i3 2100 Futureproof?

[RussianSensation]

Well in the short term, a 4-core 2500k with overclocking is pretty much the best bang for the buck for now, but if you intend to keep your system for 4-5 years, who knows. Maybe by that time the 8-core BD may actually be way faster as games start to use 6-8 threads (in 2016). The other alternative is instead of buying parts to "futureproof", it's far more effective to buy mid-range parts and sell more frequently.

Not sure what videocard you have now with the P4 but for your new build, but I am guessing you won't be reusing it? Either way, don't get a $450 GPU and "hold" it for 5 years. That's a losing strategy. You'll be FAR better off getting an HD6870 for $150 and then upgrading to another $150 GPU in 2.5 years and then another $150 GPU in 2.5 more years. That's why I think you should spend a little more on the CPU given your reluctance to upgrade often. With a fast CPU (at least a quad), you'll be able to upgrade 3 GPU generations without worrying about your platform. 8GB of DDR3 is very cheap now ($50). So an i5-2400 and 8GB of DDR3 should be your starting point. I'd get the 2500k to give you a good headroom to overclock should you need 30% more performance in 2 years. Cap off at that $225-250 CPU price level and leave the rest for GPU upgrades.

 

[1337n00b]

Well in the short term, a 4-core 2500k with overclocking is pretty much the best bang for the buck for now, but if you intend to keep your system for 4-5 years, who knows. Maybe by that time the 8-core BD may actually be way faster as games start to use 6-8 threads (in 2016). The other alternative is instead of buying parts to "futureproof", it's far more effective to buy mid-range parts and sell more frequently.

Not sure what videocard you have now with the P4 but for your new build, but I am guessing you won't be reusing it? Either way, don't get a $450 GPU and "hold" it for 5 years. That's a losing strategy. You'll be FAR better off getting an HD6870 for $150 and then upgrading to another $150 GPU in 2.5 years and then another $150 GPU in 2.5 more years. That's why I think you should spend a little more on the CPU given your reluctance to upgrade often. With a fast CPU (at least a quad), you'll be able to upgrade 3 GPU generations without worrying about your platform. 8GB of DDR3 is very cheap now ($50). So an i5-2400 and 8GB of DDR3 should be your starting point. I'd get the 2500k to give you a good headroom to overclock should you need 30% more performance in 2 years. Cap off at that $225-250 CPU price level and leave the rest for GPU upgrades.

I'm running a 3650 AGP.

I'm guessing as games become more CPU dominant, more frequent MB/CPU upgrades are gonna have to happen. From my like the mid range (perhaps lower mid-range) seem to give the most performance per dollar. If I have to make a $300-400 dollar upgrade every year (MB/CPU/GPU), that's fine. I can still have my PSU, RAM, SSD, last for 3+ years.

I'll wait until the Bulldozers come out next month, to see if they drive the price down of the i5 2300, or if it's AMD price equivalent can outperform it.

Thanks for the advice!