AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939 - $146
Abit AV8 Mobo - $100
Corsair Value 1 GB PC3200 - $104
Case - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156019
Enermax 370w Noisetaker PSU (best PSU brand, period) $44
NEC 3540 - $50
Asus CD-S520-A5 - $17
That comes out to $491. I personally think there's no reason to buy an Athlon 64 unless you want to have a really nice gaming machine, but if you want a really nice gaming machine, the RAM and videocard matter way more than the CPU. So basically, I can't advise getting an Athlon 64 unless you have a videocard that can keep up. A processor alone isn't gonna help out in games unless you have a good videocard and lots of RAM. You can't tell the difference between an Athlon XP system and an Athlon 64 system within Windows...the only time the 64 really shines is in games at extremely high settings or in photoshop-type applications.
Either way, that's a pretty formidable system for under $500. Can you list the specs of your videocard? I can't stress enough that the Athlon 64 is gonna be a complete waste unless you want to play games at really high settings with a really nice videocard. Might as well step down to an Athlon XP and buy 2 GB of RAM if you don't have a nice videocard.
The Corsair value ram is fine unless you want to overclock. Overclocking and "budget" don't mix together, so I assume you're not. I'm using 2 GB of the Corsair and it's perfectly fine. I'd recommend it to anyone that isn't gonna overclock.
The case is identical to mine but silver. I love mine. It's easy to work with and the front looks nice.
Don't let anyone say that a 350w PSU isn't gonna be enough. It's all about the brand. Any Sparkle or Enermax PSU is gonna power your system easily. I might upgrade the PSU to a 400w if you're gonna get more than 2 HDD's later, though. I've had nothing but spectacular performance with every Enermax PSU I've seen, especially the Noisetaker series.
The motherboard is what you need, plain and simple. The cheaper Socket 939 motherboards don't have AGP slots or are missing something integral to the PC being upgradeable.
Can you list what videocard you have? I really wanna know, because an Athlon 64 is overkill for most people. CPUs power games by 10-15%. The videocard is 40% and the RAM is 45%. Buying an Athlon 64 if you have a budget videocard is like buying racing tires for a 4-cylinder Ford.
-Lasereth