Building My First Gaming Computer

[Phrosty]

Hi guys. I've been browsing these forums for awhile and I am looking to build my first PC and I want it to be a solid computer that can run BF3 smoothly on medium-high settings. I have money for a $1000 set-up but I am a college student and I need what money I have for other things. I am also factoring in the price of a case and monitor and I'll need a mouse and keyboard. I am giving my old computer to my nephew. So I guess you could say my budget is tight for the time being, I'd like a good CPU that's future proof, from what I've heard the i5 2500k is the best performance/price CPU you can get, though, its a bit expensive, but if it can be fit into a budget of about $800 or so for a full set up I'll do it. I could possibly go higher than $800 but I don't really want to if I can avoid it. Thanks guys, if I am not giving enough information here let me know and I'll be sure to clarify.

 

[boldor]

This is the best thing i could come up with pricing in my country and from what my supplier could offer.

MOBO: MSI P67A-C45 REV B3
HDD: 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ
RAM: Corsair 8GB (2x4096MB) CL9 1600Mhz XMS3 1,5V
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K 3,3GHz
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 460 1024MB OC VGA
Case: Fractal Design Define R3 USB 3.0, Svart
PSU: Corsair CX 500W V2 80+
CD/DVD: Samsung SH-222AB, SATA DVD

 

[Petrofsky]

The system requirements for Battlefield 3 can be seen here. The recommended graphics cards are surprisingly powerful, considering the lame quality of the graphics you can see at their website in the trailer touting their new engine, Frostbite 2. They want a GTX 560 or an HD 6950. I simply don't believe it. I'll bet that boldor's GTX 460 will crush this game.

All they say about the CPU is it should be a "Quad-Core CPU". I'm tempted to think that the marketing department wrote these specs just to show that they don't need techs around messing up their brilliant ideas with facts. There is a world of difference between an i5 2500k and, say, my Sabertoothed Phenom. But if you take them at their word, an i5 is a couple of hundred dollars overkill when you count the mobo. If all you want is to run BF3 on medium-high.

Everybody is saying "wait for Bulldozer" (AMD's new CPU), so that even if you don't want one of those, prices on other chips should be driven down.