Currently, this is my draft spec:

There are some new graphics cards coming out soon, so the spec will change. The price of DDR3 will come down over the next couple of months also.

• 1x Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P60B Aluminium Midi-Tower Case (Update: PC-P80 being used instead because it's bigger and obviously better)
• 1x OCZ 4GB DDR3 PC3-10666C7 1333MHz Platinum (2x2GB) Dual Channel DDR3
• 1x Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 LGA775 'Yorkfield' 2.66GHz 12MB-cache (1333FSB)
• 2x HIS ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 1024MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express) (Update: I will be using 2x 4870X2's when they are released)
• 1x Asus P5Q3 Deluxe @ Wifi-N Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard
• 1x Zalman CNPS7500-CU CPU Cooler (Socket 478/754/939/940/AM2/LGA775)
• 1x Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty Professional Series 7.1 Sound Card
• 1x Tagan TG900-U88 900w BZ-Series Modular PSU (Update: I will be using a Tagan TG1100 instead)

Justification:
The case because the cooling is fantastic.
The memory because I want at least 4GB and the price will drop on DDR3. There is more overclocking potential.
The processor because 45nm has more overclocking potential than 65nm. Also this is the 'replacement' for Q6600 and that chip was legendary (built 2 systems with that now)
The graphics because I prefer ATI's 3870 graphics cards over Nvidia's overheating rebrand cards.
The motherboard because P45 is 65nm instead of X38/X48 being 90nm.
The cooler because it is pretty and I've used this one before and got 30C on a 3GHz Q6600.
The sound card because I want good sound quality.
The power supply because it's a tried and tested reliable brand name... and modular.

Unsure about OS. I have an XP license free.

I'm looking to buy all this on Saturday 26th July 2008. Possibly late August if the 4870X2's are released then instead of late July.

Update: Late August because they are coming out August 12th.

Ooh, looks all good, but surely 4GB RAM and XP have problems...

Apparently the Q9450s don't overclock so well.

What about the slightly bigger version of that cooler?

And you could look at the recently released Xi-Fi Platinum, it's the new top end model, and is PCI-E 1x.

I was interested in it until I saw that it has no XRAM.

The platinum has no XRAM? That's odd for their top end card.

I'm only going by the spec on OCUK though... Time is so limited at work. I don't get the time to do the important things any more like research sound card specifications.



The P45's and X48's can support a 500MHz FSB with an 8x multi

Yes, but apparently the Q9450s are much more fiddly to overclock and typically you'll see the same end frequency as a Q6600, even though the Q9450 has a higher starting clock.

I haven't researched it much, so it could be a lot better than I know.

I was wrong about the card name, I meant the Titanium (the one with the EMI shroud). That does have XRAM;



Technical Specifications

* 24-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion of analog inputs at 96kHz sample rate
* 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of digital sources at 96kHz to analog 7.1 speaker output
* 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion of stereo digital sources at 192kHz to stereo output
* 16-bit to 24-bit recording sampling rates: 8,11.025,16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48 and 96kHz
* ASIO 2.0 support at16bit/44.1kHz,16-bit/48kHz, 24-bit/44.1kHz 24-bit/48kHz and 24-bit/96kHz with direct monitoring
* Enhanced SoundFont support at up to 24-bit resolution
* 64MB of X-RAM
* Connectivity
o Mic In/Line In
o Headphone/Front Left & Right Speaker Output
o Side Left & Right Speaker Output
o Center/Sub Output
o Rear Left & Right Speaker Output
o Optical Digital SPDIF Output
o Optical Digital SPDIF Input
o Intel HD Front Panel Header
o X-Fi I/O Drive connectors

Warranty

* 2 year limited warranty

From Creative's webpage.

Thanks for the info.

The only thing that I can see possibly causing a problem with the Q9450 is the 8x multiplier. The Q6600 has a 9x multiplier with a lower FSB. From the articles I've been reading it seems like people are skimping out on their motherboards only to be disappointed. It's going to take a P45 or an X48 to get the most out of them.

I think I'll be getting a pair of these:
http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/Radeon_ ... /5851.html

Hmm, you might be right there, but it could be worth looking up.

Seems like this CPU is easy to get up to 3.5GHz but it hits a barrier. The FSB wall.
Q6600's can go to 3.6GHz, but that's pushing it on air-cooling.
The Q9450 is more efficient than the Q6600 clock-for-clock but it does not justify the additional £100 or so.
Unfortunately, I have heard no rumours about a price drop on the Q9450. I suspect Q3, then Nehalem is coming in '09 anyway...

Unfortunately, you have to cave in and buy at some point, and just hope that you don't lock yourself in to an un-upgradeable 'inefficient' mess of a system.

Unfortunately Nehalem is confirmed to be a new CPU socket. (1300 odd pins or something).

It's also a lot bigger and that's not good for the ol' chips per wafer ratio.
I guess Intel are hoping to make more chips per wafer out of their new Atom chip so it may not matter to them..

Nehalem is about 30% faster in all applications over current generation 45nm Core 2's.

It's bigger, but it's native quad core, so it only needs one chip rather than 2 per CPU. It also has the memory controller onboard, so that should be good for speed (it was one reason why A64s pwned P4s).

This oddball motherboard could end up being mine...

http://www.fudzilla.com/images/stories/ ... xtreme.jpg

It's the DDR3 version of the Rampage Formula, and it couldn't look more different!

It has manual hand-tweaking of voltage (really... necessary?) and it also has passive cooling around the memory power regulators. This is good because I'll be investing in DDR3, and I had a bad experience with my RAM in the last system (I'm never buying Corsair again).

Heh, Asus mobos are always good, what chipset is that?

And what bad experience did you have with Corsair RAM?

That's an X48 chipset.

The bad experience with the Corsair RAM was that it would not POST at >1000MHz 5-5-5-15 at 2.1V when it was rated at 1066MHz 5-5-5-15 at 2.1V. Basically I didn't get what I paid for. That and it did not overclock well at all. It was tested by OCUK but they couldn't find a fault - but then again they didn't have my motherboard, and that was replaced as it was faulty also, as was my power supply. I didn't have much luck with my last PC.

Hmm, yeah. Usually Corsair RAM is top quality.

There's an unofficial group called the ABC that I am a part of Anything But Corsair.
The impression I get from other people that have had problems with Corsair memory is that regardless of how many times they return memory for testing - they test as not faulty, and then they get faulty RAM back. Apparently they have poor support and poor overclockability. OCZ seem to be better these days, and more enthusiast friendly.

Interesting, I might have to reconsider what I get for my summer build (if it happens).

Loads of new pictures of the upcoming Rampage Extreme are here: http://www.xfastest.com/viewthread.php?tid=11417

This motherboard might be a part of the next system.

Oh very nice.

BTW, I've just noticed, you've chosen the 7series cooler, IE their flower model. From what I've read in reviews, I don't think they are fantastic performers, don't you mean the 9500?

No, I would prefer the 7 series over the 9 series for their superior motherboard cooling.
An air cooler is only temporary anyway, it doesn't matter what type it is, as long as it cools the motherboard, because in my pay packet the month after I'll be getting a custom watercooling kit.

nice rig, dont understand some of the cooling stuff though :O
look at this comp its massive!

http://www.biohazardcomputers.us/store. ... how_detail

Oh, I see, didn't think you'd had a 7 before.

Yeah I used the same one in my girlfriend's computer