System Builder Marathon, Sept. '09: $2,500 Performance PC

It’s Ready To Fight

We know that high-end systems are never really a good “value,” but many performance fanatics simply can’t live with lower-cost machines. This is especially true in gaming, when a 30” display at native resolution will pull all but the heartiest systems to their knees. That is to say, while we expect this system to be thoroughly thrashed in Thursday’s value comparison, it’s ready to draw blood at every benchmark up to the disappointing price comparison.

But who really needs a system this good? Don’t top gamers usually opt for lower resolutions and less elaborate hardware anyway?

The best excuse for putting $2,500 into a personal computer is that you really enjoy the enhanced computing experience. If you can afford to live extravagantly, isn’t that excuse good enough?

But what if you really want a system like this and can’t afford to build your own? We’ve thought of that and arranged for this very system to be part of this month’s Newegg and Tom’s Hardware SBM Giveaway--good luck!

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • burnley14
    Just thinking about winning this system in the giveaway gets me excited.
    Reply
  • jj463rd
    Me too this is an awesome build.
    Reply
  • DjEaZy
    ... do the video compression using ATi Streem...
    Reply
  • The Quality of video on ATI streem is shit on sticks and doesn't even support high profile.

    The last build was a bit too odd for me but this one seems like a very nice chose of parts and on a larger screen set up makes a lot of sense the loss of i7 for AMD only build was a bit sad but the addition of those great SSD kind of makes up for me along with the nice chose of case and cooling. That case looks like it is very nice to work on.
    Reply
  • dirtmountain
    The Corsair CMPSU-850HX is rated Silver, not Gold. Nice build, good results, great work.
    Reply
  • @Dirtman

    http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_detail.aspx?id=25&type=2

    Check your sources because you have it wrong

    CMPSU-850HX ATX12V 850 90.38% Gold
    Reply
  • one-shot
    Please don't call RAID 1 a backup solution.
    Reply
  • dirtmountain
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

    Newegg says differently. I did check sources.
    Reply
  • dirtmountain
    So does Jonnyguru
    http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=153
    I guess you just can't believe everything you find on a brands site.
    Reply
  • WINTERLORD
    now that is one slick gaming machine! could'nt imagine them frames rates on a big monitor. love the insides water cooling 3 radeon 4890's with room for a 4th. great pictures by the way lots of eye candy. you can tell alot of work went into tis kmonster. great article.
    Reply