How, if at all, would you amend this for those that have $600, but who don't need a case, drive, or PSU? I guess what I'm asking is how you would recommend allocating an extra $150 or so? Better video card?
You could probably fit a Radeon 4870 and a Phenom II X4 into that extra $150. I would certainly try. Between the two, I would go for a better video card first.
Well Steve, when all you need are a board, RAM, CPU and video card, you've got tons of options. You could keep with the parts suggested here, exchange the HD 4850 for an HD 4890, and slap on a bangin' heatsink, and upgrade to some overclocker-friendly RAM. Then you could tweak the system and make it really fly. Or, you could opt for an Intel rig, possibly even a low-end Core i7 system if you like.
Making the assumption that game performance is your priority then the graphics card is going to be the area where you receive the most return on investment. I can tell you that the 4870 and 4890 are both truly bad ass. If you buy a 4890, spend a few dollars more and get the ones that are just hitting the market with a decent aftermarket cooling solution. So, you essentially double what you spend on graphics in that case.
Nice article, quick, to the point, and some great info. I've kind of fallen out of the build-your-own-rig know how since getting my laptop, but I think it may be time to replace my almost 3 years old without any modification desktop PC, thanks for the info!
Thrax
🐌Austin, TX Icrontian
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Tri Core, Crossfire Capable, Top Tier Graphics, and it does your homework too kids.
Ebay that console now!! Build a PC.
In terms of performance (average): GeForce GTX 285 > Radeon 4850 X2 > Radeon 4890 > GeForce GTX 280 = Radeon 4870 > GeForce GTX 260 > Radeon 4850
Making the assumption that game performance is your priority then the graphics card is going to be the area where you receive the most return on investment. I can tell you that the 4870 and 4890 are both truly bad ass. If you buy a 4890, spend a few dollars more and get the ones that are just hitting the market with a decent aftermarket cooling solution. So, you essentially double what you spend on graphics in that case.
Typically, yes.