Considering this upgrade, please give input!

[qgroff]

Hey guys. I'm looking into upgrading my system. My goal is to have a system that's reasonably upgradable without breaking my bank. Typical usage is World of Warcraft, would like to run high vid settings on 1920x1200 resolution. I'd also like to be able to run Diablo III on decent settings when it's released. So no overclocking, no crazy power user stuff. I want it to run modest applications incredibly well. As far as my tech level goes, it's pretty high compared to the average joe but pretty low in the grand scale of Computer Geekdom. Onward to the specs:

Current system:
Case: Raidmax Scorpio ATX-868WBP
Mobo: ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (2.2GHz)
RAM: 1x1GB Corsair 184-pin DDR 400
Graphics: eVGA GeForce 6600 GT (128MB 128-bit AGP 8x)
HDs: Western Digital Raptor (SATA, 10k RPM, 8 MB Cache, 36GB)
Western Digital Caviar GP (SATA, 500GB, in a single drive RAID array because that's how I got it to work)
PSU: Enermax EG565P-VE 535W
OS: Windows XP Home SP3 32-bit

Considering upgrading to:
Case: Not upgrading (N/U)
Mobo: Gigabyte 770 (AM3, HDMI, ATX) $70
CPU: AMD Phenom II x2 550 (2.6GHz) $102 (will try to unlock to quad-core)
RAM: 2x2GB G.Skill 240-pin DDR3 1333 $84
Graphics: Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 (1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCIe 2.0x16) $135
HDs: N/U
PSU: N/U
OS: N/U
(Total upgrade cost as listed above, $391)

Generally, does this look good? Am I stupid not to upgrade to Windows 7 64-bit at the same time (for an extra $110)? I'm trying to save money but if it means I'm losing out a lot by not having DirectX 11 I'll suck it up and do it. Will these components work well together? Are there components that are similar in style and equal or lower in pricepoint that I should be considering instead? There's an HP model at Fry's for $660 that looks like a pretty awesome deal, and has kinda been my comparison point between upgrading just what I want in my current system and giving up and grabbing the complete one. In case you couldn't tell from above, I'm pretty happy with Newegg though I would certainly consider buying from other reputable vendors. And I live in the US.

Something I don't *really* care about but would be nice to fix is, my current system is loud as hell. That may just be the case fans though, which I'm not planning on replacing :-/

Please tell me what you think!

 

[TheLaughingMan]

Build before Buy. The HP is nice, but seriously lacking in graphic power if you plan on gaming.

Upgrades look good. DX11 is not really that important as you can get much more powerful GPU's in the same price range. DX11 games will look better and be the future come the end of next year, but I wouldn't get a GPU for that alone right now.

You can get the Windows 7 RC for now until March of next year. I think you can still get it from some torrent sites and a few other hosting sites.

The noise is most likely from a case fan, replace it.

The only online vendors of general computer parts you need to know in the US are as followed.

newegg.com
tigerdirect.com
zipzoomfly.com
directron.com
frys.com

 

[Greenmousa]

This may sound stupid but...you didn't consider buying a X3 720 BE and then try to unlock the 4th core?? Just curious why did you choose that CPU to unlock

 

[qgroff]

This may sound stupid but...you didn't consider buying a X3 720 BE and then try to unlock the 4th core?? Just curious why did you choose that CPU to unlock

Price. It's only $18 more for a guaranteed 3 vs a guaranteed 2, but they unlock to the same thing and I'm one of those types of people where the price game is a slippery slope I tell myself, "oh, it's only 18 bucks more for a 3 core" then I say, "but then, I can guarantee 4 at a little bit slower speed for only 23 more than that"... that said, do you think the x3 is the best value vs. surety point along that curve? It's certainly a possibility...

 

[DonInKansas]

I'd take the 720. OC it to 3.1 and you have another guaranteed core at the x2 speed. lol

Then again, your upgrade will feel pretty staggering as it is.