Budget but upgradable i5 build

You will get a better gaming experience for $800 by going with AMD and using the Athlon II X3 440 for your CPU. It will allow you to get a decent build/GPU at your price range.

Your only option for Intel would be the i3 530 / H55 MOBO to get close to a build you can get with an AMD.

man really? No way to get around for even $800? What about a quad core AMD then?

There is hope, depends on how tight the $800 budget is, but:

5870 + 4gb RAM - $479.98 (from your link)
i5 750 - $200 (Newegg)
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler - $39.98 (Newegg)(This new revision works with the new CPUs)
Acer H243Hbmid 24" 2ms - $219.99 (Newegg, down from $269)
MSI P55 CD53 - $90 (Newegg, no XFire or SLI) OR Asus P7P55D EVO - $132.99 (XFire)
500gb HDD - $55 (Approximately, Newegg will have plenty to choose)
Dual Layer DVD Drive - $30 (approximately, Newegg will have plenty to choose)
PSU Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W - $114.99 (Newegg $89.99 after rebate)

Total: $1204.98 without SLI or XFire


That was a build I suggested to someone with a $1200 budget. It is missing a case, usually my cases are only about $50 or $60, I have never been a big believer in ridiculously expensive cases.

So, if adjusting cost for $800 budget:

GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5850 - $310 (Newegg)
G.SKILL (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 - $105 (Newegg)
i5 750 - $200 (Newegg)
Hyper 212 Plus - $30(Newegg)
MSI P55 CD53 - $90 (Newegg, no XFire or SLI) OR Asus P7P55D EVO - $132.99 (XFire)
500gb HDD - $55 (Approximately, Newegg will have plenty to choose)
Dual Layer DVD Drive - $25 (approximately, Newegg will have plenty to choose)
PSU Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W - $115(Newegg $89.99 after rebate)
Case - $60

That is $990 without XFire.
That is without any combo deals which I am sure there may be a couple to drive price down. Also, I am sure someone stated that Microcenter was selling the i5 750 for a bit less ($180?). So with savvy buying you may get this closer to $900 which is a bit off of your initial budget, but you could drop down to a 5770 (not recommended unless you really need to keep to your budget) and this would be $140 less.

So with no deals on the above and a 5770 you will be paying $850 which is close to the budget. With combo deals and flexibility in your budget you can get a 5850 which I would always recommend.

To get any closer to $800 you would have to look at AMD

Wow exact answer I was looking for! Now I know what type of parts to look for deals for.

Thanks  

anybody else recommend any changes in asteldians post?

Just a note - the Mobo I suggested is purely showing the price range of no XFire and one with. I am stating that those specific mobos are a must have option. Have a look at reviews and details on the mobos around those prices to see which is your preference. I went with the MSI myself because it has a handy Overclock Genie which plays with setings to give you a stable OC with nothing more than a push of a button - handy for inexperienced OCers.

Switch CPU/MOBO to this Athlon II X3 440 combo and the price drops $90 right off the bat. To get to $800, you'll need to go with the 5770 or if you want a little more power the ATI 5830 is $100 less than 5850 (though it isn't a highly recommended card).

As for the hard drive, Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB & Seagate 7200.12 500GB are your best options (only recommended option) at the $55 price range.

As for the case at $60, I would recommend either the Antec 300 Illusion or the original Cooler Master RC-690.