These specs worth it?

2 GBs ddr2 667 kingston Ram (lifetime warranty)

320 Gb seagate hard drive (5 yrs warranty)

Light Scribe DVD burner (2 yrs warranty)

cd burner

Asus m2n -Sli deluxe mother board (3 yrs warranty)

512 nivida 7600gs Graphics card (2 yrs warranty)

Dual core 4600 AM2 athalon from AMD. (3 yrs warranty)

400w true power PS (2 yrs warranty)



All of this, after taxes, after shipping, and after assembly, comes to $1200 exactly (CAD)

thanks.

***EDIT***

Make sure you read ALL POSTS before posting here. Don't make yourself look like an idiot. Things have dramatically changed.

mmm... I don't live in Canada, but it's about $800 USD including tax, shipping, case, and OS. If Google's conversion rate is right, then it's around $870 CAD, if all parts were ordered from the US, plus added shipping costs.

x1950pro is definitely faster than the 7600gs. 7600gs is low-mid range, and x1950pro is almost high range. Even if the x1950pro you're considering has only 256mb ram versus the 512mb on the 7600gs, the x1950pro is still faster.

And if you go for the x1950pro, there are some things to consider. That card eats up a lot of power, and the lowly 400W Antec may not be enough.

Also, there's the question of the SLI motherboard. SLI won't work with ATI cards, and SLI isn't cost efficient. For example, the x1950pro is faster than two 7600gs in SLI. If you choose a non-SLI motherboard, you might be able to save some money.

Thanks, I had a bad feeling about this guy. I guess I'll have to wait and find a new sales person before I buy a pc. the x1950 is what I told him but he insisted that since the other card is 512 it's better.

There was no OS with it by the way, I told him not to include that cause I have my own, and yes, your conversion rate is right, the canadian dollar is doing quite well right now.

I also told him i'd want a 500-600w supply as well, he insisted that this would be fine.


OH, i forgot to mention the case. It's the antec nine hundred gaming case, 200mm fan., if you google nine hundred gaming case you'll get a pic of it. It's around $90-$120 CAD.

Anyone who calls 7600gs to be low-mid range should take a look at most of the graphics cards used by 90%+ of the GW community :O

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/...Number=5677426

check out that link...I just bought that and it works REALLLLY WELLL.


You can swap out some stuff or just use it as a reference....my opinion would be to buy the stuff yourself and if you don't know how to put it all together....once you get it take it to a local geek or local computer store and they usually build a machine for a small fee.

I think i paid $30 bucks to have my local pc store put mine together...i could have done it but didn't want to screw anything up :P

But i personally like the 1950 with this rig i get 65-70fps with high settings 60-65fps with max settings

If you are going to be going with the nvidia series I suggest go with the 8800 or 8600 line...they are atleast Dx10 compatiable...if you can wait the wait for the new 2900 or 2950 Ati series to drop in price abit.

Good Luck man. A new pc = a new game...

I was playing on an old integrated intel chipset....

I wanna be able to play the next wave of games on max settings. ie. gw2 and warhammer online. I do NOT need a card that will run dx10. I don't want top of the line stuff like the 8800. No game as of today needs a card like that.

The guy who was selling this to me IS a local geek, he's supposed to be the guy I go to.

Maybe I'll just ditch the new pc for now and move onto my tv and couch. It doesn't look like anybody is legit enough to sell me what I need for a real price.

EDIT****

By the way, that price up there on my quote, yeah, that was with NO monitor at all, I'd have to buy a whole other monitor.

Sounds like an up-sale kind of a guy. Some of those guys in local computer shops are almost as bad as a used car salesman. I would ignore his advice and pay more attention to what you want specifically on your new system.

i wasn't suggesting that you buy my rig...its what i bought....i was trying to point you in the direction of a good place to get good items for a good price. You can do a bit of research...create an account on new egg....go thru add some stuff to your wish list....then let others take a look at it. Cut out the middle man...(the local geek who overcharges) buy what you need...and then pay someone to build it or build it yourself (although i wouldn't recommend building a "gaming" pc if u never have)

I would also suggest looking at going with the Intel Dual Core rather than the AMD prices...you can overcloak the E6320 and E6420's fairly easy with proper cooling....and get the performance of a higher end cpu. I would suggest getting a bit higher Powersupply than 400...especially if it comes with the case as these are normaly junk psu.

and as far as the next wave of games go...they will be DX10....you will notice that i didn't go with the DX10 cards either....money..it always comes down to money and the wife...and what she will let me spend on my computer. grrrrr

EDIT: here is what you have listed above would cost on newegg.com
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...=Dahl+Wishlist

I will post something that i would suggest in a few...the above is minus the case.

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...ridan+For+Dahl

The above is minus the case, HD, DvD burner...its a bit higher about $150 more than the other one i quoted but i think its a better machine...and still below what you was originally quoted...of course i don't know about shipping and stuff...

I would take that list to a few of your local computer stores, and see what they can do to match it. I bet that you could get something almost the same, without the shipping. And an added benefit is that if you have any problems, you can take it right back to them.

The 7XXX is not a bad card, and neither is the X1950. But you need to decide if you are going to ever run in a "dual card" configuration. If you do, you have to decide on ATI (CrossFire) or NVidia (SLI) before you get your board. If you think you will never use dual-video cards, then drop the SLI and get a single card version.

A few things to look out for when you are having somebody build you a computer:

1. Get "Retail Boxed" CPU only. Sure you save a few bucks on "OEM", but you get basically no warranty (90 days at most), and you have to buy a CPU cooler (which is often more then the price difference.

2. Make sure the case has adequite cooling. That means 2 80mm (or a single 120mm) on the front AND side. And make sure the front fans blow across the hard drive.

Personally, the price sounds rather high. 2 months ago (before the latest price drop) I built myself an Athlon X2 4600, with an Asus board (M2N-E, non-SLI version of your board basically), 2 GB DDR2-667, 500 GB SATA 2 drive, Aspire X-Navigator case, SATA DVDRW, Vista Premium, and an X1650 video card. My total cost was around $900. But I also do not know how C$ compares to US$ at the moment, so it may be about right.

If I was building it today, I would have used the new ATI X2900.

The next wave of games will not be dx10. dx10 will not be a necessesity for years. Even guild wars can run on dx8. Warhammer and gw2 will only need dx9.

Mushroom, the case is 200mm. it's an antec nine hundred gaming case, which adds another $100 or so onto the price. He did change his mind about the card, I had a feeling that the saph x1950 was better, and I'm definately going to tell him to get me a better pwoer supply. Spending an extra few bucks so that I can feel comfortable and not paranoid while gaming is worth it to me.

I'm just 19, still living at home with no rent and a full time job. Every penny I earn goes right into my pocket, so a few extra bucks is no big deal.

Coridan, you said a few things that I know for sure are untrue, like dx10 being required for the next wave of games, and going with intel instead of AMD. I know for a fact that AMD is better. Also, you mentioned overclocking. Overclocking is the only thing that will void my warranty, so that's not a smart thing to do, even with the extreme cooling I have. If anything happens, then I'm a sitting duck with no warranty.

That being said, I'm gonna have to disregard everything you've said since there's a good chance it's false.

I'll check with some closer friends who build PCs for a living, and I'll get quotes from other locations. Plus, This dealer lives only a few minutes away from me, so he will let me check it out before I pay.

Coridan isn't totally wrong in this case. You acknowledged DX10 is the wave of the future but, yes, the next wave of games will still be DX9 compatible due to the overall popularity of WinXP. You may be correct that it'll be several years before DX10 becomes the standard but if you want the latest and the greatest; there are plenty of comparisons between DX9 and DX10 next gen game differences when a game supports both. To be honest, it doesn't really make much sense to buy a top of the line DX9 card (300-400 USD+) nor to be stuck with an entry level DX10 card at the moment if you want to save money but that's my opinion.

Also, Intel Core 2 Duos simply out paces AMD's current offerings and is on track to remain so for awhile. You'll have to wait awhile for AMD to become competitive in terms of performance (next year to see how AMD performs in mainstream.) Certainly, you can purchase an AM2 board and bet on the future but right now, the best you can do now is weigh performance vs price and most of the c2d prices are cost effective for the mainstream (though the really high end c2ds are rather prohibitively expensive and not currently worth it in my opinion unless you really have money to burn.) Check any main computer enthusiast hardware site like Anandtech. If you don't like Anandtech, then Tom's hardware or Sharky Extreme or whatever - everyone is pretty much singing the same tune for the Intel Core 2 Duos.

Yes, overclocking voids the warranty but overclocking is simply icing on the cake for c2ds. You don't need to oc them for them to perform great so down the line when you feel your comp isn't up to speed, you can crank things up a notch. You can possibly get a mild but stable oc without any voltage increase at all in most cases. The problem is doing the work to find it that sweet spot but in your case, it's down the road if ever. You can always go cheaper on the memory of course if you decide that OCing will never been an issue.

*cough* AMD better then intel? That was true about a year ago... Unfortunately, AMD has fallen a bit behind after intel unleashed their first good design since the netburst fiasco. Currently, Intel has much better performance to AMD's offerings, and though AMD does have its next processor line coming out soon, its still a little ways off.

On the topic of DX10, it will not be required for some time, but it will be available very shortly, and will not take more then a year or so to become a standard.

I recommend doing some reading of your own on websites such as tom's hardware guide, anandtech, x-bit labs, ect. Technology has changed drastically in the past year, and if you're not well informed of all the changes, you may be sucked into an overpriced and slightly depreciated peice of technology.

The sapphire x1950 pro is $199 CAD, so it's not a ripoff. I'll inquire about the intel processor. And of course, a 550-600w psu. Other than that, everything seems okay I guess. The motherboard is fine?

Normally i would just let something like this ride......and i will for the most part ,,, but let this be a lesson in your young life....besure you are correct before assuming someone else is wrong

if you had taken 1/10th of the time that i put into researching your problem...to verify or compare our differences you would not currently look like an ass .....

still my last bit of advice is: that you get memory that has the same speed as your motherboard.
and if you aren't getting an NVIDIA card then don't go with the SLI mobo...

I wouldn't buy the comp listed there, the 7600 is an outdated card, even if you don't want dx10. Get a 7900 or an ATI 1950, but then a 400w power supply probably won't be enough. If you're not getting an nvidia card, don't use an nvidia/SLI mobo. I was too lazy to look up the clock speeds for that AMD, so no comment on that (intel ftw). Also, stay away from retail or local stores (tax blows) and mainstream brands like dell. Since you're looking for value and brands like alienware or falcon-NW aren't an option, go with some of the brands that advertise in gaming magazines, such as cyberpowerpc, ibuypower, or abs.

are u considered about noise because the antec 900 is NOT a quiet case.
i also recently bought a system, and i live in canada.

my total without monitor/speakers/keyboard/mouse/pheripherals. (case + components only) is around $1000.

here are my specs:
intel core 2 duo e4300
asus p5b-e
patriot extreme performance memory 2x1GB DDR2-800
nVidia Geforce 8600GT
samsung spinpoint P SATA II 160GB
antec solo
corsair hx520
samsung dvd burner SATA.

as it is today, it is better to go with Intel Core 2 Duo, even the e4300 i have is better if not equivalent to the amd x2 4400+
depending on your budget either save and go with a e4300 or try and get a e6420.

motherboard, intel chipsets are usually the best for intel processors.
Unless u plan on running dual graphics in SLI, stick to an intel chipset.
Now that the new intel chipset (P35) has come out, that would be a good motherboard to carry you for 1-2 years. look for the asus p5k series.

memory is best to get DDR2 800MHz speed, 2x1GB kits can be pick up for around $150-180
i recommend Crucial Ballistix, Mushkin XP, Corsair XMS or Patriot Extreme Performance.
Cheaper kits go as low as $100-120 after rebates, these are mostly OCZ products.

Graphic card, although u may not need dx10, it is worth getting something like a 8600GT @ $160. They already beat the 7900GS and sometimes even the 7900GT in performance at resolutions 1280x1024 and below.
if u plan on playing games in higher resolutions, u'd want a card with mroe memory bit and memory overall.
8800GTS are around $350 now, if you can save here and there it may be possible to get one
otherwise 8600GT or 8600GTS will be fine for all of the "up coming" games, may not full maxed but very near.

my 8600GT runs GW with everything maxed + AA 4x at a constant 60 FPS (dont know how to increase cap).

Hard drive capacity is up to you. Western digital or samsung are both the better choices today. look for SATA or SATAII

Case is up to you. choose one that u like in terms of looks or features.
antec makes good quiet cases, p182 for example.
antec 900 is good for air flow and cooling but is very noisy since it has solid walls all around like antec solo or p182.
the new antec sonata III is also a good quiet case and it comes with a 500w PSU i believe.

Power supply, anything around 450-550w is enough for today and at least another year or so, assuming your not running like 5 hard drives, dual graphics and quad core processor.
best brands in terms of efficiency and quiet are antec, corsair, seasonic, silverstone, zalman

DVD burners is totally up to you what you want. preferably look for those that are SATA so that u dont have the big fat wires in the case.

recap:
cpu: intel core 2 duo (any)
motherboard: asus brand preferably. intel p35 chipset if no SLI
memory: ddr2 800, crucial, corsair, patriot, mushkin
graphics: 8600GT/GTS or 8800GTS 320MB
hard drive: samsung/western digital SATA
case: any or antec
power supply: 450w-500w
dvd burner: any with SATA
8/8 components of a computer.

i dont know where you live in canada specifically, but for me i was able to get all my parts from local stores, (3 local stores in the GTA).
u dont always have to listen to the "tech guys" at store, they usually just want to sell you the stuff to make the most profit or some products they are trying 2 clear out. they make up a lot of stuff with big numbers that dont necessarily mean they are the best.

I already said I'm not getting that nvidia card, I'm getting the x1950 pro from ATI. So yes, I already know that some of the other components need to be changed.

For the record, Cordian's hardware choices are quite good (although at current prices I'd have opted to spend a few more bucks and gotten a larger hard drive). I've been building systems for a long time. Just a few things I'd like to add here:

- Right now the Intel Core 2 Duo is the CPU to have. AMD made the best gaming CPUs for years until the Core 2 Duo was released (my last 5 CPUs have been AMD). Now Intel has the crown. Check around on review sites. It's quite verifiable. http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html

- If you're not going up to an 8800GTX or 8800GTS then ATI is the way to go with your GPU. nVidia owns the low and high end right now and ATI owns the midrange. If you can afford it I'd highly recommend the x1950xt over the x1950 Pro. The XT is significantly more powerful.

- Don't just look at the wattage on your power supply. The brand of the unit and the amperage over the 12v rail are very important. Good brands include Antec, Hiper, OCZ, PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic, Sparkle, and several others. Also make sure you check the 12v requirements on the video card and make sure the 12v output on the PSU can handle it. Outside of that, I'd go with at least a 500w unit. If you get a good brand a 600w should be able to handle just about anything your average desktop is going to throw at it. If you get a cheap PSU you'll regret it. It's the heart of your system.

AMD doesn't even lead in price/performance any more thanks to the recent round of price cuts by Intel.... well, I gues they still lead in the ultra cheapo segment, like the $400 budget build....

I don't want the best of the best. I don't want this generation of specs. I want AMD, because they were the best AWHILE AGO, that means they aren't expensive. I want the x1950 pro because it was the best AWHILE AGO, that means it isn't expensive. I don't think you people understand that I DON'T WANT CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY, I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO PLAY GUILD WARS ON HIGH SETTINGS. Guess what, my mother's laptop which is on the ATI x1300 series runs guild wars at max settings (mind you without AA) and can almost consistently keep up to 60 fps except for places like the Ring of Fire mission with the special effects of the ethers, or in the desolation. Both of which only bring the fps to about 40. I think an x1950 will be JUST FINE!

We've discussed PSU's prior to this topic. I know that there's more to it than the wattage, but since I don't ACTUALLY HAVE IT IN MY HANDS, I can't tell you which one I want! I don't care how great or heavy the 400w one is, 400w IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE X1950. I will pick out my own 550w-600w psu, and I will pick a good one because I'm not stupid enough to think that it's JUST the wattage that counts!

Easyg, $400 sounds JUST FINE for a processor.

I don't wanna play games that come out in friggin 2010, I wanna be able to play what I have RIGHT NOW and possibly warhammer online which will be out shortly.

Besides my mother's laptop, which I use rarely, I have NO gaming system whatsoever. I can't enter guild wars on this PC because it freezes or restarts. The specs are way too old and the entire system is corrupt due to blowing the fuses so many times in my old apartment.

I honestly do not care about having this year's BEST equipment. I don't care, I really don't. Heck, even the x1950 is MAJOR OVERKILL for the things I want to do. I want what was good maybe 2 years ago.

Understand?

I came in here thinking that I could have a discussion with a handful of adults about something simple like what kind of specs I should get for my particular needs. Instead, I come in here and all I get is "THIS IS THE BEST" "NO THIS IS THE BEST" "BUT THIS DOES THIS SO IT'S BETTER"

Probably the biggest reason why this thread has gone much farther away from what you wanted would have to be due to the fact you listed the system you did at $1200. Not only did this inspire people to want to do better things with that money, but also had people wanting to save your mortal soul for nearly falling into that deal XD

Now, since you've made it very clear with this last post exactly why you were going after older technology (though I am sure many will want to burn you at the steak for it), I'd be glad to make suggestions based on your needs.

my biggest concern about the system that was originally listed is the price. I'm not sure about shipping rates or taxes, but purposingly choosing the highest end versions of the parts you listed (since you didn't list any model numbers) I was only able to get about $750 CAD on newegg.com for the components, that includes an unnecessarily fast shipping method. What I recommend doing is either finding another system builder who will not charge such a ridiculous markup, or maybe buying the parts yourself.

Not to knit pick here, but just because something is no longer the best doesn't mean it's the best value. That does happen a lot of the time, but not always. The reality of it is that right now the lower-end and midrange Core 2 Duos provide very good "bang for the buck". Honestly they (AMD and Intel) seem fairly even in that realm right now. Example:

Core 2 Duo E6600 @ Newegg = $224.90
Athlon X2 6000+ @ Newegg = $229.00

Core 2 Duo E6600 PCMark 2005 - CPU score = 6168
Athlon X2 6000+ PCMark 2005 - CPU score = 6146

6168 / 224.90 = ~27.4255
6146 / 229.00 = ~26.8384

Pretty close, however I'd go with the Intel just because there's a better upgrade path in sight. We're still yet to see AMD's future plans truly materialize.

As far as the x1950 Pro, it was never "the best". In fact, it's a newer card than the x1950xt. It was specifically designed to be a value (read: cheap) alternative to the XT. Now that the XT as gone down in price it's definitely worth it to go to the XT. The XT is just a better value. The XT is not "CUTTING EDGE", it's just better value for the money.

It will. In fact, it's just about the best GPU out there without moving up to the 8800. It's certainly better than the nVidia 7900 series.

You're right. Get at least a 500w - 600w PSU from a good brand. When you see a model you might want, Google up some reviews and look at the specs. You don't need to "have it in your hands." No offense, but why are you taking everything so personally? Nobody is calling you "stupid." You started an advice thread. Why are you getting angry that people are posting in it? People are going to give their opinions, you don't have to agree with them.

Woa, there. I'm not sure you're understanding what people are posting here. I think people (most of us) are trying to have a mature discussion with you about your needs. I'm not sure why you get so upset in all of your threads. There are going to be people that don't read the posts and just post random thoughts. Just ignore them. It's not worth getting mad about it.

One last thing: if you have a calculator handy you can check prices on Newegg.com (I know that you're in Canada, but it's a good baseline). You can also check places like TigerDirect.ca and other Canadian distributors. Online reviews (and other info sources) and online retailers can provide you a ton of good information on what you're looking for if you prefer not to take advice from other individuals.

In Canada, check prices on ncix.com. They usually have good prices. I'm from there, I consider them equivalent to newegg in the US. Based in BC if I remember correctly.

I'm going through the same process of building a machine right now. It's really complicated. One thing I learned is to get what you can afford right now, not thinking too much about upgrading and all that stuff. Just because technology sometimes moves faster or slower than we can predict it.

Thanks for the reference, but I went on there just now and the first thing I went to was the video cards. http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...ure=S APPHIRE

There's the sapphire x1950 pro, but it's marked way up at $299. I know for sure that this card can be easily obtained for $199, and the layout of this website really reminds me of tiger direct, which I know for sure is a huge price mark-up site.

See, this doesn't bother me like everyone elses post. This was a suggestion and a reference to a website. It wasn't a "this is better and this is what you have to do, and you'd be stupid not to do it" post.

Thanks very much for the help. I'll check out the other components, they may have a sale on something good, but the vid card is marked up too high here.

I'm not in Canada but DirectCanda, Canandacomputers, and NCIX are some good places to shop online that are mentioned often. There is Tigerdirect.ca and a few others that serve Canada and the US. Memory Express (Canadian) was also mentioned a few times as well but there are more stores recommended solely based on locale so shop around and ask around to see if you can find a store near your area. This requires some work on your part though since you have to build the machine yourself and do the work of troubleshooting the assembly process. It's not very difficult really so if you feel up to it, you could do so even if it's your first time.

As for an AMD solution, I'm not terribly sure on AMD motherboards but any AM2 socket nforce 500 series motherboard doesn't seem like a bad buy for entry level enthusiasts. I'm not terribly sure about the specifics on the problems you might encounter with a m2n sli deluxe but it doesn't look like a bad choice from first glance - it really depends on how much you are paying for both the motherboard and processor. You might want to hang around the asus m2n boards for a glance at some issues people encounter just in case though. Keep in mind that while AM2 does offer some future path for AMD it seems, complete future proofing is relatively impossible no matter how much money you put down.

Anything else was really covered by other people and their posts, so see above for concerns etc. The prices are of the most concern since if you aren't getting some cheapo monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers with WinXP or Vista (or any combination of those), you almost might as well go for a system branded computer (AMD or whatever.) Then again, I'm not hugely familiar with prices in Canada nor taxes and shipping costs however US prices would get you a similar system for slightly under (before tax)/around (after tax)/above (better individual components) 1000 USD with some/all of the above amenities without assembly but also not system branded (ex: Dell or other companies that come preloaded with utter junk or don't give you a physical copy of the OS etc.) Perhaps Canadian system builders could chime in with more information since as you may have surmised, the US side of this equation thinks you are definitely getting shafted in this deal.

There are a few recommended PSU threads out there - what to look for or what to avoid on places like the [H] forum on HardOCP, JonnyGuru (reviews mostly high end PSUs though), and a several other larger hardware sites. Granted, most of these places consider $50 USD as entry level into the PSU world with 100 USD being midrange. Just keep that in mind vs what you are going to get. I'm sure you know not to overbuy (though in my opinion, that case is an overbuy) than what you need to though so best of luck!

I agree that the case is an overbuy, but it's a luxury that I'm willing to spend an extra few bucks for because it appealed to me more than anything else.

But I've been thinking and I don't think I'm ready to buy a new pc yet. I'm going to go with the new lcd tv and a leather loveseat, and probably pick up a Wii sometime later in the fall after metroid prime 3 comes out. The pc is too much hassle and there's too much I don't know right now. If you were all wondering, this is the site for that provider www.jtgsystems.com, but it's under construction and doesn't really tell you much.

This guy is definately cheaper than the sites you guys have mentioned so far though, cause I know for sure he was giving me the x1950 pro for $200, not $300 as stated in some of those sites, among other things. It isn't worth the frustration anymore. Guild wars is kinda losing it for me now that I've done just about everything anyways, and warhammer won't be out til the end of the year.

Thanks anyways. If a mod is around, please lock the thread or delete it.

I agree that the case is an overbuy, but it's a luxury that I'm willing to spend an extra few bucks for because it appealed to me more than anything else.

But I've been thinking and I don't think I'm ready to buy a new pc yet. I'm going to go with the new lcd tv and a leather loveseat, and probably pick up a Wii sometime later in the fall after metroid prime 3 comes out. The pc is too much hassle and there's too much I don't know right now. If you were all wondering, this is the site for that provider www.jtgsystems.com, but it's under construction and doesn't really tell you much.

This guy is definately cheaper than the sites you guys have mentioned so far though, cause I know for sure he was giving me the x1950 pro for $200, not $300 as stated in some of those sites, among other things. It isn't worth the frustration anymore. Guild wars is kinda losing it for me now that I've done just about everything anyways, and warhammer won't be out til the end of the year.

Thanks anyways. If a mod is around, please lock the thread or delete it.

i believe this are the x1950pro's you are looking for:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=ASUS
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...cture=SAPPHIRE

if you dont feeling like going all out, u can easily make a budget system that will still max out GW with about $700-$800.

i dont know about your situation in regards to ordering online
but i can recommend www.canadacomputers.com
they ship to most parts of Canada and have many local stores in ontario.
and have x1950 pro priced in the proper $190-200 range.

the problem with stores like tigerdirect.ca and ncix is that sometimes they get so many products that are so similar, that they end up marking up once price for the product they received at the launch date and then decreased it back to the msrp


anyways i dont know about your situation interms of how long you want the system to last, upgradability and overclockability.

as u mentioned previous u don't want to void your warranty by overclocking.
many of the more "expensive" products are designed specifically for overclocking.
if you have no plans on doing this, u can easily cut back to mainstream products, you will hardly notice a difference in performance since you are not overclocking.

if you would like to consider a $700-800 budget system say so, i can help draw up a list.

Thanks kyuuba, that's probably the best site I've been recommended so far, but like I said I'm gonna put my PC on hold and just get my loveseat and lcd tv instead.

I'll keep that on favourites just in case.

Actually, I have NeoHE 430W PSU (which comes with Antec P150) and x1950 pro combo. Works absolutely fine, no problems at all. I can tell - I have it "in my hands".

A more powerful PSU is more future proof, ofc.