PC Build for Cataclysm

[cardsrams82]

I'm currently running a AMD 64X2 Dual Core 4000 2.1GHZ with 2 gigs of ram and a 256mb radeon GPU (not sure what model its a few years old). I mainly use the pc for cataclysm, civilization 5, and surfing the net. I have a 2 monitor setup with Acer 22 inches and run a 1680 resolution. I can play fine on moderate to just below moderate settings but am looking to build a new system centered around playing wow at high to ultra settings with a 40-60FPS framerate, while still having flexibility for other games/apps. My budget is about $850 and I've come up with the following. Please let me know if I'm missing anything or if anyone has any suggestions. Note: i plan on expanding the ram to 16 gb later and adding a 2nd HDD (Non-ssd) for additional storage, but not including in the initial build.

Cart Item List:

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819103851
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$159.99
1

Newegg Promotional Gift Card

Newegg Promotional Gift Card - $10.00
Item #:N82E168GC000001

1

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817371016
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$79.99
$64.99
1

OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX50G 2.5" 50GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX50G 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #:N82E16820227528
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
-$30.00 Instant
$129.99
$99.99
1

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98B

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98B
Item #:N82E16827106334
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$23.99
1

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820231311
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$84.99
1

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Antec Three Hundred Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811129042
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate
$69.95
$59.95
1

ASUS CuCore Series EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5 Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

ASUS CuCore Series Radeon HD 5770 EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5 Video Card
Item #:N82E16814121363
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$119.99
1

Rosewill RFA-120-K 120mm Case Fan

Rosewill RFA-120-K Case Fan
Item #:N82E16835200048
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$4.99
1

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit 1-Pack

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit 1-Pack
Item #: N82E16832116992
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131402
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
-$25.00 Combo
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$258.98
$213.98
Grand Total: $832.86

 

[JoeAdamsIV]

You won't need 16GB of RAM
My 6850 can play WoW on Ultra at 70fps (Single display). So I am not too sure how the 5770 would handle it on multiple displays.
Everything else looks awesome. Good luck.

 

[cardsrams82]

Thanks for the info. The 16GB of ram is more of just a personal quest rather than actual performance (always wanted a 16gb rig).

As far as the video card, this is where I'm torn. I am already foregoing the Intel I5 Sandy Bridge CPU due to price, but I don't want to skip on the Video card to the extent that it undermines the rest of my build. I know the GeForce 460 does very well with high settings, but the cost jump makes a difference. I've heard good reviews on the 5770 but given on how AMD performs less than NVidia on WOW and how I don't have much information on how 5770s would perform in a setup like mine I'm not sure if this video card is the one to go with.

Any ideas on the video card issue? I'm willing to bend about 30-50bucks, but not much more than that.

Also note that with dual monitors one will be for wow the other for desktop (vent, firefox, etc).

 

[pacioli]

Here is a better build for your budget:
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - This will cool better than the 300 and requires no additional fans
Mail in Rebate $10
$59.99
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
Mail in Rebate Card $10
$118.99 -$20.00 Instant $98.99
Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Mail in Rebate Card $40
$254.99 -$25.00 Instant $229.99
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core $139.99 plus a $10 newegg card!
Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$114.99 -$15.00 Instant $99.99
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900)
$119.99 -$40.00 Instant $79.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit 1-Pack - OEM
$139.99
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
MIR $20
Price before rebate $69.99

Total ~$918
After M.I. Rebates and gift card $828

The quad core is going to beat that six core in gaming. 3.4Ghz vs 2.8 Ghz.
the Crucial SSD is Bigger and Faster than the OCZ. It gets great reviews too
Blizzard games run better on Nvidia... period... 560 Ti for $189.99!!!! hello!
You can save yourself $40 on the OS by getting Win 7 Home premium 64 bit. It will support 16 Gb of Ram. I'd only get win 7 Pro 64 bit if you were running the virtual machine or another feature of Win 7 Pro 64 that Win 7 home Premium doesn't have.

 

[ikyung]

Pacioli got it right for ya

Phenom II x4 965 will play your games much better then a 1055. Sure the 1055 has 2 extra cores, but it is a weak processor. Even if you played gamed that utilize all 6 cores the 1055 wouldn't give you noticeable performance boost.

For the mobo I would go with the MSI 870S-G46 AM3 AMD 870 if you aren't going to SLI. It is around 10 dollars cheaper.

c300 all the way! Why get a SATA 2 SSD when there is a very popular SATA 3 SSD for the same price? I have the 126GB version and it is SOLID.

I was going to suggest the new 560s but pacioli found you a 560ti for even cheaper . That will tear cataclysm apart.

 

[addison]

Yeah 4 core's is enough, I have a althon 2 x4 2.9 (3.3 OC) and get a 60 fps on WOW with 1 monitor, though get a ati 6950 or ati 6970. My rig is junk compared to most of your's but I don't care it's mid level. Only like 800$ get a MOBO with ddr2 ram bacuse the XMS2 is on tiger direct (2gigs a PIEICE) 50$ for 2 sticks of 2 gigs on each = 4 Very good deal for just 50$. My geforce 9500 GS maxed wow @ 30fps - 40fps and dropps (in SW) to 20fps This is VERY cheap price http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=555323&Sku=E145-1560 this just came out.

 

[striker410]

Here is a better build for your budget:
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - This will cool better than the 300 and requires no additional fans
Mail in Rebate $10
$59.99
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
Mail in Rebate Card $10
$118.99 -$20.00 Instant $98.99
Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Mail in Rebate Card $40
$254.99 -$25.00 Instant $229.99
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core $139.99 plus a $10 newegg card!
Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$114.99 -$15.00 Instant $99.99
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900)
$119.99 -$40.00 Instant $79.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit 1-Pack - OEM
$139.99
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
MIR $20
Price before rebate $69.99

Total ~$918
After M.I. Rebates and gift card $828

The quad core is going to beat that six core in gaming. 3.4Ghz vs 2.8 Ghz.
the Crucial SSD is Bigger and Faster than the OCZ. It gets great reviews too
Blizzard games run better on Nvidia... period... 560 Ti for $189.99!!!! hello!
You can save yourself $40 on the OS by getting Win 7 Home premium 64 bit. It will support 16 Gb of Ram. I'd only get win 7 Pro 64 bit if you were running the virtual machine or another feature of Win 7 Pro 64 that Win 7 home Premium doesn't have.

I second most of your build..... But at that price, he could easily get an i3-2100 for that price, which will whoop the 965's but in gaming. If he were to upgrade to a i5-2400, then it would be no contest in ANY applications. Sandy Bridge is the way to go IMO.

 

[pacioli]

I second most of your build..... But at that price, he could easily get an i3-2100 for that price, which will whoop the 965's but in gaming. If he were to upgrade to a i5-2400, then it would be no contest in ANY applications. Sandy Bridge is the way to go IMO.

I tried to get the OP a 2100 but even with the cheapest ASROCK Mobo it was still over budget. He really wants the SSD and Win 7 Pro 64 bit. If the OP went with an HDD and Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit he could go Sandy Bridge all the way. That would be a more balanced system in my opinion.

 

[pacioli]

As far as a recommendation... I am rocking the Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB SATA III for my OS with Cataclysm installed on a small raid 0 partition on my Samsung Spinpoint F3s. With a GTX 560 Ti I get 60 fps on Ultra settings in Org and SW.

 

[striker410]

This combo should be doable.

ASRock H67M (B3) LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157233&cm_re=h67-_-13-157-233-_-Product

Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz 2 x 256KB L2 Cache 3MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 $125
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078&cm_re=i3-_-19-115-078-_-Product

 

[Danger Kid]

why not wait for bulldozer and see what that does to prices?

 

[cardsrams82]

I tried to get the OP a 2100 but even with the cheapest ASROCK Mobo it was still over budget. He really wants the SSD and Win 7 Pro 64 bit. If the OP went with an HDD and Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit he could go Sandy Bridge all the way. That would be a more balanced system in my opinion.

I'm a network engineer by trade and do alot of work from home so the extra features/virtualization of 7 PRO is almost a requirement. The SSD is a rock solid requirement in my build as well. I'm also partial to Antec for cases and Power supplies.

However, you guys are bringing up some interesting points. I know cata does alot better on intel setups and would be willing to go that route if the price (before MIB) is a near wash. Please note I'm not looking to do the impossible and build the best system with this budget, high graphics or ultra with some options turned down and a reasonable framerate is just fine (1920 resolution hopefully with dual monitor support).

So the question is, do i sacrifice some processor for the 560, keep the phenom quad core 965 and do a GTS 450, or go the Intel route? Again, top performance is not necessary, especially in vid card which i can later replace.

 

[pacioli]

As far as dual monitors are concerned, as long as your graphically intense tasks are being run on a single monitor it is almost the same as running a single monitor. Ventrilo and firefox graphics won't bring your performance down noticeably, unless you are doing something on firefox that uses graphics.

 

[pacioli]

I'm a network engineer by trade and do alot of work from home so the extra features/virtualization of 7 PRO is almost a requirement. The SSD is a rock solid requirement in my build as well. I'm also partial to Antec for cases and Power supplies.

However, you guys are bringing up some interesting points. I know cata does alot better on intel setups and would be willing to go that route if the price (before MIB) is a near wash. Please note I'm not looking to do the impossible and build the best system with this budget, high graphics or ultra with some options turned down and a reasonable framerate is just fine (1920 resolution hopefully with dual monitor support).

So the question is, do i sacrifice some processor for the 560, keep the phenom quad core 965 and do a GTS 450, or go the Intel route? Again, top performance is not necessary, especially in vid card which i can later replace.

You don't have to sacrifice anything. The 6 core 1055 is inferior to both the 4 core 965 and the i3 2100 for gaming. Get the 2100 and mobo striker recommends. Actually the mobo striker recommends only has 2 Ram slots, so get this instead for $11 more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157234

Get the rest of the system I recommend and you will have a killer set-up under your budget. You'll have amazing graphics and an amazing processor with 4 threads on 2 cores.

Case choice is personal. I was just giving you a superior cooling option for less cost.
An i3 2100 with a GTX 560 Ti is possible in your budget. I say go for it!

 

[striker410]

You don't have to sacrifice anything. Get the 2100 and mobo striker recommends. Actually the mobo striker recommends only has 2 Ram slots. so get this instead for $11 more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157234

Get the rest of the system I recommend and you will have a killer set-up under your budget. You'll have amazing graphics and an amazing processor with 4 threads on 2 cores.

I second that suggestion. Didn't know that one had USB 3.0 or Sata3 lol. The ram doesn't make much difference IMO, but that board is better in general. Plus, free anaglyph glasses! Totally makes it worth it.

 

[pacioli]

I think I originally stayed away from the H67 boards because they are all micro ATX. but micro ATX vs ATX doesn't really affect performance at all.
I just realized I failed... totally left out the DVD burner... add $20 and still be under budget.

 

[pacioli]

I second that suggestion. Didn't know that one had USB 3.0 or Sata3 lol. The ram doesn't make much difference IMO, but that board is better in general. Plus, free anaglyph glasses! Totally makes it worth it.

Hell yeah free glasses! I hope they are the paper kind!

 

[striker410]

Hell yeah free glasses! I hope they are the paper kind!

I love how they state anaglyph, just so you don't think you're getting a super deal on active shutters lol.

 

[pacioli]

I love how they state anaglyph, just so you don't think you're getting a super deal on active shutters lol.

and yet anaglyph sounds so fancy... I bet they spent at least aquarter on those...

 

[pacioli]

I'm not just making up the fact that the i3 2100 beats the 6 core AMD chips in gaming.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859-8.html

See... The i3 2100 scores better than the Phenom 2 X4 970 and the Phenom 2 X6 1075 at 1920 X 1080. So it will be way way better than the girly 1055 or the 965 for games. I'm guessing the 1055 would show its strengths if you were running 50 different programs at the same time.

Like striker says if you could move up to that i5 2400 it would destroy everything you put in front of it.

 

[cardsrams82]

You don't have to sacrifice anything. The 6 core 1055 is inferior to both the 4 core 965 and the i3 2100 for gaming. Get the 2100 and mobo striker recommends. Actually the mobo striker recommends only has 2 Ram slots, so get this instead for $11 more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157234

Get the rest of the system I recommend and you will have a killer set-up under your budget. You'll have amazing graphics and an amazing processor with 4 threads on 2 cores.

Case choice is personal. I was just giving you a superior cooling option for less cost.
An i3 2100 with a GTX 560 Ti is possible in your budget. I say go for it!

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98B $23.99

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $59.95

ICY DOCK MB990SP-B Dual 2.5" to 3.5" SSD & IDE/SATA HDD Bracket $11.99

Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $229.99

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $64.99

CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 $84.99

ASRock H67M-GE (B3) LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $106.99

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $114.99

Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 32-bit 1-Pack - OEM
304.98 COMBO DEAL


That comes out to 1000, which is a bit much out of my budget.

GIGABYTE GV-N450-1GI GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 115.99

If I switch up and get a 450 instead of the 560 I'm back in budget and have the i5 sandy bridge build.

Could I expect some fairly good performance from the I52400 + GTS 450 setup? Wouldnt the I5 2400 over the I3 2100 give me of a performance boost than the 560 over 450? ( I could always get a 560 later and give the 450 to the wifes PC)

 

[addison]

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98B $23.99

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $59.95

ICY DOCK MB990SP-B Dual 2.5" to 3.5" SSD & IDE/SATA HDD Bracket $11.99

Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $229.99

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $64.99

CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 $84.99

ASRock H67M-GE (B3) LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $106.99

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $114.99

Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 32-bit 1-Pack - OEM
304.98 COMBO DEAL


That comes out to 1000, which is a bit much out of my budget.

GIGABYTE GV-N450-1GI GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 115.99

If I switch up and get a 450 instead of the 560 I'm back in budget and have the i5 sandy bridge build.

Could I expect some fairly good performance from the I52400 + GTS 450 setup? Wouldnt the I5 2400 over the I3 2100 give me of a performance boost than the 560 over 450? ( I could always get a 560 later and give the 450 to the wifes PC)

Get the W7 with 3 copies on it just in CASE a file corrputed (mine did) Luckily I will get pro or Ultimate My pc will be chaning soon with a x4 phenom 3.4 NEW 2tb HDD and ati 6850 and corsiar 650watt... Possbile more rame.

 

[pacioli]

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98B $23.99

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $59.95

ICY DOCK MB990SP-B Dual 2.5" to 3.5" SSD & IDE/SATA HDD Bracket $11.99

Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $229.99

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $64.99

CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 $84.99

ASRock H67M-GE (B3) LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $106.99

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $114.99

Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 32-bit 1-Pack - OEM
304.98 COMBO DEAL


That comes out to 1000, which is a bit much out of my budget.

GIGABYTE GV-N450-1GI GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 115.99

If I switch up and get a 450 instead of the 560 I'm back in budget and have the i5 sandy bridge build.

Could I expect some fairly good performance from the I52400 + GTS 450 setup? Wouldnt the I5 2400 over the I3 2100 give me of a performance boost than the 560 over 450? ( I could always get a 560 later and give the 450 to the wifes PC)

You can get a i3 2100 and Win 7 Pro 64 bit combo for $239.98 saving $25

Those two CPUs, the 2100 and the 2400, fall in the same ranking slot for gaming on tom's list
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-intel-core-i7-amd-phenom-ii,2926-5.html
The i3 2100 is actually within the second from the top ranking. It ranks in the same hierarchy slot as the best AMD gaming chip the AMD X4 975. The AMD 1055 you were considering ranks 2 slots below the i3 2100

While the two GPUs, the 450 vs the 560 Ti, are 3 full rankings apart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935-7.html

I used to game with a GTX 260 before I got my 560 Ti. The 260 is 1 rank above the 450 on Tom's list. I noticed huge improvements with just the jump between the 260 and the 560 Ti on my prior system, An Athlon 2 X4 620. (That processor sucks by the way) But the difference in performance was very noticeable.
I am guessing the GTX 450 will perform much worse than the GTX 560 Ti.

Also remember the $40 MIR on that particular 560 Ti brings the price down to $189! Which is a steal!

The Crucial SSD rose $15 in price since yesterday. I'd look for a deal on that as I got it for $99 too in January.

I don't think you need the Icy dock as the antec 300 has SSD mounting and SSDs do not produce much heat at all.

Get this super fast super memory on sale for $79.99
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBSR
Free 2GB flash drive w/ purchase, limited offer
The corsair RAM you mentioned was $5 more and was running at 1333 Mhz vs this G.Skill running at 1866 Mhz. Plus... this RAM looks like little rifles!

Get this DVD - LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM - $19.99 w/ free shipping as opposed to $23.99 plus $7 shipping

The total I get with the i3 2100 combo and your Icy Dock after MIRs and the combo discount comes to just under $875

On another note... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
Check out Neweggs video on the HAF 912. It looks to be a superior case with better features than the Antec 300.

 

[cardsrams82]

You can get a i3 2100 and Win 7 Pro 64 bit combo for $239.98 saving $25

Those two CPUs, the 2100 and the 2400, fall in the same ranking slot for gaming on tom's list
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-intel-core-i7-amd-phenom-ii,2926-5.html
The i3 2100 is actually within the second from the top ranking. It ranks in the same hierarchy slot as the best AMD gaming chip the AMD X4 975. The AMD 1055 you were considering ranks 2 slots below the i3 2100

While the two GPUs, the 450 vs the 560 Ti, are 3 full rankings apart.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935-7.html

I used to game with a GTX 260 before I got my 560 Ti. The 260 is 1 rank above the 450 on Tom's list. I noticed huge improvements with just the jump between the 260 and the 560 Ti on my prior system, An Athlon 2 X4 620. (That processor sucks by the way) But the difference in performance was very noticeable.
I am guessing the GTX 450 will perform much worse than the GTX 560 Ti.

Also remember the $40 MIR on that particular 560 Ti brings the price down to $189! Which is a steal!

The Crucial SSD rose $15 in price since yesterday. I'd look for a deal on that as I got it for $99 too in January.

I don't think you need the Icy dock as the antec 300 has SSD mounting and SSDs do not produce much heat at all.

Get this super fast super memory on sale for $79.99
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBSR
Free 2GB flash drive w/ purchase, limited offer
The corsair RAM you mentioned was $5 more and was running at 1333 Mhz vs this G.Skill running at 1866 Mhz. Plus... this RAM looks like little rifles!

Get this DVD - LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM - $19.99 w/ free shipping as opposed to $23.99 plus $7 shipping

The total I get with the i3 2100 combo and your Icy Dock after MIRs and the combo discount comes to just under $875

Good point on the rankings perspective. I sincerely appreciate all the information thanks for putting in the effort (everybody) on helping make an informed decision. I'll post back in a week or so after I have the build up and going.

 

[cardsrams82]

Best answer selected by cardsrams82.