My current computer is making a weird sound, and one has suggested that it could be the barings on my CPU fan. Am thinking if that does happen, that I'll have to get a new computer, something I've been planning on doing anyway.

I have harddrives and RAM (PC2700 512mb sticks). Here's what I'd like some help on: motherboard, cpu, and video card. Thing is, don't want to spent more than $600 for all three. Only real stipulation on the video card is that it has S-Video out and can play games such as WoW without a problem and stuff like HL2 on medium settings without a problem. This is a gaming rig mostly, so try to keep that in mind, too.

Any and all suggestions are open.

you can get a new fan for your cpu

I have the money for the upgrade, so I'm using the asploding of my computer as an excuse to do the work.

Oh, and I less than three onboard sound, just to add that in there.

Huh?

As far as components go you can get a decent AMD64 proc, mobo and a PCIe NVidia 6600GT for ~$300

drop me a line man, I can hook u up for $600

What components did you have in mind? I'm no expert in computer hardware, but I see that as a little bit of a stretch. Just curious more than anything.

EDIT*

Eh, nevermind. I decided to check it out on my own. I think you could do it, but you'd be skimping out on some things. Also when the OP says gaming rig, I think he and I have differing opinions as to what that means.

I'd make sure you go with a PCI express video card, and definitely get a motherboard with SATA support. I agree that a lower end Athlon 64 rig (mobo/cpu/video card at least) could be put together for $300 or so. Get a socket 939 motherboard with an nForce 4 Ultra chipset (basically don't go SLI if you wanna save money), and get a 6600GT or whatever the ATI equivalent is. As far as CPU, I'd look to a AMD 64 3200+ ($170 shipped on Newegg). The DFI nf4 ultra-infinity mobo is right over $90 shipped (newegg again), and a decent 6600GT (MSI, eVGA, and Gigabyte are all good brands here, among others) PCI-e video card will be around $130 or so. So yeah, right around $300 for those 3 components. You might want to check out the price guides at http://www.anandtech.com, they're usually really helpful. These are just recommendations though, and I'm sure other people have other suggestions as well. If it was my money though, that's probably what I'd buy.

Oops, my link doesn't work, you'll need to take off the comma at the end.

May need a new PS as well. Correction, probably will.

I've decided to just go ahead and piece together a whole new rig. Can keep my current one (once I get the new heatsink/fan in) and just put that up at home so they have more than 1 comp to use when needed.

You should use your spair computer as a server, as I am doing. Then you have somewhere to put stuff you want to access from anywhere!