The abundance of cheap older Xeons also help. You can get an Intel board, 128GB DDR3 ECC RAM, two 2670 Xeons (SR0KX stepping which fixes VT-d) for $580 altogeth

The abundance of cheap older Xeons also help. You can get an Intel board, 128GB DDR3 ECC RAM, two 2670 Xeons (SR0KX stepping which fixes VT-d) for $580 altogether either separately off eBay or in one kit from natex. That's an excellent base for such a development - gaming machine. And now there's even a decent yet cheap SSI EEB chassis, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro for only $100. (Nope, Rosewill cases do not count as decent, sorry.)