The key to a trading rig, where you will or might run 3 or more monitors, is the mobo. Safest bet would be an X58* with enough PCIEx16 slots to run the number of monitors you want. Beyond the mobo, nearly everything else is rather generic. If you plan to run only 1-2 monitors, a budget mobo with 1, x16 slot will do. * There is a new line... the Core ix-2xxx, CPUs. They are socket 1155 and can boast greater performance than the Core i7 line. However, this platform is still new and likely a bit buggy. And... the successor to X58, the new X79, is said to be due in Q4, 2011. If you want "cutting edge", suggest you wait until X79 has been on the market for a while. Otherwise, an X58 rig should be fully featured (SATA III, USB 3.0) and excellent all around.
What I have seen in retail stores... the ready-made boxes are mostly Intel i3 or i5 (or AMD equivalents). i7 are rare. Maybe they target more towards common households wanting a computer at home to check e-mails and browse the internet and such. Computer gamers are probably very few in their demographics. Traders, even less. I wonder if anybody has tried to build a home box with a Xeon processor. They are designed more for servers. i7 more for gamers, I heard. The heatsink for an i7 is huge. It is impossible to use them on a 1u server chassis. Intel must have done something very different. Some Xeon processors have comparable performance scores to i7, but much less heat dissipation.
Also, new Socket 2011 platform... currently scheduled for release Q4 '11 or Q1, '12.... could be that will be the new X79 ??
Yes, the Big Box stores are all about meeting a price point, so unlikely to have much in the way of gamer or proper trader rigs. The kinds of computers Big Box sells are still OK for trading so long as only 1-2 monitors are run. For 3+ monitors, must pay attention to the mobo. For years, Dell has been clever about CPU cooling on their high-end lines. They use an appropriate/large heat sink, but no heat sink fan. Instead, they've had either intake or exhaust fans draw/blow air across the heat sink rather than a heat sink fan which just stirs the air above the heat sink. The Dimension line had one large exhaust fan which drew air in across the drives and video cards, then across the heat sink to exhaust. The Dimension lines draw cool ambient air from the outside directly over the drives and CPU, and the PSU exhausts air out the top. Probably saves a few $$, and usually cuts down on fan noise. The two T3500s I've seen up close are very quiet and everything runs at a cool temp.... even better than the T3400s.
Any advice on this bundle ? IntelCore i7 2600K LGA 1155/ ASUS P8P67 Motherboard $400.00 http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/0407BUNDLEpromo.html Looking to add another computer now . My setup is a few years old now ... currently running q6600 on a asus p5n e sli with 2 - 8600 and 1 - 8400 cards running six monitors( 4 -22", 2 - 19" ) , also added w7 pro to this setup. Still runs great. pic is posted here http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showt...highlight=building a trading rig&pagenumber=6