Reasons to buy a new PC

[Rosencrantz]

Have you already started making up reasons why you - coincidentally - need a new PC just before SH5 is released? My old one has RAM 512 only, so I think that's a good reason enough... I have been playing 4 with laptop, and I'm not totally happy with that.


Greetings,
-RC-

[OrangeYoshi]

Not for SH5, but I did make up reasons for E:TW, SH4, and MS Flight Simulator. :DL

[longam]

I just use the 4 to 6 year rule for replacement, but only after upgrading everything I can till the MB is done.

[Jimbuna]

Simply tell her you've been made an excellent trade in offer and quote the balance as 10% of the total purchase price.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6305/liaranimatedanimationli.gif

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Same reasons you should trade your car every 2 or 3 years.

And by god, dont EVER upgrade separate parts. Just sell your computer as a whole and buy a new one.

[Hartmann]

First reason : simulator games
second reason: Action games
Third reason : strategy games
:D


My 2400 single core, 2 gb of ram and ati 2600xt is at the end of the line, is impossible upgrade it anymore so i´m waiting playing old games until the next year when i plan to build a new Pc. :D

[Task Force]

cause my 8800 is getting old...

[Torps]

cause my 8800 is getting old...

If your interested in a 280 GTX superclocked let me know. I will be selling mine when the 380gtx comes out supposedly on Nov 27.

[Temujin]

Things goes with reason and order..

My ~5 y/o 2.4Ghz Intel Bayfield with it's Inno 3D GeForce 6600 is strong enough to run all kind of BattleField2 and MS-Flight simulators smoothly.


But I am aware of its age. I thought not to wait too long before putting it out to sale as a used computer, but then I spotted something that looks as a SH5 periscope..

So I decided to wait a little bit longer until I'll be able to read it's recommended hardware wet note attached to it's antenna..:O:



Temujin
:salute:

[Mud]

My P4 3.4 is 5 years old (Win XP GF 7600gt 2 Gig Ram) and struggles a bit with the newer games like X3 Terran conflict for example.
I definitely buy a new computer before SH5 comes out, Windows vista was my main hold back for not buying a new system.
I only hope that Windows 7 won't let me down with the maybe high expectations I have :06:

[sav112]

5 year old system come this Dec, so April next year I plan a new Tower. Quad Core etc. :yeah:

[Webster]

just a heads up reminder guys, if your on a tight budget you can pick up a perfectly fine system after xmas when lots of people needlessly upgrade to a top of the line system and sell their 1 or 2 yr old computers that quad cores and lots of ram so they would run sh5 perfectly for you.


often you can get these for only a few hundred bucks

[Hitman]

I won't by any means upgrade or change my PC until SH5 is released, all patches that have to come made available, and a year has passed by. That's the best giarantee that I will find for a reasonable amount of money a PC that lets me enjoy the game and even scratch the best of it.

I did it with SH4, which stuttered a bit in my good-enough-for-SH3 PC, which currently runs SH4 and SH3 in a breeze, and I will do the same with Sh5. Let it stutter a bit in the beginning and shine later for reasonable budget :up:

[Rothwell white]

The only thing i might have to upgrade would be my OS current is XP
i aready have a GTX 285 OC 1024MB GDDR3 with a Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)

[Webster]

The only thing i might have to upgrade would be my OS current is XP
i aready have a GTX 285 OC 1024MB GDDR3 with a Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)


dont believe the BS about vista/win7 stuff, thats just scare tactics to try and give you a reason to buy it

xp is fine and will always be fine for games we have now and those being released like sh5.

now next years games might be another story but game companies need to make money and with 65-75% of computers still using win xp they know they need to sell a game that everyone can use

[Rockin Robbins]

I'll be the contrary guy again. I've bought my last computer. After building my own for SH4 I see that there is never a reason to replace the case, power supply, keyboard, optical drives, mouse, graphics tablet, monitor, I could go on for a long time you know. A simple motherboard, CPU, memory and maybe a video card update will give you all you need forever unless new peripherals call your name.

AND when you build and evolve your own machine you know exactly what's in it because you chose each and every component. NO COMPROMISE! Don't you deserve the computer you want, instead of whatever a company decides to build?

Are you going to save a fortune that way? No. But you'll have the satisfaction that the money you spent went into what makes your computer perform, not into an unnecessary new box, keyboard, optical drives, mouse...........

[JScones]

Maybe in six months, after Windows 7 has settled a bit. SH5 release will certainly not be a trigger point though.

Not sure if by "making up reasons" you mean convincing the Minister of War and Finance, but if so, that's not a problem here. My wife will be happy knowing that she gets a faster PC and my eldest daughter will be happy knowing that she finally gets her own PC (no more sharing Mum's). Everyone wins!

[Rockin Robbins]

OH! I will make one exception, and that would be to get a laptop. Those guys are still pretty proprietary and wow! are they good lately. It'll be hard as heck to break my predisposition to knowing every piece of the guts of my computer, but I CAN see that happening. The HP tablet I bought my daughter is just an amazing computer, every bit equal to my desktop and not much more expensive.

[Lord Justice]

:rotfl2:just a heads up reminder guys, if your on a tight budget you can pick up a perfectly fine system after xmas when lots of people needlessly upgrade to a top of the line system and sell their 1 or 2 yr old computers that quad cores and lots of ram so they would run sh5 perfectly for you.


often you can get these for only a few hundred bucks
a heads up? forget the quad cores as yet !! check the fsb to cpus on mobo, trust me as a pc tech core 2 duo e8400 - e8600 stock will peform faster than quad for sh5 as 2 early 2 utilise cores thats for multitasking. as long as u got fast ram not alot of ram is needed ie 4 gb more than enough. and a half decent graphics card so there is no bottlneck, all will run fast and smooth, ps the guy gunning for the laptop should stck desktop end for gaming, as upgrades much easier and can then pack more able power supply unit to support. cheers

[Rockin Robbins]

Yeah, we're a step away from true gaming laptops because of the power supply issue, but their time is here. If they build them we will come. Also, laptops are getting more user modifiable with every generation, with user replaceable graphics cards, hard drives, memory, bluetooth, wireless, memory, etc. Their days as a black box are already over.

Wouldn't a tablet interface for Silent Hunter be amazing if implemented properly?

[IanC]

My reasons for an upgrade; Silent Hunter 5, Doom 4, Elder Scrolls 5... I don't think I can handle having these games around and not being able to play them.

[Annatar]

I've already got a reasonably good laptop. It runs games like DoW2, Modern Warfare, Crysis, SH3 & 4 etc... on reasonably high settings. The only downside is the lack of a numpad. Yes most laptops can emulate a numpad on the regular keyboard through a switch, but forgetting to press this switch can cause real problems - especially for games like SH where quite a few of the keys are used.
If any of you are planning to play SH5 on a laptop, try invest in a USB numpad first. They go for less than £10 around here, and they save a lot of headaches.

If all goes to plan though, I'll be buying a new Windows 7 desktop specifically for SH5 around the time it's released.

[Rosencrantz]

JScones wrote:


Not sure if by "making up reasons" you mean convincing the Minister of War and Finance,


That was exactly what I meant... :up:


-RC-

[Rosencrantz]

Annatar wrote:


I've already got a reasonably good laptop.



Good for you, mate. Here's heat the main problem, I think. Laptop just shuts herself down in the middle of the action. Very annoying.


-RC-

[Archangel]

Happily for me I guess the release of SH-V will somewhat correlate with the time that I have planned to purchase my new system, as my previous one is very old (gaming wise: a 2 ghz AMD Sempron, 1gb, 6600GT) my new system will be completely new.

It will be my graduation present to myself for hopefully leaving university.

[Red Heat]

Have you already started making up reasons why you - coincidentally - need a new PC just before SH5 is released? My old one has RAM 512 only, so I think that's a good reason enough... I have been playing 4 with laptop, and I'm not totally happy with that.


Greetings,
-RC-

I all ready complet that step NOT only to play the new sh5 but all so another games such:Need for Speed Shift, call of duy 4 and 5 and others...

Rig: HAF 932 Moderboard: Asus P5Q deluxe P45sk775 Intel: core 2 duo 3.0 fsb 1333 Ram: 2x ocz ddr2 reaper 4gb edition Videocard: 2x Asus radeon hd 4870 512 mb pci express 2.0 ddr5 crossfire mode hard disc: samsung 1tb sata 2 7200 rpm 32mb - Nox apex 800w modular sli 140 mm fan. :yeah:

[kptn_kaiserhof]

reason 1: my old one is a worthless duel core

reason 2: to keep with the times

reason 3: old rigs are good for 18th century games

reason 4: it will impress grandpa

[Ilpalazzo]

My current pc doesn't satisfy my needs as quickly and smoothly as I'd like it to. It is also past the point of upgrading.

I have become a much more demanding user since I built this thing. I have 2 displays and run programs like crazy. Just cause. It is an amd 939 based system from late 2004. I feel like my memory is ANCIENT when I look at how fast ddr3 can be. Gotta say though, my dual core kept me going pretty damn well since 2006. Really, for regular use (not gaming) I still consider this thing to be quite nice.

So yeah, basically, I want new parts to run these newfangled games at high resolutions, highest settings, and buttery smooth frame rates. Outside of gaming, I want my pc to be able to handle all the crap I'm gonna throw at it all at once without hiccuping.

ps. I am super interested in getting myself an SSD. They seem to be badass fast. Awfully expensive and little capacity though. I still want one for my OS and regular programs to reside on.

[msalama]

Reasons? Well the main reason for me would be this very computer here itself 'cuz it's rubbish, SH5 or not :lol:

Will wait at least until January though. Plenty of good discount deals available after the holidays I guess...

[kptn_kaiserhof]

mine cost me aus $4400

[Jimbuna]

mine cost me aus $4400

I'd have expected a new one for that amount of money :o


http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/whistle.gif

[JU_88]

I'd have expected a new one for that amount of money :o


http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/whistle.gif

Id expect TWO for that amount of money.

[Jimbuna]

Id expect TWO for that amount of money.

Okay....here you are then

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1803/knackeredpc.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/i/knackeredpc.jpg/)http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1803/knackeredpc.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/i/knackeredpc.jpg/)

[AVGWarhawk]

mine cost me aus $4400

WTH? :o Are you tracking all the satellites orbiting earth?

[JU_88]

$4400 jim, not $44.00 :rotfl2:

[Jimbuna]

$4400 jim, not $44.00 :rotfl2:

LMAO http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/greywolftail.gif

[Philipp_Thomsen]

With 4400 you'd be able to buy all the best parts avaliable.

But what for?

You gotta go always for the best cost x performance.

[kptn_kaiserhof]

and yes it was all brand new parts every thing an i7 needs

with a 66 cm tv for a monitor

[ps249]

I am having one custom made in the coming weeks. I am currently running a HP pavilion a1430n Windows XP media center edition, 2GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive and NVidia Geforce 6150 LE graphics card. I have had it since July 2005.

My new one will have more RAM and bigger HD and of course, a much better graphics. Having them custom made is a better way so you can order one with only the features you need. My 6150 Geforce is the absolute very minimum anyone should use for SH3. It gets very choppy especially when there is an explosion. I cannot even play it with the Grey Wolves expansion so I am definately missing out big time. I should have my new one by November 16-20.

[Lord Justice]

A good option is to build ur own, much better and then you know how to repair , replace , or modify hardware. There are plenty books with diagrams and step bye step guidance although usally using obselete or outdated parts, its up to you to check for a happy medium . Often when having custom made to suit ones spec, its usally on the advise of the shop on which hardware to use based on your recomendations (ie u want a pc for gaming only )they suggest what u need if u do not have a clue. this is not always best!! then again my weak spot is liquid cooling i tend to stick with fans as sufficent, and decent cpu coolers, as this does the job very nice, if correct hardware choices are made and you do not overclock to much. NOTE : we do not need to stick nuclear reactors into our u boats as yet. :damn: not for this sim, i will stick with my supped up diesels for now.:arrgh!:

[Hitman]

A good option is to build ur own, much better and then you know how to repair , replace , or modify hardware. There are plenty books with diagrams and step bye step guidance although usally using obselete or outdated parts, its up to you to check for a happy medium . Often when having custom made to suit ones spec, its usally on the advise of the shop on which hardware to use based on your recomendations (ie u want a pc for gaming only )they suggest what u need if u do not have a clue. this is not always best!!

I agree 100% on the advantages of building yoru own rig :up: and would like to have a suggestion regarding which components are the best buy for the money: Tom's hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/theme-build-your-own,156.html) has a section for the best PC of the trimester, in three levels, cheap, medium, expensive. I picked their recommendated medium set up nearly two years ago, and it still is able to cope with all new games since then :yeah:

[Jimbuna]

I agree 100% on the advantages of building yoru own rig :up: and would like to have a suggestion regarding which components are the best buy for the money: Tom's hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/theme-build-your-own,156.html) has a section for the best PC of the trimester, in three levels, cheap, medium, expensive. I picked their recommendated medium set up nearly two years ago, and it still is able to cope with all new games since then :yeah:

Great site that Hitman.....has given me lots of information and a great deal to think about...cheers http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Toms hardware is a great site, specially for benchmarks. Im always taking a look in that site, in the past 5 years, to keep myself up to date.

When it comes to buying a new pc, I always go to the stores and pick the parts one by one, after carefully researching and choosing.

For me, there's nothing better then unpacking and mounting a new computer, from scratch. It's a lot of fun, and I want to know every little piece of my new toy.

[Webster]

i have a basic little computer assembly guide that is designed to help people building their first or second computer avoid the "it doesnt work, now what do i do?" situation. its for "after" you have bought everything and are ready to put it together.

it offers a very basic troubleshooting assembly guide to be sure things are working right.

if anyone thinks it can help them you can find it here: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=30165

[JSLTIGER]

I'm generally happy with my systems, though I wish that my desktop's board was a purpose made AM2+ board instead of a base AM2. It won't be too much longer before I upgrade my vid card (I hope). It's been about 2.5 years now, and I love the card, but I want to go for a bigger monitor, which means I'll need more powerful vid card. Eventually I suppose. At this point, though, I've pretty much maxed out what my system can handle, so the next move will likely be a complete rebuild.

The trick of course, is coming up with the $$$.

[ps249]

The person who is building my new PC buys his hardware thru: http://www.infoteldistributors.com/
I personally never heard of it before- but my new custom built PC will cost me around $650 total. He is ordering the parts Nov 9 and I will pick it up Nov 13.

[Webster]

that website requires that you register to look at anything :down:


i would recommend you and the person who is building your new PC take a look at newegg,com for the best prices on computer components and hardware.

i have used them for years and cant recommend a better company to get computer hardware from, they have fast reasonably priced delivery, great service, and wont give you any problems with most RA's. they almost always have the best prices too so its well worth comparing prices.

geez, i sound like a darn commercial but they have earned my trust.

[ps249]

that website requires that you register to look at anything :down:


i would recommend you and the person who is building your new PC take a look at newegg,com for the best prices on computer components and hardware.

i have used them for years and cant recommend a better company to get computer hardware from, they have fast reasonably priced delivery, great service, and wont give you any problems with most RA's. they almost always have the best prices too so its well worth comparing prices.

geez, i sound like a darn commercial but they have earned my trust.
Yea Webster- I noticed that too about registereing for that site to view anything. I happen to look at the prices at www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com) for all my personal needs. Cheers.

[Lord Justice]

I agree 100% on the advantages of building yoru own rig :up: and would like to have a suggestion regarding which components are the best buy for the money: Tom's hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/theme-build-your-own,156.html) has a section for the best PC of the trimester, in three levels, cheap, medium, expensive. I picked their recommendated medium set up nearly two years ago, and it still is able to cope with all new games since then :yeah: yes indeed a good site, often visit it myself, another is hardware logic good for thier exstensive testing and exp, i like them for thier reviews , very in depth. if however someone is prepairing to build thier own, may i suggest using a MODULAR POWER SUPPLY, as it cuts down less cables, allowing better air flow and a much tidy rig. Modular are slightly more expensive though. I tend to sway for corsair 650, 750, 850 watt modular psu, if planning on using 2 graphics cards go with 850, if using 1 then the 650 and 750 should see through next few years. I think this relevant to 1st and expirenced builders alike, so many products ,specs, differing opinions, and options. cutting down cable managment is a big plus point to mention though as lots of cables can be quite daunting and messy at first.

[scrapser]

I've been building my own rig for several years. People who do not work with computers directly are mystified by them and that's the main reason they buy a computer system instead of building one. But you can shatter the mystery by simply spending some time reading about building computers on any overclocking website (there are plenty out there).

My first attempt was with an AMD processor on a DFI LanParty motherboard. DFI has a reputation for making motherboards for enthusiasts. As such, their forum is moderated by users who know the product inside and out and there are many members who are also glad to assist with any questions or issues. There is also a database organized by motherboard model and CPU with BIOS settings that users have tested and proved out. This makes it much easier to overclock a system if you choose to go that route.

But simply building a computer is so easy I'm surprised it hasn't caught on more by now. Go to a site like NewEgg...pick a case, power supply, CPU, motherboard, and RAM. Next, pick your CPU cooler and any other cooling solutions you may want to include. The rest (monitor, keyboard, hard drives, graphics, sound, DVD, CDROM, etc.) are all nothing more than accessories and generally just plug into the system. Also don't forget the necessary cables if they are not included with each item.

For a basic setup, you will need a wooden board to protect the motherboard from static electricity, a static wrist band, thermal paste for the CPU (Artic Silver 5 is very good), a phillips screw driver, some 99% denatured alcohol, and some good quality paper towels.

You will pay more for your first rig than if you bought a complete system but here's the difference....

Computer companies buy parts for their systems in mass quantities and the components are usually cheap, mid to low end quality. In essence they are minimal systems. But average users don't know this and think they are getting a great deal.

Once you have your own custom rig, from there on it will evolve. You will only need to replace parts here and there when you want instead of having to buy a completely new computer. This is where it all pays off. Put some time into getting to know what's possible before buying anything for your first rig. Set up a budget and then buy what you can afford. You will leverage your money not regret it.

[Webster]

You will pay more for your first rig than if you bought a complete system but here's the difference....


actually this is missleading because you have to compare apples to apples here so to look at the savings you must price what building your own prebuilt package computer would cost using the exact same parts and in most situations you can do it for 50-75% of the cost of those prebuilt systems.

the real benefit you get is for the SAME money you "were" going to spend on that basic low end budget prebuilt computer you can build a mid to high end system. and for less than half the money you would have to spend on a high end prebuilt computer you can build the exact same high end system yourself.

one of my key features is i know everything i used was high quality reliable components with a history of good reliable service but prebuilts use lots of "basic" quality stuff because they know that in most cases it will usually make it through the warranty and if it doesnt they replace the part for little cost but you are the one with all you files lost and all the headaches and wasted time. that doesnt mean they are using bad parts that are sure to go out one day but its a quality and peace of mind thing that i dont want to take any chances with.

[scrapser]

I agree. But what you are saying is not a replacement of what I said. All of it is true. Once a person gets their feet wet, they will likely enhance their custom system with parts they could not get as part of a prebuilt computer because the company works off a profit formula much like what you described. And it's true that a homebuilt system will cost much less and delivery much more processing power for the same money spent on a prebuilt system, so you do in fact leverage your money. For myself, I took the savings and used it to upgrade to even higher end components so I ended up spending the same money but have much more bang for the buck. And of course, down the road I only have to replace parts as better tech comes out or something wears out. But I never have to buy a whole new computer ever again.

[Sailor Steve]

Interesting discussion, especially for a thread that started out as a joke about making up reasons to give your wife as to why you absolutely have to have a new computer.
:rotfl2:

[Webster]

I agree. But what you are saying is not a replacement of what I said. All of it is true.

yep, i just wanted to be sure someone thinking about this for the first time knows its a big money saver first OR you can trade that money savings for major improvements in the system you end up with when your finished.

thats why i only clipped that one small part i felt could use a little extra explanation that it is strictly up to you if you want make it cost more


@ sailor steve, you are right sir

thread highjack is over, i now return you to your previously selected topic of reasons to give your wife as to why you absolutely have to have a new computer :salute:

[Sailor Steve]

I didn't consider it a hijack, I just thought it was funny. I'm enjoying the discussion, as well as learning alot. I was just looking at what I thought was a pretty cool AMD rig at Best Buy, and thanks to you guys I went to NewEgg and found out that the one I was looking at was made up earlier versions of all the components, and I might actually find the latest and best for a better price. Now all I need is a book that tells an idiot how to do it.:dead:

[mookiemookie]

I didn't consider it a hijack, I just thought it was funny. I'm enjoying the discussion, as well as learning alot. I was just looking at what I thought was a pretty cool AMD rig at Best Buy, and thanks to you guys I went to NewEgg and found out that the one I was looking at was made up earlier versions of all the components, and I might actually find the latest and best for a better price. Now all I need is a book that tells an idiot how to do it.:dead:

Steve, check out ibuypower.com. You can custom configurate your computer and they put it all together for you and ship it out. I think the prices are fairly reasonable. I've bought my last 2 computers from them and have been very happy.

[Lord Justice]

lol forgive me if i swayed the thread, i just gave the point to note on power supply for someone starting off as not to scare them. must say i had a feeling it may develop into a hardware debate. yes i hear the guys and feel like saying my bit as well.at least its positive guidance toward the new build. one thing that for some reason bugs me though is when someone has thier full spec rig list layed out for all to see!! as in, look what i got. :nope:

[Webster]

Now all I need is a book that tells an idiot how to do it.:dead:

i've built several desktops but i dont think of myself as any kind of expert but i could help you with all your questions if you want, just PM me what your looking for help wise

[Steeltrap]

So what do you think of these proposed specs?


Systemboard
Intel Core i7 - Intel X58 - Triple DDR3 - PCI-E 2.0 - SLI/CrossFireX, SATA RAID, 2 x Gb LAN (Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5)
Processor
Intel Core i7 950 (3.00Ghz) 8Mb Cache, Quad Core, LGA1366
CPU Fan
Cooler Master Hyper N520 Gaming CPU Cooler
Case
HAF-932 Gaming Tower, 11 Drive Bays, Red Extreme Cooling System (3 x 23cm Fans installed), Side Window
Power Supply
1200W Gigabyte (2 x VGA) Modular, Ultra-Low-Noise, 14cm Fan, 80% Efficiency
Memory
Corsair 6Gb, DDR3, 1600Mhz - Triple Channel, High Speed 8-8-8-24 Low Latency
Video
( CrossFireX ) Dual 1GB, ATI Radeon HD 5850, DDR5
Hard Drive
Western Digital VelociRaptor 300Gb SATA-II, 10000RPM, 16Mb
DVD
Blu-ray Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW), SATA (LG)
Sound
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium, Card Only, PCI-Express
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit OEM
S/Ware-1
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 OEM (I need Office with Power Point for business work at home)
Warranty
3 Year On Site Hardware Warranty, Australia Wide via UEE

I've used Tom's Hardware site for years. I research components then go to a custom builder and discuss.

Curious to hear opinions, and what cost for which you think you could do it.

Cheers

p.s. as to reason? Well, my existing rig is 3 years old and, more importantly, the hard drive has crashed!!

[Ilpalazzo]

Hope I'm not derailing here, but what is a better buy for a gamer: A 'high end' am3 (phenom II 965 I think?), or an i7 920 processor? Is the extra money for the i7 worth it? I keep mulling over this and I still haven't actually decided. I'm leaning toward the am3 to spend less money, but if the cost of the i7 is worth it then I'd be cool with it. I do intend to overclock. If I'm not mistaken stock and overclocked, that i7 920 is better than the highest amd.

[Webster]

gentlemen, i dont want us to get into discussing specifics like that our this will become a 30 page long computer hardware thread.

might i suggest those who are wanting to get into discussing specifics like that, look to a forum better suited for computer hardware and component questions?

i am a member at this sight http://forums.techpowerup.com/index.php


it is adware free and very very helpfull in quickly answering specific computer questions but you will need to register there to post.

i would caution that it does have quite a few "punks with superiority attitudes" so dont let them bug you and

they are also split into the preverbial intel/nvidia vs amd/ati camps so take any comment about which brand is best preferences with a grain of salt.

[Webster]

now lets get back to lying to our wives :D

[Grothesj2]

I am having one custom made in the coming weeks. I am currently running a HP pavilion a1430n Windows XP media center edition, 2GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive and NVidia Geforce 6150 LE graphics card. I have had it since July 2005.

My new one will have more RAM and bigger HD and of course, a much better graphics. Having them custom made is a better way so you can order one with only the features you need. My 6150 Geforce is the absolute very minimum anyone should use for SH3. It gets very choppy especially when there is an explosion. I cannot even play it with the Grey Wolves expansion so I am definately missing out big time. I should have my new one by November 16-20.
That's pretty much my system but I dropped 3gb of Ram into it, a new 700w power supply and am on the 4th video card upgrade, currently geforce 9500GT. I'll probably get a new system this coming year as it's showing it's age.

[scrapser]

One last post regarding hardware and that's it for me in this thread. I think everyone who's thinking on buying, building, or upgrading a PC should hold off if they can until the next generation nVidia card is released (code name "Fermi" and introduced as a card designed for super computers). This thing is supposed to be a quantum leap...not an incremental jump.

It will likely hit the shelves sometime in March (maybe a bit sooner). It was supposed to be released in 4Q, 2009 so the March date is much more realistic I think.

[Hylander_1314]

So what do you think of these proposed specs?


Systemboard
Intel Core i7 - Intel X58 - Triple DDR3 - PCI-E 2.0 - SLI/CrossFireX, SATA RAID, 2 x Gb LAN (Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5)
Processor
Intel Core i7 950 (3.00Ghz) 8Mb Cache, Quad Core, LGA1366
CPU Fan
Cooler Master Hyper N520 Gaming CPU Cooler
Case
HAF-932 Gaming Tower, 11 Drive Bays, Red Extreme Cooling System (3 x 23cm Fans installed), Side Window
Power Supply
1200W Gigabyte (2 x VGA) Modular, Ultra-Low-Noise, 14cm Fan, 80% Efficiency
Memory
Corsair 6Gb, DDR3, 1600Mhz - Triple Channel, High Speed 8-8-8-24 Low Latency
Video
( CrossFireX ) Dual 1GB, ATI Radeon HD 5850, DDR5
Hard Drive
Western Digital VelociRaptor 300Gb SATA-II, 10000RPM, 16Mb
DVD
Blu-ray Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW), SATA (LG)
Sound
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium, Card Only, PCI-Express
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit OEM
S/Ware-1
Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 OEM (I need Office with Power Point for business work at home)
Warranty
3 Year On Site Hardware Warranty, Australia Wide via UEE

I've used Tom's Hardware site for years. I research components then go to a custom builder and discuss.

Curious to hear opinions, and what cost for which you think you could do it.

Cheers

p.s. as to reason? Well, my existing rig is 3 years old and, more importantly, the hard drive has crashed!!

Careful dude. The power company squeals when I fire my rig up, and that one looks even more powerful than mine :arrgh!:

EvGA 780i mobo

Intel Core2 Extreme QX9650 Quadcore 4 cores @ ~3.00 ghz

2 Toshiba DVD /CD RW optical drives

2 EVGA 260 GTX vidcards in SLi

2 WD 500 Gb harddrives SATA

8 Gigs of OCZ SLi ram

Toughpower 1000 watt psu

All packed into an Antec 900 series case

And between the case and the components, there are 9 fans blasting away at high rpm.s

Also an Altec Lansing Dolby 5.1 surround speaker system that pumps 140 watts

And last of all a HannsG HG281D 28in monitor / HDTV

The neighbor's lights dim when this thing fires up.

I have a couple vids of WWII bombers and fighters doing fly-bys, and if I crank the volume, the house and surrounding ground shakes.

[Webster]

Careful dude. The power company squeals when I fire my rig up, and that one looks even more powerful than mine :arrgh!:

EvGA 780i mobo

Intel Core2 Extreme QX9650 Quadcore 4 cores @ ~3.00 ghz

2 Toshiba DVD /CD RW optical drives

2 EVGA 260 GTX vidcards in SLi

2 WD 500 Gb harddrives SATA

8 Gigs of OCZ SLi ram

Toughpower 1000 watt psu

All packed into an Antec 900 series case

And between the case and the components, there are 9 fans blasting away at high rpm.s

Also an Altec Lansing Dolby 5.1 surround speaker system that pumps 140 watts

And last of all a HannsG HG281D 28in monitor / HDTV

The neighbor's lights dim when this thing fires up.

I have a couple vids of WWII bombers and fighters doing fly-bys, and if I crank the volume, the house and surrounding ground shakes.


you guys forgot the most important hardware for those systems, remove the side window and install a small window a/c unit for all that heat you guys are making.

it must be like a small space heater running lol.

and monitors are putting out as much heat as pc's are nowadays

[ps249]

Just got my custom rig last weekend, here is what I got:

AMD Athlon X2 duo core 6000 3 GHZ processor
1,000 GB hard drive
4 GB RAM memory
Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT (1 GB memory)
Windows 7
Apevia tower

This is my first custom machine. I am really enjoying the games I have been missing out on. (Left 4 dead is awesome)

[IanC]

Just got my custom rig last weekend, here is what I got:

AMD Athlon X2 duo core 6000 3 GHZ processor
1,000 GB hard drive
4 GB RAM memory
Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT (1 GB memory)
Windows 7
Apevia tower

This is my first custom machine. I am really enjoying the games I have been missing out on. (Left 4 dead is awesome)

Your hard drive seems a little weak. You sure you have enough space? :O:

[Webster]

Just got my custom rig last weekend, here is what I got:

AMD Athlon X2 duo core 6000 3 GHZ processor
1,000 GB hard drive
4 GB RAM memory
Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT (1 GB memory)
Windows 7
Apevia tower

This is my first custom machine. I am really enjoying the games I have been missing out on. (Left 4 dead is awesome)


just curious why you chose to go with a 9500 card when its a few generations old?

if it was to save money then a 9800 would have been very little price difference and is a better card IMO

whats done is done but im wondering if theres something about a 9500 i didnt know about?

ps - that 1000 GB HDD is called a 1 TB (terra bite) it sounds cooler to say it that way too :O:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Its actually pretty simple.

Go to tomshardware and take a look at the benchmarks. They test everything.

Choose each part on separate, comparing it on the benchmarks. I always go for the best cost/performance.

After that, buy those parts individually in a store, or online, like amazon.com, where you can get the best possible prices. Free shipping for those in US.

Then you can either mount it yourself, its pretty easy. Comes with manuals and everything. I always mounted myself all my rigs in the past. Theres nothing like the sensation of unwrapping your brand new parts and putting it together, you feel like 12 years old, mounting up your new toy.

After that, throw some windows 7 64bits, cos its the best SO at the moment, and you wont have to worry about drivers (it installs everything by its own), and get ready to play some games.

IMHO, so far the best buy is:

I7 920
6gb ddr3 corsair 1333mhz (3x2gb)
Asus P6T
Corsair 600w PSU
GeForce 250gts 1gb
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200rpm 32mb cache

You can get this rig for near 700 dollars.

For your screen, any 22" LCD is good enough. If you have money to spare, go bigger, but the 22" is at the moment the best cost/performance.

When buying a case, go large, as large as you can. Best airflow will make sure your parts lasts longer before collapsing. New games requires a lot from the parts, making a lot of heat. You'll have more room for the cables and parts, more room to move your hand around when changing something inside. Nowday's VGA cards are quite huge, so if you buy a small case you might have problems installing your memory or hdd.

:up:

[Webster]

Its actually pretty simple.

When buying a case, go large, as large as you can. Best airflow will make sure your parts lasts longer before collapsing. New games requires a lot from the parts, making a lot of heat. You'll have more room for the cables and parts, more room to move your hand around when changing something inside. Nowday's VGA cards are quite huge, so if you buy a small case you might have problems installing your memory or hdd.

:up:

i would add one note to what PT said and that is to be cautious when choosing a PSU because sometimes you find some brands have shorter wires then others and if you get a full tower case its even more critical you check the customer reviews of that PSU for ANY comments of tight or short wires.

with a "modest" amount of skill you can extend wires yourself but it voids warranty and i doubt you want to buy something that you need to modify.

myself i stick to mid-tower cases and for me i find coolermaster cases have very good ventilation.

something PT didnt cover was "fans" i would recommend carefull shopping for "quiet" fans but check the dbl (decible) sound levels because many fans put "quiet" or "silent" in the name but they are just as noisey as a regular inexpensive fan. i consider anything below 20 dbls as quiet and anything below 15 decibles as silent, anything over 25 decibles and you WILL hear it.

also pay close attention to the cfms a fan puts out, some fans drop cfms way down to reduce noise but it also reduces cooling and circulation in your case. fans are getting quieter all the time but the general rule is high cfms mean high noise so when comparing "quiet" fans you have to use cfms as a usefull guide to picking the quietest fan that still has the most cfms. i would never get any fan that puts out less than 35cfms absolute minimum and 45 cfms is what i prefer to use as a minimum.

myself i like the "sythe" brand fans because you hardly hear them running. you can find them here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090573%2050002108%201372726538&name=120mm

fans that are truely "quiet" or "silent" are more expensive but not that bad, maybe $12 to $15 for most 120mm size where the regular "noisey" case fans run like $5

[Hylander_1314]

you guys forgot the most important hardware for those systems, remove the side window and install a small window a/c unit for all that heat you guys are making.

it must be like a small space heater running lol.

and monitors are putting out as much heat as pc's are nowadays

Tried that, the power pole transformer toasted from the added power requirement

[TheDarkWraith]

One last post regarding hardware and that's it for me in this thread. I think everyone who's thinking on buying, building, or upgrading a PC should hold off if they can until the next generation nVidia card is released (code name "Fermi" and introduced as a card designed for super computers). This thing is supposed to be a quantum leap...not an incremental jump.

I wouldn't wait. You can use your 'old' nVidia card for PhysX processing. That's what I plan on doing with my current GTX280.

Don't skimp on your parts! Shell out the money, it will be worth it (latest system I built was around $3000 - but it flies and I hate to wait on anything to load or crappy frame rates on high game settings). I've been building my own systems for over 15 years. There isn't one pre-built system that can compare to a custom built one. Period. You get what you want, not what some corporation was able to buy the cheapest for. The motherboard is the heart and soul of a system - get the best (I prefer Asus - currently their Crosshair III Formula as it is just awesome).
Processors - AMD or Intel? I prefer AMD. You have to be a serious hard-core gamer to realize the difference between the two. I prefer the underdog...plus they are WAY cheaper. I have an AMD 955 Black Edition quad-core oc'd to 3.8GHz and it's stable (with a Zalman cooling it of course). You just can't go wrong with AMD. Picked up the X4 955 BE for $225 on NewEgg.com.
Case - Antec 1200. It'll keep things nice and cool and plenty of room for expansion (and GTX280 size video cards fit with no problem and room to spare)
Power Supply - Galaxy Evo 1.2kW. Has enough room to expand your system for many years and it's modular.
CPU Coolers - Zalman. The only way to go if you're going to oc.
Memory - OCZ. Never had a problem with them.
Video Card - BFGTech nVidia GTX___. They give lifetime warranty on their video cards and I've never had a problem with them.
Case Fans - replace your stock case fans with good quality aftermarket ones. Look for ones with the 4 pole plug so you can monitor speed and PWM them for speed control (power savings and heat control).
Hard Drives - WD VelociRaptors. If you like speed and hate waiting for things to load you'll love these. Put them in a RAID 0 and you'll wonder why you didn't do it before (my system is backed up by a custom-built server running Windows Home Server so I'm safe to use RAID 0).
My .02 worth.

[Philipp_Thomsen]

@Webster

I didnt mention coolers cos I always use the stock Intel cooler. Its pretty enough for the CPU, even with small overclocks. I dont ever overclock, and I think its not necessary. Most dual cores will be more then enough to run anything, its usually the ram, hd and videocard that makes the difference.

Also, the Intel stock coolers are so damn quiet that more then often I turn my computer off, thinking its already off when Im going to turn it on. Its so damn quiet I cannot tell if its on or off. (except for the leds, that I dont usually plug in the mainboard, i prefer it that way).

:up:

[Webster]

@Webster

I didnt mention coolers cos I always use the stock Intel cooler. Its pretty enough for the CPU, even with small overclocks. I dont ever overclock, and I think its not necessary. Most dual cores will be more then enough to run anything, its usually the ram, hd and videocard that makes the difference.

Also, the Intel stock coolers are so damn quiet that more then often I turn my computer off, thinking its already off when Im going to turn it on. Its so damn quiet I cannot tell if its on or off. (except for the leds, that I dont usually plug in the mainboard, i prefer it that way).

:up:


i was only talking about "case" fans for the case cooling

as for CPU coolers its like choosing a girlfriend, everybody likes something a little different so i wouldnt get into recommending those although personally i agree the stock intels are fine. i use the arctic cooler 7 so it directs the heat staight out the rear fan and its even quieter than intels stock cpu cooler. i've been told it keeps the CPU cooler than intels stock cooler but it dont push it enough to know for sure.

[karamazovnew]

Have you already started making up reasons why you - coincidentally - need a new PC just before SH5 is released? My old one has RAM 512 only, so I think that's a good reason enough... I have been playing 4 with laptop, and I'm not totally happy with that.

Greetings,
-RC-

Hero: "I decided to join the navy. I'll be leaving for about 4-6 months."
Wife or Mom: "What?! Are you crazy? Does it have anything to do with that silly game of yours?"
Hero: "Actually yes, I've seen some images of Silent Hunter 5 and I got the urge to travel the Atlantic"
Wife or Mom: "Can't you just play the damn thing? Remember when you wanted to join the army when that game Modern Warfare came up? ".
Hero: "Yes but I can't play this game. My PC is to old for it".
Wife or Mom: "Then just buy a new PC, I'm not letting you go!"
Hero: ":|\\ Oh... all right... if you say so."

[Sailor Steve]

:rotfl2::yeah::rock:

That's a good 'un!

[FIREWALL]

TigerDirect for all my needs. NewEgg and I are in the same almost 10% sales tax state.

Tell the wifey your donateing alot of money to "Save the Tigers" fund. :haha:

[Lord Justice]

i was only talking about "case" fans for the case cooling

as for CPU coolers its like choosing a girlfriend, everybody likes something a little different so i wouldnt get into recommending those although personally i agree the stock intels are fine. i use the arctic cooler 7 so it directs the heat staight out the rear fan and its even quieter than intels stock cpu cooler. i've been told it keeps the CPU cooler than intels stock cooler but it dont push it enough to know for sure. Once again some good valid points, the ones with PSU leads to atx full size case, side fan cooling and cpu cooling, spot on. using the artic 7 myself, cpu temp dropped 12 degrees but changed case for cm scout and added 2 120 mm , 12000 rpm sythe s-flex side panel fans, mobo also dropped 5 degrees,my suped up diesels are about to be upgraded next week going nuclear lol i7 1366 socket, and the rest of the spiel etc etc but have to ask you webster!! can you confirm wich ? and when video card change? iam holding out to march and going for the sapphire ati 5870, should drop a little bye then, as you know replacing mobo as well bye ddr2 but thinking asus usally always, but still to read up on the new gigabyte ud7?? supporting sata 3 + usb 3, drivers could be an issue though!! so new all round overhaul apart from gpu for the moment then i sell fast old diesels to supply cost for 5870 or 5890 for sh5, as a pc tech i obviosly know etc etc but curious once again to your choice of gpu at sh5 realise.:hmmm:

[Elder-Pirate]

OMG youse guys better come clean pretty quick or this could happen to you. :haha:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/oleman/inter_HappyHunting.jpg


Torplexed can draw them can't he. :up:

[Philipp_Thomsen]

Administrate the financial part of your life is not as important as administrate your life itself.

That includes managing your friend and your wife/girlfriend.

Everybody needs it's privacy and freetime, and if she cant understand that, you are better off finding someone that fits you best.

Its always better to be alone than to have a bad companion.

And if she doesnt understand you, dont think women are like that. You just didnt find the right one for you.

[java`s revenge]

Yes ofcourse, i upgraded already BUT...

The nvidia 260gtx doesn`t work perfect. I have to underclock it a little
to see no glitches and the nvidia drivers aren`t perfect. I do use
the 178.24 drivers all above gives strange errors that you can
find when you google on it.

[Webster]

if your wife wont let you do it then just ask your girlfriend instead, she might say yes :up:

[TheDarkWraith]

Yes ofcourse, i upgraded already BUT...

The nvidia 260gtx doesn`t work perfect. I have to underclock it a little
to see no glitches and the nvidia drivers aren`t perfect. I do use
the 178.24 drivers all above gives strange errors that you can
find when you google on it.

Who makes your 260GTX? I have a BFGTech GTX280 and I've even oc'd it with no problems what-so-ever. Using 191.07 drivers (Win 7 64bit). Played Torchlight, Wolfenstein, all the Silent Hunters, both Crysis games, and FarCry 2 with no graphics problems at all.

[Webchessie]

Luckily, all I have to say is "honey, the thingy don't work too well now for you to shop at chadwicks.com (add whatever catalog she gets in the mail here), so I think it's time to buy a new thingy for you. Just because I love you so! (smile and look pathetic)."

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't forget to actually allow her to check her shopping websites from time-to-time. That will require you to actually stop playing, but you probably needed to shower anyhow . . .

[java`s revenge]

Who makes your 260GTX? I have a BFGTech GTX280 and I've even oc'd it with no problems what-so-ever. Using 191.07 drivers (Win 7 64bit). Played Torchlight, Wolfenstein, all the Silent Hunters, both Crysis games, and FarCry 2 with no graphics problems at all.


The geforcecard has been made by XFX.
Motherboard by Gigabite, the GA EX58-UD3R.

[ps249]

just curious why you chose to go with a 9500 card when its a few generations old?

if it was to save money then a 9800 would have been very little price difference and is a better card IMO

whats done is done but im wondering if theres something about a 9500 i didnt know about?

ps - that 1000 GB HDD is called a 1 TB (terra bite) it sounds cooler to say it that way too :O:
Webster- I left the video card up to my computer tech. I told him what I wanted ( I told him I wanted a good gamer that would not be obsolete within a year and something that did not break the bank) so I left it up to him. My old card was a Geforce 6150 LE so it was very choppy on SH3 and could not even play the Grey Wolves expansion. I could not even play SH4, and there was no way it was going to play SH5- so it was time to upgrade. The 9500 GT has been around for a while and is very highly reviewed (4 stars average out of 5) . I do not like paying the higher premium for the newer cards. I also wanted to stay in the Nvidia family. I know about the 1 terabyte but since most people dont have one- most never heard of that term yet. My PC tech said it was only a matter of about $25 to go from a 500 GB to a 1 TB hard drive. With the ever increasing larger files like pc games, music and video- it don't take much to eat up all that space nowadays. A 1 TB hardrive goes for around $80. My new rig cost me $700 with labor included.

PS I can remember my first computer was a HP I bought in 1998. It had a 333 MHZ Intel Celeron processor, 64 MB RAM, 4 GB hard drive and Windows 98 2nd edition. It cost me $850 for the tower alone. It didnt even have a video card worth mentioning. Of all the computers I bought- I had to replace the video card within the first year. That was one of my decisions to have one custom built.

[Webster]

Webster- I left the video card up to my computer tech.

well i think he could have done better by you to choose the 1gb 9800 because it was only $50 or less price difference but it would have been a major improvement over the 9500.

i agree with your logic, i never buy the top line #1 stuff either and i also choose the 2nd best stuff to save money.

9500 is still "sorta" new tech but the choice he made was to get you the 4th or 5th best card and while it was still "good" it wasnt what i would call a very good card which is what you look for to future proof your system.

the difference in a 9500 to a 9800 is BIG, that extra $50 to get the 9800 would have given you a very big improvement for a little bit of money so that is why it struck me as an odd choice to make when building a system.

[ps249]

well i think he could have done better by you to choose the 1gb 9800 because it was only $50 or less price difference but it would have been a major improvement over the 9500.

i agree with your logic, i never buy the top line #1 stuff either and i also choose the 2nd best stuff to save money.

9500 is still "sorta" new tech but the choice he made was to get you the 4th or 5th best card and while it was still "good" it wasnt what i would call a very good card which is what you look for to future proof your system.

the difference in a 9500 to a 9800 is BIG, that extra $50 to get the 9800 would have given you a very big improvement for a little bit of money so that is why it struck me as an odd choice to make when building a system.
Webster= what is your reasoning for the 9800 over the 9500?

[PL_Andrev]

The advantage of model 9500 card is the only one: is very cheap (hmmm... and more silent).

I compare Gigabyte cards 9500GT and 9800GT with 512MB RAM DDR3 both:

Efficiency of 9800GT is two-three times better than 9500GT with results:
3D Mark: 2x more than 9500GT
GPU score: 3x more than 9500GT

On hi-res games:
9800GT has 2x better result with FPS (no FSAA/no AF)
... and 2x / 3x better result with FPS (FSAA/AF)
2x for high res more than 1680x1050 / 3x for 1280x1024

PT Boats: Knight of the Sea 1280x1024
FSAA 4x / AF 16x:
9500GT - 11.7 FPS
9800GT - 28.6 FPS

(all data: non-english source)

Summary:
On my market 9800GT is only 1.5 more expensive than 9500GT.
But 9800GT is 2x / 3x more efficient than 9500GT.

So, this is reason than 9800GT is better than 9500GT (Gigabyte with 512MB both)

* * *

When I compare RAM (DDR3), card with 1024MB is only 10-20% more efficient than this same model with 512MB (but I think that it depends from game requirements and code's optimalization - SH5 bases on SH4 engine, so it will be small profit form 1MB card)

[Webster]

Webster= what is your reasoning for the 9800 over the 9500?

antar said it better and in more detail than i was going to so i'll use his reply as mine also.

The advantage of model 9500 card is the only one: is very cheap (hmmm... and more silent).

I compare Gigabyte cards 9500GT and 9800GT with 512MB RAM DDR3 both:

Efficiency of 9800GT is two-three times better than 9500GT with results:
3D Mark: 2x more than 9500GT
GPU score: 3x more than 9500GT

On hi-res games:
9800GT has 2x better result with FPS (no FSAA/no AF)
... and 2x / 3x better result with FPS (FSAA/AF)
2x for high res more than 1680x1050 / 3x for 1280x1024

PT Boats: Knight of the Sea 1280x1024
FSAA 4x / AF 16x:
9500GT - 11.7 FPS
9800GT - 28.6 FPS

(all data: non-english source)

Summary:
On my market 9800GT is only 1.5 more expensive than 9500GT.
But 9800GT is 2x / 3x more efficient than 9500GT.

So, this is reason than 9800GT is better than 9500GT (Gigabyte with 512MB both)

* * *

EDIT: then i'll add in the price difference which is a 9500gt 1gb card goes between $60-$75 where a 9800gt 1gb card goes for $100-$115

[ps249]

antar said it better and in more detail than i was going to so i'll use his reply as mine also.



EDIT: then i'll add in the price difference which is a 9500gt 1gb card goes between $60-$75 where a 9800gt 1gb card goes for $100-$115
OK- point well taken. I am enjoying the games on my 9500. I don't feel the need to upgrade right now because someone pointed out a better card. When the day comes- I will upgrade my video card as needed.

[scrapser]

I wouldn't wait. You can use your 'old' nVidia card for PhysX processing. That's what I plan on doing with my current GTX280.

Don't skimp on your parts! Shell out the money, it will be worth it (latest system I built was around $3000 - but it flies and I hate to wait on anything to load or crappy frame rates on high game settings). I've been building my own systems for over 15 years. There isn't one pre-built system that can compare to a custom built one. Period. You get what you want, not what some corporation was able to buy the cheapest for. The motherboard is the heart and soul of a system - get the best (I prefer Asus - currently their Crosshair III Formula as it is just awesome).
Processors - AMD or Intel? I prefer AMD. You have to be a serious hard-core gamer to realize the difference between the two. I prefer the underdog...plus they are WAY cheaper. I have an AMD 955 Black Edition quad-core oc'd to 3.8GHz and it's stable (with a Zalman cooling it of course). You just can't go wrong with AMD. Picked up the X4 955 BE for $225 on NewEgg.com.
Case - Antec 1200. It'll keep things nice and cool and plenty of room for expansion (and GTX280 size video cards fit with no problem and room to spare)
Power Supply - Galaxy Evo 1.2kW. Has enough room to expand your system for many years and it's modular.
CPU Coolers - Zalman. The only way to go if you're going to oc.
Memory - OCZ. Never had a problem with them.
Video Card - BFGTech nVidia GTX___. They give lifetime warranty on their video cards and I've never had a problem with them.
Case Fans - replace your stock case fans with good quality aftermarket ones. Look for ones with the 4 pole plug so you can monitor speed and PWM them for speed control (power savings and heat control).
Hard Drives - WD VelociRaptors. If you like speed and hate waiting for things to load you'll love these. Put them in a RAID 0 and you'll wonder why you didn't do it before (my system is backed up by a custom-built server running Windows Home Server so I'm safe to use RAID 0).
My .02 worth.

Unfortunately I am one of the people who ended up with a bogus GTX280 but it only became apparent about a month ago. I can use it for older games and regular stuff like web surfing but it chokes on games like Crysis or Far Cry 2.

It's the only card I have and I don't want to bother with sending it back to BFG for a replacement (I use my home PC for work). It also doesn't make sense to replace it by buying a new card because as soon as Fermi is released, those prices will all drop and many of the 200 series cards are being phased out.

Fermi will be out sometime in the next few months (maybe January) so I am willing to limp along until then.

[Webster]

OK- point well taken. I am enjoying the games on my 9500. I don't feel the need to upgrade right now because someone pointed out a better card. When the day comes- I will upgrade my video card as needed.

i wasnt saying or trying to imply that you need to or should go buy a new card. (only time will tell if it has issues running sh5 but i hope your ok there)

i only wanted you to better understand how your system builder guy (while he probably thought he was recommending a good card) didnt give you the best recommendation or choice on the card to use.

it was probably a misscommunication where the guy didnt realise there was such a big difference from the 9500 to the 9800 or maybe he just thought that you wouldnt be playing any games that needed a very good card.

depending on the individual the system builder may not "always" know the best hardware to use and sometimes they just use one or two setups that they know work well or they are able to get good deals on and they might make just one or two changes to customise it to fit the customers needs better.

chances are he might have been putting 9500 cards in all his computers unless the customer requests a better card or he just never felt you needed a better card then that.

all the 9000 series cards are just renamed 8000 series cards with more ram added to them so a 9500 is just the 8500 with a new name and more ram added.

to better see where your card stacks up, look at what came after it. here they are in the order they came out, after the 7000 series cards nvidia came out with the 8400 then the 8500, 8600, 8800, then the 9000 series came out but nothing was changed except that they added extra ram to the cards and changed the numbers and released the 9400 (a renamed 8400 with more ram), 9500 (a renamed 8500 with more ram), 9600 (a renamed 8600 with more ram), 9800 (a renamed 8800 with more ram), and then you have the 200 series cards after that which are the first really "new" cards after the 8000 series came out.

the lesson here is even when you turn things over to someone else you think is an expert, you should take the setup they recommend and get second and third opinions to see if you are better off making a few changes before you just go with what they recommend. after all hes just giving you a recommendation so swapping a few things around is no big deal and if there is some reason you shouldnt change something they will let you know why.

[Elder-Pirate]

Holy mackerel, I had no idea of this giant GPU to be released soon.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nv_search_us.html?cx=009029091075083507105%3A9lekn af7r_8&cof=FORID%3A11%3BNB%3A1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&gl=us&q=Fermi+#1519

Something like that would make a meltdown on my computer. :haha:

Gotta start saving my pennies.

Thanks for the heads up scrapser. :up:

[DES_SNIPER]

Well, I am in luck. 2 month old PC 2.6hz 8 gig ram, quad core processors, and 1 tb hard drive....22" flat screen and I have stero sound bumping up by a nice sub woofer.
I am ready to rock to SH5!!!:rock:

LETS GET IT ON!!!:yeah::up:

[Lord Justice]

cant u just say, ur pc is ready?

[PL_Andrev]

OK- point well taken. I am enjoying the games on my 9500. I don't feel the need to upgrade right now because someone pointed out a better card. When the day comes- I will upgrade my video card as needed.

I agree 100% with you...
I am enjoying the games on my old GF 7900.
I don't feel the need to upgrade right now because someone pointed out a better card... I will wait for SH5.
:D