what should i get

**Mobile Infantry** · July 03, 2006, 08:06 PM

well iam looken to get a new computer or buodl one but ive only got like 1500 to do it with basically what i want is somtin i wont have to replace in 2 years beacuse the graphics are outdated so i need lots of space and insane graphics for under or for 1500 if you guys got ideas iam all ears

thank ya much

**krazykarl** · July 03, 2006, 08:25 PM

umm yeah.. not going to happen. If you want boatloads of space and Insane graphics, you have to spend at least 3k. However you can get a pretty decent system if you accept the fact that you are going to have to replace the video card in 2-3 years. You can also save a few bucks if you recycle your optical drives and case/PSU from a (slightly) older system. for this Id recomend getting an athlon64 X2, SLI-capable motherboard (depends how many features you want, the DFI LAN party series look pretty good) a seagate 300gb hard drive, a Geforce 7900GT and AT LEAST 1gb of ram (2gb preferable)

**Hadrian** · July 03, 2006, 10:31 PM

Very true I'm afraid. Is that 1500 in dollars or pounds? Either way your on a tight budget. Pounds over here, (US) and your good to go, pounds over there, (Europe) and your back to tight! If anyone can suggest a system for that kind of money its the frugal Lee_1026, otherwise, krazykarl is pretty much right on....1500 ain't much for a gaming rig these days. (Heres where you say, "I managed to scrap up another 500"....)

**italiano** · July 04, 2006, 12:53 AM

x2 3800, a8n32, 7900gt, 2gb ram could all be done in a system ~1.5kUS. Then overclock it.

**Leonidas The Lion** · July 04, 2006, 06:15 AM

A fujitsu siemens Scaleo P my cousin has and it serves him well he got it for about 1400 pounds.

**Shaun** · July 04, 2006, 09:08 AM

Well since we dont know where you are from, we dont know what currecny you will be using.

If is GBP, then 1500 is easily enough!
X1900XT, Athlon 64 X2 4200 AM2, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 200GB hard disk, a good PCIe AM2 mobo and a PSU can all be had for unfer the 1500 Mark. I am doing it in a few weeks, and I seem to have no problems. Good sites to look at are http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/ and http://computers.listings.ebay.co.uk...istingItemList, most of the components that I seen on ebay were actually brand new from a power seller.

But if your from the USA or Euope, and judging bu the time that you postedyou look like you are, then 1500 wont get much.

You are looking at the 7600GT mark, maybe an X850 or X800GTO, they are all perfectly good cards, and will be able to play todays games and tomorrows games quite easily, just not next weeks games.

You might also have to go single core as well, but make damn sure you go 64Bit. Processor prices are set to be slashed in July and August. Try and get at least a 3800 though, and try and go AM2 as well, as thats got better upgrade prospects.

For a mobo, dont buy what you wont use, simple as that, but make sure you get AM2 and PCIe. But for a thight budget, I wouldt go SLI, just get one killer card, or the best you can aford. An SLI setup uses more power, which means a more powerful CPU, which costs more money. Also,1 killer card is better than 2 midrange ones.

For a harddisk, well first ask yourself what you really need. I have only 150GB, and that does me fine really, but you might need more. A good HD isnt really going to break the bank.

**Stuie** · July 04, 2006, 09:13 AM

Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure he's in the US - New Hampshire to be specific.

If you want something cheap and feel up for it, maybe you should try to build your own. Only go that route if you're comfortable with it though.

**the_mango55** · July 04, 2006, 09:25 AM

$1500 is plenty to get killer graphics, perhaps they won't be the absolute best, but they will be plenty to play almost every game on high settings. My new rig was 1600 or so, but it could have been cut back to 1500 by making a few sacrifices (17" flatscreen, less pimped out keyboard, plainer case) it has an x2, 300 gig HD, geforce 7900 (this was the week they came out too, thank God I procrastinated there)

**sunsmountain** · July 05, 2006, 07:47 AM

$1500 is more than enough.

Wait for...

CPU: (not that important to wait for)
- Intel Kentsfield desktop CPU is expected to be released in Q1 2007. Kentsfield is expected to be a quad core CPU contained in a multi-chip package (i.e. 2 Dual Core CPUs in a single package). Kentsfield is expected to feature 4MB of L2 cache.
or
- AMD Athlon X2 (Brisbane) is expected to be released in H1. Brisbane is the 65nm successor to Windsor and introduces the K8 Revision G core. Brisbane features either 2x1MB L2 cache or 2x512KB L2 cache and the Brisbane core will effectively replace all Athlon and Opteron Revision E and Revision F core processors with a single architecture.

Memory: (not that important to wait for)
- Memory will be DDR2 or DDR3, get 2 GB of it in any case (for future games).

OS: (Unfortanately, important)
- Windows Vista, january 2007
Direct X 10, this is the main reason to wait for Windows Vista: It's NOT backwards compatible with Direct X 9 meaning you cannot install direct X 10 drivers on your direct X 9 graphics cards, and expect to get the full direct X 10 functionality. Direct X 10 won't find its way to Windows XP. Direct X is very important for games.

Graphics & Audio: (Very important)
Because of HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) will have to be implemented on the hardware level. It integrates graphics AND sound. Manufacturers and Content Providers will quickly try to outfit every PC with this, so their stuff is protected. Be prepared.
- Because of this, R600 (ATi) or G80 (nVidia) will definitely have video support for HDMI, and later versions of their graphics cards will have integrated sound for full HDMI. You need this if you want to download or play future HD content on your PCs. HDMI is important for content in 3 forms:
1. HD-DVD (High Definition DVD) or BD-ROM (Blue-Ray Disc) movie discs;
2. High definition digital television broadcast signals/digital cable set-top transmissions;
3. High definition VGA card sources (games, movies, other content direct from the PC to the digital display panel).

DVD player: (recommended)
- Blu-ray or HD-DVD player (with HDCP right of course). This can also play DVD's and CD's, as well as HD-DVD's. For games, it's becoming more and more common to see them in the shops on DVD.

But if you absolutely have to get something now...
http://tweakers.net/reviews/624/4

bottom of page. Get a 3800 instead of a 4200, you can probably keep some old stuff and you don't need a gamepad. I wouldn't skimp on graphics, but perhaps the X1900XT is just as good as the X1900XTX, and water cooling may be worth it considering the noise these babies generate (same for nVidia).

**Sir Robin** · July 05, 2006, 11:59 AM

Check Velocity Micro, the GE 1500 might be exactly what you are looking for if you don't have the time or patience to DIY.

However I too would suggest waiting a month or so, if possible, to see what the Conroe chips do to the pc landscape.

**Lee1026** · July 06, 2006, 08:44 AM

If anyone can suggest a system for that kind of money its the frugal Lee_1026, otherwise, krazykarl is pretty much right on....1500 ain't much for a gaming rig these days. (Heres where you say, "I managed to scrap up another 500"....)

It is enough. Lets see..
MoBO - 60 bucks should do the trick. Find something AM2.
CPU - 150 for the A64 3800+ should do. It should drop to that price soon. It should be able to OC to about 2.4GHZ, at the very least, and probably 2.8GHZ, which is fast enough.
Ram - 150 should do, 2gigs of the cheapest DDR2 ram.
Hard drive - 250 for a 500gig drive should do.
Video Card - I suggest a 7800GT, for 300.

All told, we are looking at about 1000 bucks or so

**Mobile Infantry** · July 07, 2006, 12:57 AM

thanks alot man ill check into it

**John Wayne** · July 07, 2006, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Mobile Infantry

well iam looken to get a new computer or buodl one but ive only got like 1500 to do it with basically what i want is somtin i wont have to replace in 2 years beacuse the graphics are outdated so i need lots of space and insane graphics for under or for 1500 if you guys got ideas iam all ears

thank ya much

Get a Mac.

And if ya do not like Macs, get an HP.
Above all else, DO NOT get a Dell. They may seem cheap, but that is without all the essential software (Word, PowerPoint, etc...). Buying the 'extra' stuff will cost ya another couple hundred bucks, which will take away from any imediate upgrades you might want to get.

**Lee1026** · July 07, 2006, 06:54 PM

Verry funny. They may not come with MS office, but that is what openoffice is for, it does the same stuff, but it is free
www.openoffice.org

**Incinerate_IV** · July 08, 2006, 10:44 AM

Wait? Is he building one or buying one?

Anyways, $1500 is more enough, a 7900GT only costs $245 now (It might have even dropped more, but I haven't checked newegg in a while). You pair that up with a nice dual core processor (an X2 or wait for Conroe), along with 2 gigs of the cheapest DDR2-800 ram, and there you go, it should add up to about $1000-$1500.

**Cadmium77** · July 08, 2006, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Incinerate_IV

Wait? Is he building one or buying one?

Anyways, $1500 is more enough, a 7900GT only costs $245 now (It might have even dropped more, but I haven't checked newegg in a while). You pair that up with a nice dual core processor (an X2 or wait for Conroe), along with 2 gigs of the cheapest DDR2-800 ram, and there you go, it should add up to about $1000-$1500.

Just what is the difference between the new 7900GT and my 7800GT?