well... this morning i awoke to an unpleasant surprise. evidently there was a brownout in my area last night and my primary workstation's power supply kicked the bucket. i built my current workstation in 2000 and it was a hoss back in the day (dual p3 933mhz processors, 1gb of ram) but lately it just hasn't been cutting it. i've been thinking about getting a new computer for a few months now and this was the excuse i've been looking for. i ordered parts today and here is what i'm putting together:

motherboard: asus p5n32 sli premium
processor: intel core 2 duo e6700 @ 2.66ghz per core
memory: 4gb (2x2gb) ocz 800mhz ddr2
power: ocz 700watt psu
video: evga 8800gtx /w 768mb of memory (!)
primary hd: 150gb western digital raptor sata @ 10k rpm
storage hd: 320gb seagate barracuda sata @ 7200 rpm
dvdr: sony sata
dvd-rom: asus sata
os: vista 32-bit premium

this system is gonna haul. can't wait to put it together! -M

I covet your hardware. LOL!

this system is gonna haul. can't wait to put it together! -M
oooh, can I watch........?

y'know, that sounds like a cool idea... i'll have to post pics of the process. -M

video: evga 8800gtx /w 768mb of memory (!)

That's what I'm talking about!

That looks like a solid system. What did it cost you for the hardware?

i got everything but the case at newegg. since they no longer stocked the exact one i wanted, i used directron for that. the case and the hardware were right around $2000. by far the most expensive piece was the video card. i seriously considered skrimping on that by getting an 8800 gts and opting out of the raptor drive... that would've saved around $400 right there. either way, far more bang for my buck than if i had ordered one pre-built.

-M

That's going to be a killer system..

Did you get your card primarily for gaming?

with the new system, i might do a little more gaming than what i currently do... however, most of what i'm into is content creation. i generally need a fast system that will last me a few years. i figure i can pay $550 for a video card that will last me up to 5 years or $350 for one that will last me 2 or 3. -M

either way, far more bang for my buck than if i had ordered one pre-built.

-M
Absolutely. You won't find a pre-built system with those specs for that $. Have fun with the build and keep us updated with pics. :tiphat:

alright... i got the case in today. it's a coolermaster mystique 632. the construction is a little lighter than what i was hoping, but it'll do. -M

http://members.cox.net/magnvs/pics/pc/case.jpg

That's an interesting case. I like the mounts for big 120mm fans on the front and back. Should keep everthing nice and cool and not too loud.

Sexy case.

thanks, cuatrodemayo!

well, well, well... i just received shipment of all the swag i had ordered from newegg. i'll post photos probably tomorrow... it is friday, afterall. can't spend it putting together a computer, can i? ...but then again, finishing a build on the exact 30th anniversary of star wars has a nerdy appeal to it.

-M

Call me silly but might I suggest investing some money in a good UPS ?

yep... i was thinking along the exact same lines. given the weight, i was thinking that i'd probably do better getting that locally instead of having it shipped. -M

nice build... although i am an amd loyalist :P

are you a gamer? if not what do you do that would require that much power? video editing perhaps?

oops... i need to get those pics up!

i game a little bit... but the main reason for that much horsepower is for flash and photoshop. what's hurtin' right now is that i need to get a serial card so that i can hook up my old wacom.

-M

Please DON'T post pictures...I've been nickle and diming my upgrades on my PC since I built it in '01. And while it's still faster than 90% of what's sold as a higher-end box at Best Buy, it's just not cutting the mustard very well these days.

You post pictures, and I'll want to start from scratch :P

Post some pics, I want to see what you have built.

Why did you choose Vista for the os?

I took the Media Center with my Dell, and YIKES I hate it! Should I take the upgrade to Vista? I loved the XP - Pro (2).

My son is building his for gaming.

I needed mine for Photos/ Paint Shop Pro....etc....I have over 30k in photos on mine.

Space...memory...more...more...more...

i'm not ignoring this thread! i just haven't had any time! -M