Budget Gaming PC Build $500-600

[minifig]

Ok, so I'm looking for a good, sturdy build for a gaming PC to get me through 2010-2011. I'd be willing to upgrade after that, but I'm hoping to make a computer that will last me that long. My budget is around $500-$600. I'd want to be able to use the computer for gaming. I don't need to be able to run Crysis at high res, but being able to run Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3, etc, would be good. I suppose movie playing/burning would be nice too. Other than that, I really don't need many other capabilities. I don't need an OS, I have a spare copy of Win 7. I also have monitors, keyboards, speakers, mice, etc. The computer will be in my living room, so it'd be nice if it were relatively quiet. I'm fine with building it myself; I just need to get the parts. I'm from the U.S. I prefer to buy from Newegg or Microcenter, but I don't care that much. No preference as to parts. No Overclocking or Crossfire. Monitor resolution is 1360/768. I'd be looking at getting it (or at least the parts) in the next two months.

Here's what I've found so far:

Mobo/CPU:
GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX
Athlon II X3 440
$210 Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.353178

A bit low-spec, but seemed like a great deal. Don't know whether the USB 3.0 will have compatibility issues, however...

GPU/RAM:
Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT
2x2GB DDR3
$201 Combo (After Rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.349740

Thought this looked good. Not sure how long the 9800 GT will last.

PSU/Case:
Antec 500w
Antec 600 Black Mid-Tower case
$120 Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.345212

I honestly don't know how to judge cases and PSUs, so I just chose these.

Hard Drive:
WD Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 3.0GB/s
$50
http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0252592

At this point, I was trying to just keep it under $600, and this looked good.

DVD Drive:
ASUS DVD Burner
$24
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Again, don't know what to look for here, so just chose one that looked good and cheap.

It comes out to ~$605. Ultimately, this is just a base to look off of. I tried to find things in combos that would suit my needs. I would like to get it cheaper, if anything. Unless you say I shouldn't, I think I'll look at getting the generic DVD drives, cases, and PSUs from some of my friends, that could help cut the cost considerably. My dad works with software, but this is my first time building a computer, so I'm probably not getting the best deals. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[whitefang]

The price for that ram is way too high, WD blue 500GB isn't as good as 7200.12 seagate barracuda 500GB. 9800 GT is old, try the 5XXX series. If not get the 4850. Antec 500W psu is a little low on the wattage, try earthwatts 650. Mobo + cpu is great, however I would just get the 435 over the 440. 100 mhz can easily be obtained by a quick OC.

This would be better if you could pull the extra $$$

$625 after MIR + free shipping.

Or.... $585 after MIR.

 

[minifig]

Thanks so much for replying so quickly! I'll definitely look into that build! One question, would any old DVD burner work with this build? Because I may just get one from a friend.

 

[whitefang]

Yep, Preferably Sata. but IDE would work too.