what to get for a new gaming computer?

[saike]

So i've been wanting to build a new pc for awhile now and with starcraft 2 on the horizon, it's motivated me to actually start looking for parts. Question is, what exactly is the best gaming platform (with multimedia/crunching as a second priority) that i can get?

At first, i thought it would be a core i7 system since it's the newest kid on the block, but i keep hearing how it's not that great for gaming. Is this true? Should I just be focusing on the gpu for the best gaming experience instead?

Also, i've been out of the windows scene for awhile now, and have not even touched Vista for more than 5 minutes total (even though I got a free legit copy of Vista Ultimate, :rolleyes:). Are there any potential issues i should look out for (drivers, etc)? I hear EAX isn't supported, what are my options for sound?

Thanks!
________
Zx14 Vs Hayabusa (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_bike_is_quicker_kawasaki_zx_-14_or_suzuki_hayabusa)

[akarobo99]

Intels crunch better, look at the numbers in WCG cpu list. AMD's in my opinion game better though. I have an i7 920 with dual 260/216's and gaming is great! It was also just as great, minus a few eye candies, on my Phenom II 720 with onboard graphics. I don't know what it could have done with a good GPU cause I didn't have it long enough. It was a great gaming Cpu with about 1000-1200 ppd on crunching at 3.4g.

By this I am not comparing the PII to the q9XXX series Intel as I have never gamed on one.

[zlojack]

Bang for buck gaming/crunching you can't beat the AMD platform. A nice Phenom II BE (either the 720 or the 955) with a decent mobo like the Gigabyte or the MSI and some 4890s in Crossfire will blow games out of the water for not too much money.

However, if you get yourself a good i7 with a high-end multi-GPU setup, you'll probably see even better results, though it gets to the point of diminishing returns in terms of money/performance ratio.

[Baleful]

zlojack hit the nail on the head. For price/performance AMD is the way to go if Gaming is your primary and everything else is secondary. While i7 is a monster of a chip, AMD performs just as good in games for a fraction of the cost. Slap in 2 4890's with that AMD rig and you'll be playing at full res w/ all the eye candy you can stand.

[ILikeCosmosS]

bale beat me to it
the 4890s are great because 9.6 just released and 11% more in crysis and warhead in multi gpu config

phenom II 955 with the new updated chipset and 2 4890s will last until rv870 but 2x 4890s> 1 rv870

[FrostByte]

i agree with everyone else, im using a lowly 940BE @ 3.8Ghz and its a amazing beast in games. If you can wait though, intel will be coming out with its mainstream LGA-1156 processors that look very very promising with cheaper processors and from what ive seen of the new boards, more VRM's than you can shake a stick at. But if you were wanting something now, then AMD is going to be your cheapest bang for your dollar and you could do either a 4870x2 or some 4890's.

[ablatman]

Basically I'm going to have to more or less agree with the people above me; Core i7 is AWESOME, but if you want a cheap rig that performs close to i7 for gaming then go AMD.

Basically the choice is between Core i7 and Phenom II. Don't even put Core 2 on the table.