Insane Desktop Computers

[SSgtHam]

http://www.jetlinesystems.com/desktops.html

Absolutely insane.  Try customizing your own system.  My dream machine came out to around $6600.  Looks like it would work great on Aces High.  Now I just need $7000...

Wouldn't it be significantly cheaper, if you knew what you were doing, to build something similar in performance to those?  Realistically, I know that's some serious performance, but come on.  That's expensive.

[Cobra516]

I can run FSX at completely max detail - 1600x1200, very high settings on everything (extremely dense autogen/scenery), etc, FSAA, anisotropic filtering, etc. and even with complex add-on aircraft it's butter smooth for the most part, even over large cities.   

I've got a EVGA 780i SLI FTW mobo, Q9550 (quad core) clocked to 3.83 ghz (FSB @ 1800 mhz), 4 gigs of OCZ DDR2 RAM, an EVGA GTX 280 SSC overclocked a good bit, and a 1000W KingWin power supply. 

Can build it now for about $1,400 in parts.  It's a monster.  The addition of another GTX 280 would make it even more powerful, but I really don't need another one, it runs everything I throw at it just fine.

[SSgtHam]

I can run FSX at completely max detail - 1600x1200, very high settings on everything (extremely dense autogen/scenery), etc, FSAA, anisotropic filtering, etc. and even with complex add-on aircraft it's butter smooth for the most part, even over large cities.   

I've got a EVGA 780i SLI FTW mobo, Q9550 (quad core) clocked to 3.83 ghz (FSB @ 1800 mhz), 4 gigs of OCZ DDR2 RAM, an EVGA GTX 280 SSC overclocked a good bit, and a 1000W KingWin power supply. 

Can build it now for about $1,400 in parts.  It's a monster.  The addition of another GTX 280 would make it even more powerful, but I really don't need another one, it runs everything I throw at it just fine.

So what makes theirs so expensive?  Just the fact that they can charge you extra money for putting it together, or for making it look fancy, or what?

P.S. - If I had any, I'd be giving you money to build me a computer...right now I have an HP Pavilion a1514n (with Windows XP Media Centre Edition) with 3.1 GHz single core, 1.5 GB of DDR2 RAM, and an ATi Radeon X1650 Pro at 512MB.  Except for the graphics card and a GB of RAM, i've done nothing to the computer.  Good for what I need, but I'd rather have something that can run FSX at high graphics settings with traffic, not without like I have it.

[Cobra516]

Heh, this was my first ever PC build, and it was surprisingly easy to get it together and running - there really isn't much to it.  If problems arose I probably wouldn't be able to troubleshoot as good as someone that's more experienced with building them.

I'm not sure exactly what makes them so expensive, other than it's just the absolute newest in parts - which most games really can't take advantage of yet - that and the name, and the fact that they build if for you, still seems pretty damn expensive.

I run FSX at ~20% traffic levels for airplanes, boats, cars - so maybe that's when the super duper new CPU's really shine.  I haven't tried ramping my traffic up to very high levels, I'll go give it a shot and see what happens.

I noticed the biggest improvement in performance when I overclocked the CPU from 2.83 to 3.83 ghz with a few simple changes in the BIOS and slight voltage bumps here and there.  I used to get a fair amount of micro-stutters while looking around with my TrackIR when flying over congested areas or a lot of trees, after I overclocked it made them nearly non existant - I was impressed, it really illustrated to me how CPU intensive FSX is.

I had a pretty old PC before this build that I completed in August of '08.  It was a P4 3.06 ghz, 1024 PC 3200 RAM, some generic BioStar motherboard and a ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256mb card.  With the new system it was really something to crank up the graphics on various games and have the FPS pegged at my monitor refresh rate of 75.     

[Gaidin]

What makes them expensive is the markup they put on parts, the fact they build it for you, and that they can charge that.  I build custom machines on the side, as do others on this board.  The machine I am running on is about 5grand for a comparable machine from Dell.  I spent less than 2grand to build it.  Systems are not hard to build, you just need to know what components work together.  That is where most builders mess up.  They don't research the products and you end up with pieces that don't play well together or that are just not put together well.  Research is the key.

[skullman]

I want to build one but where is the best place to find the info to make sure everything is compatible

[DREDIOCK]

     You can build the exact same system yourself for alot less
   From Newegg minus the case and operating system . but you have almost $3,000 left to buy those with.
somehow I dont think you will be spending $3,000 on a case LOL

    Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

    Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
    Item #: N82E16822136322
    Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy

    Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)

        Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

            The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info22-136-322.0.18)

                * 1 year: $34.99
                * 2 year: $59.99

   
    $30.00 Mail-in Rebate    

    $229.99

   
   

    PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

    PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
    Item #: N82E16817703020
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

   -$50.00 Instant
-$49.99 Saving
    $40.00 Mail-in Rebate    

    $599.99
    $500.00

   1    

    Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

    Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
    Item #: N82E16822136098
    Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy

      

    $49.99

   
   

    CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D

    CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D - Retail
    Item #: N82E16820145224
    Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

   -$15.00 Instant
   

    $428.00
    $398.00
    ($199.00 each)

   
   

    EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

    EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
    Item #: N82E16813188039
    Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

    Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)

        Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan

            The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info13-188-039.0.18)

                * 1 year: $34.99
                * 2 year: $59.99

      

    $299.99

   
   

    Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 Nehalem 3.2GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601965

    Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 Nehalem 3.2GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601965 - Retail
    Item #: N82E16819115200
    Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

    Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)

        Service Net PC Peripheral Extended Warranty Plan

            Products are serviced via authorized repair facility or at your home or place of business if applicable. All shipping charges are covered(more info19-115-200.0.20)

                * 1 year: $69.99
                * 2 year: $89.99
                * 3 year: $129.99

   -$10.00 Instant
-$14.99 Saving
   

    $1,009.99
    $985.00

   1    

    Intel Gift

    Intel Gift - Retail
    Item #: N82E16800995068
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

      

    $14.99

      

    EVGA 01G-P3-1280-AR GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
    Nvidia Gift

    *

          EVGA 01G-P3-1280-AR GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
          Item #: N82E16814130365
          Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

    *

          Nvidia Gift - OEM
          Item #: N82E16800999088
          Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

   -$100.00 Instant
-$49.99 Combo
    $20.00 Mail-in Rebate    

    $969.96
    $669.98
    ($334.99 each)

Subtotal:    $3,147.94
What's this?Tax:    $222.15
Grand Total:     $3,395.69

[Reschke]

If you took your time and shopped it all around individually I bet you could come in under $2k with something that worked just as good as their top end system.

[Gaidin]

Skullman: Best way is to use places like NewEgg and tigerdirect that have customer ratings.  You can see the problems/advantages that others have had.  Pick the MB and CPU first, check the manufacturers sites of those and see what they recommend for those boards.  

Drediock: yes you can build those same systems for alot less.  you can build them even cheaper if you have a tax exempt number.

NewEgg has some of the best prices.  I can (with my tax id number) get some of it cheaper, but neweggs prices are very close to wholesale already.

[Gaidin]

If you took your time and shopped it all around individually I bet you could come in under $2k with something that worked just as good as their top end system.

I havent checked it part by part, but I am sure you could get really close to 2k.  There are alot of ways that you could save on that too.  Do you need the bad looking case with water cooling?  No, you don't.  You could save about $200 bucks just on that.  Also, you can find package deals on MB/CPU combos and CPU/Ram combos. 

Just have to shop.  When I am asked to build a system, I find out what the person wants to do with it, then it takes me about 2 days of shopping around before I give the person a price.  I find the best deals I can get.  I don't markup parts.  I very rarely make anything but labor off of a system.  Shoot, a couple of systems ago, I built it for trade.  I built the system, the person baught my X52 system.

Take time and do the research, find the deals, read the reviews, and you can build a great system fairly cheaply.

[CAP1]

http://www.jetlinesystems.com/desktops.html

Absolutely insane.  Try customizing your own system.  My dream machine came out to around $6600.  Looks like it would work great on Aces High.  Now I just need $7000...

Wouldn't it be significantly cheaper, if you knew what you were doing, to build something similar in performance to those?  Realistically, I know that's some serious performance, but come on.  That's expensive.

talk to tildeath.

[DREDIOCK]

Ohh. forgot to add soundcard and cpu cooler

Still doesnt add upto 6 grand LOL

[DREDIOCK]

Skullman: Best way is to use places like NewEgg and tigerdirect that have customer ratings.  You can see the problems/advantages that others have had.  Pick the MB and CPU first, check the manufacturers sites of those and see what they recommend for those boards.  

Drediock: yes you can build those same systems for alot less.  you can build them even cheaper if you have a tax exempt number.

NewEgg has some of the best prices.  I can (with my tax id number) get some of it cheaper, but neweggs prices are very close to wholesale already.

I cut and pasted those numbers directly from the newegg shopping cart.
Now I just have to remember to remove them before I buy it by mistake.
At which point the next big story you will be reading about is about the wife who hacked her husband into little pieces and buried him with this computer in a shallow grave in the backyard LOL

[DREDIOCK]

Ok just went through all the customizations  to the machine at that site to match exactly what I priced out from Newegg minus the OS and Case on the newegg prices

No monitor, joystick soundcard, media card reader, DVD burner/player.

$5,261.00 at that site
not including sales tax

Not everyone it tax exempt

This just gives you an idea as to how much you can save on a screamer building it yourself.
And if you've ever built a model as a kid. you can build it yourself

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Plus you can save even more money by getting a cheaper CPU and using the liquid cooling to overclock it. EE processor is overpriced for what it is.