Deciding on What and Where...

The more experienced guys are going to want to know what resolution you play at.  (They guys here helped me "build" mine)

iBUYPOWER sucks, if you want to go just by price then you will be in for a nastly surprise down the road when your parts breakdown and you find out exactlh why ibp is cheaper, I wouldn't buy one of their pcs if you paid me.

as for a config here:

Air cooled:

Here you go Ticket# 319692 --- Price: $3058 (To see this build click here) Price after current promotion $2808

Copy of Specifications:
Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Card Reader: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (128GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: CMFSSD-128GBG2D)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-U12P High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors)
Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service)
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

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Liquid cooled:

Here you go Ticket# 319693 --- Price: $3224 (To see this build click here) Price after current promotion $2974

Copy of Specifications:
Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Card Reader: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (128GB Solid State (By: Corsair) (Model: CMFSSD-128GBG2D)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 3: High-Performance Liquid Chilled FrostBite System For CPU
Liquid Color:UV Redish Pink: Medium Glowing Non-conductive Fluid (Requires H20: Stage 3 & UV Lighting)
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (UV) (Creates Glowing Effect For H20: Stage 3 UV Fluid)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service)
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

If you have a GTX 285. Why not just put it in your new system or buy another GTX 285 and SLI it. Sort of pointless to get 4 GPUs for only 1920 x 1200.

What DST4ME said; Digital Storm has an A+ rating with the BBB, and has only had a total of 16 complaints with the BBB across 3 years.  IBuyPower has a total of nearly two HUNDRED and fifty complaints in the same time frame, and a B- rating.  That should tell you something.  I thought about buying an iBuyPower PC as well in the past, due to the significant cost savings...but after serious research on the huge level of issues people have had with them, I opted for DS, and the experience was flawless.  I have no qualms in describing them as quite possibly having the best QC/CS in the business, or at least that I have ever experienced.

Google 'Digital Storm' and 'complaint'.  You'll get 741 hits; the first hit is their resellerrating (above 9 in lifetime and past 6 months), their BBB (A+ rating), www.complaintsboard.com (only one 'complaint' which is actually a review that describes the company as 'outstanding'), etc. etc.  Within the first five pages (all I cared to look), I couldn't find a single actual complaint against Digital Storm.

Google 'ibuypower' and 'complaint'.  You'll get 9850 hits; a brief glimpse of their first few hits shows the likes of "IBuyPower.com is [...] was a web of lies and problems straight from the beginning", "A warning about ibuypower", "DOA and they charge you to take it back", "iBuypower, Poor customer service and technical support", etc. etc.

I'm not saying that ibuypower is incapable of producing a good machine, but when you're plonking down mid-four digits worth of hard cash (a third of the cost of some new cars!), I personally am willing to go with a company that I feel I can unquestionably trust with my money to produce a system that was worth it.

I purchased a system from them two years ago, and still feel very strongly towards this company, as you can tell.  There are companies who have an equivalent reputation quality and service, but they'll cost you a way higher premium.  In my opinion, they are not one whit inferior to what Alienware was like before they sold out to Dell; incredibly skilled, incredibly customer-oriented, with ass-kicking machines that come at a (reasonable) premium. 


Edited by Jingping - 10 Aug 2009 at 5:36pm

Jingping,thank you for bringing that to my attention,I didnt know there was that many negative things against !buypower..

Future proof is what I would call it,I went from 7800GT's in SLi to 7900GTX's in SLi then I went to 8800gt's in Sli now I  have the GTX285..I had a AMD FX-60 liquid cooled 2 gigs to now a 750i mobo with a intel E8500 air cooled 4 gigs...All in the time spand of about 4 years..I just want something that I dont have to toy with for the next few years of my life..I want someone to take care of me if I have a problem,instead of trouble shooting it myself..The AMD rig was from Alienware,before Dell bought them..Great rig,but I could never really understand anyone when I called there...Being a single father doesnt leave me much time to screw around with this stuff anymore,let alone play games,but when I do I want settings on high and not have to worry about it locking up or freezing or this or that and if it does,I want someone to goto,not try to figure it out on my own

From what I have been reading in these forums,it seems like this is the company to goto..So far.

I like the thought of having them fire up the system and do there testing there.  That way you know everything is working and in order before it ships.

I'll let one of the more knowledgable guys answer that for sure.  I think the 1000w is fine for two cards for sure...don't know about the third card.  (Don't take my word for it though)

Originally posted by Davis Then maybe go with 1 GTX2851GB and have them run the dongles for the card I own?...1000w power supply should be sufficent? And if I went for a 3rd card Would it still handle  it?

there is not point in wasting money in things you will see no performance gain from, a 1000w can easily run 3 x 275 or 3 x 285, if I were you, I would just stick with the 1000w and 2 x 275, this way you got what you need and have room for more should you get a bigger monitor down the road.

  If you want GREAT Tech support ( you won't know until you need it how important that is) and Quality (NEW) components I would opt for a DS system. I did about 2 months of research before I ordered my DS system . I even went so far as to call Tech Support  for each system I considered to find out WHERE techs were located. Let me say that having USA based support is RARE. Only found Falcon Northwest and DS to have that. My last system WAS from Falcon and now I own a DS system because Falcon slipped a little in what they offer for the price. Ibiypower ??!!  Please son't waste your money ,I put them in the same category as Cyberpower--hell their adds even look the same !!CYBER has 28% failure rate on delivery ,bet Ibuypower is not far from that. Do yourself a very large favor and either listen to advice on this forum as to which system to get or sall Sarah at DS --they are very helpful figuring the best bang for the buck and won't try to "over-sell" you as far as my experience goes.Also in the same 36 month time period CYber has had over 500 complaints to the BBB (Most unresolved) and DS has had 16 (most resolved). THINK about it.

Originally posted by DST4ME the sysem I configed for you is setup so that you can handle whatever comes your way, I don't think you understand, now or future you have no use for a 1200w psu, the 1000w can handle what ever is gonna come out in the next 3 years as far as we know. Why do you think we are telling to not get the 1200? cause you will have not use for it and its noise and heat is gonna be an issue you don't need. if you have a 285 already then ya, get a 285 now then slap the one you have next to it.

I know bro..Was just using 1200w as number compared to 650w..I am going to go for a 1000w I think thats the best course of action..Sorry if I'm being a pain in the azz,just when I spend this type of money,I like to look at it from all angles,have all my facts straight..Spend $3000 when $3200 could get you something THAT much better,ya know?

A good question I thought about today at work was,if I go for the 920(which would save some coin) and have it overclocked to stage 2 and have stage 3 cooling and havea  5 year warranty if it burns out in 5 years will it be covered? Is the HAF 932 a good choice for a case?..Seems alot of folks going with it..Thanks everyone for the input and advice so far..Its really helping me..

sorry about that I thought you meant the 1200w literary.

just because you have a oc of 4.0 on a 920 does not mean it will die in 5 years, but going with a 5 year warranty is a great idea.

Get the "fan only" for memory.

I would drop the veloci and just go with a 500GB HDD now and then later this or H1 of 2010 upgrade to a ssd, this is very easy and we can walk you thru if you like. (I know you didn't want to make changes but this one is worth it and easy to do)

OH ya, if the CPU dies without you pushing it too hard yourself, its covered, that is one of the things we love about DS is that when you OC, the OC they do is covered under warranty.

this would be better IMO:

Here you go Ticket# 321829 --- Price: $2876 (To see this build click here) Price after current promotion $2676

Copy of Specifications:
Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition)
Card Reader: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-U12P High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors)
Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With Zalman Performance Fans (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue)
Enhancements: LCD NZXT Sentry LX Temperature Display & Fan Controller (Requires Chassis Airflow Upgrade)
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service)
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

you better hurry and order otherwise the promo may not be around.



Edited by DST4ME - 15 Aug 2009 at 2:59am

the price difference is like $9 now venom that is why we have started recommending the 1600MHz, otherwise you are right.

with the haf there is plenty of airflow, so you don't have to worry about the heat staying in the case, however if your room temp is hot to begin with then I guess frostbite would be a good idea.