Buying the right hardware for the job

[Brick Top]

Hello guys,

I'm planning on buying a new pc at the end of January. And of course, I want bang for bucks.

It has been a while since I bought my last pc so all the hardware is rather new to me. That's why I'm reading a lot of reviews, forums etc. One problem is, most hardware which is labelled as 'good', is labelled that way because it performs well in video games. And yes, I am planning on playing games but I also want a pc which performs well in 3Ds Max, Mudbox, Sandbox, UDK, Photoshop,... And information about that kind of hardware is not easy to find.

First of all, the GPU: Nvidia or AMD. I know there do exist special GPU for 3D apps but those are very expensive and not suitable for gaming. That's why I will go for a 'normal' GPU. First of all, I was planning on buying the Nvidia GTX580. Always had good experiences with Nvidia so why should I change? Because AMD is coming with a new video card which looks very promising, the 7970 (you can read a review here). Performs better than a GTX580 and it will probably cost as much as a GTX580. So I would be stupid if I didn't chose the AMD. But I'm a little bit sceptic because my experiences in the past with ATI Radeon are not that good. Finding the most optimal drivers was not always that easy a few years ago. And in 3Ds Max, it didn't perform as good I hoped it would. But my last experience is already a few years old so maybe those AMD video cars have improved a lot since I last used one.

What's your opinion about this matter? If you would have to choose a GPU for your new pc, knowing you will working a lot with 3D apps, would you chose an AMD or a Nvidia GPU? Or maybe you just don't care because they both perform well?

The second question is one about the processor. They advice gamers to buy I5's if they have a smaller budget because I7's are a lot more expensive and it ain't worth the money, for video games that is. But I red that 3Ds Max performs significantly better when you have a I7 installed. Opinions about that matter?

All other tips regarding new hardware for gaming/3d apps are more than welcome! Thanks in advance.

B.T.