FIRST JW COMPETETION: PRIZES TO BE WON !!!

[deth]

dont even get me started w/ my dell....used it for a year..chucked it and bilt my own...customer service is shit, and so is the build quality

[666fast]

Ok, I'll give this a go. I'm not a computer expert, but hopefully I won't miss anything thats needed.
If possible, all prices will include VAT


Intel Pentium 4, 3.2 Ghz, with HT technology extreme edition CPU
Designed specifically for those who know their technology and crave high performance, this processor runs at 3.20 GHz with an advanced 800 MHz system bus and a whopping 2MB of L3 cache. Built-in Hyper-Threading Technology (HT Technology)† provides immediate value in today's computing environment by enabling the processor to simultaneously execute two software program threads. This lets you run two software applications in parallel without sacrificing performance.

Price is 734.38 GBP
Alpha Pal Intel Pentium 4 socket CPU cooler
At a substantial 78.5x90x42 this is Alpha's most impressive heatsink by far. Due to the sheer size of this heatsink Alpha have wisely opted for the same motherboard mounting bolts as Alpha PAL8045 (Socket A) - which now makes this the best cooler available for socket 478 solutions.
Price: 36.43 GBP
Thermaltake Smartcase fan II with Coolmod
This intelligent case fan has a built-in temperature sensor which attaches to your CPU heatsink and controls fan speed between 1300 RPM and 4800 RPM. It features a constant blue LED with an additional red LED that lights when your Hard Disk Drive is being accessed for the ultimate in colourful effects.

- Fan speed 1300 RPM at 20°C, 4800 RPM at 55°C
- 20.55 CFM at 1300 RPM, 75.7 CFM at 4800 RPM
- 17 dB at 1300 RPM, 48 dB at 4800 RPM
- Dimensions 80x80x25 mm
Price 9.99 GBP

Abit AC7-MAX3 "canterwood" Motherboard
The IC7-MAX3 is equipped with features never even conceived for a desktop motherboard. For users who require MAXimum security and storage, the ABIT MAX3 features 6 channel serial ATA RAID with the Silicon Image 4-port serial ATA RAID controller plus native 2 channel support, as well as ABIT's latest ABIT Engineered™ feature: Secure IDE™. But what is most exciting about MAX3 is that it features the most advanced cooling technology ever seen before on a motherboard - OTES. In the interests of cooling and performance, OTES has been redesigned to cool the hottest part of a motherboard: the PWM power regulation mosfets and capacitors.

- OTES Cooling Technology
- 6 Channel Serial ATA RAID
- Enhanced 800MHz FSB
- Dual DDR Module Support
- Intel PRO/1000 CT Desktop Connection Gigabit LAN
- Serial ATA 150MB/s data transfer rate
- Secure IDE™
- 6-Channel Audio and S/PDIF In/Out interface
- USB 2.0 Support & IEEE 1394 Firewire
- ABIT SoftMenu™ Overclocking
Price: 157.74 GBP

OCZ 1GB (2x512) PC4200 Dual Channel Performance Series DDR
OCZ Performance Series PC-4200 Dual Channel optimized kits memory using state of the art ULN technology are capable of achieving outrageous speeds of up to 533 MHz at CL3.0*. In addition we have optimized the design to take advantage of the increased bandwidth of Dual Channel DDR platforms. Each module is hand tested and matched across a variety of motherboards to insure flawless performance on any motherboard. Our copper heat spreaders maximize cooling and extend the life of the module while increasing performance.
Price: 280.83 GBP

Samsung SD-616QBB DVD ROM black
The Samsung SD-616QBB is capable of 16X DVD read and 48X CD read. Supported Discs - DVD-R/RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM/XA, CD-ROM, Video-CD, CD-I, Photo CD, CD-Extra, CD-TEXT. Note - this is an OEM bare drive supplied without software.

- Average Access Time DVD : 90ms, CD : 90ms
- Buffer Memory 512KB
- Dimensions (WxHxD mm) 148.2 x 42 x 184
Can be region free for another 5 GBP
Price: 22.80 GBP

Teac DV-W50D (re-badged Pioneer) DVD-CD burner
TEAC’s new DVD±RW DVD-Recordable drive takes DVD writing to a new level by burning at twice the speed of competitors’ drives. It writes at 4X speed to DVD+R and DVD-R, rewrites at 2.4X speed to DVD+RW and 2X speed to DVD-RW media and plays DVD movies at 12X speed. The drive is also capable of recording to CD-R media at 16X speed, rewriting to CD-RW media at 10X speed, combined with a higher read speed for CDs at 32X speed maximum. Black colour

- Records to DVD+R Media at 4X
- Records to DVD+RW Media at 2.4X
- Records to DVD-R Media at 4X
- Records to DVD-RW Media at 2X
- Records to CD-R Media at 16X
- Rewrites to CD-RW Media at 10X
- 32X Max. CD-ROM Performance
- 12X Max. DVD Playback Performance
Price: 93.71 GBP

Coolermaster Aerogate 2 fan controller
The dynamic Aerogate II thermal controller gives you monitoring capability of 4 different important component temperatures. In addition, users can control all 4 corresponding fans at the same time. The large LED backlight display and the custom-designed 7-color dial give ultimate viewing pleasure. With the Aerogate II, thermal control can be accomplished with the touch of your finger.

- Each temperature sensor corresponds to its own fan
- 7 -color dial rotation setting or choice of setting in one single color
- Support 4 fans (max. output 18W each)
- Simultaneous monitoring of all 4 fan speeds (RPM) and their components' temperature
- All connections are not required to be fully operational
- Reduced energy consumption and fan noise for quiet work environment
- Designed for DIY applications, can also be used for RAID towers, servers and industrial PCs

Price: 38.19

Akasa Hard Disc Cooler -yellow or blue
This hard drive cooler from Akasa screws to the botthom of your hard drive and will help reduce temperatures by circulating air over the hard disk.

Price: 5.88

Sparkle FSP400-60PFN 400W ATX Power Supply
Sparkle Power have an enviable reputation as one of the leading manufacturers of premium quality power supplies. This high quality 400W unit has 6 4-pin power connectors
Price: 64.63 GBP

Coolermaster Centurion - Black Case
The Coolermaster Centurion is aimed for the end user who demands stylish looks from a case, good expansion ability, easy access, high quality and excellent value for money.

- Special high gloss alloy front panel
- 4 x 5.25" Drive Bays (external) 6 x 3.5" Drive Bays (2 x external, 4 x internal)
- 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x Firewire IEEE1394 port
- Microphone input port
- Headphone output port
- 2 x 80mm fan positions (1 x front intake, 1 x back panel)
- Dimension: 425 x 198 x 472 mm (L x W x H)
- Light weight 6.8kg
Price: 49.94 GBP

M Audio Revolution 7.1 PCI sound card
Revolution 7.1 is the ultimate audio upgrade for your PCI-based computer. Play DVDs and all your music in surround sound, make games more realistic, and record or mix your own music. 7.1 surround sound output and high-definition 24-bit/192kHz fidelity insure that you’ll experience it all the way that it was meant to sound. Designed by M-Audio — one of the biggest names in the pro music industry — Revolution 7.1 packs all this advanced technology into a small PCI card that’s a breeze to install and use.

- PCI solution for high-quality surround sound up to 7.1
- Supports DTS output and Dolby Digital 5.1/EX (6.1 DVD) decoding
- High-resolution audio output up to 24-bit/192kHz
- True professional 24-bit/96kHz recording
- Incredible 107dB signal-to-noise ration
- Real-time stereo-to-surround conversion
- SRS CircleSurround II technology delivers virtual surround for stereo sources
- Simple control panel for Bass Management and other features
- Supports all popular media players including Windows Media 9
- Includes comprehensive software bundle

Price: 72.79 GBP

Altec Lansing 5100 Enhanced 5.1 SPeaker System
Whether you're watching movies, playing games or listening to music on your PC, you demand big sound. Two- and three-speaker systems just don't cut it. The Altec Lansing 5100 was designed for audio fanatics like you. This highly stylized, six-speaker system features five sets of 1" neodymium drivers for thrilling highs. A dynamic center speaker makes you feel like you're part of the on-screen dialogue. Plus, the subwoofer cranks out deep, rumbling bass that makes action movies and gaming truly intense.

- Front Speakers: 7 Watts/channel @ 4 ohms
- Rear Speakers: 7 Watts/channel @ 4 ohms
- Center Speaker: 22 Watts @ 4 ohms
- Subwoofer: 23 Watts @ 4 ohms
- Frequency Response 32 Hz - 20 kHz (-10 dB)
- Signal to Noise Ratio > 70 dB
- Cast Alloy Stands
Price: 110.92 GBP

Adaptec 2400A RAID5 IDE Controller
The Adaptec ATA RAID 2400A card is a microprocessor-based RAID solution for PC server environments employing ATA hard drives. The Adaptec ATA RAID 2400A supports up to 4 drives, with transfer rates up to 100 MByte/sec per channel over 4 channels - providing advanced RAID functionality at an affordable price. It is the ideal solution for those who want increased server capacity and performance. It offers state-of-the-art manageability features through Adaptec's Storage Manager ProTM software.

Featuring :
» i960RS onboard processor = relieves strain from your CPU
» Up to 128 MB memory support
» 4-channel support up to 4 drives
» RAID 0, 1, 0/1, 5, JBOD
» Advanced GUI
» Online capacity expansion
» Hot swap, hot spare
Price: 270.19

Western Digital Caviar 250GB Special Edition 8MB Cache
WD Caviar SE SATA hard drives are available in capacities of 120, 160, 200 and 250 GB and feature 8 MB cache buffer, 7,200 RPM, SecureConnect, FlexPower and three-year warranty. Data throughput is 150 MB/second over the SATA interface. The performance roadmap for SATA extends up to 600 MB/second, ensuring a reliable standard for storage providers and customers in the years ahead.

Price 198.58 GBP each
( 1 terrabyte would be 4 of these right?) So that would be 794.32

Hercules 3D Prophet 9800SE All-in-Wodner 128MB DDR
With the Hercules 3D Prophet 9800SE AIW card you can transform your PC into the ultimate entainment centre. The card features the 9800SE GPU with 128MB DDR memory which provides stunning visuals and high performance to play all the latest and most demanding games. Then you have the AIW features such as stereo TV Tuner with digital VCR, upto 125 channels, integrated teletext and timeshifting functions. It also has the ability to capture and edit video (Video Capture in MPEG-2 format at up to 25fps in 720 X 576 (PAL) without image quality loss). DVD decoder so you can playback DVD's with exceptional quality and performance. Supplied with remote wonder control which allows you to control your entire PC without having to be in front of your computer.

- ATI Radeon 9800SE GPU (380MHz Core)
- 128MB DDR 340MHz (680 DDR) Memory
- 256-bit memory interface
- 4 Rendering pipe lines
- DVI-I Output, TV-Out, Composite video & stereo audio output, S-Video Output
- Composite video & stereo audio input, S-Video input
- Radio frequency wireless remote control
- Stereo TV tuner (PAL B/G/D/K/I and SECAM L/D/K)
- THRUVIEW™ for translucent TV, DVD and video file viewing
- THEATER 200™ video encoder and stereo processor

Price: 161.56 GBP

Hercules ProphetView 920 Pro a7" LCD Monitor
The 17" Hercules ProphetView 920 Pro TFT monitor is a stylish new design featuring a black finish with a titanium (silver finish) stand. It has a superfast 20ms response time making it ideal for gaming and DVD playback and uses Digital on-screen controls. Weighing just 6 kilos it has a tilting stand and can be wall or arm mounted.

- 20ms response time
- 1280 x 1024 maximum resolution
- 0.26 dot pitch
- 430:1 contrast ratio
- Brightness:250cd/m²
- 17" viewable area
- 3 year manufacturers warranty
Price: 311.32 GBP each
3 screens = 933.96

Total cost is 3236.04
you would still need an operating system of course, Windows XP is like 100 GBP
Everything could be bought from overclockers.co.uk
hopefully I didn't miss anythign that you need, I've never built a PC.

I know you don't want an Apple, but check this out.
Make sure to read this first:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....2.1.2.0.0.1.0
Keeping it in Jabbas price range, you could have:
Dual 2Ghz PowerPC G5
2GB DDR400 SDRAM (PC3200) - you can have up to 8GB!!!
500GB Hard drive- can be expanded further with external hard drives.
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
Two Cinema HD Displays (each display is 23" )
Airport Extreme Card (Based on a new high-speed wireless technology called 802.11g, it enables you to achieve data rates nearly 5 times faster than the original AirPort)
DVD-R, CD-RW drive
Fibre Channel Card
Keyboard and mouse
OS X Installed
OS X Server software installed
Final Cut Express installed
Logitec THX certified 5.1 speakers with Monster cable
Airport Extreme Bas Station
Basically you'd have a badass superfast computer.
All for a total of $11,231,95, thats about 6800 Pounds
Fully loaded I think it's about $15,000

[666fast]

BTW, the little Alien smilie things weren't supposed to be there, I'm not sure how I managed that! LOL

[DeMoN]

Originally Posted by Jabba Originally Posted by SFDMALEX Jabba dont you want to build your own system? Thats what I would do. You can build an overkill system for much less money compared to alienware etc... Yes thats exactly correct.... self build machines have always run allot better for me than name PC's and I think building it yourself is half the fun...especially cutting your hands to pieces and blood pouring out everywhere as your working inside the case.....still at least you really get to know your machine this way.... 8) 8) 8)

yeah this is great up until the day you accidentally break a chip from your 400$ vid card by trying to push it holding the wrong part

[maalox]

Originally Posted by Jabba Originally Posted by SFDMALEX Jabba dont you want to build your own system? Thats what I would do. You can build an overkill system for much less money compared to alienware etc... Yes thats exactly correct.... self build machines have always run allot better for me than name PC's and I think building it yourself is half the fun...especially cutting your hands to pieces and blood pouring out everywhere as your working inside the case.....still at least you really get to know your machine this way.... 8) 8) 8)

I didn't realize you were that much of a purist! Even I--and I'd consider myself quite the computer geek--didn't bother assembling my last pc, only because of the headaches of having no warranty after my power supply freaked out and took out mobo + cpu+ harddrive on the last computer I built .

I have to admit it's the best way to go to get *exactly* what you want. Although with today's premium cases you shouldn't be getting any bloody knuckles!

Money no object specs:

Supermicro X5DA8 - dual processor P4 board / 533 MHz bus / up to 8 gigs RAM / SCSI 320 controller (Iwill DPI533-SATA a good substitute if you have difficulty tracking that down)

2 x Intel P4 3.2 GHz Hyperthreading (alternatively 2 x 3 GHz Xeons--1 MB cache onboard and likely ultimately faster)

2 GB ECC RAM - A luxury, but lots of room to play with

Matrox Parhelia 256 MB - ultimate 2D performance, triple head output

Creative Audigy2 - best of the regular sound boards available; easy to find

3Com 3C996B-T - Gigabit ethernet for max throughput (10/100 compatible as well)

Fujitsu MAS3735NP Ultra320 SCSI - 73.5 GB of 15,000 rpm madness! Maximum speed for OS / scratch drive

2 x Western Digital WD2500JB 250GB - fast, reliable, quiet; could go for a SCSI solution (e.g. Maxtor Atlas 10k rpm), but more pricey and not much of a payoff in speed

Plextor PX-708A - DVD +- RW, fast for a combo drive (8 x DVD-R) and maximum compatability, Plextor quality

DVD drive - second drive for cd to cd copy; could also get a cd-rw for faster cd burning, for max quality go Plextor, Liteon is a nice cheapy substitute

Lian-Li PC-76 - reasonable looking full size aluminum case with excellent cooling (swap the included fans with 6 x Panaflo 80mm L1A if you want it quiet)

Rounded cables for max cooling

2 x Zalman CNPS6500A-Cu heatsink/fan combo for maximum peace and quiet (heavy mofos though, also stock coolers aren't that bad in my experience)

Aluminum faceplates for stealth modding (so people can't see your drives unless open)

Antec Truepower 500W - powerful, reliable, reasonably quiet (get a dual fan model)

2 x Dell 2000FP 20" - max bang for the buck, amazing quality (top quality OEM supplies Dell's panels)

Sony G520 - A CRT (?!!); if you're really serious about video encoding, this is a pro quality monitor with proper colour profiling etc. in popular packages such as Adobe InDesign and Photoshop; I used one at my summer job at a publishing firm and it was pimp--absolutely amazing contrast and colour reproduction; 19 inches; (also better for gaming then LCDs if you do ever want to play one); alternatively throw in another Dell 2000FP

Logitech MX700 - awesome wireless mouse

Keyboard - whatever you prefer feel-wise



This came up as around $11,000CAD so is well within your price range. As for the availability of parts, I cannot be sure--likely the dualie mobo is the only thing that will be really hard to come by (Zalman stuff too maybe, although I remember there's a big quiet pc firm in Europe whose name currently eludes me).

Another option to consider is a dual Opteron system, as 64 bit performance will likely crush even dual P4s when it comes to the really heavy stuff. The Tyan Thunder K8W - S2885ANRF - 2P is the only half decent mobo I've heard of supporting the new processors. Sadly like the processors themselves it is likely in short supply. It also has the curious shortcoming of only having USB 1.1 onboard, although that could easily be remedied with a $10 USB 2.0 card. Really the dualie opteron boards are probably not yet mature and can't necessarily be trusted. You'll also need a 64 bit version of WinXP.

[AlienDB7]

Part 1 of the spec (Part 2 coming soon with the case, psu and other minor things)

CPU: 2 x Opteron 246
Even without a 64bit OS, it's still one of the fastest CPU around. When a proper 64bit OS comes out together with opteron optimized encoder, the performance is expected to increase dramatically. The price is more attractive than the comparable P4 EE too.
(about $800-1000 each)

RAM: 4 x Corsair CMX512RE-3200LL ECC/Registered DDR-400 (2G total)
Pretty much one of the best quality ram you can get. The Mobo supports upto 8G but 2G should be enough for the near future.
($150 each)

Mobo: Tyan Tiger K8W (Dual 940-pin)
http://tyan.com/products/html/tigerk8w_spec.html
Onboard Gigabit lan, firewire and USB 2.0/1.1. Tyan makes some of the best server (stable) boards so stability shouldn't be a problem. The performance is very good as well.
($200-300)

ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro + HDTV Component Video Adapter
http://www.ati.com/products/radeon98...pro/index.html
http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/index.html
ATI's radeon 9800 pro chip is one of the best in terms of 2D and mpeg decoding quality. With the AIW9800Pro, you can use the hardware mpeg2 encoding to encode videos to mpeg2 directly. There's also realtime video filtering to remove noise and artifacts for more efficient video capturing. The 2D performance is pretty good too, which is essential for a large desktop
($400)

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1
http://www.audiotrak.net/prodigy71.htm
24bit 192kHz 7.1 soundcard. Uses the same Envy24HT chip as the popular Revolution 7.1. However, as a bonus, you get both spdif line-in and out. Good for capturing audio at the highest quality possible. If you don't need 7.1, you can get an Envy24 based card like Terrac 6fire which has slightly higher quality line-in, although most people can't tell the difference. In terms of accuracy, both envy24 and envyHT based cards are superior to gamers card like Audigy2.
($100)

Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB SATA (10,000RPM)
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=65
A high performance "enterprise" 10,000rpm drive, quick access and reasonably quiet. Unfortunately, the 74GB version is the largest available today. Should be used as the primary drive.
($300)

2 x Western Digital Caviar WD2500JD 250GB SATA
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=59
Another high performance "consumer" drive from WD. It's one of the fastest one around.
($300 each)

Samsung LCD 21.3" 211MP
http://www.samsung.com/za/products/m...ital/211mp.asp
A wide screen 21.3" LCD with 1920x1200 and optional tv tuner. You can mount it on the wall or ceiling if desk space is a problem. There's a 24" model as well, 241MP.
($2500)

As a second monitor, you can probably go with a stylish one like the 17" Porsche LCD.

So far, $6800 without case/optical drives and other peripherals. The final system should be within your budget 0X

[Anile8er]

jabba do u want ur computer built for u or do u want to build it urself cause if u want to build it urself u can get way more fore cheaper i also know where to get a tach for ur computer?

another thing is (coming from a custom builder) is to wait for the dual 64bit mother boards. most licky ul have to wait till feb to get them but its worth the wait since if u get a 32 bit now ul miss out on 64 bit windows and appz and gamez that are coming out.

?

[Anile8er]

also i can tell u stuff is crap or not, so if ur intrested in any of the setup ppl have sugested or that u have found just ask me to look at it and il tell u whats good and bad , + / - . same goes for any hardware and stuff

[blah]

If you want the best PC you can buy you cant go wrong with Voodoo PC. And it looks like they ship to europe. www.voodoopc.com

[graywolf624]

Still working on video screens:

Here we go. Available from alienware. If I had the money this is what Id buy: http://www.alienware.com/Configurato...de=SKU-EXTREME

Price without display in US dollars: 7255 before rebates.

System:
Enermax EG651P-VE 24P 550 Watt Power Supply
Dual Intel® Xeon Processors 3.06GHz 533MHz FSB w/ 512KB Cache
Supermicro X5DAL-TG2 - Intel E7505 Chipset Motherboard
Memory: 3GB DDR PC-2100 SDRAM Registered ECC - 2 x 1024MB Module + 2 x 512MB Module
HD1: 500GB Western Digital Caviar SE Serial ATA RAID 0 Array
HD2: 500GB Western Digital Caviar SE Serial ATA RAID 0 Array
Drive 1: Samsung 52x24x52x16x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive - Black
Drive 2: Samsung 52x24x52x16x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive - Black
Video: NVIDIA Quadro® FX 3000 256MB 8x AGP w/Dual DVI
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 - 6.1
Integrated Intel Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
Winxp

200 dollar mail in rebate available.
Comes with some pretty slick digital editing software options as well.

[SilverandColdS4]

Hey blah I already mentioned Voodo PC. No need for repeats.

[Jabba]

Thanks for all your information...it will be as hard to choose a winner as it will be to choose the best system...but I am starting to get through it all now 8) 8) 8)

[graywolf624]

Here is the monitor to complete the system. Total US dollars: 7255+2899=10154
I am old fashion but 42" plasma screen 16x 9 aspect capable PC resolutions up to 1280 x 1024.

Cost 2899 available here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&Sku=S224-2000
Has direct digital input.

If you insist you need a projector they also have digital projectors:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...c.asp?CatId=23
Sony 2000 Lumen is nice and would bring total to 12000 USD.

*drooling at the system I came up with.

[Anile8er]

dont get plasma or projector there not build for computer

http://www.go-l.com/monitors/grand_c...pecs/index.htm

those are the best bet for multi monitors and quality since they are built for it

[Anile8er]

also if u dont care about big bulky monitors they are 3x better then lcds they produce better everything