The other day I posted some specs for my dream computer and got some valuable input from several members like Squilliam. So armed with their suggestions, I went back online to seek out by dream computer v2.0.
I found this Gateway FX6800-09 which seemed to fill the bill. I've owned Gateways in the past and been satisfied and I like the quality and style of the FX line. The combination of a Core i7 CPU and GTX 280 GPU puts you pretty much on the top of the food chain. I am less happy that 6GB is the maximum RAM supported but since Vista does allow you to plug in high speed memory by USB in a pinch, it's not a deal breaker.
The $1650 price tag seemed reasonable for what you get, but is it? A little comparison shopping seemed to be in order. I located or customized other computers to exactly the same specifications or when that was not possible I adjusted the price accordingly for a fair comparison.
Since everyone is using the same components for the most part, you would think prices would be pretty similar. Well think again. Of course there are less tangible differences like quality of tech support and build quality and testing which I'll have to leave to each individual to evaluate.
My conclusion is that for me, the Gateway is the best choice. The amount I could save by custom order or building it myself aren't worth as much as having someone else get all the drivers working together and deal with other compatibility issues. But I'd like to hear from all our tech savvy members with their thoughts.
