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Quoted from Skyride

This should be about right:

http://px1.voodoostats.com/stuff/PC.png

Maybe spend a touch more on the gfx if you like, but that system will run TF2 and most other games no problem.

Looks like a good setup!
Perhaps choose a bigger PSU that will make the PC easier to upgrade

+ 1 to skyrides other post aswell.

for cpu look at intels i3 series or the amd tri-core cpus. There really is no point in going with the i5 dual cores. They’re too expensive for what they offer, and I’d much rather suggest you go for the i5-750 if you got the money or just get an amd quadcore if you want something better than the entry level intel dual cores.

As for GPUs you’re looking at the HD5700 series, UNLESS you can find an HD4850 in stock, and not terribly overpriced. The HD4850 is roughly even to the HD5750, but often quite cheaper. You loose out on DX11, eyefinity, a few audio options mostly related to HTPC users, and power effeciency, but the HD4850 still is one of the top choices in todays market when it comes to performance/price ratio.

I second the choice of the antec 300 case. Brilliant cheap housing, not in any way special, but at that budget every penny saved matters.

As for PSU, it should run fine on a quality 300W unit, but for some upgradability, go for a 450-500W unit. Not that big of a price difference, and it may save you some money on your next build. +1 to corsair btw, have an excellent 550W unit in my current pc, and have helped put together another one with their 750W unit. REALLY quiet, and excellent reviews.

I recently build a 5770, i5 machine for about €700. I also got and antec 300, great value for money. It has good stock cooling and if you’re an mad overclocker then you can add an additional 3 fans to the 2 stock. It does have a problem though.

The front audio jack is grounded through the mobo (like all cases ever) AND the case itself. The latter is a problem as it causes a bit of interference and I do notice it ingame (I do have game sounds fairly low though). I can only hear it though music if I try to hear it. You can fix this by breaking open the compartment containing the front USBs, mic and audio jacks and the power/reset button. Then you have to cut the grounding wire connected to the case. I haven’t done it yet but read it on multiple websites.

As far as space goes your fine. 3 DVD slots and 5 HDD slots. It’s deep enough that you wont lose a HDD slot if you have a uber gigantic GPU. The cable management is semi-non-existent. If you plan on using the front jack then I’d search for an alternative.

Quoted from octochris

[…]

Exactly the opposite of everything you just said is true. Excellent.

Not in my experience it isn’t :) suck me off

Considering the price of amd’s top end compared to intel and the performance difference in the same price range being minimal, performance difference in games not being enormous i would say that bang for buck amd is better.

but intel does have their pants down in terms of performance. when it comes to the i5’s and above. but that is a different budget to what this guy is after.

ATI is ahead in terms of tech. with ddr5 and 45nm chips in their 5000 series which means lower heat output = grater efficiency. the cards in the middle of the scale have similar performance though. Both companies regularly out-do eachother at the top end. ATI wins with its new high end 5000 series At the moment

ATI’s 4800 series cards probably offer the best bang for buck. and the mid and low end cards perform better in source games than their nvidia counterparts. this isnt true for all engines. cod4 favours an nvidia card i believe. the affordable 5 series cards (5670 5770 5750) dont give you the performance boost you would expect over their 4 series counterparts in dx 10 or 9 games. other than for dx11 i see little point on spending the extravagant money if you are not planning on buying loads of dx11 games in the next 6 months.