The Double-Stuff Workstation
Perfect parallelism

As always, our Double-Stuff system includes some of the fastest components available, often paired up in an ode to parallelism, without squandering cash on unnecessary extras.

Processor
Because the Double-Stuff is ostensibly a workstation, we just had to opt for one of Intel's server- and workstation-oriented Xeon processors.

Well, not exactly. For all intents and purposes, the Xeon X3350 is identical to the desktop-bound, 45nm Core 2 Quad Q9450. The only major difference is that the Xeon seems to be more widely available than the Core 2 Quad. Incidentally, server-class processors purportedly go through more strenuous quality testing than their desktop counterparts, so the Xeon may turn out to be a better overclocker. The price difference between these two CPUs is tiny, so for now, the Xeon gets our nod of approval for our workstation build.

Motherboard
We're going with dual GeForce 9800 GTX graphics cards teamed up via SLI for this system, and that calls for an Nvidia-based motherboard. The nForce 780i SLI isn't Nvidia's flagship Core 2 chipset, but it is the latest one to support DDR2 memory. (The new nForce 790i SLI Ultra is actually a little faster than the 780i, but it only works with DDR3 memory, and we're not willing to pay the associated price premium.) XFX's 780i SLI mobo is a retail version of Nvidia's reference motherboard design, complete with SLI compatibility, a very tweakable BIOS, and full support for both Nvidia's nTune tweaking and monitoring software and the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA) specification. There are plenty of other very nice high-end motherboards, including those based on Intel's X48 and P35 chipsets, but this board's mix of SLI support and tweakability makes it our choice for the Double-Stuff.

Memory
Memory is stupid cheap right now, so we've outfitted this machine with 8GB of DDR2-800 RAM (via two 4GB Mushkin kits). Our budget has more than enough room for it, and this selection ensures ample headroom for almost any task. We're going with higher capacity here instead of faster DIMMs for the same reasons as in the Sweet Spot: low latencies don't matter nearly as much as some would have you think, and DDR3 RAM is just not worth the ridiculous premium over DDR2 right now.

Naturally, you'll want to install a 64-bit operating system in order to make full use of 8GB of RAM. See our operating system section a couple of pages ahead for details.

Graphics
A GeForce 9800 GTX SLI configuration is faster and quieter than Nvidia's "single-card" dual-GPU GeForce 9800 GX2. You can even choose to slip in a third GeForce 9800 GTX and run an SLI threesome, although we've found that the performance returns for such a configuration aren't quite worth the expense. We've selected 9800 GTX cards from EVGA because they're among the cheapest on the market and they're covered by a lifetime warranty.

Storage
Our storage recommendations cover a whopping 2.3TB of capacity split between two Western Digital Caviar GPs and two 10,000-RPM Raptors. These drives can be run in either RAID 0 or RAID 1 arrays (or a combination of the two) for improved performance or redundancy. RAID 0 may increase the chance of data loss without doing much for overall system performance, but it should still help in particularly storage-intensive tasks. If you'd like to improve both performance and redundancy, you can also assign four of either drive to a RAID 0+1 array.

The 1TB Caviar GPs we picked are slower than the latest 7200RPM drives, but they're still solid performers, and they're cheaper than competing 1TB offerings. Besides, speed isn't too big an issue when you have two Raptors to house your operating system and applications. Do note that a pricier 1TB Caviar GP RE2 is available with a five-year warranty. See our review of that drive here.

On the optical drive front, we've upgraded this machine to the same LG Blu-ray drive we recommended in our Sweet Spot alternatives. This drive combines a Blu-ray reader and a DVD burner without breaking the bank.

Audio
As we've noted, the Xonar D2 gives you all sorts of extra goodies that don't come with the less expensive DX model we recommended for our other systems. Gamers looking for native rather than emulated EAX effects may want to take a gander at our X-Fi-based alternative on the next page, though.

Power supply
PC Power & Cooling's TR Editor's Choice award-winning Silencer 750 power supply delivers some of the highest efficiencies we've seen to date along with five years of warranty coverage, a single 12V rail capable of delivering 720W of power, dual 8-pin PCI Express power connectors, and low noise levels. This PSU has everything it takes to handle our Double-Stuff Workstation's many power-hungry components, and it should provide plenty of headroom for expansion, as well.

Enclosure
Cooler Master's Cosmos 1000 is another TR Editor's Choice award winner. This case shares some design elements with the Antec P182 we featured in our Sweet Spot system, such as a flipped internal layout that houses the power supply at the bottom, but the Cosmos is bigger, badder, and more enthusiast-friendly. With four 120mm fans, there's plenty of airflow, and the case is roomy enough to accommodate six hard drives, five 5.25" drives, multi-GPU configurations, and internal liquid cooling systems. It's also primed for quiet operation thanks to insulated side panels and low-speed fans. Hit our full review of the Cosmos for additional details on this case's unique features and swanky design. If you're looking to build a system with ESA-compliant components, you can get an ESA-certified Cosmos 1010 for an additional $40.