First Budget Gaming Build

[fudrummer]

See below post for updates, thanks!

[strike]Need some advice on a first build for gaming. Going to be playing mainly BF3, and some older games as well. Trying to keep the build at or around $500-$600 total.

Motherboard - Asus M4A88T-V EVO USB3 Motherboard ($85)
CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core Processor ($120)
RAM - Kingston KHX1600C9D3B1 4GB DDR3 RAM ($29)
Video Card - EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti ($127)
Hard Drive - Already have one
DVD Burner - Asus DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS Internal 24x CD/DVD Drive ($25)
Case - Cooler Master RC-310-RWN1-GP Elite 310 Mid-Tower Case ($40)
Power Supply - OCZ ModXStream Pro Power Supply 600-Watt ($60)

Any suggestions on better parts to use? I'm very open to suggestions! Prices are all confirmed on Tigerdirect as of this posting.

Thanks![/strike]

 

[Onus]

If you're going to build AMD, get an AM3+ mobo so you'll have the option of upgrading to Bulldozer (assuming it comes out before the board rots ).
Take a look at the recent $500 SBM build, but replace the mobo with an AM3+ board like this one for $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131767
Check benchmarks for your intended games; if they favor nVidia's architecture, switch from the HD6870 to a GTX560 or GTX560Ti.

 

[fudrummer]

Decided to go Intel, how does this build look?

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 169.99
Processor Intel i5-2500k 99.99
Case: CoolerMaster HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 49.99
PSU: Thermaltake TRX-650M 64.99
Memory: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B 52.99
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 OverClocked 1GB 184.99

Total 722.94

I already have Spinpoint HDD and an SSD that I will be reusing. Main purpose will be to play games (BF3, Bad Company 2).

Thanks for the input.

 

[008Rohit]

Processor : AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE - $120
Motherboard : ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ - $110
RAM : Crucial Ballistix sport 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333 - $25
Hard Disk : Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500 GB - $40
Case : NZXT Gamma Classic Series GAMA-001BK - $35
Optical Drive : Samsung 22x DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222AB - $20
Graphics : XFX HD 6850 - $150
PSU : Corsair CX430 V2 - $50

Total : $550 before rebates

 

[Onus]

Decided to go Intel, how does this build look?

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 169.99
Processor Intel i5-2500k 99.99
Case: CoolerMaster HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 49.99
PSU: Thermaltake TRX-650M 64.99
Memory: Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B 52.99
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 OverClocked 1GB 184.99

Total 722.94

I already have Spinpoint HDD and an SSD that I will be reusing. Main purpose will be to play games (BF3, Bad Company 2).

Thanks for the input.

The mobo and processor would be decent. I will not buy or recommend any Coolermaster product since some of their PSUs are dishonestly labeled (read the HardwareSecrets reviews), and I will not support dishonest businesses.
I'm not keen on Thermaltake PSUs (some of them are quite crappy), although that one may be ok as it appears to meet certain minimum standards. Still, I'd suggest Seasonic, Antec, or Corsair to be absolutely certain of getting a quality product.
The RAM and GPU should be fine, although you might consider a non-overclocked version. You can always do that yourself, and you might save some money and/or power.
OTOH, if you want a tighter budget, 008Rohit's build is certainly adequate. You could always get a bigger PSU and more powerful GPU if you wish.