Decent setup, Decent price? 64bit xp?

"Oh! I picked that shit! I'm uber" or something.

wai wai wai

i picked some of it

looks like a good setup if you ask me. Do consider choosing the 8800GT for now being that it costs about half of the GTX but performs about 90-95% as well as the GTX. Then in the future either through Evga step up or resale of that card, you can get a 9 series card.


Oh and as for 64 bit XP, I believe that it is still in the crapper as for part support and the such. I would stick to 32bit XP if I were you, only would say that Vista 64 is worth buying if you're looking for strictly 64.

i like that price of the tower...

IMHO - I would think really hard about spending this much on an ASUS GTX. If you absolutely have to buy today - I would choose the EVGA 8800 512 (G92) GTS. The performance is almost identical between the G92 GTS and G80 GTX (GTX is still ultimately better).

Why EVGA? "Step-Up".

There are new cards on the horizon (w/in 60 days). EVGA's step-up program allows you to exchange your current EVGA card for a newer card and only pay the difference. Step-up is available for 90-days from the original invoice date. The only downside to the program is no corss-shipping. They have to receive and inspect your trade-in card before shipping the new card. You can read details on Step-Up HERE

Today, the Q6600 G0 Stepping Kentsfield is the best "bang-for-the-Buck" processor on the market (my opinion folks, throw stones if you will). I am currently unable to see what site your shopping list is from due to my filter at work. I would look at www.clubit.com for the Q6600. They guarantee a G0 chip, for a very reasonable price.

Something else to keep in mind...The next-gen CPUs will begin to trickle into e-tail stores later this month (dual-core Penryn). The quad-core Penryn's will be out in Feb or March. Again - you can buy a cheaper dual-core CPU right now and upgrade in the next few months (unfortunately no trade-in there, but at least you'll have a spare). We can discuss this further if you wish.

Monitors...do you have to go with 24"? There some really nice 22" monitors available for alot less $$$.

Some other alternatives:

AS5 is good stuff. Tuniq TX2 is a bit better, at least in benchmarks.

The Zalman 9500 is good. The 9700LED is a bit better.

Again, these are only my recommendations.
Buck

I am partial to the Egg as well...it's hard to beat their RMA and shipping service.
I mentioned ClubIT just for the guaranteed G0 chip.

Their are tons of reviews out for the G92 GT and GTS cards. EVGA usually places in the top two in comparision tests, but ultimately win due to lifetime warranty and step-up program. I would link - but my internet filter at work bites.

Awesome choice on the card. I know there are faster cards out there, but EVGA's policies and customer support are hard to beat.

I really wish I was at home - I could link a few larger monitor options.

There are several folks using LCD TVs as either a primary or secondary monitor. Pretty wicked deals on 1080p's these days...

Hells yeah ^_^

You may have to settle for 720p though when it comes down to his build since $400 isn't enough to get him a 1080p tv.

Possibly the westinghouse he put there though is the best, being that he needs certain connectivity standards that are normally not on monitors.


In addition, I think you will be happy with the GPU you picked out, and with the eVGA step-up program I think you'll be happy.

Spend the extra bones and get the asus P5E motherboard that sports the newer x38 chipset.

The 8800gts 512 has already been proven to be as fast if not faster then the GTX and only a hair behind the ultra. Its also DX10 and PCI-e 2.0 ready.

I like this suggestion about the x38. I'm getting the P5E in my upcoming build and it looks to be a great board filled with features and reliability.

Some good suggestions in here for sure!!

I did not know that about the GT though I did hear it was a good performer, I had no idea it was 90-95% close. Wow.