problems running games on 64 bit Windows in the past. Whether that's still the case today - I don't know and I'm not willing to pay to find out. 4 gigs is adequate.
 
To some of the previous posts... I too was once a NewEgg bigot and have bought a lot from them over the years. However NewEgg has taken the all to familiar path of successful (r)etailers i.e they have gotten full of themselves and don't put much effort into competing anymore price wise and have gotten redicuous, in many cases, on shipping. I have started shopping around a lot more and the result is I am spending more money at other places where I get better prices, shipping and often better return/defect policies i.e. egg's dead pixel policy, restocking charges for defect/crap returns and manufacturer only warranty on some items.

This article is good (I won't argue about what I might have done different) and the simulated real world buying idea is good but it just means we have to hear plugs for NewEgg. The hardware sites live on advertising and I guess its better to have NewEgg advertising than it is to have hardware articles/reviews biased by advertising money paid (or other consideration) by the manufacturer of that hardware.
 


All of the test programs ran under 64-bit Windows, even those that only supported 32-bit mode. Some of the benchmark executables written by the Tom's Hardware team didn't run, but that's a limittation of the custom-written files, not a limitation of the programs they were meant to assess.
 
[citation][nom]cjdavis7[/nom][/citation]

And the think I like about the "NewEgg" partnership is that it does not require them to seem to favor particular hardware. If they had "partnered" with Dell, HP, Intel, AMD, Gigabyte, ASUS, etc...

Then there is a situation where THG may feel obligated to show some favoratism. In this case, the actual products being reviewed are not being restricted to any one manufacturer.

I think whoever thought this up was really on the ball.
 
Newegg is great... They have the best prices out there and fast shipping too. The only time i've paid more than $5 for shipping was for a printer ( for the office ) which is understandable. Even w\ $30 shipping the total price was still lower than anywhere else that had the same printer.

Newegg has never failed me... I've bought tons of stuff from them, especially in the past year and have always been more than satisfied with my purchases.

regarding the amount of ram... 8gb of ddr3 should be more than enough. if you're not running at least 2gb ram in your system, you need to upgrade.
 
i would like to know is that when you guys(toms builders) put together the cpu,waterblock,and the gpu cards, the missing screw on the top left corner does any bending on the mother board.
 
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