Working on the high-end build. Dream build to follow soon after.

Now that we've seen the low cost and mid range builds, we're going to do a top of the line computer. It will power through anything that's thrown at it. Render times will be insanely fast, games will tremble before its might, etc. Here, money is of no importance. It's all about raw performance.

High End:

CPU:
For this build, the i7 980X Can't be beaten. It has 6 cores, which are hyperthreaded to have 12 threads, increasing the effective processing power in multithreaded applications by more than 50%. At 3.33GHz, it certainly won't be lacking in single threaded applications too, and it also overclocks a good amount. It runs hot, and it's hard on your wallet, but you can't beat the performance. $1050 on Newegg,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

Cooling:
For the high end build, we have extremely fast components. This means we need extremely good cooling, as well. For this, there's no way to go except water cooling. I don't have the time to go digging around looking for all the parts online right now, but a good place to start is Danger Den, one of the foremost liquid cooling retailers. You'll need graphics card waterblocks, a CPU waterblock, tubing, a pump, a radiator (or two, maybe three even), and a reservoir. For a coolant, I recommend sticking with distilled water, but if you want something more exotic expensive, there are many options available. It's probably going to run you around $1000-1500. For the total cost, I'll put $1500.
http://dangerden.com/

Motherboard:
We want a top of the line motherboard here. I'm thinking something like the Asus Rampage III Extreme. One of the best motherboards on the market, it has tons of features. 4 PCIe x16 slots mean you can run 4 graphics cards in x8 mode, and it's got too many back panel ports to count. $380 on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131642

RAM:
For a high end build, the only thing limiting our RAM is the motherboard. The Rampage III Extreme supports up to 24GB of DDR3 1600 tri-channel RAM, so we're going for 24GB of DDR3 1600 from GSkill. This is one of the largest and most expensive kits on the market, but for a high end build, it can't be beaten. $1000 on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231383


Graphics:
For graphics, nothing right now from ATI can match the power of Nvidia's Fermi architecture. The flagship in Nvidia's stock right now is the GTX 480, and if we can go tri SLI, why not? This combo will rip through any games in the foreseeable future, and it will fly through Folding @ Home work units like nobody's business. Also, it can do Nvidia 3D Vision Surround, which allows you to hook up 3 monitors and use Nvidia's 3D Vision kit for 3D gaming on all 3 monitors. And while we're at it, why not buy the card with a waterblock preinstalled? And the more expensive version also has a healthy overclock, too. The EVGA GTX 480 Hydro Copper FTW will run $650 from EVGA. Multiply by 3.
http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.a ... Family&sw=

Power Supply:
For this build, we're going all out, so let's go all out with the power supply too. To run 3 GTX 480s and still handle the 980X overclocked, we'll need the Corsair AX1200. With a 12+V rail at 100.4 amps, and 1200W of power, it should handle everything we can throw at it, and still be rock solid. You have to pay for this much power, and it will cost $300 from Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... Tpk=AX1200

Storage:
On our high end build, we'll get the ultimate high end storage system. An OCZ Vertex 2 SSD is the best choice for a boot drive; it has 200 GB of space, enough for an OS and a few programs and games, and it also has the fastest sequential and random write speeds available. This doesn't come cheap, and it sells for $695 before rebates.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227530
We also need some larger storage drives, and I think that two 2TB drives from Western Digital should do the trick. The Caviar Black 2TB drives aren't as fast as smaller drives, but that's what the SSD is for. They each cost $180, but with 4TB of storage, you'll have enough for anything you could possibly want to store.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136456

Optical:
When money is not a problem, neither is Blu ray. Plextor's B940SA is the fastest Blu ray burner currently, and is also an extremely good DVD drive. While we're at it, why not get two? 2 x $200 on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... Tpk=B940SA

Case:
For a sleek and stylish liquid cooling setup, the Corsair Obsidian can't be beaten. Eschewing the LEDs and other flashy features, this case is classy and stylish. With a large side window to show off your hardware, and enough room for several radiators, this is a great case. It doesn't have the air cooling potential of other cases like the HAF series, but for liquid cooling it's one of the best. $280 on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811139001

OS:
For the OS, you're gonna want Windows 7. It plays games, it's new, and it's supported by every vendor under the sun. Blender runs well on Windows 7, and there are no compatibility problems. You can get an OEM copy of Ultimate for $180. The EULA says that the OEM version is for people building systems for others, so you aren't supposed to buy it to use yourself, but nobody will know the difference.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116762

Total Price: $8095
OS- $180
Case- $280
Optical- $400
Storage- $695+360
PSU- $300
Graphics- $1950
RAM- $1000
Motherboard- $380
CPU- $1050
Cooling- $1500

This build costs a lot, but it offers a lot of performance for the steep price tag. You won't find a better performing single CPU build out there, and it will rip through games, rendering, folding, video editing, photo editing, and anything else you'd care to throw at it.

you know a year ago i almost bought a asus rampage 3 extremly ( maybe it was a 2) but looks good. i still want a Sr2 though =)

The Rampage III Extreme is a fairly new board. You were probably looking at the Rampage II Extreme. However, the older x58 boards still hold up remarkably well compared to newer ones.

o yea it looked really cool, i was building it on digital storm

When I get rich from selling my game I'm gonna buy something like that!

Great article, Spartan - u sound just like a salesman, too!

Thanks... I guess?

The sad part is unlike buying a fast car, this computer will go from top-of-line to fast in 2 years.

that is very true

That's how it goes. It's both good and bad, in its own way.