Hi there,
After being basically desktop-less for the better part of a year (and before that, on a build from ~2003 with an Athlon XP 2800+), I've decided to go ahead and start the process of building a more current system. I've been doing some light research over the last month in an attempt to catch up to current technology, and I've come to assemble what I hope will be a capable system.
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Spread out over the next few weeks. I can't afford to spend a whole paycheck on this.
BUDGET RANGE: $500 to $600, but anywhere I can cut costs without sacrificing quality will be welcomed. Before Rebates preferably.
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, gaming, gaming, some audio listening, surfing the internet, ...emailing my mother.
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers. Monitor recommendations are welcomed, but I am not including one with this build. Something 22"+ that can support 1920x1080 or 1920x1200.
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com, Tigerdirect.com. Sites that are reputable.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
PARTS PREFERENCES: AMD cpu preferably. Other that I am fairly flexible.
OVERCLOCKING: Once I get comfortable with my build. It's been a long time.
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: In the future.
MONITOR RESOLUTION:1920x1080, 1920x1200. Either one is fine.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm not looking for something flashy. I chose the Antec 300 Illusion because it comes with extra fans for $10 more than the regular 300 and I am hoping I can disable the lights. I will be mostly be using this for 25 man endgame raids in World of Warcraft, though having a new build will open up many possibilities for gaming that I have not explored.
Okay, so now for the goods. So far what I have put together:
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Combo for 129.99:
[Link for Combo]
Individual links:
1. OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply
2. AMD Athlon II X3 440 Rana 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor Model ADX440WFGIBOX
That about does it. I hope I was thorough enough, but if not, please ask and I will do my best to give more information. I welcome more suggestions!