What modifications (if any) should I make to this design

[exodasius]

Hello everyone!
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tUvu
That is, my setup which I'll be purchasing may-july.
Anyways, my budget is $550, so I'm tight pressed to find great, budget friendly parts. I've already asked a few friends to help with this, one suggested changing the CPU from a Phenom II to the AMD FX-6100. However, is there anything else I should add?
(Note: I know about the OS, I already have a windows 7 Home Premium 64x, and I could always get one through means)
Thanks!
Exodasius

 

[DeusAres]

You'll get better gaming performance out of the following build...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 PRO3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($70.56 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer G236HLBbd 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $521.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-25 20:50 EST-0500)

There's no need to get the FX 6100. The phenom x4 965 will run circles around it in games. You also don't need an aftermarket cooler right now. The stock cooler that comes with the CPU will work fine.

As for the GPU, I would recommend you change it to the HD 7770. It'll get you far better performance than the GPU you chose. I also switched out your monitor for something far better for not much more than what you had originally chose.

 

[exodasius]

Alright, thank you!

 

[exodasius]

Best answer selected by exodasius.

 

[DeusAres]

Glad I could help; good luck with your build!

 

[exodasius]

Out of curiosity, how powerful is your build?

 

[DeusAres]

Lol, I actually don't have my own rig just yet. Sadly, I'm a console gamer (can't afford a gaming rig at the moment). Currently on an old HP laptop that I use for college and what not.

However, I have been planning a rig for a while now. Currently thinking about getting this one or something similar whenever I can get the cash.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($290.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $831.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-25 21:19 EST-0500)