I want to have one built for me (wouldn't know what to do if I tried to build it myself)and was wondering if you guys could give me your input on some hardware. Well, actually all the hardware [img]smile.gif[/img] I want to be able to play games like Doom 3, Black and white 2(when it comes out)and other high end games. Money is not really a factor, but i would like to spend as little as possible. TIA

"Money not a factor but would like to spend as little as possible..." if I had a penny for every time I've heard that one, I'd ... well, I'd be quite rich. Tell me numerically how much you got. Doesn't have to be precise, but inside +/- 200$. Otherwise I'll suggest a Falcon NW, Alienware, or a custom rig with Athlon 64 3600+ with dual X850s and two gigs of RAM.

These days it's cheaper to good a good PC from a reputable manufacturer. Along with it you usually get a decent warranty, plus a fairly reasonable upgrade policy.

If moneys not an object, well then. Try an Athlon X2 4600+, dual Nvidia 7800Ultras in SLI, and maybe 4 10K Raptors in RAID.

I am inheriting $75000.00 in two months but i really don't want to spend more than maybe $2500-$3000 so i can get a good start on college.

<font color=skyblue>Now that just made me cry a little.
Just a little, but yeah...I'm depressed.

Anyway, Intel has a suggestion page on building your own PC for gaming. Find the link on this page, about mid-way on the screen. It has a walk-through...and even if you do not go with their product, it may be helpful to learn anyway for comparisons and the like.

http://www.intel.com/personal/pc_gam...gaming&</font>

<font color=white>By the way, you owe me $2,000 for the advice.
I accept Paypal.</font>

[ 08-03-2005, 11:32 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

So sorry Larry, no creditcard for another 2 months either

Personally, because you're after a gaming PC, I recommend an Athlon 64 be at the top of your list. A few recommendations:

</font>

• 3700+/4000+ San Diego core with 1MB cache, or you may wish to look into the dual core X2 series, e.g AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+.</font>
• NF4 Ultra/SLI motherboard - suggest DFI NF4 SLI-D</font>
• 2*1GB Crucial Ballistix PC4000 (2GB is the way to go really, and crucial make the best 1GB sticks - fast and good timings! BF2 loves 2GB)</font>
• OCZ Modstream/Powerstream PSU</font>
• Cooler Master Stacker case (although this is a big behemoth)</font>
• Zalman 7700CU Cooler - big, quiet and cool</font>
• Nvidia Geforce 7800 GTX (top dollar - you could add a second one to run in SLI as Zebodog suggested, but this introduces double the cost, massive PSU requirements, more heat and will generally only benefit you if you play at insanely high resolutions with all the detail + maximum AA+AF. Suggest you start with 1, and if you really feel you need another (which I'm pretty sure you won't [img]smile.gif[/img] ) you can add a second one at a later time.</font>
• Western Digital Raptor 74GB for OS/Apps/Gaming, with a second large SATA drive (250GB+) for backups/media/secondary gaming drive</font>
• NEC 3540 DVD+RW drive</font>
• SB Audigy 2 ZS or X-FI</font>

That should keep you ticking over nicely. Even though you have a massive budget, there are still sensible buy zones, where unless you absolutely have to have the best top of the line stuff, you can get to within a few percent performance wise for a fraction of the cost. That is why I haven't recommended an A64 FX processor. The San Diego cores are essentially FX chips but with upwardly locked multipliers. The beauty of the above kit is that it will allow you to experiment with a little overclocking if you're feeling adventurous [img]smile.gif[/img] .

[ 08-04-2005, 04:31 AM: Message edited by: Zink Whistlefly ]

If he's feeling adventurous in late 2008 Zink, when that system might need a little boost? :D

If he's feeling adventurous in late 2008 Zink, when that system might need a little boost? :D </font>[/QUOTE]Hehe, yeah - I think I have some form of medical/mental condition that makes me always want to push things faster!? Even if it's top of the line stuff.

Hmm.

If he's feeling adventurous in late 2008 Zink, when that system might need a little boost? :D </font>[/QUOTE]Hehe, yeah - I think I have some form of medical/mental condition that makes me always want to push things faster!? Even if it's top of the line stuff.

Hmm. </font>[/QUOTE]I think I might have caught that bug too. :D

What Zink has suggested is the sensible option, and as you aren't confident to enough to build a system yourself, I would presume that you wouldn't be looking at overclocking anyway. The system that has been suggested will keep you up-to-date for sometime to come. Also I would advise to you to stick to the Athlon side of things for now, as they are the best gaming rigs around.