I need help lotsa help...
I know what I want but I don't know if its good...
AMD Athlon64 x2 6000+
Ati is what i like but it's not the most powerful...
8800 Ultra
or
MSI HD3870 OC Edition...x2 crossfire ftw?
Umm, any configurations that you peoples can post in the range of $2000
Would be really helpful...
I have gone threw everything I think reviews and benchmarks and none of it makes any sense to me..
All I think I got is the 8800 ultra is better.
The con is that it supposedly looks like a brick and is longer than one
that true by the way? HD3870's are red and pretty
Again any help at all is welcome Please Just no intel...

Best grunt for your $ would be - in my opinion....

Q6600 {quad core Intel}

P35 Chipset Motherboard

2 x HDD's in Raid 0

2 x 1Gb DDR800 or better

8800GT

Case of your choice

You should get a fair bit of change from your $2000

what's wrong with intel !!!!!

intel beats the CRAP out of AMD right now. if you did your homework, you would know that already. if you go to tom's hardware and check their CPU list, you'd be able to tell what the better buy would be. with a budget like that, go with intel unless you want your rig to be underpowered.

here's a setup that would kick unholy @$$.

ASUS 18x dvd drive
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135159[/url]

lian li case with lots of 120mm fans built in
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112144[/url]

raptor 150gig hard drive 10,000 rpm
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136011[/url]

corsair XMS2 ram 2x 1 gig
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145177[/url]

ASUS Striker Extreme
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131074[/url]

Q6600 kentsfield
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017[/url]

8800Ultra 768mb
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130090[/url]

Enermax liberty 620watt psu
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194004[/url]

arctic silver 5 compound
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007[/url]

total:
$1936.92

buy it and put it together. you won't regret it.

Yea that is one nasty machine link has listed there. I cant really think of anything I would change on that.

there is flexibility in any design. you just take away from one area a little bit until you have the extra cash you need, and you pour it into another area, and make sure you don't upset the level of performance you're looking for.

for instance, you could instead go with the 8800 GT and upgrade the processor MASSIVELY. or instead of buying 1 8800ultra, buy like...3 8800gt cards, and put it in a three way sli on one of nvidia's latest motherboards.

there's plenty of stuff to be changed depending on where the performance is to be allocated. BUT, this is a well balanced design, and as atk spade has agreed, i wouldn't change a thing.

This setup will kick anythings "@$$"
Hmm i'll think about it!
I'm one of those I love AMD , I hate Intel
kinda people so, ya...
Same with ati and nvidia
but the Ultra just seems to perform better
than HD3870 x2 so
I was willing to switch sides
but getting a whole intel machine is Treason !
Serious though I double checked everything and more and I was puzzled. intel is better, for the moment anyway...
And anyone, would that setup be good with a Core2 quad Q6700
or even Core 2 Extreme QX6850? I gots a bit of change to spare

I have always used AMD and ATI for previous builds for myself and others but my most recent gaming PC was built using a Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 and Nvidia 8800 Ultra. I didn't so much "hate" Intel but merely favored AMD. For a top end rig Intel and Nvidia are on top at the moment so I went with them. I will likely continue to use AMD and ATI for lesser powered PCs where they remain competitive.

If you want to get either of those processors, they'll work fine with the rest of the components. As long as you're going high dollar, maybe change the DVD-ROM drive to a DVD burner and/or add a second DVD burner so you can copy disk to disk more easily.

Thankies and I was thinking of adding 2 LG DVD-R/RW's instead of the asus

Just curious but have you decided what operating system you want to install?

Win XP Pro 64 bit. Might install vista as a second OS just to say i have it

what will you be using such high end system for? : D

The usual Movies, Music, Games...
Messing around really, I want a system with enough power to last me at least 10 minutes in this ever evolving Technology era...
This system needs to last me a year and a half maybe a little more so
I'm reaching for the top shelf..
But not the very top, I'd have to sell a Kidney to go their..

Okay that's not true BUT $6000ish is a little much for something that is likely to be obsolete in 12 months, if not 6 *(Based on Random Expensive brandname computers)*

i'll tell you this much right now. i was almost exactly the same way. AMD and ATI fanboi. still am to a great degree. i'm rooting for the underdogs.

i want to see them put out a part that will beat the snot out of anything NVidia or Intel has to offer. i really do.

but nvidia and intel are so far ahead of them both right now that its just...somewhat hopeless for a while to come.

as much as i hate to admit it, intel is far better quality. they get the same performance from a chip with lower gigahertz speeds than AMD would get. that CPU chart says it all better than i could ever express it.

the setup i'm building will have an intel e6750 core 2 duo in it. originally i wanted the AMD 6000+. but i was promptly scolded by my father (he used to work for IBM. he designs and programs microchips). basically he was spouting intel out of every orifice and told me to redesign around one of those chips instead.

i begrudgingly agreed, but i can see why at the least. the same went for ATI. as soon as i read some benchmarks from nvidia's chips versus ATI's, it was clear who i should go with.

perhaps when AMD and ATI come out with parts that are...well...better, i may consider building another computer around their stuff.

but for right now, since i want to go from this piece of crap 8 year old dell to a dream machine, i know that if i want it to perform, it will have to have intel and nvidia in it. /cry

seeing as this is YOUR build, you can do whatever you like with it. i can only recommend. hope your build goes well

I wouldn't go with the Striker Extreme. The P5E is a much more sound investment. Also, the 8800GTS 512MB is a better buy, since it's a newer G92 chip. Lastly, the Enermax PSU is overkill for your system. The cheaper Corsair 550VX will do perfectly, having 41A on a single +12V rail.

Thanks Peoples! Got ideas running threw my head now..
Still amd/ati brainwashed but the dark side is more appealing now!
And link Hope your build goes well too!
*Ducks head* Crossfire with a pair of HD3870's looks really yummy

that would be pretty darn yummy indeed. you can take solace in the fact that the 3870 beat the 8800gt in 3dmark by a longshot.

unfortunately that's the ONLY place it beat the other cards, but hey. it doesn't do too badly.

enjoy

I've just been browsing google and i found horror stories about the striker extreme and 4gb (4x1GB)...
Any other thoughts on a decent mobo?
I had a look at the P5E but its not Pretty >.<
I'm going with Q6700 and 8800 Ultra btw

you're going to find horror stories about every motherboard on the market except for THE MOST EXPENSIVE ones. because those HAVE to be good. and even THOSE have a few horror stories.

the only thing you can do is trust that you'll get it and it works fine....thats the sad reality with motherboards these days. its such a crap shoot.

Crap *crosses fingers and toes*

What do you define as pretty? If you mean good-looking, why is that important over the actual motherboard specs?