How does my $600 setup look?

I think you should go with this as your graphics card. It's 256 bits, so it will probably handle a higher resolution better:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


The hard drive is kind of pricey for the space. You could get a TB for a dollar less, or save $20 and go with 500gb.

TB Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

500GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

As far as memory, you really don't need more than 4gb. That should be good enough for at least a year, and later on you can upgrade when you have an extra $40.

With the money left over, try to get a Phenom II X6. If you aren't a big overclocker, get the 1065t, but if you are overclocking, get the 1090t. $159 and $179 respectively.

1065t - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

1090t - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


Also, if you can afford it, get an AM3+ socket mother board. Then you can upgrade to AMD's Bulldozer processors that are coming out this year! If you do opt for an AM3+ board, Get a Phenom II X2 or X4 because that won't be as much money, allowing you a better AM3+ board. Then you can drop in a new processor later this year! Here is a suggestion, but I'd suggest getting one with ports that fit your needs the best:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


Other than that, it all looks good! (maybe a 700w, if you are ever going to do SLI/Crossfire, but you can always upgrade that later   )

Thanks a ton for the help.
I added the graphics card you suggested.

Here's the other things I added
HDD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Memory- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
CPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The AM3+ socket motherboard + Bulldozer Processors are probably a little out of my budget as of now. I was able to get squeeze the Phenom II X6 1090t into my budget, and still stay under 650, which is probably the highest I can go.


Should this be good?

Looks good, but get an AM3+ motherboard. It will still be 100% compatible. The only difference is that it will support the new bulldozer processors when they come out, so if you decide to upgrade in the future, you will have somewhere to go instead of buying a whole new motherboard too.

EDIT: I meant to say 100% compatible with the AM3 processor  

Ok sweet. One more question. If I decided to overclock my CPU, even by 10-20%, how much more power would I need from my PSU?

Even with it overclocked to 4ghz, you should never be using more than 450w at one time, so you have adequete headroom with your psu!

hey, if you're looking to save any more money, you could go with the AMD Phenom 2 X4 955. It's loads cheaper, and once overclocked it will easily match your current CPU choice. It would save you 70-80 dollars easily. All in personal preference though.