For those who are thinking about buying new computer

[Kessu]

So I'll make here a topic for those who are about to buy new comp... Simple one, but hopefully helps

Processor:
AMD vs. Intel? No winner atm, both are better than other in something
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ @ 3.0 GHz wih 1 Mb L2 Cache loses to Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 @ 2.5 GHz 2 Mb L2 cache for example.. Don't look at GHz, look at test made in internet (example Guru of 3D is reliable site)

For Playing:
Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 - 70€, Good processor made for overclocking and for budget PCs
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 - 110€, Processor which you can overclock pretty good, runs games well
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 - 170€, Extremely good processor for overclocking and runs every game without any kind of problems, even with stock speed

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ - 80€, Fine processor for budget PCs, runs out of performance pretty fast though
AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 - 60€, Beats 6000+, almost even with Intel E5200, loses slightly, good for budget PCs and good for overclocking
AMD Athlon 64 X2 250 (AMD Phenom II X2 250) - 80€, Good processor for playing light-heavy games, runs out of performance when comes to super-weight games

For Editing videos:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 - 200+€, Only Intel Core 2 Quad I recommend for price/performance, runs pretty good and overclocks well
Intel Core i7 920 - 270€, Only one recommended from Core i7, as others cost way too much when looking at performance, overclocks extremely good

AMD Phenom II X4 940BE - 170€, Extremely well overclocking processor, made a record in 3DMark06 with 6+GHz, unlocked multiplier. Totally recommended by me
AMD Phenom II X4 955BE - 190€, Very good processor, which overclocks extremely well, unlocked multiplier

Motherboards:
Asus P5Q series for Intel Core 2 processor, or Asus Maximus II Formula when overclocking at maximum. Costs 70-250€
For Core i7, I recommend Asus P6T Deluxe V2 - 270€ or high-end überpro mobo Asus Rampage II Extreme - 320€ (No, these are normal prices for LGA1366 mobo's)

When looking for  budget motherboard for AMD, only I can say is this: ASUS M4N78 PRO - 80€.
When money isn't problem and you want to get mobo which has everything: Asus M4A79 Deluxe 790FX - 160€
Yes, you may see there is only Asus, they just are the best when comes to making motherboards

Video cards:
ATI vs nVidia, which one is better? There is no better at the moment.

For playing lightweight games, example Vice City, I'd recommend ATI Radeon HD 4670 - nVidia 9500 GT - 50€ to 100€
For Middleweight games, example San Andreas, ATI Radeon HD 4770 / HD 4850 - nVidia GeForce 9600 GT - 100€ to 170€
For heavyweight games, example Call of Duty 4, ATI Radeon HD 4870, HD 4850X2 - nVidia GeForce 9800 GT(X/X+) - 100€ to 300€
For Super-heavyweight games, example Crysis, ATI Radeon HD 4890, HD 4870X2 - nVidia GeForce GTX 260 to GTX 295 - 170€ to 600€

RAM:
DDR2: Kingston ValueRAM 4Gb (2x 2048 Mb) 800 MHz - 40€
DDR3: Corsair 4Gb (2X2048 Mb) DDR3 1333MHz kit XMS3 - 70€
NOTE: You don't need more than 4Gb of system RAM, unless you are planning to run 100 programs at the same time

Hard Drive:
Capacity depends of you own need ofcourse, but I prefer buying Western Digital/Samsung HDD's and 7200rpm or faster.

PSU:
Three options, depends of your need.
Corsair cx400w - 50€, Runs 9800 GT / HD 4850 with any processor. (only one video card)
Corsair HX520W - 90€, Runs SLI/CrossFire systems, meaning HD 4870X2 / GTX 295
If you want everything: Corsair HX1000W - 200€, Meant for Quad SLI/Crossfire, runs everything.

Operating System:
Windows XP professional 64-bit or Windows 7 64-bit, I never recommend Vista.

DVD/Bluray depends of your need, I don't have any recommendations for those.

NOTE: Prices are taken from finnish shop, those may be ALOT different in your country.
NOTE: I DO NOT recommend of buying pre-build PCs (example Fujitsu Siemens and others) as usually there is some components which ruins the whole system and those are more expensive.

Hope this helps something and stops people making topics like "PC upgrade, what to buy?"

[Alarba]

Very good topic.

:ps: IMO this should get sticky

[Pritilender]

just to ask, because I used to make some 3d stuff, what processor do you recomand for 3d modeling?

[Kessu]

just to ask, because I used to make some 3d stuff, what processor do you recomand for 3d modeling?

Dunno what that is, but I guess Phenom II X4 so it wouldn't run out of performance

[Devin]

Kessu good topic, but what about the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400...  :redface:  ive got it and its got loadsa power, cheaper then the E8500 ofc and gives closely the same amount of power as the E8500 
and overclocks like a beast  clocked it to 4.6Ghz before.. from a stock 3Ghz 

[Kessu]

Kessu good topic, but what about the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400...  :redface:  ive got it and its got loadsa power, cheaper then the E8500 ofc and gives closely the same amount of power as the E8500 
and overclocks like a beast  clocked it to 4.6Ghz before.. from a stock 3Ghz 

Didn't listed every processor for the first time, going to update the topic tomorrow when am not tired

[Devin]

ok i know i said about 1 thing already but maaan

For Middleweight games, example San Andreas, ATI Radeon HD 4770 / HD 4850 - nVidia GeForce 9600 GT - 100€ to 170€

dude Geforce 9600GT for San Andreas, you must be mad... i got 2 of them SLI and i run anygame on max... even with 1 card    theyre powerfull  :flame:

[Kessu]

ok i know i said about 1 thing already but maaan

dude Geforce 9600GT for San Andreas, you must be mad... i got 2 of them SLI and i run anygame on max... even with 1 card    theyre powerfull  :flame:

May are, but how fast they actually runs out of performance? Put 16x AA and 16 AF and test it then.. You don't have even 20 FPS..
And SA is just an example... Let's say like, Call of Duty 2 is in same class with SA...

[Devin]

im currently on 1 card, PSU is dodgy.. i run Grid on 16QAA or what ever and ill take a screenshot of FPS IG tomorrow 

[Kessu]

im currently on 1 card, PSU is dodgy.. i run Grid on 16QAA or what ever and ill take a screenshot of FPS IG tomorrow 

GRID goes to the same category..

[cDa]

Well i was told this during a casuall talk with a representative from MSI

Multitasking: Intel cpu + ati gpu
Single app(like gaming): Amd + Nvidia

[Wash]

A 9500GT can run heavy games like CoD4/Crysis and so on..

'Lightweight' games..? Vice City can be used on a cheap, crappy Intel GMA chipset onboard video card.. with 40 FPS +.

[Devin]

i can tell you know this topic is badly wrong.. even a 9500GT can run games like CoD4 etc...
even a 9600GT i can run multi apps without lag...

And the thing saying GRID is in the same category as San Andreas, i doubt you know what youre talking about, seriously...

[Wash]

GRID goes to the same category..

GRID is up there with Crysis..

GRID occasionally causes my GTX 295 to get quite heated, when you're doing big donuts.

[Kessu]

Uummm... Let's say it like this.

VCMP runs with almost any graphs card you can find...
COD4... Runs with 9500 GT, but with what FPS? I'm trying to advise people to buy good enough PC, so they don't disappoint to result. Example, cod4 best gameplay comes with 250 FPS, even 9600 GT can't manage to do that. My 9800 GT has hard times to keep it in 250...
GRID same as Crysis? Hell no, it goes to same category with CoD2... nVidia 6600 GT (example) runs GRID without lag (with smallest settings)...
GRID does not take as much "powers" as Crysis takes.. And like said, I'm trying to get advise ppl to buy good enough for that game...
I'm just making up points which you may not understand, as you stay behind your opinions...
And yeah, GRID takes a bit more powers than GTA SA, that was fail..