I am currently trying to draw up a gaming rig with multiple displays (two or three), but on a decent budget (which is relatively flexible, although $2000 is a rough limit). I want a best-value setup, other than the extra screen space 
. I have really only built one other system before (although I have done a upgrades and repairs multiple times), and it was more of a low-cost, general use system. Thus, my knowledge in higher-end parts is limited, although I would much rather build my own system than buy one. (What's the fun in that?)
However, even with my lack of knowledge in high-end computer gear, I have an idea as to what the build would look like, besides a few important areas where I felt that it might be best to get some help from people who have more experience; Namely, the PSU, graphics, and sound card.
For the most part, I wouldn't need anything that can run Crysis at maxxed out settings on multiple screens, but it should pack some power (like running WoW, CoD: WaW, L4D, TF2, etc. at high settings with good fps) and be upgradable in the future.
My only worry is that having multiple screens will naturally hurt performance, so there needs to be some sort of balance between resolution and whatever video card(s) is/are used.
I will be OC'ing the CPU, graphics, and possibly the RAM as well.
Anyhow, here is what I have so far:
MOBO: EVGA, NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX. This board has pretty good specs, is a good value, and has good OC cred, but I am willing to switch over if necessary.
Video Card: ??? Probably several cards using SLI w/MOBO. I was looking at several GeForce 9800 GTX+'s or some GeForce GTX 275's. Since this is a gaming rig, I expect to allocate a large portion of my budget to the graphics I put in it.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz, OR an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz. I am a little indecisive between these two because they are both great if you plan to OC (and I would throw in an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro either way), but in terms of gaming, the jump from 2 to 4 cores isn't nearly as large as, say, 1 to 2.
RAM: OCZ Platinum Edition 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR2 SDRAM 800. I run multiple applications quite often, and I figured that I could splurge on some extra RAM. I figure that it would remove memory as a bottleneck for apps and some games.
HD: Western Digital Caviar GP 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5''. I originally considered buying a gaming-specific HD, but I realized that the only tangible gain I would get for spending more per GB on a hard drive would be faster load times, since almost all games are now dependent on GPU, CPU and RAM, not the HD. I would much rather have more space and better reliability for less, even if I load a game a few seconds slower. Of course, feel free to disagree!
Sound Card: ??? I have NO experience with sound cards, so I really need advice as to what to use here.
DVD/CD Drive: Samsung Black DVD+CD RW. I really don't need Blu-ray, and this is a reliable drive in my experiences with it on several machines.
Case: NZXT Guardian Black Steel ATX Tower. I like the apperance of this one, it has good reviews, and I have personal experience with it since a friend of mine used it in his own build, and really liked it. It seems to be good in terms of cooling as well.
PSU: ??? This is hard to choose, since what I would need depends on everything I choose above.
Displays: I don't have anything specific yet, but I would just choose some Dell lcd screens that have good resolution, faster response rate and better contrast. You can recommend anything here, really, as long as the price is right.
Speakers: Luckily I already have some great speakers, so I won't need to spend anything on them.
So what do you all think I should choose? Do you like the setup? I would really appreciate any feedback, be it positive or negative. Ask questions, too, if you want. And I am flexible on everything from the displays to the MOBO, CPU, etc.
Thanks, VGM.
. I have really only built one other system before (although I have done a upgrades and repairs multiple times), and it was more of a low-cost, general use system. Thus, my knowledge in higher-end parts is limited, although I would much rather build my own system than buy one. (What's the fun in that?)However, even with my lack of knowledge in high-end computer gear, I have an idea as to what the build would look like, besides a few important areas where I felt that it might be best to get some help from people who have more experience; Namely, the PSU, graphics, and sound card.
For the most part, I wouldn't need anything that can run Crysis at maxxed out settings on multiple screens, but it should pack some power (like running WoW, CoD: WaW, L4D, TF2, etc. at high settings with good fps) and be upgradable in the future.
My only worry is that having multiple screens will naturally hurt performance, so there needs to be some sort of balance between resolution and whatever video card(s) is/are used.
I will be OC'ing the CPU, graphics, and possibly the RAM as well.
Anyhow, here is what I have so far:
MOBO: EVGA, NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX. This board has pretty good specs, is a good value, and has good OC cred, but I am willing to switch over if necessary.
Video Card: ??? Probably several cards using SLI w/MOBO. I was looking at several GeForce 9800 GTX+'s or some GeForce GTX 275's. Since this is a gaming rig, I expect to allocate a large portion of my budget to the graphics I put in it.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz, OR an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz. I am a little indecisive between these two because they are both great if you plan to OC (and I would throw in an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro either way), but in terms of gaming, the jump from 2 to 4 cores isn't nearly as large as, say, 1 to 2.
RAM: OCZ Platinum Edition 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR2 SDRAM 800. I run multiple applications quite often, and I figured that I could splurge on some extra RAM. I figure that it would remove memory as a bottleneck for apps and some games.
HD: Western Digital Caviar GP 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5''. I originally considered buying a gaming-specific HD, but I realized that the only tangible gain I would get for spending more per GB on a hard drive would be faster load times, since almost all games are now dependent on GPU, CPU and RAM, not the HD. I would much rather have more space and better reliability for less, even if I load a game a few seconds slower. Of course, feel free to disagree!
Sound Card: ??? I have NO experience with sound cards, so I really need advice as to what to use here.
DVD/CD Drive: Samsung Black DVD+CD RW. I really don't need Blu-ray, and this is a reliable drive in my experiences with it on several machines.
Case: NZXT Guardian Black Steel ATX Tower. I like the apperance of this one, it has good reviews, and I have personal experience with it since a friend of mine used it in his own build, and really liked it. It seems to be good in terms of cooling as well.
PSU: ??? This is hard to choose, since what I would need depends on everything I choose above.
Displays: I don't have anything specific yet, but I would just choose some Dell lcd screens that have good resolution, faster response rate and better contrast. You can recommend anything here, really, as long as the price is right.
Speakers: Luckily I already have some great speakers, so I won't need to spend anything on them.
So what do you all think I should choose? Do you like the setup? I would really appreciate any feedback, be it positive or negative. Ask questions, too, if you want. And I am flexible on everything from the displays to the MOBO, CPU, etc.
Thanks, VGM.
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