Age old question Duo/Quad/i7

[mattyboyywonder]

For a system that is most cost effective ieerformance per dollar spent what do you suggestion i build my new system around. Some background im a gamer. Mostly rts and fps online. I don't need to be on the bleeding edge of computer hardware but i want a very performance worthy machine basically ill go for the 280gtx not the 295 if you get what i mean. When i play a game i play a game when im online im online dont go crazy with multitasking im a system minimizer, efficiency and speed. Something with a gentle overclock. I priced a i7 920 system at $1700 and that's with keyboard/mouse, speakers, monitor, Os and office. So im really starting from scratch. What are your thoughts. Plus the i5 is already in the talks and it doesn't use the 1366 socket. 775 still has a few years left. With all this id love your opinions.

 

[werxen]

you are not on the 'bleeding edge of computer hardware' but you want the fastest cards on the planet? lol... k

first off: how much is your budget?
second: what resolution do you play at?

 

[TheMeanestGuest]

I think first off we need to know what resolution you plan to play at, as that's an important thing to know when considering price/performance.

It'd also be nice to know what sort of system you're coming from.

Assuming you're coming from something old and terrible like a P4, obviously getting a dual core is the best bet. In all honesty at the moment you really aren't going to see that much in the way of noticeable gains for most games on a quad over a dual.

If you're dead set on Intel, for the best deal I'd be considering getting either an e5200 or an e8400 or something similar. Both should be more than adequate for today's RTSs and FPSs, especially if you overclock.

If you'd prefer AMD, there's nothing wrong with one of the new Kumas, like an x2 7750 (or if you want something really cheap, an x2 5200 is about $60)

As far as the mobo is concerned, if you're going AMD with a dual core definitely get an AM2+ that supports the new P2s for future upgradeability. As for upgradeability and good price/performance for Intel.. well sadly that's kind of hard considering the new socket and all.

Now, if you lied when you said you wanted the best price/performance and you actually want a quad core, I'd suggest a q9400 over an i7 any day, if we're still sticking to p/p in that segment. As for AMD, a P2 940 is comparable in p/p.

In regards to video cards, I'd probably get an HD 4850 for the best P/P, or if you wanted to spend even less an HD 4830 or a 9800 GT are both quite capable.

RAM: I'd stay away from DDR3 right now, as DDR2 is _really_ cheap.

I think the easiest way of cutting costs is crossing the OS and Office off your list. I have a friend named Mr. B.T. Rent who might be able to help you.

However, my post is probably entirely useless to you as you mentioned buying a $1700 system with an i7 earlier. Oh well.

 

[mattyboyywonder]

Not useless at all. About two weeks ago i decided on building a computer. I molded it into that i7 system i posted. After sitting and thinking about it with i7 in its honeymoon phrase of pricing and the x58 mobo still needing time to iron out i questioned was it worth it. i7 system will run me $1700 that's as high as i will pay. If i can cut it down dramatically but sacrificing some performance but still be able to pay games at a great level i feel that's the better option. Once i go back to a 775 socket the cpu, mobo and memory theres a hefy price drop. I want to play on a 1980x1080 hdmi res and thats why i know its necessary to get a 280 gtx regardless if i get bang for my buck cause its essential. Oh coming from an old dell way past its prime minor mods but its heading to the computer graveyard. OS and office are killer! They got you were it hurts

 

[werxen]

ok heres what I would personally do:

get an E8400 or E8500
get a decent motherboard that overclocks well thats ~ $150-200 (dont ask me for specifics but i really love my P5Q pro and it overclocks VERY well for the price)
get atleast 4 gigs of 1066 ram
get an aftermarket heatsink for the dual core ( i personally suggest zalman - i have one on my cpu and my gpu and they keep them nice and cold. others will suggest a xig or a tuniq - i PERSONALLY do not like the xig because its huge, does not cool as well as my 92mm zalman but thats in my experience )
if you overclock your CPU ~ 3.8-4.2 which you can do EASILY with the E8000 series you can go for the ATi 4870x2 and dominate most games.

thats what I would do and it will totally save you money as well.

sum up:

E8400-8500, after market heatsink, decent mobo which you can look up yourself im not very good at mobos, atleast 4 gigs of ram, 4870x2. thats what i would do if i was a gamer and wanted a new system. happy fragging.

 

[mattyboyywonder]

quick side note, you crossfire? Always wondered if there is a huge difference between a 16x16 crossfire in reguards to the pci slots or (in the p5q's case) 8x8 link. Anyway so what im seeing is that saving a good amount of money going in the duo path i can still get a high performance system. Obviously not i7 quality but cpu is a bottleneck for most games now a days anyway.

 

[yipsl]

you are not on the 'bleeding edge of computer hardware' but you want the fastest cards on the planet? lol... k

We have to be realistic and recognize that the bleeding edge has moved on. To get to the bleeding edge, one must bleed cash with a triple SLI or CrossfireX setup. Few do that. I know the 4870x2 that will arrive soon is all I'll need.

I want to play on a 1980x1080 hdmi res

That's what I'm looking at. In a week, I'll be able to get the Phenom II 940 upgrade with the following Acer monitor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009157

The 4870x2 should be here sooner than that.

Other than viewing area, I'm wondering if there will be a significant difference between 1900x 1080 instead of the more standard 24" LCD resolution of 1900x1200?

A month later, I'll get a blu-ray drive and the latest version of Power DVD.