System Build for College

[dramamoose]

I'm currently trying to plan out a computer for college. I'm going to get an ultraportable laptop for note taking/ etc, but I want a high-powered system for the dorm room, so I can run engineering apps and Crysis.
So, here are my main important design points:
1. Upgradability. This is a must. I want a mobo that will survive a few years of processor updates. Preferably DDR3.
2. Cost. I have some money stored up, and this will be the target for all of my paychecks/christmas money/ etc for a while. That being said, I'd like to stay around $1000-1500.
My plan was to order MoBo, Power Supply, Processor, and Case first, then add components as they can be afforded. I've got a couple hard drives and a DVD drive I can slap into it temporarily. . The monitor, I will probably wait until I got to college for. Right now, I'm using an acceptable 19" Samsung flat CRT, but I'm obviously gonna want to upgrade. However, I don't have any room in the current desk for any bigger of a monitor, and this monitor will stay with the parents.

So, any great recommendations?
In addition, is the 8800GTX worth it, or is it better to slap in a 8800GTS, and eventually get another one for SLI?

 

[nukchebi0]

There is going to be a rerelease of the GTS on G92, supposedly (most likely) with 128 SP (same as GTX), and 512/1024 MB RAM. You should wait for this

 

[rayzor]

I know some people think you should never wait in the computer hardware industry, but if I were you, I'd wait to do research until march/april next year because there should be a brand new generation of dx10 video cards. As far as everything else goes now, cpu technology seems to have outpaced gpu technology by quite a bit. In crysis, for example, you have to go long way down the list of processors before you see a significant bottleneck. I'd wait for some new cards so you don't have to upgrade too soon.

 

[dramamoose]

Okay. Sounds great. I won't be headed off for college until next September, so I have some time to wait around.

 

[nukchebi0]

Oh, definitely wait then. Don't buy until as late as possible.