Here is a chance to show us how smart you really are...

You have an Intel i7 Extreme processor. 3.33GHz clock.

What would you build around it to make the system of your dreams and why?

Case, PSU, motherboard, hard drive, video card, memory strips, etc.
Linking URLs appreciated.

CPU of course:
Intel® Core? i7-975 Processor Extreme Edition (8M Cache, 3.33 GHz, 6.40 GT/s Intel® QPI) with SPEC Code(s) SLBEQ

Motherboard:
EVGA | Products

GPU(S): Two in CrossfireX
Graphic Cards - ATI Radeon HD 5000 - ATI Radeon? HD 5870

RAM:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 - Desktop Memory

HDD: 1 SSD for OS/Programs + 1 HDD for Data
- Newegg.com - Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2XXX 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Solid State Disks
- Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

PSU:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

CASE: Can't choose >.<
- Newegg.com - Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
- Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
- Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER COSMOS S RC-1100-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
- Newegg.com - SILVERSTONE SST-TJ07-B Black 4.0mm ~ 8.0mm uni-body aluminum outer frame, 2.0mm aluminum body ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases

Hey, I can dream...

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840, dust filters, slide-out motherboard tray, three 23cm, 700rpm fans, space for a second PSU or water-cooling reservoir up top.

Motherboard: MSI Eclipse SLI, features support for dual and tri-SLI cards, CrossFire X and a built-in X-Fi chip so there’s no need to authenticate your drivers. And unlike Intel’s DX58SO, MSI stacks the main SATA ports so you can actually use the ports when huge graphics cards are installed.

PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 910, consistently one of the best rated power supplies you can buy.

Cooling (Air): Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme, a slimmer version of its predecessor and includes one 12cm clip-on fan. Despite its seemingly large size, it doesn’t stand in the way of crucial components, isn’t the newest air-cooler out there, but none beat it's performance.

Memory: Patriot Viper 6GB (3 X 2GB) DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Model
#PVT36G2000LLK, my own preference as have had good success using Patriot in the past.

HDD (OS & Storage): Patriot Torqx PFZ128GS25SSDR 2.5 128GB SATA II SSD, faster than the X25-M in both read and write times and a MTBF that's double (plus and extra 48GB) it's worth the extra $100.00

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB, with read and write speeds approaching the WD Velociraptor (without the price) it's an easy choice...however Seagates rep hasn't been all that lately so I'd have to include the WD Caviar Black 2TB, four platter design, two processors, 64MB of cache, and a dual-stage actuator system that puts a fine-tuned piezoelectric actuator head at the end of the standard magnetic actuator, enabling fine-tuned tracking for speedy seek times.

Videocard: Tough choice... As a known quantity I'd say Nvidia GTX-295 but the new ATI Radeon HD 5870 looks pretty amazing, with 2.15 billion transistors and 1600 stream processors, the 5870 sports more than twice as much power as ATI’s last-generation card, while actually drawing significantly less idle power (27W) than the HD 4890. Topping off this boost in raw horsepower is full hardware support for DirectX 11, including Shader Model 5.0 and hardware tessellation...Wow

Optical(s): Samsung SH-S223, fastest DVD burner you can get with 3rd party firmware update, plus it's dirt cheap.
Pioneer BDR-2203, fastest Blu-ray burner out there now...however being replaced by BDR-205, a 12X BD-R model

Most of these items were looked up at Newegg for availability. Tests/reviews were from various sources and on some items it's just personal preference.

Case: Ultimately depends on what your goals are and there have been some excellent suggestions.

I'm working on my fifth Coolermaster Centurion 534 as it's a well made case for an affordable price and meets my main requirement in that it uses only 120mm fans with 3 locations for them.

Motherboard: DFI LP UT-X58-T3eH8 Pricey perhaps but all the options you'd ever need and quality to match. You did say "dream machine". I have one of these and feel it was worth every penny.

PSU:Zalman ZM850-HP Some personal bias I admit but if you want rock solid and quiet too then this is the way to go. I run a number of these and you can hardly hear them due to their incorporating heat pipe cooling technology into the design which negates the need for a fan running at warp speed. I appreciate my quiet.

I agree with this assessment by moparfan.

Memory: OCZ Gold PC3-16000 My choice because I've had better success with OCZ than other brands and the motherboard can make use of these. I'm actually using OCZ Reaper PC3-15000 because I'm a fan of heatpipe cooling technology but those seem to be getting hard to find for some reason.

Agree with moparfan here too.

Agree with moparfan here as well.

moparfan right again though as a GPU cruncher I'd be more apt to go with NVidia as there are more projects geared toward them right now but that is changing.

Works for me.



*Borrowed some of the suggestions from moparfan as I am in agreement with them. Good post moparfan.

This is the memory I really like and I just grabbed another set... NEW OCZ REAPER HPC 6GB 1866MHZ KIT DDR3 PC3-15000 RAM on eBay.ca (item 290342858299 end time 21-Nov-09 19:27:22 EST)

Thanks for the props LoneWolf...appreciate it. Although this is a "Dream Build" I would probably go with a Core I7-860 Lynnfield (LGA1156) CPU with a Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 MB (6 dimm slots) and Crucial Ballistix Tracer 6GB (3x2) DDR3 1333 (timing 7-7-7-24) in a Cooler Master Storm Sniper case with the previously mentioned parts to build a unit "today". Although the Core I7 Bloomfield socket is "the man" right now using these parts I'd get 90-95% of the performance at a much more practical price. The only downside is when Core I9/Gulftown (hexacore) comes out next year your out of luck as it's supposed to be LGA1366 compatible.

P.S.......Go Canadiens!!!!!!Habs Rule!!!!!