Suggestions for a new gaming rig.

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Hey guys, with Christmas coming up I'm looking to get a new computer which will mostly be used for gaming. My current computer will be three years old this December so as you would imagine its starting to struggle with the latest gaming releases. My knowledge of technical computer stuff is very basic so I was wondering what kind of thing's to get for a gaming rig that will last me for some time. I'm not exactly sure what my budget is yet but a want a fairly decent system nothing 'too' expensive though.

Firstly I was was wondering what kind of processor to get, the Intel Core 2 Duo stuff sounds like the new rage would you recommend it above other processors?

Secondly would be a graphics card, I'd probably prefer Nvidia, what would you suggest in terms of price value for performance?

Finally, memory. I currently have 2x512MB Crucial DDR 3200. Is this still the latest memory or is there a new faster type?

Thanks alot any help would be much appreciated as I really dont know what im doing with all this technical stuff.

 

Thanks, so I take it only the latest motherboards fit Core 2 Duo? Is there any specific Core 2 Duo model or should I just get the most expensive model I can afford? And finally is DDR2 RAM okay (should i just get another GB to add to the one I already have)? Much appreciated.

 

How about a price range you're aiming for Duffin?

A CPU, Mobo, and video card will get the ball rolling, but won't make a fully-functioning computer.

The SATA 3G/s hard drives are fast. *MUCH* faster than a CD/DVD drive...so consider converting your 'play' disks in to image files saved to your hard drive. Sure it takes up a lot of space depending on how many games you play, but the increased read speed, reduced noise/heat, will make gaming for enjoyable! A 300GB hard drive is a good choice IMO.

Bingo. Don't get any Core 2 CPU labeled with a 'T' in it's name...as those are for mobile PCs. You want the 'E' models.

That depends on the motherboard you end up getting. I always recommend Abit motherboards. The Abit motherboards: AB9, AB9 Pro, AW9D, AW9D-MAX, and IL9 Pro all support DDR2 RAM as well as the Core 2 Duo.

If you're building a 'gaming rig' then you need a snazzy case. Head on over to Xoxide's computer case section. If you a comprehensive look it a *lot* of different cases all at once, scroll towards the bottom of that page and click the: "View All Computer Cases" link...or just click here. But be warned, since there are so many cases listed, the page is 330879 bytes in size, so it might take a long time to fully load.

 

Thanks for your help Kitrax, in terms of a price I'm not paying for it so I don't want to be too cheeky asking for the very latest stuff! I would imagine the most I'd be able to scrounge of my parents for the hardware would be about £800 (thats GBP) and I'd put some of my own cash towards it if need be. So my target is to get a decent gaming rig for about £800-1000 that will last me a while.

After a quick scout round I've found the following prices. I haven't looked for a good deal so I might be able to find them slightly cheaper online or in town.

- £129.99
XFX Geforce 7600GT 256MB XXX Edition PCI-E Graphics Card (Tal suggested this, its cheaper than I thought so I might opt for a higher card depending on the performance increase to price ratio).

- £206.79
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Dual Core Processor
2.4GHz, 2x2MB, 1066MHz FSB, LGA775

Or

- £307.94
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 Dual Core Processor
2.66GHz, 2x2MB, 1066MHz FSB, Socket T LGA775

- £148.50
Abit AW9D MAX Intel 975X, Skt 775 Dual PCI-E, SATA2, SATA2 Raid, HD 8Ch Audio, 2xGB LAN, USB2, F/Wire, ATX

Or

- £106.93
Abit AB9 Pro Intel 965, Core 2 Duo PD/P4, Skt 775, PCI-E, SATA2, SATA2 Raid, HD 8Ch Audio, Dual GB LAN, USB2, F/Wire, ATX

I've looked around for a hard drive but havent found anything (partly because I don't know what I'm looking for ). And i cant help be a little concerned about the Core 2 Duo low speed, I know its supposed to have extra performance for less speed but it's still a little concerning. So how would you rate this hardware? Does it need improving to be a decent gaming rig? Thanks again for any help.

 

If your computer is going to be a gaming rig, consider the mainboard with either an SLI or Crossfire feature set. An Abit or Gigabyte D965 full featured mainboard should do nicely if you are looking for a Core 2 system. If you spend $500.00 US dollars for a CPU, and another 200.00 for a mainboard, it makes little sense to strap your system with a 150.00 video card if your desire is gaming. I would go with nothing less than a 7900GS, GT or GTO nVidia card. On the ATI side someone else can advise you better, since I never really use them.They re still good cards, but I just don't have a preference for them.

Also, the new generation of 8000 cards are about to hit the market and they support DX10.

 

Thanks Chandos, the 7900GT is £20 ($38) more than the 7900GS is there any difference? I think I'll stick with the 7 series as the launch of the 8 series will push down prices on the older models I would imagine and I bet the 8 series is very expensive.

 

7900GS has a 450/1320 MHz GPU/RAM clock, 7900GT has 550/1400. GS has 20 streams, 7 vertex. GT has 24 streams, 8 vertex. GS's RAM bandwidth is 41.3 GB/sec. GT's is 43.8. The difference doesn't look huge yet. But, GS's fill rate is 9000MT, while GT's is 13200. As for benchmarks, GS scores 16400 in 3D Mark 03 and 7600 in 05. For GT, that's 18400 and 9200 respectively. Looks like GT overpowers GS more in the newer stuff.

As for prices dropping, I would expect the 7 series to drop by quite a bit, but I'm not an expert, again. As for older models, I don't know. There's just this low a card can cost, so some models keep costing a lot. Where I live, some FX's sell for more than some 6 series cards, for example, the most expensive 5900 and the least expensive 6600GT should cost about the same. Or 5200 and 6200. I guess old PCI-E cards will drop, while the AGP ones won't really. People who upgrade from older systems don't have PCI-E slots and they will likely play the kind of games where the 6 series is behind the most powerful FX's (e.g. 6600 is weaker than 5900 in the 2003 3D Mark, but the same or stronger in the 2005 one).

 

If you have done your purchase well, that computer should last for another 3 years. If I were you, I would save the money (and enviroment) by NOT upgrading. Think it this way: there are only a few high-end game-releases each year, so how much do you spend per game by buying a new rig now?

 

Thanks Chev very helpfull , the lower end Geforce 8 series cards will be coming out soon, would that be better than the 7900GT or is it too hard to tell at this point?

Fair point Wordplay but when i got this computer I knew even less than I know about hardware now so I just got what the bloke in the shop said . I could wait a year or two more and wait until ill get more value upgrading but I dont know if I could handle the wait to play the game's I want, after all you only live once.

 

The lower 8 will likely be much less powerful than the higher 7 in the beginning, but the difference will gradually fade. Like with previous series.

 

I should mention that I just purchased a EVGA 7900GTO, and it is mighty fast. But it came with an upgrade deal: In 90 days I can return the card, and get the cost applied to a new 8000 card if I choose. Nice.

http://www.evga.com/stepup/default.asp?switch=3

More on the 8800:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_preview/

More on the GTO:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_7900_gto/

 

Thanks alot guys I think I know what I'm looking for now, I'm going into town this weekend so I'll take all these recommendations to the store and see what they can do.

Thanks Chandos thats a good deal especially with the 90 day step up, if they deliver to the UK I'll probably get the GTO from there .

 

I had chance to get to Mansfield Computer's today and they offered me the following (from what I can make out on the quote):

- Gigabyte S4 Motherboard
- Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
- Sata 320GB Hard drive
- 7950GT Graphics card
- Window's XP Home with an upgrade to Vista whenever I like
- Anti Virus Software
- 1 Year return warranty

All this will cost £765.99 which is £900 with VAT and a small discount (£15). This is $1,704 USD. This includes building it and testing it etc. Does this seem like a good deal to you guys?

 

Don't get it from a Mansfield shop. I know how them cross-breeding staggies rip you off. Buy the stuff online and drop the Windows XP and AV software and get them bootleg, it'll save you a monkey at least mate. Off the record, of course.

You'd get that kit down to £550 I'd be willing to bet.

 

Hmm I think £550 would be pushing it, as the processor and graphics card are over £200 each. And if I got all the stuff and something wasn't compatible or I could'nt assemble it all correctly it'd be a nightmare. Its not my money either so I'm less inclined to take any unnecessary risks to save a few quid. I guess my query is are the mo fo's pulling a fast one and trying to rip me off. It's a bit tricky aswell because now my parents have said they'll get it I dont want to look ungratefull and tell them not to bother.

 

Oh, sod it then, if it's not your money get that boat pushed out .

 

Aye, I tried for E6700 and 7900GTO but the quote was over £1,100 so if I didnt cut it down abit I could have ended up with nothing.