What do you primarily intend to do with this computer? Game? Multimedia Editing/Production? Server Applications? Virtualization?
I would suggest the Phenom II X4 or above instead of the Bulldozers, because of their superior single-threaded performance which will give you an edge in gaming. Check out some of the equivalent Intel processors though:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-fx-8120-6100-4100_5.html#sect1 Only in extremely multithreaded applications like 3D rendering does the FX-6100 show its edge, but even then the i3-2120 is right on its tail.
Also, the GT 430 is rock bottom in terms of gaming performance.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gt-430-review/ http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/83870-nvidia-geforce-gt-430-review Would make a good HTPC card, but nothing much more.
http://videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6850 HD 6850 has the best price/performance ratio as of today.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6850-6870-review/Will give you a measure of future-proofing.
I wouldn't spend more than $50 on any PC case, too, can't justify the price. You could put the cash towards beefier components.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx PSU tiers.
Corsair's OEM is Seasonic, a reputable brand for stable PSUs. Logisys makes generic, low quality PSUs that come complimentary with your PC case. I wouldn't skimp on the PSU; if it blows it runs the risk of taking the entire computer with it.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5791/codegen-pcase-460w-low-price-poor-qualityWhy you shouldn't use low-quality PSUs.
Here is an i3-2120 build I would suggest:
GeIL Pristine 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model GP38GB1333C9DC ($39.99)
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply ($69.99)
PowerColor AX6850 1GBD5-DH Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ($139.99)
Sunbeam EVO IC-EVO-BK Black Plastic / SECC ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case ($39.99)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($139.99)
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ($121.99)
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120 ($124.99)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM ($16.99)
All parts are from newegg.com.
Do note we haven't taken into account the price of a Windows 7 license.
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992 ($139.99)
Cheaper than the retail version, which costs $229.99
“System Builder” means an original equipment manufacturer, an
assembler, a refurbisher, or a software preinstaller that sells the Customer System(s) to a
third-party. OEM software may ONLY be distributed with a fully assembled computer system.
http://oem.microsoft.com/public/worldwide/licensing/opccomm_retail_and_coem.pdfYou are an assembler.
Good job with the second PC, I would have picked an APU too; many flash games today on, say, Facebook benefit greatly from GPU acceleration, and the GPU will also come in handy for video playback tools such as antialiasing and interlacing. GPU acceleration is becoming more mainstream, even Adobe Photoshop CS6 supports AMD OpenCL too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130619RMSI A55M-P35 FM1 AMD A55 (Hudson D2) Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (OPEN BOX) $43.99 Has 2 more PCIe x1 slots compared to your ASRock choice. Could stick a WiFi/TV Tuner card in there.
Newegg only guarantees your receipt of the Open Box product with the purchase of this item. Any accessories MAY OR MAY NOT be included. Newegg will NOT send you any missing accessories, even if it is required to use all of the item's functions.
These low-end motherboards don't ship with many parts, perhaps a SATA cable or two. Call them beforehand and see if they include the rear I/O shield though. Drivers and Manuals can always be downloaded from the manufacturer site.
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7S-4GBRL
$19.99 and has a slightly more attractive heatspreader
Can't really go wrong with a low end build, though...
