$600 build questions

[slicedtoad]

right, so i'm building for a friend with a 600ish budget, though he prefers as low as possible. It doesn't need to be upgradeable and only needs to play games. He'd prefer not to oc unless it's simple and saving him money.

here's the build so far

i3-2100
ASRock H61M/U3S3
ZOTAC 560 Ti
Antec EarthWatts Green 500W
Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333
combo 500GB barracuda and samsung dvd burner
Antec Three Hundred

My questions:
Does going with the i3 instead of a Phenom II X4 965 make sense?
Will that psu power the 560ti? It has "dual pci-e connectors" but they're on the same cable.
Anything i can/should change? Saving money without sacrificing much power is the goal.
The 560 ti is there cause it's on a great sale at newegg, making it cheaper than either 6950.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

1) Although the i3 outperforms the Phenom II, the Phenom II is 4 core, therefore, might last longer as a gaming rig than the i3
2) Don't get the 965BE, get the 955BE ($10 cheaper and u can OC to same clock rate)
3) PSU should be enough
4) http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/330?vs=293 <-LOLOLOLOLOL 6950 pwns the 560TI

 

[slicedtoad]

damn i just realized i was using the american newegg. switching everything to .ca made it cost more.

1) & 2) so ur advice would be to go with amd if he overclocks? How easy is it to oc the 955? (relative to a 2500k)
3) ok
4) newegg's cheapest 1GB 6950 costs $245 while the 560ti is $220 (CAD prices). I should also mention that he's gaming on a low res monitor (1280x1024). I have a 2gb 6950 on my machine and i love it, but it's kinda breaking the bank here.

 

[dvuevo]

I'd get the 955. Overclocking is extremely easy so no worries there. I agree with roaringdragon, being 4 core will extend its usefulness.

On that budget, I'd get a 6870.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

AMD's Black Edition CPU's are as easy to overclock as the unlocked intel CPUs, so no worries there...
Also if you are on budget, go with the 6870