After much research (nearly a month of perusing the SLIZone forums), I have working specs for my new system:

• Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Processor- $339.99
• EVGA nVidia nForce 750i FTW Motherboard - $189.99
• 2x Kingston HyperX DDR2-1066 2x1GB - $119.98
• EVGA GeForce GTX280 (released June 18) - $600 (Rumored MSRP)
• Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W Power Supply - $389.99
• 2x Seagate Barracuda 320GB SATA Hard Drive - $149.98
• Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Full Tower Case - $169.99
• Microsoft ZG6-00006 Black Standard PS/2 Wired Keyboard - $11.99
• Microsoft D58-00041 White PS/2 Wired Intellimouse 1.1 - 20.99

Total cost: $1992.90... I tightened up the processor and motherboard and RAM. I decided to go for DDR2 RAM which shaved off literally 500 bucks. (Let's see if I can explain this better than I have twice before.) I was going to initially go with DDR3. That RAM supports faster speeds and would allow me to upgrade the processor in the future without replacing everything. Seemed like a smart investment. If I use DDR2, however, it will NOT support many of the faster processors above the Q9450 that I have listed. I would have to replace the entire computer, more or less, to upgrade from DDR2. However, current processors are LGA775. (Basically means that they have 775 pins.) Intel is currently showcasing a processor codenamed Nehalem? It's going to be the future of processor technology that's planned on being released this winter. It naturally has a different number of pins (1366 to be exact), so that means these new processors won't work in boards I buy today, period. The Q9450 is pretty high quality as it is. If I buy a DDR3 motherboard to allow me to upgrade the processor, I would only have a very tiny amount of new processors to pick from without having to replace the entire motherboard to use a Nehalem. Basically, the Q9450 is so good, it wouldn't be worth the price to upgrade to another 775 pin processor. After this bit of news, either way, whether I purchase DDR2 or DDR3, I will have to replace the entire computer within 2 years if I want to upgrade because 775 pin processors are going to be completely replaced by the 1366 pin processors.

Long story short: I picked DDR2 because I won't need to upgrade, it's far cheaper, and DDR3 RAM that operates at the same speed DDR2 RAM has almost no benefits. DDR3 is still very young, but it has great potential, which is why I was interested in having the option to upgrade. But that is no longer an option. If I upgrade, I'll have to replace the entire computer either way, thanks to the Nehalem. (Which I will not be getting, and don't you DARE tell me to wait. The Nehalem is going to be very, very expensive for a long time after it comes out.)

Now, I'm a bit torn as to what LCD monitor to buy. I've heard good things about Dell, Samsung and Acer. Does anyone know the pros and cons of each one? I've also heard that Dell's quality has started to slip recently, so that's no longer an option. It's either Samsung or Acer. I will also assume that the new nVidia cards will support HDMI, so I would prefer to spend the extra money to get an LCD that also supports that (and DVI and VGA, if possible). I'll still have to research that... I'll also have to research Creative soundcards. I keep getting mixed reports that the X-Fi soundcards are really GOOD and really BAD. Scary thing is, with Creative acting the way they've been, either report is equally accurate.

June 4, 2008 at 7:46pm

Obama supports Israel's wish that Jerusalem NOT be divided between Jews and Palestinians:

"Let me be clear. Israel's security is sacrosanct. It is nonnegotiable. The Palestinians need a state that is contiguous and cohesive, and that allows them to prosper, but any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state, with secure, recognized and defensible borders. Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided."

June 5, 2008 at 2:05am

Palestinians get angry, of course:

"This statement is totally rejected. The whole world knows that East Jerusalem, holy Jerusalem, was occupied in 1967 and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state."

June 5, 2008 at 7:13pm

In response, Obama retracts his unbridled support:

"Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations."

This has got to be one of the quickest backpedals I've ever personally witnessed. All these articles have shown up on my news feeds... Bam, bam, bam. Less than three days' time. Here I was about ready to make a note that Obama was actually going to support Israel's rightful claim to their own freakin' city, and then he goes and changes his stance when the Palestinians told him that wasn't going to happen. The one redeeming factor of Obama, that he was going to support Israel? Poof! No longer a redeeming factor. I should have realized that he's just playing for votes. He's not even in office and he's already breaking promises. It's a wonder that anyone can believe what this guy says... You know it's only what he thinks everyone wants to hear. All that matters to him are the votes, not the principles.