doyl

Any monoblock or bridged 2 channel with at least 200W RMS would be alright. Can cheap out and get a jaycar response precision amp, or go up from there.

PC Case Gear tend to have the best range of gear and really good prices (generally) but are only located in Melbourne. http://pccasegear.com/

Running cooler tends to mean running quieter as well. Don't even notice the 5870 at all except for at boot.

No need on the newer ati cards, they run a hell of a lot cooler than those 4 series cards.

Definitely need windows 7 x64 bit, otherwise you will only see even less than 4gb of ram. Anyway, I'm thinking 6950 as a minimum for bf3 at 1920x1080. anything less than that and you won't get absolute maximum. They are making a new engine for this sure, but as if it won't get made properly which means even the slightly lesser than the highest hardware should make do just fine.

Yeah I was eyeing off that head unit something cronic, I love the idea of putting the MP3 player inside the head unit, especially since I don't use it for cds. Eventually got the JVC I linked earlier and ran a usb cable to the din holder I installed below it. Basically the same thing, just nowhere near as cool.

Getting battlefield on anything other than PC is just the wrong kind of experience. bfbc2 on xbox and pc were basically 2 different games. And yeah, 5870 on 2560x1440 just won't cut it

Not sure what head unit you are talking about there :S I picked up a nice JVC unit the other day from SuperCheap Auto that has exactly what you are looking for. Ipod control + bluetooth (including a microphone for hands free for your mobile). Supercheap had it for $90 off making it close enough to $250. Was the best option when looking at all the other contenders in the $250 margin. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/JVC-BLUETOOTH-USB-CD-PLAYER-KD-R826BT.aspx?pid=286585#Description That one. I'm sure you can find better, but it was a great option for a quick purchase and build.

I had the same issue as tyresbro where the holes didn't line up and the actualy template needed a bit of modifying (but this is probably due to the holes not lining up. Also found that using 6mm mdf worked fine with the speakers I am using, but cut out a ring to boost the width to 12mm just where the speaker is so as to make sure the trim fit on with minimal ease. http://s110.photobuc...yl_mx5/Skyline/ Using the thinner board worked a treat!

Brriiiiiink is a totally different animal on PS3/XBOX when compared to PC. Play it on a mate's computer if you know anyone that has it and then tell us you don't like it. It's a good clean, fast paced shooter which could almost be called a 360 degree shooter considering the amount of pathways around the place. You must be constantly watching your back/side/above and sometimes below or face peril. no frame issues here with a 5870 on 2560x1440 but have turned the advanced shading and a few other "advanced" options off in an effort to keep it over 60fps. Gripes with the game - all classes look the same except for a tiny icon that appears on your hud, and all these icons are the same colour, so you generally have to double take "oh was that a medic? oh.. nah, soldier. Soldiers can't revive. damn you! etc." Getting onto a server can be a laggy experience (but less so than the p2p component) but playing against real people is night and day compared to the bots. For anyone that finds the close quarter combat difficult, remember that melee and run 'n' slide are your bestest friends ever.

Yeah I am, waiting to hear when I can start downloading it through steam. Also, DNF steam pre-order key on the cheap http://www.cdkeysdirect.com/products/Duke-Nukem-Forever-Steam-Cd-Key-pre-order.html $40usd - just search for cdkeys direct coupon in google to get a 10% off purchase voucher. Been waiting for this game for... too long