You can also get ShaderFX, from www.lumonix.net, which is like this but for real-time shaders... actually its remarkably similar to what lots of the "next-gen" engines are doing with their shader systems.
UPDATE Topology fully completed! After some feedback I upped the polycount to make her a current gen game char :) C&C of course welcome! Next step is UV unwrapping.
Little update on the substance, added more grunge and dirt. I need to fine tune the tile gen values so that the seams don't line up and add a proper roughness map still.
Yeah save up for a bit and get an i7 3rd gen. As oxy stated an i5 is better for gaming than 3D, i7's have multithreading so are far superior for baking and rendering.
If you do a lot of baking an i7 might be worth it. Also the next gen consoles are going to have 8 cores, so games might be optimized for 8 threaded processors in a year or two.
i dont think 20 k is too high for current gen main characters, i think it is on the higher end but i know lots of games have counts around there for player models.
While you're dropping knowledge bombs it would be great to hear what you've had for average times on other things, like an average complex current gen vehicle, or a first person weapon.
its all about the next-gen arts. 3D concept art. =) Do you also draw, because drawing will help you get proportion right. but keep it up. your improving.
killnpc & j_swam: Thx for your kind words :D . I was talking with the original Marco Rossi ( the pixelated version ) and he approves a lot his own next-gen version. I'm glad for that :)
persona 5 rime the next title from the makers of limbo. not sure i can actually play any of those though - no current-gen console here - or planned for purchase so far. :)