I'm looking into build a new system that would be good for home use and also great for current games that are out. I'm currently looking at stuff at newegg.com, but I am not sure what would be good to get.

That's funny... I just built my new system last week:

Core i5 Sandybridge* 2500K
16GB DDR3 1600
Geforce GTX 470
OCZ 128GB SSD
ASRock P67 Extreme4 Mobo


*Found out about the Sandybridge chipset recall two days after I got it... wawaa.

With the Sandybridge recall, I would say wait until they have the fix out (supposedly March). That is, unless you want to build a Core i7 of the previous generation.

I generally never build a top of the line gaming rig. Parts drop in price too fast to make that worthwhile. I got everything (minus the SSD because I got that through work), including a really nice case for around $900. Could have been less if I'd gone with less ram and a cheaper mobo and case.

So here's why I got what I did:

Core i5 2500K - From what I was reading, the performance gain on the Core i7 Sandybridge is not that great for gaming. A couple FPS here and there is not worth the extra $100. I got the 2500K because only the K model is "unlocked" and overclockable. I have mine OC'd to 4.2 Ghz right now on the stock fan and have had no issues. The OC was easy... a single click in the mobo GUI Bios.

16GB DDR3 1600 - Ram is REALLY cheap right now. There was supposed to be huge demand for ram with Sandybridge. All of the manufacturers produced lots of DDR3. Now there is a glut and companies are getting rid of it on the cheap. I paid $150 shipped for all 16GB.

Geforce GTX 470 - I looked over the benchmarks and decided that the performance of the 470 was the best bang for the buck for my price range. There's a handfull of cards that perform better, but I got my 470 for $200, well below the $300 - $500 for the top cards. When it gets down to $150, I'll get another and SLI them.

OCZ 128 GB SSD - It's a nice to have. It will improve load times for everything, but won't have a very big effect on performance. Only get an SSD if you get a great deal or can afford the added expense.

ASRock P67 Extreme4 Mobo - I had never heard of ASRock. I looked at some reviews and found their stuff was very well reviewed. I knew the features I wanted and this board had them for $100 less than ASUS and MSI. So far it has done great. I'm pretty impressed.


Now, if budget is a big issue, you can look into getting an AMD processor. I used to swear by AMD, but Intel really has been top of the game for the last 10 years or so. They still make good stuff and are a great bargain. I wasn't really looking at AMD when I was looking at benchmarks and choosing a processor, so as to which to get, you'd have to do some research.

What are your thoughts on this one http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=HMMvTCuBcZLfu2YL&templete=2

What's the deal with graphics cards these days? I haven't paid attention in years, was looking at a new desktoy and these went Mfer crazy on their model numbers.

The maximum PC for march has some pretty good breakdowns on the different models available in the various price ranges.

Timberelf: That's a nice board. Keep in mind that if you SLI on that you're going to get 2 x 8x PCI-E (so if you have PCI-Ex16 cards they will be only using 8 lanes each). Shouldn't make a huge difference, though.

Malse: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Generally that is a good way to figure out what cards to shop for. Also a good reference when you see what appears to be a great deal somewhere.

Timberelf:
Unless you have 2 30" the 8 lanes won't make much difference, like Akom said.

That is the same motherboard I am looking to buy when it comes out make sure you get the M3 version which has the fixed 6 series chip set on it. The new boards are said to be in vendors on March 15. I would suppose some unscrupulous vendors will sell the old boards for cheap after the 15th, right now they are upwards of $400 on Amazon.