Hi Salvo,
to run CoD without hassles you basically still need a high end gaming pc (at release time only uber gaming pc's were able to run it). the TF patches have helped a great deal, but it hasnt really lowered system requirements if you want to run it well (high detail settings and good fpsec's).
for cpu, even if AMD on paper shows good gaming performance in many games and gaming performance tests, for high cpu load games like flightsims intel is still consistently a better choice (if you dont have to penny pinch). i have had some amd cpu's in the past (2 systems i built) but i regretted every one. when i go current model higher end intel (but not uber), i have never regretted it, had lots of bang for my buck depending on the money i was prepared to spend, and the systems lasted me for years.
- my suggestion would be an i5 or i7 cpu with at least 4 cores, and if you pay 20 or 30$ more for a cpu model that is unlocked you can always later try and add 10 or 20% more performance by overclocking it.
- the most recent i5 and i7 models run cooler and use less watts then previous models (important) but they performance is not that much higher to call it a major step up from what was around a couple of years ago. sadly intel consistently changes cpu pins and ram slots, so focus on good items there from the start at purchase and the other parts you can always upgrade later. have a look at tomshardware site (or anadtech etc) and read some of their cpu/gpu performance reviews (they are regularly updated several times per year), and check what they recommend in motherboard cpu format (which might well not be the latest format if you want best bang per buck for your system, since newest cpu format boards are always significantly more expensive for cpu motherboard and ram formats etc)
for GPU, Nvidia would be my recommendation (i am currently using a mid range ati) and ideally you'd want a higher end current model with 3gb vram. most players with 2gb vram on those cards are happy campers in CoD, so if you can save some money that way it is not that big of an issue.
- Nvidia has recently developed a new technology called " G-Sync Technology", which is already available in their higher end cards. for it to work you need a compatible monitor, but it looks very promising and indeed will be a major "game changer" partic for high cpu/gpu resource demand games like flightsims, it significantly improves fpsec fluidity and reduces stuttering, tearing etc when your system might not have coped well before. new monitors that use that technology are already becoming available (24' and some larger 27' to), its just worthwhile to consider to reduce the redundancy speed of whatever hardware you might buy now.
http://techreport.com/blog/25542/a-f...-nvidia-g-sync
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...itor,3699.html
(ati is working on a similar technology, but a bit slower out of the blocks)
- when CoD was under development, afaik the creators only had access to Nvidia card samples, and they favored those therefore. more bugs have been reported with ati card owners since release
those are the main points
