Need tips on my new build.

[Jackalblood]

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What could I change/fix that wouldn't raise the price drastically(I want to keep it around $900)??? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Domestic]

I can't see very much wrong with it. Keep in mind that you could use the Windows 7 Beta for a year instead of buying Vista and use the spare 100 dollars to get a gtx 285. But the card you have picked out at the moment is great for that res.

 

[Jackalblood]

Excuse my ignorance but how would I run the computer before I'd install W7???

 

[Muffin Man]

either one of these case/psu combos will come out cheaper than buying the 300 and the 650w psu seperately, if you dont mind the extra blue led fans, which will keep your stuff cooler. (it is just the 300 with more fans)

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and for $2 more from your original choices of hdd and ram, this combo would give you a better hdd and faster ram.

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edit: i dont know why the price of the 550 has risen, but at its current price, it would be worth the extra $5 to just the 720 triple core instead. this would be a good cpu/mobo combo to start with
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but this one would be better if you could spring the extra money
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i would stick with the 4890, at $190, its offers really good performance for the money, plus you can just OC if you want to speed it up even more.

about your question on w7, i dont get what you are asking. i think what domestic was suggesting was that you run the free version of windows 7 Windows 7 Release Candidate for the time being, because the full version is coming out soon, and buying vista would be a waste.

 

[Jackalblood]

What I meant was how do I install W7 after I build the PC??? Do I save W7 to a disk and then install it?

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^^^ With your recommendations. Is it correct?

 

[myowngod]

you will download it - burn the ISO to a dvd, and then install like any other OS

build looks pretty good to me

 

[Jackalblood]

One more question: what kind of settings should I expect to be using on games like Oblivion, COD4, Bioshock or Crysis?

 

[Domestic]

One more question: what kind of settings should I expect to be using on games like Oblivion, COD4, Bioshock or Crysis?

Cod4 - Maxed out at your monitor's highest res
Oblivion - Maxed out at your monitors highest res
Bioschock - Maxed out at your monitors highest res
Crysis - Probably playable at max res but with pretty low texture settings and no aa, experiment with it

Some benchmarks here:
PowerColor HD 4890 Review » Page 7 - Testing: Far Cry 2 - Overclockers Club

 

[Jackalblood]

It seems the price of that particular card was raised last night so what could I use in place of it that would still run those games at max settings (excluding Crysis and below $200)?

 

[patonb]

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Judst get another on special 4890...

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