Computer Build

[Wisse]

I like this chart.

doesn't factor in AM2+/DDR2 systems, which end up costing less but still performing very well

Yeah I completely agree. AMD's choice is superb. What I rly rly like about i5 is it's Tubro function which adds quite a lot to single threaded applications. Plus if I had like $1000 to spend on PC I would go for i5-750 because it sits at the end of "reasonable price" choice list.

Looking at those charts made me realize that my CPU is 10-20x slower then modern counterparts, but I still somehow handle. So for the first time in PC history I got a feeling that you won't see any boost in casual every day use going from $100 to $500 CPU. Better invest in some SSD I guess.
Going for top range CPU is absolutely foolish unless you're making money with it. Having said that, I happily noticed that there are 0 fools here :]

[ScarySquirrel]

I have placed the orders with Newegg and TigerDirect.
Total of $726, hopefully -$30 in rebates, later, if I can be bothered to remember them.

[KaiserJ]

nice setup; i hope you have a lot of fun with the new computer make sure to give some performance reports; ive been looking at i5's and i'd love to know what sort of performance you get with spring.

[Neddie]

IMO there is no such thing as "more than they need" when it comes to computers. Spring runs better on an i7 for sure.

I should probably clarify. Of course specialty programs like Spring will soak up all the resources they can, but most programs run by most people have fairly clear upper limits on normal performance and resource use.

For instance, it has become abundantly clear that for the majority of office dwellers working in non-coding, non-graphical endeavours, you can hand them a single screen at 1280x1024 connected to a minimal desktop with an Atom and Intel Integrated. The functional difference in work performance for their usage between that and a computer running a Core i3 with a dedicated graphics card will generally be minute. In fact, giving them more resources and more flexibility often appears to lead to a decline in productivity due to a combination of inefficient multitasking and improved slacking.

Obviously the threshold for useful computing resources is considerably higher for most people in this community, perhaps higher than mainstream gamers who generally speaking set the standard for mid-high range consumers. Nonetheless, if we were to scrutinize the normal usage habits of most users here we would find an optimal performance point for each which will generally be below the commercially available maximum.

[Machete234]

I will buy an AM3 mainboard + the fastest 4xcore by AMD
thats a little more than 200Ôé¼ which is i dont know 270$.

I dont think you need an intel processor for spring, spring is still for one core only so a lot of ghz is maybe more important than a lot of cores.

Intel is too expensive.

[ScarySquirrel]

I turned up every setting to full, although I futzed around with the nVidia drivers because I forgot to uninstall the old driver before updating. Only framerate dips I've had so far have been with unit highlighting (not sure why) and high (and I mean high) particle counts so far; that all on the most gfx intense mod, CA/0K.
My video card is kind of htneeb, though, so it may not be the processor that fucks up highlighting.
However, I'm pretty sure that the particle counts have a lot to do with the processor.
After a joyful bout of Spring every day, my Craigslist harddrive crashed. Big surprise there. >.<
Right in the middle of a 1v1 with google frog. The one where you built windgens to find my 2 remaining fleas that I would not self-d.
Yes, googlefrog you know the game. Fleas never surrender.

Now that I reformatted it, it seems to be working... so I have got the idea to install 50 krajillion incompatible operating systems on it for kix, see the attachment. all of this WITHOUT Norton Ghost or anything like that. IAm up to the challenge? Maybe... +drugs... +CAFFEINAYTED ARANGE JUISE= YESYESYES!