AutoHotkey Community

[SpiderGames]

Hey,

For the majority of my computer life i've been using my HP laptop. Its faired nicely for things like Autohotkey and Visual Basics... but it's a lagg magnet for WoW and wont support CoD4 or CoD5.

I've been saving up for a new desktop, and I wanted to know what to put in it, hardware wise.

I want the PC for Gaming and Scripting.

What do I need to get for optimal graphics and effect performance?
_________________

I know i have 6 legs. It's cuz I'm special.

[tidbit]

what's your budget?
_________________
rawr. be very afraid
*poke*
Note: My name is all lowercase for a reason.
Even monkeys fall from trees. - Japanese proverb

[SpiderGames]

Well...

I'll go with Price is no option for the moment. If something is ridiculously expensive i can go a few tiers under it.

Probably in the range of 300 - 1500 dollars for a guideline.

Edit:: I dont care what it looks like I just want function.
_________________

I know i have 6 legs. It's cuz I'm special.

[[VxE]]

lol. In this age of information, the best gaming rig for your budget is only a few hours of googling away.

There are many forums/websites where techies trade specs and performance reviews for every machine under the sun.

Start by reviewing, then selecting, a graphics card. From there on, google can dig through the myriad forums to find relevant info on the better components to flesh-out your new rig.
_________________
Ternary (a ? b : c) guide     TSV Table Manipulation Library
Post code inside [code][/code] tags!

[SpiderGames]

Well problem is i dont know what to google for. I have no idea what makes a computer work . How about you tell me what part will affect it and i can search it.
_________________

I know i have 6 legs. It's cuz I'm special.

[Krogdor]

Well, the processor will affect your computer's overall speed. Memory (RAM) will affect the amount of things you can have open at once before you start slowing down, and with the games coming out these days you should definitely get 3 gigs if you are on a 32-bit computer (the maximum), or around 4 if you go to a 64-bit computer. RAM is pretty cheap, cheap enough that a lot of pre-built 32-bits even ship with 4 gigs, despite being unable to use the final gigabyte. Graphics card is also very important for games; it will have a lot of affect on what kind of graphics settings you can run for a given game.

[SpiderGames]

Thanks allot! Ill look it up.

Anything else affect performance?
_________________

I know i have 6 legs. It's cuz I'm special.

[Tseik]

please, no laptops for gaming.. =D
_________________
was i wrong, it makes me a very sad panda!

[n-l-i-d]

You'll have to decide the following:

- Motherboard: What processor-types does it accept/do I want (Intel/AMD). What connections/options does it offer, and do you need (ide/sata, network/wifi, audiochip, pci/pci-express, usb/firewire etcet) and how many and how fast, what graphic(s) card(s) can you use, and do you want a 32 or 64 bit machine. Important for speed is the FSB speed (front side bus) and the Level2/Level3 cache size.
- Processor: Does it fit on the motherboard I picked. Is it a "newer" generation (first generation of a new version), or an "older" generation (later generation of an older version, which is probably better proven, more stable, and cheaper). Does it need "extra" cooling, etcet.
- Graphics-card: Do you want an ATI or nVidia based card. Does it fit into the motherboard (pci/pci-express/other), and does it have enough "power" to run the games/apps you'd want (mb and cpu). What kind of monitor(s) do you have, and does the graphic-card have the correct output(s) for your monitor(s). Do you intend to keep the option of using multiple cards (SLI/Crossfire).
- RAM: as much as you can afford and fits

If you take the effort, and build the PC yourself (partially), you can get a "good" machine for around 500$, and a "very good" machine for maybe around 700$. Don't expect to be able to play Crysis on the highest settings then though...

In general, AMD/ATI or Intel/nVidia fit best together and AMD/ATI is usually a cheaper combination than Intel/nVidia.

Tips:

- Get yourself some exact model name and numbers in the price-range you think would fit from an online computer shop (or multiple)
- Compare and write down the ones that receive good ratings on review sites.
- Assemble your computer on paper. Make very sure everything in your setup is compatible, and that it offers all you need/want. Build one or two optional setups (in case parts are out of stock) on paper.
- Get your chosen and available parts from a company that you know exists for a couple of years minimum (in case of failures and guarantee) and is in your surroundings and gets good reviews from other customers. Don't pick the cheaper (eBay etcet) options from unknown companies/persons.
- The more you do yourself, the cheaper it gets. Build to order, or, depending on your knowledge, have them assemble the case, motherboard and processor/fan only, and do the rest yourself, or really do everything yourself.
- Saving 50$ now might cost you more in the future: pick a good supplier, and pay the extra.

HTH

[Xapti]

Sorry clickable links won't work from my C&P

BFG Tech GS-550 550W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.8 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
$79.99

2 x G.SKILL FM-25S2S-64GB 2.5" MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
$358.00

Foxconn G45M-S LGA 775 Intel G45 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Foxconn G45M-S Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
$113.99

OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop
$33.99

POWERCOLOR AX4870 512MD5 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

$212.74

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core
$203.99

LIAN LI PC-60BPLUSII Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$148.49

Grand Total: $1,151.19

This is from newegg.ca, and was 1 month ago. If you're from the US it will be much cheaper. The SSD storage is also optional. Considering you have only a laptop, you will almost certainly want to buy a bigger storage drive too (100 bucks or less easy). No monitor here. If you want a fancy LCD, say goodbye to the solid state drives.

[SpiderGames]

Thanks
_________________

I know i have 6 legs. It's cuz I'm special.

[n-l-i-d]

Here my list of "what would I pick if-I-only-could simulated shopping" (from tigerdirect.com)

- EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard (~ 200 $)
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Processor 3.0GHz, 6MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB, Wolfdale (~ 180 $)
- 2 x OCZ Intel Extreme Edition 4096MB PC10666 DDR3 1333MHz Memory = 8 GB Max RAM (~ 120 $)
- Patriot Warp 32GB Solid State Hard Drive - SATA-300, 2.5" (~ 120 $)
- Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS Hard Drive - 1TB, 7200, 32MB, SATA-300 (~ 100 $)
- Lite On IHES206-08 Blu-ray Disc Reader with DVD Writer Combo - 6x BD-ROM, 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD+RW, 16X DVD-R, 6x DVD-RW, SATA, Lightscribe (~ 100 $)
- XFX GeForce 9800 GT Video Card - 512MB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0, (2) Dual Link DVI, HDTV, VGA Support (~ 130 $)
- Some case (~ 50 $)
- Some 600-700 watt SLI ready power supply (~ 100 $)
- Extra's (~ 50 $)

Total: ~ 1150 $

HTH (no guarantees)

[Tseik]

DDR3 works tri-way, so i would take 3x2GB
Also Ati 4870 1GB is many times better and the price is only about 180$.
Remember, OS aint free either, if gaming u should wait windows7,
or if u have xp already, use that. (of course i dont know if u use warez, but... =P)

[n-l-i-d]

[Tseik]

why not then ddr2, its cheaper. you dont gain much if you buy ddr3 and motherboard doesnt use triway ddr3. also there arent much differences between ddr2 and ddr3. ddr3 is something like 1% faster.

i think sli is waste of money. if you buy later the same card cheaper and use sli there are always a better card, than those two together, available almost same price and newer technology. of course if you buy used, then its a better thought. old cards are suprisingly expensive in stores.
_________________
was i wrong, it makes me a very sad panda!