New Computer..

[ZenPhire-KauaiBoi]

Okay then... $1000 limit we'll say for the box. Let's see what we can whip up. Start looking for the case and the graphics card you want. I'll put together a few core set-ups (mobo, cpu, ram) for you to check out. =)

[SnakeShit]

Get like 7 netbooks, and put a different linux distro on each. 

[Ms. Trouble]

Get like 7 netbooks, and put a different linux distro on each. 

now why would i want to do that?

[SnakeShit]

I need a rig for under 500$.  As cheap as possible.  I want to run games for the next couple years (low settings are fine) but I'd also like it to be upgradable for when the time comes.  I might have a nice case for free (ATX form)

Here's what I have, but I'll need advice.

AMD Athlon II X4 630 Propus 2.8GHz 99$
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103704 

Sony DVD Drive 22 bucks (might be able to snag an old muckty one from a computer at home)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Seagate 250 gig Barracuda 45$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148451

MSI 785GT-E63 AM3 79.99 (59.99) after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130266

Rosewill Stallion 500w PSU 40$
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817182076

Crucial 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 24$ each, so like 96 bucks for four gigs
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16820146571

That's 362 bucks, and I still need a video card.  I'm not really sure what good video cards are anymore, I've been out of the loop so to say for a while.  Also, if there are cheaper things than I found, I'd love to see them...ideally less than 400 would be great.

[ZenPhire-KauaiBoi]

Here's what I would get if I were you Snake:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14535846

$430 for a good upgradeable gaming rig.

($530 with W7)

--------------------------------
It's a simple build with a fully featured motherboard that will take parts to come (please comment if you know of an incompatibility of this mobo with soon to come hardware). It skimps on other parts to put the brunt of the money into a good motherboard that will overclock decently, and be upgradeable, to last a few years.

I only put W7-32bit in there for the non-technically inclined users. Go for 64bit if you are technically oriented and can handle the extra work to ensure hardware compatibility.

Recommended upgrades (in order):
Second set of RAM (or 2 new sets to 8GB)
ATI 5850 (or nVidia GTX 470 if you gots $$$$)
500W Antec Earthwatts (for better efficiency, overclocking, and future upgrades)
Phenom II X4 C3 stepping CPU (OC to ~4GHz quad core)
2x 2TB HDDs in Raid 1 (go retail)
SATAIII Solid State Disk Drive for OS (big $$$, make sure the read rate is at least 350 MB/s)

[edit: changed the order of upgrades to reflect better improvement/money]

[SnakeShit]

Thanks Kauai..and after the summer spent working and pawning off game consoles I'll probably spend less on it! 

[omniconsumer]

That power supply is important lol.

[bluewagon]

i would say for sure go the 64bit route, that way you can add more memory later

[SnakeShit]

Yeah I definitely will.

[ZenPhire-KauaiBoi]

FOR TROUBLE::

AMD Build
(great build and killer overclocking head-room, but no hyperthreading, no triple channel mem, should be upgradable to the new 6-core AM3 chips coming out soon. Plus you get 4G ram and 2 Hard drives to run in raid at the same price.)
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13676192

1156 Build
(good bang for the buck [with 8 threads, 4 actual and 4 hyperthreading], but limited upgradability.)
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14541066

1366 Build
(allows you entrance to the "high-end" CPUs and the new Intel 6-core CPU for future upgrade.)
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14541126



Although I have put a lot of time into putting these builds together and researching compatibility and upgrade-ability... it is still advisable to do your own research.

For the most part... you can swap around power supplies, cases, HDDs,  Video cards, disk drives (and to some extent, memory), between builds.

The main concern is always the motherboard, and it's compatability with the CPU and RAM.

Another important aspect is the power supply and power requirements of the system (all of these PSUs should be much more than enough, but in some cases of upgrading or extreme overclocking [or when upgrading to dual graphics cards], you may need to also upgrade your PSU).

Then the space and cooling (air flow etc) required by the components. This is especially where I would recommend doing your own research... making sure that your components (and any planned upgrades) will fit your case!

Aloha!

P.S. - Since you will be doing a lot of compiling, and compiling can generally take advantage of hyper threading... also considering that you said you would do very little real upgrading to core components... I would recommend you go with the 1156 build (then upgrade to a second stick of ram ASAP, then a second HDD for raid, then a SSD). Either way... all three systems offer great advantages... it's a tough call.

[Ms. Trouble]

=O i forgot about getting a new computer! I've been so busy lol thanks kauai =)

[ZenPhire-KauaiBoi]

I would go with this build Trouble:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=14541126

and if you have the extra $, set the quantity of ram sticks to 3. That way you can take advantage of the triple channel memory bandwidth and have 6GB RAM. =)

[Ms. Trouble]

so why i haven't been around is cuz i got a new toy that i had to build =P