How hardcore should my system be to run '07-'08 PC games?

[HaGa11aZ]

Question How hardcore should my system be to run '07-'08 PC games?
Well the title is pretty self-explanitory

I'm going to upgrade my computer so i can run Unreal Tournament 2007 at full specs. I'd really like to be able to rock this game's engine on my future system.

I'm for sure going to get an AMD socket 939 mobo supporting the X2. Is SLI necessary for next gen titles? What is the best type of RAM? Most importantly, what mobo should i get that supports the most state of the art features?

Here is my current system:

MSI K8N Neo Platinum Socket 754 (MS-7030)
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @ 2 gHz
1 GB Corsair XMS DDR 400
ATI Radeon 9600XT
M-Audio Audiophile 192 (for Audio recording)

I was very surprised at how well my system handled Dark Messiah. But then again, it IS the Source engine which runs excellent on adequate systems like mine.

In a few months, I'll replace my mobo, CPU, and graphics card, and i'll keep everything else.

So help a bruddah out on the inside infoooh

 

[jimmymac]

mobo for state of the art features? then you dont want amd or socket 939 really.

The best, and its affordable is to go core 2 duo so get an LGA775 board for that instead...it will destroy and X2

If you really are set on AMD (and theres no real reason to at the moment) then might as well go AM"2instead

 

[Motoxrdude]

Well, for starters, I would go with the intel Core 2 Duo extreme processors. Also, two 7950's in SLI would be good too. It all just depends on how much money you are willing to spend.

 

[jljhlhl]

If you want to play games in 07-08, wait until DX10, and Quad Core CPU's come out. That will be a major upgrade, and I think the upgrades will slow down slightly at that time.

Edit - please dont double post.

 

[ETSA]

Upgrades will never slow down, there will always be something new for us to spend money on. They will make sure of that, they being whoever makes parts and games. What needs to slow down is the willingness to overpay on new technology.

 

[jljhlhl]

Upgrades will never slow down, there will always be something new for us to spend money on. They will make sure of that, they being whoever makes parts and games. What needs to slow down is the willingness to overpay on new technology.

Yea, but the Athlon 64 line was one of the best for a LONG time. Now the C2D's are out, and soon to be quad core/DX10 video cards. I have a feeling it will slow down slightly for a little bit, before it picks up again. Just my opinion, not saying it's right.

 

[Impr3ssiv3]

it will never be at the point where you have the absolute best out there. that would ruin the economy

just like light bulbs; they can make a lightbull that won't burn out but why would they do it when they can make mroe money off of you

 

[Bobo]

it will never be at the point where you have the absolute best out there. that would ruin the economy

just like light bulbs; they can make a lightbull that won't burn out but why would they do it when they can make mroe money off of you

No, it is nothing like that at all. Increases in technology have absolutely nothing to do with the economy, or people wanting more money. Technology just advances, period.

 

[HaGa11aZ]

What needs to slow down is the willingness to overpay on new technology.

I couldn't have said this better myself!

Regarding the upgrade of a new mobo, cpu, and gpu, I'm really looking spend under 700$. I'll buy all of these as a bundle. All i really want is a system to rock the next gen games and to keep the specs sufficient for new games for at least a year. I doubt I'll go SLi or Xfire; i'll just get a nice GPU...

speaking of which... There are DX 10's coming out?? how affordable will these GPUs be?

I haven't heard about the C2Ds or AM2s... what are the differences, and which one would be better for games?

 

[jimmymac]

bascially AM" is AMD's new socket, one up from 939 but doesnt really offer any huge advances

C2D (core 2 Duo) is Intels new processor range which aboslutely destroys everything else and shock of all shocks intel actually made it affordable

 

[Bobo]

bascially AM" is AMD's new socket, one up from 939 but doesnt really offer any huge advances

C2D (core 2 Duo) is Intels new processor range which aboslutely destroys everything else and shock of all shocks intel actually made it affordable

Ah but you forget that we are not talking about current specs, we are talking about futureablility. AM2 is a brand new socket, and is going to be used for AMD's AM3 processors. T is a relatively old socket, and will probably be done with the Conroes. If you want maximum upgradeability in the future, AM2 is the better choice.

 

[Geoff]

T is a relatively old socket, and will probably be done with the Conroes. If you want maximum upgradeability in the future, AM2 is the better choice.

Socket T (LGA775) is being used for the future Quad-Cores, codenamed Kentsfield. As well as the even newer 8-core CPU, codenamed clovertown.

 

[Bobo]

Socket T (LGA775) is being used for the future Quad-Cores, codenamed Kentsfield. As well as the even newer 8-core CPU, codenamed clovertown.

Oh cool...sorry i didn't know that.

 

[Impr3ssiv3]

Ah but you forget that we are not talking about current specs, we are talking about futureablility. AM2 is a brand new socket, and is going to be used for AMD's AM3 processors. T is a relatively old socket, and will probably be done with the Conroes. If you want maximum upgradeability in the future, AM2 is the better choice.

haha ty

someone else saw my reasons i got AM2

 

[Geoff]

Oh cool...sorry i didn't know that.

No problem, but by the time they are close to being released I wouldn't doubt they have a new socket available for them as well.

 

[jimmymac]

Ah but you forget that we are not talking about current specs, we are talking about futureablility. AM2 is a brand new socket, and is going to be used for AMD's AM3 processors. T is a relatively old socket, and will probably be done with the Conroes. If you want maximum upgradeability in the future, AM2 is the better choice.

if were talking future proofing then i would say there is nothing then, by his original post he suggest 07, 08 games. We all know how quickly technology moevs and to be honest the technology from 2 years ago would not run whats being expected towards the end of this year at higher end settings.

the very idea of future proofing is absolute rubbish, it just isn't possible, what is the top of the range today will be the lower end in two years time and sockets will have come and gone in that time.

but as stated quad cores will be used on the same socket as the current core 2 duo so in that respect my advice holds

 

[Saurian]

The arguement of running AM3 on AM2 boards still leaves out that there WILL be advances in chipset and motherboard design which will make you upgrade your board anyways.

 

[HaGa11aZ]

Thanx guys a lot for your responses; i really appreciate the help!

Since this post, i've come up with some interesting revelations through researching some of the things which have been brought up.

Since one of the games, Unreal Tournament 2007, for which i am upgrading, supports DirectX 10, it seems i'll have to wait until Window Vista is released. According to many of my sources, DX10 is such a leap from DX9 that it is not backwards compatible. However, some games to feature DX10 will also have the DX9 option, meaning DX10 includes DX9, but you may only use one or the other.

DX10 has some sort of feature that enables the GPU to share resources and cues with the CPU, making a much more balanced load between the two. This is why DX10 will only be available in Windows Vista-- because the GPU/CPU sharing or multithreading or whatever the correct term is impossible to do in WinXP.

It seems as though I'm on the right track so far... .... wait until Vista is released so that DX10 is available, buy a DX10 GPU (such as ATI's soon-to-be released R600), and choose a rocking mobo and CPU.

.... wow did i understand one of you right? x8 core CPU's are coming out?? Quad cores aren't even out yet, is that correct?

I'm not rich, and i'm definitely not fanatic enough to go and upgrade every single time the newest and greatest hardware comes out. I think i'll just stick with the most practical/affordable CPU that's out right now (or that is released around the same time as Vista).

plz remember, i'm upgrading from a 2 gHz Athlon 64 and a Radeon 9600XT. ANYTHING to which i upgrade will be a dramatic improvement either way. It's really just a matter of rocking the next gen games (say hopefully better than a Playstation 3 since i'll proly spend more money than one) and getting the bang for my buck at the same time.