How is this spec?

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In terms of value and performance? Will it be able to play games for the next year at least?!

In terms of value and performance ...

CPU: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ AM2 Dual Core (2.80Ghz, 2MB Cache, 2000MT/s FSB)

CPU Cooler: Standard CPU heatsink & fan

Motherboard: Asus M2N-E SLI (nForce 500 Chipset, SLI, 7.1 Audio, Firewire)

Memory: 4.0GB Corsair DDR2 667mhz (2x 2GB)

Hard Drive: 250GB S-ATA2 3.0Gb/s

Optical Drive: 20x DVD±RW DL S-ATA

Graphics card: NVidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB

Sound card: Creative Audigy Soundblaster SE 7.1

Operating System: Microsoft® Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit

Software: Norton Anti-Virus 2008

PSU: 600W

Case: Coolermaster Cavalier 3

£617.74
 
The specification itself looks basically fine although since it appears to be taken wholesale from another site as a pre-built I can't comment on the PSU, the hard drive or the DVDRW as there isn't enough information. I've also got my suspicions that the soundcard was just taking up space in their warehouse as an old Audigy isn't hugely better than many onboard solutions, better but not significantly so.

I haven't compared all the prices to buying the parts individually from here but I'm guessing it won't be all that far apart. Do note however that X2s don't tend to overclock quite as well as their Intel equivalents at the moment so that might be a better option for you just now.

If you don't want to build yourself then that should cope with games over the next year or so, if you don't mind building yourself then you have a few more options. :)
 
thanks! I added that soundcard because i didn't want on board and i thought for an extra £17 it's worth getting the Audigy because I have 5.1 speakers on my old pc!

Any other opinions/suggestions?
 
Don't want to pay another £100 for intel. Don't know to be honest mate but I've got an athlon at present and has always been ok for me
 
I used to have an x2 4400 @ 2.7ghz with low latency 3200 ram & it transcoded dvd to divx at 33fps & my current intel quad at 3.55 does 130fps.
I know a quad is expensive but have you researched if an equally priced Intel is faster?
I do miss my AMD though, it just seamed quicker in Windows.
 
extra £100 for Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 (2.40Ghz, 8MB Cache, 1066Mhz FSB)

Is that a lot better then? I will still go with the above spec because I am on a budget
 
If you're playing games the 8800 could bottleneck anyway even with a slower CPU.
I'm guessing the following Intel at £143 would be faster than an AMD at 2.8/3.0:
Intel Core 2 Duo Conroe
The Intel would prob clock to 3.2+ too.
In my previous AMD dualcore system @ 2.64Ghz my ‘3D Mark 2006’ score was 9960 & this quadcore scores 13443 with the same graphics card!
Research is required ;)
 
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