I am trying to build a better computer that could run source and only source...

I get an average of 17 fps on Aztec and 40 everywhere else after this update..

So i used the custom builder on ibuypower.com

and

got main components of:

Case ( CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case - Black )
Processor ( Intel® Core™ i3 540 Processor (2x 3.06GHz/4MB L3 Cache) )
Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 120mm Radiator [SOCKET-1156] )
Memory ( 2 GB [1 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module - Corsair XMS3 Dominator w/DHX technology )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon HD 5570 - 1GB - Single Card )
Motherboard ( [CrossFire] Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H w/ 2x PCI-E 2.0 x16 MB ) <-- Confusing Item.
Power Supply ( 600 Watt -- Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Total $648.00

Are these parts compatible?
If so..
How well would this computer be able to run source..


Please give me advice and suggestions if i should change anything..

Anything else i would need?

I want to keep it under $700 due to the fact i will only need it for Counter-Strike.

Looks good to me though I'm not too sure on that series number of ATI products...possibly do some benchmark research.

i have the ati radeon 4850 with 512mb of ram and i can run source perfectly fine, average around 100+ fps. but i also have a quad core and 4gb of ram. but the 5570 is a higher end card than mine (i think).

Aye well the 4850 I think was like the top of the line ATI before the 5 series?

i'm pretty sure a 5570 will eat source, shit it out, and have it look like soft serve vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.

but you can still check.

aye tiss will run source fine, but if he is just running source....than why get the card.

I'm just saying I would invest money that will be able to run and keep up for at least a few years cause you never know what game will plop in his lap that he will want to play and nothing is more of a turn off when you have to start a game than for the next 30 minutes instead of playing the game you're sitting messing with settings to get your FPS to a playable rate while still maintaining some cosmetic value.

So tazz do you have any suggestions?
I wanna be able to play like you said for years..
I'm new to building so that is my problem..

Deals...you going ATI or Nivida

I've been a Nvidia user forever...But i think i like ATI.

the 4870 was the top i think, maybe even the 4870 x2. plus, i already told him to go nvidia, F*CK ati, i have a 4850 and have had nothing but problems with it. if ur going nvidia, get a gtx260, great prices (around $100) and u can always upgrade and get another gtx260, plus it is a great card. i have seen tests where 2 gtx260s were close to a gtx 295 in performance. i am never buying another ati card.

See I have heard people say the same about nvidia

The motherboard is SLI...
So i could add two cards correct.. Just what two is the question..

And as for the ram you said rex..
I have tons of ram laying around it just comes with it so i will add more.

So is there any real problem with ATI because
strange said ATI
You say nvidia

To tell you the truth, SLI is just a tad overrated and only really useful if you're going to be spending mounds of cash on the PC and going to spend a quite deal of time on it along with playing a range of games that can comprehend the power. To tell you the truth I'd go with rexxer on a GTX260.

what I would actually do as well as hit up maybe double, he used to basically jack off while reading benchmarks on nvidia cards so...he might be of help.

I will do so; thanks.

Although from what i can tell the 260 is alot more expensive than the 5570..

it would raise my prise around $120 :/

From my experience lurking, ATI tends to be a bit cheaper than Nvidia.

yea, a lot of games use nvidia's physx technology. im pretty sure that ati cards can run it as well, but nvidia runs it better because they made it. just make sure ur ram is the same speed and type as the ram ur buying. if u are getting an intel core i3 processor u are most likely getting ddr3 ram and if u have tons of that lying around i will suck ur dick for some of it. lol

So my question is...

For the GTX260 i would pay $200

The 5570 which is the card i mentioned above is 83

Should i just go a step or two up from the 5570 before shelling out 200 dollars?

Like i can get a 5750 for only $142..

Get the 5750 and 4GB of RAM and you'll be near unstoppable for another couple years. Thanks to your liquid cooling, you can turn your little i3 into a monster...That's what I did to my AMD Phenom 5500+. I actually run two 5500+'s (I have two rigs I use)) ...with 4GB each and a gtx260 in each one I can play anything.

Drop the liquid cooling and get more RAM. Everyone I know with liquid cooling has nothing but problems with it, yes it's nice and quiet but is it really worth the extra money?

I bought two H-50's and havn't had any problems. Maybe if one was building a liquid cooling system tube by tube and clamp by clamp then yeah...one might run into problems. With shit like that, it's trial and error. However, I'm sure the one that's coming with his PC is similar to an H-50.

The H-50