Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Gaming Build Upgrade for Under $900

Gaming Build Upgrade for Under $900

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - Gaming Build Upgrade for Under $900

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Word :    Username :           
 

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Between now and third week of December
BUDGET RANGE: 900 After Rebates, S/H and Tax which applies to me since I live in TN

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies, and creating word documents.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I will list at the end my current parts and what my wants/needs are.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg is most preferred, though, I'll consider others.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Tennessee USA is where I'm located.

PARTS PREFERENCES: No preferences currently for video cards, though, ATI's new cards are the most tempting. As far as monitor's go, I'm prone to go with Samsung, Dell, ASUS, or possibly Hanns-G.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, CPU only.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe eventually.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Would like to upgrade to 1920x1200 res.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I have Windows 7 64bit installed.

I CURRENTLY HAVE:

20" Acer 5ms 1680x1050 res
Q6600 OC'd to 3.2 Ghz
4 GB DDR2 1066 RAM clocked at 800
750 Watt Corsair PSU
HD 4890 1GB GPU
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 Mobo
APEVIA X-JUPITER-JR G-Type X-JPJGT-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower
250 GB HD

I'M WANTING: To upgrade some parts to get a better view when playing the most high demanding games. I'd like to know the best way to spend my budget. I've considered going with a HD 5870 and new monitor, but maybe you all will think it wiser to upgrade the CPU too. Or maybe spend the whole wad on only a monitor. Or crossfire two 4890's and upgrade monitor....etc etc.

Thanks for any help you can give. Ask me anything and I will answer ASAP.

Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.

Just add a 2nd 4890
Then maybe a newer HDD or a small SSD
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] f3%20500gb

and then a larger monitor
HannsĀ·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824254026

------------------------------ How To Ask For Build Advice
Homebuilt PC Buying Guide
Reply to jbakerlent

Do you think the 2nd 4890 is worth it more than selling my current 4890 and getting the HD 5870? I just don't want to spend alot on another 4890 and then some cool DX 11 games come out.

Also, I've looked real hard at that Hanns-G monitor, a Samsung T240HD 24", and a ASUS 25.5" at Newegg. I know that the Hanns-G is the biggest but will I see a noticeable difference between these monitors? I was thinking the Samsung or Asus would have better quality, but not sure. There is no where I can think of around town to look at monitors to compare :(

I was also considering really going all out and buying a Dell Ultrasharp so it wouldn't be TN monitor. Is that 599 dollar premium worth it for high end gaming?

Reply to ecole9

Two 4890s will wipe the floor with a 5870. I wouldn't get the ultrasharp because of the price, but if you're looking for something in the 24" range, here's two options

ASUS VW246H Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236049

DELL S2409W 24" Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna [...] u=320-7345

------------------------------ How To Ask For Build Advice
Homebuilt PC Buying Guide
Reply to jbakerlent

From the benchmarks I have seen, I've noticed that two 4890's would give better frames than a single 5870. However, two 4890s produce alot of heat and leave no room for upgrade later. They also lack DX11 support. Not to mention that the 5870 is not too far behind.

I like the screens you chose except they are not 1920 x 1200. Can anyone comment on the three monitors I mentioned in my last post? Also, is my cpu still good enough or does it need an upgrade?

Thanks.

Reply to ecole9
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Gaming Build Upgrade for Under $900
Go to:

There are 1268 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them