September 21
For a variety of reasons I'm buying my first gaming PC in a long, long time. I've been doing some research and I'm somewhat settled on what I want but I'm throwing it up here for some random feedback first. Here's an approximation of my criteria:
- Really good but not top-of-the-line
I want fast gear that'll do the trick for some time but I won't pay the price premium for the absolute latest-and-greatest.
- This will be going in my A/V rack in my living room
If you've been to my house you know that everything happens in that room. If I put it anywhere else in the house it'll sit idle. Therefore it'll be connected to my big screen and I'll be using a wireless keyboard and mouse. It doesn't have to be silent - the room also holds a DVR, laptops, dogs, and cats - but it can't be a screamer.
- There are brands I like and brands I don't
I've been using Asus since the early '90s they get the benefit of the doubt from me. There are many brands - which I won't name - that I won't ever buy. I prefer to pay for quality.
The List:
MB: Asus P5E3 Deluxe/Wi-Fi AP
I don't need the wi-fi functionality but I love this board otherwise.
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8600
Yes, I know that I could get a Quad w/ 1333FSB for the same price. I'm currently swayed by the much lower power draw (65W vs. 95W) but I still might get a Q9400 instead.
RAM: 4GB DDR3-1333
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB
I already have this so just tell me how great it is, please.
HD: WD Caviar Black 1TB
No need for RAID, everything important will be backed up on my WHS.
DVD: Lite-On Black SATA, 2MB Cache, Lightscribe, blahblahblah
Case: Silverstone GD01-B
PS: Enermax Pro82+
Thoughts, comments, questions?