Need advice on MOBO/CPU/Memory for mid-gaming type system

[Jayhawk226]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: I have bought most of the items so far, just down to CPU/Memory, unless my MOBO purchase is really bad.
BUDGET RANGE: I can spend around 400 for the remaining parts.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (WOW, yeah I know) Web browsing, Netflix watching, Music storage

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, speakers, Monitor. I have listed the parts below I already have.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, Amazon, I have a local Micro Center

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: I am upgrading from an Athlon x2, so Upgrading to the AMD top of line or the i5/i7 is a huge upgrade, not married to either company

OVERCLOCKING: Very little SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Not at first, no real need for WOW

MONITOR RESOLUTION: I have a 22' monitor with 1920 x 1080 Native Resolution

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The following parts have been purchased and in my possession.

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Video Card:

SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Okay I currently have the following Motherboard, but perhaps I am having buyer's remorse:

GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD4P LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128400
I know it's a good motherboard, and I can still return it to Amazon, but I want to make sure I haven't totally gimped myself. I realize that means I am looking at a i7 or i5, I am not so much worried about the Foxconn issue, since I won't really be overclocking.

I am pretty sure, if I keep the MOBO, I would go with the i5 750 and the following memory.
G.SKILL ECO Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231321

I've read all the reviews of the i5, and it seems it will definitely be enough, but could upgrade to the i7. I realize that AMD Phenoms would also do well for what I want. Have I limited my upgrade capabilities with the Mobo choice? The cost difference on newegg from i5 to i7 is about 80 bucks.

I will probably pick up the DVD drive listed in the choosing parts thread.

 

[MadAdmiral]

To start, you really shouldn't be looking at the i7-860. It's a waste of an upgrade. The choice should be either the i5-750 or the i7-920. The 920 would require a different board and different RAM.

Besides, the i5 is possibly the best gaming CPU on the market today.

The only "mistake" you made with the board is not getting the P55A version. Not because of the Foxconn socket, but because of the USB 3.0/SATA III support. It's still a good board though.

That RAM is good.

You did make some very minor mistakes in the other stuff, such as buying an overpriced case and getting a poor performance HDD. But I'm assuming that can't be changed now, and it wouldn't matter too much.

 

[Jayhawk226]

The Case was on sale, so it was 89 with free shipping when I bought it, maybe still overpriced.

I could still return the HDD, I thought the WD Caviar Black was a good HD? Should I have gone to the 1TB?

To be honest, even with music on my HD, I am only using about 75gig of my 320 on my current machine. I realize HDD is cheap cheap. I know performance on HD is platter size and density right?

Thanks for the input, makes me feel better and curbs my buyer's remorse.

 

[MadAdmiral]

WD isn't that great any more. Both the Samsung Spinpoint F3s and Seagate 7200.12 (500 GB and 1 TB) are faster, quieter, and cheaper. These are the only 500 GB platter drives (excluding the $300 2 TB WD).

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I certainly wouldn't call the WD Black 640GB drive's performance "poor". Sure, the new 500GB platter drives are slightly faster, but the WD drive doesn't suck. It is still plenty fast and has a 5 year warranty.

I don't know how much you paid for your motherboard. It's not a bad board by any means. I, personally, would get this motherboard since you don't need crossfire support. Either way, they're both nice boards, so no need for buyers remorse.

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $159.99

 

[Jayhawk226]

Thanks again for the help. I only paid 185 plus tax from Amazon for the board. I looked over the Gigabyte site to see what the differences are. Not a huge issue for me, probably should have got the 55A, but to be honest, by the time usb 3.0 is up and running big time, I think I'll be ready to move up. I normally pass my old computer to my parents since they use it to surf the web and such.

 

[Jayhawk226]

Best answer selected by Jayhawk226.