Ultimate gaming rig anyone?

[Slava]

First things first:

1. I mean no disrespect to anyone, but this question is for guys of Forum Veteran/Forum Fixture caliber. If you are a "Newbie" or a "Stranger", chances are I will be unable to take your recommendations seriously. So don't waste your time on me. No hard feelings, aye?

2. I know that new generation GPUs and DX10 are coming in the near future.

3. Constant upgrading or overclocking my PCs is not for me. I only build a new PC once in three years or so sparing no expense and trying to build a well-balanced system without bottlenecks. So far this approach has worked flawlessly as my aging, almost 3-year old rig built around an eVGA e-GeForce 6800 Ultra still kicks some serious butt (I run Oblivion at 1152x864 with 4xAA and most of the eye candy at or close to max. With the exception of 2 or 3 areas I get very playable FPS up to 60+, no HDR though).

4. Normally, I would not bother forum members with a question like this, but I am hopelessly out of the loop after my long absence. With so many new components available in each category I find myself rather incompetent.

That said, my question is this:

If cash were not an issue and the new rig budget were, well, unlimited what would be the (currently available) components going into the ultimate gaming/media rig? I mean everything. (Case, case fans, motherboard, RAM/cooling, CPU/cooling, video card (I am thinking dual X1900XTX in CrossFire. Which brand then?), hard drives, burners… everything.)

Thanks.

 

[holcar]

wat u do is u go to newggg nd u go to da bit u need for ur pc, u then clik on price n u sort by most $$$z the bits at top r best LOL.

step 2 iz get ur momz kard no. and order the best bitz!!!

U HAVE A GD PC NOW!!11!1!

 

[Cody_7]

Lol @ holcar... Anyways...

Yes, a dual X1900 Crossfire is currently the "best of the best" you could get. Even one X1900 can beat many SLi nVidia cards by far. I'd tell you to get stock X1900s because companies like Sapphire and Powercolor often overclock the card and change the cooling which can cause alot of problems. Anyone can correct me if i'm wrong, though.

I don't overclock at all (I feel it is a waste of time, and never makes much of a difference, maybe you feel the same). But it may still be worth it to get an aftermarket cooler because they are very silent; the X1900 fans can be loud. Heck, even my X800XL video card fan is louder than my 120MM 78CFM air flow fan!

I recommend getting a motherboard that takes DDR2 RAM (500MHz or higher usually) becuase that will be the standard for a while as DDR3 is more exclusivley used for video cards and won't be out for standard PC ram for some time. Over at Newegg.com I have found that most motherboards have a maximum of 8GB of ram (Your preference, of course on how much you buy :twisted: ).

Maybe you've heard that there's alot of talk about Intel's "Conroe" processors coming out, but they still aren't here yet. I personally like AMDs because they are among the fastest CPUs out there. I've seen up-to a 4600+ AMD which is equivelent to about a 4.6GHz Pentium. there are alot more Intel motherboars available for Crossfire, though.

If you go to a place like Newegg.com for example, there are only around 5 AMD boards that are exclusivley Crossifre compatible -- but browse for both Intel and AMD and see which ones you like better.

As for cooling, I use a CoolerMaster Centurion 5 case with a 120MM exaust fan and an 80MM intake. Now, many people have different tastes for cases, but this is an excellent and very expandable one.

Well, I hope I helped a little! They may be somewhat general suggestions, but I don't want to be too specific to mislead anyone. Good luck!

 

[raven_87]

Good lord man, your asking a helluva question.

My personal list, would be along these lines.

Either Conroe or FX64 on debut
Motherboard: DFI based 3200XF NB and ULI 1575M SB
ATI X1900 Crossfire & cheapest X1900XT you can find
RAM: 2-4GB OCZ, XMS, PDP, Mushkin redline - PC4000 or a nice DDR2 set
Case: Gigabyte Aurora is quite nice
PSU: 1kWatt PC&P - mainly for bragging rights
HDD: (2) Raptor X's Stripped RAID
Optical drives: Plextor Dual layer 16x -sata

The hell with Fans. Danger Den setup, Crossfire Tyee block, with TDX block for your CPU. 2 Radiators...one for GPU's other for CPU/chipset. 10 Feet+ of Tygon and whatever else you feel like throwing in the loop - 1/2 in high flow all the way.

Viewing: 30in Widescreen --yeah....put that XF to good use @ those ridiculous ass resolutions.

Bascially go to newegg and look for your most expensive components and you got what your looking for.

EDIT: @ Cody

No affiliate company of ATI breaks spec unless is the highest end. For example the Toxic Sapphire X1900XTX. I dont believe any company modifies the clocks of their GPu's outside of ATI's spec with very few exceptions.

 

[Cody_7]

No affiliate company of ATI breaks spec unless is the highest end. For example the Toxic Sapphire X1900XTX. I dont believe any company modifies the clocks of their GPu's outside of ATI's spec with very few exceptions.

Ok, thanks. I stand corrected Maybe I heard some stories from people that I shouldn't be trusting about 3rd part Gfx card manafacturers. A side question... is a liquid cooling system hard to set up? How costly would it be for a medium-range cooling system? Thanks.

P.S. How long until the Conroe processors will be available?

 

[Fagaru]

hmm get an asus sli deluxe mobo and put a 7950gx2 on it and get a 2 sticks of 2gbs, an am2 fx-62 or conroe in a few weeks, now down the road when u can sli that 7950gx2 u will be able to get another 7950gx2 and sli that baby, now that means u will have quad-sli... like having 4 7900gt's in one pc...hmm beasty!

 

[Fagaru]

dood u 4 707a11ly 51ght!

 

[Vinny]

hmm get an asus sli deluxe mobo and put a 7950gx2 on it and get a 2 sticks of 2gbs, an am2 fx-62 or conroe in a few weeks, now down the road when u can sli that 7950gx2 u will be able to get another 7950gx2 and sli that baby, now that means u will have quad-sli... like having 4 7900gt's in one pc...hmm beasty!

And for the ultimate case:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7252956&type=product&productCategoryId=cat05002&id=1118842309952

Sorry, just being a smart ass.:lol:

I bet that a X6800 would do you nicely for the CPU. And since you'll be requiring enough power to equal the radiation from the SUN, you should stick with a PC Power and Cooling PSU.

 

[raven_87]

is a liquid cooling system hard to set up? How costly would it be for a medium-range cooling system? Thanks.

P.S. How long until the Conroe processors will be available?

Depends on the system. Something along the lines I want, if your unexperienced could be an absolute plumbing nightmare. A simple kit thats pre-fabbed (although they offer substantially less performance) can be quite simple.

The setup I have right now didnt take me all but a few hours, which included mounting, adjustments, filling and a couple misc. things.

The first of Core2 debuts on July 23rd......

gentlemen, start your wallets...

 

[Jinx13]

hmm get an asus sli deluxe mobo and put a 7950gx2 on it and get a 2 sticks of 2gbs, an am2 fx-62 or conroe in a few weeks, now down the road when u can sli that 7950gx2 u will be able to get another 7950gx2 and sli that baby, now that means u will have quad-sli... like having 4 7900gt's in one pc...hmm beasty!

First they have to make the quad sli drivers available to do-it-yourselfers. So far it is boutique only.

In my wait for either conroe and see whats up. i think it is most likely over-hyped but still looks to be in line to best all that is out now. Another reason to wait is to get the best you want a crossfire system. Sure ATI and Nvidia are even in performance. Ati wins some, Nvidia wins some, but ATI has the better picture quality. Plus hdr and AA at the same time. Unfortunately there are no xfire mobos out for am2 yet.

 

[holcar]

on a serious note....

Your way of building a computer to it's best to future proof it may seem like a sensible choice, but in reality it is not economical at all.

You would probably spend far less over a long period of time by buying a decent grade computer for a fraction of the price you would spend buying the best.

Buying the most expensived parts does not necessarily future proof your computer. Within a year or two those top of the range components could well be halved in price and a new generation of components could be emerging, laying waste to your old ones that you paid all that money for.

Unless of course you are completely loaded and don't mind losing money I wouldn't reccomend this approach to building a computer.

 

[raven_87]

I very much realize this holcar....however the OP said if "budget was no issue" ---therefore I shot from the hip pretending that I was Bill gates.
I realize this isnt economical. Buying the latest and greatest never is economical when all you have to do is wait to have a price drop, then something new comes along that bests it.

So really its a matter of bitting the bit. However I am in full agreement.
When it boils down, the only time a machine is economical is when your buying components a couple generations old and the price has dropped considerably.

 

[pengwin]

i would get the Intel 975xbx mobo, Core 2, and prolly a zalman for it.

as far the gfx card. grab dual 7950GX2's

 

[prozac26]

My list:
Core 2 Extreme
2gb of PC8000 RAM DDR2 (more RAM is useless at this point)
Two 150gb Raptor HDDs in RAID 0
Quad-SLI, two 7950GX2s or two X1900XTXs in Crossfire. Dual X1900s get a slight advantage, due to HDR + AA.

Those would be main things. I'd probably include some watercooling, and some nice lights.

 

[HotSauce]

I'd get a system like the one above w/ CF X1900's and a conroe when it comes out. once he gets the most expensive conroe he should invest in cooling like here http://www.frozencpu.com/cas-339.html then he could OC the hell outta anything

 

[cleeve]

High end dual-core conroe paired with one of the DX 10 cards coming out by the end of year, in crossfire/SLI mode.

That'd be my vote for a longevity system.

 

[pauldh]

High end dual-core conroe paired with one of the DX 10 cards coming out by the end of year, in crossfire/SLI mode.

That'd be my vote for a longevity system.

Yeah, ditto what Cleeve said.

He should be able to keep happy with the 6800U rig until then and nothing out now is going to keep him happy for 3 years. I'd be peeved to have dual 7950's or XTX's and to know within months I'm already missing some of the visual effects(however minor they are) in Crysis and games to come. Of course, I am banking on R600/G80 having the power to rip up Crysis with all it's beauty turned on. :?

 

[Slava]

Many thanks to everyone for ideas. I am inclined to agree with Cleeve's and Pauldh's view though.

However: If my understanding is correct, the greatest advantage of the next generation video cards will be full DX10 support. They may be somewhat faster than X1900 XTXs, yes, but I think that

1. Dual XTXs would outperform any single next gen card;

2. DX10 titles will not begin to dominate the market for at least 2+ years.

3. By the time DX10 support becomes a must to enjoy all the new and improved eye candy the upcoming next gen cards will be just as obsolete as XTXs.

4. I built my GF 6800 Ultra rig some 7 months before the first (and raw) PCIe cards began to ship. I debated whether to wait for PCIe or not for some time. Eventually, I decided to go with the GF 6800U AGP 8X.

I never regretted this at all. I'd seen people building PCIe machines that performed worse than my PC while costing the same; and only about 6 months after PCIe cards began to ship I began to see rigs which could outperform mine by maybe 10-15%. In short I got 12+months of superior performance and happy gaming before PCIe began to kick in.

For the following 8 or so months my rig was still up there among the best performers, PCIe or otherwise and only when I installed Oblivion did I feel the need to consider building a new rig since I am used to running everything at 1600x1200 with full detail and I cannod run Oblivion at higher than 1152x864 without seriously compromising image quality to get decent FPS.

Question: Does the above make any sense or am I full of it when I think that

1. Building a super rig now will cost about the same as building a rig with next gen components 6+ months down the road; and that

2. This current generation rig will last about as long as the new generation rig I will be able to build in 6+ months down the road?

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Ultimate gaming rig is soemthing along the lines of this;

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm

MAME cabinet with joysticks, rollerball, and coin slot to profit of friends and potential enemies! :twisted:

 

[Jinx13]

Normally I would agree that it is silly to wait for the next gen of something to come out before buying, but in the case of dx10 it will most likely be worth the wait. Already in the works for dx10 are Crysis, Halo 2, and the new Unreal engine. With all those set to be released within the next 12 months wait.

And building top of the line rig now will actually cost more than a few months down the road. Right now top of the line is an x2 chip or fx-62 at $1000. When Conroe ships it is supposed to outperform AMD for alot cheaper than current AMDs. If you are an AMD loyalist then they are dropping their prices to match Conroe when it comes out. So you stand to save money by waiting a couple months and have dx10 support for Vista and games. All should be available in less than 6 months, by the end of the year hopefully.

 

[TheGodfather]

No NO NO

Just a waste of money

Dont get two 7950 in quad there is no game that needs that 2 7900gtx will do the job

Get the Core 2 Extreme if you really mean that you dont care about the money because i would get Core 2 e6700 and overclock it

Get some mice 2 gigs for 450 with EPP and sli certified

Get some nice new 975x motherboard for 270 or w/e

Get 1K power supply from PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool

get some watercooling i would recommend DangerDen get some nice cpu /chipset and 2 gpu water blocks get the asetek pump and some nice radiator

and get like 2 150gb raptors in Raid 0 and some nice 500 gb other hard
drive

You got a nice system and you have saved some money

It's a ultimate gaming rig :lol:

 

[Slava]

Ultimate gaming rig is soemthing along the lines of this;

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm

MAME cabinet with joysticks, rollerball, and coin slot to profit of friends and potential enemies! :twisted:

Very funny, Grape :x

 

[johngoodwin]

If money was truly no issue, wouldn't you go to the top system builders for custom high end gaming machines, and tell them, you are accepting bids on gaming machines and have no limit to your budget. Bids should have the guaranteed minimum 3D gaming performance, and the dollar amount so you can write the check to the highest bidder who can deliver?

Then, you would get a new service at your house to power your PC, another to power the A/C unit which cools it, and another to run your monitor(s), all battery backed up, and on a standby generator.

Then, you pay for professional delivery, and a standby hard drive to restore the system to absolute tuned fresh install state, or have someone come tune your PC for each game, and make a backup of your PC which is optimized for each game. Simply restore, and play.

Just my two cents,

John

 

[Slava]

If money was truly no issue, wouldn't you go to the top system builders for custom high end gaming machines, and tell them, you are accepting bids

An interesting idea. Somehow it never occurred to me. While I prefer to build my machines myself (I am also curious to know what specific component brands/models would work together in such a way that there are no performance bottlenecks of any kind) I will give your suggestion some thought. Thanks.

 

[pauldh]

Yeah, your comment makes sense. I actually was using a 6800U until I got Oblivion also. The card served me well. It started in a P4 2.6C then an A64 3000+, then A64 4000+. Sure for a while it was a top performer, pretty close anyhow to ATI's slightly more powerful X850XTpe. But in reality, owning the top card didn't do much in lasting any longer than a cheaper 6800GT or X800XL couldn't have done.

1. Building a super rig now will cost about the same as building a rig with next gen components 6+ months down the road

Yeah, probably the same except the LCD monitor may go down. Difference in waiting is you'd have faster a G80/R600 DX10 Core 2 setup instead of what you could build now for the same money.

2. This current generation rig will last about as long as the new generation rig I will be able to build in 6+ months down the road?

No, I don't think so. Core 2 will outlast any A64 you could currently buy, and DX10 support would be nice. Not to mention if a single unified R600 comes close to crossfire X1900's in performance as I am hoping it will, just imaging what happens when you add a second R600. Think about it, a single 7800GTX and X1800XT pretty much did just that to dual 6800U and X850XT. And looking specifically at the ATI scenario, The single X1800Xt allows for OpenEXR HDR and even AA+HDR, which dual X850 can't do.

See if you didn't mind dabbling inside you PC making upgrades over time, I'd say go ahead with the rig you are looking at now and slap DX10 cards in there when you decide it's time. But when you want to build it and not touch it and have it last, waiting seems like a good option when really your current rig still games fairly well. Either that or build a core 2 system in a month or so when you can get your hands on one, and add a single X1900XT to hold you over until R600 comes out. That's just my $0.02 anyway.