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Looking for energy efficient, budget desktop

Last response: in Systems
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Hi all, I'm in the market for a new PC, and mine can't run several recent games that I'd really like to play. Here's what I'm looking for:

  • Budget is ~$600. Less, preferably of course.
  • A bare-bones system is fine.
  • I have an in-box ATI Radeon HD5670 video card, so a system with on-board video isn't a problem, since an immediate upgrade is on hand. (On the other hand, if I find a PC that has a roughly equivalent video card, the purchase is recent enough that I should be able to get a refund, so the price can go up some) It also requires a 400W power supply.
  • I also have a sound card in my current system that can easily be transferred, and a decent monitor. Don't need those in the package.
  • I would like something that's solid-to great now, and likely to handle new games for at least the next three years - this is making me lean towards a quad-core system.
  • Energy efficiency is important, both for my bleeding heart and my electricity bill. This article: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/pcs/2010/02/24/energy-... suggests that an AMD Athlon II Quad Core might be the best combination of efficiency and value. Also the Intel Core i3, but I've had a harder time finding it in quad core form.
  • I can build my own PC, but I'd prefer to avoid that if the expense isn't significantly higher. Maybe it is.

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    Hello arkaeyn;

    Try this on for size @ ~580
    Using the CyberPowerPC Sandy Bridge Configurator tool
    http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_H67_Configurator/

    Using all standard options except:
    Case: use Thermaltake V3 Black Mid-Tower Case
    CPU: Intel Core i5-2300 2.8 GHz quad core
    Cooling Fan: Intel LGA1156 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink ** I'm certain they mean the stock Intel 1155 CPU cooler
    Motherboard: GigaByte GA-H67M-D2-B3 Intel H67 Chipset
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)



    WR2 said:
    Hello arkaeyn;

    Try this on for size @ ~580
    Using the CyberPowerPC Sandy Bridge Configurator tool
    http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_H67_Configurator/

    Using all standard options except:
    Case: use Thermaltake V3 Black Mid-Tower Case
    CPU: Intel Core i5-2300 2.8 GHz quad core
    Cooling Fan: Intel LGA1156 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink ** I'm certain they mean the stock Intel 1155 CPU cooler
    Motherboard: GigaByte GA-H67M-D2-B3 Intel H67 Chipset
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)



    That's a pretty nifty site, although a bit hard to read. Thanks, this could work out well.

    If you're unhappy with a 5670 now, it's unlikely you'll be happy with it in a new system. What processor and PSU do you currently have? What game, resolution and detail do you want to use?

    To clarify - I'm not unhappy with the video card, it just doesn't work with my current PC. Probably the power supply, apparently it needs 400W.

    A good target would be Dragon Age II:

    Quote:
    PC Recommended:
    CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Processor or equivalent
    CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 Triple core 2.8 GHz or equivalent
    RAM: 2GB (4 GB Vista and Windows 7)
    Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
    Video: NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
    DirectX 11 Video: ATI 5850 or greater
    DirectX 11 Video: NVIDIA 460 or greater
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