Hi I'm new to this and I was wondering if this is a good choice of components. My main usage is primarily for editing in standard def and HD using software like Avid for Television editing. It's secondary use would be to be able to game high end games on my free time.

I also want the system to be able to be used or upgraded in the long run as trends change and of course all this has to be within a reasonable budget or I'd be going for a mac pro.

ULT31824 :: Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Full-Tower Case with Clear Side, Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports (30 lbs) $85.73
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] u=ULT31824


P450-9800 :: XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 Video Card - 1GB DDR3, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDMI (4.2 lbs) $426.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =P450-9800


O261-8038 :: OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2048MB) (0.6 lbs) $123.99 X 2 = $247.98
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =O261-8038


E145-2034 :: EVGA nforce 780i SLI Motherboard - A1 Version, NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, Dual Gigabit LAN, S/PDIF, USB 2.0, Firewire, Serial ATA, RAID (4.7 lbs) $304.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =E145-2034


T13-1062 :: Coolmax / CXI-600B / 600-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA-Ready / SLI-Ready / 20/24-Pin / Power Supply (5.15 lbs) $121.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] u=T13-1062


M333-3000 :: ZEROtherm / Butterfly BTF90 / Socket 775/754/939/AM2 / Copper Base / Heatpipes / CPU Cooler (2.15 lbs) $60.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =M333-3000


CP2-DUO-Q6700 :: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 Processor HH80562PH0678MK - 2.66GHz, 8MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB, Kentsfield, Quad-Core, OEM, Socket 775, Processor (0.2 lbs) $259.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] -DUO-Q6700

Total = $1,508.66 CAD

Additional after sales rebate = $135

Also I'm Canadian so i shop at tigerdirect.ca unless you know of a better source!

let me know if this is a good deal or if there are areas where i can cut costs, I definitely would appreciate it!

Everything but the psu is good. Pick out a tier 1/2/3:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forum [...] p?t=108088

Well, Canada has ncix.com. Take a look. newegg.ca will be opening up soon.

wow i expected a lot more criticism than that for being a n00b.

regarding the power i kinda figured it wouldn't be enough last night especially if i plan to add more XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 Video Cards (up to 2 more) in SLI

so i've replaced power with this will this be good enough if i choose to upgrade to 2 more cards in the future?


Ultra X3 ULT40064 1000-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, PCI-E Ready, Energy Efficient, Modular $365.81

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] u=ULT40064

to cut cost i've ditched that fan for 2 cheaper conventional fans since i figured i might as well work with the case's airflow design.

I don't plan to overclock this system, do any of you recommend it? I know i'd have to spend more in terms of cooling if that's the case but i don't see why i should overclock a system that's powerful enough.

Well, it looks like you did your homework.

X3 is a solid psu. Can sli GTX 260s & 9800GX2s.

No, I don't recommend overclocking right away. Play with the pc for a while. When the new games get more demanding, you can overclock your cpu & gpu to procrastinate the next major upgrade.