Flow said:
I'm using Windows XP and i have 1gb of ram right now. If i get a 4gb ram computer, do you recommend upgrading to Vista?
Unfortunately talking about prices wouldn't help much since i'm Brazilian and the prices here will be twisted. I'm willing to spend the necessary to have a fairly good computer for a few years
Well, i really shouldn't have said "Decent" games, because i can run Worms and AoE2, not flawless but playable Thank you for the list, i'm trying to get into the whole PC game scene as the community seems more enjoyable
Well, i'm going to check out another PC store on monday, my friend said he got a GeForce 9600 GT and a Intel Quad 2 Corefor for a good price, what do you guys think about these? I'm leaning towards a 8800 GTX Video Card as Zex recommended me, but i don't know if they will have it or how much it will cost. But if i can't find it, what do you guys say about the 9600 GT? |
It depends on what games you're planning on running (I'll assume current intesive benchmark standard games), what resolution you're planning on running (on the monitor you are currently using, or are planning on buying), frame rate and quality of visuals.
Oh and most importantly, budget.
While it's not my gaming PC, I have a Q6600 running at a stock 2.4ghz (a crime as this is one of the best quads for inexpensive OC) with a 1GB 9600gt, and it plays everything but Crysis at 1680x1050 on max settings, well over 30fps at bare minimum (it's almost always much higher).
But it completely depends on the price you can get the parts for. A 9600GT at about $90 USD is a much better buy than say a 9800/8800 GTX for $180USD. For the price difference, the performance isn't justified. At $130, the GTX is more attractive for the extra processing power, but not really necessary for anything under 1920x1200 resolution.
9600GT was a good card when I bought it a year ago, and for the current price; it's still a good card.
The Q6600 is great for OC (you will have to buy a MoBo with good OC functions with a reputation for this), but mainly from a price/performance perspective. If you're paying a premium price (or running at stock clocks), its value is diminished. Naturally, you will buy an aftermarket cooler/fan, use AS5 TIM and OC it to 3.4ghz if you want to get the most performance for your $. As far as longevity goes, you're looking at the max clock speeds you can sustain *stably* at the lowest Vcore (closest to stock as voltage exponentially increases heat) and temps (hence the aftermarket cooler and better TIM/thermal paste).
Read Tom's Hardware reviews before buying.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-radeon,2218.html







