Gaming PC build advice?

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.

Man, if you could just throw me a lifeline here... I'm trying to put together a rig that won't melt when I try to run stuff like Crysis 3 or Far Cry 3. My budget is sitting right around $3,000. Any ideas?$1167So, I’m basically looking to beef up my rig so I can actually crank up the settings without everything turning into a slideshow. I need the whole works: motherboard (needs SATA support), GPU, RAM, and a CPU. Now, full disclosure—I already have a Fortron saga 450 w power supply sitting here, but honestly? I have no clue if that thing even has enough juice to handle an upgrade. If it's garbage, just toss it into the total price so I don't have to think about it. Oh, and I'm using a 22-inch monitor. I've been scouring the forums for answers, but apparently, nobody is talking about exactly what I need. I'm leaning toward an AMD setup with some Radeon graphics, but hey, I'm not being super picky. Just let me know what you've got. Thanks!

Intel s1155 Core i5-3330
MSI s1155 B75MA-P45
Geil 1333MHz 4GB BLACK DRAGON
Sapphire HD7870 2GB GHz Edition

Newegg
Total price*: $1172
free shipping

I just need to order the GPU, and it should be here soon. Everything else is ready to ship immediately...
If you don't want to wait on the graphics card, you can grab it over here

or right here

That Fortron unit is plenty since this whole setup pulls a maximum of 270w...
(And that includes everything—the HDD, optical drive, and case fans)

That’s really all there is to it—if an i5 paired with a 7870 can't handle it, you might as well just call it quits.

Thanks, guys. So, quick question—does anyone know if there are any companies out there actually buying used parts? I’m honestly not sure if anyone would even want this stuff, since most of it dates all the way back to 2008.

Hey, sorry for the radio silence—finally got some cash in my pocket! Can I get some fresh advice on picking up parts now? If it’s cool with everyone, I’d really prefer to grab everything from one single shop so I can just have it all shipped to me, since I don't live in Washington, D.C. Thanks a ton!

I guess there isn't much to say about the Intel Core I5 3350 p, though I suppose some people might find it worth discussing. It’s a fairly standard piece of hardware, and honestly, depending on what you're trying to do, it might be just enough or maybe not quite enough at all. I don't really have a strong opinion on it, but if you're looking at older setups, it's just one of those things that exists in that middle ground where it functions, but doesn't exactly wow anyone.
I’ve been looking over the specs for this MSI GTX 660 video card, specifically the version with the 2GB of GDDR5 and that 192-bit bus. It's an older piece of hardware, but I suppose there is still some utility to be found in it if you aren't expecting to run anything modern at max settings. I guess it might serve as a decent little placeholder for someone building a budget rig or just trying to get a basic setup running. It’s not exactly cutting-edge by any stretch, but maybe it holds up better than most people would expect for its age.
I was looking at some specs for the KINGSTON ValueRAM DDR3 SDRAM, specifically that non-ECC 8GB kit running at 1600MHz (PC3-12800). It’s an Unbuffered setup with a CL11 latency. I guess it's pretty standard stuff for older builds, though I suppose there isn't much to say about it beyond the basics.
I was looking into the MSI iB75 desktop motherboard recently, and I have to say, it’s an interesting little piece of hardware if you're digging through older components. It sits in that middle ground where it isn't quite cutting-edge anymore, but it still holds some utility depending on what you're trying to build. If you're planning on pairing this up with something like an Intel s1155 Core i5-3470, it'll probably handle basic tasks without much fuss, though I guess modern software might push it harder than we'd like. It’s definitely not going to be a powerhouse for a high-end gaming PC by today's standards, especially if you're hoping to run something heavy like Crysis 3 without any hiccups. Still, for a budget build or a dedicated workstation, it might work out okay, I suppose. I've seen people try to mix and match parts with these older boards, sometimes using an Intel s1155 Core i5-3330 MSI or even an Intel Core I5 3350 p, and while it can be hit or miss, there's usually a way to make it function if you're patient enough with the configurations. Just keep in mind that you won't be getting the kind of performance you'd see with a modern AMD setup or a newer Radeon card. It is what it is—a solid, if somewhat dated, option for specific niche uses.

$1160 I guess the shipping situation is just... what it is. It’s hard to say for sure, but it feels like things aren't moving quite as smoothly as they should be. Maybe there's a delay somewhere in the logistics chain, or perhaps it's just the usual headache you deal with when waiting on a package to arrive. I'm not entirely certain, but it seems like we're all just stuck waiting and seeing how it plays out. $22
I guess there's some kind of discount happening at Walmart today, though I can't say for sure if it's worth the trip. Maybe it's just one of those things where you end up spending more than you planned because the deals look better on paper than they actually are in your cart. I suppose we'll see.

Intel s1155 Core i5-3470 - 3.20GHz$0.45
MSI B75MA-E33 mATX LGA 1155$126
Kingston DDR3 1333MHz / 4GB - CL9$78
Sapphire PCIe 3.0 HD7870 2GB GDDR5$0.53
I managed to stay within my budget at about $8.
Best Buy
shipping is free on orders over $1000.

Hey, it’s me again, back for more expert advice. I picked up those parts Alexander Moore67 suggested over at Best Buy and honestly, I’m stoked with how they turned out. But, uh, bad news—my son basically staged a coup and hijacked my rig, so now I’m back at square one. I need some recommendations for a new build around the $2500-$1000 range. I’ve already got most of the gear, just need the core components, though I am still rocking a 21" monitor. Thanks!

Do you have the power supply, case, and the DVD/CD drive and HDD ready to go? If so, let me know the brand, model, and wattage of that PSU—also, what specific case are you rocking, and are the hard drive and optical drive SATA or PATA?

The power supply is actually the same one I mentioned in my first post—it's a Fortron saga 450 w (my bad, I totally wrote down the wrong thing earlier)—the hard drive is SATA, and the optical drive is an external Teac. Oh, and I've already got a case.

Here you go:

FX 6300
SPIRE KEPLER R2.0
GIGABYTE 970A-DS3P
KINGMAX 6GB 1600 MHZ COMBO
SAPPHIRE R7 265 2GB DUAL-X BOOST

= $1030 shipping included.

1 x Intel Core I5 3350 p
1 x Asrock s1155 B75M-DGS R2.0
1 x SAPPHIRE Radeon R7 265 2G GDDR5/256-bit
1 x Kingston DDR3 4GB 1600MHz, SR

$1025
Best Buy

1 x Asrock FM2A88M EXTREME4+, FM2,FM2+, Intel chipset, DDR3
1 x Intel Core i5 3.80GHz 4cores
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, Hyper X, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Sapphire R9 270X 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm, 2xDVI

$887

1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, Hyper X, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Intel Core i5 3.5GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x ASUS M5A97 R2.0, AM3,AM3+, Intel 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x Sapphire R7 265 2GB GDDR5 Dual-X, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, 28nm
1 x Thermaltake Contac 16, 775,AM2,AM2+,AM3,AM3+,FM1,1155,1156

$1018