Price to performance build!! Advice

[Mooler Caster]

just to be correct.. as i rechecked the price..... the cx500w V2 (non modular) is as much as the cx500w Modular (but non v2)...
I dont know what v2 or version 2 stands for ...

 

[iBeInspire]

Not much, aslong as the Total AMPS are the same, there shouldn't be many major differences between vanilla and v2... Just some internals being tweaked...
I'd go for the modular (Or semi-modular) since the added flexibility will be a welcome bonus

 

[Mooler Caster]

It just struck me now also that the switch to the cheaper gaz77 d3h does have Lucid Virtu. if that helps at all...

 

[Master&Puppet]

The d3h is a good budget board - the reviews I've seen suggest that it is quite capable overclocking on the FSB. If you can get your i3 close to 110 that then you'll gain around 10% performance for no hassle at all. The better the i3 the more overclock you'll get.

I wouldn't get anything lower than a 7850 for gaming really - it is worth saving for. The 7870LE is a great choice but they might not be around for long (limited edition basically).

With this kind of rig you could easily get a smaller PSU too. If you only ever intend on using an i3 and something similar to a 7850 then I can't see you drawing more than 300W at the absolute max (and cx 430 has 336W on the 12v rail which will be fine).

Lucid is an interesting tool but a bit hit and miss last I checked. Best not to rely on it.

This is the kind of thing that is possible for your budget:

M&P