System Building: Mid-range Gaming CPU/Mobo/GPU Price/Performance Sweet Spots?
Need core components for a new gaming PC. This should be a capable (but not cutting edge) machine not needing serious upgrades for a couple of years, if possible.
Budget: Variable, but definitely want to spend as little as possible and hit the current price/performance sweet spots. Edit: $500 max for Mobo/CPU/GPU? And happy to entertain less.
I have already:
- Case
- Optical drive/floppy
- HDs, but low on space and would like to pick up another for redundancy
- Ram - 2x 2GB OCZ DDR3-1066 or Corsair DDR3-1334, depending on which I decide to cannibalize
I need:
- CPU - don't care if it's AMD or Intel; what's best value in the current cycle?
- Mobo - don't need Xfire/SLI; needs to support RAM I already have; probably don't want micro ATX so I have spare expansion slots/good air flow between cards; LAN on board; sound doesn't have to be, but hard to get away from it (have an Audigy 2zs collecting dust right now--that would do fine if Windows 7 supports it)
- GPU - again, couldn't care less about nVidia vs. ATi--just want best value
- HD - SSD just isn't in the budget right now I don't think, sorry; probably just want to pick up a sweet-spot behemoth unless you can sell me on SSD without breaking my budget (how big of a difference does running Windows and your active game on an SSD make?)
- OS - Windows 7 Home Premium OEM, I presume
Possibles:
- Monitor - best real estate for the $, doesn't have to be a day 1 purchase--would like something bigger than my current 20.1"
- Mouse - something with a couple of extra buttons for gaming, but modestly priced (not paying $100 for a gaming mouse); I can't stand those hulking LG mice, either
Thanks for your opinions!
Budget: Variable, but definitely want to spend as little as possible and hit the current price/performance sweet spots. Edit: $500 max for Mobo/CPU/GPU? And happy to entertain less.
I have already:
- Case
- Optical drive/floppy
- HDs, but low on space and would like to pick up another for redundancy
- Ram - 2x 2GB OCZ DDR3-1066 or Corsair DDR3-1334, depending on which I decide to cannibalize
I need:
- CPU - don't care if it's AMD or Intel; what's best value in the current cycle?
- Mobo - don't need Xfire/SLI; needs to support RAM I already have; probably don't want micro ATX so I have spare expansion slots/good air flow between cards; LAN on board; sound doesn't have to be, but hard to get away from it (have an Audigy 2zs collecting dust right now--that would do fine if Windows 7 supports it)
- GPU - again, couldn't care less about nVidia vs. ATi--just want best value
- HD - SSD just isn't in the budget right now I don't think, sorry; probably just want to pick up a sweet-spot behemoth unless you can sell me on SSD without breaking my budget (how big of a difference does running Windows and your active game on an SSD make?)
- OS - Windows 7 Home Premium OEM, I presume
Possibles:
- Monitor - best real estate for the $, doesn't have to be a day 1 purchase--would like something bigger than my current 20.1"
- Mouse - something with a couple of extra buttons for gaming, but modestly priced (not paying $100 for a gaming mouse); I can't stand those hulking LG mice, either
Thanks for your opinions!