Deals.Woot

Have you checked out AMD's APU's? They are basically a AMD 6500 series graphics chip and CPU on 1 chip. They are going to be good for games, but not great. They are getting great reviews though and the price is right if they really perform the way they say they will. Here's a link to them on Newegg. You can check out specs and reviews. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600166681&IsNodeId=1&name=A-Series%20APU

Both the Quad cores are out of stock right now, but you can find em at TigerDirect or any other PC component store.

Another place you can try for prices and/or info is Directron. When I was building pc's I used them alot. You can email, tell them what you want and they will stick to your budget while you get the best available for your cash. I haven't bought anything for a couple of years from them, but I don't build anymore. I might be worth a try just for the knowledge. They are on the web.

@huachucac: Son of a....!!! Beat me to it. Tomshardware builds the best bang for the buck gaming computers every month, then bench tests them. I would have to argee with huachucac and say this setup cannot be beat for the money.

www.tomshardware.com

But I noted your demands of a solid state drive. Just sub out the Barracuda hard drive listed for a small cheap SSD and reuse the HDDs that you currently have. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227393 And if you want 8G of RAM, sub out the Wintec for this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422

You'll probably be just over your $600 mark. If this really bugs you, then you could nix the case and power supply listed and then just go to Newegg and pick out a cheap case with a power supply included. But you're kind of rolling the dice there. Cheap power supplies can be finicky/untrustworthy. Though I've had many work for years, so it's your gamble.

@pinchecat: Seems the Sandy is the way to go. Benchmarks really make it seem worth the 190+ that it would cost.

Everyone else, thank you so far. Some of the information I had all ready checked into, but tomshardware was a fantastic lead. Onward to more research on towers, etc, but if there is any more info or help please share.

P.S. Where did my original tags go? I think the system ate them as I didn't see anything for a bit.

@pinchecat: That's a good point. I didn't bring up the 2500K because we were already pushing his budget constraints and could have spent the money better elsewhere. The i5-2400 has a lot of power. But if you're ok with it xarous, the additional $30 for the 2500K is a no brainer. It is the undisputed juggernaut bang for the buck. AND there's a deal posted on it today.
http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/44f1aff8-de59-4d38-949f-a9e712b77755/intel-core-i5-2500k-sandy-bridge-3-3ghz-3-7ghz-turbo-boost-lga-1155-95w-quad-co#2

If you want my full recommendations on bang for the bucks equipment.
CPU= Intel 2500K ~$205
Mobo= Z68 chipset mobo ~$110
RAM= 2x4GB DDR3 1600 ~$35
Video Card= Radeon HD 6870 ~$175
SSD= 60GB, probably OCZ Agility 3 $69.99 after MIR
HHD= reuse what you have
Case= Rosewill

Finally, BE SURE TO LOOK FOR COMBO DEALS. Newegg has combo deals for nearly every item. Sometimes the combo deal will include something small for no extra money (CPU paste, DVD-Rs, etc).

@da5id:

1)Actually the difference is $20 on Newegg now. ($299 vs $319)

2) The 2600K is NOT faster than the 2600 out of the box. They're both 3.4GHz.

3) The "K" designation simply means the multiplier is unlocked. This is very helpful for those that plan to overclock.

4) Every Sandy Bridge CPU has integrated graphics, except the high-end 6 core i7's.

5) Lastly, they're both way out of the price range this guy set.

Please do a little research before posting advice. Even if the thread is two+ weeks old.