Cheaper system for one game

[kamikazimunkey]

Greetings! This will be my second build and I'm looking for a little advice. I used to be a pretty hardcore gamer but now really don't play any at all. I will occasionally play COD 1 and 2, JKA, and CS. The only newer game that I anticipate playing is Star Wars: The Old Republic (MMORPG). I'm out on my own now and don't have too much to spend on a rig. I'm looking to get the most bang for my buck for playing these older games and SW:TOR mixed with some internet usage in there. I ask for help btw because I have a bad habit of overpurchasing.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: The month of October
BUDGET RANGE: I guess the roof is $700 before rebates but I'm very flexible to get what I need. ((Cheaper is better though.))

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Internet, Watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers)
**I will need a OS. Windows 7 home OEM will be fine.**

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg but anything is fine as long as they are reliable.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US

PARTS PREFERENCES: I would like to use an ATI card. As far as processor I lean a little more towards Intel but AMD would be fine if it made more sense.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1024X768

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: (Sorry for the generalities of the post. I'm just not well-versed enough to know what I could get by with for the kind of gaming I do.)

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[Transmaniacon]

Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024&Tpk=antec%20sonata%20III ($109.99)

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/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649 ($119.99 + Free Shipping)

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392 ($69.99 w/ $10 MIR)

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276 ($88.99 + Free Shipping)

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181 ($49.99 + Free Shipping)

SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102824 ($99.99 + Free Shipping)

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187 ($30.99)

COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 ($29.99)

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754 ($99.99 + Free Shipping)

Total: $699.91

 

[dndhatcher]

If you are a student you can get windows 7 for $19.

Thats a good system Trans put together.

 

[mountie]

If you are a student you can get windows 7 for $19.

Where? Do you know anyone who actually did it?

 

[dndhatcher]

win741.com is selling it for $30.

Here is the toms news article about how to get it for $19 by joining some student organization.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-7-Professional-Students-19,8688.html

 

[kamikazimunkey]

Thanks for everyone's help. One question about that rig. Would it have much room for upgrading my Gfx card down the line. I would maybe want to upgrade it a year from now but want to know if it will get bottleknecked. Thanks.

 

[dndhatcher]

The x3 CPU will be able to be replaced with up to a 6 core AMD CPU when they come out next year.

The 4850 GPU could be replaced with a 5850 or 5870 for more graphics power. It wont handle multiple graphics cards, that would require a more expensive motherboard and power supply.

 

[jared51182]

A note about the OS. The win741.com deal is only for the "Upgrade" which would mean you have a legit version of a Windows Operating system, even if it is XP. This is not the full version.

However, if you are a college student, your school may provide full versions, even Professional, at extreme discounts. My brother-in-law was able to already pick up the Win 7 Professional DVD for $10.00. He is at a public university in Texas.

You can search your school's website, or call the IT department and ask about it. I would not recommend starting with the School's bookstore, as they provide "a" discount, but not as steep as you may be able to get from the IT department. Some schools even provide free OS's to students.

If you provide your university, I would be willing to look around the website to see what I can find.

 

[kamikazimunkey]

University of Arkansas. I also have an email with University of Arkansas at Little Rock since I take summer classes there. I have a copy of XP, but I still might be interested in buying it from the university.

 

[jared51182]

Okay, so there isn't an "easy" find for U of A. These appear to be your options:

1. http://www.journeyed.com/product/search/?srch_cat=&qk_srch=windows+7
-that has horrible options for prices - they are just the regular prices.

2. Call them and ask if they provide operating systems for students: (501) 569-3345

Good luck!

 

[kamikazimunkey]

Just wanted to say again, thanks for all the help guys. I have used it as a guide and am getting somewhere on the parts. I just have a couple of more decisions to make and a couple of questions.

1. The new processor that was just reviewed on the site, the Athlon ii X3 435, seemed to be a competitor to the Phenom ii X3 720 that was recommened to me in this thread. I was just wondering if I should shave about $30 and go with that and then add that 30 to my graphics card or another part of the system.

2. I am thinking about adding the power supply from my old system to my new one. I looked it up and the company, Kingwin, is on the tier 5 list. OUCH!!. It did say that some models can be higher up. I thought I would post a link to get verification that this was a crappy model and I should get a better one for the new system. It has lasted me for quite awhile with no problems. http://www.xpcgear.com/kwabt600cw.html

3. The CPU fan that was recommended seems to be getting a lot of negative feedback on Newegg for being hard to put together. I was just wondering if that was people that didn't have any experience and didn't know what they were talking about or if it was justified. I would definately say I am proficient with computer parts, if that helps in the answer.

Again, thanks for the time.

 

[kamikazimunkey]

Just want to bump this up because it says solved but I have a couple questions. I'm afraid no one will open if I don't bump.

 

[kamikazimunkey]

Bumping it up one more time and then going to start a new topic. Thanks.