Advice for games on new PC...

DeaconFrost said:

Trucidation said:

Hmm... I spec for games, so CPU + video card are the first and major considerations

Those are the first choices, yes. But why lock in on a specific processor until the very end (especially when prices drop all the time). I'll give you an example. My system is running an i7-2600. I knew I wanted a Sandy bridge proc, so I specced out all the other components around that family of processors. When it was time to buy, Intel issued a price cut on them, and I went from an i5-2400 to the i7-2600 for only a few bucks more than I planned to spend.

I think you misunderstood my point. I choose the processor family first. Then I go about the other parts. Since I chose a P67 board...I can then run any Sandy Bridge proc....so I picked the best one that fit my budget. Had I bought the processor first, I'd be running an i5 instead of an i7.

I usually buy all the parts at the same time.
It doesn't make sense to buy a bit at a time since there may be sales on the parts you already bought while waiting to buy the rest.

Also, with Diablo 3, playing with a friend who is 5-10 levels higher than you will get you equipment drops for your current level or a level or two higher.
Was a level 35 demon hunter last night playing with a friend who has a level 47 barbarian, played for about 4 hours till I hit level 42 and always had current level equipment.
You still want to shop the auction house for weapons and specific equipment since you can find sweet deals there.
I needed some gems so I bought 10 helmets for about 1k gold each that had a gem installed, removed the gems and just sold he helmets.
There were no gems coming up in the auction house at the time so I just bought the above.

My parts almost always come exclusively from NewEgg. I do have a Micro Center within driving distance, but it's about an hour drive...so I don't usually even look at what they have available.

I like getting all of my parts from same place at the same time, so they all arrive together and I don't have to wait to start building. I also like ordering the parts all together so they are on the same receipt. So, a few years down the line, I can pull up my NewEgg receipt and see exactly what mobo and such that I have.

DeaconFrost said:

Zepher said:

I usually buy all the parts at the same time.
It doesn't make sense to buy a bit at a time since there may be sales on the parts you already bought while waiting to buy the rest.

So do I. I never said I buy them separately. I just don't choose the exact processor until the very last step...once I've already built my parts list....I only choose the family right away.

I didn't think it would be this confusing, but here goes. A friend of mine recently built a PC. His first step was to choose the i3-2100 processor. Then he built the rest of the PC and ordered it from Newegg. Since he had chosen his proc, he went ahead with the order and never revisited the choise. He ended up being over $100 under budget, and could have easily upgraded the proc. Had he just decided on a family/model line, then chosen the proc last, he would have known about his upgrade options and budget.

I also never buy everything from the same place. Newegg is my online destination and MicroCenter is my brock and mortar store. They compete against each other, and I can often get better deals in person. Newegg has a much greater selection, so I almost always end up with parts form both places....as my friend did. Had he revisited his list before buying, he would have gotten a much better processor.

from the way you say it, it sounded like you ordered other parts then ordered the cpu afterwards.
You sad, "Had I bought the processor first, I'd be running an i5 instead of an i7", which sounds exactly as you typed it, that you order your parts at different times.

When I buy, the CPU is the first thing I choose and then work my way down. I build a lot of computers so I usually have a ballpark idea what certain parts cost and what I would be willing to pay, so it's easy to get an overall idea of what I can get for a proposed budget.

Only thing with the wish lists are that comboes don't get added, which is a pain if you multiple comboes in your potential order.

When I build machines for people I give them an idea on price/ performance based on my past purchases they then give me their total price and I order the parts.
I've been using the AMD X3 for most of my cheap builds, under $450. For premium builds I'll choose an intel proc.