need help picking a system (2000k budget)

hi guys

I been doing alot of research over the past few weeks on getting a new gaming PC. I want one that is custom built for me as i have zero ideas on how to build a system myself. Yes i know all about that its cheaper and the way to go but id rather pay a little more and have it done correctly by someone who knows what they are doing.

anyways back to the topic, through my research, digitalstorms got overall the best reviews over other sites like cyberpower and ibuypower. I am looking over the systems that digitalstorm offers and under their special prices, there are only 5 systems to pick from. the only other options are the extreme models which are way over my budget.

are those the only systems to pick from? if not, can someone direct me to other systems? I have 2k to spend on a system which has to include the monitor, keyboard etc. I can afford to go an additional 100-200 dollars if need be.

My system will be mainly used for MMO gaming. I want a system that can run all current MMOs on high settings as well as a system i wont need to upgrade for awhile and will last me 2-3 good years.

anyways sorry for the long post. thanks in advance if anyone can help

thanks for the reply.

I am giving my current system to my stepson so thats why i am shopping for a new monitor keyboard etc.

anyways i have a 21 in samsung LCD monitor atm that i really love so I plan to get the same type monitor. I have seen the monitors for sale at BJs etc for like 200 dollars so i just planned to pick one up there. Keyboard can be any basic keyboard and mouse isnt needed cuz i have several lying around that still work.
I plan to just keep my same speakers and my stepson has speakers from his old computer that died last year.

so ya i dont need to get the accessories from DS. I just need them for the system and i can grab the monitor etc from retail stores. So as i mentioned in my OP, I looking to keep the system around 2k or less. thanks again

ill probably buy something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2494SW-Black-LCD-Monitor/dp/B002N8A1HO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272907369&sr=8-1

which is a samsung 24 in lcd 1920x1200 monitor.

as i said in the OP, the system will be mainly used for MMO gaming like WoW, FF14 and star wars kotor when they are released. I also play WAR and AoC but my current system doesnt run them so smoothly on the highest settings.

Hope this clears it up for you.

I'd recommend something similar to this.

Ticket #403365 Total price: $2081

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Not Available
Trim Accents: - Not Available
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 LE Edition SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair TX (Dual SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - Not Available
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Seagate/Hitachi/Western Digital (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed)
Set 1 Raid Options: - Not Available
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 22x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: Noctua Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Available
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - Not Available
Chassis Mods: - Not Available
Noise Reduction: - Not Available
Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - Not Available
Boost Memory: - Not Available
Boost OS: - Not Available
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - Not Available
Office: - Not Available
Benchmarking: - Not Available
Install/Test Game: FREE: Please include a free copy of a hot-selling game
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

That video card will not max every game at a 1920x1200 resolution, but you haven't indicated interest in the more heavily demanding games. If you want the ability to max out a larger selection of the more demanding games at that resolution you will have to bump up the video card selection to an ATI 5870 or possibly even a Nvidia 480, but these will cost more.

Sadly, I couldn't really fit a SSD into that budget (brings it closer to $2300), but I would put an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD for OS/apps on the top of the list for any future upgrades when funds allow. For just $215 they really are a great addition to any PC, you'll have a noticeably faster responding and loading system.

Originally posted by Godhand456 thank you. can u explain what this SSD is. I see in the ticket thats its a harddrive. but 80GB seems awfully low for space. I may up the videocard to the 5870 just in case i move on to more demanding games like u said. Id rather get a stronger PC now so i dont have to upgrade. Is the 5870 recommended over the 480? I been reading sites and other posts here that say it does perform better than the 480 and remains cooler.

SSDs are Solid State Drives, think of them like a RAM version of a HDD, no moving parts and near instant access speed. A good SSD is anywhere from literately 35 to 100 times faster with small file read and writes than a conventional HDD, which are the kinds of files Windows and most programs deal with the most and where SSDs really shine. They are also at least twice as fast as HDDs with large files. They make Windows and most programs noticeably snappier and reduce waiting times, especially when multitasking.

Their price point is definitely a lot higher than standard HDDs though, so the preferred setup is to have Windows and your important or commonly used programs on a small fast SSD and have a large conventional HDD to store everything else, pictures, movies, music, games, unimportant programs, etc.

As for video cards, the Nvidia 480 performs better than the ATI 5870 at higher resolutions and game settings, so it can max out a number of games at 1920x1200 and higher resolutions that the 5870 can not, but it comes at a higher price point. Normally I would recommend the 480, but if you're on a tighter budget I would recommend the 5870 or 5850.