suggestions for hardware?

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ForgottenHero

FNG / Fresh Meat
Jan 31, 2006
230
152
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i have $500 for pc hardware for ro2, the old republic, and minecraft. and thats about all im interested in.

i don't mind medium settings and lower res like 1024x(whatever).

im thinking of a good i3 dual core which i hear is better than many quad core cpus. and i have no idea what gpu and psu would be a good match for that.
 
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Luckless

Luckless

FNG / Fresh Meat
Aug 28, 2011
250
97
0
What, if any, hardware etc do you have currently? $500 doesn't go a long way if you need a monitor, mouse, keyboard, copy of Windows (Remember, most OEM licenses that came with a computer from Dell or similar can't be transferred to a new system.), etc.
 
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THunter

THunter

FNG / Fresh Meat
Mar 10, 2007
278
141
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CA
ForgottenHero said:
i have $500 for pc hardware for ro2, the old republic, and minecraft. and thats about all im interested in.

i don't mind medium settings and lower res like 1024x(whatever).

im thinking of a good i3 dual core which i hear is better than many quad core cpus. and i have no idea what gpu and psu would be a good match for that.
Click to expand...


Do yourself a favor and save another $1500 and then youll have a decent PC.

You forgot to tell us your rig specs so we cant offer advice. /facepalm
 
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Slodin

FNG / Fresh Meat
Sep 16, 2011
78
20
0
500...I dont know but 1000 bucks can get you a decent Gaming-PC thats already made and it comes with a keyboard and mouse...I'm guess you will use the monitor you are using right now...

tell you what, I5 and a GTX460 is good... my friend only spend about 600 on those with a case, power supply,4GB DD3 ram, harddrive..everything you needed..but he bought it in parts and assembled it like I did..
and he can play RO2 on ultra 720p..(yea..it should, since RO2 it is UE3 after all)


note: he got most of the stuff on sales lol..:rolleyes:
note2: screw buying windows..
 
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TheRealGunther

TheRealGunther

FNG / Fresh Meat
Sep 3, 2011
1,177
282
0
Blue Ridge GA
I spent like 700 bucks on my pc and I run this game good(40-60 fps)on 64 player servers at high rez and aa enabled and a mix of ultra and high.With stuff that doesn't matter to me on low like foliage and shadows bloom on low/medium.

Many pc gear heads will say spend a bunch on a top of the line system .You can spend less and still have great game play.Just look for good deals thats what I did found a i5 and a gtx460 to be just right and can run all games atm on high.Maybe not at 300 fps but that's just overkill lol.I have no struttering and never say hey if I had a better system I would have done better there.

If you can find a few used parts you very well may be able to build a good system with 500 bucks.
 
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Brushy Bill

FNG / Fresh Meat
Aug 24, 2011
26
7
0
Wow, people saying 1000 or 1500. That's crazy. I just built a complete PC minus the GPU which I had and re-used spent right at 500 bucks. And I am running an I5 2500k at 4.5ghz, new Ram Ripjaw Series X 8 gigs 1600, New HD Black Caviar 64mb cache 750GB, new Neo Eco 620c PSU, New MSI p67s-c43(b3), New Antec 300 Illusion Case, New 212+ Cooler Master Heatsink/Fan (bought an extra 120mm fan with same specs for push pull system). And all this was actually under 500 after rebates. My GPU is a pny 460 gtx OC xlr8 edition which wasn't much either. I say tack on an extra 200 bucks maybe less for a decent GPU. 560's are under 200 bucks. And if you're smart just check Newegg and tigerdirect daily for deals. The new second gen I5's are awesome though. This 2500k I have is ridiculous. My cpu temps with this 212+ heatsink/fan (air cooling), don't go over 56C at max load CPU OC'd to 4.5ghz. at 1.29v.... In games I don't go over 48C.

Anyways, dig around. Check Newegg regularly like I was saying, and I'm sure you can piece together a good system for 500 bucks. These guys saying 1k or 1500 are crazy. If you put that kind of money into a gaming rig you could have close to the best **** around. If you're smart though, you can spend a lot less ie 500 bucks, and come off with a rig that will last several years and still be able to run games maxed out like I'm doing now. My GPU is my choke point, but it seems to be handling everything fine for now.
 
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Spoon

FNG / Fresh Meat
Nov 24, 2005
61
7
0
Im waiting for the best deal on a video card and Im going to throw it in a 4 year old computer i have to see how well it handles. If it doesn't do the job then Ill start buying part by part.
 
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TheRealGunther

TheRealGunther

FNG / Fresh Meat
Sep 3, 2011
1,177
282
0
Blue Ridge GA
Spoon said:
Im waiting for the best deal on a video card and Im going to throw it in a 4 year old computer i have to see how well it handles. If it doesn't do the job then Ill start buying part by part.
Click to expand...

I like the gtx 460 it can be found cheap now and is very overclocker friendly boosting its performance up to 30% on some games.
 
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Brushy Bill

FNG / Fresh Meat
Aug 24, 2011
26
7
0
Sir Reginald said:
[url]http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.html[/URL]
for 500 bucks
Amd is the way to go
it just the best you can buy for the money
INtel is faster but you need more money
Click to expand...


It has been like that for a while now. But I picked up this I5 2500k for 179, and the AMD 1100t 6 core was about 10 bucks more and this 4 core blows it out of the water in performance. Like I was saying in my other post, 500 bucks can get you decent performance and longevity if you're smart about when and what you are buying. I was all about AMD back in the day, but these new Intel CPU's are priced well and just blow anything AMD out of the water right now. Spend 160-170 on a phenom 975/980 black edition when you can spend 10-20 more on an I5 2500k that out performs both and will last you a lot longer.
 
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Flogger23m

FNG / Fresh Meat
May 5, 2009
3,438
538
0
The good news is that you can keep your motherboard/RAM when it comes time to upgrade in the future. Bulldozer should be backwards compatible on many AM3+ CPUs. That is the main reason to stick with AMD.

If money is no object, then Intel tends to be better.
 
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Lex_Luger

FNG / Fresh Meat
Sep 27, 2011
32
41
0
Dont listen to amd fanbois, most of them dont have a clue as to whats the best hardware is.

Truth is AMD hasnt been competing with intel for 5 years, and all reports indicate that bulldozer cpu will be massive failure

If you have a Microcenter store in your area, you can pick up the best gaming cpu out there for 180 dollars, the 2500k.

Anyone not recommending a 2500k for gaming is a tool, kid, or hardcore fanboi.

Once you have a 2500k, video card wont matter much, since both amd(ati) and nvidia cards are great nowadays, and prices are good.

When your GPU bound you can lower detail settings so you get a good framerate,

when your cpu bound, youre screwed, game will run choppy and slow no matter what you do, even on lowest settings.

Intel cpus can take more heat, and are more durable
Intel cpus overclock much higher
Intel cpus are faster clock for clock
Intel cpus are far more energy efficent at both load, and idle

And for people that worry that supporting intel will lead to them charging very high prices in future,

this isnt a concern anymore with all the competition intel is facing from ARM, apple, tablets, and phones. They have to sell desktop cpus at very competitive prices, otherwise no one will buy them.
 
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Flogger23m

FNG / Fresh Meat
May 5, 2009
3,438
538
0
Lex_Luger said:
Dont listen to amd fanbois, most of them dont have a clue as to whats the best hardware is.

blah blah blah
Click to expand...

If I went with Intel I'd be stuck with an inferior duel core CPU with no upgrade options. Luckily, I went with AMD, and was able upgrade my CPU at a later date. No new motherboard and RAM needed. :)

If you have the money, Intel tends to be better. But if you would like to upgrade just a CPU AMD is the way to go.

Also, Micro Center's in store selection is lame (good for a store), and so are their prices. Most of their good deals only work online. Some only work in store. Amazon is cheaper with free tax and shipping for most PC hardware. Occasionally Mico Center does have some nice deals though.
 
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SnowyOak

SnowyOak

FNG / Fresh Meat
Jun 17, 2011
444
145
0
Chicago, USA
Sir Reginald said:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.htmlhttp://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.html
for 500 bucks
Amd is the way to go
it just the best you can buy for the money
INtel is faster but you need more money
Click to expand...

I use the AMD phenom2 x4 955 BE with an HIS Radeon HD 5770 and get very smooth gameplay @ 1920x1080 on medium settings & @ 1280x720 on high settings. 50-60 fps average on smaller maps and drops down to ~40 on larger ones.
 
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3

39th Guards

FNG / Fresh Meat
Aug 28, 2011
79
28
0
Laramie, WY
Check out Newegg for their combo DIY kits. Pick up a Sandy-bridge system for around $500, then drop a card in. Should be a few hundred under a thousand. Don't listen to the "U MUST LIQUID COOL UR CD DRIVE N EVRYTHING" people. If you can't build a computer yourself try out a site like Ibuypower. Never tried them, but I am moderately confident that they do not use monkeys to assemble their computers. (Some finishing work may be needed.)
 
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Lex_Luger

FNG / Fresh Meat
Sep 27, 2011
32
41
0
Another person recommending amd cpu. RO2 is cpu bound right now, so best upgrade in latest intel cpu.

Its very much worth the extra 50 bucks to buy the intel quad vs the amd quad.

Intel quad is literally 3 years ahead of amd quad.

The most important part of any computer will, and always will be the cpu.

It better to have the best cpu and mediocre graphics card vs mediocre cpu and best graphics card.

Ive have built and owned pc since the 486 days. AMD used to compete will intel. I used to buy amd, but then core2duo came out and amd hasnt had any answer since. They arent competitive anymore, and probably will never be again.

You want to play battlefield 3 smoothly, intel cpu
You want to play GTA iv smoothly, intel cpu
You want to play a large starcraft 2 match, intel cpu
You want to try high end nintendo wii emulation, intel cpu
 
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