Gamers Nexus: "It's been a while since we posted a high-end build, well, other than the $3000+ one, and we figured some of you enthusiasts were itching to look at another hardcore PC gaming build. Our "Hardcore" builds are designed for those who want to get the best graphics and performance possible and at the same time have enthusiast-grade components -- these normally fall within the range of $700 - $1200."
The 6950 is the one that can be unlocked right?
I wouldn't call the 6950 an "enthusiast" card. Nice once the BIOS is flashed but not top tier. The 7000 series is the new "enthusiast" card.
I wouldn't call it ultimate, just a powerful rig that will play anything for the couple years at max or close to it @ 1080p
An ultimate rig would be a no compromises kind of build
An I7-2600 strikes me as an odd choice for a gaming rig. You'd be much better off getting an I5-2500K paired with a nice big chunk'o'metal, aka CPU cooler, like the Noctua NH-D14 and then overclock it to hell. Getting 4.5GHz shouldn't be hard on even a fairly mediocre CPU. Get a good CPU and you hit 5GHz easily. Mine is on the bad side, so I only reach 4.8 at some 1.47 volts, but temps are still fine and it's stable.