High End
PC Buyers Guide High End
Target Resolution: 1920x1200 or 2560x1600
This guide will only cover the box. Monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers are not included. I do this for brevity's sake, as the monitor alone would require its own guide, especially if I were to cover LCD monitors. Since this site is called "Guru3D" this guide will target a system intended for gaming primarily. So what sort of criteria do I take into account when deciding what parts to recommend?
- Price and Performance: First and foremost, what gives the most bang for your buck, in terms of gaming primarily of course.
- Reliablity: Second on the list but just as important. This includes things such as compatibility (ever had RAM that worked on one motherboard but not in another?), trustworthiness of a brand overall (do they have a history of making reliable parts?) in addition to the reliablity of the part in question.
- Overclockability: Overclocking can help squeeze out that extra performance out of a system and can make a big impact on price versus performance (why should you buy a $1000 CPU if you can overclock a $200 CPU to match it?) so this factor can always swing my decision.
- Heat and Power Issues: Heat is the enemy of a computer and it can affect the stability (and reliability) of your machine. Performance per watt has become a buzz word and as power requirements for computers rise I eye this more and more closely.
For those wondering about "Target Resolution," instead of listing a particular price point (since price will vary somewhat with vender/e-tailer) I have listed here what type of resolutions you can expect to be playing most of today's games (with AA and AF on of course) on such a rig, both standard and widescreen resolutions were taken into consideration.
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo 6850 or Core 2 Quad Q6600
Those of you with a bit of patience should simply wait for the upcoming Penryn processors (and it won't be much of a wait), but until then this is the dual core of choice.
For those of you interested in moving to a quad core the Q6600 is the processor of choice. The Q6600 can be found for less then the 6850 in fact and easily dominates the recently launched Phenom processors from AMD. Fans of quad core and overclockers, this CPU should sit at the top of your list, at least until the Penryn based Q9450 makes its debut.
Check out Guru3D related reviews:
Core 2 Duo 6600, 6700, X6800
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Heatsink and Fan
Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme
The stock HSF will provide ample cooling power for a Conroe, but this is a high end rig and you want to treat your CPU right don't you??? Here is a monster of a cooler for your CPU (and I do mean monster, make sure your case and motherboard will support this beast) will offer hands down some of the best air cooling for your processor. Pair this heatsink with a 120mm fan of your choosing.
MotherboardnForce 780i SLI
What to look for when buying a motherboard, regardless of chipset or processor it supports:
- Good chipset cooling. Chipsets these days continue to run hotter. Better cooling means improved stability, improved longevity and better overclocking potential. Be mindful when using a passively cooled motherboard (even one with the works, including copper heatsinks and heatpipes) to ensure that you can provide the coolers with adequate airflow.
- Solid state capacitors. Offers improved longevity and heat resistance as well as avoids the dreaded "leaking" capacitor problem.
- Improved voltage regulator. Does the motherboard use a 3 phase voltage regulator or something higher? How do you determine the phase you ask? It is determined by the number of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) used. As a rule the higher the number (and hence the phase) and quality of the MOSFETs, the cleaner (higher quality) the voltage delivered to the CPU, offering improved stability and overclockability of the CPU and improved thermals for the MOSFETs. Many motherboards now feature heatsinks to cool the MOSFETs as well, always nice.
- Features. What features do you need? Chispet features vary broadly as do features individual motherboards may offer. Do you need RAID? If so what type? If you chose to use onboard sound then take a close look at the audio chipset and its associated features as they differ widely. If you want a SLI setup you will need a an nForce chipset, but not if you want Crossfire. All things to consider.
Those of you wanting a high end gaming machine will probably be eyeing a dual GPU setup... and for high end GPU's the only game is NVIDIA at the moment. The GeForce 8800 GTX has remained unchallenged for over a year (let's just ignore the obscenely overpriced Ultra) as the flagship video card. Therefore you will want to get an NVIDIA based chipset for SLI. Absolutely wait for the nForce 700 series not only for expected improvements (like PCIe 2.0) but because the existing 600 series will not support the upcoming Yorkfield quad cores from Intel due to a required motherboard circuit change.
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Hard Drive1 TB
Ah where has the time gone? I remember the first 1 GB hard drives. Imagine the hours of HD video a drive of this capacity could store. Hitachi, Samsung and Seagate all offer 1 TB drives with 32 MB of cache now, so do your research and make your pick. Give the high end, high capacity drive a computer like this deserves.
Editor's Note: While I give my recommendation with only a single drive in mind there are many configurations available. Here's a list:
- For fastest load times: 2 smaller drives in RAID 0. Drawback: reliability, if one drive fails, the data on both is lost.
- For data reliablity: 2 large drives in RAID 1. Drawback: capacity halved (all the data on one drive is mirrored on the second).
- For heavy downloaders: One small, fast primary drive (like a Western Digital Raptor) for Windows and applications/games and a secondary large capacity drive for downloads/multimedia (such as HD video). This is actually my prefered configuration.
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Memory4 GB DDR2 1066 MHz RAM
High end rig and dirt cheap prices on DDR2? Bring on the 4 GB!
Remember that DDR2 latencies are much higher than DDR. So always take advantage of lower latency memory. Lower latency modules will have timings in the range of CAS 4-4-4-12. Keep an eye on the default voltage for the module, the default for DDR2 is 1.8v, if the default is higher (and on 800 MHz DDR2 RAM or higher it likely is) then make sure your motherboard can support it. Also make sure if you are purchasing 4x 1 GB modules that your motherboard will support it. Don't forget to buy that RAM in matched pairs so you can take advantage of dual channel for a slight boost to performance, most memory makers now sell match pairs for your convenience.
DDR3 is now available, but at this time I would not recommend it as it is priced 2 to 3 times more then DDR2 (and the performance benefits are minor). Better to wait until the price and latency on DDR3 to come down before making the switch.
Editor's Choice: Corsair XMS2 or OCZ HPC Reaper series. Excellent brands, excellent sticks of RAM and very good price.
Check out Guru3D related reviews:
OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4 GB PC2-6400OCZ Reaper Edition PC2-9200
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Video Card2x GeForce 8800 GT(S) SLI
For the same price as a GTX, 2 GeForce 8800 GT's offer significantly more performance, provided you can find 2 at close to their MSRP, I recommend a bit of patience as demand is very high right now. Those of you with a bit more cash may consider the new GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB in SLI for even more performance.
Check out Guru3D related reviews:
GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB SLIInno3D GeForce 8800 GT OC
GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB
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Sound CardCreative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Our own audiophile Brann Mitchel: Playing a few games with Creative's latest sound card in your rig will convince you that there really isn't anything better than the X-Fi. It doesn't matter which of the four models you choose either, you'll still get blistering performance in any game you choose with the powerful new APU, CMSS 3D Headphone and EAX Advanced HD 5.0. While Creative's X-Fi is no doubt the performance leader in gaming, it will also impress you with its music capability.
We get lots of sound cards that offer one or the other, good sound or good gaming, but the X-Fi really delivers both. It has that rare ability to make you play song after song just to hear how they sound through the X-Fi. For these reasons, the X-Fi is our new reference.
Check out Guru3D related reviews:
Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music Sound BlasterCreative X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS Sound Blaster
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Optical DriveSamsung Lightscribe DVD Burner SH-203N
There really is no excuse to not have DVD±R/RW drives, they are very cheap and reliable these days. This drive is capable of burning 20x DVD+R and DVD-R, 16x DL as well as 12x DVD-RAM and boasts a SATA interface. It is also a LightScribe capable drive. This will allow you to burn a label (or image or whatever you want) onto your disks, no more barely legible permanent marker labeling!
Case
Okay Im going leave this one open to your decision. Cases are a love-hate thing, what one person likes another will not. So go find a case you think suites you. I have a few suggestions when looking for a case. Aluminium is a definite plus; it will make your computer significantly lighter. 120mm fans are the way to go as well, ensuring good airflow in your case while maintaining a minimum of noise. A removable motherboard tray is particularly useful in cramped cases.
Check out Guru3D related reviews:
Lian Li PC-V1000 Plus Aluminum Case
Power Supply1000 Watts or Higher
The power demands of the PC continue to escalate, thanks in large part to GPU's and the looming arrival of quad core CPU's. Be sure to go out and get the biggest and best power supply you can, do not skimp on the power supply! This is an often overlooked part and yet it's the source of so many computer woes. Be sure to check the amps on the 12V rail(s), you want a power supply that can handle a lot, multiple 12V rails is an additional plus. For a frame of reference: NVIDIA recommends 450 Watts with 30A on the 12V rail for the 8800 GTX. Another plus to look for is a power supply with dual fans to help with cooling. Just remember: don't try and buy a cheap generic brand to save some cash, just because it says 480 Watts (or whatever the number is) doesn't mean it can actually handle that, sadly. Quality counts big, be sure to get a quality power supply or you can face any number of problems.
Some of the few excellent 1 Kilowatt PSU's reviewed here at Guru3D to consider are:
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That's it for this seasons recommendation. We hope you have an excellent Christmas, with loads of joyful hardware this year :) !
