Have almost the same spec. I have a build log here.. IL2-COD build 10 pages but takes in selection, tuning, building and some benches. Runs COD pretty well in current state @ medium settings.

You don't get a 2500k for the on board gpu, it sucks. You get the 2500k cuzs it run as good as a $1000 980x gulftown cpu for a quarter of the price!

Don't get so wraped up in cores cores cores! Games aren't using them to full effect. 6 core amds dont mean $hit. Games aren't using all those cores. Cores may help video encoding and stuff but were talking gaming.

Unless I needed a computer right now for other reasons than Il2 CoD, I would wait at least 6 months before I get a new machine. By then the optimizing patches should've been implemented. Only then do you know If CoD will bennefit from SLI/CF, 6-8 cores, 64 bit W7 etc etc. Good chance a $1500 rig will run the game as fast as a $4500 one. Computer technology is always moving along at a fast speed. Right now there are a few new items on the horizon that may change performance significantly. Bulldozer 6-8 core chips and the new Ivey Bridge socket 2011 pin, 6-8 core chips. In six months these should be out.

Ivy bridge is not 2011 socket. Ivy bridge is the same as sandy bridge but its 22nm. It will fit it the same 1155 socket.

guys i'd love it if you could help me get this idea to take off. I'd love to have your proposed rigs in here: http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=20311

I think store links + prices could really help those of us looking into buying a new pc in the hopefully near future.

It has basically HD5450 performance. Pretty decent for an IGP if you ask me. But if you're running a dedicated graphics card (most will...) than it's basically worthless. I guess I didn't make that clear, my bad. I meant for a basic system.

Here's what I have so far penciled in for my new Rig. Any advice will be appreciated.

Asus P8P67 Deluxe

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 8GB or G.SKILL Sniper 8GB

GTX 580 (or GTX590 dual)

Windows 7 OS 64Bit

I tentatively plan to keep my current four 400GB 7200 SATA2 HD's (currently in a RAID config which I don't think I'll do this time). I've done no research, yet, on State-of-the-art new HD's...So advice on Drives would be most welcome

Save the $100 and go 2500k. For gaming the performance gains of the 2600k are marginal at best. The rest will be great.

don't do a full system upgrade until amd's new bulldozer is launched in a few months. bulldozer is rumored to absolutely trounce everything currently on the market. chances are intel will have to slash prices to stay competitive so you can either build an i7 based system or pay slightly more and go with a much faster bulldozer.

Thanks for the headsup. I'm going to wait for the LGA 2011 socket. Wonder how much faster and cooler the Ivey Bridge 22nm 1155 chips are going to be. If multicore is not going to make that much of a difference in CoD, IB may be the ticket after all. Especially if those 1366 cpu's are going to cost $1000+.