need budget gaming system advice

[Pancake106]

so ive got a aging system im wanting to replace completely.

p4 2.8
1gig old ass ram
6800 128mb agp vid card
tiny hd
blah blah blah

my current gaming needs are hl2/source engined games with the desire to play cod4 all at 1680x1050 res. even with turning down graphics options and resolution my frames barely increase(cpu limited?). id like to keep my budget around $600 or so and would definately like a good overclockable system for a good bang-for-the-buck=) id like to find some ram and mobo that will work with future cpu/gpu upgrades which my current system lacks. i was thinking along the lines of

e2160
P35 based mobo
2gig ddr800 ram
ati 3850
???

any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated

 

[MarcVenice]

Tons of ppl asked for 600$ gaming rigs, check out the links in this thread if you please: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2121222&enterthread=y

 

[shortylickens]

My practical advice is to check out the Hardware and Technology section of the Anandtech forums. They were made for a reason. We already have tons of threads EXACTLY like this.
"Read before you make a new thread" is the standard instruction for newbs like you.

My technical advice is: Go to Dell or some other cheapo computer site. Custom build a system for the price you want (or a little more expensive) and write down the parts.
Go find those parts on Newegg.com or Zipzoomfly.com and build your own computer for less money than Dell.

Keep in mind your system will need the following things:
1: An Operating System, for games I currently recommend XP Pro with Service Pack 2. Retail is better than OEM because it will let you upgrade your system.
2,3: Case and Power supply.
4,5,6: Motherboard with compatible CPU and RAM.
7: Hard drive, I recommend at least 300 GB.
8: Optical drive. I would suggest a dual layer DVD burner, if for no other reason than they are so darn cheap these days.
9,10: Audio card and sound system. You might be able to get by with the sound on a motherboard. Check the Peripherals section for advice on speakers.
11,12: Keyboard and mouse. If you want to play a lot of games, you may wish to get something better than the cheap ass microsoft KBM setup that comes free with many systems. Again, check the Peripherals section.
13,14: Monitor and 3D accelerator, possibly the most important and most difficult choices in a game system. You can find advice for this as well in the (amazingly enough) Video Cards and Graphics forum.

READ!!
Thats what forums are for. They are pages and pages of text with nothing but info. Some of its more useful than other parts, but its all info and its completely free. Read it.

 

[Pancake106]

i do read the forums alot as of late but was getting frustrated with continually changing products and price points. i realize this is prolly a beat topic and sorry for being "that guy" haha thanks for the advice given

 

[Pancake106]

who put ray charles as my avatar? lol

 

[shortylickens]

Default avatar is Black Dude (with shades).

On the main page of Anandtech go to the top and click the tab for [GUIDES]. Under that should be an article on low-end systems. All you need is a good video card to have a gaming system.
They are around 650 bucks complete but you probably already have a case and P/S (though you may need to upgrade to handle more powerful hardware) and hopefully you are happy with your current mouse, keyboard, speakers and monitor.