Heck you could build a decent one that is more powerful than consoles for $400 ;)SPBoss

That is pushing it. My 6870 is more than half of that price.

[QUOTE="wklzip"][QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

So, what good will these integrated GPUs do? What are they intended for?

BluRayHiDef

So, for gaming, these CPUs won't offer much (if any) increased performance for people with dedicated graphics cards?

No. You might be thinking of AMD's version of Crossfire where you can add the slow IGP to a slow dedicated card which is rather pointless, but the option is there.

[QUOTE="desertpython"]

...Even a qaud core CPU will be pushed by enabling PhysX.

BluRayHiDef

Which is why I asked if the new Sandy Bridge chips will be able to render PhysX well, since they (unlike the current chips) have integrated GPUs.

Probably not. If you take Mafia 2, your FPS would drop close to half if you turned PhysX up on a 965. The tech works best with Nvidia card(s).

Don't worry. If you get hit just crouch behind cover and wait for the auto regeneration to kick in. Call of Duty never lies.

Go on Google, look for the nearest brothel in your suburb and find out.

An onboard GPU can also be useful if your main one dies and you need a working computer, unless the motherboard is dead, that is.

The first rig would play the Witcher 2 maxed if its DirectX 10, minus the AA/filtering (the extra bits). If its DirectX 11, it won't. The first system will play any game from Metro 2033 to Crysis on High easily at 40FPS+. That is enough for smooth gameplay, with the occasional stutter (think Metro 2033 with DirectX 11). I wouldn't recommend building a rig that can max everything since a system that is 60% cheaper can do just a good job, and will look very similar in terms of graphics quality. With your $5000, putting around AUD $1800 towards the build will be enough like this:

CPU: AMD Phenom 965

MOBO: Gigabyte 890FX-UD5

GPU: AMD Radeon 6870 (you can buy another one later; that mobo supports 2 GPU's at full speed).

RAM: Kingston Value RAM 4GB DDR3 1333MHz kit x 2 (I bought the same RAM, cheap and stable).

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200.12

PSU: Seasonic M12D 750w 80+ silver

CASE: Pick one

DVD burner: Pick any

Add Windows 7 Home Premium OEM x64 and a decent 22" monitor like BenQ's G2222HD. You can buy nearly all of these parts at MSY.

[QUOTE="NailedGR"]

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

Will the integrated GPU be able to assist a stand-alone GPU in games? If so, will it be able to render PhysX for people who have ATI cards?

BluRayHiDef

PhysX = Nvidia

Intel != Nvidia

I know, but I've heard of people using their CPUs to assist with PhysX when they don't have Nvidia cards. Even though the performance is pretty bad in such cases, it is possible.

You can have PhysX on your ATI card with a spare NVidia card during the work but you need modded drivers which may not be particularly stable. Even a qaud core CPU will be pushed by enabling PhysX.

I'd get these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582

Assuming you need DDR2 800MHz.

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

[QUOTE="desertpython"]

An Athlon x4 640 + Gigabyte 870A-UD3 + 6850 + 4GB kit of RAM is enough for her needs.

GTR12

I agree. This machine would be more than enough for WoW, and most games out there.

Thats not enough for photoshop though, its gonna run slow.

I doubt it, but if the OP can spend a bit extra the Phenom 965 is a bit faster with the L3 Cache.