Help on puting together $500 gaming system

[CapnKill]

Well I've been out of the loop for a while and my current system is being pushed to the limit. I am still able to play BF2, but with all the setings at 0 or none or ugly, or whatever they are.

So I figured, that I'd like to see and play these games in all their glory and am ready to build a new box.

I'd like to stay in the $500 ballpark if possible.

I am partial to AMD, I've allways liked their procs and never had any problems, and from what I hear they are still the way to go, but am not closed minded on this.

After doing some research I think this is the video card I've settled on, once again open to suggestions: XFX GeForce 7600GT XXX 256MB

From my understanding I can SLI 2 of these together in the future if I need more umph, which means that I'd probably want a MOBO w/ 2 PCI-E slots... is that correct?

I have HD already, it is 150 gb IDE drive. Do I want/need to jump up to a SATA drive for my needs or will the IDE work just fine? I believe it is 7200RPM.

I also have a Case, but those aren't expensive anyway so I don't mind buying a new one.

And I also have a fairly new DVD drive so I'm good there.

Aside from that I need everythign else, so hopefuly you guys can help me out.

My goal is to play BF2 at the high setings without lag, naturaly, and any other current games on the market. At least, not have to drop everything to low in order to get a good fram rate.

Thanks!

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: CapnKill
Well I've been out of the loop for a while and my current system is being pushed to the limit. I am still able to play BF2, but with all the setings at 0 or none or ugly, or whatever they are.

So I figured, that I'd like to see and play these games in all their glory and am ready to build a new box.

I'd like to stay in the $500 ballpark if possible.

I am partial to AMD, I've allways liked their procs and never had any problems, and from what I hear they are still the way to go, but am not closed minded on this.

After doing some research I think this is the video card I've settled on, once again open to suggestions: XFX GeForce 7600GT XXX 256MB

From my understanding I can SLI 2 of these together in the future if I need more umph, which means that I'd probably want a MOBO w/ 2 PCI-E slots... is that correct?

I have HD already, it is 150 gb IDE drive. Do I want/need to jump up to a SATA drive for my needs or will the IDE work just fine? I believe it is 7200RPM.

I also have a Case, but those aren't expensive anyway so I don't mind buying a new one.

And I also have a fairly new DVD drive so I'm good there.

Aside from that I need everythign else, so hopefuly you guys can help me out.

My goal is to play BF2 at the high setings without lag, naturaly, and any other current games on the market. At least, not have to drop everything to low in order to get a good fram rate.

Thanks!

Your hard drive looks okay; IDE isn't totally dead or anything. 150gb should be a fair size for your computer.

AMD is basically the best way to go, since their products are so valuable right now - because Core 2 Duo is out, and it trounces AMD's offerings, AMD cut prices on all of their processors.

Your budget looks kind of prohibitive, but I would suggest getting an X2 3800+ - it should sell for around $170, which is a lot for your budget, but is dual-core. If that doesn't work, pick up a 3200+ and overclock it.

I would suggest picking up the cheapest 1gb stick of memory you can find, as long as you stick with a reputable manufacturer like Kingston, Crucial, Corsair, etc.

 

[concernedsophist]

I think I would steer clear of a dual gfx card setup as a future upgrade path. For the price of a new single card down the road you could just upgrade your 7600gt. Sell it and get a single vid card of the next generation that will be easier to set up, and have just as much oomph as two 7600gts or more. In my humble opinion SLI is more trouble than it?s worth unless you are out to build an uber system right now.

Get an AM2 socket motherboard; you will need ddr2, but it has a better upgrade future.

Don?t skimp on the power supply. Buy one from a reputable company, don?t use one that is included in a case.

My $0.02.

 

[CapnKill]

Any suggestions as to the Mobo? I am willing ot go above $500 if it means geting a solid piece of HW as opposed to a bucket of crap

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

Look around on some older threads would be a good start.

 

[BlackTigers]

3800+ X2 - $150
7600GT - $170
1GB DDR2 Valu - $85?
Decent PSU - $60


That leaves you about $40 for an AM2 motherboard, so I would suggest spending a bit more than $500 and it's more than doable .

 

[CapnKill]

Well thats fine, I can probably spend around 100 to 150 on the Mobo

 

[alimoalem]

cpu: AM2 3800x2 - $151
mobo: i'm not sure about motherboards but i think these two are good: MSI K9N Neo-F ($77) and Asus M2V ($83)
gpu: eVGA 7600GT KO - $146AR
psu: Fortron 450w - $51.50

i don't think i'm forgetting anything. this adds up to $431.50 or $425.50 (depending on the motherboard you choose) so if i have forgotten something, you have $70 to spend. i'd advise against getting a new case...it's just money wasted. don't get a board 2 pci-e slots either...you don't need SLI.

if i haven't forgotten anything, you can replace the 7600GT with an eVGA 7900GT KO for $244AR. it will take you over your budget by about $30, but you said you're willing to spend a little more.

i hope this is a good start for the other ATers to critique a $500 build

EDIT: i forgot the ram. if you're overclocking, getting this G.SKILL DDR2 800 ram 1gb stick or this pqi TURBO DDR2-800 1gb stick wouldn't be bad. if you want something cheaper, this OCZ Value ram (1gb stick) isn't bad for $68AR. the reason i recommend single 1gb sticks is so that when you have another $70-80 saved up, you can simply add a second 1gb stick to have 2gb of ram, 1T, and run in dual-channel.

 

[bob4432]

first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

 

[thecrecarc]

If you are willing to risk with recirtified Evga cards... (might have bad memory), my suggestion is:

3800+ X2 - $150
recirtified eVGAGeforce 7900GT - $200
BUFFALO Select 1GB (2 x 512MB) - $75
FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX400-PA - $37
Gigabyte GA-M51GM-S2G Socket AM2 - $80

if you are NOT willing to risk the bad memory, then get a x1800xt for 200$

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

this isn't bad at all. if the OP can squeeze in another $70, getting the 3800x2 wouldn't be a bad upgrade.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: CapnKill
Well thats fine, I can probably spend around 100 to 150 on the Mobo

no need to....

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: thecrecarc
If you are willing to risk with recirtified Evga cards... (might have bad memory), my suggestion is:

3800+ X2 - $150
recirtified eVGAGeforce 7900GT - $200
BUFFALO Select 1GB (2 x 512MB) - $75
FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX400-PA - $37
Gigabyte GA-M51GM-S2G Socket AM2 - $80

if you are NOT willing to risk the bad memory, then get a 7600gt like everyone else suggsted

not for bf2, you would be much better off with the given budge constraint to go a better gpu and mor ram and skimp on the cpu since after the 3200 all is about equal unless you get into the very high resolutions, but he could then o/c if needed.

 

[CapnKill]

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

So you are suggesting that instead of a 3800 I go down to 3500 and get a better video card instead? I just wanted to confirm that. Like I said, its 99% gaming machine, anything else I do with it doesn't really require a lot of beef. I'm also willing to go over $500, it's not a huge deal, should I do 3800 AND the x1800xt? Is the 1800 that much better than the 7600? I heard ATI wasn't doing so hot lately...

I'm really concerned with geting solid parts. I want to make sure the PSU is good and reputable, same w/ the Mobo. I've had good experiances w/ Epox in the past, so I do like them. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucs to get something good over something that might be suspect...

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

this isn't bad at all. if the OP can squeeze in another $70, getting the 3800x2 wouldn't be a bad upgrade.

they dropped the price on the x1800xt....d@mn, i just bought mine for $220AR. this is a sweet deal for those ati cards

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: CapnKill

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

So you are suggesting that instead of a 3800 I go down to 3500 and get a better video card instead? I just wanted to confirm that. Like I said, its 99% gaming machine, anything else I do with it doesn't really require a lot of beef. I'm also willing to go over $500, it's not a huge deal, should I do 3800 AND the x1800xt? Is the 1800 that much better than the 7600? I heard ATI wasn't doing so hot lately...

I'm really concerned with geting solid parts. I want to make sure the PSU is good and reputable, same w/ the Mobo. I've had good experiances w/ Epox in the past, so I do like them. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucs to get something good over something that might be suspect...

that is exactly what i am saying. if you can swing the 3800 and the x1800xt you would be set for some time. but if the budget keeps you at the single core then you will be fine with the 3500. bf2 does not take advantage of dual core or dual cpus. future games will. so even with a x2 3800 you will still be taking advantage of one core that is 2GHz and let the other core do all the other operations in the background. the 3500 will have a bit more speed on the one core, but it doesn't matter since you enough cpu either way.

ati works well and has for some time. in fact my last 3 gpus (9800pro, x800xtpe, x1800xt) have been ati. they have offered, imo, more bang for the buck. if you look at benches you will see that the x1800xt is = to a 7900gt, some instances the ati comes out ahead and others the nvidia comes out ahead (by a small %). so why not save some $$$ and get the ati

i am not a fanboy of anything except my wallet and the price/performance ratio for stuff i buy needs to be in my favor, not the manf

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: CapnKill

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

So you are suggesting that instead of a 3800 I go down to 3500 and get a better video card instead? I just wanted to confirm that. Like I said, its 99% gaming machine, anything else I do with it doesn't really require a lot of beef. I'm also willing to go over $500, it's not a huge deal, should I do 3800 AND the x1800xt? Is the 1800 that much better than the 7600? I heard ATI wasn't doing so hot lately...

I'm really concerned with geting solid parts. I want to make sure the PSU is good and reputable, same w/ the Mobo. I've had good experiances w/ Epox in the past, so I do like them. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucs to get something good over something that might be suspect...

Since it's going to be a 99% gaming machine, you don't really need dual-core. A 3500+ would do just fine; even a 3200+ would be good, if you overclocked. The X1800XT is a good deal better than the 7600GT, and is generally a better choice.

The FSP Group PSU someone recommended is good, as is the Fortron one.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Aflac

Originally posted by: CapnKill

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

So you are suggesting that instead of a 3800 I go down to 3500 and get a better video card instead? I just wanted to confirm that. Like I said, its 99% gaming machine, anything else I do with it doesn't really require a lot of beef. I'm also willing to go over $500, it's not a huge deal, should I do 3800 AND the x1800xt? Is the 1800 that much better than the 7600? I heard ATI wasn't doing so hot lately...

I'm really concerned with geting solid parts. I want to make sure the PSU is good and reputable, same w/ the Mobo. I've had good experiances w/ Epox in the past, so I do like them. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucs to get something good over something that might be suspect...

Since it's going to be a 99% gaming machine, you don't really need dual-core. A 3500+ would do just fine; even a 3200+ would be good, if you overclocked. The X1800XT is a good deal better than the 7600GT, and is generally a better choice.

The FSP Group PSU someone recommended is good, as is the Fortron one.

fsp = fortron

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

What about this? I've never heard of Bestec PSU, but ASUS has them and I like ASUS a lot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811173010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813123006

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814141025

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820159116

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820159117

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103633


Update
ASUS TA-210 Black 0.6mm SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TA-210
Item #: N82E16811173010
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$64.99 $64.99
AMD-compatible Motherboards
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
EPoX EP-MF4-J Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce4 4X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: EP-MF4-J
Item #: N82E16813123006
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$74.99 $74.99
Video Cards
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
BIOSTAR VP7603GT21 Geforce 7600GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: VP7603GT21
Item #: N82E16814141025

$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$177.99 $177.99
Memory - System
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
AllComponents 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered System Memory Model AC2/667X64/512 - OEM
Model #: AC2/667X64/512
Item #: N82E16820159116
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$40.89 $40.89

Update
AllComponents 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered System Memory Model AC2/667X64/1024 - OEM
Model #: AC2/667X64/1024
Item #: N82E16820159117
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$74.99 $74.99
Processors
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Orleans 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3500CNBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3500CNBOX
Item #: N82E16819103633
** This item is warranted through the product manufacturer only. what's this?
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List

518 shipped minus 30 dollar rebate.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: djmihow
What about this? I've never heard of Bestec PSU, but ASUS has them and I like ASUS a lot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811173010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813123006

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814141025

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820159116

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820159117

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103633


Update
ASUS TA-210 Black 0.6mm SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TA-210
Item #: N82E16811173010
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$64.99 $64.99
AMD-compatible Motherboards
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
EPoX EP-MF4-J Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce4 4X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: EP-MF4-J
Item #: N82E16813123006
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$74.99 $74.99
Video Cards
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
BIOSTAR VP7603GT21 Geforce 7600GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: VP7603GT21
Item #: N82E16814141025

$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$177.99 $177.99
Memory - System
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
AllComponents 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered System Memory Model AC2/667X64/512 - OEM
Model #: AC2/667X64/512
Item #: N82E16820159116
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$40.89 $40.89

Update
AllComponents 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Unbuffered System Memory Model AC2/667X64/1024 - OEM
Model #: AC2/667X64/1024
Item #: N82E16820159117
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List
$74.99 $74.99
Processors
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Orleans 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3500CNBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3500CNBOX
Item #: N82E16819103633
** This item is warranted through the product manufacturer only. what's this?
Remove item from Cart Remove Save Save Move To Wish List

518 shipped minus 30 dollar rebate.

this is a pretty dumb setup, sorry

going with components nobody has heard of???? or the extreme low end?

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

Its worth a gamble, just because you've never heard of it does not mean its crap.

 

[CapnKill]

Yes I do not want low end parts just cause they are cheap.. if it's cheap and good then I'm all for it, but I wont sacrifice quality for $$. So far I'm geting a ton of great info, much appriciated!!!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: djmihow
Its worth a gamble, just because you've never heard of it does not mean its crap.

i will let other people gamble with there $$$, i don't

i would rather be right and spend $100 on quality than to be wrong and spend $90 on possible crap

 

[TanisHalfElven]

Originally posted by: CapnKill
Well I've been out of the loop for a while and my current system is being pushed to the limit. I am still able to play BF2, but with all the setings at 0 or none or ugly, or whatever they are.

So I figured, that I'd like to see and play these games in all their glory and am ready to build a new box.

I'd like to stay in the $500 ballpark if possible.

I am partial to AMD, I've allways liked their procs and never had any problems, and from what I hear they are still the way to go, but am not closed minded on this.

After doing some research I think this is the video card I've settled on, once again open to suggestions: XFX GeForce 7600GT XXX 256MB

From my understanding I can SLI 2 of these together in the future if I need more umph, which means that I'd probably want a MOBO w/ 2 PCI-E slots... is that correct?

I have HD already, it is 150 gb IDE drive. Do I want/need to jump up to a SATA drive for my needs or will the IDE work just fine? I believe it is 7200RPM.

I also have a Case, but those aren't expensive anyway so I don't mind buying a new one.

And I also have a fairly new DVD drive so I'm good there.

Aside from that I need everythign else, so hopefuly you guys can help me out.

My goal is to play BF2 at the high setings without lag, naturaly, and any other current games on the market. At least, not have to drop everything to low in order to get a good fram rate.

Thanks!

amd is the way to go cuz of the cheap 70 bucks mobo.
get x2 3800+
i would recommend a 7900gt (=2x7600gt) but a 7600gt is still 2x faster than the card i use and very good.
don't rely on sli for the futher. sli is for now only.

 

[CapnKill]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: CapnKill

Originally posted by: bob4432
first off, welcome to the forums

if you want to play bf2 at high then you will need more gpu than a 7600gt and more than 1GB of ram.

case - use your old one, they may be cheap but even $30 here is going to matter

cpu - amd am2 3500 orleans - ~$90 CPU
ram - 2GB ddr2 667 - ~$140AR DDR2 667
m/b - nf4 am2 epox - ~$75 M/B
psu - 450W fsp - ~$52 PSU
gpu - x1800xt - ~$200 GPU

~$557 AR less shipping

with this setup your performance will be nearly identical to mine and i game bf2 @ 1280x1024 all settings on high except shadows and lighting (i find them distracting) and get well over a very conservative 60fps all the time. no hiccups ever. and total ram usage goes up to ~1.5-1.6GB

So you are suggesting that instead of a 3800 I go down to 3500 and get a better video card instead? I just wanted to confirm that. Like I said, its 99% gaming machine, anything else I do with it doesn't really require a lot of beef. I'm also willing to go over $500, it's not a huge deal, should I do 3800 AND the x1800xt? Is the 1800 that much better than the 7600? I heard ATI wasn't doing so hot lately...

I'm really concerned with geting solid parts. I want to make sure the PSU is good and reputable, same w/ the Mobo. I've had good experiances w/ Epox in the past, so I do like them. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucs to get something good over something that might be suspect...

that is exactly what i am saying. if you can swing the 3800 and the x1800xt you would be set for some time. but if the budget keeps you at the single core then you will be fine with the 3500. bf2 does not take advantage of dual core or dual cpus. future games will. so even with a x2 3800 you will still be taking advantage of one core that is 2GHz and let the other core do all the other operations in the background. the 3500 will have a bit more speed on the one core, but it doesn't matter since you enough cpu either way.

ati works well and has for some time. in fact my last 3 gpus (9800pro, x800xtpe, x1800xt) have been ati. they have offered, imo, more bang for the buck. if you look at benches you will see that the x1800xt is = to a 7900gt, some instances the ati comes out ahead and others the nvidia comes out ahead (by a small %). so why not save some $$$ and get the ati

i am not a fanboy of anything except my wallet and the price/performance ratio for stuff i buy needs to be in my favor, not the manf

If I decide to go 3800 is the Epox Mobo still the way to go?