120GB SATA drive and cables was another $150+, CPU was around $300. Plus I bought a 5.1 Creative surround set with Audigy 2 Platinum. This time around it won't be as expensive since I can re-use parts (I was going from a P2 450 Mhz to my current computer in 2003 :lol). But my point stands, it can be very expensive for great performance and the diminishing returns is something that must be considered.
Edit: the "rose-colored glasses" comment is true. I think a lot of you are underestimating your expenses a bit. Anyway, to veer the thread in a different direction, any suggestions on ATI vs Nvidia for my next rig? Or is that even an issue anymore? I think I will take the AMD plunge now instead of Intel for my next rig, any suggestions on which AMD chip (dual-core) to get? I'm not up to speed on their naming/numbering scheme.