May 31st, 2007
The "money no object" desktop PC
The other day I took on the challenge of putting together a spec for a budget $500 PC. The result was a 2.0GHz dual core system with 1GB or RAM and a 160GB hard drive. Not a bad system I’m sure you’ll agree, and you have the advantage over a cheap OEM system because you know what every component you stuck into the system is.
That was a $500 system. What happens if you raise the bar and made it a no-limits system? What kind of custom desktop rig can you own if you’ve no limits on the amount of cash you’re going to throw at it?
Rules of the game
OK, some ground rules. First rule, there are no rules. Second rule, well, I’m going to limit my purchasing to what I can find at Newegg. Why? No reason other than the site is pretty comprehensive and easy to navigate – and no, before you ask, they don’t send me money if you decide to buy the components for your “money no object” PC from them!
Let the spending begin!
Note: All prices correct as of 5/30/07.
CPU - Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz
When I was drawing up the spec for the $500 rig I started by choosing a motherboard that had it all (video/audio/network support). This time I’m going to start with the CPU and work from there.
I went for the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz. This is a monster quad-core CPU. Backing up the 2.66GHz cores is 2 x 4MB L2 cache. This processor just screams for multi-threaded apps to be thrown at it. And if 2.66GHz isn’t enough for your needs then you can easily overclock this CPU to 3.2GHz.
Some people will wonder why I didn’t choose the faster X6800. The reason is simple. You can overclock the QX6700 so that it’s as fast as, if not faster, than the X6800, but you can’t add two extra cores to the X6800.
Price - $968.00
Next –>
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Subscribe to Hardware 2.0 via Email alerts or RSS.
| 05/31/07
