Right, after finding the desktop of my dreams (since im not paying for it i cant build my own) the XPS 420; I found a dillema in the customisation. So far I have chosen:

• 512MB ATI® Radeon® 3870 Graphics card,
• Hard Drive 500GB Serial ATA non Raid (7200 Rpm)
• 4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [4x1024]

The choice between the CPU's (that dont add about £600 onto the price tag) are:

• Intel® Processor Q6600 Quad CoreTM (2.40GHz, 1066Mhz FSB, 8MB cache) and a
• XPS 420 E8500 Core 2 Duo Processor (3.16GHz, 6MB, 1333MHz)

The XPS Core 2 duo processor is more expensive, but that never really means it's better. Which would be the better choice for playin the games of today (Company of Heroes, Crysis, Assassin's Creed, Medieval 2, Mass Effect... Y'know the types) and the games of tomorrow..

My easily influenced mind has been told that a quad core is "always more powerful than the core 2 duo" when it comes a gaming Computer, I felt that i needed you guy's opinions.

Thanks for any feedback.

On that note:

Can a XPS 1530 have a new card installed?

I dont want to end up damaging the thing after spending £700 on it xD

Okay, cheers.

Its cleared alot up.

That rig is good for high-end gaming though right? Although i might bump up the Geforce to a 8800GT

Story:

Im currently looking for a gaming laptop in the mid-high range (one that can handle games like Assassin's creed and such) and was looking at the dell XPS 1530 with:

• Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
• 4Gb RAM
• 256Mb Geforce 8600M GT
• 160Gb Hard disk

I thought that that was enough, but my friend tells me that a duo core is NOT a dual core (in the way that it does not contain two processors) and that it is one doing the job of two. Is this right? Also, as a second question, a Dual-core processor at 2Ghz equals 4GHz right? (2x2?)

I would prefer it were dual-core, then i could cut out the exta 0.4 GHz from the processor and save about £100, safe in the knowldge my games wont suffer.

Cheers

-Words

To be honest its going to be the big four:

• Space Marines
• Orks
• Chaos
• and the Eldar

But, if i could choose, I would choose the Nids, simply because it would add a whole new dynamic into the gameplay... Probebly the same reason why they'll probebly be left out.

How does a geforce 4 ti4600 compare to a Intel® 82852/82855 graphics card though?

I dont want to install it if its going to mess up.

Oh cool,I'llgive it a try.

Thanks !

Cheers,

Its a bit disheartening to hear that, being as i have three months until i can get my new laptop, darn it...

Ah well, ill just get roller coaster tycoon or somehting xD.

Right, ive just got this laptop from my parenjts as a replacement for the PC i lost recently due to a spillage ofliquid via my brother -.-

Basically, it is rubbish. Its meant to keep me busy until I get a new notebook in August, but thats a long way off. Anyway, i was wondering whether this rubbish IBM would play Rome, and on what settings:

IBM Thinkpad 40Gb Hard Disk Space

Intel® 82852/82855 graphics card 64Mb

1.7Ghz Intel processor.

512Mb RAM

Cheers in advance. -Words.

Edd678: Yes, i realise the dollar is roughly double the dollar. I was saying i could push to £500 - $1000 WITH my additonal funds, which a dwindling die to having to pay off a holiday.

BlackAlpha666: I dont, but my father is an IT technician, so he would do ti for me.