PC for post 2006 games

I badly need to build a pc for under 500$ that can play post 2006 games like KOTOR 1 & 2, Jedi Outcast II, original Red Alerts, etc. (Possibly WOW and Oblivion... I wish)

I really want to know what would work best...a core 2, quad core, single, etc.
Stuff like that...even if it would be neccassary to purchase a decent graphics card...
I was looking at the 8800gt because I have always been a fan.
And I need more than 250gb hard drive and 2gbs of ram.

Thanks!

Do you have any components that you can reuse currently? Also, do you already have an OS, meaning this is hardware only for $500. Also, how firm is that $500. I its a little over, is that cool?

I would shoot a little higher than the 8800GT.

I'd recommend the 4770 (which is on par if not a little better than the 8800gt in performance and price) considering it is the new technology and whatnot. The 4770 should be plenty for Oblivion unless you are running at super high resolutions. If you want to step it up a bit, then go for the 4850 or even 4870 (or nvidia, whatever tickles your fancy). And to answer one of your questions... stick with dual core to save money since your on a tight budget. Spend more on GPU since it sounds like its mostly a gaming machine.

This is what I've got so far:

GPU:
4770 512MB 128-bit on a PCIE 2.0 Platform (is PCIE 2. even compatible with P35's...I wasn't sure...)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161279

CPU:
2.5GHz Dual Core with 2MB L2 Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819116072

HD:
640GBs of space with 7200RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

MB:
Can't seem to find one under 75 with a four star rating...
Take a look...do any of these look good to you>?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] esult=True


And are there any suggestions on memory..do you think 2GBs of DDR2 is enough (have you seen any good deals)?
something like this?(if its compatible with the MB that is...):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231098

And how about power supply and case...any deals you've seen? BTW I prefer newegg...tigerdirect is ok too though..and I guess I need a sound card...network card..and a better heatsink (Like the Freezer 7 Pro maybe?)>>
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %207%20pro
especially if I consider oc'ing.

OK, thanks for the HD reccommendation.

What are some better heatsinks?

No, integrated sound and networking should work fine...

All I need is a case reccommendation...
I want something cool (again overclocking) and that has room for upgrades...under 100$

Oh, and how about a power supply>?

And about the mobo again....what is a good P35 for oc'ing under 75$ (if possible)....?


Thank you so much!

and then the 4770 just owned it in CF for a bit more.

Lol...

But yea, if you could answer my last question...

Your awesome. Will let you know how it goes with the Oc'ing and everything...maybe I can prove you can game on a budget!

And to top it all off...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824001314

Sweet all UNDER 520$ with S & H.

Now for the OC'ing....

Please Lock this thread. (and rename it to Gaming Rig under 500$)

Thermaltake has make PSU for a LONG time. They have a much broader range of PSU models than Corsair. You just have to make sure you pick the correct one for your needs. They are GREAT PSU's. I chose the 500 Purepower because it is sort of the main stream model and had a good balance of wattage and power handling.

Sure Thermaltake makes SOME decent PSU units. The fact that they have a broader range of models certainly doesn't make them a great choice. The majority of their PSU's are over-rated garbage. Corsair, on the other hand, hasn't made a low quality PSU yet. Corsair under-rates their PSU's, unlike Thermaltake. Like I said, the 400CX has more Amps on the 12v rail. I would pick a Corsair over a Thermaltake any day. Just because a company has made PSU's for a long time doesn't make them any good.

ummm...I just need something I can OC 4 cores with.