Maximum PC

Im looking to build a new PC (havent done this in a long time) and im looking for advice and compatibilty between parts. First off, i am basing my build around the recent "sweet spot" pc build in gordons recent article here on MaximumPC. There are just a few items i dont need so im looking to upgrade other parts with the savings.

Purpose of the PC: To play mostly Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2.
Expectations: To be able to upgrade in the future for newer games as they come along

The 2 main items i see in the build that i can do without is the SSD drive and the CPU cooler. I dont do any overclocking whatsoever so the stock fan/heatsink will work fine. I also am not interested in a SSD yet because the price/size of the drives are not what i want to pay for just for a faster drive.

Items that i would like to consider alternatives to but not sure about compatibilty issues.
1. Im thinking about using an ivy bridge core i5 proc but im not sure if the listed motherboard supports ivy bridge. The procs are the same price but im not sure about the motherboard.

2. What are your opinions / advice on the GPU? I prefer nvidia over ati but i havent been keeping up on all the versions to know where this video card stands. Willl i be able to run those 2 games on high quality or just medium?

Thank you for any help and opinions.

If it's a Z68 chipset, allegedly they should work with Ivy Bridge with a BIOS update. But the safest bet is no, get a Z77.


A GeForce GTX 560 Ti should suffice here then.

You want one? I have two and I'm trying to pawn one off for $150 to offset the cost of a future upgrade.[/shameless plug]

Thank you for the advice on using a Z77 chip. I decided to use an Asus P8Z77-V mobo with a Core i5 3550 proc. no offense but i like to buy my hardware new.