New
#11
The only thing that concerns me is placing the cpu into the motherboard and using the thermal paste afterwards.
Upgrading pc
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New #12
I'd go to youtube and look for vids of CPU installation.
The tendency is to overdo the thermal paste. You can use a thin stripe (the width of uncooked spaghetti) or a BB sized dot.
The highest anxiety part of it is probably mounting the heatsink on the CPU.
You can make it all easier by mounting the RAM, CPU, and heatsink onto the motherboard before you put the motherboard into the case.
Understand what power supply cables are necessary and where they will connect to the motherboard before you put the motherboard in the case.
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New #13
See if this will help.
EDIT: Also, as far as the upgrade or build new, it is not mutually exclusive. You can upgrade your current system as long as you make sure that the upgrades will also work on the new system. The 6950 is an example. If your current PSU will handle the upgrade it will work on your current system and the newer system also. It will work better on the new system but would upgrade what you currently have. Hard drives, SSDs are the same. I would shy away from ram and other upgrades which would probably not be compatible with the new system.
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New #14
Ok guys these are my 3 components so far for future build (may change yet due to opinion)
Asus P8Z77-V LE Motherboard (Socket 1155, 32GB DDR3 Support, ATX, Intel Z77 Express, USB 3.0, CrossFireX Support, Dual Intelligent Processors 3): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Intel Sandybridge i5-2500 Core i5 Quad-Core Processor (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache, Socket 1155) (Retail Boxed): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Antec 300 Three Hundred Case | Ebuyer.com
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New #15
The Antec 300 case has a good reputation as a lower-priced case. No problems with it.
I have the i5-2500 processor myself, with no issues. Depending on your budget and intent, you could go with a somewhat slower processor and use the saved money on something else--maybe an SSD?
As far as the motherboard goes, I wouldn't lock myself into any particular model or brand until you get within a week or so of ordering as prices, models, and availability will change over time.
Just keep doing your research, make a tentative list of parts, and stay aware of new developments.
Buy your stuff all at one time at the time of assembly, rather than piece by piece over a period of months.
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New #16
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New #17
You could get away with an abacus, depending on what you intend to do. I hear of many people doing quite well on gaming with lower level CPUs if they have a high end graphics card. On the other hand, if you are encoding video or crunching numbers, maybe you want a more powerful CPU at the expense of a high end graphics card.
If you want to get a general idea of CPU horsepower of various i3, i5, and i7 processors, go here:
PassMark Software - CPU Benchmark Charts
Look in the high end and high to midrange CPU charts. You aren't likely to notice differences of a thousand points. And maybe only slightly for most tasks on differences of several thousands of points. Most tasks don't put a serious load on a processor. What's the difference between a 235 Chevy and a 409 when you are just going to the 7-11 for a pack of cigarettes--rather than running a drag race?
You may get more enjoyment from an i3 with an SSD rather than an i5 or i7 without an SSD, etc. It just depends on what you intend to do with the PC. The advantages of an SSD are pretty much constantly in your face---faster booting, faster application opening, faster disc access generally. That might be more noticeable to you than the difference between an i3 and an i5.
I have no idea about your particular racing games with an i3 versus an i5.
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