Looking to upgrade my current system.

[dpro]

Hey all, I was hoping to get a little help in upgrading my system:
Current system: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cEZv

I am looking for an intel based system, if at all possible. I know what I have right now is probably pretty decent, but hey it's fun to upgrade

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mainly gaming, and some dev work.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
300-400 with tax and shipping

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
United States, Seattle, WA

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
- CPU, looking for intel if it fits the budget
- probably ram (not sure if I can use my old ram) have G.SKILL DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
- new motherboard
- possibly an SSD if that can fit in the budget


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
See above for the PSU, I will be reusing most components except for Motherboard and CPU (and maybe ram)

6) Will you be overclocking?
- No, it's not really something I feel comfortable with at the moment.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1080, 23"

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Maybe in a couple weeks.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
- Onboard video might be nice for power saving, and switching if that's possible.


10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, 64bit Windows 7.

 

[Dangman]

Here's what I recommend:
$308 - Intel Core i5 3450 CPU + MSI Z77A-G43 Intel Z77 ATX Motherboard
$120 - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SSD
---
Total: $428 shipped

Yes you can reuse your RAM.

 

[tiraides]

If you want a nice feature-packed motherboard for a relatively low price, then take advantage of this combo deal:

$317 shipped - Intel Core i5-3450 and Asus P8Z77-V LK combo deal (use promo code EMCNCHN38, which expires 7/26, for a 10% discount on motherboard)

The RAM that you have is fine, but you may want to buy more RAM now while it's pretty cheap. If so, I recommend that you go with a 2x4GB dual-channel kit, like:

$40 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT 2x4GB DDR3 1333

You could then either sell your old RAM or combine both sets to give you 12GB of available memory. While they'll both run at DDR3 1333 speeds, it will be more than enough for everyday use.

If, however, you really want a good SSD, then I recommend the following:

$120 - Crucial M4 128GB SSD
$5 - Bytecc dual 2.5"-to-3.5" mounting bracket (needed for your case)
$261 shipped - Intel Core i5-3450 and ASRock B75M combo deal
=====
$386 - Total shipped (not including taxes or rebates)

In the case of the above combo deal, there isn't enough money for additional memory. However, for most everyday tasks, you won't really need it.

I chose the Crucial M4 as cheaper SSDs use the SandForce 2xxx controller, which is known to suffer from random BSODs in Windows. In some cases, even the current firmware has been unable to stop those problems.

Before I forget, the i5-3450 does have a promo code (BTS506, expires 8/2) that provides a $10 instant discount. However, I tried experimenting with the promo code and it doesn't work when you're buying the processor as part of the combo deal.