Upgrading pc, need suggestions.

[ybgfhsd]

I am upgrading my pc in the next 2 weeks and need suggestions on whether to go AMD or Intel. My budget is $1200 US, I'm needing MB, CPU, Video Card, Memory, and PSU. I use it for mostly gaming, I play alot of FPS (FEAR, HL2, CS). I need to get something that I wont have to worry about upgrading next year and that can handle all the games that come out. If I go AMD, this is what I'm looking at:

MB: ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $146.99

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2.4GHz Socket AM2 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4600CUBOX - Retail $249.00

Video: eVGA 512-P2-N572-AR Geforce 7900GTX 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $398.99

PSU: XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 650W ATX12V 650W Power Supply - Retail $144.99

Memory: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail $290.00

If I go Intel:

MB: ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail 229.99

Video: eVGA 512-P2-N572-AR Geforce 7900GTX 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $398.99

PSU: XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 650W ATX12V 650W Power Supply - Retail $144.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6400 - Retail $223.00

OCZ S.O.E 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2SOE8002GK - Retail $234.99

Please let me know which system is the best for the money, or should i wait to see what comes out by end of year? Appreciate any suggestions.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

What about DX10 considerations? if you want a computer to last for at least a year for gamming... you may want to hold off.

 

[Doughbuy]

I haven't heard any reviews on the XClio PSU, but the Antec Trio 650W had some decent ratings and is priced decently cheap. Otherwise, for that price, I would go for a GameXStream.

Gaming wise, wait and get a good DX10 card... no need for SLI as of now, and you won't be SLI'ing DX10 cards with that "puny" 650W PSU. DX10 cards will rape the pants off of any cards right now (or so they say... shrug) so I would suggest waiting, or at least until we get some benchmarks in here.

If you don't go SLI, you could get a P5B or DS3 or AB9 pro which are better OC'ers than the P5N32... that way you could drop to a e6300 and do quite a bit of OC'ing even on stock fan, or keep the e6400, your choice.

If you insist on SLI... then I hear the AW9D can do SLI with hacked nVidia drivers, but your on your own for that. The nForce chipsets offer subpar overclockability (I say this from wusy, I have no experience with that myself) so it would be more beneficial to have the 975X chipset...

Good luck on the rest.

 

[ybgfhsd]

Thank you two for the input. I will probably end up waiting, but the only thing I worry about is my budget. If I wait for a DX10 card, will I be able to get one that can out perform the 7900gtx for about the same price as it is now $398. Which by that time the 7900gtx would hopefully drop in price a good bit.

 

[ikaz]

Well as far Dx10 is concerned ask your self when/if do you plan on upgrading to Vista (since that will only support dx10) if your like me and tend to wait a good 1 year after the OS has been released your looking at not worring about Dx10 untill maybe feb of 2008.

Personaly I wouldn't wait for Dx10 cards to come out (even though they should be fast in dx9 games) we all know about the "waiting" game for computers there will be some faster, however I would suggest on a lower end card for now maybe a 7900GS in the 200ish that should last you a good year or so you will be ready in 2008 to upgrade to a Dx10 (really would go with an 1900xt but you seem to like the 7900gtx so I kept my suggestion with in line of nvida cards).

As far as Duo vs x2 I believe currently Duo has the edge.

 

[rwpritchett]

Do you plan to overclock? If not, you could go with the Intel setup with cheaper DDR2-667 RAM since it won't take a performance hit like the AMD system.

 

[ybgfhsd]

Do you plan to overclock? If not, you could go with the Intel setup with cheaper DDR2-667 RAM since it won't take a performance hit like the AMD system.

I dont really plan to overclock. What I plan on buying, I want to be happy with their stock performance. Thanks for the advice.

 

[rwpritchett]

I dont really plan to overclock. What I plan on buying, I want to be happy with their stock performance. Thanks for the advice.

If that's the case, then my vote goes for the Intel setup with DDR2-533 or DDR2-667 RAM replacing the DDR2-800. Plus, the Intel E6400 seems to best the AMD 4600+ in benchmarks.