$500 Gaming PC

Ok, so I'm looking for a decent gaming PC on a tight budget. This will be my first system I've built, and I'd like to be around $500 (including the OS), but going over a little won't kill me... I'll be gaming on my 26inch HDTV (720p), mostly RTS and RPGs like Demigod (coming out soon), Starcraft 2, and some MMORPGs (WoW/Warhammer), and would like to play comfortably at medium-high settings. Also, I already have a this 500W PSU left over from a iBuyPower PC i bought a year ago and returned.

What do you guys recommend? Thanks!

Ok, I'll nix the PSU. Here's what I've been thinking.

Vista Home Premium 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488
$99

Pioneer Optical Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827129023
$25

HD4830/Antec 430W Combo (Provided by you)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.181882
$145

Intel e5400/Antec Case Combo (Provided by you)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.180802
$130

RAM (4GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231219
$40

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128380
$85

Total: $525

Doesn't seem too bad. Would the HD4830 handle the requirements I mentioned? (Starcraft 2, Warhammer, Demigod, etc.) I'll only be playing on a 720p monitor, so the resolution won't be too much of a factor. Of course, if anyone sees any other deals out there, I'd be delighted. Thanks for the quick response!

Thanks. And just to make sure, the Antec 430W PSU should be enough to power all of this?

I've heard that the e5200 is good for overclocking, and sells for less. Any truth to that? How would that compare to the e5400?

they're both good for overclocking, but that combo deal is pretty darn decent.

E5200 does OC well, but as to which is better I can't say for sure. See if you can Google up a review of the E5400 where they compare the two

Yes the EA430 will cover that all, just. It's possible there could be a better deal on something. I just pulled that one out of my head...

BFG LS-550
That's a good one with more actual power (Don't always believe wattage claims).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817702008

OCZ 500SXS
Not quite the same quality but this one is inexpensive and might give you a bit more power. 3 year parts warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341012

Hmm here is a fairly nice alternate combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.178282

yeah man it's not so much the wattage that matters it's the efficiency and amps. the Enermax (good brand btw) is 82% efficient (very good) and provides 22A on each 12V rail (also very good). trust you'll be happy with this setup. You have a hard drive?

*nod*

I've seen 3.6Ghz with an E5200, stable, on a P45 board with air, so I'm guessing the less expensive P43 board would do almost as well.

As far as I know you'll hit a clear FSB ceiling with a G31, but I don't know where that is. 400 maybe.

Thanks for all the help! I'll probably order tomorrow, so I'll keep working on it!

Shoota, how much were you able to tighten the timings on that corsair ram?
Just wondering since I have the same 4gb set in my pc.

Xyrus i was actually thinking of suggesting that you try windows 7, i've been using it for a little while and it's pretty nice. There are a few things to get used to but it all works which is the most important thing. I'm not sure of the legality of the one that expires in 2010 but the public one is fine.

irkjab- i didn't have time to do extensive testing but ddr2-800 4-5-5-18 @1.8v was one and oc'ed to ddr2-902 5-5-5-15 @ either 1.9 or 2.0 can't remember but it was still fairly low. i'm sure with some volts they can do even better.

I would recommend this WD 640gb hard drive instead, it is a much better value for $15 more than your current one. Its also fast and quiet.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218
$70

For getting a more powerful gpu, I'd recommend the radeon 4850, specifically this sapphire card. You could go with a cheaper 4850, but they've received mediocre reviews.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102770
$140 ($130 after MIR)

Corsair makes excellent power supplies, and this one provides 550W of power at a good price after rebate. It also comes with a 5 year warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139004
$90 ($60 after MIR)

You could certainly go with the e5400 if you wanted to. Its faster and only $20 more.

Thanks all! I replaced the hard drive with the 320 WD, and just ordered the computer parts, should all be here thursday!

good job xyrus way to stick to your guns, you're gonna like your build.