PC Buying Guide The Luxury System

The Luxury System

• Workstation-like performance • Great for heavy multitasking • Extreme gaming

Here we have a screaming-edge machine lacking any virtual price cap -- a dream machine that is down to earth in terms of both price and configuration. Every component in the Luxury System guide is thoroughly scrutinized to ensure it packs the most horsepower for your greenback. If a component's premium price isn't justified, it simply doesn't make the cut. In nearly all of our selections, we've chosen components that are either the best available, or just a notch below.

Component	Product	Price
Motherboard	Gigabyte P67A-UD7	$330
Processor	Intel Core i7 2600K	$315
Memory	2x4GB Corsair XMS 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 1600	$100
Graphics	GeForce GTX 580	$500
Sound	Asus Xonar Essence STX	$200
Storage	OCZ Vertex 3 240GB + Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB	$540 + $170
Optical	Lite-On iHAS124-04 + LG WH10LS30K	$20 + $85
Power	Corsair Enthusiast Series 750TX	$120
Case	Cooler Master HAF X	$190
Monitor	Dell UltraSharp U3011 30"	$1,500
Speakers / Headset	Logitech Z-5500 / MDR-V7506	$350 / $90
Peripherals	Logitech G500 + G19	$60 + $170
	Core System Total	$2,570
	Core System + Monitor and Peripherals	$4,520

Motherboard, Processor, Memory

In our recent review, we found Intel's new Core i7 2600K to be faster than the $1,000 Core i7 975 Extreme Edition and that speed gain comes at 44% less power consumption. It's worth mentioning that the i7 2600K has an unlocked multiplier so it's easier to overclock, but if you don't plan to take advantage of that feature, the standard i7 2600 is a little cheaper at $300.

P67-based motherboards are finally surging back onto the market and Gigabyte currently offers the highest quality board. At $330, P67A-UD7 features four full-length PCIe x16 slots (x16 speeds for two slots or x8 for all four), making it an ideal solution for multi-GPU configurations. It also carries four SATA 6Gb/s and two eSATA ports, six USB 3.0 ports, and plenty more.

Most people won't tap 4GB during standard use, but if you're looking to spend over $3,000 on a desktop PC, you're probably not just the "average" user. Having 8GB of RAM is reasonable for this kind of system and even if splurged on double that amount, the extra memory would only account for a slight percentage of the core system cost anyway.

Graphics, Sound

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 580 remains our pick, despite the arrival of new dual-GPU cards from both AMD and Nvidia. Although the Radeon HD 6990 and GeForce GTX 590 are the fastest cards available today, they're a poor value when compared to cheaper, more efficient dual-card configurations such as two HD 6950s or GTX 570s. While it may be tempting to go that route -- and we won't stop you -- make no mistake about it, the GTX 580 is quite a powerhouse despite being a single-GPU card. In our testing, it matched Radeon HD 5970, a dual-GPU card that earned a seat in our Luxury guide for over a year.

Storage

As expected, OCZ's Vertex 3 series has done extremely well on performance tests around the web, quickly proving itself as the drive to beat. Powered by SandForce's speedy SF-2281 controller, the 240GB Vertex 3 touts maximum read and write speeds of up to 550MB/s and 520MB/s when connected through a SATA 6Gb/s port.

We should note that we're preparing a review of the Vertex 3 as well as Intel's 510 series and the Crucial M4, so keep your eyes peeled for those. It's also worth mentioning that while you can technically purchase the Vertex 3 through many online stores as of writing, we haven't seen any etailer with a unit in stock, so expect a delay.

This wouldn't be much of a Luxury computer without a Blu-ray burner, and at under $150 the LG drive we've chosen is among the most affordable you will find. It's also a bit faster than Lite-On's $190 DH-4B1S-08 with a BD-R rate of 10x.

Power, Case

Corsair's new Enthusiast Series 750TX ought to supply your dream PC with enough juice. Noteworthy specifications include a 140mm thermally controlled fan, 60A on a single +12V rail, up to 85% efficiency, and lengthy cables with connectors for eight SATA drives, four PCI-E graphics cards, eight peripheral devices and more.

Cooler Master has redesigned its flagship full tower chassis, adding more features and a whole new look. We recentlyreviewed the HAF X and found it to be worth the cost premium, adding two extra expansion slots, USB 3.0 support, dual hot-swappable drive bays, a larger side window, and more. That's in addition to all the usual HAF features, such as a CPU hole in the motherboard tray, a plethora of fans, and superb cable management.

Other worthwhile aggressive looking chassis include the Antec's Twelve Hundred and Lanboy Air, while a sleeker and more subtle enclosure can be had with Cooler Master's Cosmos 1000 and Corsair's Obsidian 800D. Meanwhile, if money is no object, the Thermaltake Level 10 is among the most unique (and expensive) PC cases available.

Monitor, Speakers, Peripherals

At breathtaking 30-inches, the Dell UltraSharp U3011 is nothing short of excellence. Displaying 1.07 billion colors at a native resolution of 2560x1600, it has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, 370 cd/m2 brightness, 7ms gray-to-gray response time, .2505mm pixel pitch, viewing angles of 178/178-degrees and is backed by Dell's premium panel guarantee. It also has five USB ports, along with two HDMI, two DVI, one VGA, one DisplayPort, component connectors, a 7-in-1 card reader, and sits atop an adjustable base (height, swivel and tilt).

As sweet as the U3011 is, $1,400 is a lot of bacon to drop on one monitor. The 3007WFP-HC (our former pick) is now discontinued, but you can still find it online for under $1,200. We realize 30" monitors aren't for everyone, and there are countless worthy alternatives in the 24" to 27" ($200 to $600) range. If you have the cash, we'd suggest opting for a display that boasts an IPS panel such as HP's LP2475w or Dell's U2410.

There aren't many 5.1 computer speaker systems around and Logitech's Z-5500 is by and large the most popular, featuring a maximum output of 505W. However, Logitech plans to phase the Z-5500s out with its new Z906 system in the near future. The Z906 is up for preorder at $400, but they aren't shipping just yet. Meanwhile, headsets don't get much better than Sony's MDR-V7506 unless you're going to spend hundreds or thousands more. Frankly, if you require better audio quality than the MDR-V7506, you probably already know what you're looking for.

Between the number of possible keyboard and mouse combinations in the high-end price range, and the various uses you could be making of this system it's virtually impossible to recommend a single component. That said, we think Logitech's G500 mouse and G19 keyboard are suitable for just about any build, but if you prefer something more sleek, the Logitech diNovo Edge or the Logitech MX Air Silver mouse may be worth investigating. Other popular keyboards include the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 and Logitech's recently launched G510.

If you're looking for a mechanical keyboard, Filco, Das, Ducky, Leopold, Deck, XArmor, and SteelSeries offer respected options. Razer recently introduced the BlackWidow which combines gaming and macro features. Be sure to read up on the difference between each keyswitch before making a purchase. Geekhack.org offers a fantastic resource on the subject if you're interested.