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[Blackface]

What heavily multithreaded apps are you making daily use of?

If there aren't any then just get the i5 750 and save $90, you won't notice any difference at all, trust me on this one.

If you need any extra CPU power (you won't for a long time) then just go ahead and OC.

I wouldn't get an MSI motherboard, and especially one that's over $200, that's a terrible buy if you ask me. One of the main reason to go with the LGA1156 platform is the fact that the baords are affordable, so it makes no sence buying something so overpriced. Buy one of these two, they're probably better anyway and $70 cheaper to boot:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128401

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131410

$260 on memory!? The hell, just get this and be done with it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0231180&cm_re=ddr3_4gb-_-20-231-180-_-Product

There'll be literally zero noticable difference at all, even in benchmarks I doubt you'll manage anything near a 1% difference either.

Again, don't get that Seagate HDD, its prone to failure and overpriced, choose from these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...36284&cm_re=caviar_1tb-_-22-136-284-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...2102&cm_re=1tb_samsung-_-22-152-102-_-Product

Edit: You were specifying 8GB of RAM I see now. Any real reason? 4GB is more than enough for pretty much anything apart from a few specialised tasks, unless you know you'll be using a super RAM hungry program regularly just get the 4GB. You can always upgrade later if you want to. No games benefit from more than 4GB of RAM fwiw.

To be fair, the MSI GD80 is the best reviewed and mot highly praised LG1156 motherboard on the market today. But yes, most of the features are wasted on people who don't plan to use them and or overclock.

 

[brain_stew]

To be fair, the MSI GD80 is the best reviewed and mot highly praised LG1156 motherboard on the market today. But yes, most of the features are wasted on people who don't plan to use them and or overclock.

Fair enough I haven't looked into specific P55 board reviews enough to write it off. I didn't expect much given MSI's pedigree but all the same, your overclocks are hardly going to be limited on those other two boards and they're hardly lacking in features. I still say its money better saved for most people.

 

[Kobe]

Get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102835&cm_re=4770-_-14-102-835-_-Product

Cheaper, faster and a lower power draw.

Make sure you OC that CPU, it'll make a huge difference. Pick up a cheap aftermarket cooler if you need to.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[rohlfinator]

What's a good mobo for the i7 860 and hd58**? I'm browsing with my iPod at the moment so it's kind of hard to look for myself. The thread on those Ati cards said they come out the 10th but that's passed, is there a more accurate release date? I don't want to wait long since I'm currently computer-less.

Hasn't been officially announced yet, but the general consensus seems to be sometime in October. I think they're aiming to launch before or alongside Windows 7, which comes out on October 22.

Edit: What about the upcoming i9s? When are those supposed to hit? My computer did certainly pick the right time to crap out, right in between all this new tech. Argh!

i9s aren't going to be out until spring 2010. Don't bother waiting, they're going to be expensive as hell and complete overkill for pretty much every game in the foreseeable future. They're more targeted toward extreme high-end workstations.

 

[McHuj]

I'm looking to upgrade my LCD monitor to a 1920x1080, 24 or so inch version. However, I'm probably not going to be able to game at 1080p.

How do modern LCD's look at non native resolutions? (I'd rather not game "letterboxed")

Currently, I have an 5 year old dell 20" (1650x1080) LCD? It doesn't look very good at all at non-native resolutions.

Any recommendations?

 

[dionysus]

Browsing around the interwebz I was looking for when AMD is looking to release a new CPU generation to replace the Phenom II. Is it true we are not going to see anything till 2011?

 

[Pctx]

^ By then, Intel will have bought AMD. :lol

 

[BravoSuperStar]

Super Talent 2 TB SSDs Coming Next Month

Super Talent Technology said earlier today that it's shipping its PCI Express RAIDDrive SSDs in early October. The company chose to use the PCIe Gen. 2.0 x8 interface in order to take advantage of the PCIe's heavy-duty pipeline, providing more than ten times more bandwidth than the SATA-II 3 Gbps bus (and five times more than the upcoming SATA-III bus apparently).

Super Talent also said that the OEM pricing for the 1 TB Gamers version will cost a face-slapping $4999. Interested consumers can check out the SSDs during the Intel Developer Forum next week. The RAIDDrive SSDs will be available to OEMs and system integrators next month.

Link

I'll pick up a few right after I win the lottery.

 

[Shapingo]

Browsing around the interwebz I was looking for when AMD is looking to release a new CPU generation to replace the Phenom II. Is it true we are not going to see anything till 2011?

AMD timeline[/QUOTE]

Intel already has 6 and 8 core cpu's ready to be released next year.

 

[Nobby]

I want to build a computer for adobe cs4 use (pshop, illustrator), htpc and some htpc gaming and am trying to decide between the 1366 i7 or the 1156 i7. Any opinions? Or should I just what was mentioned before and just build i5. The build prices I've been looking at are really close between the i7's and about 80 bucks cheaper with i5. I have no intentions to sli or xfire but I will def o/c whichever processor I get.

 

[Leezard]

I want to buy a new laptop, mostly for school work (such as coding) but I'd like to be able to play a couple of games as well (nothing crysis, I'm happy as long as I can play Diablo 3, the latest Total War game, SC2 etc). I really value a good battery life, and if possible an exchangeable battery should it break. I'm totally out of the loop for what processors and cards are good though.

I'm not really sure about how much I'd like to spend yet, as I don't know just how good the computers go for these days. :lol I'm really not after a high-end gaming rig though.
Could anyone give me some advice on what to buy?

 

[brain_stew]

I want to buy a new laptop, mostly for school work (such as coding) but I'd like to be able to play a couple of games as well (nothing crysis, I'm happy as long as I can play Diablo 3, the latest Total War game, SC2 etc). I really value a good battery life, and if possible an exchangeable battery should it break. I'm totally out of the loop for what processors and cards are good though.

I'm not really sure about how much I'd like to spend yet, as I don't know just how good the computers go for these days. :lol I'm really not after a high-end gaming rig though.
Could anyone give me some advice on what to buy?

Well if you want to play Empire: Total War that's pretty much exactly what you're after. Its one of the most demanding games out there, SC2 is going to be no slouch either. Aim for a 4650 DDR3 at a minimum.

 

[Leezard]

Well if you want to play Empire: Total War that's pretty much exactly what you're after. Its one of the most demanding games out there, SC2 is going to be no slouch either. Aim for a 4650 DDR3 at a minimum.

Is it? I thought that it wouldn't be that. :/ The important part isn't the games though, I haven't been able to play a game newer than Fable: the Lost Chapters so I have a lot that I can do. If I need a high-end gaming rig to play Empire: Total War then, well, I guess I'll not play Empire after all. The one of those 3 that I wanted to play the most was Diablo 3 actually, but if even that requires something high-end, then I'll stay with games from 2-3 years ago.

 

[brain_stew]

Is it? I thought that it wouldn't be that. :/ The important part isn't the games though, I haven't been able to play a game newer than Fable: the Lost Chapters so I have a lot that I can do. If I need a high-end gaming rig to play Empire: Total War then, well, I guess I'll not play Empire after all. The only important one of those 3 was Diablo 3 actually.

Well the main problem is that current laptops are generally so far behind desktops in the gaming stakes. A 4650 is a $50 desktop part, but you won't see it in a laptop for less than $800 usually. Its the price you pay for the form factor / portability.

I wouldn't be wanting anything less than that sort of level of graphics capability if I was aiming on playing a 2011 PC exclusive tbh, so, yeah, don't aim for anything less than say a 4650 DDR3 or GT 240m.

 

[Pctx]

Super Talent 2 TB SSDs Coming Next Month



Link

I'll pick up a few right after I win the lottery.

That's actually great news.... since this will push the lower end SSD's down in price.

 

[Minsc]

Fall 2009 Tech Report system guide, little excerpt:

Boy, do we have surprises in store for you. We were able to outfit our Utility Player build with a Core i5-750, a great little P55 mobo, a fast single-GPU graphics card, four gigs of RAM, and other goodies for only around $870. More impressive still, our Econobox build now pairs a triple-core Phenom II with a Radeon HD 4850, all for around $580.

 

[Leezard]

Well the main problem is that current laptops are generally so far behind desktops in the gaming stakes. A 4650 is a $50 desktop part, but you won't see it in a laptop for less than $800 usually. Its the price you pay for the form factor / portability.

I wouldn't be wanting anything less than that sort of level of graphics capability if I was aiming on playing a 2011 PC exclusive tbh, so, yeah, don't aim for anything less than say a 4650 DDR3 or GT 240m.

Oh, I see. Guess I'll stay behind a couple of years in the PC gaming scene once again.

 

[brain_stew]

Fall 2009 Tech Report system guide, little excerpt:

Shame they'll just miss out on being able to use the new ATI chips. Though its a simple substitution.

 

[Monroeski]

I'm looking to possibly get a second laptop and have it narrowed down to a few general characteristics. Basically, the laptop I already have is a Dell Mini 10, which we use for internet around the house and travel. I'm looking for a bigger laptop to pick up so I have something for trips that I can actually do some meaningful work on (since the Mini 10 is so limited). I'll be playing games on it, but probably nothing too taxing (mostly TF2 and older, I would guess), and even if I start playing newer games I don't have a problem with turning down the settings. Also definitely looking for something with a blu-ray player in it, though while I want one pretty bad it's not quite a dealbreaker if I have to leave that out.

I'm sure this is a stupid question that I already know the answer to, but I've been checking out the Dell Outlet site amongst other places, and specifically amongst the XPS Studio 16s I come across two general setups - 4 gigs ram, BD drive, 1920x1080 resolution, and 4 gigs of RAM, with the differences being the processors and video card. Seems whenever I find one with a 512mb Radeon HD 3670, it has a Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz), while the ones with 512mb Radeon HD 4570s in them have Core 2 Duo P7350 (2.0 GHz). Assuming pretty close to the same price, within $100 or so of each other, the one with the better vid card would be the better option, correct? I know that's generally the rule, but 2.0GHz just sounds so low and I wouldn't want to get the better vid card only to have it be hamstrung by the processor. Then again, 2.4 isn't exactly a massive jump.

Also, are blu-ray drives even worth it at this point, or should I broaden my search a bit? I already have a PS3 and some movies, so it's not like it would be my only player.

 

[masterkajo]

I have a question and don't know where else to go. Hopefully someone could help me here.

I have borrowed my brothers PC for finally playing Mass Effect on PC. But after some time (~2-10 minutes) there occur graphical errors in game. I asked him and he told me that also happens in World of Warcraft. I then tried Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy and there is the same.

Here are some screenshots from Mass Effect for reference: [warning big pictures]

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?ba3e916b73.jpg
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?d5979d6aa3.jpg
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?43d36c7796.jpg
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/image.php?579794b015.jpg

When I tap out of the game and back in they are usually gone but it doesn't take long (~1 min) for them to return. Besides, the longer I play the more, the frequent and the intense they get.


My systems specifications:

Intel Core 2 CPU: 6400 @ 2,13 GHz
2 GB RAM
Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3
Sapphire Radeon X1900 graphic card

I updated all the drivers to the latest versions and even reinstalled the whole PC (including formating the hard drive) because my brother said he it could be a virus (I don't know about that).


The graphic card runs at between 75-90°C when playing Mass Effect which is withing the limit. I opend the PC and did try to get rid of all the dust which didn't help either. So I guess that this is a hardware problem.

Does anyone have a ideas or tips how to proceed from here? I don't know how to check if the graphic card has a hardware problem or if it is the motherboard or whatever. Or perhaps someone knows about a software problem that could cause this (which I would rather deal with).

So thanks in advance.

 

[Minsc]

I think infinite lines means faulty RAM on the graphics card.

I have the same problem on mine, also a Radeon X1900 series (1950).

The 1900 series is pretty old, definitely past its prime, I'd say keep an eye out for an upgrade either way.

 

[brain_stew]

I'm looking to possibly get a second laptop and have it narrowed down to a few general characteristics. Basically, the laptop I already have is a Dell Mini 10, which we use for internet around the house and travel. I'm looking for a bigger laptop to pick up so I have something for trips that I can actually do some meaningful work on (since the Mini 10 is so limited). I'll be playing games on it, but probably nothing too taxing (mostly TF2 and older, I would guess), and even if I start playing newer games I don't have a problem with turning down the settings. Also definitely looking for something with a blu-ray player in it, though while I want one pretty bad it's not quite a dealbreaker if I have to leave that out.

I'm sure this is a stupid question that I already know the answer to, but I've been checking out the Dell Outlet site amongst other places, and specifically amongst the XPS Studio 16s I come across two general setups - 4 gigs ram, BD drive, 1920x1080 resolution, and 4 gigs of RAM, with the differences being the processors and video card. Seems whenever I find one with a 512mb Radeon HD 3670, it has a Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz), while the ones with 512mb Radeon HD 4570s in them have Core 2 Duo P7350 (2.0 GHz). Assuming pretty close to the same price, within $100 or so of each other, the one with the better vid card would be the better option, correct? I know that's generally the rule, but 2.0GHz just sounds so low and I wouldn't want to get the better vid card only to have it be hamstrung by the processor. Then again, 2.4 isn't exactly a massive jump.

Also, are blu-ray drives even worth it at this point, or should I broaden my search a bit? I already have a PS3 and some movies, so it's not like it would be my only player.

The 4570 is a crappy 80 stream processor GPU, the 3670 is actually the better GPU, though neither are really recommend for gaming. The stepup to something like a 4650 DDR3 is huge, easily a 2-3x increase.

Don't choose your laptop on whether or not it has a BD drive, its a simple upgrade if its ever needed and not something that is particularly useful in a portable machine, watching a BD movie on a 16" screen is quite a waste.

 

[Lostconfused]

I am looking for a bit of advice. Planing to replace my three year old E6600 and motherboard. Price range under $300 for the CPU. There needs to be some room between the PCIe slot and RAM slots, since i have a gtx 280, as i found out to my dismay.

I was looking at something along the lines of:

Probably the most optimal choice not counting the price.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3573170&CatId=3495

This one is probably just as good since i don't plan to run SLI any time soon.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4803001&CatId=1572

I was considering getting a higher end Core2Quad but maybe i5 is a better choice now. Appreciate any advice you can give.

 

[lowlylowlycook]

i5 is a better choice now.

this

 

[dionysus]

this

Well, real world performance is often similar with phenom II x4 for cheaper.

 

[Lostconfused]

this

But everything else jumps in price because of this. I was planing on getting more ram either way but still it along with the motherboard are going to be more expensive. Well maybe, but its still going to cost about $80 more and I will only be able to get 4GB of ram.

Edit: I guess i just don't handle a change of plans that well. Well great now that i figured out what i generally wanted out of a core2 CPU, time to start thinking of how i am going to get an i5 system together.

 

[K.Jack]

I'm looking to possibly get a second laptop and have it narrowed down to a few general characteristics. Basically, the laptop I already have is a Dell Mini 10, which we use for internet around the house and travel. I'm looking for a bigger laptop to pick up so I have something for trips that I can actually do some meaningful work on (since the Mini 10 is so limited). I'll be playing games on it, but probably nothing too taxing (mostly TF2 and older, I would guess), and even if I start playing newer games I don't have a problem with turning down the settings. Also definitely looking for something with a blu-ray player in it, though while I want one pretty bad it's not quite a dealbreaker if I have to leave that out.

I'm sure this is a stupid question that I already know the answer to, but I've been checking out the Dell Outlet site amongst other places, and specifically amongst the XPS Studio 16s I come across two general setups - 4 gigs ram, BD drive, 1920x1080 resolution, and 4 gigs of RAM, with the differences being the processors and video card. Seems whenever I find one with a 512mb Radeon HD 3670, it has a Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz), while the ones with 512mb Radeon HD 4570s in them have Core 2 Duo P7350 (2.0 GHz). Assuming pretty close to the same price, within $100 or so of each other, the one with the better vid card would be the better option, correct? I know that's generally the rule, but 2.0GHz just sounds so low and I wouldn't want to get the better vid card only to have it be hamstrung by the processor. Then again, 2.4 isn't exactly a massive jump.

Also, are blu-ray drives even worth it at this point, or should I broaden my search a bit? I already have a PS3 and some movies, so it's not like it would be my only player.

Tell me your budget, and I'll get you sorted out with a new notebook.

 

[Minsc]

Well, real world performance is often similar with phenom II x4 for cheaper.

Doesn't P55 architecture have a much brighter future though, being able to upgrade to faster 8-threaded i7s?

And does the Phenom II X4 have a turbo mode like the new i5/i7s? That jumps the cpu up like 4 or 5 notches with single-core applications, so your 2.8ghz chip runs at 3.2 or faster automatically.

 

[Archie]

Fall 2009 Tech Report system guide, little excerpt:

What kind of results would I expect if I were to build their Econobox? I am running an absolute dinosaur right now (P4, 1 gig ram, 6600) and am thinking about upgrading. My monitor's max resolution as 1680x1050. Could that PC run games such as Arkham Asylum at that resolution with AA and reasonable framerates?

 

[Monroeski]

The 4570 is a crappy 80 stream processor GPU, the 3670 is actually the better GPU, though neither are really recommend for gaming. The stepup to something like a 4650 DDR3 is huge, easily a 2-3x increase.

Don't choose your laptop on whether or not it has a BD drive, its a simple upgrade if its ever needed and not something that is particularly useful in a portable machine, watching a BD movie on a 16" screen is quite a waste.

The BD drive is more about the ability to watch all the movies I own now than about the need to have hi-def on the go.

And I figured the upgrade later would be easy, but it's also expensive as hell, isn't it? The ones I've seen run in the hundreds of dollars.

Tell me your budget, and I'll get you sorted out with a new notebook.

I guess I would say about $1,000 but it's kind of fluid; could go higher, would rather go lower. Not totally sure I really want to spend the money on a laptop or a desktop; the difference is I pretty much know my way around a desktop (with regard to pricing and power and such) but know jack about laptops.

 

[letsbereasonable]

What kind of results would I expect if I were to build their Econobox? I am running an absolute dinosaur right now (P4, 1 gig ram, 6600) and am thinking about upgrading. My monitor's max resolution as 1680x1050. Could that PC run games such as Arkham Asylum at that resolution with AA and reasonable framerates?

You would be fine with most games with that Econobox build. Price seems a little high, though. I wouldn't pay that much for that processor or graphics card with new stuff coming out that will push prices down.

 

[TouchMyBox]

So my buddy just bought this bundle:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=43629&vpn=Core%2Di5%2DBarebones&manufacture=Bundle%20Deals&promoid=1021

Looks pretty snazzy, but that 400 watt OCZ power supply makes me wonder what kinda videocard i can put in it for him, Can that thing run that system with a 4890? or should we play it safe and stick in a 4770 or 4850. He ordered a 1080p monitor so i'm thinking the lower end cards could be kinda iffy.

 

[Archie]

You would be fine with most games with that Econobox build. Price seems a little high, though. I wouldn't pay that much for that processor or graphics card with new stuff coming out that will push prices down.

I was looking at brain_stew's $550 PC in the other thread, since I believe it is a better value, but some of the deals don't work any more. So I'm guessing that when the new processors/cards come out, the current stuff with get a decent price drop? Sorry for the retarded questions btw, I'm a lowly consolite who is trying to play with the big boys. :lol

 

[dionysus]

Doesn't P55 architecture have a much brighter future though, being able to upgrade to faster 8-threaded i7s?

And does the Phenom II X4 have a turbo mode like the new i5/i7s? That jumps the cpu up like 4 or 5 notches with single-core applications, so your 2.8ghz chip runs at 3.2 or faster automatically.

I am not going to disagree with you. I was just trying to frame the discussion. Picking computer components is rarely as simple as i5 is better with no caveats (,and that was what I was replying to.) Performance wise and future potential it is better, but it is also more expensive and most applications right now don't use the i5/i7 architecture very well.

I myself have an i7 920. Going to overclock it once my adaptor for my old cpu cooler comes in to fit the mount.

 

[dionysus]

I was looking at brain_stew's $550 PC in the other thread, since I believe it is a better value, but some of the deals don't work any more. So I'm guessing that when the new processors/cards come out, the current stuff with get a decent price drop? Sorry for the retarded questions btw, I'm a lowly consolite who is trying to play with the big boys. :lol

There is a decent chance that is the case, but remember there is always something on the horizon in the PC building world. Sometimes you just got to pull the trigger.

 

[zbarron]

Windows 7 Premium or Professional upgrade for $30 for enrolled students with Student Email addresses.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1562761
I did Professional and opted for a disc copy as well which brought the total up to $43. I'm running Vista Ultimate now so I hope I can use this without too much trouble.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Windows 7 Premium or Professional upgrade for $30
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1562761
I did Professional and opted for a disc copy as well which brought the total up to $43. I'm running Vista Ultimate now so I hope I can use this without too much trouble.

gotta be an enrolled student though...

 

[zbarron]

gotta be an enrolled student though...

Whoops. I guess that bit of information was important and shouldn't have been omitted. Let me edit.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Whoops. I guess that bit of information was important and shouldn't have been omitted. Let me edit.

so this is for any student in the USA right? maybe i can get it thru my girlfriend....

have any new coolers come out for the i5 yet?

 

[Ecto311]

I have a quick question. I have the E5200 and the GA-G31M-ES2L motherboard. I overclock a bit and when I get back into windows 7 to run OCCT it shows my processor running at -50% overclock. How do I get it to run at the settings I put it at all the time? Does it always fluctuate and could that effect game frames per second?

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nvidia-GPGPU-GPU-DirectX-ATI,8687.html

what is NVDIA thinking?

Nvidia: DirectX 11 Won't Define GPU Sales

 

[Corran Horn]

Question, I just got my parts to rebuild my PC. Got a new mobo, cpu, ram and psu. After putting it together with few old parts from my previous PC (HDD and dvd burner and case) it takes a long time to start. The first screen will pop up where to hit F2 for bios then the screen will go blank for about 5 minutes, then slowly the black screen with a loading bar will work for 5 more minutes. XP then loads fast and so far has been working fine. Just really annoying when your loading new drivers/reinstall windows/etc and have to restart alot.

Any idea whats wrong or point me out to how to fix this?

 

[Minsc]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nvidia-GPGPU-GPU-DirectX-ATI,8687.html

what is NVDIA thinking?

Nvidia: DirectX 11 Won't Define GPU Sales

Well, I guess they're thinking gamers and developers by in large, will skip DirectX 11.

Like they skipped DirectX 10. Hell, the biggest games of '10 and '11 are going to still have support for DirectX 9, so in some sense they could be right. Plus, as long as we have the X360 around, we'll see DX9 support continue in games.

 

[zbarron]

so this is for any student in the USA right? maybe i can get it thru my girlfriend....

have any new coolers come out for the i5 yet?

I'm not sure yet.

I would be looking at the Thermalright MUX 120 but I'm not sure where you can find it and if it is even out yet.

 

[adg1034]

Windows 7 Premium or Professional upgrade for $30 for enrolled students with Student Email addresses.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=1562761
I did Professional and opted for a disc copy as well which brought the total up to $43. I'm running Vista Ultimate now so I hope I can use this without too much trouble.

Professional upgrade for $43 shipped (well, $46 with tax)? That beats the hell out of my $50 Home Premium preorder on Amazon. Done and done. Now that's what I call an upgrayedd.

(The two D's are for a double dose of computing.)

 

[AstroLad]

Seems like in games the voices aren't synced properly. Anyone ever run into this problem? Sound card is CREATIVE X-FI XTREMEGAMER running latest drivers fwiw.

 

[Azure Dream]

I've finally got a bit of spare cash, and I had hoped to pick up a new graphics card for my PC. Basic question, but not only am I not sure what's best, I'm not sure what the top end is for my PC, since it's a little older.

Specs are here: http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/VGCRA820G_mksp.pdf, the only major difference being an extra gig of memory I added. It's still Windows XP, still same motherboard, etc. It says I have a PCI Express 16x slot, that's hopefully the same as a PCI Express 2.0 x16, right?

My budget's around $200, leaning on the cheaper side is preferable, but I'll go over a bit if the trade-off is worth it. I'd like to go with NVidia primarily for PhysX, but if ATI is just that much better for the same price, I'll relent.

So far I've been looking at the GeForce GTX 275 the most, partially because of the Batman AA deal, but I can always just buy that game later if I'm not getting one of the better cards I can squeeze out for the price.

Am I on the right track?

 

[K.Jack]

The BD drive is more about the ability to watch all the movies I own now than about the need to have hi-def on the go.

And I figured the upgrade later would be easy, but it's also expensive as hell, isn't it? The ones I've seen run in the hundreds of dollars.


I guess I would say about $1,000 but it's kind of fluid; could go higher, would rather go lower. Not totally sure I really want to spend the money on a laptop or a desktop; the difference is I pretty much know my way around a desktop (with regard to pricing and power and such) but know jack about laptops.

I'll send you a PM.

And a 2.5mm DR drive will run you a little more than $100, on eBay.

 

[Echoes]

I want to build a new PC. I always reach the point where I collect all the information and do the research but fail on buying. Buying a MacBook made me forget about PC gaming for couple of months, but I miss PC gaming SO much. So, this time, I'm gonna make a PC for real.

Since it's been a long time since I last did research, I'm literally lost. I just want something good, that can run The Witcher and Sins of a Solar Empire (to name but a few) with no hiccups. Could somebody with enough experience build me something quick?

Edit: Early this year, this is what I came up with: Intel i7 920, ASUS P6T Deluxe, Corsair 4GB DDR3 RAM, eVGA e-GeForce GTX280 1GB DDR3, WD 1 TB HDD. Good enough? I know I chatted a lot with some of you guys but I lost all my abilities into comprehending anything now :lol

 

[Minsc]

I want to build a new PC. I always reach the point where I collect all the information and do the research but fail on buying. Buying a MacBook made me forget about PC gaming for couple of months, but I miss PC gaming SO much. So, this time, I'm gonna make a PC for real.

Since it's been a long time since I last did research, I'm literally lost. I just want something good, that can run The Witcher and Sins of a Solar Empire (to name but a few) with no hiccups. Could somebody with enough experience build me something quick?

Edit: Early this year, this is what I came up with: Intel i7 920, ASUS P6T Deluxe, Corsair 4GB DDR3 RAM, eVGA e-GeForce GTX280 1GB DDR3, WD 1 TB HDD. Good enough? I know I chatted a lot with some of you guys but I lost all my abilities into comprehending anything now :lol

P55 chipset + Core i5 750 or i7 860 will save you $100s and is better for gaming in some cases thanks to the turbo mode. Doesn't make sense to buy a 920 now. You couldn't get 4GB of RAM with the 920 anyway, those need ram in multiples of 3GB. GTX 280s aren't the hot new thing now either, the new 5800 line due out in a few weeks (there's a huge thread hovering around the first few pages) from ATI will be significantly faster and better priced.