$18,000 what to buy

[iwantone]

:redface: hey everyone i just reached my goal of $18,000 in my bank now i need to know what to buy there is so much stuff out there im looking at the AMD Athlon 64 cpu's, corsair ram the more the better two vidoe cards so the mobo would most likely need to support dual pci express 4 sata hard drives i think my mind is set on the WD Raptor 10,000 rpm 150 gig hdd but if you know better ket me know as far as sound goes i would like a 7.1 channel card..... in other words what you build with 18 grand ? i do belive i want 4 21" plasmas but any suggestings are welcome thank you all very much 8)

- Nick:D

[The Modfather]

4 21" plasmas? Ok, that'll maybe be enough money. :)

[iwantone]

thats true but in the meantime im sure ill make it with my 4 lcd's...... J/K i wish i only have one. what i really want is a fast machine that will scare Bill gates and Make Tux SH*t himself lol :D

[xmastree]

http://www.sgi.fr/homepage/FY06/A4000/altix4000_111405.jpg (http://www.sgi.com/products/servers/altix/4000/)

[The Modfather]

It all depends on what you plan to use the rig for really. Do you want to build your own modded rig or are you looking to buy an expensive botique machine like a Voodoo, Alienware, etc?

[Omega]

****, 18k?


Make MaximumPC's Dream machines **** themselves, buddy.


=]

[Sudi]

flaunt your money and get all the girls. ;)

[p9l28a]

Wow 18 grand!

[public_eyesore]

wait for the new cpu's coming out like in june-september. Or if you cant, dual or quad (i think there is a motherboard or two that do that) dual core opterons. All harddrives should have 16mb chache. Quad sli. Enermax 1000 watt psu. X-fi sound card. All water cooled, maybe two or three loops. Massive servercase like a lian lee or cm stacker or silverstone. Laser mouse. 3 dell ultrasharp wide aspects. Also one of those new agiea ppu cards. Thats all i can think of know, but if you want an exact list of everything just ask, but only if your serious about buying this stuff, cause i dont want to waste my time.

[Rankenphile]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but do not dump $18k on a computer unless you absolutely need a top-of-the-line system for a business reason, such as very high end rendering/animation/CAD worksystems or a server system. There is no reason to dump that much cash on a home system if it's just to play around with and make the neighbors jealous. You can build a top-of-the-line gaming rig for $5k to $6k tops that is perfectly capable of running every game on the market right now and be able to run just about anything else you can throw at it more than reasonably fast.


Yeah. I was right. I can't believe I just said that.

[The Modfather]

I know exactly how you feel Ranken... I was gonna say the same thing but my fingers got all tangled up and I couldn't do it. :)

[Cevinzol]

Rankenfile has it right. Don't blow 18k on a comp. They depreciate way too fast. 3k should get you a good system. 5k should be your max. You'll approach a point of diminishing returns where you'll be shelling out way too much for teeny tiny boosts in performance. Save the rest at interest to bankroll your next upgrade. If you plan to sink money into a part, make it the monitor(s) their life cycle is much longer than anything else.

[rpster]

For 18K you could probably buy enough of those DDR2 to SATA cards and replace all your hard drives with the ultimate speed of ram. take that startup times.

[nil8]

Buy a 3k system, a plasma tv, and a high class escort for a couple of hours. Invest the rest.

Take you and your gf or a friend out for a nice dinner too. Other than that, make that money make money for you.

[RangerDanger]

How bought a 2006 Spyder Eclpise =]...opps 24 grtand and up ok rig......umm wait until the 8000 series of video cards come out....SLI those

[iwantone]

yeah i figured that i would only spend 4-7 grand on the actual rig, and no i dont an alienware or any other "prebuilt/designed" rig i wan this to be my own creation.... Public_eyesore i would love a list if you could not going to promise ill use it all but im sure it will give me good start, i actually picked up '4' NEC MultiSync LCD2170NX-bk from new egg for about 750 apiece after tax and shipping i spent near 3.5 grand just under actually but i cant wait to get them i want 4 so i can run different applications on each screen or use it as 1 big one i think ill do pci express cards though .... **** i gtg before i miss class.......

[Durrthock]

do something radical... crazy radical im talking 4 processors 4 video cards or get 4 computers top of the line and hook them together and get like 4 20.1 in wide screens

[xmastree]

http://www.cray.com/downloads/product_images/cray_xd1_chassis.jpg
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cray_XD1) You'll need to save a little more than 18k though... more like 100k.

[GT40_GearHead]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but do not dump $18k on a computer unless you absolutely need a top-of-the-line system for a business reason, such as very high end rendering/animation/CAD worksystems or a server system. There is no reason to dump that much cash on a home system if it's just to play around with and make the neighbors jealous. You can build a top-of-the-line gaming rig for $5k to $6k tops that is perfectly capable of running every game on the market right now and be able to run just about anything else you can throw at it more than reasonably fast.


Yeah. I was right. I can't believe I just said that.

I agee whit you, i know that hurt you, but youre right, one should not spend that money on a computer(you go buy a top of the line mobo or video board and 1 month later the next generation comes) go build a sand buggy o something

[nil8]

Let's all go in on that cray and cure cancer.

[Cevinzol]

You don't need a cray to cure cancer
If I wasn't doing SETI@home (http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/) I'd be doing
Folding@home (http://folding.stanford.edu/)

[nil8]

I have never heard of the folding study. I'm going to tell this to my department tomorrow and see if I can get them to load it.

[The Modfather]

I've been doing folding@home on 5 machines for several years now, I'm up to 780wu's. I'm working with the MaximumPC Folding@home team. # 231 on the team list. (That's out of 5000 people and groups on the MPC team). Yes, definately, join the folding@home project!

Currently [H]ardOCP is in the lead of team folding, with 3867031 Work Units, MPC is in the #6 position with 1070984 WU's. We're both way ahead of big corporations like Hewlett Packard (#50). So it just goes to show, Power Users and modders do more to help than big corporations. :)

Oh, hey, I just discovered, I'm the #1 folder with the word "Infinity" in their name. :) haha

[xmastree]

I'm running it on one linux box and about twenty windows boxes. Trouble is, the Windows client can't handle the computers being shut down every night, so they start over again in the morning. :(

Only the linux box works correctly.

[The Modfather]

Why shut them down? I never turn my machine's off. I turn off the monitors but I let 'em keep folding all night. It's when they get the most work done.

[xmastree]

Because we close the place up at night, and turn everything off. Even without turning them off, they crash often enough to reset the folding. United devices (http://www.grid.org/home.htm) never had that problem...

[nil8]

Run the console version, not the graphical one. It seems to be working a lot better.

What is hardOCP's group #?

[xmastree]

I've been running it as a service, so there's no graphics anyway. Maybe I'll try the console, see if it works any better.

[The Modfather]

Team [H]ardOCP is #33
Team MaximumPC is #11108

Positions 1 and 6 respecitvly.

[nil8]

I found the hardfolding website and I'm amazed at some of those peoples folding farms.

I've installed it on 2 pc's at my home, and 3 pc's at work.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Here in Australia we have got a gaming mag called PC Powerplay. PCPP has an updated best of the best PC every month and I think the one this issue only costs $16 000. I'll get the specs to you as soon as possiable. It's got a Athlon FX-60, 2 TB HDD, 2 KW power Crossfire. Man it's got everything. I'll get the specs to you soon.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Here it is:

CPU:
AMD Athlon FX-60 $1,585

Mobo:
DFI Lanparty UT RDX200 CF-DR ATI CrossFire $289

Ram:
2GB OCZ DDR PC4000 500MHz Platinum EB $459

Power:
2x Turbo-Cool 850 SSI 1KW $1,590

Cooling:
Swiftech H20-Apex Extreme liguid cooling kit $395

Video:
2x His Radeon X1900XTX CrossFire edition $1,780

Sound:
Creative X-Fi Elite Pro $635

Speakers:
Creative Gigaworks S750 7.1 THX $650

Optical:
BenQ DW1655 Lightscribe DVD Burner $102
Lite-on SHM-165P6S Super AllWrite 16x DVD Burner $59

Storage:
8x Hitachi 500GB SATAII 16MB 7200rpm HDD's $3,992

Display:
30" Apple Cinema HD 14ms TFT LCD Monitor $ 3,999

Case:
CoolerMaster CM Stacker 830 Aluminium $300

Input:
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse and G15 Keyboard $171

TOTAL: $16,006

This is am awesome PC. Only a couple of problems, 1 how are u gonna fit 2 PSU's in that case and 2 where are you gonna fit all those HDD's lol.

Anyway enjoy and I hope this may help you make up your mind.

[nil8]

That's an insanely expensive, insanely useless server rig.
Waste of cash, waste of time.

[Rankenphile]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why do you need two 1KW PSUs?

[The Modfather]

Yeah and if money is really that loose, why not go with a Vapochill phase change cooling rig? A single PCPower&Cooling 1kw PSU would be plenty too and the Crossfire video isn't as impressive as Quad NVidia 7900 GTX's would be.
For the storage, I think you've gone in the wrong direction again.

I'd put in 4 WD Raptor 150, 10,000RPM drives in Raid0 and 4 500GB Caviars, that way you've got the speed end and the size end covered.

For the audio, why not the Faital1ty X-Fi card?

[d_stilgar]

I say for kicks buy one 3D LCD.

http://http://www.dti3d.com/content/view/30/1/
$3700

[CanaBalistic]

If i had that kind of money i would get a wicked computer and submerce it in non conductive cooling liquid and frankenstien a fridge freezer thing into it.

I say, spend the money on parst that dont go obsolet a few months after thier realese. Get the best cooling gear.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I just put down what was in the mag. I think i'ts pointless 2 have 2KW of power and I would hve gone withthe new raptors myself anyway. I like the screen though lol.

[blue73]

Spend 5k on a top rig and spend the rest takin' all of us out on the tank!! Job done:D

18k Jesus...

[The boy 4rm oz]

I agree blue73 lol.

[satan]

damn ppl, $18000 on a pc, comeon, ive spent just over the £1500 mark on mine and it does all the stuff i want it too, i couldnt dream of spending any more, some ppl just have more money than sence8)

[Durrthock]

Do something like this
http://gltron.sourceforge.net/images/tronwall.jpg
But get a nice keyboard

[niko7209]

woooooooooooooah dude thats awesome

[d_stilgar]

Keyboard:this (http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/)

[tybrenis]

Keyboard:this (http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/)

WOAH! I hadn't see that before, great link. Wow... are they selling those yet? I wonder what one would cost...

[Niox]

Buy a Scion, then mod the ever living hell out of it.

[OvRiDe]

WOAH! I hadn't see that before, great link. Wow... are they selling those yet? I wonder what one would cost...

See this post (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showpost.php?p=28539&postcount=20) by ModFather. I have been following that keyboard for a while and I must say that I agree with him. Its unfortunate because it would be uber cool!!

[tybrenis]

Aww, that is a shame indeed. Too bad, that would be quite cool. Does anyone have links to the REAL patent holder's site or something?

[Durrthock]

NVM Dam you post data

[Durrthock]

um he hasnt said anything since page 2

[bartvandenberg]

whats the point. in 3 weeks your 18000 will be worth 9000. and you wont have the best of the best anymore. so.... buy a couple grand worth, invest the rest in the stock market, cash out a bit every year, and buy a new one every year. always have a good comp but get a new one every year. and hopefully if all goes well, your stocks will only go up......:D

[Cevinzol]

buy a couple grand worth, invest the rest in the stock marketLol. Welcome to page 2 Bart :)

[d_stilgar]

Are you sure the optimus keyboard is fake?

[d_stilgar]

I'm not sure on the Optimus, but the Das Keyboard is available, so it isn't fake. The Optimus may be being pushed back cecause of copyright issues. We'll just have to see if the mini-3 is released in August.

[The Modfather]

I'm sure the Optimus is fake and I'm also sure that Das Keyboard is a scam and a ripoff. The Optimus will never see the light of day, it's a scam run by that guy to get pre-orders and take people's money and they can't do anything about it because he's in Russia. Das Keyboard is simply a $19 Keytronic E03600 keyboard...

I strongly urge anyone who doubts me to plug this into Google, simply cut & paste the following...

"Das Keyboard" +Keytronic

See for yourself. I didn't lie when I said I exposed this scam last year, if you want to blow $80 on a $19 keyboard that's your loss I guess and if you want to send $200 or more to Artemy Lebedev so he can further his scam, again, your loss.

[d_stilgar]

I didn't mean to say that spending $90 on that keyboard isn't a ripoff, but it does exist. As far as the optimus ever getting on market, you are the only person I've heard say that. Idk, you've made me skeptical, and at teh same time you are the only person I've heard say that the optimus is a lie. It does make sense though, there are no pics with anyone touching it or it on a desk or anything. Whatev, I'll just wait and see.

[Rankenphile]

That, plus the OLED international patent is held by an American company, making that keyboard in violation of patent law.

[The Modfather]

Exactly what I reported Ranken, that's just one of the problems with it, the other is that if it were a real keyboard it would be outrageously expensive, not the $200 or so that guy is suggesting for the price tag.

Further consider this, if you've been watching this supposed keyboard develop, you'd have seen the release dates go from early last year and jump a month or two at a time with various excuses up until now. If it were real it'd be out by now or at least we'd see a proof of concept or a demo of it or something but all we have ever seen are his 3D renders. There aren't even any actual photographs of the things he claims exist and are shipping right now, those include his 3 Key OLED device and the pointer mouse. Just renders.

I realize I'm the only one who is activly stating it's a fraud but that doesn't make it real. A lot of people are, for some reason, living in a dream world where they want this keyboard to be real so much that they won't admit to themselves that it's just not possible. Not for that price and not from that person.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/29/optimus-keyboard-trumped-by-the-display-keyboard/

http://digg.com/technology/Artemy_Lebedev_Opotimus_OLED_keyboard_already_in_U S_Patented_1998_

There are plenty of other mentions of the existing patents on OLED technology that would prevent him from doing this. But putting that aside even, most of the OLED uses are for things like cell phone displays and so forth, nobody has ever been bold enough to claim that they're putting over 100 OLED screens in a single device and charging around $200 for it. Considering the cost of each OLED display (cost now, that's his cost) would be around $30-40 each, is it any wonder I say it's a load of horse manure?

[xmastree]

Back to the original topic...

http://www.voodoopc.com/system/quotekitchen.aspx?productID=1090

Starts at $13,887.49 but if you select a few options, it can reach $23,000.

[zitwep10]

What I would think would be awesome and enough for your money:

Asus A8N-SLI Motherboard
AMD Athlon 4800+
Dual 7900 GTX 512 MB
4 GB RAM Corsair (2 GB is enough though)
Agea Physics Card (Kind of pointless but good to have, if you have money to throw away)
And all the rest like the HD and the PSU (650 Watts)

For $2000 I recently built my own PC:

AMD 4200+
7900 GTX 512 MB
2GB Corsair RAM
400 GB Western Digital HD
A8N-SLI Mobo
Thermaltake 500 watts PSU
And the rest which is the DVD drive, I think it's a lite on.
I think this computer is high end for 2000$, and if I had 1000$ more, I would buy an extra 7900GTX, maybe some RAM and that's it. But my PC blows any game away, and one 7900 is good enough, 2 would just be to showoff. So with 3500$ you can get a really top of the line PC, you just have to know where to buy the parts, for example, upon buying the 7900 GTX here in Switzerland, I went to one shop and it was like 700$, I went to another, it was 600$, so you see, you need to know where to buy the stuff also. But if you have money to throw away...

I would spend 3500 now an constantly upgrade and invest the rest, like my dad always says "money breeds it's own money".
Like someone said, if you have more money than sense, go to alienware and just get the most expensive and tick every check box!

[Canadian Eh?]

i'd go get the alienware aurora alx with quad sli video cards. and then i would get the babes ;)

[Cool1Net6]

$18,000? Buy a car...

-Cool-

[sylle]

spend a bit for a childgarden
or me

[DaveW]

spend a bit for a childgarden

A what now?

-Dave

[jestyyr]

would say, depending on your prefference, hold out for a conroe cpu, or AM2 FX cpu.
and either an Nvidia 590 or ATI whatever crossfire they do (both should be dual x16 pciE)
some nice low latency DDR2 at a decent speed.
running 2 or 4 raptors as your games/OS drives in raid 0 (awesome load times)
and one or two big shiny storage drives for data (this way your data outlives your formatting the games/OS drives)
video you could either buy a decent single card and hang out for Nvidia or ATIs Dx10 cards, or go BIG now.
PSUs are boring, more 12v amps on a reputable PSU is good.
I suspect you like modded cases so do that :P

[.jrauck]

Dude dont ****ing spend all ur money on a pc. I mean I love pcs because they keep me busy but I wouldnt spend 18 grand on one. Just spend a 4 - 6 k on the computer(wait until the new cpus come out) then maybe buy you a monitor/tv. The rest of the money invest. Put 2k in the bank every year roughly for 30 years and then check out the out come, you may have to wait to spend the money but it will be worth it. Do the math and find out how much you will get with intrest and such.