Intel BOXDP43TF Mobo
OCZ OCZ2G8002GK 2048MB KIT (2X1024MB)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 45NM 2.33 Socket 775
Asus EN9800GT Hybridpower/htdi/512MB DDR3 PCI Express
Xilence 450W Silence Power Supply
Samsung HD322HJ 320GB 16MB SATA300 7200RPM
ANTEC NSK4000 case

€686,75

How does this look for a mid-range PC? Drop the quad for a dual core? I basically only play Eve Online currently on the PC so I don't need that much power, but I might get some new PC games in the near future so I want to be a bit prepared. In my opinon that graphics card gives the best bang for its buck. GIGABYTE GV-R485ZL-512H Radeon HD 4850 is €20 more but I don't think it would make that much of a difference.

Opinions?

Go for the 4850, it will best the 9800GT by a fair margin in many games. A 9800GT is just a slightly more efficient 8800GT. Most of the 9 series just ended up being a slightly refresh, it should have been called an 8900GT to be honest.

This article as some good benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=18

As for the Dual or Quad, very few games use Quads at the moment, and almost none of them show any improvement with the other two cores. It's really up to you though, but if it's solely for gaming a Dual Core will do you fine.

Cool, so I switched the quad for Intel Core 2 DUO E8500 45NM 3.16 Socket 775 and the nvidia for Gigabyte GV-R485ZL-512H 512MB DDR3 PCI Express Radeon 4850. This jacked the price up to €707,65 which is still reasonable.

Looks good to me then. Are you going to run Vista or XP?

Looks good to me then. Are you going to run Vista or XP?

For now, XP. I'd actually like to install Windows 2003 advanced server to refresh my knowledge a bit, but I fear it will greatly reduce game compatibility. I'll experiment with a few versions of Windows until I find the one that works best. Probably end up dual booting a few anyway.

Well, be sure to shop around, especially for RAM. I don't know the situation over there, but over here I've seen some crazy deals on RAM. As low as like $20 for 4GB after rebate. And if you plan to run Vista at all, 4GB comes in handy.

Fuck you you stupid hypocrite. You hate PC so much but now you're making your own? How can you even read with all the hooker shit in your eyes?

Is the price reasonable for you? I mean thats a lot of cock to be sucked.

Fuck you you stupid hypocrite. You hate PC so much but now you're making your own? How can you even read with all the hooker shit in your eyes?

You're an idiot. :o

You're an idiot. :o

FUCK YOU YOU ARE!!!

Ohhh look at me and my PC!! I can't even play MGS4 booo hooo that's what you're like.

get 4gb of ram and switch to dual core

2GB is fine for XP, but you should consider going Vista and getting 4GB. Vista 64-bit makes better use of the newest hardware.

2GB is fine for XP, but you should consider going Vista and getting 4GB. Vista 64-bit makes better use of the newest hardware.

The logic in that fails me a bit. Vista will run better on newer hardware, but will need 4 gigs of ram...? Double the ram for an OS that's supposed to to the same thing as XP... I dunno. The thing is an unnecessary hog for the moment.

I'll probably go with a tweaked version of XP or 2003 server that's been juiced for gaming. Some of those hacks kick ass. 200mb install, all the retarded features removed and improved performance.

FUCK YOU YOU ARE!!!

Ohhh look at me and my PC!! I can't even play MGS4 booo hooo that's what you're like.

Hahhahaha, go way you shitty little failtroll.

I used to run server 2003 and play games.

Just use compatibility mode.

Make sure to rub your balls over the hard drive during a full moon.

Make sure to rub your balls over the hard drive during a full moon.

lol to which purpose?

lol to which purpose?

Don't you know anything about computers you noob? lol

Don't you know anything about computers you noob? lol

I don't. Please indulge me. :o

As for the Dual or Quad, very few games use Quads at the moment, and almost none of them show any improvement with the other two cores. It's really up to you though, but if it's solely for gaming a Dual Core will do you fine.

This is what I was wondering. I always hear people online talking about their quad core gaming PC,but I thought it was generally known that barely any games even use a quad core (which is why I upgraded to the Core 2 Duo instead).

I hope I didn't make a mistake and won't be able to play shit in 2009.

You might see a couple games in 2009 that really make use of a Quad Core, but no one is going to make a game that requires one, not for another couple years at least. If Alan Wake ever comes out, it's supposed to make very good use of Quad Cores, but at this point I'm not holding my breath for that game.

Wait it out till AT LEAST Q2 2009. No need right now. If your monies though.

You might see a couple games in 2009 that really make use of a Quad Core, but no one is going to make a game that requires one, not for another couple years at least. If Alan Wake ever comes out, it's supposed to make very good use of Quad Cores, but at this point I'm not holding my breath for that game.
Do any games even require a dual core yet?

Make sure to rub your balls over the hard drive during a full moon.

Teh you need the blessing of the balls.

I would get a different PSU. Something Corsair, Zalman, Silverstone, PCP&C, or Antec are a few good brands. Don't go cheap on the power supply. You'll regret it. I would also ditch the quad for a fast dual and get two sticks of 2GB memory.

Yeah, I agree about the PSU, I didn't notice it when I glanced over the parts list. I've never heard of "Xilence", but the name just screams "shit quality". Seasonic or Corsair are great, and Antec is good if you want something cheaper.

Is there any game out there that can justify needing 4 gigs of ram? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but why use so much of it's not needed? It's not like I'm going to be using it for video rendering or encoding. That's what I got my macs for. All I need is a PC to occasionally play a PC game on. Nothing else.

If you ever plan to run Vista, get 4GB's.

If you don't, stick with 2. It's really that simple.

I use 2 in Vista right now, and games like Fallout 3, GTA 4, and Crysis end up using over 90% of my RAM. RAM is so incredibly cheap there's really no reason not to go for 4GB's.

If you ever plan to run Vista, get 4GB's.

If you don't, stick with 2. It's really that simple.

I use 2 in Vista right now, and games like Fallout 3, GTA 4, and Crysis end up using over 90% of my RAM. RAM is so incredibly cheap there's really no reason not to go for 4GB's.

I have 2 gigs of RAM on XP with my new machine. My RAM is only $17.99 by the gig,but it's also some weird brand name (Ultra).

Wait it out till AT LEAST Q2 2009. No need right now. If your monies though.

Actually its Q4 2009. Intel is working on 32/22nm chips which will mean more cores. More cores = better no matter what anyone thinks. Your game doesnt use multiple cores but your OS does. Besides i7 overclocks used cores by underclocking (im assuming thats how it works i havent read much into i7's self-OC yet) unused ones.

DX11 is coming out too which all it does is utilizes current hardware to max out performance. Result is new gfx cards that run more efficiently, less heat/power blah blah blah.

oh dont forget about windows 7

8+ core cpus, efficient GPUs, and a new OS....id hold out unless youre THAT desperate.

And when that stuff comes out it will cost an arm an a leg, and new cards and CPU architectures will again be on the horizon.

By then he will have saved up around the $3500 range from the waiting. And thats surely enough for the highest gaming rig. ($3500 is about how much Ive put together to be my dream rig. and ill never get because i know technology is moving too fast right now to spend that much money.)

Yeah, I wouldn't waste $3500 on a PC unless I were very well off.

All told my PC cost me $400 and it tears through all the latest games at 1920x1200, save for GTAIV because it's a poorly ported piece of shit.

Im saying $3500 if hes buying the whole system from mobo to sound card to HDs. It would be alot cheaper if he just buys new gfx cards if hes just using his computer for games.

I'm talking about a whole system too.

specs?

AMD 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition (at 3.1 Ghz)
Visiontek Radeon 4850 512MB
GigaByte MA770-DS3
2GB of Patriot DDR2 800
300GB Seagate SATA HD
Thermaltake Soprano RS Case
Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU
Lite-On DVD-RW DL drive

save for GTAIV because it's a poorly ported piece of shit.

Excuses, excuses, excuses. :o

Excuses, excuses, excuses. :o

Have you seen that shit? It's god awful. It doesn't support AA, it's shadows look like they're out of a PSP game, and it runs like absolute ass to boot.

This is running on top of the line hardware, Quad Core and a 4870X2:

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1229309371083nfsNxLm_8_5_l.jpg
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1229309371083nfsNxLm_8_6_l.jpg
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/images/articles/1229309371083nfsNxLm_8_10_l.jpg

They handed the port to Rockstar Toronto, a studio that has never worked on a PC game before.

http://i37.tinypic.com/90ohty.jpg

what i want

Make sure to rub your balls over the hard drive during a full moon.

Goddamn it, I was taking a sip of whiskey and coke when I read that and it shot out my nose, which is fucking burning from the whiskey and now I have to wipe it off the keyboard and desk, as well as change my shirt.
Thank you :D

AMD 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition (at 3.1 Ghz)
Visiontek Radeon 4850 512MB
GigaByte MA770-DS3
2GB of Patriot DDR2 800
300GB Seagate SATA HD
Thermaltake Soprano RS Case
Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU
Lite-On DVD-RW DL drive

your gfx card is the main reason why i said that if hes just buying a new comp to play games he should just buy a new gfx card. no point in buying a new rig just because he wants to play games.


http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1588/jeasusxe2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


(Messed up on the photo croping. Its 2 of those 4870x2s and 2 of the 6GB ddr3.



My almost dream rig. Im holding out because of...


Actually its Q4 2009. Intel is working on 32/22nm chips which will mean more cores. More cores = better no matter what anyone thinks. Your game doesnt use multiple cores but your OS does. Besides i7 overclocks used cores by underclocking (im assuming thats how it works i havent read much into i7's self-OC yet) unused ones.

DX11 is coming out too which all it does is utilizes current hardware to max out performance. Result is new gfx cards that run more efficiently, less heat/power blah blah blah.

oh dont forget about windows 7

8+ core cpus, efficient GPUs, and a new OS....id hold out unless youre THAT desperate.


and the upcoming release of 4GB DDR3 sticks for trip channel.