My current computer is no longer adequate for my "needs" (translation, I'm running out of storage room on the hard drive, I have no DVD, and I want a faster machine). So after listing all of the stuff I wanted to upgrade on it I realized that a new one would be a better option.

So off I went-- I don't know a cpu from a USB port, but off I go to look for my dream machine.

I found this one. I like the amount of storage on the hard drive. Does it seem any good? Thanks.

Directron Dark-Knight PC Computer System with Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad QX6850 Processor

Processor: Intel QX6850 Core 2 Extreme 3.0GHz processor with quad-core technology, 1333FSB, 8MB L2 shared cache.

Cooler: Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme CPU Cooler for extreme overclocking

Memory: 4 x 1GB 1066Mhz Corsair Dominator DDR2 Desktop Memory (please choose 64bit OS for best performance)

Motherboard: ASUS Striker Extreme LGA775 Motherboard, nForce 680i SLI Chipset

Video: 2 x (in SLI) EVGA GeForce 8800 Ultra 768MB GDDR3 PCI-E Video Card

Audio: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series Sound Card, 24-bit

Storage: (2 x RAID = 4 Drives) Seagate Barracuda ES (750GB x 4 = 3TB) 3.5in SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive all with SATA-II cables

Optical: Black Pioneer 18X SATA DVD Burner with SATA-II cable

Case: Antec Nine Hundred 900 Computer Case, with Top 200mm Fan

PSU: OCZ GameXStream 850W Computer Power Supply

Wow!

If that wont run Poser without even a hiccup, I'll eat my socks. {and my goodness at all the 'packrattin' ya can do :lol:}

I need LOTS of storage. Even with ruthless deleting of unused stuff I still have over 150 GB on my hard drive.

The only hit you'll see is if you are going to a 64-bit OS, Poser will run in 32-bit emulation (a bit slower than pure 64-bit).  You can always dual-boot 32-bit and 64-bit Windows - you'll get better performance in the former for 32-bit apps.

Otherwise, darn you, darn you, darn you! ;)  That is a notch above mine in each category (except that mine has 8GB memory).  How much ya planning on spending here?

That computer won't handle Poser at all - you'll need to get the Intel QX10000 2048-core... ;P

kuroyme0161, I found it on sale for $4599.00. Normal price $4999.00.
I wonder if they can give me 8GB too? My current computer has only 1GB.
I only want to have to do this once. So I was deliberately looking at gaming computers. I read that those were supposed to be the best for graphics.

Boy, talk about going from one extreme to another! 
That machine would make any gamer and a lot of FX people delirious. I can attest to the Antec 900 case, I have one populated with Evga  680i sli motherboard and 1 video 8600gts 320 mb video card with 4 gigs ram and only 500gb hd and the case stays very cool on its own even without the extreme cooler you're getting, so I am envious as well.
Everything on my system works excellently with Vista 32 Ultimate, although Idon't use it primarily with Poser but see no reason why you would encounter any overhead or memory problems regardless of your OS selection.
Since you are going 'quad', I would recommend going with a 64bit OS, as well, otherwise the quad and memory are wasted with a 32bit system, which will only recognize 2 gigs regardless of the amount you have installed.
Good luck with your new system.

How much do they want for it? I use multiple external hard drives for storage. So it doesn't matter what is inside my PC. I have three 500 gig slave drives in my PC plus a terrabyte in external. HP also makes a PC with the quad core that comes with 2 gigs of RAM and two open slots for 2 gigs more. It costs around &1,000 at Best Buy here in the US.

Quote - kuroyme0161, I found it on sale for $4599.00. Normal price $4999.00.
I wonder if they can give me 8GB too? My current computer has only 1GB.
I only want to have to do this once. So I was deliberately looking at gaming computers. I read that those were supposed to be the best for graphics.

Ouch - but for the 'top-of-line' screamer one tends to pay 'top-dollar' (while wallet is screaming).  I invested about $2700 but that included $200 for the build. :)

Check that the motherboard can handle 8GB - I think that the ASUS you mentioned (and most newer ASUS quad-core ready) should.  I didn't get top-of-line memory so it was only $150 per 2GB DIMM ($600 for 8GB).  You'll have to see what the charge will be since more than likely you'll need to do 4x2GB of memory (and drop the 4x1GB).  The downside here is that currently the fastest FSB is 677MHz on 2GB DIMMs - even the highly touted Mac Pro 8-core has this same limitation because 2GB DIMMs are not available at higher FSB speeds (though these things change faster than a diaper on a newborn baby!).

I'm reminded of Weird Al Yankovic's "It's all about the Pentium" - give it a listen to see what I mean. :D

Roberta by your name you must be in the LA Area.

1. We have "PC Club" here...they are experts in components and are great builders. If you fax them the exact specification and ask for the price landed, built, burned in, with tax....
   You might save HUNDREDS of dollars and also have a great team behind you. I have had great success with PCClub.

2. when it comes time for having this thing delivered, you must follow the following directions very carefully. The "Bill To" should be your address. However, the ShipTo must be....

John Donohue aka operaguy
4342 Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101

::::: Opera ::::: (John!)

wait... you are in Los Vegas....
http://www.pcclub.com/stores_info.cfm?stid=NVLV
::::: Og :::::

:lol: @OG

***"...... but that included $200 for the build."

I get charged $30 for a build and Windows install.
Are all the bits sold by the builders?
External hard drives are dirt cheap at the momemt if you have doubts about storage.space.

Pretty good machine - especially if you get to the new P7Pro (with any 64 bit WinOS). Seems to be a bit too expensive, though. Even over here (in expensive Germany) you would get it for  about 15-25% less. If you want to WORK with the stuff, think about two machine (i.e. two dualcore ones) which will provide you with both render power (under P7P farmed rendering) and the possibility to work at one machine while the other coughes under a render. Of course it wouldn't be legal to work with the same P7 license on two machines. I am using two P7 versions on two machines and a P6 on a smaller, older product  testing machine, which works pretty good for me. Even better since all the machine except a laptop are down in my cellar and I have only the monitors/keayboards up here. Now they can be as noisy as they want...

Here's another option, and I'm serious.
Dumb down your systen - cutting edge technology is over-priced anyway.
Save $1000 bucks and buy C4D and Interposer pro.
Import your Poser content and render with C4D which is a real 3D program, not just a plaything, and join the big boys.
*(ducks hisses and thrown tomatoes)

C4D rocks -

• program opens in 3-4 seconds
• render while you work (renders separately to GUI)
• massive rendering options - eg. 10  AO settings
• select infinite number of objects or textures (materials) to adjust at once
• click and drag textures
• copy/paste objects in scenes
• multi-pass rendering to multi-layer files
• true radiosity rendering
• solid, fast render engine, even at highest settings

Really good - warning if your render won't work (memory) BEFORE you try to render. No crash or hang, just go back and reduce your settings. Nice!

You know I'm only joking Poser, not.

Not to mention that C4D has a VRay plugin available - the renders from that are something else (but apparently it can be a bit tricky to set up)

VRay renders require VRay materials.
A whole new ball-game, and something that needs the wisdom of Solomon, something I'm working towards in my free-time.
Should be a piece of cake.

Roberta that's a very very nice box - I think though that you could get more hardware for less money, you're paying for the Directron brand name to at least some extent.  Also, I own a Core 2 Extreme qx6700 (a very similar chip in design to your choice but clocked quite as high) and imo, you'd do nearly as well to get an Intel Q6600 for FAR less money.  However if you're prepared to drop the cash for it, the QX6850 is the fastest commercial PC processor in the world.

I'm a little wary of the motherboard and the nVidia NForce chipset.  I own an ASUS P5WDH Deluxe motherboard, which is built around the Intel 975x chipset, and all my apps work.  I'm not saying you need to buy a 975x motherboard, but I have no data on how well the nVidia chipset behaves with any 3D apps.  Probably this is not too much to worry about, but after all you're talking about $4500, so you may want to call your app vendors' tech support and ask them about this motherboard before buying.

4GB downside is not a good place to start.  I can tell you with certainty that in order to upgrade, you will be throwing away 1GB memory modules in order to go up from 4GB, and it is really nice to have 8GB.

2x graphics cards is $500 of waste for 3D applications.  It's a gaming technology that even for gaming is of questionable value.  The application has to be written specifically to make use of the second card, and Poser isn't - 3ds Max isn't - Vue isn't - Maya isn't - Cinema 4D isn't.  That 8800GTX is not a cheap card either, it retails for about $500.  Maybe in the future, render engines will commonly make use of graphics cards to help render, but today they don't (certainly Poser doesn't). 
http://renderfred.free.fr/articles.html

You're paying for allot of overhead there that you're just not going to use.

I just built a rig two weeks ago on the Asus P5N32-E SLI PLUS and the kentsfield QX6850. With 3gb of Crucial Baliistix DDR 800. Total cost with some sATA drives 250gb/500gb, DVD/CD combo, case, 850w PSU, 640mb 8800GTS, 7.1 speakers and OEM xp pro - around $2600. This does not included monitors however.

EDIT****

I would also argue against that case with that mb. The PSU would be on the bottom and hence you would have to cross the motherboard to power it unless they use extention cables to go around it. Plus with all those fans, it would sound like a freaking jet engine! lol

Echoing what PJZ and others said....you nearly have two computers inside one. You've apparently got the $4500, make it go farrrrrrrrrrr.

  it would sound like a freaking jet engine! <
My prior build (now sounds so primitive) was an AMD3500+ with twin raptor 10,00 RPM drives. There's a fan for each of the raptors, one in the power supply, one on the CPU and one in the case. I call it "Sikorski."

LOL Ashley, that took a lot of guts! P.S. I am in the same boat but it's Max for me over Cinema. Just waiting for the new release to come out.

::::: Opera :::::

The Essentials:

MOTHERBOARD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131025R
Open Box: ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard
A very good motherboard, the one that I own. IMO it remains one of the best available. It does hard disk RAID, it has good wireless Ethernet built in, and is very stable and overclocking-friendly. Everything works and all my apps run well on it.
$128.99

*****CPU COOLER:
**http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118223
ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
A very good cooler. Big but very quiet, and the CPU fan is typically the biggest source of noise in a PC. The free CPU fan that comes with pretty much any boxed processor is noisy junk.
**$48.99

MEMORY:
**http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231112
G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
I don't have any special preference for G.SKILL memory, but I can tell you it works well with that motherboard. Memory clock speed makes little difference when rendering according to several benchmarks I've read, so there's no reason really to get the really high-end memory.
$159.99 x2 = **$300 for 4GB, or $600 for 8GB

VIDEO CARD:
**http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130072
EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
A very fast video card with a ton of graphics memory (and in fact the one I own). There are other cards with more bells and whistles (and more expensive), but I can vouch for this particular card. It whoops ass. Behaves very well in all my 3D apps and it is a very good gaming card also. Plus it's quiet.
**$549.99

CASE:
**http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129017
Antec Performance One P180B Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel for durability through the majority of chassis 1.0mm cold rolled steel around the 4 x HDD area ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
It's big. It's beautiful. It is VERY quiet. It also puts the CPU and disk drives on their own air flow, to keep their heat out of the processor. It comes with a couple of 120mm fans and is rigged to accept more if you want. IMO the best computer case in the world. Be advised it's a bit of work to set up, but not really any moreso than many other computer cases. Amaze and awe your friends and stupefy your cats with this beautiful block of rolled steel. Drink holder optional.
**$114.99

POWER SUPPLY:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371009
Antec TPQ-850 ATX12V / EPS12V 850W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, C-tick, CCC, CB - Retail
A good, solid power supply from Antec - so it will fit nicely into the case, which can otherwise really screw you if it doesn't fit. Very quiet.
$249.00
----------------*

$1,251.95, or $1,411.94 for 8GB (recommended!) 

**
The Options:
DISK DRIVES:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148138
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3400620AS 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$99.99 ea.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148134
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3750640AS 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$209.99 ea.

Some may recommend you buy "10k" drives, that have a 10,000 RPM spindle speed. The price premium is high, and the benefit is questionable - would you rather stare at your hard disk light flashing, or simply buy more memory and get to work? 7200 RPM is quite fine. There is a little price bump as you go into bigger drives but it's your preference. Seagate is pretty decent and durable - I've owned maybe 20 Seagate drives and over time, perhaps 1 has failed (and that was back in the 90s). I own 4x 400GB as above.

Cheap: **add $400 for 4x 400GB drives.
**Not cheap: add $840 for 4x 750GB drives.

**PROCESSOR:
**http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
This is the best price/performance choice. This is what Kuroyume0161 bought, and if I was buying now, probably what I would buy unless I had a lot of excess cash.
$277.99 (recommended!)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115027
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 Kentsfield 2.66GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
Notice the price nearly doubles - for about 10% increase in clock speed. It gets worse from here.
$539.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115011
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Kentsfield 2.66GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
This is what I own. And it does own.  In the words of FPS Doug - it OWNZ! But it's more than 3 times the price of the Q6600! The "Extreme" logo basically appeals to the sucker gene, imo. The "Extreme" features don't really add up to a large increase in render speed (see renderfred.free.fr and other 3D benchmarks). Again the raw clock speed is only about 10% higher than the Q6600. At the time I bought it, it was the ONLY quad core chip available. Now there are many choices, and I wouldn't buy it today. It can't even be overclocked any better than the Q6700 can (same base clock speed).
$949.99 (worst choice)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115026
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Kentsfield 3.0GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
Nearly 4 times the price of the Q6600! Although the base clock speed is quite high, and this means it can be overclocked even more, so - if you have money falling out of your knickers, this is the fastest PC processor in the world, and the price reflects that.
$1,034.99

And of course, some mouse and keyboard and CD ROM drive and floppy drive.  Anything's fine there, adding up to something like another $150.

Have fun!

Poopy forum editor chewed up my post!  Why did they turn edit time down to like 1 minute?  >.<

I can vouch for the seagate drives and zalman cooler. Excellent.
Hey don't forget about Bill's share. You can still find XPPro64-bit out there. Get it while you can!

::::: Opera :::::

Yeh, and I can vouch for C4D.
It's what torrents were made for.
Though I bought mine legit.

For $5700 I not only bought those specs I mentioned but I also added two thinkpad T60's. Now that's a deal. Dual Core 2.16ghz with 1gb ram (can take 2) 120gig HDD and a 128mb dedicated mobility radeon graphics card, dvd/cd burner and so on... 

If you've got 4-5k to spend, get an upgradable desktop (you dont need 8gb ram that's THAT expensive, ((max out at 3 to start)) there are cheaper boards and you dont need SLI or even an aftermarket fan & hs if you're not going to OC) then add a nice laptop to the mix. You'll not only walk away with a desktop that will last you the nxt 5-7 years and be vista capable (when vista is capable that is) but you'll also be mobile.

I have basically the same set up (except 8 gb ram and only one 8800 gtx video card) and it works fabulously with rendering (in Vue 6 Inf 64 bit) being about 800% faster rendering than my elderly 4800+ and dual opteron 246.  I guess to really see the value in Poser we will have to wait for the 64 bit version. 

The biggest change though was getting a 30" dell monitor, I really cannot recommend this enough, it makes such a mammoth difference to making the images (especially once your eyesight starts to play up as you leave your thirties :) )

I know what you mean about storage space.  I keep all my .pzz's and .Vue files and I have in total about 8.2 tb of storage over all my computers and including a couple of NAS drives and I am running short already.

I favor small dual HD in RAID-0 for "working directory" and a large internal for "first-line storage" plus backup to external HD and DVD Burn

Highly recommend the 24", 27" and 30" Dell UltraSharp displays as Kristin mentioned.

I just ran a spreadsheet on a new system including Dell 24" monitor and Logitech speakers and the pjz recommendations (but my 3-drive HD preference), came to $3145

1 CPU: ntel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 
1 Motherboard: ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel 975X
2 RAM: G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 = 8GIG RAM
1 Video card: GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express
2 HDs: Western Digital Raptor WD360ADFD 36GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache
1 HD: Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD4000YS 400GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 
1 DVD burner: ASUS Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R 
1 Case: Antec Performance One P180B Black
1 PowerSupply: Antec TPQ-850 ATX12V / EPS12V 850W 
1 CPU Cooler: ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan with Heatsink 
1 OS: XP Pro 64 Bit
1 Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 24"
1 Speakers: Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1
1 Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech Cordless Desktop EX110 967561-0403 Black USB  

::::: Opera :::::

I have a 22 inch wide LG LCD monitor and a Microsoft ergodynamic keyboard as well as JBL speakers. I like all of them so it's really only the computer part I want to change at this point. 

operaguy, I am going to take all of these ideas tot PC Club and see what they have. Thanks for the tip :)
BTW-I lived in socal for about 30 years. Have been SoCalRoberta since 1976. It was my log in for the college computer (does anyone remember Simple?). I  just never bothered to change the name over the years. And I used to work near Marengo. :biggrin:

If your PC CLub is like mine, the tech staff they have is very fine. They will charge as much as $200 to build, but that is a two-day burn in, set up of RAID-0, bench tests on all sub-systems, reports, etc. They probably would build if for less with fewer tests, etc.

Good luck!

Oh, by the way, many of us SoCal people consider Las Vegas just a suburb.

::::: Opera :::::
Del Mar and Marengo, Old Town Pasadena

Do they transfer data too?

they probably would. They'd ask you to bring in your prior computer, or just the HD.

I don't even know there was a QX685O processor !! :blink:

I own a Q6600 and it rocks! Be carefull though to not take an enormous system you won't use all its power...

just sticking up for the Antec 900 here, as that is what i just built with, it is an awesome case!!, plenty of room, but you will need an ATX P4 power extension cable ( to get around the mobo) but if it is being built for you then that would be done anyway, i have nine fans in my case and it is very quiet, much quieter than my old pc that only had one fan!!! plus i pimped mine so i have loads of blue LEDs and UV lights too!! LOL,

would have to agree with others that you are spending a bit much and getting some hardware that will not be used by your apps, you don't need a second graphics card, and the money you save off that will pay for 8gb RAM on it own!!

basically if i was building a gaming machine, with a view to selling it to a hardcore gamer, that i knew would pay anything to have the latest parts in it, then i would build the machine you found, i know i could overcharge for it, as the only people who would look at it would be a hardcore gamer with money to burn,

but if i was building one just for poser and such, then i would ( and did) get a cheaper quad, one graphics card ( i think any of the 8800 series cards are gonna be ok for quite a while yet) as much Ram as you can ( dual channel) 2gb sticks are better than 1 gb sticks as then you can have 8gb on that ASUS striker, then just as many HDs as you want, that antec case you found has 9 drive bays, so there is plenty of room for your needs,

for the price of that machine you found you could easily make two high-end machines, then use one just for rendering or set up a farm.

anyway good luck with your purchase.

By the way, the RAM link provided is either an error or an amazing bargain. I wonder if it is too good to be true.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231112

That's $160 for 4GIG!

And the specs on the product are high.
DDR2 800(PC2 6400), which runs at a 800MHz

Is G.Skill a known and safe brand of memory?

::::: Opera :::::

That specific kit is in my machine right now, with that motherboard, and works well ^_^  That's why I recommended it.  The price is not really that out of line with stuff around it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147+1052315794&name=4GB(2+x+2GB

well i guess you are right about the pricing.....last time I looked 2GIG modules were like $300 each.

I guess these days you can get 8GIG of ram for less than $400.

What a world!

::::: Opera :::::

That looks like a hot gaming machine, and some of the gaming features may be wasted on Poser. P7Pro and 64-bit Windows look to be essential to take advantage of the CPU. High-end graphics will speed up preview mode (check OpenGL support, rather than DirectX), but, unless P7Pro does things differently, won't much affect rendering time. And just how will you back up your data? Also, while it's nice to have the speed, I see overclocking as more for hobbyists than for profesional use. It cuts down the safety margins. But an overclockable system will be very reliable at normal speed: the extra cooling expands the safety margins. Things such as NAS, putting your storage on a network, give you more flexibility, long term. I know one guy in Silicon Valley who made a really solid protective enclosure for his external drives: from what he said it sounded too heavy for pick-up-and-run, but it should survive an earthquake dropping the house on it.

Quote - Also, while it's nice to have the speed, I see overclocking as more for hobbyists than for profesional use.

If you can take a 2.66 quad core machine and overclock it to 3GHz with one simple setting (just change the clock speed in motherboard BIOS screen) - and it's 100% stable for hours-long rendering hitting 4 cores - why would you not do that?  Take "fast" and multiply it by 20% :)

I'm trying to look ahead to my future needs as well as my current. PoserPro7 is suppose to be coming out "someday". I'm not going to kid myself. I'll end up buying it. And I'd like to add another program like Cinema4D or Lightwave, maybe even 3DSMax (for the render capabity and all the great models) eventually. 

Cinema pwnz :D

WOW, I wish I could afford such a great machine. It should be technically viable for years. I do agree with the posts stating that the price does seem very high. One of the things I hate most is running down hardware price quotes, but in this instance it would be worth the time, considering how much money you're willing to spend for a long term investment.
Warranties are always an extremely mportant factor for me. The problem is, these days I don't know which way to go. I've always been very statisfied with Dell, but other people claim just the opposite, and I have no reason to doubt their word. I guess it just boils down to a crapshoot. You put down you cash and take your chances. Best of luck.