[phatbass]

I have decided I would like a new computer that will be used primarily for gaming and a little word processing. I would like to play cod4, any age of empires, battlefield, and starcraft 2. Running at max settings is not necessary, just decent and stable. I may consider overclocking and would like to keep it an option probably. I have a open budget but would like to keep it lower (It will take less time to get). This system will probably have to last me about 3 years as I am starting school and probably won't have much money for extra stuff.

Here is what I have so far:
-Case = Antec 900
-Power Supply = Thermaltake purepower 600w
-Samsung 20x dvd-rw
-Xerotherm cpu cooler (the butterfly looking one)
-mouse, monitor, keyboard

What I am thinking of:

Cpu - Athalon 64 x2 5000+ or 5400+ both at newegg for $95
Mobo - Asus m2n-sli deluxe at newegg for $135
Memory - 2x2gb whatever is cheap name brand, probably $90ish
HD - WD Raptor 150 gb 10,000rpm sata drive + HD cooler $200ish
Vid Card - EVGA Geforce 8600gt 256mb $70 or so
OS - Windows XP pro student copy - $90
-------------------------------------------
Total about $700

Questions:

1. Is it worth the extra money for a 512mb vid card or going to a gts?
2. Is lower cas memory worth the added cost? From 5 to 4?
3. Is the raptor drive worth the added expense in this system or should I save some money and just get a 7200 rpm drive?
4. Should I be thinking about a am2/am2+ board instead? For future upgrade ability?
5. Any other advice or thoughts are appreciated.

thanks

[myoung001]

You could probably do with a cheaper mobo, but I realize that that's one of the things where sometimes you want to stick with a certain brand. If you want this to last for three years, the 8600gt just isn't going to cut it. I'd recommend the 8800GT, which can now be found for around $200 after rebates. The alternative would be the new 9600GT, which is slightly cheaper. It has been reviewed favorably, but you can get the better performance of the 8800GT for about $20 more. You can save money on XP if you can recycle an old HD with it already there, and then get a less expensive second HD. Otherwise, many colleges and universities have deals where you can get a copy of XP Pro (or Vista, nowadays) for anywhere from $10 - $30. Check with your school's IT department.