Looking for feedback. This system is going to be used for trading not gaming:

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($79.99)
PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply (169.99)
GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard ($206.99)
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Yorkfield 3.0GHz LGA 775 130W Quad-Core ($1,059.99)
OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Memory Model OCZ2N1066SR2GK - ($97.99)
(2) EVGA 512-P2-N757-TR GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 ($129.99 each)
Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive ($169.99)
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N ($31.99)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C ($139.99)
Keyboard & mouse

About $2200 total before MIRs. One question is the case. Not sure if it is a good choice. This is going in an office environment and I'm not looking for glow in the dark parts and see through panels. I want more of a professional look. With the dual video cards, I'm concerned about heat. I didn't spec the 8800's as the trading apps are 2d and the 8600s are a bit more cost effective. Thanks for your comments. -- Bud

I'm no expert by any means, but I'm wondering if the QX9650 is overkill if you're not using it for gaming or advanced editing. If you do stick with the QX9650, then I would say you may be cutting yourself short with the DDR2 memory...that is, if you're buying the best CPU, why not go with the DDR3 memory to really maximize the power and speed? I'm not sure about the rationale behind choosing the top of the line CPU but not choosing the same high caliber components for video, motherboard, and RAM. Just my 2 cents. Best wishes.

If heat is more of a concern than noise, that case is the best bang price-&-cooling-wise. Otherwise, Antec Sonata III is the best bang noise-&-psu-wise. It comes with a bundled, decent psu that can do 8800gt w/o breaking a sweat. And it has sound-deadening material. And Antec cases are more quality & well built. I have both. I know what I'm talking about. My family LOVE the near silent Antec Solo, which is the same as Sonata III.

No, I don't think the QX is overkill, but to each his own. It's a workstation. It does mundane work. The only overkills are the psu & gpu. The Sonata III has a 500W Earthwatts. Google reviews. For the gpu, an 8500/8600 with passive cooling (only heatsinks) is more than suffice. Even if you watch HD video.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_family.html

spiders96, You'd be surprised how much cpu a high end trading workstation needs. I'm under the impression that there is not that much difference between DDR2 and DDR3. I'm open to the DDR3 and a MB that supports DDR3 if it is going to make a real difference in speed. Any suggestions?

akhilles, Will that case and PSU be ok for DUAL GPUs? As for a fanless, 8600, would something more like the MSI NX8600GT-TD512EZ GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 be a good choice? Some of the reviews say this is a massive card due o the heat sinks.

Thanks for the feedback. -- bud

do not get 8600 sli. get a single 8800gt or a 3870. one good card > 2 crappy cards. the psu you chose will do just fine.

You just need to know the power requirement for the dual gpu's.

http://ati.amd.com/technology/cros [...] rown2.html

Yes, the 8600 is fine, but intel chipsets except Skulltrail for $600US don't do SLI. Massive or not, does it matter if it fits in any ATX case? I don't think so. Passive cooling usually means a large heatsink.

Thanks Guys. The dual GPUs are so I can run four monitors not for SLI or crossfire. -- Bud