What minimum requirements do I want for gaming and watching videos?

[Advice Pro]

Please list the minimum requirements of and rank each aspect below for a pretty good gaming experience, but not overkill (I used Newegg.com):


GPU:
Form Factor:
Memory Size:
Stream Processors:
PixelPipelines:
Memory Interface:
Memory Type:
DirectX:
Max Resolution:
Cooler:
HDCP Ready:

 

[jennyh]

Most of that doesn't matter so ignore it.

If you want to game on a low budget, buy a HD 4670 or a 9600gt if you can get one at a similar price.

On a medium budget, get a 4770, 4850 or gts250

On a medium-high budget get a gtx260 core 216 or HD 4870

That pretty much sums up the entirety of the graphics market for me.

 

[japnoise99]

The best thing to do would be to set the price you want to spend and compare graphics cards on newegg in your price range to the benchmarks on toms based on the games you play.

 

[Techno-boy]

It also depends on what monitor resolution or monitor size you wanted to game with.

Normally, to have a good gaming experience, one certainly need at least 21.5" or 22" or 24" monitor with medium high end graphic card like Geforce GTX 275 or Radeon HD 4770 (40nm GPU) or Radeon HD 4870.

And for motherboard, normally, people would go with a standard ATX Form Size motherboard.

However, you could also wait for ATI DirectX 11 Card which could come within only 3 months (if you can wait) so you could have get something like Radeon HD 5850 or Radeon HD 5870.

 

[Techno-boy]

My Recommendation: (Not obligation)

GPU: Wait for Radeon HD 5850 or 5870 with DX 11
Form Factor: standard ATX
Memory Type: DDR3
Motherboard: New Core i7 or Core i5 motherboard or AM3 motherboard with new RD890+SB800 (Core i5 P57 motherboard comes in 2010, the successor of P45)
DirectX: 11
Max Resolution: 1920x1080 (FULL HD 1080P resolution) See ACER H213Hbmid and ASUS VH226H monitors.
PSU: For the moment, the newest OCZ Z1000 has "80+ Gold" certificate/award which is the newest and most energy efficient PSU which will lower your electricity bill and save you more money.

Please note that if you want DX 11 GPU and AMD RD890 with SB800 motherboard or Core i5 P57 motherboard then you have to wait. It would be great if you can wait and get something that is new and can last much longer.

If you wanted to quickly get the motherboard then Core i7 X58 motherboard would be the best choice for you like ASUS P6T-Deluxe or Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 or get the cheaper X58 motherboard. Also, always check the rating of these products before you buy them on newegg.com.

Good Luck!

 

[Advice Pro]

My Recommendation: (Not obligation)

GPU: Wait for Radeon HD 5850 or 5870 with DX 11
Form Factor: standard ATX
Memory Type: DDR3
Motherboard: New Core i7 or Core i5 motherboard or AM3 motherboard with new RD890+SB800 (Core i5 P57 motherboard comes in 2010, the successor of P45)
DirectX: 11
Max Resolution: 1920x1080 (FULL HD 1080P resolution) See ACER H213Hbmid and ASUS VH226H monitors.
PSU: For the moment, the newest OCZ Z1000 has "80+ Gold" certificate/award which is the newest and most energy efficient PSU which will lower your electricity bill and save you more money.

Please note that if you want DX 11 GPU and AMD RD890 with SB800 motherboard or Core i5 P57 motherboard then you have to wait. It would be great if you can wait and get something that is new and can last much longer.

If you wanted to quickly get the motherboard then Core i7 X58 motherboard would be the best choice for you like ASUS P6T-Deluxe or Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 or get the cheaper X58 motherboard. Also, always check the rating of these products before you buy them on newegg.com.

Good Luck!

Do you know when HD 5850 or 5870 when is expected?

 

[Techno-boy]

Do you know when HD 5850 or 5870 when is expected?

According to rumors and articles and ATI Roadmap for 2009, ATI RV870 or 40nm ATI Radeon HD 5800 series will come only within 2-3 months only. It should come in Late June/July 2009. ATI is meant to beat NVIDIA by releasing DX 11 GPU before NVIDIA GT300 does because NVIDIA beat ATI for releasing first DX 10 card last time. So it is possible that ATI will release DX 11 GPU before NVIDIA.

Microsoft also already sent DX 11 technical preview to ATI and NVIDIA since last November of 2008 and Windows 7 Beta and DX 11 beta are also already released. ATI also used Radeon HD 4770 as a test for 40nm GPU which is the first 40nm GPU to be release.

And NVIDIA's DX 11 GT300 will come in around October 2009.

You can search any news for DirectX 11 and RV870 and GT300 with Yahoo and Google then you will find many articles saying that the specs were revealed and they will come out soon by Late July for ATI RV870 and October for NVIDIA GT300.

I think that you can wait. Personally I've been waiting for more than a year and delaying my PC build since I actually need a new gaming PC in last spring of 2008. If I can wait for more than a year then I think you can wait for 3 months which is not a lot. This is also because I have a new notebook PC with Dual Core CPU and a DX 10 card which allows me to hold my breath much longer until DX 11 GPUs are release.

 

[ilikegirls]

+1 japnoise99

 

[ilikegirls]

Or look at the games you wants and then go on toms charts and look at the cards that can play them to your standards and look up prices!