If you’ll take note, I only got a video capture card. Hell, I’ll put up $400 for an AiW, which I think have video capture options as well.
Edit: I’m also hoping this computer will last me a relatively long time, hence why I’m “overdoing” it in some areas.
I’ve had a fair bit of advice putting together PCs so I might be able to give you some advice.
First off, don’t spend a fortune on the case, a case is a case, most people put their case on the floor or tucked away in the corner of their desk where they barely even see it, so why pay extra for something that you won’t really look at anyway. So while a flashy case might seem attractive, it’s basically a waste of money. If you’re feeling confident you might also want to stay away from brand-name systems. I’ve done my research and almost all of the apparently high-end, but low cost systems out there have a major shortcoming in one or more key component. Custom build it the way to go and in case you don’t feel confident enough to build it yourself then you should be able to easily find a store that will put it together for you and give you a warranty.
So here’s my advice for a high-end, but reasonably priced PC.
Motherboard:
I happen to like Asus motherboard; they’re reliable and reasonably priced. I’ve never had a problem with them. Now when it comes to picking the right model you’ll want to get one that doesn’t have anything but barebones integrated video or audio hardware if at all, you’re going to put in a good video and audio card so there’s no point in paying more to have them on the motherboard since you won’t be using them. An onboard network adapter is a little more useful so if you can’t find a card without one it’s no big deal.
CPU:
I happen to like AMD CPUs, they run insanely hot, but they’re cheaper and just as reliable as Intel processors. The other advantage is that unlike Intel they don’t have integrated CPU fans, so that you won’t end up throwing out a $200 CPU if a $10 fan breaks. Just make sure you get plenty of ventilation in the case. You should also consider that the biggest bottleneck in most modern PCs is the hard drive, not the CPU so it’s not worth the cost of getting the highest end CPU when you can get one for a notch or two lower and save $100 with little reduction in actual speed.
RAM:
Go for DDR 333 or DDR 400 if you’re feeling like spending a little more, but in either case I wouldn’t suggest going for more than 1024 MB of Ram. Unless you plan on doing serious video or graphics work you really won’t notice that much of a difference beyond that, at least not for the price it’ll cost you. I would also suggest getting two 512 chips, that way if your ram breaks down you at least have one good chip to fall back on.
Hard Drive:
It depend on what you want to do, 80 gigs should get your started, but if you download a lot chances are you’ll run out pretty fast, it’s up to you if you want more, just make sure you try to get a 7200 RPM, that’ll reduce your seek time and really speed up your system.
Video Card:
Ati Radeons are good, and I think there’s a 9800 model with TV in/out, but you should check into that if you’re interested. This is where you’ll want to spend a little more, a good video card makes much more difference when it comes to gaming than any other component, if you plan on playing games, invest in your video card.
Sound Card:
Honestly, I’ve never been able to tell the difference between anything above a SoundBlaster live value, I’m sure it’s there, but I just can’t hear it. I suggest going for the cheapest SoundBlaster live card you can find and spending the money you save on a good set of speakers with a subwoofer.
CD-Rom:
Go for a DVD/CD-RW combo, they’re fairly cheap and they do just about everything you could want (except copy from CD to CD, you’ll need a second CDRom for that). LiteOn makes a good one, which is fairly inexpensive, plus LiteOns are really good when it comes to overburning.
Network Card:
I’ve always liked D-links, but any brand will do, try to go for one that has integrated cross capabilities, it’s usually an unlisted feature so you might want to do a little research into it, but basically what it does is let you link two PCs together without using a hub or a switch.
Floppy Drive:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, NEVER forget about the floppy drive, if you do you’ll live to regret it. It’s only about $15, but if you ever have computer problems you’ll be glad you spent it.
Mouse:
Go for an optical mouse, they cost virtually nothing anymore and they’re just so much better than a normal mouse. I suggest going against the wireless version, they tend to eat through batteries at a disgusting pace.
Keyboard:
If you can find one try to get a good old fashion windows keyboard, no special buttons or shortcut keys, no ergonomic design, just a plain old keyboard. Problem is they’re getting to be a bitch to find, I’ve had to repair this one 3 times to keep from buying a new one, but believe me, all those cute little shortcut buttons are useless, chances are you’ll never use them (except maybe for the volume one). The same advice goes for keyboards as for mice, don’t go for wireless
Power Supply:
An often forgotten component, a good power supply is crucial, I suggest going for a 400W one. That should give you all the power you need without ever having to worry about it when you install new hardware.
Monitor:
This one’s up to you, it really depends on what you want, if you want size go for a 21"+ monitor, if you want clear picture at a reasonable price go for a flat screen. If however you want picture quality you might want to check out the LCDs, they’re quite nice (I have one myself). I’m warning you they’re very expensive compared to a normal monitor, expect to pay more for a smaller screen, but the quality really is excellent, provided you go for a good one. On the bright side LCD screen size is true size, so a 17" really is a 17", not 16 1/8". Of course if you already have a decent monitor you can just skip on this entirely.
Well that about wraps it up, I just did a quick calculation and I ended up with a total of $1419.35 CDN for a high-end system along the lines I’ve suggested. So if you’re paying in US dollar then it should fall in your budget.
Anyway, hope this helps.
1,058.98 USD
Damn man, that’s exactly what I was looking for, thanks a hell of a lot. 
saves DS’s post to a notepad file
Avoid soundblaster live line, they suck badly, they can have some serious compatibility issues this I speak from personal experience. Right now im looking at Hercules line of cards, fortissimo III looks good.
ATI All In Wonder line of cards integrate tv input, so if your looking for capture card you have an option there. If you would still opt for a seperate card for video capture say so, could do a little research for ya.
As far as ram is considered, go for 512 minimum after 512 unless as stated you do any truly intensive video editing you will not notice much if any difference.
For optical drives, get a dvd drive and a dvd burner, at least if you want one. DVD burner would be an expensive thing to burn out from overuse.
For a monitor, if your going for gaming, avoid an LCD. Expensive, can have ghosting effects, and have a very hard time displaying dark colors.
SB Live is probably the most all-around compatible sound card family there is. I’ve never had any problems whatsoever, and this is from a used card I bought on ebay a year ago. It’s affordable, and provides excellent sound quality for anyone who isn’t doing professional-caliber mixing. I can’t imagine what the hell you could be doing, azgard, to call it a bad product.
Actually, to the contrary its the opposite. Ever since they introduced the card way back in 98 its always had issues with compatibility.
http://arstechnica.dealtime.com/xPR-Creative_Labs_Sound_Blaster_Live_Value~PG-4
http://www.techspot.com/reviews/hardware/sb_live/index.shtml
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/soundblasterlivex-gamer.php
http://thetechnozone.com/audiobuyersguide/hardware/soundcards/sblive.html
SB Live! is the only soundcard I haven’t had issues with. But that could just be me.