Best time to buy a new PC in 2007?

[DavidKaye]

So, QT Hive Mind, knowing what you know about where we are in the neverending cycle of chipsets, CPUs, videocards and so on - when would be an optimal time to buy a new PC?

My current rig is breathing its last, and although I can probably keep it on life support for a bit longer, (after I fix this fucking Windows XP reinstall issue, anyway) I suspect I'm going to need a new one by the end of the year.

I want to maximize the bang for my buck - what's on the horizon?

[Igor Muravyev]

ATI producing more underperforming video cards in the next year, AMD still trying to play catch up with Intel.

Slowdown for both Intel and Nvidia as they get cushy and give ATI/AMD a chance to catch up in their respective markets, but this could take a few years (as AMD was king for quite a while before Intel struck back with Core 2 Duo).

Just buy something now. Prices are low and you can get great hardware, even RAM is cheaper than ever before.

[unbongwah]

AMD is scheduled to drop CPU prices (http://www.guru3d.com/newsitem.php?id=5429) in early July, with Intel's price cuts (http://www.vr-zone.com/index.php?i=4976) scheduled a week or two later. Since ATI and nVidia have released their spring lineup of video cards, I don't expect major movement on the video card front before this fall. RAM prices dropped a lot in recent months - about half what they were six months ago - but they seem to have leveled off. I'm not aware of any big changes on the MB front.

Otherwise, buy what you need when you need it; or buy what you want when it costs what you're willing to pay. I'll usually check to see if a new product release and/or price drop is due imminently before buying; but otherwise, it's not worth it to get too hung up on what's on the horizon, IMHO.

[DennyA]

If your criteria is bang for the buck and 2007, then the answer is "late December." The Fall hardware will have shipped, dropped in price a bit, and there will be Christmas sales.

However, then you have six more months of gaming on your marginal rig. Half a year is a long time. You could be dead in six months.

Thus, buy in July after the CPU prices drop.

[stusser]

Generally speaking, your best bet is to be patient and check sites like fatwallet and gotapex every day. Every couple of months there's a really crazy deal. That's when you buy.

If you're looking to pay full price or close to it then yeah, wait for intel's price drops. The quadcore 2.4Ghz core 2 quad Q6600 will drop to $266 in late July. That's crazy cheap.

[Igor Muravyev]

http:///www.xtreview.com/addcomment-id-2415-view-Intel-26.08.-2007-price-drop.html

If you can wait until 08.26.2007 it will be well worth your money.

[Hans Lauring]

Early afternoon.

[DavidKaye]

Hmm, that quad core processor for $266 is very tempting.

[unbongwah]

If you can wait until 08.26.2007 it will be well worth your money.
Why wait until August? The big CPU price drops are all in July, unless I'm missing something.