Well. Since a GPU upgrade has not only failed to make CO more playable for me, but (due to poor optimisation of CO) actually made it LESS playable ... I suppose it's time to throw good money after bad, up my total "in the hole over this" amount from $450 to $1100, and buy myself a new computer (into which said GPU will immediately be dropped).

The system I'm looking at will have:

• CPU: AMD Phenom X4 9750 (2.4GHz, 1066MHz, 4MB) (note, this is a Revision B3 chipset, and so does not suffer the fault of the earlier Phenom chips, nor the performance hit of the TLB bios workaround)
• RAM : 8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (4 DIMMs)
• HDD : 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
• GPU : Gigabyte GeForce GTS 250 (1GB)
• OS : Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64 bit)

It comes in an ATX formfactor miniTower, so I can also drop my new 500W Thermaltake PSU in, if necessary (and it may be, with that GTS installed - as shipped, it's coming with integrated Radeon HD3200 graphics).

Considering I don't have the skills to build a computer "from the ground up", myself, yet ... does that sound to folks here like a fair value for $650 (including sales tax and shipping charges) ...? And, just how nice will the final product be, really?

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For comparison, currently:

• CPU: dual core Pentium 4, 2.8GHz (don't know which model)
• RAM : 2.5GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (4 DIMMs - 2x1GB, 2x512MB)
• HDD : 80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
• GPU : Gigabyte GeForce GTS 250 (1GB)
• OS : Windows XP SP3

... so I'm pretty sure it'll be a dramtic improvement overall. Hopefully, also a dramatic improvement in CO's playability. Especially since it won't get here until the 15th (if I finalise the order today), so the devs will have two weeks to fix the mis-optimisation of CO's code.

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I guess mostly I'm just fishing for a bit of moral support. Eleven hundred dollars is a LOT of money to me (almost two months' income, BEFORE rent and food), and I'm going to be nearly seven hundred dollars into a (very generous) friend for this. So I've kinda got last-minute jitters, heh. :o

I'd recommend you not. Hold off for at least a few weeks, ideally around a month, and see what the Intel socket 1156 will offer. It's the mainstream version of the socket 1366 (what Core i7's use) and you should get very near to Core i7 performance with a socket 1156 Core i5 build.

Your GTS 250 will still hold you back a bit with any new build, so I wouldn't say to expect earth shattering changes with the core change. I'd also recommend that if you are going to go with an AMD build that you go with AM3 and not an older AM2 / AM2+ type since those are pretty much being phased out.

Who are you getting that from that said system is $650 with no GPU?

Compare to...

iBUYPOWER Gamer Power 909 $740

Intel Q8400
4 gig DDR2-800
500 Gig HD
GTS 250 512 meg (thus you can drop in the one you are holding and have SLI)
700w PSU

You really may want to consider building a system on your own. (I know you said you didn't feel like you could, but there are lots of guides and videos on the web.) With $600 you could get a Core i7 920, X58 chipset motherboard, and 6 gig of DDR3-1600.

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PS - Doing an upgrade of this magnitude for any single game is pure insanity when there are as many issues on these forums as there are. Take a good look around, lots of people on superior hardware are having issues. There is a more than fair chance that no matter what you upgrade to you may still be experiencing some kind of issues. I'd really recommend that you not spend anything more than you have if you are hoping for changes in just this game. Wait for the code to be further debugged and optimized before you do any kind of upgrades.

If you want to upgrade to upgrade for all games, sure, go ahead, but again I'd recommend you hold out a few weeks to a month and see what Intels' socket 1156 brings.

I really don't have to get "the best of the bleeding edge best".

*shrug* Dell. I have a 15% coupon good with them, right now, and standard shipping is free through the 17th.

Go on ... laugh if you wish ... but of all the places where you can customise a computer, this's the only one where I can get the parts I *do* want, without also spending $400+ on video card(s) I don't really need or want.

Including delivery costs - the cheapest one selectable - and that one comes to $770. That's $120 more ... and, I'm ALREADY borrowing the whole amount.

Then I would need a case (the current one is a BTX form factor, a Dell Dimensions 5100 series in fact, and the PCI and PCI-e slots wouldn't match up to the pass-throughs in the frame itself. Then, possibly, all the cabling needed to hook everything together.

And seriously, the "Sea of numbers" effect just confuses me; I can't tell which piece is better than the other, because I don't know which of the numbers and specs and stats and so on an so on and so on are actually important.

I like games in general, though. :) Mostly, I've been avoiding PC games of late, ebcause this computer just can't do them. The new one would be able to.

Also:I've already thrown $450 at CO. There's no going back on the lifetime subscription, for example.

New pieces and pars are always more expensive than "last years' model". I'm trying to build on a frugal budget, inasfar as my own inexpertise permits.

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Nonetheless, now I am mightily discouraged in general about the whole process. Maybe I really should just write the $450 off as a collossally, cosmically stupid waste of money, and forget the whole idea ... and CO. *sigh*

What you can do instead of wasting all that money is wait and see if they finally fix the game, it's not your fault you can't play, it's theirs.

Technically it's no longer bleeding edge. It's the same tech that socket 1366 uses, just in mainstream form. It's going to be where all of the entry level and mainstream cost points are for that tech. Yes, it is the newest of all the tech on both sides, but new doesn't always mean expensive.

Parts you want, but not necessarily manufacturer or model type. Often times with Dell you have no idea what-so-ever who the manufacturer of part x is or what it's exact specs are. Usually you get things like "top tier manufacturer".

[qutoe]And seriously, the "Sea of numbers" effect just confuses me; I can't tell which piece is better than the other, because I don't know which of the numbers and specs and stats and so on an so on and so on are actually important.[/quote]

And some people have created sites to help with that. :)

That's what I'm saying. It won't be.

Socket 1366 motherboard (one type sold) ~$200 on sale
vs.
Socket 1156 high-end motherboard ~$200
Socket 1156 mainstream motherboard $150
Socket 1156 entry-level motherboard $100

This isn't even counting that socket 1366 will only have Core i7 CPUs, while 1156 will have Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3.

The only reason it would be more expensive at launch is because of supply and demand.

Then you likely want to look at AMD, which I don't believe Dell offers. You can build an entire AMD entry level system, including graphics card, for around $600.

That can help if you go in without having the right help or the right resources. They are out there, if you know where to look. *points to sig*