I'm building a new PC relatively soon (I just got a ton of stuff to resell and I'm going to make at least $500 USD!) so I'm in the lookout for new components.

Basically, I only need a CPU, a motherboard, RAM, and a case. I already have a power supply, hard drives, and a video card. I'll be selling off my old motherboard / RAM / case / CPU to a friend.

I currently have my sights set on an Athlon II X4 965 AM3 CPU (3.4 Ghz.) It's new enough, cheap (currently $100 at several stores) and should work rather well with all the games I own. I don't know much about Bulldozer and the like, but if you have other suggestions, feel free to let me know.

So this is a tight budget build?

CPU: Core i3-2120 if you don't want to overclock. Overlock the Phenom II X4 965 if you want comparable performance. You would also need an after market cooler to compensate for the heat from higher wattage Phenom - 65w vs. 125w!

MOBO: Depends which processor you buy. Any will do, really.

Case: Everyone has different tastes so look at these for aesthetics. They function more or less the same. COOLER MASTER Elite - Rosewill CHALLENGER - COOLER MASTER Centurion

I'm not interested in overclocking - mostly because of the weather here. It can get really toasty in the summer and I don't always have an air conditioner on.

And I would very much prefer a CPU with at least four cores. I know they're not that important when it comes to games, but I do a bit of video and audio rendering and compression, and I'd rather have more handy.

Is there anything that's low power and that performs well?

The AMD FX-8120 Eight-Core has the same power draw (125w) as the 965, except it has 8 cores and doesn't need overclocking for it to be worthwhile. I don't know how prices are over there, but you could probably get it for under US$140. It would rip through any rendering tasks you throw at it :D

AMD FX-6100 6-Core runs at 95w and is great value for money. Well, both are really. It just depends on how much you are willing to spend.

I would seriously consider investing US$30 in an aftermarket cooler like the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo if you live in a hot environment. I've experienced trying to do mixing while the cpu roars like a rocket in the heat and it isn't easy to fine tune the EQ with all that noise!

Check the following sites for advice on what to buy for self builds:

tomshardware.com
(see for instance:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-pc-overclocking-pc-building,3273.html
or
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html
or
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html)

bit-tech.net
(for instance:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/buyers-guide/2012/08/31/pc-hardware-buyer-s-guide-august-2012/1)

techspot.com
(for instance:
http://www.techspot.com/guides/229-desktop-buying-guide/)

and maybe
frostytech.com (for coolers)
gpureview.com (for video cards)

I got that one recently too, It's not been too long but I'm already rather fond of it. So far I've run Dark souls and borderlands 2 without a single hitch, and I haven't encountered any particular slowness in any programs I use.

The standard fan that comes with it is rather loud though (Mounting that bitch was pretty hard too).

Yeah, I had a 955 at one point and I loved that thing as well, but damn it was loud until I popped an after market cooler on it.

@Foxhack, if you are in Mexico with no AC you need a cooler for a 125w CPU. Don't just take my word for it ;)

It might be worthwhile wait a few weeks to see what AMD's upcoming FX CPUs have to offer, if you can. AMD's current FX lineup is reportedly very lackluster.

I had a Phenom II X4 965 OC'd to 4.0 GHz in an old rig, and it was quite a nice chip and simple to work with (the Black Edition AMD chips can be overclocked in BIOS simply by raising the CPU multiplier, all you really have to worry about is making sure your memory timings keep up). For gaming, it will be fine even at stock clock. You won't get the threading you might get on Intel chipsets, but you're paying less than half the cost and with gaming, the GPU is the most important component anyway. Also, it's on sale @ Newegg right now for less than $100 (With Promo Code: EMCNAHB29, expires today!). Also, saw you are in Mexico with limited AC. You will definitely want to slap an aftermarket CPU cooler on the thing.

For you mobo, just make sure you get one with the AM3 chipset for that Phenom II. I think (I'm not sure) that the AM3 chips will fit into AM3+ chipset boards as well, hopefully someone else can verify. As for RAM, use DDR3 memory and try to get something cheap and with a heat spreader. 6GB is a 2x3 config will be fine for any modern games, obviously you will want more if you use memory intensive software.

For the case, I would highly recommend the midtower NZXT Phantom 410. It's a very attractive case, has excellent cable routing space, plenty of fan slots with great aiflow, a surprising amount of room to work with and a reasonable price point. My only complaint would be the HDD bays, they are made of some flimsy plastic that contrasts the rest of the quality materials, and can be a pain in the ass when trying to seat your drive. Other than that, it's the best midtower case I ever built around.

I keep forgetting about my location.

Yes, I live in Mexico, but I have a US Post Office box and can buy stuff from USA stores. So, US prices apply to me. ;)This one is $160 right now before taxes and shipping. :( I might look into it. Anyway, I -always- buy an aftermarket cooler, I'm well aware that bundled fans are crap. XD

Eight cores might be a bit of an overkill though. :pI have a Radeon 6850 card, which suits me very well.

Thanks for your suggestions, all. :)

Wait for the new consoles... that's my thoughts.

That's a great idea no wait, no.

I don't own a TV of my own. Let alone an HDTV. :(

Something I learned that may help:

Most power supplies are rated for 10,000 hours of use or less (Corsair's PSUs are usually rated for 100,000 hrs).

So it is usually wise to replace the power supply when you replace everything else. If the PSU sends bad power to the mobo or CPU or anything else then you're SOL.

I like acronyms.

?

I don't mean buy the new consoles, I mean wait to upgrade your PC until then. We have no idea how powerful they will be, whether they will be even more CPU focused, etc.