New Computer: Details
So, my new computer specs are in, alongside the prices (shipping included). The prices may have changed from what they were originally (since this is technology after all), but nonetheless and without further ado, I present my new computer:
Case: Antec 900 Midtower Case
Description: Introducing the Antec 900 hardcore gaming case. Now you can own any noob ever spawned with this ultra-mean case in classic black finish. We know your gaming hardware produces a lot of heat, that’s why the case is built for maximum cool with a perforated front bezel, three 120mm fans with mounts for even more fans, and a monster top-mounted 200mm fan that’s right, we said 200mm! The versatile Nine Hundred is maximally customizable to fit your needs. The modular design lets you modify the placement of the front fans and hard drive cages. There’s even a tray on top for your mp3 player, digital camera, or that spare illudium Q-42 explosive space modulator that you have lying around. Be the envy of everyone at your next LAN party, impress your friends, and just generally show everyone that you are the ultimate master of all time with the Antec Nine Hundred!
Price: $96.91
Carrier: Techonweb
Extra Comments: Very nicely built case, very cool with huge fans circulating the airflow, nice cup holder. Gets very dusty, however.
Power Supply: Ultra XVS Modular 700W ATX Power Supply
Description: The XVS power supply combines durability and high-performance with quiet, dual 80mm cooling fans and Ultra’s patented modular interface.
Price: $96.93
Carrier: Buy.com
Extra Comments: Two fans, black, very powerful power supply (get the pun on that one). Comes with loads of power connectors for every type of connection.
Motherboard: GigaByte GA-N650SLI-DS4
Description: Designed for enthusiasts with extreme over-clocking and blistering gaming performance in mind, the GIGABYTE GA-N650SLI-DS4 features FSB1333 support for the record-setting Intel Core2 Extreme Quad Core processors and NVIDIA SLI-memory technology. Powered by the nForce 650i chipset, the GA-N650SLI-DS4 is SLI enabled with dual PCI Express x16 connectivity for extreme gaming performance. Built tough to provide maximum stability, durability and performance for even the most hard-core gamers, the GA-N650SLI-DS4 delivers several advanced GIGABYTE innovative feature – Safe, Smart, Speed, SLI and all-solid capacitor design.
Price: $131.48
Carrier: Club IT
Extra Comments: Very versatile motherboard, came with enough SATA and IDE cables for everything, pretty much compatible with all of my other hardware. Drivers work for 64 bit versions of Vista as well!
Processor Chip: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz per core
Description: This is an Intel Core 2 Quad processor with a frequency of 2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, and an 8MB cache. Leaders of the pack seeking monster performance, look no further. With four execution cores, the Intel Core 2 Quad processor blows through processor-intensive tasks in demanding multitasking environments and makes the most of highly threaded applications.
Price: $284.50
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: 64-bit support, and although not many applications have multi-threading/multitasking at this time, it will become more frequently used in the future. Still, runs really fast.
Video Card: eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS PCI x16 640MB
Description: The EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB PCI Express graphics card features the DirectX 10 GPU and a powerful unified architecture that delivers an incredibly true-to-life gaming experience. Power through games at record speeds and charge through game maps with vividly realistic, sun-up to sun-down HDR lighting effects while steering clear of mind-blowing physics effects such as explosions, fire, and smoke. Crank up 16x full-screen anti-aliasing without missing a beat – no jaggies, no worries.
Price: $379.99 ($349.99 after $30 rebate)
Carrier: Buy.com
Extra Comments: Nicely built card, very bulky, so its very hard to put two of them side by side (but I’m ok with that since I only plan on using one). May require additional power to be connected.
Memory (part 1): Corsair XMS2 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit
Description: The Twin2X2048-6400C4 is a 2048 MByte matched pair of DDR2 SDRAM DIMMs. This part delivers outstanding performance in the latest generation of dual-channel DDR2-based motherboards. It has been tested extensively in multiple DDR2 motherboards to ensure compatibility and performance at its rated speed. This memory has been verified to operate at 800MHz at the low latencies of 4-4-4-12. The Twin2X2048-6400C4 comes with Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), the open standard for performance module SPD’s jointly developed by Corsair and NVIDIA. EPP SPD’s on Corsair modules allow users to automatically configure EPP enabled motherboards with aggressive memory performance settings, for maximum memory and system performance.
Price: $107.00 ($67.00 after $40 rebate)
Carrier: ClubIT
Extra Comments: Great pair of memory sticks, works fine, good rebate deal. Lifetime warranty.
Memory (part 2): OCZ Technology 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit
Description: OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Revision 2 is the latest version of the Platinum DDR2-800 Series. The PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 has been re-engineered to turn out heart-pounding 4-4-4 timings with flawless performance and stability and offer lower latencies than standard 800MHz DDR2 memory. OCZ exclusively developed these modules for the extreme gamer and overclocker to give high-end DDR2 based systems that extra performance edge that is demanded by today’s hard core gamers and enthusiasts.The OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 utilizes OCZ heatspreader design. XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) Heatspreaders allow increased ventilation and heat dissipation due to the honeycomb design providing more direct access to the actual memory ICs. As part of the award winning OCZ Platinum DDR2 series, the PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 is built with leading edge technology designed and qualified with special selection of premium components to maximize performance in even the most demanding computing environments. OCZ PC2-6400 products are 100% hand-tested to ensure compliance with stringent quality standards. In addition, each member of the OCZ Platinum family is backed by an industry-leading lifetime warranty, toll-free technical support and the exclusive EVP (Extended Voltage Protection) coverage.With its ultra-fast performance, high quality and reliability, the OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Revision 2 edition is a perfect memory upgrade for the latest CPU arrivals.
Price: $99.90 ($69.90 after $30 rebate)
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Great pair of memory sticks, works fine, good rebate deal. Lifetime warranty.
Additional Network Card: Linksys WMP54G PCI Wireless Card
Description: The Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don’t have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you’re connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network. The Wireless-G PCI Card connects you with Wireless-G networks at an incredible 54Mbps! And for added versatility, it can also inter operate with all the 11Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hot spots around the country.
Price: $31.00
Carrier: eBay MarketPlace
Extra Comments: The one downside to this adapter is that it does not have any sort of Vista 64-bit driver out (there is a Ralink driver floating around on the internet somewhere that can be used instead, but only for the 4.0/4.1 version). Tin foil antenna is a great addition to this card to boost the signal.
Update: (09/10/07) I’ve located the 64 bit WMP54G driver that can be used under both Windows XP 64-bit and Windows Vista 64-bit (and it is the one I’m currently using for my computer). To install, go to your Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Locate your network device, and update the driver by pointing it to the enclosed files.
Hard Drive: WD Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive
Description: Designed for use in the fastest PCs on the market, including high-performance business computers, multimedia and gaming systems, the 500GB WD Caviar SE16 7200 RPM Hard Drive comes with a massive 16MB cache for lightening fast performance. Its cool operating temperature means longer service life and greater reliability. While its WhisperDrive and SoftSeek technologies minimized noise to levels barely perceptible to the human ear in home and business environments. The Caviar SE16 protects your important data in a number of ways. Its Data Lifeguard technology is an exclusive set of data protection features, including shock protection, an environmental protection system and real-time embedded error detection and repair. WD’s Data Lifeguard technology automatically finds, isolates, and repairs problems that may develop over the life of a hard drive.
Price: $107.90
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Fast hard drive, copying of files takes mere seconds.
Optical Drive: Sony AWG170S-B2 Dual Layer DVD±RW Writer
Description: This is an Internal SATA DVD+/-RW DL drive. It features write speeds of up to 48x for CD media and 18x for DVD media, as well as a fast SATA interface.
Price: $36.99
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Fast, uses SATA. Not much else to divulge.
Keyboard: Microsoft PS2/USB Digital Media Pro Keyboard
Description: The Digital Media Pro keyboard features a new zoom slider that allows you to zoom in and out of documents and pictures with ease. Other user friendly features include customizable My Favorites keys, Media Center, and hot keys which provide 1-touch access to commonly accessed media, programs and files. The enhanced F-key functionality enables you to perform common tasks, such as opening documents and replying to e-mail, with the touch of a button. You can also toggle between standard and enhanced F-key commands for even more flexibility. The Sleep and Log-Off features save energy and protect your data by putting your computer in sleep mode or logging off Windows with the press of a key.
Price: $19.24
Carrier: BuyPCDirect (PriceGrabber)
Extra Comments: The zoom feature of this keyboard is pretty much worthless. Otherwise, all of the buttons are programmable. Vista 64 bit drivers need to be downloaded via Microsoft.
Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0
I already had this mouse, bought it at Costco for $30 a few years ago. Very dependable and long lasting critter, it went through many tough times in my laptop bag and many FPS/RPG gaming sessions. Battery life is great.
Monitor: ViewSonic VG2230wm Black 22″ Widescreen LCD Monitor
Description: 22″ VG2230wm features widescreen and multimedia performance for enhanced productivity. With ERGONOMIC HEIGHT ADJUST and tilt, you’ll work comfortably for hours. The 360 degrees SWIVEL allows you to share your view with coworkers, and the widescreen aspect ratio allows you to view two documents side-by-side or work in two applications simultaneously. Graphics professionals and gamers will love the FAST 5MS VIDEO RESPONSE that delivers blur-free, full-motion video and crystal-clear graphics. OPTISYNC ANALOG AND DIGITAL INPUTS provide versatile connectivity options. The integrated amp and stereo speakers give you a complete multimedia experience and the attractive slim bezel is VESA wall mount-compliant so you can accent your office decor and make the most of valuable desktop space. The VG2230wm widescreen multimedia LCD delivers a complete visual display experience to your desktop.
Price: $306.99
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: A nice 1680×1050 resolution on a 22 inch panel that can be turned and twisted in many directions (no sideways tilt, however, which I don’t use anyhow). The only problems I saw with it were the stock colors were bright and changing them was a bit of a hassle with the buttons located in an interesting order, but after the learning curve it went and customized nicely. The blue LED on the front is not too bright, making it great for late night programming.
