System build - need input

[jp37]

Hi, my motherboard died a few days ago and I am trying to figure out an upgrade. I built my PC in 2006 and have had a few upgrades here and there, but it mostly lasted until now. I am trying to figure out parts for an upgrade. The purpose of my PC will be for mainly gaming. I am not planning on building a full system as I will transplant what still works from my old one to this one. I would like opinions on whether this is good or excessive or not enough, if anyone would be so kind as to help me out. I haven't researched this stuff in some time.


Processor:
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor
$195

I was between i3 and i5 but I multitask a fair amount. I could downgrade to i3 but I am not sure performance wise if I would be losing alot, however the price difference is like 80 bucks so it might be worthwhile...thoughts?

Motherboard:
ASUS SABERTOOTH 55i LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard
$209.99

this is pretty much the one I am set on, as far as having all the specific features I want. I will eventually throw in a second video card and the board looks like it has enough room even for large cards. I have one old dvd burner that will go to the IDE slot and my hard drives for SATA. front side usb connector, digital audio out, room for vid cards, dual vid cards at 8x/8x, and pretty much great reviews across the board. Only thing is, I don't know if its overkill.

Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
$105


My old parts which all still work perfectly:

Power supply should still be good.
ENERMAX Noisetaker EG425P-VE SFMA 2.0 420W ATX12V Ver2.0 Power Supply

Video card:
ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive


Buying the three parts above would cost me about 500 bucks. I am willing to spend that amount but I am not sure if I'm overdoing things. Like I said, primarily I use my PC for gaming but have been limited from what games I could play at full settings based on my old build becoming aged. I don't plan on keeping my old parts forever but right now I am trying to upgrade performance wise for my gaming purposes and at the same time find something that actually works so I can use it for work purposes. Thanks for the help in advance

 

[verst]

Proc- definitely the best gaming CPU out there

Mobo- that's a good board. But since you are investing in a new system consider a board with U3S6 features like: ASUS P7P55D-E Pro
It's also a bit cheaper

RAM: also a good RAM but you can invest the money from the mobo into lower latencies: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Your next upgrade should definitely be GPU and PSU

Enjoy

 

[deadlockedworld]

I think the i5 is a great choice, but if you are looking for a midrange between the i3 and i5 AMD's Phenom II X4s would be a good choice. The high end ones are a little slower than an i5, but they are a very excellent value for the money.

Consider this month's best CPUs for the money article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu,2545.html

If your first intent is gaming then you should save money on the CPU and instead spend the money on a better power supply and graphics card (and monitor, depending on what you have)

Just for the sake of argument, consider that you could build a whole new computer for around $500 if you went with budget parts instead of the high-end ones you listed. When Tom's builds low end gaming machines they tend to spend a lot more on the graphics than the processors...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-Builder-Gaming-PC,2509.html

 

[galta]

I wouldn't go for low latency memory. They are more expensive and have negligible impact on gaming.
+1 for ASUS P7P55D-E Pro.
Algo, it' time for you to upgrade your PSU to something more reliable. Get a good ~550W PSU from Corsair or Seasonic.
The rest of your system is great.