help me build a new desktop.

emd023 said:
Would it be smart to keep using this cpu? How long can they live for? It's already three years old.
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Try and overclock it if you can. The Phenom should still be fine for gaming for another year or two I reckon.

Your budget is $500 right? That's not enough really to build an entirely new system which will outperform your current one by a long way. Really, I think you'd be best spending your money on upgrades for your current one. Wouldn't cost you $500 either, so you'd save money too.
 
A decent graphics card: Galaxy Geforce GT 640. It's budget but it's really worth it.

CPU wise, a good but well rounded budget one is a Intel Core i5 3570K Unlocked 4-Core which you can overclock as well as a Intel Core i7 3770K Unlocked 4-core (I have this<<) is great! But slightly expensive... Both of these include stock heatsink and thermal solution already on the fan so you save money there and it is a decent fan.

Just get like a 1TB WD Hardrive, no real need for a SSD if your looking for a budget PC.

RAM wise I'd suggest 8gb memory is teriffic. I don't know if you have a Kingston brand from where you come from but they are a great budget memory manufacturer.

This would fit nicely on a Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3 is perfect. In future you can expand up 32GB of ram!!!!

This is my optical drive: LG GH24NS90.AYBU10B 24x Internal SATA OEM DVD Burner Drive
It's bloody terrific!

Power Supply: Antec HCG-750 750W. Yes it is expensive! But 100% worth it. I have it and for me it's totally and utterlly reliable.

Run a windows home premium 64 bit system (don't really need pro or ultimate and if one of your mate's has one, you can just borrow it).

Case: Antec SOLO II Black Mid ATX Tower Case. Expensive, heavy but reliable.

I reckon all up this system should be around $650-$700 in Australia but it should be cheaper where ever you are as Sydney is currently the most expensive city in the world. I'd think it should set you back about $550? Just taking a guess.

Good luck!
 
No don't get a GT 640. Spend less on the CPU and get an i3 and then spend more on the graphics card and get something like a 7770 or a 7850 if you can afford one. That'll give you better performance in games than a 3570K paired with a GT 640 would.

You do not need a 750W PSU for that system which NA3349 configured, a Corsair CX 500 would be fine or a 7770 or even a 7850, but I'd suggest maybe getting a CX 600 if you plan to get a 7850.

No need to spend so much on the case either. The Corsair Carbide 300R is cheaper and is a great case, as is the Fractal Design Define R3/R4 and the NZXT Phantom 410. The cases I mentioned there also have much better cable management than the Antec case does, so in fact they're better and cheaper options.
 
Yeah any Z77 board would be good for the 3570K. I tend to stick to ASUS and Gigabyte myself, so my recommendations would be one of the ASUS P8Z77-V series boards or one of the Gigabyte GA-Z77X series boards.
 
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