Advice on a replacement build

[savormix]

Hello everyone,

normally I would do at least some research first, but the situation is rather dire. My desktop computer, bought in 2005 is now randomly generating false thermal events – which means I must come up with possible replacement build specs quickly. The bad thing is, I research the hardware field only when I have made up my mind to buy a new computer and thus am out-of-date.

The old computer was relatively powerful (as of 2005), but not aimed at gaming -> while boasting a P4 (Prescott) 3.2Ghz/800Mhz FSB, it had a rather mediocre video card (Radeon X600, which later was replaced by Radeon X1300 (warranty service)).

Since this is a replacement build, it does not need a HDD, an optical drive nor a monitor. Most probably it could do with current GPU as well.

I am thinking about something quad-core from Intel i5 series and would like to go for best cost/quality ratio.
I will check out what's in local stores when picking RAM, but you can post recommendations.
I have no clue about motherboards though. Pretty much all of them that have the relevant CPU socket have everything I need (integrated sound + NIC).
... and I will go with a random case+PSU with enough wattage. This isn't a powerhouse build, you know.

TL;DR
Motherboard + CPU aimed at both home tasks and CPU-intensive tasks, for example chess analysis. Budget: up to $700.

[DarkOCean]

Have you tought about a budget?

psu CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 43...
ram GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRA...
motherboard BIOSTAR B75MU3+ LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s...
cpu Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turb...
gpu integrated in cpu
case your choice.

[savormix]

Thanks, the specs are excellent and now I have the idea what to look for.

Update on budget: up to $700.

[DarkOCean]

cool then you have money to add a dedicated gpu but the question is do you need one, do you play games?