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I have had my new gaming machine assembled for a month now, and I am still just so happy with it. It’s been years since I had a top-of-the-line computer, so I’ve been throwing as much at it as I can, and Fuzzdump (as I affectionately named it) is working like a champ.

Specs

• Asus Crosshair II Formula Motherboard
• AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition
• 4 x 1GB PC1066 RAM
• XFX Geforce GTX260 Black Edition
• WD RaptorX 150GB 10k rpm HD
• WD 1TB Green SATA HD

I played all of my new coveted games that my old machine couldn’t even run, like Dead Space and Assasin’s Creed, the games that my old machine could barely run, such as Left4Dead and Unreal Tournament III, and the older games I wanted to see graphics improvements on like Counter-Strike Source, the Half-Life 2 games, Guitar Hero III, etc.  Fuzzdump absolutely crushed them, and I can’t say how happy I’ve been.

To test out my quad-core processor I tried using FRAPS to record the 1920×1200 gameplay into the same resolution file and my system handled it without a hitch.  I compressed the 8.4GB of raw video down to 300MB at the same resolution using the h.264 codec (props btw, you literally cannot notice a difference in the quality of the file, and the resultant file was 3.5% of the original data; that’s incredible) of some Left4Dead gameplay and uploaded it to WeGame (warning: this file is huge…only click play if you are comfortable with a 300MB streaming video):

My last monster machine had the best hardware at the time (2003) but everything was maxed out, leaving almost no room to upgrade.  I got a nice AMD A7N8X-E Deluxe board at the time, but decided not to go 64-bit.  What a mistake.  I got AMD’s final 32-bit chip, the Athlon-XP 3200+.  I was obsolete in months.  The same was true with the graphics card with my Geforce 6800 AGP card.  One of the last AGP cards made.  This was around the time Half-Life 2 came out, and since my monitor could only do 1280×1024 at the time I was able to turn up the graphics a moderate amount, but as newer and newer games came out the novelty quickly faded.

This time around I have been careful to order parts that are still top-of-the-line, but will allow me to upgrade in the future.  The AM2 socket type should not be going away for a while, but since my board is upwards compatible with AM3 socket type processors, I’ll still be ok on that front if AMD decides to switch entirely to the new socket earlier than expected.  My RAM can easily be upgraded to 8GB, and while that’s probably the biggest limitation of this system, 8GB of RAM should do me just fine for years.  PCI-E shouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon either, so as nVidia develops their new 3-digit line of graphics cards I’ll be able to stay on top of it.

Everything is installed in my old SunBeamTech black Transformer case, which is nice and loud, but keeps my components cool.  I am planning on purchasing the NZXT Khaos very soon.  I have read many reviews on this case, and while a lot of people have found issues with the case (nameably the price) I don’t have any issues with the cons they point out.  I am over the “ricer” cases that look like transformers, and prefer a sleeker professional looking case, like trading in your Nissan 350z for the Infiniti G37 sport coupe.  I find the Khaos to be be elegant and simple, while still keeping that hint of “badassness” that attracted my eye the first time.

After upgrading the case I’ll be investing in my first custom water-cooling system.  I have used kits in the past, but I really want to go custom this time.  I’ll be using eK water blocks for my graphics cards (that’s right, I’ll be getting another GTX260) and have yet to decide on a CPU block.  I’m waiting to get the case before planning the reservoirs and radiators so I can see where the best places to put them will be.  I am planning on using the second PSU bay of the Khaos to store a reservoir/radiator and would like to convert the top fans into a radiator mount for the roof of the case.

I’ll definitely post updates as my system progresses.  I want to draw out the fun for as long as possible.