Mid-level gaming build

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Q1 2010 BUDGET RANGE: Max $500

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, surfing the internet

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I would like to recycle as much as possible to keep cost down. See additional comments for parts I have now

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg but not opposed to other.

PARTS PREFERENCES: N/A

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1400 X 900

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Looking for a system that will work well for gaming through 2011-12 and allow surfing, streaming video, and processing. As stated above, I would like to keep it to a minimum on price. Below is a list of what I have now. If any of it is garbage, please let me know what you would recommend. It is will work for a little while longer, let me know that too, and I will look into replacing over time. Basically, I want to play games like Dragon Age, and Mass Effect 2, along with older titles like EU3 and Civ4. Thanks for your help.

Parts
Foxconn G9657MA-8KS2H LGA 775 Intel G965 Express Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813186109

AMS CF-1089BK Black Steel / Plastic MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811180030

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (Perpendicular Recording Technology)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148140

A-DATA 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1908K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820211064

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820211066

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115005

COOLER MASTER eXtreme RP-500-PCAR 500W ATX12V V2.01 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817171018

GeForce 9400 GT 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

I would say just keep the MB and either overclock or drop a new processor in....but that MB is not one that can OC well, and since its a dead socket the good drop in replacements are starting to get expensive. For the price of a good quad core 775 drop in you can get something like a

PII 550BE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103680
And AM3 MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128394

or check the 550be combo deals available when you are ready to purchase...just be sure you get a board that supports ddr2 memory and has ACC so you can unlock the other cores of the processor. Plus, the 550 overclocks well for a AMD.

Then upgrade your video card to a 4850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127414

which should work fine for your resolution. You could even get a 4870 512mb version if you can find one for about $125, but they are getting scarce. You might try checking ebay to see if there is still some old stock floating around. If you want to future proof your system a little more, get a 5770

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150447

This will cost you between $300 - $400. Which leaves you $100+ to play with. You might consider getting a board that supports DDR3 (most gigabyte AM3 boards have two versions, one for DDR2 and one for DDR3). You can sell your current ram for a decent price and pick up 4gb of DDR3 for about $100.

Future upgrades...case, HDD, and cpu cooler...but those can wait for a while.

Do you need an OS included in that $500 budget?

Check out www.win741.com if you're a student. You can get Windows 7 for $30 from there.

I'm at work now, but I'll put together a build for you in a little while.

Yes, I was referring to replacing MB/cpu/Gpu/and possibly memory depending on which MB you get and how much you want to spend. Everything else is very serviceable and can be upgraded later.

Do NOT get this case. It's a piece of crap. It is the worst Antec case ever made.
I don't know why Antec put it out. The Antec 200 is almost the same case and is just as bad.

These cases are very flimsy. Antec used very cheap materials to build the case.
You can find them for $35~50 from etailers.


If it's a budget case, then you can't beat the Antec 300.