So I'm looking for a very-high-up-on-the-line PC. Main use? Gaming. Half-life 2, Doom 3, Rainbow Six 3, The Suffering, GTA: San Andreas, Max Payne II, Deus X II, and whatever PC Gamer is getting a wet dream over this year. Upgradable, too.
Here's what I'm thinking:
AMD Athlon 64 FX, whatever speed
At least 1 gig, preferably a gig and a half or more of RAM
7200 RPM 200 gig HDD
DVD-ROM and DVD burner, uh... "so I can back up my hard drive while watching movies."
Video: I'm not really sure, but either the Radeon 9800 XT, or the GeForce FX 6800 FX
Sound: Audigy Platinum Pro 7.1
Speakers: I actually don't know. Definitely a good 7.1 system. When I fire a rocket, I want to FEEL it.
Headphones: I use these more than speakers, actually, so definitely something good: probably Sennheiser HD270s
For the monitor, probably Viewsonic 19" flat CRT. An LCD is just a little too much, unless they actually perform so much better than flat CRTs that they merit three times the price.
In the necessary software range, Windows XP (pro if I can run games on it), McAfee Internet Security Suite, Microsoft Office, Opera (free), Ad-aware, and of course, the games.
Finally, as much cooling as the system can handle, an ergo keyboard, and a nice mouse with a fast left button and a working scroll wheel.
Suggestions? Comments? Questions? Ideas on where to get this without breaking the bank?