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You would have to get a CPU cooler to overclock as well.

Hadn't considered that. How much does performance really improve if overclocked? Just curious...

Some. I noticed some difference in mine, but if I had to do it over again I probably would have bought one that didnt overclock to save money.

If you keep your computers for a long time (I intend to keep mine for another 3 years the way it is) it might be worth it and pay itself off, but if you are the kind of person who upgrades every time the new generation of technology comes out, its not really worth it.

I couldn't find any hard evidence or benchmarks using an i5 at stock & OC'ed speeds. The consensus was 2-5fps from the stock 3.4ghz to OC'ing. It's hard to say exactly how much of a performance gain you'll get because OC'ing isn't a sure thing. You might be able to reach 4.6ghz on air, maybe only 4.2ghz.

I'm at 4.4 on a H60, which is pretty much not much better than a 212 Plus (I had both and saw no temperature difference, but I got the H60 for free).

Depending on the case, you can probably run around 4.5 ish on air.

Eh, I'm not so sure about OC'ing then. It decreases processor lifespan, and I really don't want to go through that much trouble for 5FPS or an extra Gigahertz.
Besides, I'm upgrading from a Core 2 Duo. Any speed would be an upgrade for me, haha.
Would there be any better builds for this same price range?

I see... But is it worth the price for a better heatsink/motherboard/CPU?

OC'ing graphics cards? How does the 6850 run? I was considering one before upping my budget to accommodate a better card...

The 6850 pairs nicely with my i3-2100. That's why I got it (plus it was cheap). That's also why it's OC'ed 24/7 (basically 6870 performance, not that much of a boost). Don't skimp on the graphics.

To effectively OC you'll need an aftermarket cooler (you already know this). The best bang for the buck is the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo/+. There's a 1 degree difference between the two, get whatever is cheaper (usually $20-$30). Is that extra 2-5fps worth it? We can't answer that for you. Is it worth it to me? Yes.

The other thing to take into consideration when OC'ing is your case cooling. Having sufficient Intake / Outtake for your case is just as vital as the cooler on the CPU.

Ahhh, understood. So I should probably OC my 7850 for 7870 performance... or wait until 2013 for Haswell and Sea Islands/GK110(too long). xD

How many case fans/what case do you use? I was considering a HAF922 or a Bitfenix Shinobi.

The 7850 should pull sufficient numbers in most games to the point where you should not need to overclock it. My old 6950 (6970) could keep pace with a 7850 and out-do it, and there wasn't a game I couldn't play on high.

Ahhh, so I see.
Yeah, I am probably gonna go with the OC path and spend about 20 bucks more for a Hyper 212+. How about the rest of the build?

Rest looks great.

Thank you so much! Really appreciate your help!

Best answer selected by lucidrainbow.

If overclocking is done correctly, then it should not decrease the life of the processor. The temps would also need to be monitored as well. My GPU (used to) run overclocked all the time, I just have to re-configure it, as I reinstalled Windows...again.

My processor runs at 4.4 all the time, and my temperatures barely ever break 60C when gaming. I leave my computer on for at least 12 hours per day and the idle temp is around 42C.

Given, my case is an Antec Sonata.

Exactly my point. You were agreeing with me right? Confused.

Yes, I am agreeing with you lol.