I posted this on the Urban Terror Forums a while back under my alias there of InTheStreets. It has only been updated as of Novemb er, but I will get to updating it shortly. Just wanted it to be here too, along with a few other guides I posted there.
Now obviously price changes daily for these products and new technology is coming out all the time. These budget conscious selections will be priced from newegg, because they are probably the most popular here in the states, easy to link to, and usually the cheapest. These are my personal recommendations, although you can choose parts of the same likeness from different manufacturers if you normally stick to a certain brand. Cases are also interchangeable and for the most part, up to the eye of the builder. I have however added them as a filler, since they will most likely be taken into account when planning your budget. Builds do not reflect the addition of an OS.
Intel Platform
$500 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
Intel E5200 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116072Gigabyte GA-P31-S3G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128077Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4670 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814161249PC Power and Cooling 500w Crossfire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817703015Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with an 8600GT
$600 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
Intel E7200 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115052Gigabyte GA-P31-S3G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128077Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253PC Power and Cooling 500w Crossfire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817703015Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with a 9800GTX
$700 - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
Intel E8400 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115037Asus P5K Pro P35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131275Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253Corsair 550VX 550w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139004Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with a 9800GTX
$800 build - Can Overclock
Intel E8400 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115037Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Biostar Tpower I45 Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813138118Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253Corsair 550VX 550w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139004Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard with an EVGA 750i FTW / Video Card with a 9800GTX
$900 Build - Can Overclock
Intel E8400 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115037Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Biostar Tpower I45 Intel
P45http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc ... 6813138118Mushkin 2x2gb DDR2 800http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
Western Digital 640gb Dual Platter Sata
IIhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product ... 6822136218Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253Corsair 750TX 750w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139006Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard with an EVGA 750i FTW / Video Card with a 9800GTX
$1100 Build - Can Overclock
Intel E8500 Wolfdale Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115036Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004Asus P5Q-Deluxe Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131297Mushkin 2x2gb DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Western Digital 640gb Dual Platter Sata II X 2 in Raid 0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136218Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4870 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814161236Corsair 750TX 750w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139006Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard with an EVGA 780i / Video Card with a GTX 260
$1500+ Build - Can Overclock
Intel Q9550 Yorkfield Quad Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115041Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Asus Rampage Formula Intel
X48http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc ... 6813131284Mushkin 2x2gb DDR2 800http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
Western Digital 640gb Dual Platter Sata II X 2 in Raid 0http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4870 512mb X 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814161236Corsair 750TX 750w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139006Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard with an EVGA 790i / RAM with DDR3 / and Video Cards with 2 x GTX260's
Note: Will cost more and not perform as well
Unlimited Build - You'd Better Overclock / and be playing at 2560x1600
Intel Q9550 Yorkfield Quad Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115041Swiftech H20-220 Ultra Water Cooling Kit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835108076Asus Rampage Formula Intel
X48http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc ... 6813131284Mushkin 4x2gb DDR2 1000http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146755
Western Digital 300gb Velociraptor X 2 in Raid 0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136260Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228Asus Radeon HD 4870x2 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121269Silverstone 1200w
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.a ... 6817256028Silverstone TJ07 Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811163067For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard with an EVGA 790i / RAM with DDR3 / and Video Cards with 2 x GTX280's
AMD Platform
$500 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
AMD X2 5600+ Brisbane Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103771Gigabyte GA-MA770-S3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128327Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228HIS Radeon HD 4670 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814161249PC Power and Cooling 500w Crossfire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817703015Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with an 8600GT
$600 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
AMD Phenom 8750 Triple Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103252Gigabyte GA-MA770-S3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128327Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228Asus Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253PC Power and Cooling 500w Crossfire Ready
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817703015Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with a 9800GTX
$700 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION Quad Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103249DFI Lanparty DK 790FX-M2RS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813136044Wintec AMPX 2x1GB DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148262Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228Asus Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253Corsair 550VX 550w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139004Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Video Card with a 9800GTX
$900 Build - Add an aftermarket cooler to overclock
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION Quad Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103249Foxconn A79A-S 790FX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186149Mushkin 2x2gb DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820161030Western Digital 640gb Dual Platter Sata II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136218Lite On 20x DVD-burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827106228Asus Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814121253Corsair 750TX 750w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139006Coolermaster Elite 330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115For Nvidia: Substitute Motherboard for ASUS Crosshair II Formula 780a SLI / Video Card for 9800gtx
I'm not really going to go into the higher costing AMD builds simply because AMD's target demographic is the mid-range to low-end gamer. If you plan to spend more than $900, you really want to go the Intel route. Feel free to add suggestions or request some changes!
Intel Builds for when reusing your parts from previous setups
$500 Build - Can Overclock
Reusing your Case, Video Card, Sata HDD, Optical Drive, and 550w+ Power Supply
Intel e8500 Wolfdale Core 2 Duo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115036Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004Asus P5Q-E Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131296Mushkin Redlines 2x2gb DDR21000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146755This particular setup will overclock very nicely. The key points to note here are the e8500's multiplier of 9.5, the type of Motherboard and the speed of the RAM. The high multiplier will not require extreme Front Side Bus speeds to achieve the maximum overclock of the processor. Although the P5Q-E has been known to hit 520+ FSB. The P5Q-E's 8-phase power design provides greater power efficiency so important to operating temperatures, 96% power efficiency, high quality power components such as low RDS (on) MOSFETs for minimum switching loss. All of this adds up to lower vdroop, and more stable power draw for your C2D. 8-phase, however, is not recommended when pairing with Quad Core processors and wanting a maximum overclock. One downside, the 400 strapping on the P5Q-E does not work, hopefully a BIOS update in the future will fix this. The Mushkin Redlines at DDR2 1000 (500mhz) are an adequate choice and will not be the culprit of holding your overclock back. You can expect 4ghz+ with the e8500 E0 stepping, and 3.8ghz+ with the C1 stepping.
$650 Build - Can Overclock
Reusing your Case, Video Card, Sata HDD, Optical Drive, and 550w+ Power Supply
Intel e8600 Core 2 Duo - guaranteed E0 stepping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115054Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004Asus P5Q-Deluxe Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131297Mushkin Redlines 2x2gb DDR21000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146755This particular setup will overclock like a wet dream. The key points to note here are the e8600's multiplier of 10, the type of Motherboard and of course, the speed of the RAM. The high multiplier will not require extreme Front Side Bus speeds to achieve the maximum overclock of the processor, which I have seen hit 4.5ghz on air. The Deluxe version has a few differences from its little brother the -E, but two are major. A more extensive BIOS with greater tweaking options, and 16-phase power design for even greater efficiency (recommended for Quads). The Mushkin Redlines at DDR2 1000 (500mhz) are an adequate choice and will not be the culprit of holding your overclock back. You can expect 4-4.5ghz on air with the e8600. The Q9550 is also a powerhouse on this board. One downside is the 8.5 multiplier, requiring a higher FSB (470) to reach 4ghz, but that is never a guarantee. The average for these chips is 3.6-3.8ghz on air, as when approaching 4ghz, the 45nm quads really eat up the volts when just jumping those few hundred mhz over the average overclock. The E0 stepping of the Q9550 will give you a better chance of hitting 4ghz and 470FSB, but for the most part watercooling is necessary here.
$700 Build - Can Overclock
Reusing your Case, Video Card, Sata HDD, Optical Drive, and 550w+ Power Supply
Intel Q9550 Core 2 Quad
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115041Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004Asus P5Q-Deluxe Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131297Mushkin Redlines 2x2gb DDR2 1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146755The Q9550 is also a powerhouse on this board. One downside is the 8.5 multiplier, requiring a higher FSB (470) to reach 4ghz, but that is never a guarantee. The average for these chips is 3.6-3.8ghz on air, as when approaching 4ghz, the 45nm quads really eat up the volts when just jumping those few hundred mhz over the average overclock. The E0 stepping of the Q9550 will give you a better chance of hitting 4ghz and 470FSB, but for the most part watercooling is necessary here.
AMD Builds for when reusing your parts from previous setups
$550 Build - Can Overclock
Reusing your Case, Video Card, Sata HDD, Optical Drive, and 550w+ Power Supply
AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103291Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004DFI LP UT 790FX-M2R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813136041Mushkin Redlines 2x2gb DDR2 1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146755This particular setup is pretty damn good in terms of overclocking. With the 9950 Phenom BLACK EDITION you can expect to see 3ghz easy with minimal tweaking to the bios, and running at stock vcore in some occasions. Lowering the multiplier and ramping up the HT Reference Clock, the DFI 790FX-M2R can hit 255MHz+.
$650 Build - Can Overclock
Reusing your Case, Video Card, Sata HDD, Optical Drive, and 550w+ Power Supply
AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103291Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer Cpu Cooler (Tuniq Successor)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835207004ASUS Crosshair II Formula
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131292Mushkin Redlines 2x2gb DDR2 1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820146755The ASUS Crosshair II Formula is tri-SLI capable. When using three double-slotted GPU cards, you will not be able to add any expansion cards, other than the supplied audi card from ASUS. So, if you go for tri-SLI, the system would be primarily dedicated to gaming, which isn't a bad thing. The board is capable of an HT Reference Clock of 235MHz+ when not using the onboard graphics. This setup is really only practical when using two Video Cards in SLI, or if you plan to upgrade to a SLI setup in the future.
]Core i7 - 11/19/2008
CPU's
Intel Core i7 920 2.66ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115202Intel Core i7 940 2.93ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115201Intel Core i7 965 3.2ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115200Motherboards
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128362ASUS P6T Deluxe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131346GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128361ASUS Rampage II Extreme - $398
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131352DDR3, Crossfire, and SLI
I could go into 15 different combinations of setups for higher price ranges including DDR3, Crossfire, and SLI setups, but I won't for now. I will state a few things about the matter though. When considering DDR3 you should take a few factors into account; one is motherboard brand and model, another is the bloated price of DDR3 setups and the last is your budget. Right now Asus has four major boards that are top performers and support DDR3. The Striker II Extreme which is the nvidia 790i chipset. This board has reported frontside bus holes and is much more difficult to overclock, and isn't for the entry level overclocker or builder. I feel it is overpriced, at $399USD, and out of most people's price range. It supports tri-SLI, which I will address later, and has some nice features overall. Second is The Rampage Extreme which is Intel's X48 chipset, and is Asus' flagship board on this platform. Again, this board is a great performer and has seen FSB speeds of 500+, easy to overclock, extensive BIOS settings, but it is over priced at $389USD. The board does offers some decent features, but is it really worth it? That's up to the individual. Third is the P5E3 Premium which is also an X48 board. This board performs on par, and sometimes exceeds, the Rampage Extreme in terms of overclocking. It has the same BIOS as the Rampage Extreme minus a few features that aren't of huge concern and some impressive features. Finally, my dealers choice for Asus' DDR3 motherboards, is the P5Q3 Deluxe. This board comes in at a stellar $215USD price tag, is of the P45 chipset, offers 16-phase power design, exceptional cooling, and consistently hits 500+ FSB. It matches nearly every feature from the more expensive X48 and 790i DDR3 boards previously mentioned, and overclocks just as well.
When considering Crossfire, for maximum performance, you will want to run off the X48/X38 chipset. The X48 chipset offers true x16/x16 Crossfire mode as opposed to the P45 chipset at x8/x8 and the P35 at x16/x4. The increased bandwidth is worth the price of admission. Running a crossfire setup on the P45 or P35 chipsets will choke performance, although you still will see decent gains on the P45 chipset. Crossfire on a P35 board is really pointless, as the second card is only give x4 lines electrically. Crossfire scales well, except for in Crysis, and although you are paying double you do not see twice the performance when adding a second card. This is due to the 20% overhead (per card) caused by the 8b/10b encoding scheme, the inevitable CPU bottleneck caused by the cards raw bandwidth and the CPU inability to keep up.
SLI is Nvidia's answer to ATI's Crossfire, we all know that. SLI on some game engines, Crysis for example, scales better than its counterpart. The advantages and disadvantages of SLI are similar to that of Crossfire. Performance does not double when adding the second card. Again, with PCIe 2.0, it delivers 5 GT/s but employs the 8b/10b encoding scheme which takes 20% overhead on the overall raw bit rate. As well the CPU bottleneck caused by the cards raw bandwidth will also be a factor. TRI-SLI however, does not scale well in most engines, and is essentially only for benchmarking. For UrT, do we really need more than one card anyway? Nope, I have an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ with a 9800pro still running UrT smoothly.
Top CPU Picks - Desktop LGA775
Core 2 Extreme - Unlocked Multipliers
QX9770 - 3.20ghz 1600 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C1 Stepping 12 MB Cache
QX6850 - 3ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 8 MB Cache
QX9650 - 3ghz 1333 MHz 45 nm Bus Speed C0 Stepping 12 MB Cache
QX9650 - 3ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C1 Stepping 12 MB Cache
QX6800 - 2.93ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B3 Stepping 8 MB Cache
X6800 - 2.93ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache (dual core)
QX6800 - 2.93ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 8 MB Cache
QX6700 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B3 Stepping 8 MB Cache
Core 2 Quad
Q9650 - 3.0ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm E0 Stepping 12 MB Cache
Q9550 - 2.833ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm E0 Stepping 12 MB Cache (Best Buy for 12mb Quads, only $10 more than the 9450)
Q9550 - 2.833ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C1 Stepping 12 MB Cache
Q6700 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 8 MB Cache
Q9450 - 2.66ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C1 Stepping 12 MB Cache
Q9400 - 2.66ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm R0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
Q9300 - 2.50ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm M1 Stepping 6 MB Cache
Q6600 - 2.40ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 8 MB Cache (Best Bang for your Buck)
Q6600 - 2.40ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B3 Stepping 8 MB Cache
Q8200 - 2.33ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm R0 Stepping 4 MB Cache
Q8200 - 2.33ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm M1 Stepping 4 MB Cache
Core 2 Duo
E8600 - 3.33ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm E0 Stepping 6 MB Cache (Best Overclock, multiplier of 10)
E8500 - 3.16ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm E0 Stepping 6 MB Cache (Best High-end Bargain, $10 more than the 8400)
E8500 - 3.16ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
E8400 - 3ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
E6850 - 3ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E8400 - 3ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm E0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
E8300 - 2.83ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm C0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
E6750 - 2.66ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E6700 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E6700 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E7300 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed45 nm M0 Stepping 3 MB Cache
E7300 - 2.66ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed45 nm M0 Stepping 3 MB Cache
E8190 - 2.66ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed45 nm C0 Stepping 6 MB Cache
E8200 - 2.66ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed45 nm C0 Stepping 6 MB Cache (Best Bang for your buck, Overclocks to 3.6ghz-3.8ghz)
E4700 - 2.60ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E7200 - 2.53ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm M0 Stepping 3 MB Cache
E7200 - 2.53ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 45 nm M0 Stepping 3 MB Cache (Excellent Bargain for $119, Overclocks well 3.3-3.5 on avg.)
E4600 - 2.40ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm M0 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6600 - 2.40ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E6600 - 2.40ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E6550 - 2.33ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E6540 - 2.33ghz 1333 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm G0 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E4500 - 2.20ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm M0 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6400 - 2.13ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm L2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6400 - 2.13ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6420 - 2.13ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E4400 - 2.0ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm M0 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E4400 - 2.0ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm L2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6300 - 1.86ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6300 - 1.86ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm L2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
E6320 - 1.86ghz 1066 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm B2 Stepping 4 MB Cache
E4300 - 1.80ghz 800 MHz Bus Speed 65 nm L2 Stepping 2 MB Cache
My Top Intel Motherboard Picks
Price per performace is the determining factor
X48-
DFI LANPARTY UT X48-T2R
DFI DFI LP DK X48-T2RSB PLUS
GIGABYTE GA-X48-DS5
GIGABYTE GA-X48-DS4
ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA
ASUS P5E Deluxe
ASUS P5Q3 Deluxe (DDR3)
ASUS RAMPAGE Extreme(DDR3)
X38-
ASUS P5E3 DELUXE (DDR3)
ASUS P5E
DFI DK X38-T2R
P45-
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-EXTREME
ASUS P5Q3 DELUXE/WIFI (DDR3)
ASUS P5Q DELUXE
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DQ6
FOXCONN ELA P45
ASUS P5Q-E (for dual cores)
BIOSTAR TPOWER I45 (for dual cores / set an overclocking record 724mhz FSB)
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-DS3R
My Video Card Picks in order from top to bottom
Radeon 4870x2 (for resolutions 1920x1080 and up)
Geforce GTX280
Geforce 9800GX2
Radeon 4870 1GB
Radeon 4870
Geforce GTX260
Radeon 4850 1GB
Geforce 9800GTX+
Radeon 4850
Geforce 9800GTX
Geforce 8800Ultra
Geforce 8800GTX
Geforce 8800GTS 512mb (G92)
Top Power Supplies
For Single GPU Solution
Corsair - VX450W, VX550W, TX650W, HX520W, HX620W
PC Power & Cooling - Silencer 420, Silencer 510, Silencer 610
Silverstone - ST50F, ST56F, ST60F, ST50EF PLUS, ST60EF, OP650, OP700, ST56ZF, ST65ZF, DA650
Seasonic - SS-500ES, SS-500ET, SS-550HT, SS-650HT
For Dual GPU Solution
Corsair - TX750W, 1000HX
PC Power & Cooling - Silencer 750 Quad, Turbo-Cool 860 / 860ESA, Turbo-Cool 1200 / 1200ESA
Silverstone - OP750, OP800, OP850, ST75, DA750, DA850
Seasonic - SS700HM
Obviously there are other brand names, Antec, Enermax, Athena, Thermaltake, and OCZ to name a few. These manufacturers produce very good power supplies but they are not near the quality Of Seasonic, Silverstone, PC Power & Cooling, or Corsair. More is not always better, and in terms of power supplies, a single 12v rail is always better than multiple rails. A large, single 12-volt rail (without a 240VA limit) can transfer 100% of the 12-volt output from the PSU to the computer, while a multi-rail 12-volt design has distribution losses of up to 30% of the power supply's rating. Those losses occur because power literally gets "trapped" on under-utilized rails. For example, if the 12-volt rail that powers the CPU is rated for 17 amps and the CPU only uses 7A, the remaining 10A is unusable, since it is isolated from the rest of the system. Since the maximum current from any one 12-volt rail of a multiple-rail PSU is limited to 20 amps (240VA / 12 volts = 20 amps), PCs with high-performance components that draw over 20 amps from the same rail are subject to over-current shutdowns. With power requirements for multiple processors and graphics cards continuing to grow, the multiple-rail design, with its 240VA limit per rail, is basically obsolete.
Modular plugs, due to their look, convenience, and cost savings for manufacturers, have become a popular power supply feature. Unfortunately, there has been little or no discussion of the impact of this feature on overall performance and reliability. The fact is, modular plugs limit power by adding to electrical resistance. The voltage drop can be as much as would occur in 2 feet of standard wire. Worse yet, modular plugs utilize delicate pins that can easily loosen, corrode, and burn, creating the potential for a major system failure. That's why professional system builders specify uninterrupted wire!