Ultimate Gamer PC Build [April 09]
Amos Ngai on Friday, April 3, 2009 at 11:13AM This week, GamerWok looks into the Ultimate Gamer build. While many of us are not privy to huge sums of dollars in these economic hard times, there are still gamers that are able to afford the best of the best. Or perhaps there are those who are willing to take out a loan. Whatever means you use to obtain the money, this month's Ultimate Gamer PC can do it all. Gaming, rendering, encoding, productivity... this machine will chew it up and spit it back out. Jack Bauer style.
System: Ultimate Gamer
Maximum Budget: None
Component changes for this month
- Memory
Generally known as the cream of the crop, the Corsair Dominator DDR3 RAM modules are insanely fast. They also feature excellent overclocking potential and heatspreaders that dissipate the heat efficiently. But the main reason why I prefer Corsair products is their excellent customer service (having dealt with them myself).
- Storage
Four OCZ Vertex SSD drives will cost you $3600 CDN but you get what you pay. Incredibly fast, these drives are one of the best SSDs you can buy at the moment. In RAID 0+1 configuration, the performance is unbeatable by traditional platter drives. As a side note, the Intel X25-M SSDs are currently the king of performance and compatibility but features a whopping 80 GB of storage space. If you can live with such paltry storage space, I recommend the Intel over the OCZ.
- Sound Card
The X-Fi hardware technology itself is solid but the drivers from Creative are not. So what are the alternatives? Luckily, Auzentech has an official license to make audio cards based on the X-Fi chip. The Forte features solid software (and sans the bloatware that plagues Creative's offerings), excellent sound quality and the latest EAX revision (5.0). Another great feature with the Forte is the integrated headphone amplifier. Coupled with a high-end set of cans, the audio quality is fantastic.
- Optical Drive
For non-HTPC uses, the use of a Blu-ray drive isn't a necessity but it's nice to have for the days where you can watch a movie when your TV isn't free. The ability to burn 50 GB dual-layer BD-R discs is a great way to backup music, video and photos to store off-site. Although it is anecdotal evidence, I haven't had a Pioneer drive fail on me yet.
- Power Supply
To couple the case with a PSU, the Enermax Revolution85+ 1050W is chosen to supply the juice to the components. Voltage regulation is good and can supply power up to quad GPU solutions. Modular cabling with this PSU allows the user to minimize airflow restrictions. With 85% efficiency, this power unit is currently one of the most efficient in the market.
Components that remain unchanged from last month
- Processor
At the heart of the computer is the best desktop processor one can buy. The Core i7 series generally overclock very well and with the unlocked multiplier on the 965, it offers more headroom for the overclock geek who is looking to achieve the maximum overclock. For those who aren't overclocking, this is the fastest desktop CPU at stock speed. For those who are overclocking, keep in mind that the stock heatsink that comes with the processor is adequate at stock frequency. More elaborate or exotic cooling solutions are recommended for overclocking which this build will not cover.
- Motherboard
Gigabyte motherboards are very popular among computer enthusiasts. High quality construction with high end components is especially important in achieving a stable gaming rig and it becomes even more relevant when one starts to overclock. Receiving fairly high marks, the GA-EX58 series truly delivers. This build uses the Extreme board which is the top of the line model that features cooling solutions not found on the lesser models in the series.
- Video Card
Which to choose? 4-way SLI or 3-way SLI? Results are a mixed bag but ultimately the 3-way SLI solution is chosen for this build. To simply put it, the drivers for quad-SLI just aren't there yet. In some instances, you end up with worse performance than 3-way SLI. In both Far Cry 2 and Left 4 Dead, the quad solution trailed roughly by 15 frames. The disparity isn't nearly as large for games where 4-way SLI leads in performance. Until Nvidia further optimizes the drivers, I cannot recommend going with a 4 GPU solution. For whatever reason if you dislike Nvidia, another alternative is two Radeon HD 4870 X2s in quad Crossfire configuration. Performance is about on-par with the 3-way SLI GTX285 configuration.
- Display
For the monitor, we have the 30" Ultrasharp LCD panel. Featuring an S-IPS panel, the color spectral capability and contrast is unmatched by any other 30" panel on the market. Connectivity options are plentiful: Dual-DVI, Component, Composite, HDMI and Displayport. This monitor will impress the professionals that require the color accuracy while still being able to play the latest games at a sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution with decent response time.
- Case
Silverstone made an interesting choice with the Raven. By rotating the motherboard 90 degrees to the right, cooling performance is done by vertical air movement - or chimney effect - rather than horizontal. Hot air rises so it makes sense from a physics point of view. Idle temperatures is about average but load temperature is where the case shines.
Please keep in mind that the parts I choose may differ from what you would pick. That’s what makes PC building so fun! Everyone is entitled to their decision and this subjectivity is why two computers built among computer enthusiasts is rarely the same. Moreover, these builds may aid those unfamiliar with the latest in computer technology. During your research, you may find something else you prefer or a part that’s even better. If you do, let us know in the comments!
Ultimate Gamer
Enthusiast Gamer
Mainstream Gamer
Home Theater
Reader Comments (6)
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