SBM 3: High-End System
Conclusion
We never intended to budget our system to include software and peripherals, yet today’s build came up thrifty enough to add some of the stuff you probably already own.
| Current SBM High-End PC Component Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 | $1050 |
| CPU Cooler | Integrated Thermaltake LCS liquid cooler | $0 |
| Motherboard | Asus Striker Extreme | $300 |
| RAM | Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1000 PC2-6400 - 2 GB | $110 |
| Graphics | 2x Gigabyte GeForce 8800GTX - GV-NX88X768H-RH | $1,000 |
| Hard Drive | 2x Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5000YS | $380 |
| Sound | Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS | $180 |
| Case | Thermaltake Armor LCS | $260 |
| Power | Ultra Products X3 1000W Modular Power Supply | $250 |
| DVD-RW | Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology SH-203B | $35 |
| Auxiliary Fan | Antec SpotCool Motherboard Cooling Fan | $15 |
| Floppy Drive | Sony 1.44 MB Floppy Drive | $10 |
| Total Price | $3,590 |
In an amazing coincidence, our current high-performance system cost exactly the same to build today as the former system did in its May debut. Today’s system is actually a little cheaper to build, as this time we included the cost of the floppy drive needed to load RAID drivers at Windows XP installation’s F6 prompt.
What would the former system cost if we were to buy its parts today ?
| Previous SBM High-End PC Component Cost (Updated Prices) | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 | $975 |
| CPU Cooler | Ultra ChillTec | $130 |
| Motherboard | Asus Striker Extreme | $300 |
| RAM | Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1000 PC2-8000 - 2 GB | $140 |
| Graphics | 2x XFX GeForce 8800GTX PN : PVT80FSHF9 | $1,060 |
| Hard Drive | 2x Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5000YS | $310 |
| Sound | Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS | $180 |
| Case | LIAN LI PC-60A PLUSII | $130 |
| Power | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad | $170 |
| DVD-RW | Sony NEC Optiarc 7170 SATA | $35 |
| Floppy Drive | Sony 1.44 MB Floppy Drive | $10 |
| Total Price | $3,440 |
The new build costs only 4.4% more than the former system, and we just know that the upgrades will pay off in multiples when we do our performance analysis. Let’s begin with games, where our "slower" reference-speed 8800GTX cards should have been "clearly outclassed" by the previous build’s factory-overclocked parts.
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