Need help with a custom PC… What should I get?

Question by wabbit sniper: Need help with a custom PC… What should I get?
Okay, well, honestly I’m not a big techie but I do know some things but I just don’t have experience with them. I would like to know about the 4 major components of a PC and your opinion on each (other stuff like hard drive, disc burner, etc. are all covered.)

Presuming I am on a 00 budget… Please answer ANY of the questions as clearly and descriptively as possible!!! Thank you so much! =D

CPU:

1) Intel or AMD? I’ve heard Intel is more expensive but more efficient, cooler, uses less power, etc. while AMD is very powerful but uses a lot of wattage (will 500 watts be enough for a power supply?)

2) Dual Core or Quad Core? Not much software out there can handle or are designed to be used in quad core systems (I’ve heard) which can make them kind of redundant/useless… So 3.0 ghz dual core or 2.0 ghz quad core? (Gamers, please no “10 ghz maxed out overclocked super fast gaming CPU” lol… remember, 00 budget!!!)

RAM:

1) Does 667mhz and 800mhz really make a difference even if they’re both, say, 4 gigabytes? Also what brand would you recommend?

GRAPHICS CARD:

1) nVidia GeForce or ATI Radeon? Is there really a difference?

2) Is the Radeon HD 4850 a good video card? Let’s say I want to do casual gaming (like once or twice a week to relieve stress) but with demanding games like Command & Conquer or Call of Duty 4. Also I will use rendering programs and 3D graphics programs and Adobe Flash and programs as such.

3) How about the nVidia 9800 GTX?

4) How much video card memory is necessary and how much is overkill? IMO 512mb might be enough… (NOT RAM)

LAST ONE: NETWORK CARD

1) What is a “gigabit” network card? All the people at forums are like “Dude get a gigabit network card if you want less lag”

2) What do the numbers 10/100/1000 mean? is 10/100 better than 10/100/1000?

Best answer:

Answer by Gergy008
CPU:

Ok, You are best off with a quad core intel CPU for gaming. General use, I’d get an AMD Phenom x3.

RAM:

The higher the MHZ the faster it goes, Depending on your motherboards FSB speed.

GRAPHICS:

Radeon HD 4850 is fine. Even better if you get the AMD Processor too.

NETWORK CARD:

Gigabit, It’s a new gen speed for Ethernet connections.

10/100/1000 is how fast (in mBps) the card runs at. Get 10/100/1000 if possible, It’s faster.

Give your answer to this question below!

1. Uncle says:

   July 29, 2010 at 4:03 am

   I’ll answer out of order to get the easy one out of the way. Most any modern motherboard will have a Gigabit LAN onboard, and it’s not something to have to worry about. As with any board, once you install it, make sure you have the latest drivers for it, from the board maker’s website.

   Radeon HD 4850 is a very good card for the money. I used a Sapphire HD 4850, 512MB, and was able to run Crysis, Call of Duty 4 & 5, and both Ghost Recons at max settings with no problems. My current card is a Sapphire HD4870 1GB, and it’s a great card. The difference in cost between it and HD4850 is minimal.

   DDR2 800mhz memory is so cheap now, why would you care about the difference between it and 667?

   Finally, I am a AMD man. I find that my AMD will do anything an Intel will do, and for a lot less money. The highest end Intels probably have a slight edge on AMD cpu’s, but the cost difference is enormous. I run any current game I want to, at max settings, with AMD Kuma X2 dual core Athlon 64 Black Edition 7850. The cost at newegg is ridiculously low: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103678

   500 to 600 watts is plenty, just make sure the power supply has at least 2 12 volt rails. The extra power is for graphics, and multiple hard drives and burners. The AMD cpu doesn’t have that much effect on power.

   My current memory is 2 ea. 2GB sticks of 1066 DDR2 by A-Data. Works great.
2. Tim W says:

   July 29, 2010 at 4:43 am

   My AMD Quad is amazing im using a 650W power supply with a Nvidia 8800GTS Super-clocked and it runs smooth as butter. ads far as RAM goes check your motherboard and see what the highest recommended rating is and use that, mine take Dual-channel 1066 and im about to upgrade to 8GB, with a Quad Core it will run very well. my video card si a 512MB and it runs amazing and looks good on my 22in widescreen but my uncle has a 1GB and runs it on a 30 something inch and it looks just about 2x better so depends on what your using it for. Gigabit is a brand, 10/100/1000 means the card can support 10mb/s, 100mbps, or 1000mb/s, so 10/100/1000 is best but it all depends on your network connection, also buy all of your stuff from newegg.com or microcenter.com

   if you have any more questions you can e-mail me at beyondthegates07@yahoo.com