i7 with all four (or eight if you will) cores running at 3.8 Ghz (No turboing one core faster here)
Gigabyte X58-UD4P Mobo
TRIPLE channel 6 GB DDR3 running at 1600
2 ATI 4890's running in Crossfire
2.5 TB WD storage
Blu-Ray/Lightscribe DVD
TV tuner
25.5 inch Asus Monitor
Cosmos 1000 case w/window
800 watt Mushkin Power Supply
etc.
All shipped to my door without breakage 6 months ago for $2500. Would be less today, or could buy even better for around same price (http://techreport.com/articles.x/17787/8) I want a video of you eating your mouse. Anyone that knows how to use a phillips screwdriver can build a box that will smoke a Mac in performance and features using top notch components. Congratulations on your new Mac.
It was sort of a trick question since the kind of monitor used in the new iMac is kind of expensive. Try pricing a 27” LED-backlit, glass-covered monitor using IPS technology with at least that resolution.
No eight cores with the selected MOBO... it only supports a single four core i7. . .
Gigabyte X58-UD4P Mobo
6 GB TRIPLE channel DDR3 running at 1600
2 ATI 4890's running in Crossfire
2.5 TB WD storage
Blu-Ray/Lightscribe DVD
TV tuner
25.5 inch Asus Monitor
Cosmos 1000 case w/window
800 watt Mushkin Power Supply
etc.
. . . which would have to include Wifi card, Firewire 400/800 card, Bluetooth card, webcam, Wireless Keyboard and Mouse, and Windows Vista Ult or XP Pro OEM, to meet the challenge of coming close to the specs of the 27" i7 iMac.
I just priced everything as listed above plus the required stuff to make it work...
Cabojoe's "iMac Killer" System:
| Qty. | Item | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gigabyte X58-UD4P Mother Board | $ 257.25 |
| 1 | i7-975 3.06 GHz Intel Quad Core Processor | 574.99 |
| 3 | Crucial 2 GB Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM (6GB) | 230.00 |
| 2 | ATI 4890 Radeon HD Graphic Cards | 420.00 |
| 1 | 2 TB WD Hard Drives | 220.00 |
| 1 | 500MB WD Hard Drives | 57.00 |
| 1 | LG BluRay Lightscribe DVD burner | 90.00 |
| 1 | HD TV tuner | 88.00 |
| 1 | ASUS 25.5" 1920 x 1200 LCD Monitor | 330.00 |
| 1 | Cosmos 1000 Case | 199.00 |
| 1 | Coxmos 1000 Case window | 49.00 |
| 1 | Mushkin 800W Power Supply | 135.00 |
| 1 | Wifi card for Desk top | 20.00 |
| 1 | Firewire 400/800 card | 54.00 |
| 1 | Bluetooth card for desk top | 20.00 |
| 1 | Webcam | 20.00 |
| 1 | Wireless Keyboard and Mouse | 40.00 |
| 1 | Windows Vista Ult or XP Pro 64 bit OEM | 140.00 |
| TOTAL | $ 2,694.24 |
Compares to an Apple 27" iMac with the following upgrades:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Apple iMac 27" with 2.66 Ghz Quad Core i5 Intel Processor | $ 1,999.00 |
| Upgrade to 2.8 Ghz Quad Core i7 Intel Processor * | 200.00 |
| Upgrade to 8 GB DDR3 Dual Channel SDRAM | 200.00 |
| Upgrade to 2 TB Hard Drive | 250.00 |
| TOTAL | $ 2,649.00 |
| * Apple supports over clocking the i7 to 3.46 Ghz |
If the TV tuner is truly important, we could add an Elegato Eye HD Eye TV Tuner to the Mac for about $ 140.00.
That would bring the iMac comparable to $2,798.00.
However,
The quality of the Apple monitor is far superior to your selected 25.5" Asus.
In fact, Similar quality professional grade monitors sell for almost as much as the 27" base iMac by itself ... meaning you almost get the computer for free, tossed in for the cost of a cutting edge monitor.
As a system, your PC isn't even in the ball park. Itsahoot isn't going to have to bar-b-que his mouse.
Besides, a list of components with a cost is NOT a price. Price implies a finished product... and all the economic inputs required for a product. Does your labor costs nothing? What about your profit? Advertising? Research and development? Product liability? How about shipping costs for all that? Overhead? Taxes?
By the way, Mushkin apparently has stopped making the power supplies; at least they are no longer available... too bad.
Your non-linked link, The Double-Stuff Workstation purports to build a killer machine that you also use as an example... another build it yourself wonder box... but that one comes in at $2,713.86 without a monitor at all. . . or OS... so, again, no cigar, Cabojoe.