Quote Originally Posted by MustangSVT
I'm assuming he's got a PSU already with that case?

About the 256MB video card, that is useful is SOME cases such as:

- enabling highest settings in a really intensive game like UT2004, FarCry and Battlefield Vietnam and also especially enabling textures and etc. to "Extra" instead of Highest in Call of Duty
- room for more textures of course
- though I've heard this really improves mostly some stuttering (possibly minimum fps?), not actual top performance

However, even if he gets a 9600 or a 9600 Pro, that shouldn't really make a difference since the card is slower than 9600 Pro anyway (325/400 vs. 400/600) that just the extra 128MB isn't really going to make the difference in FarCry or CoD. I'd really look into buying this card:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...102-348&depa=0

Sapphire 9800SE "Atlantis" OEM. Appears to have 256-bit memory from the pictures and the reviews and some users even comment that it has R360 core (don't know if this benefits much), though one issue in this case could be the cooler not being enough for soft-modding 9800 Pro specs and of course there's always the possibility of not being able to unlock the extra pipes (via Omega drivers I believe?) .


I don't know about that, a $650 budget for a computer doesn't really suggest many upgrades in the future . Also, a friend of mine built a budget system with Shuttle AN35N Ultra and he's really happy with it... and I also know a friend with a 9600 Pro from Sapphire (128MB) who runs UT2004 and BFV very well on his system, so that's part of my recommendation.
A nice analytical approach, dude. Appreciated greatly. It's just that a weak power supply isn't going to tolerate any future upgrading. That's a promise. Things that would make sense to upgrade would be the video and system RAM. Considering AGP 8X is probably gonna be around a little while longer at least, and probably DDR-I even longer.