~800$ budget gaming system

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: ~2 weeks BUDGET RANGE: $700-850

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Being able to play most new games, listening to music, surfing the net.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. Maybe no OS, considering Win7 is free for a while, but not sure if it plays all games...

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg... and TigerDirect, maybe?

PARTS PREFERENCES: No real brand reference, maybe AMD because it's cheaper? Mid-Tower case is fine, don't need any fancy lights..

OVERCLOCKING: Possibly in the future, once I learn more about it. SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe, if it can be fit in the price range, one good video card is good too.

MONITOR RESOLUTION:~19" monitor and has 1280x1024 right now, possibly purchasing a ~22" wide screen later on.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Don't need any bling, case can be simple, it being quiet is a plus too.

you can have a look round here think on page 2 or 3 there should be a few compatible systems that should be to you liking

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM (Includes free Windows 7 updrade coupon)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116677

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] 11-129-042 $154.94 (Case + OS combo)

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649 $119.00

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128392 $84.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBPI - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %207%204gb $74.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] wd6401aals $74.99

Antec EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371015 $79.99

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102825 $149.99

SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151188 $28.99

Total - $767.88

I just went by what shortstuff showed, and changed a couple of things, but it looks really good.

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM (Includes free Windows 7 updrade coupon)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] 11-129-042

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649 $119.00

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128392 $84.99

Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3K2/4GR - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820134792
(Kingston is a good brand of memory, yes?)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136320

Antec EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371015 $79.99

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102825 $149.99

SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151188 $28.99

Total:$769.38
$790.12 w/ S&H

That Kingston RAM has a pretty slow CAS 9 rating. I noticed the G.Skill RAM I linked above just went out of stock. Here's another option that has faster CAS 7 timings.

Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PVS34G1333LLK - Retail $78.99

The 640GB drive is faster than that 500GB drive due to higher data density. It's well worth the extra $5 to get a faster drive with 140GB more storage IMO.

Yeah that makes a lot of sense, i'll update the cart now.

Edit: Better RAM and a larger HD, and almost the same price. Thanks

And the Xigmatek PSU is modular, which will be very nice for cable management.

I would upgrade to Corsair 750w since planning to go with two video cards. And I beleive nVidia is the way to go on them to get Cuda and because they have owned the top end of the video card market. Course that would require changing mobo and probably memory, but I think it might be worth it as more programs take advantage of that technology.

Wat?

He's gaming, Cuda is going to have almost no impact whatsoever on him. And what does nVidia currently having the fastest GPU available have to do with this guy's budget gaming rig? He's not looking for top-end.

Gaming is NOT his only application. And it sounds like he plans to keep the system for several years and upgrade along the way. Who knows what new applications he may get into. Have you not found any new applications to use in the last 3 years?

As for your trying to pidgeon hole him as a budget gamer, at the start he said that wants to consider OC and SLI and later he upped is budget by $200 and has included a 700w SLI certified and cross fire ready PSU. $1,050 is not a budget budget. This is not a budget rig. And he is moving towards a top end machine- and with a few later upgrades he might have a good one.

So don't give me the budget gamer crap or try to tell me he will never have high end cards. And why give away CUDA which is an added feature with nVidia that costs nothing.

22inch screen?? forget that get a 24"... ws....!!!! is about 300$ for a good one! G2400WD benq! best lcd 24" tn panel!

Why talk him out of it? Its a nice rig with a simple upgrade by adding another video card when he is ready.

Yep just ordered it . 3 day wait....ahhhh.

edit:thanks for all the advice

I don't really care what you call the build, but the thread title is "~800$ budget gaming system. What I was agreeing on was NOT changing to an Nvidia setup. I don't think Cuda is worth going with an Nforce motherboard, especially on a gaming system. The only motherboard I'd use an Nvida GPU on would be the Intel X58 chipset, unless it was strictly a single GPU system.