some advice

[leafer]

I'm going to be building a new comp in a month or so and since I've been out of the technologies loop for so long, I was wondering what is the best bang for the buck nowadays?

 

My budget, not including monitor, is around 600 usd -- 700 usd max (not including monitor). Speaking of monitor, would you recommend an LCD tv over a regular LCD monitor?

 

Thanks

[EtherealN]

On the TV, I'd say that depends on how much you want to spend. For the bigger sizes an HDTV seems to be the better bang for the buck, 22 inches and lower it seems regular monitor wins out.

 

Are there any other parts you can keep? F.ex power supplies, hard drives and so on?

 

I'd say the e8500 and quads are very good bang for the buck, but the i7 920 systems aren't much worse for price and overclock fantastically. Someone with proper AMD experience would have to chime in for the other side of the equation though.

[Kuky]

I'd say E8500/DDR2 based system also as good CPU to overclock and not spend lot of money.

[leafer]

How about the Phenom quads? They are cheaper and come with L2 and L3 catches or perhaps having extra level of catch isn't significant? This system is intended to be used for BS and future modules as well as a mini home theater. Anything else would be an added bonus.

[CyBerkut]

It's good to see you back, leafer! Hopefully, your haitus from here was lucrative. :)

 

You're looking at a balancing act there, as your intended uses are a bit at odds.

 

For DCS:BS, clock rate is king, to oversimplify a tad. For home theater, most everyone is seeking to keep it as quiet as possible. Higher clock rates run hotter, requiring more cooling, which generally translates to more fan noise. Fan noise is the bane of home theater PCs, and most HT designs intentionally go to lower power processors because of it.

 

I'm not really up to speed on AMD processors, so I'll leave that to more knowledgable folks. As I understand it, when you are looking at processing power somewhere less than the top end, then AMD is supposed to be a very good 'bang for the buck' proposition.

 

If you're more concerned with DCS:BS performance than low fan noise for a home theater PC, and if you go Intel... then an E8400 / E8500 OC'd as much as it can stand will most likely be your best bet. Having said that, I would also add that it isn't preparing you for the future state of things as well as 'biting the bullet' and getting on to an i7 or i5 processor would. The full capabilities of those processors (and their mobo's / sockets) isn't being utilized *yet* in DCS, but at some point that is bound to change. I understand the 'keep the cost down now' approach, however, and can see some wisdom in that.

[leafer]

huh...I hadn't thought of the fan noise issue but don't these newer chips produce very little heat? I read even when fully clocked, the Intel chips run about 70 celcius on stock HS. Either way, my backyard is a forest and fifty yard beyond that is an ocean, so there are all kinds of noises at all hours -- monkeys, cats, toads, crickets, birds, chopping sea, etc... A little fan noise won't hurt. I'm not kidding. :D

 

Back on topic, I know it's pointless trying to predict a winning system for future modules. So, what I'm looking for is all around performance. I had to live with crappy system for years (AMD Sempron) and I want this next one to perform like a champ. I want to be able to play a game and listen to songs simultaneously without my comp slowing to a crawl. I want to watch High Def movies, Blue Ray, etc. I know I'm asking for far more than what a 700 dollar system can offer me but do try.