Best performance per pound

[staffsMike]

Surely it's just as easy to upgrade the gfx card down the line if you feel the need.

If it's pure gaming performance you want then the GTX and E4300 is probably the way to go.

But the GTS and Quad will make a much more well rounded PC

[usxhe190]

Option A 100% as well, graphics are important but people can't forget that CPU power > GPU power...CPU power is for everything...GPU power is only for 3D...

[DanceswithUnix]

Huh? In games the CPU often just feeds triangles into the graphics card, and for a lot of people games are the only performance thing they do.

I would also say that if I spent 70 quid on a CPU and then realised I should have spent 200 then potentially wasting 70 quid is irritating.
If I spent 160 quid on a graphics card and then realised I should have spent 200+, well risking not selling on that 160 quid card would be gutting.

So by the rules of the question: Cheap CPU with overclock and expensive graphics card.
My personal choice would be cheap for both, but that is just me all over.

[usxhe190]

Agree with your personal choice Dances BUT

E4300 and GTX is £35 more than Q6600 and GTS320 based on his/her pricing

Don't even know what screen size he/she will be using for screen...

Quad is more future proof than GTX I think

if he was to play games for now, he should be fine with 8800GTS unless he is using a big lcd...

still think quad and gts is better than e4300 (even with overclock) and gtx...

[wither2000]

Thanks for the answers guys - it seems there is no clear 'best' with opinion pretty divided. As far as resolution goes I'm 1280x1024 19" at present, but will upgrade when the budget allows but probably to no bigger than 22" although the 24" monitors look really cool.

[kungpo]

I have an e4300 and a 320MB GTS. The e4300 runs happily at 3.06Ghz. The only thing lacking is the power of the GPU. Playing FSX SP1, I still can't turn the settings to max without some sticking when the visuals get busy. The processor is loaded, but I suspect getting an 800GTX would make a bigger difference than changing the e4300 for a Q6600. It's also worth noting that DX10 games will push the GPU harder still.

As far as futureproofing is concerned, it ain't gonna happen. 6 months ago, a Q6600 was big money. 6 months from now, it'll be the same price as the e4300 is today. Likewise the 8800GTX, so whatever choice you make, neither is going to save you money in the longer term. But the GPUs have shed less than the CPUs.