The Results of the $3500 question...

Sweet god you've put alot of thought into this. First post is teal deer, but still, impressive.

Me, (besides building it myself) I woulda went w/ the cheapest with the best rec. Word of mouth from people like those on here and Anandtech mean alot when it comes to companies selling me things. AVA, Maingear, VM, and Pudget would have been the main 4 in my fight.
 
legendz411 said:
Sweet god you've put alot of thought into this. First post is teal deer, but still, impressive.

Me, (besides building it myself) I woulda went w/ the cheapest with the best rec. Word of mouth from people like those on here and Anandtech mean alot when it comes to companies selling me things. AVA, Maingear, VM, and Pudget would have been the main 4 in my fight.
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haha, well I want to get it right. The last few I have gotten have just been the latest/greatest and I overpaid. I want to make sure I'm not throwing money away.

And your four are pretty similar to mine. With AVA, Puget and Maingear being my top three.

Oh, and what is "teal deer"?

How is Digital Storm; I've read good and bad things.
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They seem to have a pretty good rep although you are right, I have heard a few bad things. They scored in the middle of the road in my rankings but were slightly expensive. I'm not considering them as an option as there are just better options.
I hope you understand I can't testify for the quality of their builds or how good their machines are, I'm only basing my scores on prices and what they can put into a rig for those prices.

Just yankin' yer chain, so to speak. I can honestly say I've never seen anyone around here or the multitude of other forums I've been a member of for well over a decade now (this nick is just another one here, been around much longer than the 4 month thing would lead people to believe) ever put so much time and effort into building a box.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not.

Anywho... I sincerely hope that when you finally make the decision and do the deed that you do get a shitload of lifespan from it and enjoyment.
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I will take it as a compliment. ;)

And thanks, I hope so too.

Anyway which Gigabyte X48 motherboard are you talking about? There's quite a few Gigabyte X48 motherboards out there. In any case, I recommend the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4. IT's the right balance of features, quality and performance and is more than enough for Crossfire.

Also I want to point out that a good quality 750W PSU will handle that load. So make sure you choose a good quality PSU.
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It is the GA-X48-DS4! So yay. :D

Also its a Corsair 750w power supply. I read in one of the PSU threads someone asking about cables for their power supply and a Corsair rep got on and said "Call our customer service and we'll ship it to you free of charge". Thats puget like customer service if you ask me.
On top of that the rep PM'd the guy and did it himself. Redbeard?
Thats what people pay extra for.

I'll try to get it wrapped up before too long everyone, I'm sure people are sick of the whole thing...myself included.
 
teal deer = tl;dr - Too Long; Didn't Read.

Not an insult, just letting you know I didn't read ALL of it.
 
Lets wrap this all up...
Pick one of these rigs, tell me why you picked it and what you would add including monitor. Tell me what you would take off if there is something you see as unnecessary.

I'll highlight the differences in bold:

Core 2 CrossFire DDR2 Gaming System = $2780.24 $2780.24
- INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q9550 Quad-Core 2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB (2 x 6MB) L2 Cache, 45nm, 95W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
- XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775/754/939/940/AM2, 120mm Fan, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
- ARCTIC COOLING, MX-2 High-Performance Thermal Compound, Non-Electrical Conductive
- GIGABYTE, GA-X48-DS4, LGA775, Intel X48, 1600MHz FSB, DDR2-1200 8GB /4, PCIe x16 CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /6, HDA, GbLAN /2, FW /3, ATX, Retail
- OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Reaper HPC Edition PC2-8500 DDR2 1066MHz CL 5-5-5-18 2.1-2.3V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- AUZENTECH, Auzen X-Plosion 7.1, 7.1 channels, 24-bit 96KHz, S/PDIF In/Out, PCI
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- ROSEWILL, RCR-102 Black 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
- SONY, DDU1615/B2S Black 16x DVD-ROM Drive, IDE, OEM
- SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S203N Black 20x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
- NZXT, Apollo Blue NP Mid-Tower Case w/ Window, ATX, No PSU, SECC Steel
- CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
- MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM



Core 2 SLI DDR2 Gaming System = $2894.50 $2894.50
- INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q9550 Quad-Core 2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB (2 x 6MB) L2 Cache, 45nm, 95W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
- XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775/754/939/940/AM2, 120mm Fan, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
- ARCTIC COOLING, MX-2 High-Performance Thermal Compound, Non-Electrical Conductive
- eVGA, nForce 750i SLI FTW, LGA775, nForce 750i SLI, 1333MHz FSB, DDR2-1066 8GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI, SATA 3.0 Gbit/s RAID 10 /4, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, ATX, Retail
- OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Reaper HPC Edition PC2-8500 DDR2 1066MHz CL 5-5-5-18 2.1-2.3V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
- eVGA, GeForce GTX 260 SSC, GTX 260 626MHz, 896MB GDDR3 2106MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, DVI /2, HDTV Out, Retail
- eVGA, GeForce GTX 260 SSC, GTX 260 626MHz, 896MB GDDR3 2106MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, DVI /2, HDTV Out, Retail
- AUZENTECH, Auzen X-Plosion 7.1, 7.1 channels, 24-bit 96KHz, S/PDIF In/Out, PCI
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- ROSEWILL, RCR-102 Black 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
- SONY, DDU1615/B2S Black 16x DVD-ROM Drive, IDE, OEM
- SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S203N Black 20x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
- NZXT, Apollo Blue NP Mid-Tower Case w/ Window, ATX, No PSU, SECC Steel
- CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
- MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM


Phenom™ DDR2 Quad CrossFireX™ Gaming System = $2511.69 $2511.69
- AMD, Phenom™ Quad-Core 9950 2.6GHz, AM2+, HT 4000MHz, 4x 512KB L2 + 2MB L3 cache, 140W, 65nm, Black Edition, Retail
- XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775/754/939/940/AM2, 120mm Fan, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
- ARCTIC COOLING, MX-2 High-Performance Thermal Compound, Non-Electrical Conductive
- ASUS, M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP, AM2+, AMD 790FX, DDR2-1066 8GB /4, PCIe x16 CFX /4, SATA 3.0 Gbit/s RAID 10 /6, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, ATX, Retail
- OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Reaper HPC Edition PC2-8500 DDR2 1066MHz CL 5-5-5-18 2.1-2.3V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- AUZENTECH, Auzen X-Plosion 7.1, 7.1 channels, 24-bit 96KHz, S/PDIF In/Out, PCI
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- ROSEWILL, RCR-102 Black 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
- SONY, DDU1615/B2S Black 16x DVD-ROM Drive, IDE, OEM
- SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S203N Black 20x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
- NZXT, Apollo Blue NP Mid-Tower Case w/ Window, ATX, No PSU, SECC Steel
- CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
- MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM


The prices are included as a reference only...all are well within budget.
 
OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE MAN... <ok, that's a joke, yanno> :D

Anyway, you're still better off doing it yourself, period.

Having said that, my choice would be the 1st, without question. Pure Intel hardware (albeit on a Gigabyte mobo but that's Intel-based which is what matters). I wouldn't recommend anything but Intel-based hardware for Intel processors, ever.

Only thing I would change would be the power supply: I only buy PC Power & Cooling hardware and nothing else. Aside from that, the 1st system listed would be what I'd choose if I was getting a prebuilt system and someone else was paying for it.

As far as the monitor, well... good lord, that's such a nearly impossible thing to choose at this exact moment I couldn't say. I'm a big fan of CRTs, even in today's LCD mad world. If I could choose a monitor to go with this box, it would be a new Sony FW900 24" CRT, but those - especially brand new ones - are nearly impossible to find much anymore.

However... there is one LCD that I'd probably grab:

Lenovo ThinkVision L220X 22" WUXGA 1920x1200 LCD

I just like the damned thing, and the increased resolution in the 22" form means it's got a sharper dot pitch compared to 24" models at the same resolution. Hell I'd probably grab two, actually.

Now order the damned machine so we can get on to other things, will ya... ;)
 
Joe Average said:
OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE MAN... <ok, that's a joke, yanno> :D

Anyway, you're still better off doing it yourself, period.

Having said that, my choice would be the 1st, without question. Pure Intel hardware (albeit on a Gigabyte mobo but that's Intel-based which is what matters). I wouldn't recommend anything but Intel-based hardware for Intel processors, ever.

Only thing I would change would be the power supply: I only buy PC Power & Cooling hardware and nothing else. Aside from that, the 1st system listed would be what I'd choose if I was getting a prebuilt system and someone else was paying for it.

As far as the monitor, well... good lord, that's such a nearly impossible thing to choose at this exact moment I couldn't say. I'm a big fan of CRTs, even in today's LCD mad world. If I could choose a monitor to go with this box, it would be a new Sony FW900 24" CRT, but those - especially brand new ones - are nearly impossible to find much anymore.

However... there is one LCD that I'd probably grab:

Lenovo ThinkVision L220X 22" WUXGA 1920x1200 LCD

I just like the damned thing, and the increased resolution in the 22" form means it's got a sharper dot pitch compared to 24" models at the same resolution. Hell I'd probably grab two, actually.

Now order the damned machine so we can get on to other things, will ya... ;)
Click to expand...

hahaha...ok, ok, that will be my last post, I promise. ;)


Mind you I have broken promises before......:eek: :D
 
Definitely the first PC mainly because it's Intel in both CPU and chipset. As been said countless number of times here in this thread, go Intel all the way if you want performance and stability.
 
I personally avoid buying an computer thats already built, because 1.) I love building them myself 2.) Its a crap load cheaper, specifically since I always find some crazy prices on the parts 3.) I customized it 100% for myself. No builder can do what you can do yourself because they have limited amounts of options and parts, that and they dont have as much time to look for all the stuff as you do. Also they charge some crazy prices for parts.... If you had the knowledge, time or both than just build it your self. Odds are you can get 2x the specs for about 2500.
 
Definitely the first system.The only change I'd make would be the case,and then only because I'd probably want to overclock,so I'd go with a case like the Antec 900 with more fans.I actually kind of like the Apollo's look,especially the bronze model.
 
Shawnasee said:
Pick one of these rigs, tell me why you picked it and what you would add including monitor.

Core 2 CrossFire DDR2 Gaming System = $2780.24 $2780.24
- INTEL, Core™ 2 Quad Q9550 Quad-Core 2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 12MB (2 x 6MB) L2 Cache, 45nm, 95W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
- XIGMATEK, HDT-S1283 CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink, Socket 775/754/939/940/AM2, 120mm Fan, Copper/Aluminum, Retail
- ARCTIC COOLING, MX-2 High-Performance Thermal Compound, Non-Electrical Conductive
- GIGABYTE, GA-X48-DS4, LGA775, Intel X48, 1600MHz FSB, DDR2-1200 8GB /4, PCIe x16 CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /6, HDA, GbLAN /2, FW /3, ATX, Retail
- OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Reaper HPC Edition PC2-8500 DDR2 1066MHz CL 5-5-5-18 2.1-2.3V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- VISIONTEK, Radeon® HD 4870 750MHz, 512MB GDDR5 1800Mhz, PCIe x16 CrossFire, DVI /2, Retail
- AUZENTECH, Auzen X-Plosion 7.1, 7.1 channels, 24-bit 96KHz, S/PDIF In/Out, PCI
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD5000AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache
- ROSEWILL, RCR-102 Black 52-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5" Bay, USB 2.0
- SONY, DDU1615/B2S Black 16x DVD-ROM Drive, IDE, OEM
- SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster™ SH-S203N Black 20x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
- NZXT, Apollo Blue NP Mid-Tower Case w/ Window, ATX, No PSU, SECC Steel
- CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
- MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM
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I'd go with this system, for the HD 4870's. The HD 4870 is the card I would have picked for my system if it had been out. Now I'm just waiting for the HD 4870x2. However, I would change the following:

Hard Drives:
WESTERN DIGITAL, 640GB WD Caviar® SE16 (WD6400AAKS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200-RPM, 16MB cache

These use the new 320GB platters, and are as fast as the 150GB Raptors.

I would change the case, just because I like the Antec P182 for it's low noise and cooling (I'm using 4 x 120mm quiet fans in mine with the Maximum Fans Package, Low Noise). However, cases are a personal preference, and as long as the case has good cooling, you'll be fine. You could still add the fans package to lower the noise.
 
I'd probably pick Intel/ATi for that one, the 4870 is a mean deal for performance :D And X48's are tempting too...

Why haven't I seen this before...

And just a note that has probably already been mentioned, if you call Puget they'll order just about anything :p So don't count their configurator as the whole truth, just like AVA adds whatever you ask :)
 
Ok, that's 5 votes for the first system, the Intel/Intel/ATI box. Order the damned thing... ;)
 
Anyone with that sort of money for a rig is nuts for not using a couple bills to get a custom build done for them. Instead of typing anything else that reflects me sitting here shaking my head let me just close by saying blah blah blah infinitum.
 
The OP is getting a custom build, that's the point. This is just the second thread of discussion over his dilemma at not being able to choose which "boutique" shop he wants to do the build.
 
Joe Average said:
The OP is getting a custom build, that's the point. This is just the second thread of discussion over his dilemma at not being able to choose which "boutique" shop he wants to do the build.
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Just remembered that. LOL!

OP just buy the PC already. :D

And just for the trouble, post some pics of the PC!
 
Guess it is just me but I see a substantial difference between what a small custom builder or shop does compared to some of these (what was the name...."boutiques") do. I have seen enough "boutique" systems that showed their laziness in loose screws, bad wire placement, scratches on the case, rushed installs....I could go on and on.

Like many of the people that come here, I have built a lot of systems. Paying a "boutique" over $600 extra to build what you can buy from Newegg is just silly to me. Might as well buy a Dell (AW), Comcrap, whatever...!

But i forget what he stated before.... "At this point they are names who don’t cater to the discerning customers who wish to have a lot of choices and whom buy on a budget" If he recognized that he is having this problem (making concessions here and there), he should see that having a local shop or guru build his own rig would be much more satisfying in the end. He gets everything he wants and for a lower price!

Please forgive the ramblings of a 40 yr old fart who still finds solice and excitement in building something nobody else has.
 
I don't think I have a dilemma anymore. It's between AVA Direct and Puget Custom Computers.

I will most DEF post pics when the machine arrives.

However, I won't get the money until at least the 1st of August and I am hoping to see some of the new 4870x2's out and about. If they are available, and within my budget, I might decide to go that route.

So we'll see what we see until the THIRD post cometh. :D
 
Shawnasee said:
I don't think I have a dilemma anymore. It's between AVA Direct and Puget Custom Computers.
Click to expand...

I'm glad that's been decided, at least :p

Shawnasee said:
However, I won't get the money until at least the 1st of August and I am hoping to see some of the new 4870x2's out and about. If they are available, and within my budget, I might decide to go that route.
Click to expand...

It's my understanding that the ATI Radeon HD 4870x2 won't be available for purchase until August 14th, although it's always possible for AMD to move up the release date.
 
Heh...I'd need a stepladder to reach his knees.

Misha's one of my favorite people in the industry--he tells it like it is, doesn't take poop off of anyone, and is devoted to his company. I have a bunch of respect for him.

No matter who you end up with, I don't think you'll be disappointed. ;-)
 
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