finally looking to build a new rig

[Ecthelion]

in the coming 2-3 month im looking to finally build my self a complete new gaming pc and im looking for some help from you smart people because I suck at trying to match components

my current pc ive been upgrading over the years but at its heart is my q9400 that I got back in Nov 2008 and I think its time to retire it

Current specs:
CPU- intel-q9400
GPU- XFX-6770
Ram- G-Skill 2x2gbs of 1333mhz ram
Powersupply- Apex 500w
motherboard- Gigabyte EP43T-UD3L

im going to sell my current pc to a friend so cover some of my cost so ill need everything. BUT windows that I already have my budget is $900 bucks this is counting selling my current pc. so I realy need to stick to 900 or less but if it comes down to $10more bucks for a big step up on a component I could swing it. tho like I said would be great if it can be under $900.

now this will be for gaming I play a lot of Dungeon defenders on steam I cant even play that on high. my most current game is skyrim of course for $900 im not looking it play stuff on ultra. but im tired of looking at newer games thinking id have to run them on subpar settings.

now I do have duel monitors
my main one is 21.5" 1680x1050 and my 2nd one is a 17" 1280x1024

if at all possible id realy like a ssd and a modular power supply

 

[PP Mguire]

CPU:
Intel Core i5-3330 Ivy Bridge 3.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53330 - Newegg.com

Motherboard:
ASRock B75M R2.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - Newegg.com

RAM:
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 - Newegg.com

GPU:
EVGA 02G-P4-2660-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Newegg.com

PSU:
CORSAIR CX600M 600W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com

SSD+HDD:
Newegg.com - Corsair Neutron Series GTX 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 Internal Hard Drive - Newegg.com

Case:
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Newegg.com

Optical:
LITE-ON Model iHAS124-04 DVD Burner - Bulk Black - Newegg.com

$890

 

[Ecthelion]

wow fast response =)

tho I forgot to say I didn't need a hdd my current pc has 2 and ill be keeping my storage one

 

[PP Mguire]

So take that off and add this. 10 over budget, highly worth it. Keep the other parts the same. You can even go to a slightly cheaper version of ASRock's B75 board to remain in budget if you like. It wont really make a difference at all.

EVGA 02G-P4-3660-KR GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Newegg.com

 

[Ecthelion]

would putting the hdd money towards a better cpu be bad? ive used my q9400 for almost 5 years id hope my next could do the same. my 2.66ghz to a 3.0ghz cpu doesn't seem like a huge gain. forgive my noobness just trying to understand

 

[PP Mguire]

Maybe this will shed some light.
http://www.techist.com/forums/f76/your-cpu-modern-games-guide-those-building-261626/

It's not all about GHz or core count. The architectural difference makes it so the i5 3330 is about double the speed of your C2Q clock for clock. You want more money towards your GPU considering an i5 3330 will be enough to hammer out games for the next 3-4 years.

Edit: I'll further iterate this by saying, the Q9400 is still a respectable CPU in terms of gaming performance. I have a Q8200 in my fiance's rig and it runs any game just fine. It and one of my 580s plays any game I want it to without problems.

An even older CPU still stands a respectable chance against today's games as shown here by this site.
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Can-A-New-GPU-Rejuvenate-A-Five-Year-Old-Gaming-Rig-/?page=1

 

[Ecthelion]

Edit: I'll further iterate this by saying, the Q9400 is still a respectable CPU in terms of gaming performance. I have a Q8200 in my fiance's rig and it runs any game just fine. It and one of my 580s plays any game I want it to without problems.

hmm I was thinking my q9400 was beyond its usefulness. do you think it would be worth it to just get a new GPU/ssd/PS?

 

[PP Mguire]

Not entirely. You'll still receive gains from a faster CPU, not to mention if I'm to understand you are getting your budget from selling your current PC. If you bought the i5 now, in 3 years time you'll most likely be able to just upgrade your GPU and call it a day. In the end it's up to you but I personally feel you should update the whole rig before the next gen game engines drop. If my predictions for next gen is correct, a fast quad should be sufficient for a few years, but slower ones could cause some issues later on. With the way current gen games are it gives people a little bit longer to save up for a better CPU setup later.

 

[Ecthelion]

Not entirely. You'll still receive gains from a faster CPU, not to mention if I'm to understand you are getting your budget from selling your current PC. If you bought the i5 now, in 3 years time you'll most likely be able to just upgrade your GPU and call it a day.

this is true but I was only asking 200 for it as it has no OS


from what you linked it would cost like 400 for a new gpu/ssd/ps. I was thinking my q9400 was 100% crap but if I can squeeze more out of it

think I have some thinking to do

 

[PP Mguire]

If you keep your current CPU you will definitely want the more powerful GPU. 300 for the 660ti, 69 for the PSU, and 124 for the SSD. That's roughly 500. You will also want to squeeze more power out of your CPU as well by overclocking it some.