Ok, since you seem to like strategy games your choice of processor is pretty good. I don't know if you're going to be interested in going for a dual gpu setup eventually.

For your GPU I saw on newegg - 3850 512mb $105 (MIR) or 8800gt xfx $140 (MIR) or 8800gts $170 (Mail in rebate) All would be great choices but since you look like you'll probably go AMD you might as well go all AMD and get a 3850 and save some money and get an all AMD PC.

If you want to play FPS games on a larger - 20"+ monitor I would recomend the 8800gt or gts, though I would lean towards the GTS for the better cooling solution between the two personally if you wanted to spend more money.

For the CPU, may as well make it a 9550 if you haven't already theres a performance difference and it would be simpler too.

For the case and PSU, you should get reasonable quality on the PSU at the very least. There are some pretty nice combo deals on newegg sometimes with good PSU's built in so you should look for them. A good PSU will make your pc quieter more stable and more reliable.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll try to answer them as best I can.

naznatips said:

I'm arguing the general superiority of PC as an individual gaming platform.

SSJ12 said:

PC gaming is better then console gaming. Always.

Those two statements are not the same. I agree with Naz. I disagree with SSJ12. So does he, or he never would have bought a PS3 game. He would have opted for the PC superior equivalent if one existed. 

Absolutisms never a great way to go. But then again some people are so hell bent against believing that pc gaming is alive and kicking I can see why you'd need to stamp your feet on the ground a bit.

 What am I not allowed to own consoles? PC gaming is better all around, but I will play console games sometimes. I have owned 90% every console ever made.

PC games sometimes come before console as well, Far Cry on PC is amazing, but the 360/XBOX/Wii ports were awfull. One of the reasons ill get Far Cry 2 on PC.

 PC has control of every genre of gaming there is, including non-games. This does not mean there isn't games on consoles that are entertaining. It's mainly that there are variations of the genres that are entertaining to play on both sides of the fence. That does not mean consoles provide a better experience, just that the games there are entertaining. So PC gaming always being better is true, it just doesn't mean good games aren't on consoles. Console games just don't stack up to what PC has to offer.

The only advantage Console games have over the PC is local Multiplayer and even that isn't true with a few games like Fifa.  It is intresting to note that the PS3 and Xbox 360 seem to be  focusing less and less on this strengh in favor of strong single player and online multiplayer games. On the other hand the Wii seems to have fully embraced it.

 This is the issue at hand. You are arguing hardware, and we are arguing games.

Yes, the PC on every front has the most potential for the best games. Other then the PS3's ability to do a specific type of math, the PC outclasses every console (including the PS3), at everything. No one is questioning that.

But "gaming" is not all about hardware, it's about the games, and some of the best games can only be played on consoles.

To magnify my point, the best hardware for gaming, is probably IBM's BlueGene/L. It's the fastest computer in the world, with stats like 73,000 gigs of ram, and 478 tflops. What could be done on that computer is unimaginable if you put the best gaming shops to work on it. But if I wanted to play games, I would get a better gaming experience out of a PS2, as there are more entertaining games that play on it. (there are none to speak of on the BGL).

If you want to play a violent sandbox game like GTA4, and want to play the best one in the world, you can't do it on a PC.

If you want to play the best platform game in the world, you can't do it on a PC.

If you want to play the best stealth combat game, my guess is when MGS4 comes out, you won't be able to do it on a PC.

It's not about hardware. I don't play the PC, the 360, the PS3, or the Wii. I play Crysis, Lost Odyssey, Ratchet and Clank, or Super Mario Galaxy.

 I'm talking about the games not the hardware. And who gives a damn if consoles currently have GTA4 when I have a completely modible hot coffee filled PC version of GTASA?Plus GTA4 will be on PC by the end of the year and be fully modible.