I want to build a gaming computer for about £800- £1200

This is mainly for Age of Conan when it comes out, so I will need the min specs for that and more if I can get them,

Age of Conan specs -

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz (E6600) or better
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7950GX2 or better
RAM: 2GB or more

I would like to get the best deal I could and maybe more RAM around 4-6gb
And also a better processer
I want it to last me a few years and still be good
also need basicly everything if you were starting from scratch appart from a moniter

Also don't worry if it costs more than that I am planning to build it over time

thanks for your time

(sorry for any spelling errors, my spelling ain't great)

Few ideas for you:

- I like the Gigabyte board. Good if you aren't going to sli or overclock too far. The X48 chipsets are newer and more effective but a bit more money. The board also provides onboard sound, support for 1333MHz fsb processors etc.

- 4Gb of RAM would be good. 800 is adequate. You won't see a massive benefit to 1066 if you aren't overclocking.

- I'd look for a WD Raptor for a boot hard drive but only if money is no object as they are expensive and noisy. Then another 500GB - 1TB for general storage. Seagate 7200.11 are good and almost as quick as WD raptors.

- Currently there is no operating system in acidpython's list. Probably Vista home premium 64-bit.

- You could also think about a quad core processor, although there is much debate about whether this is worth the money or not. From a purist gamers point of view a higher clock speed dual core wins, but possibly for a general system with the antivirus software running and everything else you may see the benefit from a quad.

- I might also advise waiting a month for the new NVidia and ATi graphics cards due in the middle of June. They are reportedly a good improvement at a reasonable cost and should create a nice price war as they are release. At the moment I don't see what is to gain in buying technology that is about to be replaced or will fall in price thereafter.

- You will also need keyboard, mice and a powersupply (very important component) look for hierarchy charts of brands and use a power supply calculator to determine what sort of wattage you might require. You will also need to look at the current on the 12V rail to see if it is great enough to take that graphics card.

Try and have a go with the list given here. Work out what is sensible and what will suit your requirements. Look at the forums and the posts on THG to work out what the most appropriate components are.