feedback for this month's recommended configs

[Xurk]

one of the things i noticed is that chaud is still recommending ssd's rather than caching solutions.

with the z68 motherboards, you can buy the cheaper gen 3 60gb drives (they usually dont come smaller) and setup ssd caching instead of doing a dedicated install.

this nets you about 80-95% the performance of SSD, doesnt require messing with the OS install, and can be an addon solution for existing computers as well (through the ocz synapse series, or if you have a z68 chipset, simply adding an ssd)

I built a new rig for a friend lately and went with this rather than my typical ssd + HD split windows install. the performance for the 1-2 games he plays most often is within 5% of pure ssd hosting and when he plays something that he hasnt ran in a while it speeds up within 10 minutes of play or so.

much easier to use than copying games you want to limited SSD space, or doing hybrid OS installs that wont service pack (man that one pissed me off, microsoft doesnt support junction points during service pack installs)

also, why not the nvidia 550 card for the puppy config option? and finally, unicorn needs a blue ray drive. if you are going high end, modern equipment (even if of minor use) is still important. its likely to be with you a long time.

[OhpUldum]

Usually the GTX550 Ti is about $50 more than the HD6770. Also the puppy build is meant to be the system where you spend the least amount of money but can still play on high / ultra in WoW.

You will also see fine print indicating SSD's are always optional and by no means are they a must have for a gaming buid. Bluray drives also fall into this category as no games have been released on Bluray, for the PC, to date.

[chaud]

SSD caching just doesn't offer impressive performance compared to an actual SSD. It is nice for people who really only have $60 to spend or can't figure out symlinks, but people are better off saving $120 and learning how to symlink things.