Check out my build

[Azndude2190]

I want to spend in total 800-1000 dollars.I need a system that can play COD 4, COD WAW, Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Empire Total War, and FEAR 2 at 1680x1050 resolution with 30+fps on max settings.And also be able to play Modern Warfare 2 when it comes out with the same settings:

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb
Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P
Asus HD 4850 1GB
Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800
WD Caviar Bue 320GB 7200 RPM
Samsung Black 22x DVD Burner
Antec Earthwatts 500w
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms WS LCD

Subtotal: $833.91

What do you guys think? I plan to overclock, but not more than my stock cooling can handle.Can the HD 4850 1GB hold up for those games?I've been out of the loop so to speak about computers for awhile now, so I'm willing to wait till the end of the year if anything new comes out.

Most of the parts are directly from the Sytems Builder Guide Sticky

 

[jdjbuffalo]

Originally posted by: Azndude2190

What do you guys think? I plan to overclock, but not more than my stock cooling can handle.Can the HD 4850 1GB hold up for those games?I've been out of the loop so to speak about computers for awhile now, so I'm willing to wait till the end of the year if anything new comes out.

Most of the parts are directly from the Sytems Builder Guide Sticky

Can the 4850 play these games? Yes. But if you want max settings plus being able to play some of the new games coming out then I would go with at least a 4870 1GB.

Also, I would wait 1-3 weeks for the new ATI graphics cards to come out. Even though they may be too expensive, there is a very good chance that all the older cards will immediately drop in price allowing you to get a better bang for your buck.

 

[Azndude2190]

Alright then, i'll probably wait.I was actually just gonna go with the HD 4850 as a temporary solution until I can afford a much higher end card. But everything else in my build should still be pretty good in another month or so right?In terms of price/performance.

 

[philosofool]

Definitely go for a 4870 1GB for those games.

The sweet spot on HDDs is 500GB right now, it would cost maybe $10-15 more for the extra 180GB, and it's worth it IMO. If you wait one month, probably 640GB becomes the sweet spot. If you're looking for a place to save, trimming the HDD size maybe a place to do it, but you can't save much by getting a smaller HDD.

Given what you're already spending on Motherboard, RAM and processor, I have a hard time not recommending looking into a Core i5/P55 setup. You can get such a system for $375 (mobo, RAM, proc); right now you're looking at spending $330 (if i did the math correctly.) That $45 buys you a lot of performance.

However, I would recommend the platform you have above with an HD 4870 1GB before the Core i5 w/ HD4850 if you have to make a choice between those two. The 4850 is a nice card, but not enough for Crysis on HIGH. The AMD 940 should be ample for gaming--the video card is much more likely to get challenged.

 

[philosofool]

Originally posted by: Azndude2190
Alright then, i'll probably wait.I was actually just gonna go with the HD 4850 as a temporary solution until I can afford a much higher end card. But everything else in my build should still be pretty good in another month or so right?In terms of price/performance.

If that's you thought, I'd go the Core i5 route that I suggested in my previous post. Also, it's not clear that there's much to be gained from 1GB versions of the 4850, and if you're planing to replace soon anyway, it might be worth saving $20.

 

[Azndude2190]

Yeah i'm not looking to future proof my computer. I just want to buy components that will deliver the best price/performance and put me in a position where I have the flexibility of recycling/adding components without constant MAJOR upgrades.

I'll look into the i5, just how much better is the performance over the 940?My current CPU/Mobo/Ram combo is@ 342 dollars.

I'll probably get the 4850 512MB then, but keep the hd the same, at least until black friday

 

[philosofool]

Originally posted by: Azndude2190
Yeah i'm not looking to future proof my computer. I just want to buy components that will deliver the best price/performance and put me in a position where I have the flexibility of recycling/adding components without constant MAJOR upgrades.

I'll look into the i5, just how much better is the performance over the 940?My current CPU/Mobo/Ram combo is@ 342 dollars.

I'll probably get the 4850 512MB then, but keep the hd the same, at least until black friday

How much better is Core i5? http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...ts/showdoc.aspx?i=3634 will answer that question, but the shorter answer is "mucho".

 

[eggrolls]

How much better is Core i5? http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...ts/showdoc.aspx?i=3634 will answer that question, but the shorter answer is "mucho".

Oh... I wouldn't say the i5 is much better than the X4 940, except in the case of Far Cry 2. The article you linked doesn't show a direct comparison between the i5 and the 940, but here are some 940 numbers: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...howdoc.aspx?i=3619&p=7

In most games, i5 and the X4 940 will show very similar performance. Unless you turn on a FPS counter, it's probably hard to tell the difference.

 

[jlee]

How much are you spending on that HD? With terabyte drives in the $80 range, I wouldn't buy anything that small.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Phenom 720BE / Asus Evo 790x AM3: $224

With the extra cash ---> Sapphire HD 4870 1GB: $155

You may want to check --- the HD 4870 may use 1 x 6-Pin & 1 x 6+2-Pin connectors.

Your DDR3 should generally cost as much as your Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 so that's a wash.